The Complete Works of William Shakespeare In Plain and Simple English (Translated) (554 page)

So I bequeath a happy peace to you

And all good men, as every prince should do;

My riches to the earth from whence they came;

But my unspotted fire of love to you.

To the Daughter of ANTIOCHUS

Thus ready for the way of life or death,

I wait the sharpest blow, Antiochus.

Antiochus, I thank you, for teaching

me about the frail nature of my life,

and showing me those terrible objects so I can

prepare my body for whatever comes;

we should remember at death is like a mirror,

which tells us life is just a breath, to trust it would be wrong.

So I'll make my will and I'll be like  sick men,

who although they are part of the world have a glimpse of heaven,

and in their pain they don't hang on to earthly joys:

and so I leave you peace and happiness

and the same to all good men, as every prince should;

I leave my body to the earth from which it came;

[to the Princess] but I leave you the pure flame of my love.

So, I am prepared for life or death,

do your worst, Antiochus.

ANTIOCHUS

Scorning advice, read the conclusion then:

Which read and not expounded, 'tis decreed,

As these before thee thou thyself shalt bleed.

If you won't take advice, then read the riddle:

if you read it and can't explain it the law is

that you will bleed like the ones who came before you.

Daughter

Of all say'd yet, mayst thou prove prosperous!

Of all say'd yet, I wish thee happiness!

Of all the ones who've tried, may you be successful!

Of all the ones who've tried, I wish you happiness!

PERICLES

Like a bold champion, I assume the lists,

Nor ask advice of any other thought

But faithfulness and courage.

He reads the riddle

I am no viper, yet I feed

On mother's flesh which did me breed.

I sought a husband, in which labour

I found that kindness in a father:

He's father, son, and husband mild;

I mother, wife, and yet his child.

How they may be, and yet in two,

As you will live, resolve it you.

Sharp physic is the last: but, O you powers

That give heaven countless eyes to view men's acts,

Why cloud they not their sights perpetually,

If this be true, which makes me pale to read it?

Fair glass of light, I loved you, and could still,

Takes hold of the hand of the Daughter of ANTIOCHUS

Were not this glorious casket stored with ill:

But I must tell you, now my thoughts revolt

For he's no man on whom perfections wait

That, knowing sin within, will touch the gate.

You are a fair viol, and your sense the strings;

Who, finger'd to make man his lawful music,

Would draw heaven down, and all the gods, to hearken:

But being play'd upon before your time,

Hell only danceth at so harsh a chime.

Good sooth, I care not for you.

I take to the field like a bold knight,

refusing to be influenced by anything

but faithfulness and courage.

I am no viper, yet I feed

on the flesh of the mother who bore me.

I looked for a husband, and in that task

I found that kindness in a father.

He is father, son, and gentle husband;

I am mother, wife, but I am his child:

how can they be so many when they are only two,

if you want to live, you'll have to explain it.

That last instruction is pretty blunt: but, you powers

that give heaven infinite vision over the the acts of men:

why do the stars go out for ever,

if this is true, which makes me pale just to read it?

You beautiful lady, I loved you, and could still,

if you were not filled with such evil.

But I must tell you that I am now revolted;

it would be a bad man who,

knowing of the sin inside, would still touch you.

You are a beautiful violin, and your senses are the strings,

which, if played by a man in lawful fashion,

would make heaven on earth and all the gods would listen;

but you have been plucked before your time,

and only devils would dance to such harsh music.

[Turning towards the Princess]

I swear, I don't care about you.

ANTIOCHUS

Prince Pericles, touch not, upon thy life,

For that's an article within our law,

As dangerous as the rest. Your time's expired:

Either expound now, or receive your sentence.

Prince Pericles, do not touch her or you are dead,

that's another of our laws,

as deadly as the rest. Your time is up:

either give us the answer or receive your sentence.

PERICLES

Great king,

Few love to hear the sins they love to act;

'Twould braid yourself too near for me to tell it.

Who has a book of all that monarchs do,

He's more secure to keep it shut than shown:

For vice repeated is like the wandering wind.

Blows dust in other's eyes, to spread itself;

And yet the end of all is bought thus dear,

The breath is gone, and the sore eyes see clear:

To stop the air would hurt them. The blind mole casts

Copp'd hills towards heaven, to tell the earth is throng'd

By man's oppression; and the poor worm doth die for't.

Kings are earth's gods; in vice their law's

their will;

And if Jove stray, who dares say Jove doth ill?

It is enough you know; and it is fit,

What being more known grows worse, to smother it.

All love the womb that their first being bred,

Then give my tongue like leave to love my head.

Great King,

few people like to hear the sins they enjoy described;

if I answered it would be too close to the bone for you.

If anyone knows all the things that monarchs get up to,

he's safer keeping it to himself;

when such vice is described it becomes like a wind,

clouding the sight of others, so they sin too;

and yet death is dearly bought in this way,

the breath is gone, and the sore eyes see enough

to keep those clouds out of them. The blind mole

throws his mountains up to heaven, to tell them

the earth is full of man's wrongs; and the poor worm dies for it.

Kings are the gods of Earth; they govern themselves in their sins;

and if Jove sins, who dares to say that he's wrong?

It's enough that you know about it; and the best thing to do,

as when things are more widely known they get worse, to keep it quiet.

Everyone loves the womb that they came from,

so give my tongue permission to love my head, and stay there.

ANTIOCHUS

[Aside] Heaven, that I had thy head! he has found

the meaning:

But I will gloze with him.--Young prince of Tyre,

Though by the tenor of our strict edict,

Your exposition misinterpreting,

We might proceed to cancel of your days;

Yet hope, succeeding from so fair a tree

As your fair self, doth tune us otherwise:

Forty days longer we do respite you;

If by which time our secret be undone,

This mercy shows we'll joy in such a son:

And until then your entertain shall be

As doth befit our honour and your worth.

Exeunt all but PERICLES

God, if only I had your head! He has

solved it:

but I will try and put him off–young Prince of Tyre,

by the strict letter of our law,

as you have not given the right answer,

we could end your life;

but as you are such a good man we hope

that things will turn out differently:

we give you forty more days' grace;

if you can find out the answer before then,

the mercy I'm showing now shows how pleased I'll be to have you as a son;

and until then you will be looked after

in a way suited to my position and your worth.

PERICLES

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 now you're both a father and a son,

By your untimely claspings with your child,

Which pleasure fits an 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 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 lie be cropp'd to keep you clear,

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

Exit

How manners try to hide sin,

when the hypocrite is acting,

and it's only good on the surface!

If it was true that my answer is wrong,

then it would be certain that you were not so evil

as to abuse your soul with foul incest;

in fact you are now both a father and son,

through your filthy embraces with your child,

with pleasures which should be for a husband, not a father;

and she devours her mother's flesh,

through polluting her parent's bed;

they are both like snakes, who although they eat

the sweetest flowers, still produce poison.

Antioch, farewell! For it's clear to see

that men who do not blush at such filthy actions

will stop at nothing to stop them being exposed.

I know one sin follows on from another;

murder is as close to lust as flame is to smoke.

Poison and treason are the weapons of sin,

yes, and its shield, to protect it from shame:

so I will flee to avoid the danger I fear,

which is that you will kill me to avoid exposure.

Re-enter ANTIOCHUS

ANTIOCHUS

He hath found the meaning, for 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

He has discovered the answer, and so I intend

to have him killed.

He must not live to broadcast my disgrace,