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Tarsus. A room in the Governor's house.
[Enter CLEON, the governor of Tarsus, with DIONYZA, and others]
CLEON
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My Di|onyz|a, shall | we rest | us here,
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And by | relat|ing tales | of oth|ers' griefs,
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See if |'twill teach | us to | forget | our own?
DIONYZA
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That were | to blow | at fire | in hope | to
quench it,
,
T T . T ,
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For who | digs hills because | they do | aspire,
T T
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Throws down one | mountain | to cast | up^a
higher:
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O my dis|tressed lord,/ even | such our | griefs
are,
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Here they are | but felt,| and seen | with
mis|chief's eyes,
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But like | to groves | being topped,| they
high|er rise.
CLEON
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O | Dio|nyza, \\
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Who want|eth food,| and will | not say | he wants
it,
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Or can | conceal | his hun|ger till | he famish?
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Our tongues | and sor|rows do | sound | deep:
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Our woes | into | the air,| our eyes | do weep,
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Till tongues fetch | breath that | may proclaim
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Them loud|er, that | if heav|en slum|ber, while
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Their creat|ures want,| they may | awake
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Their help||ers, to | comfort | them. \\
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I'll then | discourse | our woes | felt^seve|ral
years,
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And want|ing breath | to speak,| help me | with
tears.
DIONYZA
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I'll do | my best,| sir. \\
CLEON
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This Tars|us, ore | which^I | have the
gov|ernment,
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T
A cit|y, on / whom plenty | held full hand,
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For rich|es strewed | herself | even in | the
streets,
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Whose towers | bore heads so high,| they kissed |
the clouds,
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And strang|ers nere | beheld,| but wond|ered at,
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Whose men | and dames | so jet|ted and | adorned,
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Like^one | anoth|er's glass | to trim | them by:
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Their tab|les were / stored full,| to glad | the
sight,
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And not | so much | to feed | on, as | delight,
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All pov|erty | was scorned,| and pride | so
great,
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The name | of help | grew^od|ious to | repeat.
DIONYZA
T T T
Oh 'tis true. (cut off)
CLEON
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But see | what heaven | can do | by this | our
change:
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These^mouths,| who but | of late,| earth, sea,
and air,
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Were all | too lit|tle to | content | and please,
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Although | they gave | their creat|ures in
ab|undance:
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As hous|es are | defiled | for want | of use,
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They are / now starved | for want | of ex|ercise;
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Those pal|ates, who,| not yet^|two *summers |
younger,
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Must have | invent|ions to | delight | the taste,
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Would now | be glad | of bread,| and beg | for
it:
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Those moth|ers who | to nous|le up | their babes,
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Thought^nought | too cur|ious,| are read|y now
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To eat | those lit|tle darl|ings whom | they
loved,
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So sharp | are hung|er's teeth,| that man | and wife,
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Draw* lots | who first | shall die | to length|en
life.
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Here stands a lord,| and there a | lady |
weeping,
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Here many sink,| yet those | which see | them
fall,
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Have scarce | strength left to give | them
bur|ial.
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Is not | this true? \\
DIONYZA
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Our cheeks | and hol|low eyes | do wit|ness it.
CLEON
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O let | those cit|ies that | of plen|ty's cup,
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And her | prosper|ities | so large|ly taste,
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With their | super|fluous ri|ots hear |
these^tears,
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The mis|ery | of Tars|us may | be theirs.
[Enter a Lord]
LORD
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T T ,
Where's the lord gov|ernor? \\
CLEON
Here, speak out thy sorrows, which thou bringst in haste, for comfort is too
far for us to expect.
LORD
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We have | descried | upon | our neigh|boring
shore,
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A port|ly sail | of ships | make^hith|erward.
CLEON
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I thought | as much. \\
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One sor|row nev|er comes | but brings | an heir,
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That may | succeed | as his | inher|itor:
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And so | in ours;| some neigh|boring na|tion,
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Taking | advant|age of | our mis|ery,
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Hath stuffed | the hol|low ves|sels with | their
power,
x
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To beat us | down, the | which are | down
al|ready,
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And make | a con|quest of | unhap|py me,
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Whereas | no glo|ry is got | to ov|ercome.
LORD
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That's the least fear. \\
For by the semblance of their white flags displayed, they bring us peace,
and come to us as favorers, not as foes.
CLEON
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Thou speakst | like^hymns | untu|tored to |
repeat:
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Who makes | the fair|est show,| means^most |
deceit.
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But bring | they what | they will,| and what |
they can,
T T T
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What need we | fear, the | ground's the | lowest,
And we are half way there: Go tell their general we attend him here, to know
for what he comes, and whence he comes, and what he craves.
LORD
I go, my lord.
[Exit]
CLEON
Welcome is peace, if he on peace consist;
If wars, we are unable to resist.
[Enter PERICLES with Attendants]
PERICLES
T T . T ,
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Lord governor,| for so | we hear | you are,
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Let not | our ships | and num|ber of | our men,
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Be like | a beac|on fired,| to amaze | your eyes,
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We have heard | your mis|eries | as far | as
Tyre,
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And seen | the des|ola|tion of | your streets:
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Nor come | we to | add sor|row to | your tears,
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But to | relieve | them of | their heav|y load,
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And these | our ships,| you hap|pily | may think
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Are like | the Troj|an horse,| was stuffed |
within
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With blood|y veins,| expec|ting ov|erthrow,
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Are stored | with corn,| to make | your need|y
bread,
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And give | them life,| whom hunger | starved half
dead.
All
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o
The gods | of Greece | protect | you,
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And we'll | pray for | you.|
PERICLES
Arise, I pray you, arise; we do not look for reverence, but for love, and
harborage for ourself, our ships, and men.
CLEON
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The which | when an|y shall | not grat|ify,
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Or pay | you with | unthank|fulness | in thought,
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Be it | our wives,| our child|ren, or |
ourselves,
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The curse | of heaven | and men | succeed | their
evils:
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Till when,| the which |(I hope)| shall nere | be
seen,
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Your grace | is wel|come to | our town | and us.
PERICLES
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Which wel|come we'll | accept,| feast here
awhile,
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Until | our stars | that frown,| lend us | a
smile.
[Exeunt]