As doth befit our honour, and your worth.

[Exeunt ANTIOCHUS, his Daughter, and Attendants.

Per. How courtesy would seem to cover sin,

When what is done is like an hypocrite,
The which is good in nothing but in sight!

If it be true that I interpret false,

Then were it certain, you were not so bad,
As with foul incest to abuse your soul;
Where 35 now you 're both a father and a son,
By your untimely 36 claspings with your child,
(Which pleasure fits a husband, not a father)
And she an eater of her mother's flesh,
By the defiling of her parent's bed;

And both like serpents are, who though they feed
On sweetest flowers, yet they poison breed.
Antioch, farewell! for wisdom sees, those men
Blush not in actions blacker than the night,

Will shun 37 no course to keep them from the light:

One sin, I know, another doth provoke;

Murder 's as near to lust, as flame to smoke.

Poison and treason are the hands of sin,

Ay, and the targets, to put off the shame:

Then, lest my life be cropp'd to keep you clear, 38

By flight I'll shun the danger which I fear.

[Exit.

31) your der Q. verbessert die Fol. in our; ebenso zwei Zeilen weiter das counsel der Q. in cancel.

32) da Eure Lösung des Räthsels verkehrt gedeutet hat.

33) wenn du während dieser Zeit unser Räthsel gelöst, unser Geheimniss enthüllt hast. Wilkins umschreibt diesen Satz: if by which time he can find out what was yet concealed from him, it should be evident how gladly he would rejoice in such a son. 34) entertain Aufnahme, Bewirthung, als Substantiv veraltet, hat Sh. nur an dieser Stelle. 35) where für whereas häufig bei Sh.

=

36) Für untimely wäre vielleicht uncomely zu setzen. Die entsprechende Stelle bei Wilkins lautet by his uncomely and abhorred actions with his own child.

37) shun ist Malone's Emendation für shew der Fol.

38) clear= frei von Schuld oder Schmach.

26

PERICLES.

Re-enter ANTIOCHUS.

Ant. He hath found the meaning, for the 39 which we mean

To have his head.

He must not live to trumpet forth my infamy,

Nor tell the world, Antiochus doth sin

In such a loathed manner:

And therefore instantly this prince must die;
For by his fall my honour must keep high.
Who attends us there?

Enter THALIARD.

Thal.

Doth your highness call?

Ant. Thaliard, you 're of our chamber, and our mind
Partakes 40 her private actions to your secrecy;

And for your faithfulness we will advance you.
Thaliard, behold, here 's poison, and here 's gold;
We hate the prince of Tyre, and thou must kill him:
It fits thee not to ask the reason why,

Because we bid it. Say, is it done?
Thal. My lord, 't is done.

Let your breath cool yourself, telling your haste. 41
Mess. My lord, prince Pericles is fled.
Ant.

Wilt live, fly after: and,

like 42

As thou an arrow, shot From a well-experienc'd archer, hits the mark

His eye doth level at, so ne'er return,

Unless thou say, Prince Pericles is dead.

Thal. My lord,

If I can get him within my pistol's length,

I'll make him sure enough: 43 so, farewell to your highness.

Ant. Thaliard, adieu. Till Pericles be dead,

-

My heart can lend no succour to my head.

A

[Exit Messe

[

39) the, das in den alten Ausgg. fehlt, ist von den neuern Hggn. stillschweigend eing 40) to partake = mittheilen, Jemanden Theil haben lassen an Etwas. Bei G heisst Thaliard Taliart, bei Twine Thaliarchus.

41) Der Bote soll sich mit seinem Athem abkühlen, indem er den Grund seiner berichtet. Die Worte, die er zu sprechen hat, sollen ihn selbst kühl blasen. 42) like in Q., as in der Fol.

43) Manche Hgg. fügen willkührlich once hinter get him ein und lassen dafür enough

(The tomb where grief should sleep,) can breed me quiet? Here pleasures court mine eyes, and mine eyes shun them, And danger, which I feared, is at Antioch,

Whose arm seems far too short to hit me here;

Yet neither pleasure's art can joy my spirits,
Nor yet the other's distance comfort me.
Then it is thus: that passions of the mind,
That have their first conception by mis-dread,
Have after-nourishment and life by care;
And what was first but fear what might be done,
Grows elder now, and cares it be not done: 5
And so with me:

the great Antiochus

('Gainst whom I am too little to contend,

6

Since he's so great, can make his will his act)
Will think me speaking, though I swear to silence;
Nor boots it me to say, I honour him,

If he suspect I may dishonour him:

7

And what may make him blush in being known,

1) Die Q. und Fol. haben Enter Pericles, Helicanus and other Lords, wie die alten Ausgg. überhaupt oft gleich zu Anfang der Scene das Auftreten von Personen bezeichnen, die doch erst im Verlaufe derselben erscheinen müssen. Staunton bemerkt mit Recht, dass Pericles' Rede nur ein Monolog sein kann. Die Bühnenweisung To those without rührt von Dyce her.

2) So verbessert Dyce den Text, der in den alten Ausgg. lautet By me so us'd à guest as not an hour und in den meisten neueren By me so us'd a guest is, not an hour change of thoughts ist Apposition zu dull-ey'd melancholy = die trübäugige Schwermuth, welche die Gedanken verwandelt oder umwandelt; Steevens setzt dafür charge of thoughts.

-

3) Für arm liest Dyce aim.

4) the other's bezieht sich auf danger, das vorher den Gegensatz zu pleasure bildete. 5) Was zuerst nur eine Furcht war vor Etwas, was geschehen könnte, wird später eine thätige Sorge, dass dieses Etwas nicht geschehe, wird später eine Sorge um Verhütung

He'll stop the course by which it might be known.
With hostile forces he 'll o'erspread the land

And with the ostent

of war will look so huge,

Amazement shall drive courage from the state;
Our men be vanquish'd ere they do resist,
And subjects punish'd that ne'er thought offence:
Which care of them, not pity of myself,

9

(Who am no more but as the tops of trees,

Which fence the roots they grow by, and defend them)
Makes both my body pine, and soul to languish,
And punish that before, that he would punish.

Enter HELICANUS and other Lords. 10

1 Lord. Joy and all comfort in your sacred breast. 2 Lord. And keep your mind, till you return to us, Peaceful and comfortable.

Hel. Peace, peace! 11 and give experience tongue. They do abuse the king that flatter him:

For flattery is the bellows blows up sin;

The thing the which is flatter'd, but a spark,

To which that blast 12 gives heat and stronger glowing;

Whereas reproof, obedient and in order,

Fits kings, as they are men, for they may err:
When signior Sooth 13 here does proclaim a peace,
He flatters you, makes war upon your life.

Prince, pardon me, or strike me, if you please;

I cannot be much lower than my knees.

Per. All leave us else; but let your cares o'er-look

What shipping, and what lading 's in our haven,

And then return to us. [Exeunt Lords.] Helicanus, thou

Hast moved us: what seest thou in our looks?

8) ostent verbessert Tyrwhitt das stent oder stint der alten Ausgg.: Antiochus wird mit seiner Kriegsrüstung so ungeheuer erscheinen, dass die Bestürzung allen Muth aus dem Staate oder aus den Staatslenkern vertreiben wird.

9)

am setzt Farmer für once der Q. und Fol., wofür Malone das ähnlich klingende wants, ungrammatisch für want, liest.

10) Die Q. hat hier, im Widerspruch mit ihrer vorhergehenden Bühnenweisung (Vgl. A. 1 dieser Sc.), Enter all the Lords to Pericles. Die Fol. hat keinerlei Bühnenweisung hier. Bei Gower heisst Helicanus Helican, bei Twine Elinatus..

11) Manche Hgg. fügen hinter peace zur Vervollständigung des Verses my lords ein. 12) blast vermuthete M. Mason für spark der alten Ausgg., das durch ein Versehen hier noch einmal wiederholt erscheint. Malone vermuthete breath dafür und Steevens wind. Für heat der Q. liest die Fol. heart, was auch Rowe noch beibehielt. 13) sooth = Schmeichelei, wird hier als ein feiner Hofmann personificirt gedacht und deshalb mit dem modischen Titel signior versehen. So in As you like it (A. 3, Sc. 2) good signior Love. Für a peace haben die alten Ausgg. nur peace.

Hel. An angry brow, dread lord.

Per. If there be such a dart in princes' frowns,

How durst thy tongue move anger to our face?

Hel. How dare the plants look up to heaven, from whence They have their nourishment?

Sit down; 14 thou art no flatterer:

I thank thee for it: and heaven forbid,

That kings should let 15 their ears hear their faults hid.

Fit counsellor, and servant for a prince,

Who by thy wisdom mak'st 16 a prince thy servant,

What wouldst thou have me do?

Hel.

To bear with patience

Such griefs as you yourself do lay upon yourself.

Per. Thou speak'st like a physician, Helicanus,

That minister'st 18 a potion unto me,

That thou wouldst tremble to receive thyself.
Attend me then: I went to Antioch,

Where, as thou know'st, 19 against the face of death

I sought the purchase of a glorious beauty

From whence an issue I might propagate,

Are arms to princes, and bring joys to subjects. 20
Her face was to mine eye beyond all wonder;
The rest (hark in thine ear) as black as incest:
Which by my knowledge found, the sinful father

17

29

14) Zur Vervollständigung des Verses lesen manche Hgg. sit down zweimal, und in der folgenden Zeile high heaven.

15) Malone fasst to let = hindern, während Holt White das Wort im gewöhnlichen Sinne fasst: der Himmel verhüte, dass Könige ihren Ohren verstatten sollten, ihre Fehler verhehlt zu hören. Letztere Deutung erscheint als die plausiblere. Dyce, der der ersteren Deutung beistimmt, ändert demgemäss hid in chid um.

16) makes in den alten Ausgg.

17) Manche Hgg. ändern willkührlich With patience bear und streichen im folgenden Verse das erste yourself.

18) ministers in den alten Ausgg. Vgl. Anm. 16.

19) Knight und Dyce lesen mit den alten Ausgg. Whereas, thou know'st etc. Vgl. A. 1, Sc. 1, Anm. 35.

:

20) Wenn der Text nicht corrumpirt ist, so muss an issue collectiv als Plural gefasst werden eine Nachkommenschaft, welche den Fürsten eine Waffe ist und den Unterthanen Freude bringt. Vielleicht ist aber hinter propagate ein Vers ausgefallen. Steevens ändert willkührlich Bring arms to princes and to subjects joys.