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Pericles, Prince of Tyre

Act I, Scene 4

Tarsus. A room in the Governor's house.
 
[Enter CLEON, the governor of Tarsus, with DIONYZA, and others]
 
CLEON
          ,    ,      ,          ,         ,
      My Di|onyz|a, shall | we rest | us here,
           ,      ,        ,         ,          ,
      And by | relat|ing tales | of oth|ers' griefs,
           ,           ,         ,       ,         ,
      See if |'twill teach | us to | forget | our own?
 
DIONYZA
             ,         ,         ,         ,             x
      That were | to blow | at fire | in hope | to quench it,
           ,      T    T    .  T           ,      ,
      For who | digs hills because | they do | aspire,
         T     T   T      ,             ,            x
      Throws down one | mountain | to cast | up^a higher:
      ,   2       ,      ,             ,           ,
      O my dis|tressed lord,/ even | such our | griefs are,
        ,      2            ,          ,          ,            ,
      Here they are | but felt,| and seen | with mis|chief's eyes,
            ,          ,       2      ,            ,       ,
      But like | to groves | being topped,| they high|er rise.
 
CLEON
      _    ,   ,
      O | Dio|nyza, \\
            ,        ,          ,         ,            x
      Who want|eth food,| and will | not say | he wants it,
          ,         ,         ,        ,          x
      Or can | conceal | his hun|ger till | he famish?
             ,           ,        ,    ___     __
      Our tongues | and sor|rows do | sound | deep:
            ,       ,        ,          ,         ,
      Our woes | into | the air,| our eyes | do weep,
        T     T      T        ,           T   T   T
      Till tongues fetch | breath that | may proclaim
             ,        ,         ,       ,         ,
      Them loud|er, that | if heav|en slum|ber, while
              ,          ,          ,       ,
      Their creat|ures want,| they may | awake
      <-        ,         ,    ,         __
        Their help||ers, to | comfort | them.  \\
             ,          ,           ,           ,        ,
      I'll then | discourse | our woes | felt^seve|ral years,
            ,         ,          ,       ,              ,
      And want|ing breath | to speak,| help me | with tears.
 
DIONYZA
            ,        ,
      I'll do | my best,| sir.  \\
 
CLEON
             ,       ,          ,       2     ,       ,
      This Tars|us, ore | which^I | have the gov|ernment,
         ,            ,      x      T    T    T
      A cit|y, on / whom plenty | held full hand,
            ,        ,           ,      ,              ,
      For rich|es strewed | herself | even in | the streets,
               x       T    T    .   T            ,            ,
      Whose towers | bore heads so high,| they kissed | the clouds,
             ,         ,        ,          ,        ,
      And strang|ers nere | beheld,| but wond|ered at,
             ,          ,         ,       ,        ,
      Whose men | and dames | so jet|ted and | adorned,
            ,       ,         ,          ,          ,
      Like^one | anoth|er's glass | to trim | them by:
             ,                ,     ,         ,          ,
      Their tab|les were / stored full,| to glad | the sight,
           ,         ,         ,         ,       ,
      And not | so much | to feed | on, as | delight,
           ,     ,          ,            ,          ,
      All pov|erty | was scorned,| and pride | so great,
            ,         ,          ,  2    ,       ,
      The name | of help | grew^od|ious to | repeat.
 
DIONYZA
       T   T    T
      Oh 'tis true.  (cut off)
 
CLEON
           ,            x          ,        ,           ,
      But see | what heaven | can do | by this | our change:
               ,          ,         ,      T     T    .   T
      These^mouths,| who but | of late,| earth, sea, and air,
            ,         ,       ,        ,           ,
      Were all | too lit|tle to | content | and please,
           ,            ,            ,     ,    2    ,
      Although | they gave | their creat|ures in ab|undance:
           ,      ,        ,           ,        ,
      As hous|es are | defiled | for want | of use,
                  ,     ,            ,        ,     ,
      They are / now starved | for want | of ex|ercise;
             ,         ,     ,        ,      2        ,
      Those pal|ates, who,| not yet^|two *summers | younger,
        ,            ,         ,       ,           ,
      Must have | invent|ions to | delight | the taste,
             ,         ,         ,          ,     ,
      Would now | be glad | of bread,| and beg | for it:
              ,       ,         ,      ,           ,
      Those moth|ers who | to nous|le up | their babes,
                ,           ,    ,          ,     ,
      Thought^nought | too cur|ious,| are read|y now
          ,           ,        ,         ,           ,
      To eat | those lit|tle darl|ings whom | they loved,
           ,           ,         ,           ,          ,
      So sharp | are hung|er's teeth,| that man | and wife,
              ,          ,            ,          ,        ,
      Draw* lots | who first | shall die | to length|en life.
        T     T   .   T             x     ,       ,
      Here stands a lord,| and there a | lady | weeping,
        T   Tx    T          ,            ,           ,
      Here many sink,| yet those | which see | them fall,
              ,         T      T   .   T          ,    ,
      Have scarce | strength left to give | them bur|ial.
          ,           ,
      Is not | this true?  \\
 
DIONYZA
             ,          ,        ,        ,        ,
      Our cheeks | and hol|low eyes | do wit|ness it.
 
CLEON
         ,           ,        ,         ,        ,
      O let | those cit|ies that | of plen|ty's cup,
           ,         ,     ,         ,        ,
      And her | prosper|ities | so large|ly taste,
             ,        ,    2     ,       ,            ,
      With their | super|fluous ri|ots hear | these^tears,
           ,    ,        ,      ,          ,
      The mis|ery | of Tars|us may | be theirs.
 
[Enter a Lord]
 
LORD
         T     .    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
       ,             ,       ,          ,     2      ,
      We have | descried | upon | our neigh|boring shore,
          ,       ,         ,            ,      ,
      A port|ly sail | of ships | make^hith|erward.
 
CLEON
           ,           ,
      I thought | as much.  \\
           ,       ,       ,            ,          ,
      One sor|row nev|er comes | but brings | an heir,
            ,         ,        ,       ,    ,
      That may | succeed | as his | inher|itor:
           ,        ,           ,     2     ,    ,
      And so | in ours;| some neigh|boring na|tion,
       ,          ,        ,        ,    ,
      Taking | advant|age of | our mis|ery,
              ,           ,       ,         ,            x
      Hath stuffed | the hol|low ves|sels with | their power,
             x       ,           ,           ,       ,
      To beat us | down, the | which are | down al|ready,
            ,       ,    ,           ,      ,
      And make | a con|quest of | unhap|py me,
            ,       ,    2    ,        ,     ,
      Whereas | no glo|ry is got | to ov|ercome.
 
LORD
         T    .    T     T
      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
              ,             ,        ,        ,       ,
      Thou speakst | like^hymns | untu|tored to | repeat:
            ,           ,        ,            ,        ,
      Who makes | the fair|est show,| means^most | deceit.
            ,            ,           ,          ,          ,
      But bring | they what | they will,| and what | they can,
        T    T   T     ,            ,            ,
      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         ,        ,         ,
      Lord governor,| for so | we hear | you are,
           ,          ,          ,       ,        ,
      Let not | our ships | and num|ber of | our men,
           ,        ,       ,       2   ,           ,
      Be like | a beac|on fired,| to amaze | your eyes,
        2       ,           ,     ,        ,         ,
      We have heard | your mis|eries | as far | as Tyre,
            ,         ,    ,       ,           ,
      And seen | the des|ola|tion of | your streets:
            ,        ,        ,       ,          ,
      Nor come | we to | add sor|row to | your tears,
       ,           ,           ,           ,      ,
      But to | relieve | them of | their heav|y load,
            ,           ,          ,     ,         ,
      And these | our ships,| you hap|pily | may think
            ,          ,       ,            ,          ,
      Are like | the Troj|an horse,| was stuffed | within
             ,       ,        ,        ,     ,
      With blood|y veins,| expec|ting ov|erthrow,
             ,            ,         ,           ,      ,
      Are stored | with corn,| to make | your need|y bread,
            ,           ,            x        T      T    T
      And give | them life,| whom hunger | starved half dead.
 
All
           ,           ,         ,          o
      The gods | of Greece | protect | you,
       ,            ,        ___   oo
      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
            ,           ,     ,           ,    ,
      The which | when an|y shall | not grat|ify,
          ,          ,        ,        ,          ,
      Or pay | you with | unthank|fulness | in thought,
       ,            ,           ,         ,         ,
      Be it | our wives,| our child|ren, or | ourselves,
            ,           x          ,        ,             x
      The curse | of heaven | and men | succeed | their evils:
             ,          ,         ,            ,         ,
      Till when,| the which |(I hope)| shall nere | be seen,
             ,         ,        ,         ,         ,
      Your grace | is wel|come to | our town | and us.
 
PERICLES
             ,         ,         ,       T    T  .  T
      Which wel|come we'll | accept,| feast here awhile,
         ,          ,            ,       ,           ,
      Until | our stars | that frown,| lend us | a smile.
 
[Exeunt]

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