PERICLES PRINCE OF TYRE
Page: 5

Antioch, farewell! for wisdom sees, those men
Blush not in actions blacker than the night,
Will shun no course to keep them from the light.
One sin, I know, another doth provoke;
Murder's as near to lust as flame to smoke:
Poison and treason are the hands of sin,
Ay, and the targets, to put off the shame:
Then, lest my life be cropp'd to keep you clear,
By flight I 'II shun the danger which I fear.

[Exit.]

[Re-enter Antiochus.]

ANTIOCHUS.
He gath found the meaning, for which we mean
To have his head.
He must not live to trumpet forth my infamy,
Nor tell the world Antiochus doth sin
In such a loathed manner;
And therefore instantly this prince must die;
For by his fall my honour must keep high.
Who attends us there?

[Enter Thaliard.]

THALIARD.
Doth your highness call?

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.
My lord,
Tis done.

ANTIOCHUS.
Enough.

[Enter a Messenger.]

Let your breath cool yourself, telling your haste.

MESSENGER.
My lord, prlnce Pericles is fled.

[Exit.]

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.'

THALIARD.
My lord,
If I can get him within my pistol's length,
I'll make him sure enough: so, farewell to your highness.

ANTIOCHUS.
Thaliard! adieu!

[Exit Thaliard.]

Till
Pericles be dead,
My heart can lend no succour to my head.

[Exit.]


SCENE II. Tyre. A room in the palace.

[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?