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Yet, ere you fhall depart, this we defire,→→

As friends to Antioch, we may feast in Tyre. [Exeunt.

SCENE IV.

Tharfus. A Room in the Governour's House.

Enter CLEON, DIONYZA, and Attendants.

Cle. My Dionyza, shall we reft 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 caft up a higher.

O my diftreffed lord, even fuch our griefs;

Here they're but felt, and feen with mistful eyes,
But like to groves, being topp'd, they higher rise.
Cle. O Dionyza,

Who wanteth food, and will not fay, he wants it,
Or can conceal his hunger till he famish?

Our tongues and forrows do sound deep our woes
Into the air; our eyes do weep, till lungs
Fetch breath that may proclaim them louder; that,
If heaven flumber, while their creatures want,
They may awake their helps to comfort them.
I'll then difcourfe our woes, felt feveral years,
And wanting breath to speak, help me with tears.
Dio. I'll do my beft, fir.

Cle. This Tharfus, o'er which I have government,

(A city, on whom plenty held full hand,)

For riches, ftrew'd herself even in the streets;

Whose towers bore heads so high, they kiss'd the clouds, And ftrangers ne'er beheld, but wonder'd at ;

Whose

Whose men and dames so jetted and adorn'd,
Like one another's glass to trim them by :
Their tables were ftor'd full, to glad the fight,
And not fo much to feed on, as delight;

fo

All poverty was fscorn'd, and pride so great,

The name of help grew odious to repeat.

Dio. O, 'tis too true.

Cle. But fee what heaven can do! By this our change, These mouths, whom but of late, earth, fea, 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 ufe,
They are now ftarv'd for want of exercise :

Those palates, who not yet two fummers younger,
Must have inventions to delight the taste,
Would now be glad of bread, and beg for it;
Those mothers who, to noufle up their babes,
Thought nought too curious, are ready now,
To eat those little darlings whom they lov'd.
So fharp are hunger's teeth, that man and wife
Draw lots, who first shall die to lengthen life:
Here ftands a lord, and there a lady weeping;
Here many fink, yet those which fee them fall,
Have scarce ftrength left to give them burial.
Is not this true?

Dio. Our cheeks and hollow eyes do witness it.
Cle. O, let those cities, that of Plenty's cup
And her profperities fo largely taste,
With their superfluous riots, hear these tears!
The mifery of Tharfus may be theirs.

Enter a Lord.

Lord. Where's the lord governor?

Cle

Cle. Here,

Speak out thy forrows 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 fail of thips make hitherward.

Cle. I thought as much.

One forrow never comes, but brings an heir,

That may fucceed as his inheritor;

And fo in our's: fome neighbouring nation,

Taking advantage of our misery,

Hath ftuff'd thefe hollow veffels with their power,
To beat us down, the which are down already;
And make a conquest of unhappy me,

Whereas no glory's got to overcome.

Lord. That's the least fear; for, by the semblance
Of their white flags difplay'd, they bring us peace,
And come to us as favourers, not as foes.

Cle. Thou fpeak'ft like him's untutor'd to repeat,
Who makes the fairest fhow, means moft deceit.
But bring they what they will, what need we fear?
The ground's the low'ft, 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.

Cle. Welcome is peace, if he on peace confist; If wars, we are unable to resist.

Enter PERICLES, with Attendants.

Per. Lord governor, for so we hear you are,
Let not our fhips and number of our men,
Be, like a beacon fir'd, to amaze your eyes.
We have heard your miseries as far as Tyre,

[Exit.

And

And feen the defolation of your streets:
Nor come we to add forrow to your tears,
But to relieve them of their heavy load;
And these our ships you happily may think
Are, like the Trojan horse, war-stuff'd within,
With bloody views, expecting overthrow,
Are ftor'd with corn, to make your needy bread,

And give them life, who are hunger-starv'd, half dead.
All. The gods of Greece protect you!

And we'll pray for you.

Per.

Rife, 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 thought,
Be it our wives, our children, or ourselves,
The curfe of heaven and men fucceed 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 fmile.

[Exeunt.

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ACT II.

Enter GOWER.

Gow. Here have you feen a mighty king
His child, I wis, to inceft bring;
A better prince, and benign lord,
Prove awful both in deed and word.
Be quiet then, as men fhould be,
Till he hath pafs'd neceffity.
I'll show you those in troubles reign,
Lofing a mite, a mountain gain.
The good in conversation

(To whom I give my benizon,)
Is ftill at Tharfus, where each man
Thinks all is writ he spoken can:
And, to remember what he does,
Gild his ftatue glorious :

But tidings to the contrary

Are brought your eyes; what need speak I?

Dumb fbow.

Enter at one door PERICLES, talking with CLEON; all the train with them. Enter at another door, a Gentleman, with a letter to PERICLES; PERICLES Shows the letter to CLEON ; then gives the Messenger a reward, and knights` him. Exeunt PERICLES, CLEON, &c. feverally.

Cow. Good Helicane hath ftaid at home,
Not to eat honey, like a drone,

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