tyrant, his innocent babe truly begotten; and the king shall live without an heir, if that, which is lost, be not found 15. Lords. Now blessed be the great Apollo! Leon. There is no truth at all i'the oracle: The sessions shall proceed; this is mere falsehood. Enter a Servant, hastily. Serv. My lord the king, the king! Leon. What is the business? Serv. O sir, I shall be hated to report it: Leon. Serv. How! gone? Leon. Apollo's angry; and the heavens themselves Do strike at my injustice. Paul. This news is mortal to the queen :-Look down, And see what death is doing. Leon. Take her hence; Her heart is but o'ercharg'd; she will recover.— I have too much believ'd mine own suspicion:'Beseech you, tenderly apply to her Some remedies for life.-Apollo, pardon [Exeunt PAULINA and Ladies, with HERM. My great profaneness 'gainst thine oracle!— I'll reconcile me to Polixenes; 15 This is almost literally from Greene's novel. 16 i. e. of the event of the queen's trial. We still say, he sped well or ill. New woo my queen; recall the good Camillo; My friend Polixenes: which had been done, Not doing it, and being done: he, most humane, Paul. Re-enter PAULINA. Woe the while! O, cut my lace; lest my heart, cracking it, 1 Lord. What fit is this, good lady? Paul. What studied torments, tyrant, hast for me? What wheels? racks? fires? What flaying? boiling In leads or oils? what old, or newer torture Must I receive; whose every word deserves To taste of thy most worst? Thy tyranny Together working with thy jealousies,Fancies too weak for boys, too green and idle 17 Certain is not in the first folio, it was supplied by the editor of the second. 18 See p. 45, note 16. 19 This vehement retractation of Leontes, accompanied with the confession of more crimes than he was suspected of, is agreeable to our daily experience of the vicissitudes of violent tempers, and the eruptions of minds oppressed with guilt. For girls of nine!-O, think, what they have done, Of the young prince; whose honourable thoughts Not dropp'd down yet. 1 Lord. The higher powers forbid ! Paul. I say, she's dead; I'll swear't: if word, nor oath, Prevail not, go and see: if you can bring Tincture, or lustre, in her lip, her eye, 20 The same construction occurs in the second book of Phaer's version of the Æneid: 'When this the young men heard me speak, of wild they waxed wood.' 21 Damnable is used here adverbially. So in All's Well that Ends Well:-"Tis not meant damnable in us.' 22 The poet forgot that Paulina was absent during the king's self-accusation. 23 i. e. a devil would have shed tears of pity, ere he would have perpetrated such an action. Heat outwardly, or breath within, I'll serve you Leon. 1 Lord. Say no more; Howe'er the business goes, you have made fault I'the boldness of your speech. Paul. I am sorry for❜t; All faults I make, when I shall come to know them, I do repent: Alas, I have show'd too much The rashness of a woman: he is touch'd To the noble heart.-What's gone, and what's past help, Should be past grief: Do not receive affliction At my petition, I beseech you; rather Let me be punish'd, that have minded you Of what you should forget. Now, good my liege, The love I bore your queen,-lo, fool again!- your children; And I'll say nothing. Leon. When most the truth; Thou didst speak but well, which I receive much better Than to be pitied of thee. Pr'ythee, bring me grave shall be for both; upon them shall The causes of their death appear, unto Our shame perpetual: Once a day I'll visit Nature will bear up with this exercise, So long I daily vow to use it. Come, SCENE III. [Exeunt. Bohemia. A desert Country near the Sea. Enter ANTIGONUS, with the Child; and a Mariner. Ant. Thou art perfect1 then, our ship hath touch'd upon The deserts of Bohemia? Mar. Ay, my lord; and fear We have landed in ill time: the skies look grimly, And threaten present blusters. In my conscience, The heavens with that we have in hand are angry, And frown upon us. Ant. Their sacred wills be done!-Go, get aboard; Look to thy bark; I'll not be long, before I call upon thee. not Mar. Make your best haste; and go Of prey, that keep upon't. Ant. I'll follow instantly. Mar. Go thou away: Come, poor babe : To be so rid o'the business. Ant. I have heard, (but not believ'd), the spirits of the dead 1 i. e. well assured. |