of Tyre

Prince Pericles by the advise of his good Counsellor Helicanus, having left Tyre, and intended his whole course for Tharsus, of which City lord Cleon was governor, who at this instance.with Dyonysa his wife, were relating the present miseries wherein themselves and their Citty Tharsus consisted 5: the ground of which forced lamentation was, to see the power of change, that this their City, who not two summers younger, did so excell in pompe, and bore a state, whom all hir neighbors envied for her greatnes, to whom strangers resorted, as to the schoole of variety, where they might best enrich their understandings with experience, whose houses were like so many Courts for Kings, rather than sleeping places for subjects, whose people were curious in their diet, rich in attire, envious in lookes, where was plenty in aboundance, pride in fulnesse, nothing in scarcenesse, but Charitie and Love, the dignitie of whose pallats the whole riches of Nature could hardly satisfie, the ornaments of whose attire Art it selfe with all invention could not content,6 are

now so altered, that in steade of downy beds, they make their pillowes on boords, in stead of full furnished tables, hunger calles now out for so much bread, as may but satisfie life: sacke-cloth is now their wearing instead of silke, teares instead of inticing glaunces, are now the acquaintance of their eyes, in briefe, riot hath heere lost all her dominion, and now is no excesse, but whats in sorrow, heere standes one weeping,l and there lies another dying, so sharpe are hungers teeth, and so ravenous the devouring mouth of famine, that all pittie is exiled betweene the husband and the wife, nay all tendernesse betweene the mother and the children,2 faintnesse hath now got that emperie over strength, there is none so whole to releeve the sicke, neither have the living sufficiencie to give buriall to the dead.3 Thus while this Cleon Lord Governour of Tharsus, and Dyonysa his Lady, with interchanging wordes were describing the sorrows which their almost unpeopled Citty felt, who from the height of multiplication were substracted, almost to nothing: (for, what is life, if it want sustenaunce?) a fainting messenger came slowely into them,4 his fearefull lookes described that he brought sorrowe, and in slowe wordes hee delivered this, that upon their coastes there was discovered a fleete of shippes making thitherward, which Cleon supposing to be an army, which some neighbour nation (taking advantage of their present mishap) had sent for their utter overthrowe, hee commaunded the bringer, upon their landing, to this purpose to salute their Generall, That Tharsus was subdewed before their comming, and that it was small conquest o subdew where there was no abilitie to resist,S that they desired but this, that their citty might still stand, and that for the riches which their prosperitie had purchased, they freely resigned to them, they though their enemies, (for humanities sake) in the place of breeding, would affoord them buriall. Pericles by this is landed, and no sooner entred into their unshut gates, but his princely eies were partaking witnesses of their widowed desolation. The messenger by this also hath delivered the pleasure of the Governour, which the Prince weeping to attend, who rather came to releeve than to ransacke, he demaunded of the fellow, where the Governour was, and foorthwith to be conducted to him, which being effected, in the market place they mette, where Pericles without further hinderance delivered to him, that his thoughts were deceved, to suppose them for enimies, who were now come to them for comfortable friends, and those his shippes which their feares might cause them to think were fraughted with their destruction, were intreasured with corne for their reliefe: at which

the feeble soules not having strength enough to give a showte for joy, gazing on him, and heaven, fell on their knees, and wept.1 But Pericles going to the place of Judgement, causing all the living to be assembled thither, thus freely delivered to them: You Cittizens of Tharsus, whom penury of victuall pincheth at this present, Know you, that I Pericles Prince of Tyre am come purposely to releeve you, in respect of which benefit I doubt not but you will be thus thankefull as to conceale my arriving heere, and for a while to give me safe harborage, and hospitalitie for my shippes and men,2 since by the tyranny of Antiochus, though not driven, yet for a while I am desirous to leave mine owne Countrey, and continue my residence heere with you, in recompence of which love, I have brought with me a hundred thousand bushells of wheate, which equally for your releefe shall be distributed amongst you, each man paying for every bushell eight peeces of brasse, the price bestowed thereon in my owne Country.3 At which, as if the verie name of bread only had power to renew strength in them, they gave a great showt, offering their Citty to him as his owne, and their repaired strength in his defence: with which corne their necessities being supplied, and every man willingly paying his eight peeces of brasse, as hee had appoynted, Pericles demaunded for the Governour and the chiefe men of the governement, disdaining to bee a Merchant to sell corne, but out of his princely magnificence, bestowed the whole revenew thereof to the beautifying of their Citty. Which when the Cittizens understoode, to gratifie these large benefites, and to acknowledge him their patron and releever sent them by the gods, they erected in the Market place a monument in the memoriall of him, and made his statue of brasse, standing in a Charriot, holding corne in his right hand, and spurning it with his left foote, and on the bases of the pillar whereon it stoode, was ingraven in great Letters this inscription: Pericles Prince of Tyre gave a gift unto the City of Tharsus, whereby he delivered it from cruell death.4 So a while we desire the Reader to leave Pericles heartning up the decayed Cittizens of Tharsus, and turne their eyes to good Helycanus at Tyre.