Page:Stories from Old English Poetry-1899.djvu/270

246 Antiochus offered this daughter in marriage to any princely suitor who could guess a certain riddle, which he made and propounded to all who came to woo her. If the suitor should guess the answer to the riddle, he was to receive the princess in marriage; if he failed, his head was instantly struck off and placed on the palace gates as a warning to all fool-hardy lovers. Notwithstanding this horrible penalty, however, many princes had lost their heads through their love for the lady, and day after day a row of ghastly heads rotted on the palace walls of Antioch.

Now Pericles was a prince of very subtle and clear intellect, and also possessed of undaunted courage. He did not believe so hard a riddle could be made that he could not unravel its meaning, and as he knew an alliance with the princess of Antioch would be most favorable to the prosperity of Tyre, he set out prepared to risk his head for the possession of her hand.

He was received at the palace of Antiochus with much civility, and was urged very earnestly by the king not to peril his life so rashly, but Pericles was resolved on the attempt, and insisted on hearing the riddle propounded. Antiochus showed much anger at his resolution, and gave him the scroll which contained the fatal words. The princess herself, who was