Enter Helicanus and Escanes. HELICANUS
No, Escanes, know this of me:
Antiochus from incest lived not free,
For which the most high gods not minding longer
To withhold the vengeance that they had in store
Due to this heinous capital offense, 5
Even in the height and pride of all his glory,
When he was seated in a chariot of
An inestimable value, and his daughter with him,
A fire from heaven came and shriveled up
Those bodies even to loathing, for they so stunk 10
That all those eyes adored them, ere their fall,
Scorn now their hand should give them burial. ESCANES ’Twas very strange. HELICANUS
And yet but justice; for though this king were great,
His greatness was no guard to bar heaven’s shaft, 15
But sin had his reward. ESCANES ’Tis very true. | Back in Tyre, Helicanus and a dude named Escanes gossip about King Antiochus, the guy who's been sleeping with hisdaughter and trying to have Pericles killed. Apparently, the dirty daddy-daughter duo was out joyriding in their chariot when they got hit by a bolt of fire from heaven. The bodies were burnt to a crisp and are now so stinky that nobody wants to bury them.
Helicanus is all, "That's what they get." |
Enter two or three Lords. FIRST LORD
See, not a man in private conference
Or counsel has respect with him but he. SECOND LORD
It shall no longer grieve without reproof. 20 THIRD LORD
And cursed be he that will not second it. FIRST LORD
Follow me, then.—Lord Helicane, a word. HELICANUS
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. 25 HELICANUS
Your griefs? For what? Wrong not your 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. 30
If in the world he live, we’ll seek him out;
If in his grave he rest, we’ll find him there,
And be resolved he lives to govern us,
Or dead, give ’s cause to mourn his funeral
And leave us to our free election. 35 SECOND 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
Soon fall to ruin—your noble self,
That best know how to rule and how to reign, 40
We thus submit unto, our sovereign. ALL Live, noble Helicane! | Now a bunch of lords come in and complain that Pericles has been gone too long. They're worried that he's dead. They want Helicanus to be their official leader because they feel vulnerable without one. |
HELICANUS
Try honor’s cause; forbear your suffrages.
If that you love Prince Pericles, forbear.
Take I your wish, I leap into the seas, 45
Where’s hourly trouble for a minute’s ease.
A twelve-month longer let me entreat you
To forbear the absence of your king;
If in which time expired, he not return,
I shall with agèd patience bear your yoke. 50
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,
You shall like diamonds sit about his crown. 55 FIRST LORD
To wisdom he’s a fool that will not yield.
And since Lord Helicane enjoineth us,
We with our travels will endeavor. HELICANUS
Then you love us, we you, and we’ll clasp hands.
When peers thus knit, a kingdom ever stands. 60 They exit. | Helicanus convinces the lords to wait twelve more months for Pericles before making any hasty decisions. |