But since he's gone, the king's seas must please: I'll present myself.-[To them.] Peace to the lords of Hel. Lord Thaliard from Antiochus is welcome. Thal. From him I come, With message unto princely Pericles; But since my landing I have understood, Your lord hath betook himself to unknown travels, SCENE IV. Tharsus. A Room in the Governor's House. Enter CLEON, DIONYZA, and Attendants. Cle. My Dionyza, shall we rest us here, Dio. That were to blow at fire in hope to quench it; O my distressed lord! even such our griefs; Here they're but felt, and seen with mischief's eyes, Who wanteth food, and will not say he wants it, 8 My message-] So all the editions but the quarto, 1609, which reads, "Now message must return," &c. Our tongues and sorrows do sound deep Till tongues fetch breath that may proclaim them louder; That if heaven slumber, while their creatures want, They may awake their helps to comfort them. And, wanting breath to speak, help me with tears. 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 streets, Whose towers bore heads so high, they kiss'd the clouds, And strangers ne'er beheld, but wonder'd at; Cle. But see what heaven can do! By this our change, These mouths, whom but of late, earth, sea, and air, Although they gave their creatures in abundance, They are now starv'd for want of exercise: Those palates, who not yet two summers younger2, Our tongues and sorrows Do sound deep] We follow the old copies in this somewhat obscure passage, excepting that in the next line we read "do" for to, and three lines lower, "helps" for helpers. dames so JETTED-] i. e. so strutted. See this Vol. p. 190. 2 Those palates, who not yet Two SUMMERS younger,] So Steevens, correcting a decided corruption in the old copies, which read, "not yet too savers yonger." Malone recommended a needless change, "not us'd to hunger's savour," but the reference seems to be to the lapse of time. Must have inventions to delight the taste, Would now be glad of bread, and beg for it: Dio. Our cheeks and hollow eyes do witness it. With their superfluous riots, hear these tears: 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 inheritor; And so in ours. Some neighbouring nation, Taking advantage of our misery, Hath stuff'd these hollow vessels with their power, Whereas no glory's got to overcome. 3 HATH stuff'd-] Old copies, "That stuff'd." The error, arising from the misreading of the compositor, occurs again on p. 290. Lord. That's the least fear; for by the semblance 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 repeat; The ground's the low'st, and we are half way there. To know for what he comes, and whence he comes, Lord. I go, my lord. Cle. Welcome is peace, if he on peace consist°; If wars, we are unable to resist. Enter PERICLES, with Attendants. Per. Lord governor, for so we hear you are, [Exit. Are stor❜d with corn to make your needy bread, And we'll pray for you. Thou speak'st like HIM's-] i. e. like him who is, an elliptical expression, misprinted hymnes in all the old copies. 5 What need we FEAR?] The quarto, 1609, reads, "What need we leave, our ground's the lowest," &c. All the later copies have it as in our text. 6 if he on peace CONSIST;] i. e. if he stand on peace. 7 Are like the Trojan horse, was stuff'd within With bloody VEINS,] i. e. "like the Trojan horse, which was stuff'd within with bloody veins." Modern editors poorly substitute views for "veins," against the authority of every old edition. Per. Arise, I pray you, arise: We do not look for reverence, but for love, And harbourage for ourself, our ships, and men. Per. Which welcome we'll accept ; feast here a while, Until our stars that frown lend us a smile. [Exeunt. ACT II. Enter GOWER. Gow. Here 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. Till he hath pass'd necessity. I'll show you those in troubles reign, (To whom I give my benizon) • Is still at THARSUS,] The oldest quarto, 1609, corruptly reads, "Is still at Tharstill." The meaning of the next line, as Malone explains it, seems to be, "that they pay as much respect to all Pericles can speak as if it were holy writ." VOL. VIII. U |