Tyre. A Room in the Governor’s House. | |
| |
Enter HELICANUS and ESCANES. | |
| Hel. No, Escanes, know this of me, | |
| Antiochus from incest liv’d not free; | 4 |
| For which, the most high gods not minding longer | |
| To withhold the vengeance that they had in store, | |
| Due to this heinous capital offence, | |
| Even in the height and pride of all his glory, | 8 |
| When he was seated in a chariot | |
| Of an inestimable value, and his daughter with him, | |
| A fire from heaven came and shrivell’d up | |
| Their bodies, even to loathing; for they so stunk, | 12 |
| That all those eyes ador’d them ere their fall | |
| Scorn now their hand should give them burial. | |
| Esca. ’Twas very strange. | |
| Hel. And yet but just; for though | 16 |
| This king were great, his greatness was no guard | |
| To bar heaven’s shaft, but sin had his reward. | |
| Esca. ’Tis very true. | |
| |
Enter two or three Lords. | 20 |
| First Lord. See, not a man in private conference | |
| Or council has respect with him but he. | |
| Sec. Lord. It shall no longer grieve without reproof. | |
| Third Lord. And curs’d be he that will not second it. | 24 |
| First Lord. Follow me then. Lord Helicane, a word. | |
| Hel. With me? and welcome. Happy day, my lords. | |
| First Lord. Know that our griefs are risen to the top, | |
| And now at length they overflow their banks. | 28 |
| Hel. Your griefs! for what? wrong not the prince you love. | |
| First Lord. Wrong not yourself then, noble Helicane; | |
| But if the prince do live, let us salute him, | |
| Or know what ground’s made happy by his breath. | 32 |
| If in the world he live, we’ll seek him out; | |
| If in his grave he rest, we’ll find him there; | |
| And be resolv’d he lives to govern us, | |
| Or dead, give ’s cause to mourn his funeral, | 36 |
| And leaves us to our free election. | |
| Sec. Lord. Whose death’s indeed the strongest in our censure: | |
| And knowing this kingdom is without a head, | |
| Like goodly buildings left without a roof | 40 |
| Soon fall to ruin, your noble self, | |
| That best know’st how to rule and how to reign, | |
| We thus submit unto, our sovereign. | |
| All. Live, noble Helicane! | 44 |
| Hel. For honour’s cause forbear your suffrages: | |
| If that you love Prince Pericles, forbear. | |
| Take I your wish, I leap into the seas, | |
| Where’s hourly trouble for a minute’s ease. | 48 |
| A twelvemonth longer, let me entreat you | |
| To forbear the absence of your king; | |
| If in which time expir’d he not return, | |
| I shall with aged patience bear your yoke. | 52 |
| But if I cannot win you to this love, | |
| Go search like nobles, like noble subjects, | |
| And in your search spend your adventurous worth; | |
| Whom if you find, and win unto return, | 56 |
| You shall like diamonds sit about his crown. | |
| First Lord. To wisdom he’s a fool that will not yield; | |
| And since Lord Helicane enjoineth us, | |
| We with our travels will endeavour it. | 60 |
| Hel. Then you love us, we you, and we’ll clasp hands: | |
| When peers thus knit, a kingdom ever stands. [Exeunt. | |
