The Complete Works of William Shakespeare In Plain and Simple English (Translated) (555 page)

nor tell the world that Antiochus sins

in such a revolting way;

and so this prince must die at once:

he must die for the sake of my reputation.

Who's that coming?

THALIARD

Doth your highness call?

Did your Highness call me?

ANTIOCHUS

Thaliard,

You are of our chamber, and our mind partakes

Her private actions to your secrecy;

And for your faithfulness we will advance you.

Thaliard, behold, here's poison, and here's gold;

We hate the prince of Tyre, and thou must kill him:

It fits thee not to ask the reason why,

Because we bid it. Say, is it done?

Thaliard,

you are in my inner circle, and I confide

my deepest secrets to you;

you will be promoted for your loyalty.

Thaliard, look, here is poison, and here's money;

I hate the Prince of Tyre, and you must kill him:

you don't have to ask for a reason,

that I order it should be enough. Will you do it?

THALIARD

My lord,

'Tis done.

My lord,

I will.

ANTIOCHUS

Enough.

Enter a Messenger

Let your breath cool yourself, telling your haste.

Good.

Catch your breath, your puffing shows your haste.

Messenger

My lord, prince Pericles is fled.

Exit

My lord, Prince Pericles has fled.

ANTIOCHUS

As thou

Wilt live, fly after: and like an arrow shot

From a well-experienced archer hits the mark

His eye doth level at, so thou ne'er return

Unless thou say 'Prince Pericles is dead.'

If you

want to live, chase him down: be like an arrow

shot by an expert archer which hits the target

he aims at, do not come back

unless you can say, ‘Prince Pericles is dead.’

THALIARD

My lord,

If I can get him within my pistol's length,

I'll make him sure enough: so, farewell to your highness.

My lord,

if I can get him within range,

I won't miss him: so, farewell to your Highness.

ANTIOCHUS

Thaliard, adieu!

Exit THALIARD

Till Pericles be dead,

My heart can lend no succor to my head.

Exit

Good luck, Thaliard!

Until Pericles is dead,

I can never rest easy.

Enter PERICLES

PERICLES

[To Lords without] Let none disturb us.--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,

The tomb where grief should sleep, can breed me quiet?

Here pleasures court mine eyes, and mine eyes shun them,

And danger, which I fear'd, is at Antioch,

Whose aim 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 mis-dread,

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,

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 honour him.

If he suspect I may dishonour him:

And what may make him blush in being known,

He'll stop the course by which it might be known;

With hostile forces he'll o'erspread the land,

And with the ostent of war will look so huge,

Amazement shall drive courage from the state;

Our men be vanquish'd ere they do resist,

And subjects punish'd that ne'er thought offence:

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,

And punish that before that he would punish.

Enter HELICANUS, with other Lords

Let me be alone.

Why has this new frame of mind,

this sad companion, this depression,

so taken me over, that there's not an hour,

during the beautiful day or peaceful night,

even in the tomb where grief should end, that I have any peace?

I see all these pleasures and I turn away from them.

The danger which I feared is in Antioch,

whose reach is surely too short to hit me here;

but the arts of pleasure cannot cheer me up,

nor does my distance from danger comfort me.

This is how it is: the torments of the mind,

which are born out of misgivings,

are fed and nurtured by worrying;

what was at first a fear of what might happen

has grown into a worry that it will happen.

That's how it is with me: the great Antiochus,

whom I am too small to fight against,

as he is so powerful he can do what he wants,

thinks that I will speak out, even if I swear I won't;

nor will it do me any good to say that I honour him,

if he suspects that I will dishonour him;

he will take steps to stop those things becoming known

which would shame him if they got out.

He'll invade the land with his hostile armies,

and with the trappings of war he will look so powerful

that astonishment will drive bravery out of the country,

our men will be beaten before they even fight,

and my people will be punished when they've done nothing wrong:

it's my worries for them, not for myself–

I'm just like the tops of trees

which protect the roots they grow from and defend them–

which makes my body ill and my soul depressed,

I'm being punished even before the punishment comes.

First Lord

Joy and all comfort in your sacred breast!

May happiness and ease fill your sacred heart!

Second Lord

And keep your mind, till you return to us,

Peaceful and comfortable!

And keep your mind, until you come back to us,

quiet and settled!

HELICANUS

Peace, peace, and give experience tongue.

They do abuse the king that flatter him:

For flattery is the bellows blows up sin;

The thing which is flatter'd, but a spark,

To which that blast gives heat and stronger glowing;

Whereas reproof, obedient and in order,

Fits kings, as they are men, for they may err.

When Signior Sooth here does proclaim a peace,

He flatters you, makes war upon your life.

Prince, pardon me, or strike me, if you please;

I cannot be much lower than my knees.

Hush, hush, let the experienced talk.

Those who flatter a king abuse him:

flattery is the bellows which blow up sin;

what starts out as just a spark heats up

and glows stronger under the blast of flattery:

whereas criticism, if it is respectful and justified,

is good for kings, because they are men, and so they make mistakes.

When Sir Flattery here wishes you peace,

he flatters you, and so attacks your life.

Prince, forgive me, or strike me, as you wish;

I can't go much lower than kneeling.

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.

Exeunt Lords

Helicanus, thou

Hast moved us: what seest thou in our looks?

Everyone leave but him; make it your job to see

what ships are in the harbour, and what their cargoes are,

and then come back to us.

Helicanus, you

have moved me: what can you see in my looks?

HELICANUS

An angry brow, dread lord.

An angry face, terrible lord.

PERICLES

If there be such a dart in princes' frowns,

How durst thy tongue move anger to our face?

If a prince's frowns are so deadly,

how can you dare to say things which will anger me?

HELICANUS

How dare the plants look up to heaven, from whence

They have their nourishment?

How can the plants dare to look up to heaven, from where

they get their nourishment?

PERICLES

Thou know'st I have power

To take thy life from thee.

You know I have the power

to have you killed.

HELICANUS

[Kneeling]

I have ground the axe myself;

Do you but strike the blow.

I have sharpened the axe myself;

all you have to do is use it.

PERICLES

Rise, prithee, rise.

Sit down: thou art no flatterer:

I thank thee for it; and heaven forbid

That kings should let their ears hear their

faults hid!

Fit counsellor and servant for a prince,

Who by thy wisdom makest a prince thy servant,

What wouldst thou have me do?

Get up, please, get up.

Sit down: you are no flatterer:

I'm grateful for it; and heaven forbid

that kings should have their faults hidden!

You are the right sort of adviser and servant for a prince,

you are so wise that the prince becomes your servant;

and what do you think I should do?

HELICANUS

To bear with patience

Such griefs as you yourself do lay upon yourself.