Your Lord hath betook himself to unknown Travels,
My Meffage muft return from whence it came.
Hell. We have no reason to defire it,
Commended to our Mafter, not to us;
Yet e'er you shall depart, this we defire,
As Friends to Antioch, we may Feaft in Tyre.

[Exeunt.

Enter Cleon the Governor of Tharfus, with Dionyfia
and others.

Cle. My Dionyfia, fhall 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 afpire,
Throws down one Mountain to caft up a higher!
0 my diftreffed Lord, even fuch our Griefs are,
Here they're but felt, and feen with Mifchiefs Eyes,
But like to Groves, being topt, they higher rife.
Cle. O Dionyfia,

Who wanteth Food, and will not fay he wants it,
Or can conceal his Hunger 'till he famish?
Our Tongues and Sorrows do found deep :
Our Woes into the Air, our Eyes to weep,
'Till Tongues fetch Breath that may proclaim
Them louder, that if Heav'n flumber, while
Their Creatures want, they may awake
Their helpers 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, Sir.

Cle. This Tharfus, o'er which I've the Government,
A City, on whom Plenty held full Hand,

For Riches ftrew'd her felf even in the Streets,
Whofe Towers bore heads fo high, they kift the Clouds,
And Strangers ne'er beheld, but wonder'd at;
Whole Men and Dames fo jetted and adorn'd,
Like one anothers Glafs to trim them by;
Their Tables were stor'd full, to glad the fight,
And not fo much to feed on, as delight,
All Poverty was scorn'd, and Pride fo great,
The Name of Help grew odious to repeat.
Dio. Oh 'tis true.

VOL. VI.

Cle.

Cle. But fee what Heav'n can do by this our Change
These Mouths, who 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 ftarv'd for want of Exercife;
Thofe Pallats, who, not yet to favers younger,
Must have Inventions to delight the Tafte,
Would now be glad of Bread, and beg for it;
These Mothers who to nouzle up their Babes,
Thought nought too curious, are ready now,
To eat those little Darlings whom they lov'd,
So fharp are hungers Teeth, that Man and Wife,
Draw Lots who firft fhall dye to lengthen Life.
Here ftands a Lord, and there a Lady weeping,
Here many fink, yet thofe which fee them fall,
Have fcarce Strength left to give them Burial.
Is not this true?

Dio. Our Cheeks and hollow Eyes do witness it.
Cle. O let thofe Cities that of Plenty's Cup,
And her Profperities fo largely taft,

With their fuperfluous Riots hear thefe Tears;
The Mifery of Tharfus may be theirs.

Enter a Lord.

Lord. Where's the Lord Governor ?..

Cle. Here, fpeak out thy Sorrows, which thou bring'st in hafte, for Comfort is too far for us to expect. Lord. We have defcried, upon our neighbouring Shore, A portly fail of Ships make hitherward.

Cle. I thought as much.

One Sorrow gever comes but brings an Heir,
That may

fucceed as his Inheritor :

And fo in ours: Some neighbouring Nation,
Taking Advantage of our Mifery,

That ftuft the hollow Veffels with their Pow'r
To beat us down, the which are down already,
And make a Conqueft of unhappy me,
Whereas no Glory is got to overcome.

Lord. That's the leaft Fear.

For by the femblance of their Flags displaid,

They

They bring us Peace, and come to us as Favourers,
Not as Foes.

Cle. Thou fpeak'ft like Hymns untutor❜d to repeat,
Who makes the fairest Shew, means most Deceit.
But bring they what they will, and what they can,
What need we fear, the Ground's the lowest,

And we are half way there: Go tell their General we at tend 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 confift; If Wars, we are unable to refift.

Enter Pericles with Attendants.

Per. Lord Governor, for fo we hear you are,
Let not our Ships and number of our Men,
Be like a Beacon fir'd, to amaze your Eyes,
We've heard your Miseries as far as Tyre,
And feen the Defolation of your Streets:
Nor come we to add Sorrow to your Tears,
But to release them of their heavy load,
And these our Ships, you happily may think
Are like the Trojan Horfe, was ftuft within,
With bloody Veins expecting overthrow,
Are ftor'd with Corn to make your needy Bread,
And give them Life, whom hunger ftarv'd half dead.
Omnes. The Gods of Greece protect you,

And we'll pray for you.

Per. Arife, I pray you, arife;

We do not look for Reverence, but for Love,
And harbourage for our felf, our Ships, and Men.
Cle. The which when any fhall not gratifie,
Or pay you with Unthankfulness in Thought,
Be it our Wives, our Children, or our felves,
The Curfe of Heav'n and Men fucceed their Evils:
'Till when, the which, I hope, fhall ne'er be feen,
Your Grace is welcome to our Town and us.

Per. Which welcome we'll accept, Feaft here a while, Until our Stars that frown, lend us a Smile.

[Exeunt.

Gow.

H

ACT II. SCENE I.

Enter Gower.

Ere have you seen a mighty King,
His Child, I wis, to Incest bring

A better Prince and benign Lord,

That will prove awful both in Deed and Word.
Be quiet then, as Men Should be,
Till he hath paft Neceffity:

I'll fhew you thofe 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 be spoken can:
And to remember what he does,
Build his Statue to make him glorious:

But Tydings to the contrary,

Are brought t' your Eyes, what need speak I.

Dumb Show.

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 fhews the Letter to Cleon, Pericles gives the Meffenger a Reward, and Knights him. [Exit Pericles at one Door, and Cleon at another.

Good Hellican that ftaid at home,

Not to eat Honey like a Drone,

From others Labours; for though he strive

To killen bad, keep good alive:

And to fulfil his Prince's Defire,

Sav'd one of all that haps in Tyre:

How Thaliard came full bent with Sin,

And had intent to murther him;

And that in Tharfus was not beft,

Longer for him to make his reft:
He doing fo, put forth to Seas,

Where when Men bin, there's feldom Eafe,

For

For now the Wind begins to blow,
Thunder above, and Deeps below,
Makes fuch unquiet, that the Ship
Should Houfe him fafe, is wrackt and split.
And he, good Prince, having all loft,
By Waves, from Coast to Coaft is toft:
All Perifben of Man, of Pelf,
Ne ought efcapen'd but himself;
'Till Fortune tir'd with doing bad,
Threw him ashore to give him glad:
And here he comes; what shall be next,
Pardon old Gower, thus long's the Text.

Per. Yet ceafe your Ire, you angry Stars of Heav'n,
Wind, Rain, and Thunder; remember earthly Man
Is but a Subftance that muft yield to you:
And I, as fits my Nature, do obey you.
Alas, the Seas hath caft me on the Rocks,
Wafht me from Shore to Shore, and left my Breath
Nothing to think ou, but enfuing Death;
Let it fuffice the greatnefs of your Powers,
To have bereft a Prince of all his Fortunes,
And having thrown him from your watry Grave,
Here to have Death in Peace, is all he'll crave.

Enter three Fishermen.

1 Fish. What, to pelch?

2 Fifb. Ha, come and bring away the Nets. 1 Fish. What patch Breech, I fay.

3 Fish. What fay you, Mafter?

1 Fifb. Look how thou stirreft now. Come away, or I'll fetch thee with a Wannion.

3 Fifh. Faith, Mafter, I am thinking of the poor Men That were caft away before us, even now.

Fifh. Alas, poor Souls, it griev'd my Heart to hear
What pitiful Cries they made to us, to help them,
When, well-a-day, we could fcarcely help our felves.
3 Fifh. Nay, Mafter, faid not I as much,

When I faw the Porpus how he bounc'd and tumbled ?
They fay, they are half Fish, half Flesh;

A Plague on them, they ne'er come but I look to be washt.

O 3

Mafter,