My favour here begins to warp.
Good day, Camillo.

Cam. Hail, most royal Sir !

Not speak?

Pol. What is the news i'th' court?
Cam. None rare, my Lord.

Pol. The King hath on him fuch a countenances.
As he had loft fome province, and a region
Lov'd, as he loves himself: even now I met him,
With customary compliment, when he,
Wafting his eyes to th' contrary, and falling
A lip of much contempt, fpeeds from me, and
So leaves me to confider what is breeding,
That changes thus his manners.

Cam. I dare not know, my Lord.

Pol. How, dare not? do not? do you know, and dare not? Be inteligent to me, 'tis thereabouts:

For to yourself, what you do know, you must,
And cannot fay, you dare not.. Good Camillo,
Your chang'd complexions are to me a mirror,
Which fhews me mine chang'd too; for I must be
A party in this alteration, finding
Myfelf thus alter'd with it.

Cam. There is a fickness

Which puts fome of us in diftemper;, but
I cannot name the difeafe, and it is caught
Of you that yet are well.

Pol. How caught of me?

Make me not fighted like the bafilifk.

I've look'd on thousands, who have sped the better By my regard, but kill'd none fo: Camillo,

As you are certainly a gentleman,

Clerk-like experienc'd, (which no less adorns

Our gentry, than our parents' noble names,

In whofe fuccefs we are gentle ;) I beseech you,
If you know ought, which does behove my knowledge
Thereof to be inform'd, imprison't not

In ignorant concealment.

Cam. I may not answer.

Pol. A fickness caught of me, and yet I well? I must be anfwer'd. Doft thou hear, Camillo,

I conjure thee by all the parts of man,

Which honour does acknowledge, (whereof the leaft
Is not this fuit of mine,) that thou declare,
What incidency thou doft guess of harm

Is creeping towards me; how far off, how near ;,
Which way to be prevented, if it be ;.
If not, how best to bear it.

Cam. Sir, I'll tell you,

Since I am charg'd in honour, and by him
That I think honourable; therefore, mark my counfel
Which must be ev'n as fwiftly follow'd, as

I mean to utter it; or both yourself and me.
Cry loft, and fo good night.

Pol. On, good Camillo.

Cam. I am appointed him to murder you.
Pol. By whom, Camillo P

Cam. By the King.

Pol. For what?

Cam. He thinks, nay, with all confidence he fwears

As he had feen't, or been an inftrument

To vice you to't, that you have toucht his Queen.
Forbiddenly..

Pol. Oh, then my best blood turn

To an infected gelly, and my name

Be yoak'd with his, that did betray the best!:
Turn then my fresheft reputation to

A favour, that may ftrike the dulleft noftril
Where I arrive; and my approach be fhun'd,
Nay, hated too, worse than the great'st infection
That e'er was heard, or read !

Cam. Swear this though over (7)

By each particular ftar in heaven, and
By all their influences; you may as well.
(7) Cam.

Swear his thought over

Forbid

By each particular far in heaven, &c.] The tranfpofition of a fingle letter reconciles this paffage to good fenfe, which is not fo, as the text ftands in all the printed copies. Polixenes, in the preced. ing fpeech, had been laying the deepest imprecations on himself, if he had ever abus'd Leontes in any familiarity with the Queen. which Camillo very pertinently replies:

Swear this though over, &c.

To

Forbid the fea for to obey the moon,
As or by oath remove, or counsel shake,
The fabrick of his folly; whofe foundation
Is pil'd upon his faith, and will continue
The standing of his body.

Pol. How fhould this grow?

Cam. I know not; but, I'm fure, 'tis fafer to Avoid what's grown, than question how 'tis born. If therefore you dare truft my honefty,

That lies inclofed in this trunk, which you
Shall bear along impawn'd, away to-night;
Your followers I will whisper to the business;
And will by two's, and threes, at feveral pofterns,
Clear them o'th' city. For myself, I'll put
My fortunes to your fervice, which are here
By this discovery loft. Be not uncertain,
For by the honour of my parents, I

Have utter'd truth; which if you feek to prove,
I dare not stand by; nor fhall you
be fafer,
Than one condemned by the King's own mouth;
Thereon his execution fworn.

Pol. I do believe thee;

I faw his heart in's face. Give me thy hand;
Be pilot to me, and thy places fhall

Still neighbour mine. My fhips are ready, and
My people did expect my hence departure
Two days ago.This jealoufy

Is for a precious creature; as fhe's rare,
Muft it be great; and, as his perfon's mighty,
Muft it be violent; and, as he does conceive
He is dishonour'd by a man, which ever
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. e. Sir, though you should proteft your innocence never fo often, and
call every ftar and faint in heaven to witnefs to your adjuration; yet
jealoufy is fo rooted in my master's bosom, that all you can fay and
fwear will have no force to remove it.

1

I will refpect 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 posterns: please your Highness, To take the urgent hour. Come, Sir, away. [Exeunt.

T

ACT

II.

SCENE, the Palace.

Enter Hermione, Mamillius, and Ladies.

HERMIONE.

AKE the boy to you; he fo troubles me,
"Tis paft enduring.

Lady. Come, my gracious Lord.

Shall I be your play-fellow?

Mam. No, I'll none of you.

1 Lady. Why, my fweet Lord ?

Mam. You'll kiss me hard, and speak 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 fay,
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. Hark ye,

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

One of thefe days; and then you'll wanton with 'us,

If we would have you.

2 Lady. She is fpread of late

Into a goodly bulk; (good time encounter her!)

Her. What wisdom ftirs amongft you? come, Sir, now I am for 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 fprights and goblins.
Her. Let's have that, good Sir.

Come on, fit down. Come on, and do your best
To fright me with your fprights: 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? Camillo 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 fhips.

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 fteep'd, and one may drink; depart,
And yet partake no venom; for his knowledge
Is not infected: but if one prefent

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 fpider.
Camillo was his help in this, his Pander:
There is a plot against 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 difcover'd my defign, and I
Remain a pinch'd thing; yea, a very trick

For