Enter Emilia.

Here's fuch ado to make no ftain a stain,
As paffes colouring. Dear gentlewoman,
How fares our gracious lady?

Emil. As well as one fo great, and so forlorn,
May hold together: on her frights and griefs,
Which never tender lady hath born greater,
She is, fomething before her time, deliver'd.
Pau. A boy?

Emil. A daughter, and a goodly babe,
Lufty, and like to live: the queen receives
Much comfort in't; fays, my poor prisoner,

I'm innocent as you.

Pau. I dare be fworn:

These dang'rous, unfafe lunes i'th' king, befhrew them!
He must be told of it, and shall; the office
Becomes a woman beft: I'll take't upon me.

If I prove honey-mouth'd, let my tongue blifter,
And never to my red-look'd anger be

The trumpet any more! Pray you, Emilia,
Commend my best obedience to the queen,
If the dares truft me with her little babe,
I'll fhow't the king, and undertake to be
Her advocate to th' loud'ft. We do not know
How he may foften at the fight o'th' child:
The filence often of pure innocence
Perfuades, when speaking fails.

Emil. Moft worthy madam,

Your honour and your goodness is so evident,
That your free undertaking cannot mifs

A thriving iffue: there's no lady living

So meet for this great errand. Please your ladyship
To vifit the next room, I'll presently

Acquaint the
of
queen your most noble offer,
Who, but to-day, hammer'd on this design,

But

But durft not tempt a minifter of honour,

Lest she should be deny'd.

Pau. Tell her, Emilia,

I'll use that tongue I have; if wit flow from't

As boldness from my bofom, let't not be doubted
I fhall do good.

Emil. Now be you bleft for it!

I'll to the queen: please you, come fomething nearer.
Jai. Madam, if't please the queen to send the babe,
I know not what I fhall incur to pass it,

Having no warrant.

Pau. You need not fear it, fir;

The child was prifoner to the womb; and is,

By law and procefs of great nature, thence

Free'd and enfranchis'd; not a party to

The anger of the king, nor guilty of,

If any be, the trefpafs of the queen.

Jai. I do believe it.

Pau. Do not you fear; upon mine honour, I

Will ftand 'twixt you and danger.

[Exeunt.

Enter Leontes, Antigonus, Lords, and other Attendants.

Leo.

VOR night, nor day, no reft: it is but weakness

N°%

To bear the matter thus; mere weaknefs, if

The cause were not in being; part o'th' cause
She, the adult'refs; for the harlot-king
Is quite beyond mine arm; out of the blank
And level of my brain; plot-proof; but she
I can hook to me: fay, that fhe were gone,
Given to the fire, a moiety of my reft
Might come to me again. Who's there?

VOL. II.

X X X

Enter

Atten. My lord.

Enter an Attendant.

Leo. How does the boy?

Atten. He took good reft

To-night; 'tis hop'd his fickness is discharg'd.

Leo. To fee his noblenefs!

Conceiving the dishonour of his mother,

He straight declin'd, and droop'd, took it most deeply,
Faften'd, and fix'd the fhame on't in himself;

Threw off his fpirit, his appetite, his fleep,

And downright languifh'd. Leave me folely; go,

See how he fares. —Fie, fie! no thought of him; [Ex. Attend.
The very thought of
my revenges that way
Recoils upon me; in himself too mighty,

And in his parties, his alliance; let him

Be till a time may serve: for present vengeance,

Take it on her. Camillo and Polixenes

Laugh at me, make their pastime at my forrow :
They should not laugh, if I could reach them; nor
Shall fhe, within my power.

SCENE V.

Enter Paulina, with a child.

Lord. You must not enter.

Pau. Nay, rather, good my lords, be fecond to me:

Fear you his tyrannous paffion more, alas,

Than the queen's life? a gracious innocent soul,

More free than he is jealous.

Ant. That's enough.

Atten. Madam, he hath not flept to-night; commanded None fhould come at him.

Pau. Not fo hot, good fir;

I come to bring him fleep. 'Tis such as you
That creep like fhadows by him, and do figh

At

At each his needlefs heavings, such as you
Nourish the cause of his awaking: I

Do come with words, as medicinal, as true;
Honest as either, to purge him of that humour
That preffes him from fleep.

Leo. What noise there, ho?

Pau. No noise, my lord, but needful conference, About fome goffips for your highness.

Leo. How?

Away with that audacious lady. Antigonus,

I charg'd thee that she should not come about me:
I knew, fhe would.

Ant. I told her fo, my lord,

On your displeasure's peril, and on mine,
She should not vifit you.

Leo. What? canft not rule her?

Pau. From all dishonesty he can; in this,
(Unless he take the course that you have done,
Commit me, for committing honour,) trust me,
He fhall not rule me.

Ant. Lo-you now, you hear:

When she will take the rein, I let her run;
But fhe'll not stumble.

Pau. Good my liege, I come

And, I beseech you, hear me, who profess
Myself your loyal fervant, your physician,
Your most obedient counsellor; yet that dares
Lefs appear fo, in comforting your evils,

Than fuch as moft feem yours. I fay, I come
From your good queen.

Leo. Good queen!

Pau. Good queen, my lord,

Good queen, I fay, good queen;

And would by combat make her good, so were I

A man, the worst about you.

Leo. Force her hence.

X X X 2

Pau.

Pau. Let him that makes but trifles of his eyes
First hand me: on mine own accord I'll off,
But, first, I'll do my errand. The good queen,

For fhe is good, hath brought you forth a daughter,

Here 'tis ; commends it to your blessing. [laying down the child. Leo. Out!

A mankind witch! hence with her out o' door:

A most intelligencing bawd.

Pau. Not fo;

I am as ignorant in that as you,

In fo entit❜ling me; and no lefs honest

Than you are mad; which is enough, I'll warrant,
As this world goes, to pass for honeft.

Leo. Traitors!

Will you not push her out? give her the bastard.
Thou, dotard, thou art woman-tyr'd, unroosted
By thy dame Partlet here. Take up the baftard;
Take't up, I fay; give't to thy croan.

Pau. For ever

Unvenerable be thy hands, if thou

Tak'ft up the princess, by that forced baseness
Which he has put upon't!

Leo. He dreads his wife.

[to Ant.

Pau. So I would you did! then, 'twere past all doubt, You'd call your children yours.

Leo. A neft of traitors!

Ant. I am none, by this good light.

Pau. Nor I; nor any,

But one, that's here; and that's himself. For he,

The facred honour of himself, his queen's,

His hopeful fon's, his babe's, betrays to flander,

Whose fting is sharper than the sword's; and will not
(For, as the cafe now ftands, it is a curfe

He cannot be compell'd to't) once remove
The root of his opinion, which is rotten,
As ever oak, or ftone, was found.

Leo.