Pericles, Prince of Tyre: Act 1, Scene 2 Translation

Enter Pericles with an Attendant.

PERICLES
Let none disturb us. (Attendant exits.) Why should
this change of thoughts,
The sad companion dull-eyed Melancholy,
Be my so used a guest as not an hour
In the day’s glorious walk or peaceful night, 5
The tomb where grief should sleep, can breed me
quiet?
Here pleasures court mine eyes, and mine eyes shun
them;
And danger, which I feared, is at Antioch, 10
Whose arm seems far too short to hit me here.
Yet neither pleasure’s art can joy my spirits,
Nor yet the other’s distance comfort me.
Then it is thus: the passions of the mind
That have their first conception by misdread 15
Have after-nourishment and life by care;
And what was first but fear what might be done
Grows elder now, and cares it be not done.
And so with me. The great Antiochus,
’Gainst whom I am too little to contend, 20
Since he’s so great can make his will his act,
Will think me speaking though I swear to silence;
Nor boots it me to say I honor him
If he suspect I may dishonor him.
And what may make him blush in being known, 25
He’ll stop the course by which it might be known.
With hostile forces he’ll o’er-spread the land,
And with th’ ostent of war will look so huge
Amazement shall drive courage from the state,
Our men be vanquished ere they do resist, 30
And subjects punished that ne’er thought offense;
Which care of them, not pity of myself,
Who am no more but as the tops of trees
Which fence the roots they grow by and defend them,
Makes both my body pine and soul to languish 35
And punish that before that he would punish.

Enter Helicanus and all the Lords to Pericles.

FIRST LORD
Joy and all comfort in your sacred breast.

SECOND LORD
And keep your mind till you return to us
Peaceful and comfortable.

HELICANUS
Peace, peace, and give experience tongue. 40
They do abuse the King that flatter him,
For flattery is the bellows blows up sin;
The thing the which is flattered, but a spark
To which that wind gives heat and stronger glowing;
Whereas reproof, obedient and in order, 45
Fits kings as they are men, for they may err.
When Signior Sooth here does proclaim peace,
He flatters you, makes war upon your life.
He kneels.
Prince, pardon me, or strike me, if you please.
I cannot be much lower than my knees. 50

PERICLES
All leave us else; but let your cares o’erlook
What shipping and what lading’s in our haven,
And then return to us. The Lords exit.
Helicanus,
Thou hast moved us. What seest thou in our looks? 55

HELICANUS An angry brow, dread lord.

PERICLES
If there be such a dart in princes’ frowns,
How durst thy tongue move anger to our face?

HELICANUS
How dares the plants look up to heaven,
From whence they have their nourishment? 60

PERICLES
Thou knowest I have power to take thy life from thee.

HELICANUS I have ground the ax myself;
Do but you strike the blow.

PERICLES
Rise, prithee rise. Helicanus rises.
Sit down. Thou art no flatterer. 65
I thank thee for ’t; and heaven forbid
That kings should let their ears hear their faults hid.
Fit counselor and servant for a prince,
Who by thy wisdom makes a prince thy servant,
What wouldst thou have me do? 70

HELICANUS To bear with patience such griefs
As you yourself do lay upon yourself.

PERICLES
Thou speak’st like a physician, Helicanus,
That ministers a potion unto me
That thou wouldst tremble to receive thyself. 75
Attend me, then: I went to Antioch,
Where, as thou know’st, against the face of death
I sought the purchase of a glorious beauty
From whence an issue I might propagate,
Are arms to princes and bring joys to subjects. 80
Her face was to mine eye beyond all wonder,
The rest—hark in thine ear—as black as incest,
Which by my knowledge found, the sinful father
Seemed not to strike, but smooth. But thou know’st
this: 85
’Tis time to fear when tyrants seems to kiss;
Which fear so grew in me I hither fled
Under the covering of a careful night,
Who seemed my good protector; and, being here,
Bethought me what was past, what might succeed. 90
I knew him tyrannous, and tyrants’ fears
Decrease not but grow faster than the years;
And should he doubt, as no doubt he doth,
That I should open to the list’ning air
How many worthy princes’ bloods were shed 95
To keep his bed of blackness unlaid ope,
To lop that doubt he’ll fill this land with arms,
And make pretense of wrong that I have done him;
When all, for mine—if I may call ’t—offense,
Must feel war’s blow, who spares not innocence; 100
Which love to all—of which thyself art one,
Who now reproved’st me for ’t—

HELICANUS Alas, sir!

PERICLES
Drew sleep out of mine eyes, blood from my cheeks,
Musings into my mind, with thousand doubts 105
How I might stop this tempest ere it came;
And finding little comfort to relieve them,
I thought it princely charity to grieve for them.

HELICANUS
Well, my lord, since you have given me leave to speak,
Freely will I speak. Antiochus you fear, 110
And justly too, I think, you fear the tyrant,
Who either by public war or private treason
Will take away your life.
Therefore, my lord, go travel for a while,
Till that his rage and anger be forgot, 115
Or till the Destinies do cut his thread of life.
Your rule direct to any. If to me,
Day serves not light more faithful than I’ll be.

PERICLES I do not doubt thy faith.
But should he wrong my liberties in my absence? 120

HELICANUS
We’ll mingle our bloods together in the earth,
From whence we had our being and our birth.

PERICLES
Tyre, I now look from thee, then, and to Tarsus
Intend my travel, where I’ll hear from thee,
And by whose letters I’ll dispose myself. 125
The care I had and have of subjects’ good
On thee I lay, whose wisdom’s strength can bear it.
I’ll take thy word for faith, not ask thine oath.
Who shuns not to break one will crack both.
But in our orbs we’ll live so round and safe 130
That time of both this truth shall ne’er convince.
Thou showed’st a subject’s shine, I a true prince.

They exit.