Quarto
| Modern text
| Definitions
| Key line
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| Enter Hellicanus and Escanes. | Enter Helicanus and Escanes | | Per II.iv.1 | |
| Hell. | HELICANUS | | | |
| No Escanes, know this of mee, | No, Escanes, know this of me, | | Per II.iv.1 | |
| Antiochus from incest liued not free: | Antiochus from incest lived not free. | | Per II.iv.2 | |
| For which the most high Gods not minding, / Longer | For which the most high gods not minding longer | mind (v.) intend, have a mind | Per II.iv.3 | |
| to with-hold the vengeance that / They had in store, | To withhold the vengeance that they had in store, | | Per II.iv.4 | |
| due to this heynous / Capitall offence, | Due to this heinous capital offence, | capital (adj.)worthy of the death penalty, punishable by death | Per II.iv.5 | |
| euen in the height and pride / Of all his glory, | Even in the height and pride of all his glory, | | Per II.iv.6 | |
| when he was seated in / A Chariot | When he was seated in a chariot | | Per II.iv.7 | |
| of an inestimable value, and his daughter / With him; | Of an inestimable value, and his daughter with him, | | Per II.iv.8 | |
| a fire from heauen came and shriueld / Vp | A fire from heaven came and shrivelled up | | Per II.iv.9 | |
| those bodyes euen to lothing, for they so stounke, | Their bodies even to loathing; for they so stunk | | Per II.iv.10 | |
| That all those eyes ador'd them, ere their fall, | That all those eyes adored them ere their fall | | Per II.iv.11 | |
| Scorne now their hand should giue them buriall. | Scorn now their hand should give them burial. | scorn (v.)mock, jeer, express disdain [at] | Per II.iv.12 | |
| Escanes. | ESCANES | | | |
| T'was very strange. | 'Twas very strange. | | Per II.iv.13.1 | |
| Hell. | HELICANUS | | | |
| And yet but iustice; for though | And yet but justice, for though | | Per II.iv.13.2 | |
| this King were great, / His greatnesse was no gard | This king were great, his greatness was no guard | | Per II.iv.14 | |
| to barre heauens shaft, / But sinne had his reward. | To bar heaven's shaft, but sin had his reward. | | Per II.iv.15 | |
| Escan. | ESCANES | | | |
| Tis very true. | 'Tis very true. | | Per II.iv.16 | |
| Enter two or three Lords. | Enter two or three Lords | two or threea few, several | Per II.iv.17 | |
| 1.Lord. | FIRST LORD | | | |
| See, not a man in priuate conference, | See, not a man in private conference | | Per II.iv.17 | |
| Or counsaile, ha's respect with him but hee. | Or council has respect with him but he. | | Per II.iv.18 | |
| 2.Lord. | SECOND LORD | | | |
| It shall no longer grieue, without reprofe. | It shall no longer grieve without reproof. | grieve (v.)vex, hurt, trouble | Per II.iv.19 | |
| 3.Lord. | THIRD LORD | | | |
| And curst be he that will not second it. | And cursed be he that will not second it. | | Per II.iv.20 | |
| 1.Lord. | FIRST LORD | | | |
| Follow me then: Lord Hellicane, a word. | Follow me then. Lord Helicane, a word. | | Per II.iv.21 | |
| Hell. | HELICANUS | | | |
| With mee? and welcome happy day , my Lords. | With me? And welcome. Happy day, my lords. | | Per II.iv.22 | |
| 1.Lord. | FIRST LORD | | | |
| Know, that our griefes are risen to the top, | Know that our griefs are risen to the top, | grief (n.)grievance, complaint, hurt, injury | Per II.iv.23 | |
| And now at length they ouer-flow their bankes. | And now at length they overflow their banks. | | Per II.iv.24 | |
| Hell. | HELICANUS | | | |
| Your griefes, for what? Wrong not your Prince, you loue. | Your griefs? For what? Wrong not your prince you love. | | Per II.iv.25 | |
| 1.Lord. | FIRST LORD | | | |
| Wrong not your selfe then, noble Hellican, | Wrong not yourself then, noble Helicane, | | Per II.iv.26 | |
| But if the Prince do liue, let vs salute him, | But if the prince do live, let us salute him | salute (v.)greet, welcome, address | Per II.iv.27 | |
| Or know what ground's made happy by his breath: | And know what ground's made happy by his breath. | | Per II.iv.28 | |
| If in the world he liue, wee'le seeke him out: | If in the world he live, we'll seek him out; | | Per II.iv.29 | |
| If in his Graue he rest, wee'le find him there, | If in his grave he rest, we'll find him there; | | Per II.iv.30 | |
| And be resolued he liues to gouerne vs: | And be resolved he lives to govern us, | | Per II.iv.31 | |
| Or dead, giue's cause to mourne his funerall, | Or dead, give's cause to mourn his funeral | | Per II.iv.32 | |
| And leaue vs to our free election. | And leave us to our free election. | | Per II.iv.33 | |
| 2.Lord. | SECOND LORD | | | |
| Whose death in deed, the strongest in our sensure, | Whose death indeed's the strongest in our censure, | strong (adj.)certain, convincing, persuasive | Per II.iv.34 | |
| | censure (n.)assessment, opinion, judgement, criticism | | |
| And knowing this Kingdome is without a head, | And knowing this: kingdoms without a head, | | Per II.iv.35 | |
| Like goodly Buyldings left without a Roofe, | Like goodly buildings left without a roof, | | Per II.iv.36 | |
| Soone fall to ruine: your noble selfe, | Soon fall to ruin, your noble self, | | Per II.iv.37 | |
| That best know how to rule, and how to raigne, | That best know how to rule and how to reign, | | Per II.iv.38 | |
| Wee thus submit vnto our Soueraigne. | We thus submit unto, our sovereign. | | Per II.iv.39 | |
| Omnes. | ALL | | | |
| Liue noble Hellicane. | Live, noble Helicane! | | Per II.iv.40 | |
| Hell. | HELICANUS | | | |
| Try honours cause; forbeare your suffrages: | Try honour's cause; forbear your suffrages. | suffrage (n.)vote, approval, consent | Per II.iv.41 | |
| | forbear (v.)withdraw, leave, give way | | |
| If that you loue Prince Pericles, forbeare, | If that you love Prince Pericles, forbear. | | Per II.iv.42 | |
| (Take I your wish, I leape into the seas, | Take I your wish, I leap into the seas, | | Per II.iv.43 | |
| Where's howerly trouble, for a minuts ease) | Where's hourly trouble, for a minute's ease. | | Per II.iv.44 | |
| A twelue-month longer, let me intreat you | A twelvemonth longer let me entreat you | | Per II.iv.45 | |
| To forbeare the absence of your King; | Further to bear the absence of your king; | | Per II.iv.46 | |
| If in which time expir'd, he not returne, | If in which time expired he not return, | | Per II.iv.47 | |
| I shall with aged patience beare your yoake: | I shall with aged patience bear your yoke. | | Per II.iv.48 | |
| But if I cannot winne you to this loue, | But if I cannot win you to this love, | | Per II.iv.49 | |
| Goe search like nobles, like noble subiects, | Go search like nobles, like noble subjects, | | Per II.iv.50 | |
| And in your search, spend your aduenturous worth, | And in your search spend your adventurous worth. | | Per II.iv.51 | |
| Whom if you find, and winne vnto returne, | Whom if you find, and win unto return, | | Per II.iv.52 | |
| You shall like Diamonds sit about his Crowne. | You shall like diamonds sit about his crown. | | Per II.iv.53 | |
| 1.Lord. | FIRST LORD | | | |
| To wisedome, hee's a foole, that will not yeeld: | To wisdom he's a fool that will not yield, | | Per II.iv.54 | |
| And since Lord Hellicane enioyneth vs, | And since Lord Helicane enjoineth us, | | Per II.iv.55 | |
| We with our trauels will endeauour. | We with our travels will endeavour it. | | Per II.iv.56 | |
| Hell. | HELICANUS | | | |
| Then you loue vs, we you, & wee'le claspe hands: | Then you love us, we you, and we'll clasp hands. | | Per II.iv.57 | |
| When Peeres thus knit, a Kingdome euer stands. | When peers thus knit, a kingdom ever stands. | | Per II.iv.58 | |
| Exeunt | | Per II.iv.58 | |