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  • Title: Pericles, Prince of Tyre (Quarto)
  • Editor: Tom Bishop

    • Copyright Internet Shakespeare Editions. This text may be freely used for educational, non-proift purposes; for all other uses contact the Coordinating Editor.
    Author: William Shakespeare
    Editor: Tom Bishop
    Not Peer Reviewed

    Pericles, Prince of Tyre (Quarto)

    Pericles Prince of Tyre.
    You Gods that made me man, and sway in loue;
    65That haue enflamde desire in my breast,
    To taste the fruite of yon celestiall tree,
    (Or die in th'aduenture) be my helpes,
    As I am sonne and seruant to your will,
    To compasse such a bondlesse happinesse.
    70Anti. Prince Pericles.
    Peri. That would be sonne to great Antiochus.
    Ant. Before thee standes this faire Hesperides,
    With golden fruite, but dangerous to be toucht:
    For Death like Dragons heere affright thee hard:
    75Her face like Heauen, inticeth thee to view
    Her countlesse glory; which desert must gaine:
    And which without desert, because thine eye
    Presumes to reach, all the whole heape must die:
    Yon sometimes famous Princes, like thy selfe,
    80Drawne by report, aduentrous by desire,
    Tell thee with speachlesse tongues, and semblance pale,
    That without couering, saue yon field of Starres,
    Heere they stand Martyrs slaine in Cupids Warres:
    And with dead cheekes, aduise thee to desist,
    85For going on deaths net, whom none resist.
    Per. Antiochus, I thanke thee, who hath taught,
    My frayle mortalitie to know it selfe;
    And by those fearefull obiectes, to prepare
    This body, like to them, to what I must:
    90For Death remembered should be like a myrrour,
    Who tels vs, life's but breath, to trust it errour:
    Ile make my Will then, and as sicke men doe,
    Who know the World, see Heauen, but feeling woe,
    Gripe not at earthly ioyes as earst they did;
    95So I bequeath a happy peace to you,
    And all good men, as euery Prince should doe;
    My ritches to the earth, from whence they came;
    But my vnspotted fire of Loue, to you:
    Thus ready for the way of life or death,
    100I wayte the sharpest blow (Antiochus)

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