Profefs'd to him; why, his revenges muft

In That be made more bitter. Fear o'er-fhades me: Good expedition be my friend, and comfort

The gracious Queen; part of his theam, but nothing Of his ill-ta'en fufpicion! Come, Camillo,

I will respect thee as a father, if

Thou bear'ft my life off hence. Let us avoid.
Cam. It is in mine authority to command

The keys of all the potterns: please your Highness,
To take the urgent hour. Come, Sir, away.

T

ACT II.

SCENE, The Palace.

[Exeunt.

Enter Hermione, Mamillius, and Ladies.

HERMIONE.

AKE the boy to you; he so troubles me,
'Tis paft enduring.

1 Lady. Come, my gracious Lord.

Shall I be your play fellow ?

Mam. No, I'll none of

you.

Lady. Why, my fweet Lord?

Mam. You'll kiss me hard, and fpeak to me as if I were a baby ftill; I love you better.

2 Lady. And why fo, my Lord ?

Mam. Not for because

Your brows are blacker; (yet black brows, they say, Become fome women beft; fo that there be not Too much hair there, but in a femicircle,

Or a half-moon made with a pen.)

2 Lady. Who taught you this?

Mam. I learn'd it out of women's faces: pray now What colour be your eye-brows?

1 Lady. Blue, my Lord.

Mam. Nay, that's a mock: I've seen a lady's nofe That has been blue, but not her eye-brows.

1 Lady.

1 Lady. Hark ye,

The Queen, your mother, rounds apace: we shall
Prefent our fervices to a fine new prince

One of these days; and then you'll wanton with us,
If we would have you.

2 Lady. She is spread of late

Into a goodly bulk; (good time encounter her!)
Her. What wisdom ftirs amongst you? come, Sir,

I am for

now

you again. Pray you fit by us, And tell's a tale.

Mam Merry, or fad, fhall't be?
Her. As merry as you will.

Mam. A fad tale's best for winter,
I have one of sprights and goblins.
Her. Let's have that, good Sir.

Come on, fit down. Come on, and do

your best

To fright me with your sprights: you're powerful at it. Mam. There was a man

Her. Nay, come fit down; then on.

;

Mam. Dwelt by a church-yard; I will tell it foftly:

Yond crickets fhall not hear it.

Her. Come on then, and give't me in mine ear.

Enter Leontes, Antigonus, and Lords.

Leo. Was he met there? his train? Camille with him? Lord. Behind the tuft of pines I met them; never Saw I men fcowr fo on their way: I ey'd them Even to their ships.

Leo. How blest am I

In my juft cenfure! in my true opinion!
Alack, for leffer knowledge, how accurs'd
In being fo bleft! There may be in the cup
A fpider steep'd, and one may drink; depart,
And yet partake no venom; for his knowledge
Is not infected: but if one present

Th' abhorr'd ingredient to his eye, make known
How he hath drunk, he cracks his gorge, his fides
With violent hefts.
I have drunk, and feen the
Camille

fpider.

Camillo was his help in this, his Pander:
There is a plot againft my life, my crown;
All's true, that is miftrufted: that falfe villain,
Whom I employ'd, was pre-employ'd by him:
He hath discover'd my defign, and I
Remain a pinch'd thing; yea, a very trick
For them to play at will: how came the pofterns
So eafily open?

Lord. By his great authority,

Which often hath no lefs prevail'd than so
On your command.

Leo. I know't too well.

Give me the boy; I'm glad, you did not nurse him: Though he does bear fome figns of me, yet you Have too much blood in him.

Her. What is this, sport?

Leo. Bear the boy hence, he shall not come about her; Away with him, and let her fport herself

With that she's big with: for 'tis Polixenes
Has made thee fwell thus.

Her. But I'd fay, he had not;

And, I'll be fworn, you would believe my saying,
Howe'er you lean to th' nayward.

Leo. You, my lords,

Look on her, mark her well; be but about

To fay, fhe is a goodly lady, and

The juftice of your hearts will thereto add,

'Tis pity, fhe's not honeft, honourable :

Praife her but for this her without-door form,
(Which on my faith deserves high speech,) and strait
The fhrug, the hum, or ha,-(thefe petty brands,
That calumny doth ufe: oh, I am out,-

That mercy do's; for calumny will fear

Virtue it felf.) Thefe fhrugs, thefe hums, and ha's,
When you have faid fhe's goodly, come between,
Ere you can fay fhe's honeft: but be't known,
(From him, that has most cause to grieve it should be;)
She's an adultress

Her. Should a villain fay fo,

The most replenish'd villain in the world,

He

He were as much more villain: you, my lord,
Do but mistake

Leo. You have miftook, my lady,
Polixenes for Leontes. O thou thing,
Which I'll not call a creature of thy place,
Left barbarism, making me the precedent,
Should a like language ufe to all degrees;
And mannerly diftinguishment leave out
Betwixt the prince and beggar.- -I have faid,
She's an adultress; I have said with whom:
More; fhe'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-fwerver, even as bad as those

That Vulgars give bold'st titles; ay, and privy
To this their late escape.

Her. No, by my life,

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 throughly then, to fay
You did mistake.

Leo. No, if I mistake

In these foundations which I build upon,
The center is not big enough to bear

A fchool-boy's top. Away with her to prison:
He, who fhall fpeak for her, is far of guilty, (6)
But that he speaks.

Her. There's fome ill planet reigns;

I must be patient, 'till the heavens look

With an aspect more favourable. Good my lords,
I am not prone to weeping; (as our fex

(6) He, who fhall Speak for ber, is far off guilty,

But that be fpeaks.] This cannot be the Speaker's Meaning. Leontes would fay, I shall hold the Person in a great meafure guilty, who shall dare to intercede for her: And this I believe, Shakespeare ventur'd to express thus:

He who fball Speak for her, is far of guilty, &c.

i. e. partakes far, deeply, of her Guilt.

Commonly

Commonly are,) the want of which vain dew,
Perchance, shall dry your pities; but I have
That honourable grief lodg'd here, which burns
Worfe than tears drown: 'befeech you all, my lords,
With thoughts fo qualified as your charities

Shall beft inftruct you, measure me; and fo
The King's will be perform'd!-

Leo. Shall I be heard!

Her. Who is't, that goes with me? 'befeech your
Highness,

My women may be with me, for, you fee,

My plight requires it. Do not weep, good fools,
There is no caufe; when you fhall know, your mistress
Has deferv'd 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 fee you forry; now,

I truft, I fhall. My women,- come, you've leave.
Leo. Go, do our bidding; hence.

[Exit Queen, guarded; and Ladies. Lord. 'Befeech your Highness call the Queen again. Ant. Be certain what you do, Sir, left your justice Prove violence; in the which three Great ones fuffer, Your felf, your Queen, your fon.

Lord. For her, my lord,

I dare my life lay down, and will do't, Sir,

Pleafe you t'accept it, that the Queen is spotless
I'th' eyes of heaven, and to you, (I mean,

In this which you accuse her.)

Ant. If it

prove

She's otherwife, I'll keep my ftables where
I lodge my wife, I'll go in couples with her :
Than when I feel, and fee, no further trust her;

For every inch of woman in the world,

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

If the be.

Leo. Hold your peaces.

Lord. Good my lord,

Ant. It is for you we speak, not for our felves: You are abus'd, and by fome putter-on,

That