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Pericles, Prince of Tyre (Quarto)

Author: William Shakespeare
Editor: Tom Bishop
Not Peer Reviewed
The Play of
805Or so; so let it passe.
Tha. To mee he seemes like Diamond, to Glasse.
Peri. You Kings to mee, like to my fathers picture,
Which tels in that glory once he was,
Had Princes sit like Starres about his Throane,
810And hee the Sunne for them to reuerence;
None that beheld him, but like lesser lights,
Did vaile their Crownes to his supremacie;
Where now his sonne like a Gloworme in the night,
The which hath Fire in darknesse, none in light:
815Whereby I see that Time's the King of men,
Hee's both their Parent, and he is their Graue,
And giues them what he will, not what they craue.
King. What, are you merry, Knights?
Knights. Who can be other, in this royall presence.
820King. Heere, with a Cup that's stur'd vnto the brim,
As do you loue, fill to your Mistris lippes,
Wee drinke this health to you.
Knights. We thanke your Grace.
King. Yet pause awhile, yon Knight doth sit too melan-
825As if the entertainement in our Court,
Had not a shew might counteruaile his worth:
Note it not you, Thaisa.
Tha. What is't to me, my father?
king. O attend my Daughter,
830Princes in this, should liue like Gods aboue,
Who freely giue to euery one that come to honour them:
And Princes not doing so, are like to Gnats,
Which make a sound, but kild, are wondred at:
Therefore to make his entraunce more sweet,
835Heere, say wee drinke this standing boule of wine to him.
Tha. Alas my Father, it befits not mee,
Vnto a stranger Knight to be so bold,
He may my profer take for an offence,
Since men take womens giftes for impudence.
840king. How? doe as I bid you, or you'le mooue me else.
Tha. Now by the Gods, he could not please me better.
king.