SCENE IV.
Tharsus.9Q1308
Enter Cleon, Dionyza, and others.
Cle.
My Dionyza, shall we rest us here,
And by relating tales of others' griefs,
See if 'twill teach us to forget our own?
Dio.
That were to blow at fire in hope to quench it;
For who digs hills because they do aspire,
Throws down one mountain to cast up a higher.
O my distressed lord, ev'n such our griefs are;
Here they're but felt, unseen with mischief's eyes5 note
,
But like to groves, being topp'd, they higher rise.
-- 32 --
Cle.
O Dionyza,
Who wanteth food, and will not say he wants it,
Or can conceal his hunger, till he famish?
Our tongues and sorrows do sound deep our woes
Into the air; our eyes do weep, till lungs6 note
Fetch breath that may proclaim them louder, that
If heaven slumber, while their creatures want,
They may awake their helps to comfort them7 note
.
I'll then discourse our woes felt several years,
And wanting breath to speak, help me with tears.
Dio.
I'll do my best, sir.
Cle.
This Tharsus, o'er which I have the government,
A city, on whom plenty held full hand,
For riches strew'd herself even in the streets8 note;
-- 33 --
Whose towers bore heads so high, they kiss'd the clouds9 note
,
And strangers ne'er beheld, but wonder'd at;
Whose men and dames so jetted and adorn'd1 note,
Like one another's glass to trim them by2 note
:
Their tables were stor'd full, to glad the sight,
And not so much to feed on, as delight;
All poverty was scorn'd, and pride so great,
The name of help grew odious to repeat.
Dio.
Oh, 'tis too true.
Cle.
But see what heaven can do! By this our change,
These mouths, whom but of late, earth, sea, and air,
Were all too little to content and please,
Although they gave their creatures in abundance,
As houses are defil'd for want of use,
They are now starv'd for want of exercise;
-- 34 --
Those palates, who, not us'd to hunger's savour3 note
,
Must have inventions to delight the taste,
Would now be glad of bread, and beg for it;
Those mothers who, to nouzle up their babes4 note
,
Thought nought too curious, are ready now,
To eat those little darlings whom they lov'd;
So sharp are hunger's teeth, that man and wife
Draw lots who first shall die to lengthen life:
Here stands a lord, and there a lady weeping;
Here many sink, yet those which see them fall,
Have scarce strength left to give them burial.
Is not this true?
-- 35 --
Dio.
Our cheeks and hollow eyes do witness it.
Cle.
O let those cities that of Plenty's cup5 note
And her prosperities so largely taste,
With their superfluous riots, hear these tears!
The misery of Tharsus may be theirs.
Enter a Lord.
Lord.
Where's the lord governor?
Cle.
Here.
Speak out thy sorrows, which thou bring'st, in haste,
For comfort is too far for us to expect.
Lord.
We have descried, upon our neighbouring shore,
A portly sail of ships make hitherward.
Cle.
I thought as much.
One sorrow never comes but brings an heir,
That may succeed as his inheritor6 note
;
And so in our's: some neighbouring nation,
Taking advantage of our misery,
Hath stuff'd these hollow vessels with their pow'r7 note
,
-- 36 --
To beat us down, the which are down already;
And make a conquest of unhappy me,9Q1310
Whereas no glory's got to overcome8 note.
Lord.
That's the least fear; for, by the semblance9 note
Of their white flags display'd, they bring us peace,
And come to us as favourers, not as foes.
Cle.
Thou speak'st like him's untutor'd to repeat1 note
,
Who makes the fairest shew, means most deceit.
But bring they what they will, and what they can,
What need we fear2 note
?
The ground's the lowest, and we are half way there:
Go tell their general, we attend him here,
To know for what he comes, and whence he comes,
And what he craves.
Lord.
I go, my lord.
-- 37 --
Cle.
Welcome is peace, if he on peace consist3 note;
If wars, we are unable to resist.
Enter Pericles with Attendants.
Per.
Lord governor, for so we hear you are,
Let not our ships and number of our men,
Be, like a beacon fir'd, to amaze your eyes.
We have heard your miseries as far as Tyre,
And seen the desolation of your streets:
Nor come we to add sorrow to your tears,
But to relieve them of their heavy load4 note;
And these our ships, note (you happily may think
Are, like the Trojan horse, war-stuff'd within,
With bloody views expecting overthrow5 note
,)
Are stor'd with corn to make your needy bread,9Q1311
And give them life, whom hunger starv'd half dead.
Omnes.
The gods of Greece protect you!
And we will pray for you.
Per.
Arise, I pray you, rise;
We do not look for reverence, but for love,
And harbourage for ourself, our ships, and men.
Cle.
The which when any shall not gratify,
Or pay you with unthankfulness in thought6 note
,
-- 38 --
Be it our wives, our children, or ourselves,
The curse of heaven and men succeed their evils!
Till when, (the which, I hope, shall ne'er be seen,)
Your grace is welcome to our town and us.
Per.
Which welcome we'll accept; feast here a while,
Until our stars that frown, lend us a smile.
[Exeunt.
Edmond Malone [1780], Supplement to the edition of Shakspeare's plays published in 1778 By Samuel Johnson and George Steevens. In two volumes. Containing additional observations by several of the former commentators: to which are subjoined the genuine poems of the same author, and seven plays that have been ascribed to him; with notes By the editor and others (Printed for C. Bathurst [and] W. Strahan [etc.], London) [word count] [S10911].
