Her.

Leon.

Virtue itself: these shrugs, these hums and ha's,
When you have said she's goodly,' come between
Ere you can say 'she's honest:' but be 't known,
From him that has most cause to grieve it should be,
She's an adulteress.

Should a villain say so,

The most replenish'd villain in the world,
He were as much more villain: you, my lord, 80
Do but mistake.

You have mistook, my lady,
Polixenes for Leontes: O thou thing!
Which I'll not call a creature of thy place,
Lest barbarism, making me the precedent,
Should a like language use to all degrees,
And mannerly distinguishment leave out
Betwixt the prince and beggar: I have said
She's an adulteress; I have said with whom :
More, she's a traitor and Camillo is

A federary with her; and one that knows,
What she should shame to know herself

But with her most vile principal, that she's
A bed-swerver, even as bad as those

That vulgars give bold'st titles; ay, and privy
To this their late

escape.

00

Her.

No, by my life,

Leon.

Her.

Leon.

Privy to none of this. How will this grieve you,
When you shall come to clearer knowledge, that
You thus have publish'd me! Gentle my lord,
You scarce can right me thoroughly then to say
You did mistake.

No; if I mistake

In those foundations which I build upon,
The centre is not big enough to bear

A school-boy's top. Away with her, to prison!
He who shall speak for her is afar off guilty

But that he speaks.

There's some ill planet reigns: I must be patient till the heavens look

100

With an aspect more favourable. Good my lords,
I am not prone to weeping, as our sex
Commonly are; the want of which vain dew
Perchance shall dry your pities: but I have

That honourable grief lodged here which burns
Worse than tears drown: beseech you all, my lords,
With thoughts so qualified as your charities
Shall best instruct you, measure me; and so
The king's will be perform❜d!

Her. Who is 't that goes with me?

Shall I be heard?

Beseech your high

ness,

My women may be with me; for you see

My plight requires it. Do not weep, good fools;
There is no cause: when you shall know your
mistress

Has deserved prison, then abound in tears
As I come out this action I now go on
Is for my better grace. Adieu, my lord:
I never wish'd to see you sorry; now

120

I trust I shall. My women, come; you have leave. Leon. Go, do our bidding; hence!

[Exit Queen, guarded; with Ladies. First Lord. Beseech your highness, call the queen again. Ant. Be certain what you do, sir, lest your justice

Prove violence; in the which three great ones suffer,
Yourself, your queen, your son.

First Lord.

Ant.

For her, my lord,
I dare my life lay down and will do 't, sir,

Please you to accept it, that the queen is spotless
I' the eyes of heaven and to you; I mean,
In this which you accuse her.

If it prove

She's otherwise, I'll keep my stables where

130

I lodge my wife; I'll go in couples with her;
Than when I feel and see her no farther trust her;
For every inch of woman in the world,

Ay, every dram of woman's flesh is false,

If she be.

Leon.

First Lord.

Hold your peaces.

Good my lord,

140

Ant. It is for you we speak, not for ourselves:

Leon.

Ant.

You are abused, and by some putter-on

That will be damn'd for 't; would I knew the villain,
I would land-damn him. Be she honour-flaw'd,

I have three daughters; the eldest is eleven ;
The second and the third, nine, and some five;
If this prove true, they'll pay for 't: by mine honour,
I'll geld 'em all; fourteen they shall not see,
To bring false generations: they are co-heirs ;
And I had rather glib myself than they

Should not produce fair issue.

Cease; no more. 150 You smell this business with a sense as cold

As is a dead man's nose: but I do see 't and feel't,

As

you

feel doing thus; and see withal

The instruments that feel.

If it be so,

We need no grave to bury honesty :

There's not a grain of it the face to sweeten
Of the whole dungy earth.

Leon.

What! lack I credit?

First Lord. I had rather you did lack than I, my lord,
Upon this ground; and more it would content me
To have her honour true than your suspicion,
Be blamed for 't how you might.

Leon.

Ant.

Leon.

160

Why, what need we
Commune with you of this, but rather follow
Our forceful instigation? Our prerogative
Calls not your counsels, but our natural goodness
Imparts this; which if you, or stupified
Or seeming so in skill, cannot or will not
Relish a truth like us, inform yourselves
We need no more of your advice: the matter,
The loss, the gain, the ordering on 't, is all
Properly ours.

And I wish, my liege,
You had only in your silent judgement tried it,
Without more overture.

How could that be?

Camillo's flight,

Either thou art most ignorant by age,

Or thou wert born a fool.

Added to their familiarity,

Which was as gross as ever touch'd conjecture,
That lack'd sight only, nought for approbation
But only seeing, all other circumstances

170

Made up to the deed,-doth push on this proceeding: