Act 1, Scene 4
Tarsus. A room in the Governor's house.
- [Enter Cleon, the governor of Tarsus, with Dionyza, and others.]
- Cleon
- 387 My Dionyza, shall we rest us here,
- 388 And by relating tales of others' griefs,
- 389 See if 'twill teach us to forqet our own?
- Dionyza
- 390 That were to blow at fire in hope to quench it;
- 391 For who digs hills because they do aspire
- 392 Throws down one mountain to cast up a higher.
- 393 O my distressed lord, even such our griefs are;
- 394 Here they're but felt, and seen with mischief's eyes,
- 395 But like to groves, being topp'd, they higher rise.
- Cleon
- 396 O Dionyza,
- 397 Who wanteth food, and will not say he wants it,
- 398 Or can conceal his hunger till he famish?
- 399 Our tongues and sorrows do sound deep
- 400 Our woes into the air; our eyes do weep,
- 401 Till tongues fetch breath that may proclaim them louder;
- 402 That, if heaven slumber while their creatures want,
- 403 They may awake their helps to comfort them.
- 404 I'll then discourse our woes, felt several years,
- 405 And wanting breath to speak help me with tears.
- Dionyza
- 406 I'll do my best, sir.
- Cleon
- 407 This Tarsus, o'er which I have the government,
- 408 A city on whom plenty held full hand,
- 409 For riches strew'd herself even in the streets;
- 410 Whose towers bore heads so high they kiss'd the clouds,
- 411 And strangers ne'er beheld but wonder'd at;
- 412 Whose men and dames so jetted and adorn'd,
- 413 Like one another's glass to trim them by:
- 414 Their tables were stored full, to glad the sight,
- 415 And not so much to feed on as delight;
- 416 All poverty was scorn'd, and pride so great,
- 417 The name of help grew odious to repeat.
- Dionyza
- 418 O, 'tis too true.
- Cleon
- 419 But see what heaven can do! By this our change,
- 420 These mouths, who but of late, earth, sea, and air,
- 421 Were all too little to content and please,
- 422 Although they gave their creatures in abundance,
- 423 As houses are defiled for want of use,
- 424 They are now starved for want of exercise:
- 425 Those palates who, not yet two sumMers younger,
- 426 Must have inventions to delight the taste,
- 427 Would now be glad of bread, and beg for it:
- 428 Those mothers who, to nousle up their babes,
- 429 Thought nought too curious, are ready now
- 430 To eat those little darlings whom they loved.
- 431 So sharp are hunger's teeth, that man and wife
- 432 Draw lots who first shall die to lengthen life:
- 433 Here stands a lord, and there a lady weeping;
- 434 Here many sink, yet those which see them fall
- 435 Have scarce strength left to give them burial.
- 436 Is not this true?
- Dionyza
- 437 Our cheeks and hollow eyes do witness it.
- Cleon
- 438 O, let those cities that of plenty's cup
- 439 And her prosperities so largely taste,
- 440 With their superflous riots, hear these tears!
- 441 The misery of Tarsus may be theirs.
- [Enter a Lord.]
- A Lord
- 442 Where's the lord governor?
- Cleon
- 443 Here.
- 444 Speak out thy sorrows which thou bring'st in haste,
- 445 For comfort is too far for us to expect.
- A Lord
- 446 We have descried, upon our neighbouring shore,
- 447 A portly sail of ships make hitherward.
- Cleon
- 448 I thought as much.
- 449 One sorrow never comes but brings an heir,
- 450 That may succeed as his inheritor;
- 451 And so in ours: some neighbouring nation,
- 452 Taking advantage of our misery,
- 453 Math stuff'd these hollow vessels with their power,
- 454 To beat us down, the which are down already;
- 455 And make a conquest of unhappy me,
- 456 Whereas no glory's got to overcome.
- A Lord
- 457 That's the least fear; for, by the semblance
- 458 Of their white flags display'd, they bring us peace,
- 459 And come to us as favourers, not as foes.
- Cleon
- 460 Thou speak'st like him's untutor'd to repeat:
- 461 Who makes the fairest show means most deceit.
- 462 But bring they what they will and what they can,
- 463 What need we fear?
- 464 The ground's the lowest, and we are half way there.
- 465 Go tell their general we attend him here,
- 466 To know for what he comes, and whence he comes,
- 467 And what he craves.
- A Lord
- 468 I go, my lord.
- [Exit.]
- Cleon
- 469 Welcome is peace, if he on peace consist;
- 470 If wars, we are unable to resist.
- [Enter Pericles with Attendants.]
- Pericles
- 471 Lord governor, for so we hear you are,
- 472 Let not our ships and number of our men
- 473 Be like a beacon fired to amaze your eyes.
- 474 We have heard your miseries as far as Tyre,
- 475 And seen the desolation of your streets:
- 476 Nor come we to add sorrow to your tears,
- 477 But to relieve them of their heavy load;
- 478 And these our ships, you happily may think
- 479 Are like the Trojan horse was stuff'd within
- 480 With bloody veins, expecting overthrow,
- 481 Are stored with corn to make your needy bread,
- 482 And give them life whom hunger starved half dead.
- All
- 483 The gods of Greece protect you!
- 484 And we'll pray for you.
- Pericles
- 485 Arise, I pray you, rise:
- 486 We do not look for reverence, but for love,
- 487 And harbourage for ourself, our ships, and men.
- Cleon
- 488 The which when any shall not gratify,
- 489 Or pay you with unthankfulness in thought,
- 490 Be it our wives, our children, or ourselves,
- 491 The curse of heaven and men succeed their evils!
- 492 Till when, — the which I hope shall ne'er be seen, —
- 493 Your grace is welcome to our town and us.
- Pericles
- 494 Which welcome we'll accept; feast here awhile,
- 495 Until our stars that frown lend us a smile.
- [Exeunt.]