First told me thou wast mad; then cam'st in smiling,
And in such forms which here were presuppos'd
Upon thee in the letter. Pr'ythee, be content:
This practice hath most shrewdly pass'd upon thee;
But when we know the grounds and authors of it,
Thou shalt be both the plaintiff and the judge

Of thine own cause.
Fab.
Good Madam, hear me speak;
And let no quarrel, nor no brawl to come,
Taint the condition of this present hour,
Which I have wonder'd at. In hope it shall not,
Most freely I confess, myself and Toby
Set this device against Malvolio here,
Upon some stubborn and uncourteous parts
We had conceiv'd against him: Maria writ
The letter at Sir Toby's great importance:
In recompense whereof, he hath married her.
How with a sportful malice it was follow'd,
May rather pluck on laughter than revenge;
If that the injuries be justly weigh'd,
That have on both sides past.

Oli. Alas, poor fool, how have they baffled thee! Clo. Why, 66 some are born great, some achieve greatness, and some have greatness thrown upon them." I was one, Sir, in this interlude,-one Sir Topas, Sir; but that's all one.-"By the Lord, fool, I am not mad;"--but do you remember? "Madam, why laugh you at such a barren rascal? an you smile not, he's gagg'd:" and thus the whirligig of time brings in his revenges.

Mal. I'll be reveng'd on the whole pack of you. [Exit.

Oli. He hath been most notoriously abus'd.

A Mariner.

Gaoler.

An old Shepherd, reputed Father of PERDITA.

Clown, his Son.

Servant to the old Shepherd.
AUTOLYCUS, a Rogue.
Time, as Chorus.

HERMIONE, Queen to LEONTES.

PERDITA, Daughter to LEONTES and HERMIONE

PAULINA, Wife to ANTIGONUS.

EMILIA, a Lady,

Other Ladies,

MOPSA,

attending the Queen.

DORCAS, Shepherdesses.

Cam. Sicilia cannot show himself over-kind to Bohemia. They were trained together in their childhoods; and there rooted betwixt them then such an affection, which cannot choose but branch now. Since their more mature dignities and royal necessities made separation of their society, their encounters, though not personal, have been royally attorneyed, with interchange of gifts, letters, loving embassies; that they have seemed to be together, though absent; shook hands, as over a vast; and embraced, as it were, from the ends of opposed winds. The heavens continue their loves!

Arch. I think there is not in the world either malice or matter to alter it. You have an unspeak

able comfort of your young prince Mamillius: it is a gentleman of the greatest promise that ever came into my note.

Cam. I very well agree with you in the hopes of him: it is a gallant child; one that, indeed, physics the subject, makes old hearts fresh: they that went on crutches ere he was born, desire yet their life to see him a man.

Arch. Would they else be content to die?

Cam. Yes; if there were no other excuse why they should desire to live.

Arch. If the king had no son, they would desire to live on crutches till he had one. [Exeunt.

SCENE II.-SICILIA. A Room of State in the Palace. Enter LEONTES, POLIXENES, HERMIONE, MAMILLIUS, CAMILLO, and Attendants.

Pol. Nine changes of the wat'ry star have been
The shepherd's note, since we have left our throne
Without a burden: time as long again
Would be fill'd up, my brother, with our thanks;
And yet we should, for perpetuity,

Go hence in debt: and therefore, like a cipher,
Yet standing in rich place, I multiply
With one we-thank-you many thousands more
That go before it.
Leon.
And pay
Pol.

Stay your thanks awhile,
them when you part.
Sir, that's to-morrow.
I am question'd by my fears, of what may chance,
Or breed upon our absence, that may blow
No sneaping winds at home, to make us say,
"This is put forth too truly." Besides, I have stay'd
To tire your royalty.

Leon.

We are tougher, brother,

Than you can put us to 't.
Pol.
No longer stay.
Leon. One seven-night longer.
Pol.
Very sooth, to-morrow.

Leon. We'll part the time between's then: and in I'll no gain-saying. [that Pol. Press me not, beseech you, so. There is no tongue that moves, none, none i' the world,

So soon as yours, could win me: so it should now,
Were there necessity in your request, although
'Twere needful I denied it. My affairs

Do even drag me homeward: which to hinder,
Were in your love a whip to me; my stay
To you a charge and trouble: to save both,
Farewell, our brother.

Leon.
Tongue-tied our queen? speak you.
Her. I had thought, Sir, to have held my peace

until

[less,

I pr'ythee tell me; cram's with praise, and make's
As fat as tame things: one good deed, dying tongue-
Slaughters a thousand waiting upon that.
Our praises are our wages: you may ride's
With one soft kiss a thousand furlongs, ere
With spur we heat an acre. But to the goal:-
My last good deed was to entreat his stay:
What was my first? it has an elder sister,
Or I mistake you: O, would her name were Grace!
But once before I spoke to the purpose: when?
Nay, let me have 't; I long.

Leon.

Why, that was when Three crabbed months had sour'd themselves to death,

Ere I could make thee open thy white hand, And clap thyself my love: then didst thou utter, "I am yours for ever."

Her.

It is Grace indeed.— Why, lo you now, I have spoke to the purpose twice: The one for ever earn'd a royal husband; Th' other for some while a friend.

[Giving her hand to POLIXENES. Leon. [Aside.] Too hot, too hot! To mingle friendship far, is mingling bloods. I have tremor cordis on me,-my heart dances; But not for joy,—not joy.-This entertainment May a free face put on; derive a liberty From heartiness, from bounty, fertile bosom, And well become the agent; it may, I grant: But to be paddling palms and pinching fingers, As now they are; and making practis'd smiles, As in a looking-glass; and then to sigh, as 'twere The mort o' the deer; O, that is entertainment My bosom likes not, nor my brows.-Mamillius, Art thou my boy?

Mam.

Leon.

Ay, my good lord.

I' fecks?

Why, that's my bawcock. What, hast smutch'd thy nose?

They say, it is a copy out of mine.
Come, captain,

We must be neat;-not neat, but cleanly, captain:

And yet the steer, the heifer, and the calf,
Are all call'd neat.-[Observing POL. and HER.]
Still virginalling

Upon his palm?-How now, you wanton calf!
Art thou my calf?

Mam.
Leon. Thou want'st a rough pash, and the shoots
that I have,

Yes, if you will, my lord.

To be full like me:- -yet they say we are
Almost as like as eggs; women say so,
That will say any thing: but were they false
As o'er-dyed blacks, as wind, as waters,--false
As dice are to be wish'd by one that fixes

No bourn 'twixt his and mine,-yet were it true
To say this boy were like me.-Come, Sir page,
Look on me with your welkin eye: sweet villain!
Most dear'st! my collop!-Can thy dam?-may't
be?--

Affection, thy intention stabs the centre;
Thou dost make possible things not so held,
Communicat'st with dreams;-(how can this be?)-
With what's unreal thou coactive art,

And fellow'st nothing: then, 'tis very credent,
Thou mayst co-join with something; and thou
dost,-

And that beyond commission; and I find it,—
And that to the infection of my brains,
And hardening of my brows.

As if you held a brow of much distraction:
Are you mov'd, my lord?
Leon.
No, in good earnest.-
How sometimes nature will betray its folly,
Its tenderness, and make itself a pastime
To harder bosoms! Looking on the lines
Of my boy's face, methought I did fecoil
Twenty-three years, and saw myself unbreech'd,
In my green velvet coat; my dagger muzzled,
Lest it should bite its master, and so prove,
As ornaments oft do, too dangerous:

How like, methought, I then was to this kernel,
This squash, this gentleman. -Mine honest friend,
Will you take eggs for money?

Mam. No, my lord, I'll fight.

Leon. You will? why, happy man be his dole!-
My brother,

Are you so fond of your young prince, as we
Do seem to be of ours?

Pol.
If at home, Sir,
He's all my exercise, my mirth, my matter:
Now my sworn friend, and then mine enemy;
My parasite, my soldier, statesman, all:
He makes a July's day short as December;
And with his varying childness cures in me
Thoughts that would thick my blood.
Leon.
So stands this squire
Offic'd with me: we two will walk, my lord,
And leave you to your graver steps.-Hermione,
How thou lov'st us, show in our brother's welcome;
Let what is dear in Sicily, be cheap:
Next to thyself and my young rover, he's
Apparent to my heart.

Her.

If you would seek us,

We are yours i' the garden: shall's attend you

there?

Go play, boy, play :-thy mother plays, and I
Play too; but so disgrac'd a part, whose issue
Will hiss me to my grave: contempt and clamour
Will be my knell.--Go play, boy, play.---There have
been,

Or I am much deceiv'd, cuckolds ere now;
And many a man there is (even at this present,
Now while I speak this,) holds his wife by th' arm,
That little thinks she has been sluic'd in's absence,
And his pond fish'd by his next neighbour, by
Sir Smile, his neighbour: nay, there's comfort in 't,
Whiles other men have gates, and those gates open'd,
As mine, against their will: should all despair,
That have revolted wives, the tenth of mankind
Would hang themselves. Physic for 't, there is

Didst perceive it?— [Aside.] They're here with me already; whispering,

rounding,

"Sicilia is a so-forth;" 'tis far gone,

When I shall gust it last.-How came 't, Camillo, That he did stay?

Cam.

At the good queen's entreaty. Leon. At the queen's, be 't: good should be per

Be it forbid, my lord!

Leon. To bide upon 't,-thou art not honest; or,
If thou inclin'st that way, thou art a coward,
Which hoxes honesty behind, restraining

From course requir'd; or else thou must be counted
A servant grafted in my serious trust,
And therein negligent; or else a fool,

That seest a game play'd home, the rich stake drawn,
And tak'st it all for jest.

Cam.
My gracious lord,
I may be negligent, foolish, and fearful;
In every one of these no man is free,
But that his negligence, his folly, fear,
Among the infinite doings of the world,
Sometime puts forth: in your affairs, my lord,
If ever I were wilful-negligent,

It was my folly; if industriously

I play'd the fool, it was my negligence,
Not weighing well the end; if ever fearful
To do a thing, where I the issue doubted,
Whereof the execution did cry out
Against the non-performance, 'twas a fear
Which oft infects the wisest: these, my lord,
Are such allow'd infirmities, that honesty
Is never free of. But, beseech your grace,
Be plainer with me; let me know my trespass
By its own visage: if I then deny it,

'Tis none of mine.

Leon.

Have not you seen, Camillo,

(But that's past doubt,-you have, or your eye-glass Is thicker than a cuckold's horn,) or heard, (For, to a vision so apparent, rumour Cannot be mute,) or thought, (for cogitation Resides not in that man that does not think,) My wife is slippery? If thou wilt confess,

(Or else be impudently negative,

To have nor eyes, nor ears, nor thought), then say
My wife's a hobbyhorse; deserves a name

As rank as any flax-wench, that puts to
Before her troth-plight: say 't, and justify 't.

Cam. I would not be a stander-by, to hear
My sovereign mistress clouded so, without
My present vengeance taken: 'shrew my heart,
You never spoke what did become you less
Than this; which to reiterate, were sin
As deep as that, though true.
Leon.
Is whispering nothing?
Is leaning cheek to cheek? is meeting noses?
Kissing with inside lip? stopping the career
Of laughter with a sigh? (a note infallible
Of breaking honesty) horsing foot on foot?
Skulking in corners? wishing clocks more swift?
Hours, minutes? noon, midnight? and all eyes blind
With the pin and web, but theirs, theirs only,
That would unseen be wicked? is this nothing?
Why, then the world, and all that's in 't, is nothing;
The covering sky is nothing; Bohemia nothing;

Leon. Make that thy question, and go rot! Dost think I am so muddy, so unsettled, To appoint myself in this vexation; sully The purity and whiteness of my sheets,Which to preserve is sleep, which being spotted, Is goads, thorns, nettles, tails of wasps ;Give scandal to the blood o' the prince, my son, (Who, I do think is mine, and love as mine,) Without ripe moving to 't? Would I do this? Could man so blench?

Cam.

I must believe you, Sir: I do; and will fetch off Bohemia for 't; Provided, that when he's remov'd, your highness Will take again your queen, as yours at first, Even for your son's sake; and thereby for sealing The injury of tongues, in courts and kingdoms Known and allied to yours.

Leon.

Thou dost advise me,