364How Pericles arriuing at Tharsus releeued the Cittie, almost 365famished for want of foode, and how Helycanus sent him word of what had 366happened at Tyre, with his departure from Tharsus.

367Prince Pericles by the aduise of his good Counsellor Helicanus, 368hauing left Tyre, and intended his whole course for Tharsus, of which City 369lord Cleon was gouernor, who at this instance with Dyonysa his wife, were 370relating the present miseries wherein themselues and their Citty Tharsus 371consisted: the ground of which forced lamentation was, to see the power of 372change, that this their City, who not two summers younger, did so excell in 373pompe, and bore a state, whom all hir neighbors enuied for her greatnes, to 374whom strangers resorted, as to the schoole of variety, where they might best 375enrich their vnderstandings with experience, whose houses were like so many 376Courts for Kings, rather than sleeping places for subiects, whose people were 377curious in their diet, rich in attire, enuious in lookes, where was plenty 378in aboundance, pride in fulnesse, nothing in scarcenesse, but Charitie and 379Loue, the dignitie of whose pallats the whole riches of Nature could hardly 380satisfie, the ornaments of whose attire Art it selfe with all inuention could 381not content, are now so altered, that in steade of dowlny beds, they make their 382pillowes on boords, in stead of full furnished tables, hunger calles now out 383for so much bread, as may but satisfie life: sacke-cloth is now their wearing 384instead of silke, teares instead of inticing glaunces, are now the acquaintance 385of their eyes, in briefe, riot hath heere lost all her dominion, and now is no 386excesse, but whats in sorrow, heere standes one weeping, and there lies another 387dying, so sharpe are hungers teeth, and so rauenous the deuouring mouth of 388famine, that all pittie is exiled betweene the husband and the wife, nay all 389tendernesse betweene the mother and the children, faintesse hath now got that 390emperie ouer strength, there is none so whole to releeue the sicke, neither 391haue the liuing sufficiencie to giue buriall to the dead. Thus while this 392Cleon Lord Gouernour of Tharsus, and Dyonysa his Lady, with interchanging 393wordes were describing the sorrows which their almost vnpeopled Citty felt, 394who from the height of multiplication were substracted, almost to nothing: 395(for, what is life, if it want sustenaunce?) a fainting messenger came slowely 396into them, his fearefull lookes described that he brought sorrowe, and in 397slowe wordes hee deliuered this, that vpon their coastes there was discouered 398a fleete of shippes making thitherward, which Cleon supposing to be an army, 399which some neighbour nation (taking aduantage of their present mishap) had 400sent for their vtter ouerthrowe, hee commaunded the bringer, vpon their 401landing, to this purpose to salute their Generall, That Tharsus was subdewed 402before their comming, and that it was small conquest to subdew where there was 403no abilitie to resist, that they desired but this, that their citty might still 404stand, and that for the riches which their prosperitie had purchased, they 405freely resigned to them, they though their enemies, (for humanities sake) 406in the place of breeding, would affoord them buriall. Pericles by this 407is landed, and no sooner entred into their vnshut gates, but his princely 408eies were partaking witnesses of their widowed desolation. The messenger 409by this also hath deliuered the pleasure of the Gouernour, which the Prince 410weeping to attend, who rather came to releeue than to ransacke, he demaunded 411of the fellow, where the Gouernour was, and foorthwith to be conducted to 412him, which being effected, in the market place they mette, where Pericles 413without further hinderance deliuered to him, that his thoughts were deceued, 414to suppose them for enimies, who were now come to them for comfortable friends, 415and those his shippes which their fears might cause them to think were 416fraughted with their destruction, were intreasured with corne for their 417reliefe: at which the feeble soules not hauling strength enough to giue 418a showte for ioy, gazing on him, and heauen, fell on their knees, and wept. 419But Pericles going to the place of Judgement, causing all the liuing to be 420assembled thither, thus freely deliuered to them: You Cittizens of Tharsus, 421whom penury of victuall pincheth at this present, Know you, that I 422Pericles Prince of Tyre am come purposely to releeue you, in respect of 423which benefit I doubt not but you will be thus thankefull as to conceale 424my arriuing heere, and for a while to giue me safe harborage, and hospitalitie 425for my shippes and men, since by the tyranny of Antiochus, though not driuen, 426yet for a while I am desirous to leaue mine owne Countrey, and continue my 427residence heere with you, in recompence of which loue, I haue brought with 428me a hundred thousand bushells of wheate, which equally for your releefe 429shall be distributed amongst you, each man paying for euery bushell eight 430peeces of brasse, the price bestowed thereon in my owne Country. At which, 431as if the verie name of bread only had power to renew strength in them, they 432gaue a great showt, offering their Citty to him as his owne, and their 433repaired strength in his defence: with which corne their necessities being 434supplied, and euery man willingly paying his eight peeces of brasse, as hee 435had appoynted, Pericles demaunded for the Gouernour and the chiefe men 436of the gouernement, disdaining to bee a Merchant to sell corne, but out of 437his princely magnificence, bestowed the whole reuenew thereof to the 438beautifying of their Citty. Which when the Cittizens vnderstoode, to 439gratifie these large benefites, and to acknowledge him their patron and 440releeuer sent them by the gods, they erected in the Market place a monument 441in the memoriall of him, and made his statue of brasse, standing in a 442Charriot, holding corne in his right hand, and spurning it with his left 443foote, and on the bases of the pillar whereon it stoode, was ingrauen in 444great Letters this inscription: Pericles Prince of Tyre gaue a gift vnto the 445City of Tharsus, whereby he deliuered it from cruell death. So a while we 446desire the Reader to leaue Pericles heartning vp the decayed Cittizens 447of Tharsus, and turne their eyes to good Helycanus at Tyre.

448Good Helycanus as prouident at home, as his Prince was prosperous 449abroade, let no occasion slip wherein hee might send word to Tharsus of what 450occurrents soeuer had happened in his absence, the chiefe of which was, 451that Thalyart by Antiochus was sent, with purpose to murther him, and that 452Antiochus, though fayling in his practise by his absence, seemed not yet 453to desist from like intents, but that he againe, suborned such like 454Instruments to the like treason, aduising him withall for his more 455certaine safetie, for a while to leaue Tharsus, as a refuge too neere 456the reach of the tyrant. To which Pericles consenting, hee takes his leaue 457of his hoste Cleon and Dyonysa, and the Cittizens as sory to leaue him, as 458sorrow can bee for the lacke of comfort.