Enter GOWER. | |
| Here have you seen a mighty king | |
| His child, I wis, to incest bring; | |
| A better prince and benign lord, | 4 |
| That will prove awful both in deed and word. | |
| Be quiet, then, as men should be, | |
| Till he hath pass’d necessity. | |
| I’ll show you those in troubles reign, | 8 |
| Losing a mite, a mountain gain. | |
| The good in conversation, | |
| To whom I give my benison, | |
| Is still at Tarsus, where each man | 12 |
| Thinks all is writ he speken can; | |
| And, to remember what he does, | |
| Build his statue to make him glorious: | |
| But tidings to the contrary | 16 |
| Are brought your eyes; what need speak I? | |
| |
DUMB SHOW. | |
| |
Enter, from one side, PERICLES, talking with CLEON; all their Train with them. Enter, at another door, a Gentleman, with a letter to PERICLES; who shows the letter to CLEON; then gives the Messenger a reward, and knights him. Exeunt PERICLES, CLEON, &c., severally. | |
| Good Helicane hath stay’d at home, | 20 |
| 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’ desire, | 24 |
| Sends word of all that haps in Tyre: | |
| How Thaliard came full bent with sin | |
| And had intent to murder him; | |
| And that in Tarsus was not best | 28 |
| Longer for him to make his rest. | |
| He, doing so, put forth to seas, | |
| Where when men been, there’s seldom ease; | |
| For now the wind begins to blow; | 32 |
| Thunder above and deeps below | |
| Make such unquiet, that the ship | |
| Should house him safe is wrack’d and split; | |
| And he, good prince, having all lost, | 36 |
| By waves from coast to coast is tost. | |
| All perishen of man, of pelf, | |
| Ne aught escapen but himself; | |
| Till Fortune, tir’d with doing bad, | 40 |
| Threw him ashore, to give him glad; | |
| And here he comes. What shall be next, | |
| Pardon old Gower, this longs the text. [Exit. | |