And the prosperity of a whole kingdom.

‘Tis ill in you to do it, and no less

ll in your council not to contradict it.

They do abuse the King that flatter him,

For flatt’ry is the bellows blows up sin;

The thing the which is flattered, but a spark,

To which that wind gives heat and stronger glowing;

Whereas reproof, obedient and in order,

Fits kings as they are men, for they may err.

When Signor Sooth here does proclaim a peace

He flatters you, makes war upon your life.

⌈He kneels⌉

Prince, pardon me, or strike me if you please.

I cannot be much lower than my knees.

PERICLES

All leave us else; but let your cares o’erlook

What shipping and what lading’s in our haven,

And then return to us. Exeunt Lords

Helicane, thou

Hast moved us. What seest thou in our looks?

HELICANUS An angry brow, dread lord.

PERICLES

If there be such a dart in princes’ frowns,

How durst thy tongue move anger to our brows?

HELICANUS

How dares the plants look up to heav’n from whence

They have their nourishment?

PERICLES

Thou knowest I have pow’r to take thy life from thee.

HELICANUS

I have ground the axe myself; do you but strike the blow.

PERICLES ⌈lifting him up⌉

Rise, prithee, rise. Sit down. Thou art no flatterer,

I thank thee for it, and the heav‘ns forbid

That kings should let their ears hear their faults hid.

Fit counsellor and servant for a prince,

Who by thy wisdom mak’st a prince thy servant,

What wouldst thou have me do?

HELICANUS

To bear with patience

Such griefs as you do lay upon yourself.

PERICLES

Thou speak‘st like a physician, Helicanus,

That ministers a potion unto me

That thou wouldst tremble to receive thyself.

Attend me, then. I went to Antioch,

Where, as thou know’st, against the face of death

I sought the purchase of a glorious beauty

From whence an issue I might propagate,

As children are heav‘n’s blessings: to parents,

objects;

Are arms to princes, and bring joys to subjects.

Her face was to mine eye beyond all wonder,

The rest—hark in thine ear—as black as incest,

Which by my knowledge found, the sinful father

Seemed not to strike, but smooth. But thou know’st

this,

‘Tis time to fear when tyrants seems to kiss;

Which fear so grew in me I hither fled

Under the covering of careful night,

Who seemed my good protector, and being here

Bethought me what was past, what might succeed.

I knew him tyrannous, and tyrants’ fears

Decrease not, but grow faster than the years.

And should he doubt—as doubt no doubt he doth—

That I should open to the list’ning air

How many worthy princes’ bloods were shed

To keep his bed of blackness unlaid ope,

To lop that doubt he’ll fill this land with arms,

And make pretence of wrong that I have done him,

When all for mine—if I may call—offence

Must feel war’s blow, who spares not innocence;

Which love to all, of which thyself art one,

Who now reproved’st me for’t—

HELICANUS

Alas, sir.

PERICLES

Drew sleep out of mine eyes, blood from my cheeks,

Musings into my mind, with thousand doubts,

How I might stop this tempest ere it came,

And, finding little comfort to relieve them,

I thought it princely charity to grieve them.

HELICANUS

Well, my lord, since you have giv’n me leave to speak,

Freely will I speak. Antiochus you fear,

And justly too, I think, you fear the tyrant,

Who either by public war or private treason

Will take away your life.

Therefore, my lord, go travel for a while,

Till that his rage and anger be forgot,

Or destinies do cut his thread of life.

Your rule direct to any; if to me,

Day serves not light more faithful than I’ll be.

PERICLES I do not doubt thy faith,

But should he in my absence wrong thy liberties?

HELICANUS

We’ll mingle our bloods together in the earth

From whence we had our being and our birth.

PERICLES

Tyre, I now look from thee then, and to Tarsus

Intend my travel, where I’ll hear from thee,

And by whose letters I’ll dispose myself.

The care I had and have of subjects’ good

On thee I lay, whose wisdom’s strength can bear it.

I’ll take thy word for faith, not ask thine oath;

Who shuns not to break one will sure crack both.

But in our orbs we’ll live so round and safe

That time of both this truth shall ne’er convince:

Thou showed’st a subject’s shine, I a true prince.

Exeunt

Sc. 3 Enter Thaliart

THALIART So this is Tyre, and this the court. Here must I kill King Pericles, and if I do it and am caught I am like to be hanged abroad, but if I do it not, I am sure to be hanged at home. ‘Tis dangerous. Well, I perceive he was a wise fellow and had good discretion that, being bid to ask what he would of the King, desired he might know none of his secrets. Now do I see he had some reason for’t, for if a king bid a man be a villain, he’s bound by the indenture of his oath to be one. Hush, here comes the lords of Tyre.