Or thou wert born a fool. Camillo's flight,

SCENE II.—The same. The outer Room of a Added to their familiarity,

Prison. (Which was as gross as ever touch'd conjecture,

Enter Paulina and Attendants.
That lack’d, sight only, nought for approbation ; *
But only seeing, all other circumstances

Paul. The keeper of the prison,-call to him ;
Made up to the deed) doth push on this proceeding: Let him have knowledge who I am.-
Yet, for a greater confirmation,

[Exit an Attendant. (For, in an act of this importance, 'twere

Good lady! Most piteous to be wild) I have dispatch'd in post No court in Europe is too good for thee; To sacred Delphos, to Apollo's temple,

What dost thou, then, in prison ? Cleomenes and Dion, whom you

know
Of stuff'd sufficiency. Now, from the oracle

Re-enter Attendant, with the Gaoler.
They will bring all ; whose spiritual counsel had,
Shall stop, or spur me.
Have I done well ?

Now, good sir, 1 LORD. Well done, my lord.

You know me, do you not ? LEON. Though I am satisfied, and need no more Gaol.

For a worthy lady, Than what I know, yet shall the oracle

And one who much I honour. Give rest to the minds of others; such as he

PAUL.

Pray you, then, Whose ignorant credulity will not

Conduct me to the queen. Come up to the truth. So have we thought it Gaol. I may not, madam : to the contrary good,

commandment. From our free person she should be confin'd,

PAUL.

Here's ado, Lest that the treachery of the two fled hence To lock up honesty and honour from [you, Be left her to perform. Come, follow us ; The access of gentle visitors !—Is't lawful, pray We are to speak in public; for this business To see her women ? any of them ? Emilia? Will raise us all.

Gaol. So please you, madam,
Ant. [Aside.] To laughter, as I take it, To put apart these your attendants, I
If the good truth were known.

[Exeunt. Shall bring Emilia forth.
Paul.

I a That lack'd, sight only, nought for approbation ;] The meaning

pray now, call her.is,—That wanted, seeing excepted, nothing for proof.

Withdraw yourselves. [Exeunt Attendants.

I have express

[Exeunt.

My lord !

GAOL.
And, madam,

Paul. You need not fear it, sir :
I must be present at your conference.

This child was prisoner to the womb, and is, Paul. Well, be it so, pr’ythee. [Exit Gaoler. By law and process of great Nature, thence Here's such ado to make no stain a stain,

Freed and enfranchis'd; not a party to As passes colouring.

The

anger of the king, nor guilty of,

If any be, the trespass of the queen.
Re-enter Gaoler, with EMILIA.

Gaol. I do believe it.
Dear gentlewoman,

Paul. Do not you fear ; upon mine honour, I How fares our gracious lady?

Will-stand betwixt you and danger. Emil. As well as one so great and so forlorn May hold together: on her frights and griefs, (Which never tender lady hath borne greater) SCENE III.—The same. A Room in the Palace. She is, something before her time, deliver’d. Paul. A boy ?

ANTIGONUS, Lords, and other Attendants, EMIL. A daughter; and a goodly babe,

in waiting behind. Lusty, and like to live : the queen receives

Enter LEONTES.
Much comfort in't: says, My poor prisoner,
I am innocent as you.

Leon. Nor night nor day no rest. It is but
PAUL.
I dare be sworn :-

weakness These dangerous unsafe lunes a i’ the king! be- To bear the matter thus ;-mere weakness. If shrew them!

The cause were not in being,-part o' the cause, He must be told on’t, and he shall : the office She the adultress ; for the harlot king Becomes a woman best ; I'll take 't upon me: Is quite beyond mine arm, out of the blank If I prove honey-mouth'd, let my tongue blister, And level of my brain, plot-proof; but she And never to my

red-look'd

anger
be

I can hook to me :-say that she were gone,
The trumpet any more.—Pray you, Emilia, Given to the fire, a moiety of my rest
Commend my best obedience to the queen ; Might come to me again.--Who's there?
If she dares trust me with her little babe,

1 ATTEND. [Advancing.] I 'll show 't the king, and undertake to be

LEON. How does the boy ? Her advocate to the loudest. We do not know 1 ATTEND. He took good rest to-night; How he may soften at the sight o’the child; 'Tis hop'd his sickness is discharg'd. The silence often of pure innocence

LEON.

To see his nobleness ! Persuades, when speaking fails.

Conceiving the dishonour of his mother, EMIL.

Most worthy madam, He straight declin'd, droop'd, took it deeply; Your honour and your goodness is so evident, Fastend and fix'd the shame on 't in himself; That your free undertaking cannot miss

Threw off his spirit, his appetite, his sleep, A thriving issue: there is no lady living [ship And downright languish d.-Leave me solely:--go, So meet for this great errand. Please your lady- See how he fares. (Exit Attend.]—Fie, fie! no To visit the next room, I'll presently

thought of him ; Acquaint the

queen

of
your most noble offer ; The very thought of my revenges that

way Who but to-day hammer'd of this design, Recoil upon me: in himself too mighty, But durst not tempt a minister of honour,

And in his parties, his alliance,–let him be, Lest she should be denied.

Until a time may serve : for present vengeance, Paul.

Tell her, Emilia, Take it on her. Camillo and Polixenes
I'll use that tongue I have: if wit flow from 't, Laugh at me; make their pastime at my sorrow :
As boldness from my bosom, let't not be doubted They should not laugh, if I could reach them ; nor
I shall do good.

Shall she, within my power.
EMIL. Now be you bless'd for it!
I'll to the queen : please you, come something

Enter PAULINA, with a Child.

[the babe, Gaol. Madam, if 't please the queen to send

1 LORD.

You must not enter. I know not what I shall incur to pass it,

Paul. Nay, rather, good my lords, be second Having no warrant.

to me : * These dangerous unsafe lunes-] To remedy the apparent nym "perilous," was sometimes used for biling, caustie, mischie. tautology in this line, Mr. Collier's annotator would have us read, tous; and in some such sense may very well stand here. -still more tautologically,

out of the blank

And level of my brain,-) “These dangerous unsane lunes," &c.

" Blank" and "level" are terms in gunnery; the former means But the old text needs no alteration; “ dangerous," like its syno- mark, the latter range. 211

P 2

nearer.

b

you now !

hear :

come

Paul. No noise, my lord; but needful conference Tak'st up the princess by that forced baseness About some gossips for your highness.

Which he has put upon it!
LEON.

How !
LEON.

He dreads his wife! Away with that audacious lady !--Antigonus, Paul. So I would you did ; then 't were past I charg'd thee that she should not come about me:

all doubt I knew she would.

You'd call

your
children

yours.
ANT.
I told her so, my lord,

LEON.

A nest of traitors ! On your displeasure's peril and on mine,

Ant. I am none, by this good light. She should not visit you.

PAUL.

Nor I; nor any, LEON.

What, canst not rule her ? But one, that's here, and that's himself; for he Paul. From all dishonesty he can : in this, The sacred honour of himself, his queen's, (Unless he take the course that you have done, His hopeful son's, his babe's, betrays to slander, Commit me, for committing honour) trust it, Whose sting is sharper than the sword's; and He shall not rule me.

will not ANT.

La
you

(For, as the case now stands, it is a curse When she will take the rein, I let her run; He cannot be compellid to 't) once remove But she'll not stumble.

The root of his opinion, which is rotten,
PAUL.
Good my liege, I come,

- As ever oak, or stone, was sound. And, I beseech you, hear me, who professes

LEON.

A callat, Myself your loyal servant, your physician, Of boundless tongue, who late hath beat her Your most obedient counsellor; yet that dares

husband, Less appear so, in comforting your evils,

And now baits me !—This brat is none of mine; Than such as most seem yours :

:-1
say,
I

It is the issue of Polixenes :
From your good queen.

Hence with it; and, together with the dam, LEON. Good queen!

Commit them to the fire ! Paul. Good queen, my lord, good queen : I Paul. say, good queen ;

And, might we lay the old proverb to your charge, And would by combat make her good, so were I So like you, 't is the worse. —Behold, my lords, A man, the worst about you.

Although the print be little, the whole matter LEON.

Force her hence. And copy of the father, -eye, nose, lip ; Paul. Let him that makes but trifles of his eyes The trick of 's frown ; his forehead ; nay, the valley, First hand me: on mine own accord I'll off ; The pretty dimples of his chin and cheek; his But first I 'll do my errand.—The good queen,

smiles; For she is good, hath brought you forth a daughter; The very mould and frame of hand, nail, finger :Here 't is; commends it to your blessing.

And thou, good goddess Nature, which hast made it [Laying down the Child. So like to him that got it, if thou hast LEON.

Out! The ordering of the mind too, 'mongst all colours A mankind witch! Hence with her, out o’ door : No yellow in 't, lest she suspect, as he does, A most intelligencing bawd !

Her children not her husband's ! Paul.

LEON.

A

gross hag !I am as ignorant in that as you

And, losel,thou art worthy to be hang'd, In so entitling me: and no less honest o

That wilt not stay her tongue. Than you are mad; which is enough, I'll warrant, Ant.

Hang all the husbands As this world goes, to pass for honest.

That cannot do that feat, you 'll leave yourself LEON.

Traitors ! | Hardly one subject. Will you not push her out ? Give her the bastard.— LEON.

Once more, take her hence ! Thou dotard [TO ANTIGONUS.], thou art woman- PAUL. A most unworthy and unnatural lord tird,d unroosted

Can do no more. By thy dame Partlet here :take up the bastard ; LEON.

I'll have thee burn'd. Take't up, I say; give’t to thy crone.

PAUL.

I care not: PAUL.

For ever

It is an heretic that makes the fire, Unvenerable be thy hands, if thou

Not she which burns in't. I'll not call you tyrant ;

It is yours ;

Not so:

4 – in comforting your evils,-] “Comforting" is here employed in the old and forensic sense of encouraging, abelting, &c. b A mankind witch !) See note (a), p. 167. - honest--- ] That is, chaste.

e d

And, might we lay the old proverb to your charge,

So like you, 'tis the worse.--] Overbury quotes this “old proverb" in his character of "A Sargeant": -" The devill cals him his white sonne; he is so like him, that he is the worse for it, and hee lokes after his father."OVERBURY's Works, Ed. 1616.

I'll pawn

I'll be gone.

:

But this most cruel usage of your queen

Ant.

Anything, my lord, (Not able to produce more accusation [savours That my ability may undergo, Than your own weak-hing'd fancy) something And nobleness impose :-at least, thus much, Of tyranny, and will ignoble make you,

the little blood which I have left Yea, scandalous to the world.

To save the innocent:-anything possible. LEON.

On your allegiance, Leon. It shall be possible. Swear by this sword, Out of the chamber with her! Were I a tyrant,

Thou wilt perform my bidding. Where were her life? she durst not call me so, ANT.

I will, my lord. If she did know me one. Away with her!

Leon. Mark, and perform it, seest thou; for Paul. I pray you, do not push me;

the fail Look to your babe, my lord ; 't is yours : Jove Of any point in 't shall not only be send her

[hands ?— Death to thyself, but to thy lewd-tongu'd wife, A better guiding spirit !-- What needs these Whom for this time we pardon. We enjoin thee, You, that are thus so tender o'er his follies, As thou art liegeman to us, that thou carry Will never do him good, not one of you.

This female bastard hence; and that thou bear it So, so :-farewell; we are gone.

[Exit. To some remote and desert place, quite out Leon. Thou, traitor, hast set on thy wife to this.- Of our dominions; and that there thou leave it, My child ? away with 't!—even thou, that hast Without more mercy, to ito own protection A heart so tender o'er it, take it hence,

And favour of the climate. As by strange fortune And see it instantly consum'd with fire;

It came to us, I do in justice charge thee, Even thou, and none but thou. Take it up straight : On thy soul's peril, and thy body's torture, Within this hour bring me word 't is done, That thou commend it strangely to some place, (And by good testimony) or I'll seize thy life, Where chance may nurse or end it. Take it up. With what thou else call'st thine. If thou refuse, Ant. I swear to do this, though a present And wilt encounter with my wrath, say so;

death The bastard brains with these my proper

hands Had been more merciful.—.Come on, poor babe : Shall I dash out. Go, take it to the fire ;

Some powerful spirit instruct the kites and ravens For thou sett’st on thy wife.

To be thy nurses ! Wolves and bears, they say, ANT.

I did not, sir : Casting their savageness aside, have done These lords, my noble fellows, if they please, Like offices of pity.—Sir, be prosperous Can clear me in't.

In more than this deed does require !- and blessing, 1 LORD. We can :—my royal liege, Against this cruelty, fight on thy side, He is not guilty of her coming hither.

Poor thing, condemn’d to loss : (2) Leon. You're liars all. [credit :

[Exit, with the Child. 1 Lord. Beseech your highness, give us better LEON.

No, I 'll not rear We have always truly serv'd you; and beseech * Another's issue. So to esteem of us : and on our knees we beg, 2 ATTEND. Please your highness, posts, (As recompense of our dear services

From those you sent to the oracle, are come Past and to come) that you do change this purpose,

An hour since: Cleomenes and Dion, Which being so horrible, so bloody, must

Being well arriv’d from Delphos, are both landed, Lead on to some foul issue: we all kneel.

Hasting to the court. LEON. I am a feather for each wind that blows :- 1 LORD. So please you, sir, their speed Shall I live on, to see this bastard kneel

Hath been beyond account. And call me father? Better burn it now,

LEON.

Twenty-three days Than curse it then. But be it; let it live :- They have been absent : 't is good speed; foretells It shall not neither. You, sir, come you hither; The great Apollo suddenly will have

[To ANTIGONUS. The truth of this appear. Prepare you, lords ; You that have been so tenderly officious

Summon a session, that we may arraign With lady Margery, your midwife, there,

Our most disloyal lady ; for, as she hath To save this bastard's life,—for 't is a bastard, Been publicly accus’d, so shall she have So sure as this beard's grey, 1—what will you ad- A just and open trial. While she lives, venture

My heart will be a burden to me. To save this brat's life?

And think upon my bidding.

[Exeunt,

Leave me;