Pericles by William Shakespeare
Act 1 - Scene 3
Tyre. An ante-chamber in the palace.
Thaliard : So, this is Tyre, and this the court. Here must I
[p]kill King
Pericles; and if I do it not, I am sure to
[p]be hanged at home: 'tis
dangerous. Well, I perceive
[p]he was a wise fellow, and had good
discretion, that,
[p]being bid to ask what he would of the king,
desired
[p]he might know none of his secrets: now do I see he
[p]had
some reason for't; for if a king bid a man be a
[p]villain, he's bound
by the indenture of his oath to
[p]be one! Hush! here come the lords
of Tyre.
Helicanus : You shall not need, my fellow peers of Tyre,
[p]Further to question me
of your king's departure:
[p]His seal'd commission, left in trust with
me,
[p]Doth speak sufficiently he's gone to travel.
Thaliard : [Aside] How! the king gone!
Helicanus : If further yet you will be satisfied,
[p]Why, as it were unlicensed of
your loves,
[p]He would depart, I'll give some light unto
you.
[p]Being at Antioch--
Thaliard : [Aside] What from Antioch?
Helicanus : Royal Antiochus--on what cause I know not--
[p]Took some displeasure
at him; at least he judged so:
[p]And doubting lest that he had err'd
or sinn'd,
[p]To show his sorrow, he'ld correct himself;
[p]So puts
himself unto the shipman's toil,
[p]With whom each minute threatens
life or death.
Thaliard : [Aside] Well, I perceive
[p]I shall not be hang'd now, although I
would;
[p]But since he's gone, the king's seas must please:
[p]He
'scaped the land, to perish at the sea.
[p]I'll present myself. Peace
to the lords of Tyre!
Helicanus : Lord Thaliard from Antiochus is welcome.
Thaliard : From him I come
[p]With message unto princely Pericles;
[p]But since
my landing I have understood
[p]Your lord has betook himself to
unknown travels,
[p]My message must return from whence it came.
Helicanus : We have no reason to desire it,
[p]Commended to our master, not to
us:
[p]Yet, ere you shall depart, this we desire,
[p]As friends to
Antioch, we may feast in Tyre.
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Next: Act 1 - Scene 4
