103The Painfull Aduentures of Pericles Prince of Tyre.

105Wherein Gower describes how Antiochus surnamed the Great committed 106incest with his daughter, and beheaded such as sued to her for marriage, 107if they could not resolue his question, placing their heades vpon the top of 108his Castle gate, whereby to astonish all others that came to attempt the like.

109The great and mighty King Antiochus, who was as cruell in tyranny, 110as hee was powerfull in possessions, seeking more to enrich himselfe by shewes, 111than to renown his name by vertue, caused to be built the goodly Cittie of 112Antioch in Syria, and called it after his owne name, as the chiefest seate 113of all his Dominions, and principall place of his abode. This Antiochus had 114increase by his Queene one onely daughter, so excellent in beauty, as if Nature 115and all Perfection had long studied to seeme onely absolute at her birth. 116This Ladie growing to like ripenesse of age, as shee had full endowment of 117outward ornaments, was resorted vnto by many youthfull Princes, who desired 118her in marriage, offering to make her Ioynture as noble in possessions, as 119shee by beauty was royall in her selfe. While the King her father euermore 120requiring deliberation vpon whome rather than other to bestow this his so 121inestimable a lewell, he beganne sodainely to have an vnlawfull concupiscence 122to growe in himselfe, which hee augmented with an outragious flame of cruelty 123sparkling in his hart, and accompted her so worthy in the world, that shee was 124too worthy for any, but himselfe. Thus being wrapped with this vnnaturall loue, 125he sustained such a conflict in his thoughts, wherein Madnesse puts Modesty to 126flight, giuing ouer his affections to the vnlawfulnesse of his will, rather then 127subdued them with the remembraunce of the euill hee had then in practise, so 128that not long after comming into his daughters Chamber, and commaunding all 129that were neere at her attendance to depart, as if he had had some carefull 130and fatherly busines, the necessitie of whose import desired some priuate 131conference with her, he beganne to make motion of that vniust love to her, 132which euen Lust it selfe, had it not in a father beene so brased with 133impudencie, would haue blusht but euen to haue thought vpon. Much perswasion, 134though to little reason, he vsed, as, that he was her father, whome shee was 135bound to obey, he was a King that had power to commaund, he was in loue, and 136his loue was resistlesse, and if resistlesse, therefore pittilesse, either to 137youth, blood, or beauty: In briefe, he was a tyrant and would execute his will. 138These wordes thus vttered with that vehement passion which such sinnefull Louers 139fitte themselues vnto in such desires, and such immodest sillables were by him 140contracted together, that my penne grubbes to recite them, and made the schoole 141of his daughters thoughts, (wherein were neuer taught such euills) to wonder 142at the strangenesse, as vnderstanding them not, and at last, to demaund of her 143vnkingly father, what hee meant by this, when he forgetting the feare of 144heauen, loue to his childe, or reputation amongst men; though by her withstoode 145with prayers and teares, (while the power of weaknesse could withstand) 146throwing away all regard of his owne honesty, hee vnloosed the knotte of her 147virginitie, and so left this weeping braunch to wyther by the stocke that 148brought her foorth; so fast came the wet from the sentinells of her ransackt 149cittie, that it is improper to say they dropped and rayned downe teares, but 150rather, that with great flouds they powred out water. It is beyond imagination 151to thinke whether her eyes had power to receiue her sorrowes brine so fast as 152her heart did send it to them. In briefe, they were nowe no more to be called 153eyes, for griefes water had blinded them: and for wordes, she had not one to 154vtter,for betwixt her hearts intent, and tongues vtterance, there lay such a 155pile of lamentable cogitations, that she had no leisure to make vp any of 156them into wordes, till at the last, a Nurse that attended her comming in, 157and finding her face blubbered with teares, which shee knew were strange 158guests to the table of her beauty, first standing in amaze thereat, at 159last, by the care shee had in charge of her, being more inheartned; Deare 160childe and Madam (quoth shee) why sit you so sorrowfully? which question, 161getting way betwixt griefe and her vtteraunce, Oh my beloued Nurse, answered 162the Lady, euen now two noble names were lost within this Chamber, the name 163of both a Father, and a Child. The meaning of which secret the Nurse 164vnderstanding not, shee intreated her to be more plaine, that by knowing 165the cause of her griefe, shee might vse meanes to redresse it, or else, that 166her selfe in her owne wisdome would alay the violence of that tempest which 167did wrong to so goodly a building. But shee loath to be the bellowes of her 168owne shame, and blushing more to rehearse than her Father was to commit, sate 169sighing, and continued silent, vntill Antiochus, not satisfied with the fruite 170obtained by his former desire, returned, and like/him that by stealth hath 171filched a taste from foorth a goodly Orchard, is not therewith contented, but 172eyther waiteth his opportunity to steale, till hee be glutted with his stealth, 173or so aduenturous, that hee is taken, to his euerlasting shame; so this 174Antiochus comming backe into the Chamber, and finding his daughter as full 175of wette, as winter is, commaunded the absence of the Nurse (which shee 176accordingly obeying) he beganne to perswade her, that actions past are not 177to be redeemed, that whats in secret done, is no sinne, since the concealement 178excuses it, that euills are no euills, if not thought vpon, and that himselfe 179her Father had that power to gag all mouthes from speaking, if it were knowen. 180Besides her state, his greatnes, his kingdome, her beauty, were ornaments 181enow to draw the greatest Princes to ioyne with her in marriage, and hee 182would further it. So with these and such like perswasions preuayling with 183his daughter, they long continued in these foule and vniust imbracements, 184till at last, the custome of sinne made it accompted no sinne. And while 185this wicked Father shewed the countenaunce of a louing sire abroade in the 186eyes of his subiects, notwithstanding at home he reioyceth to haue played 187the parte of a husband with his owne childe, with false resemblaunce of 188marriage: and to the intent he might alwayes enioy her, he inuented a strange 189pollicie, to compell away all suters from desiring her in marriage, by 190propounding strange questions, the effect and true meaning whereof was thus 191published in writing, Whoso attempteth and resolueth me of my Question, shall 192have my Daughter to wife: But whoso attempteth and faileth, shall loose his head.

193Which will of his, when Fame had blowne abroade, and that by this his 194Lawe there was found a possibilitie for the obtayning of this Lady, such was the 195singular report of her surpassing beautie, that many Princes, and men of great 196Nobilitie, to that purpose repaired thither, who not beeing able to explane his 197Riddle propounded, lost/their heades, which to the terrifying of others that 198should attempt the like, were placed for open view on the toppe of his 199Castle gate.