As rank as any flax-wench, that puts to Before her troth-plight: say it, and justify it. Cam. I would not be a stander-by to hear My sovereign mistress clouded so, without
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, șir;
My present vengeance taken; 'Shrew my heart, 5 I do; and will fetch off Bohemia for't:
You never spoke what did become you less Than this; which to reiterate, were sin As deep as that, though true'.
Leo. Is whispering nothing?
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 10 Known and ally'd to yours.
Is leaning cheek to cheek? is meeting noses? Kissing with the 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; the noon, midnight? and all eyes 15 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 My wife is nothing; nor nothing have these no-20 If this be nothing.
Cam. Good my lord, be cur'd
Of this diseas'd opinion, and betimes; For 'tis most dangerous.
Leo. Say, it be; 'tis true.
Cam. No, no, my lord.
Leo. It is: you lie, you lie :
I say, thou liest, Camillo, and I hate thee; Pronounce thee a gross lowt, a mindless slave; Or else a hovering temporizer, that
Canst with thine eyes at once see good and evil, Inclining to them both: Were my wife's liver Infected as her life, she would not live The running of one glass.
Cam. Who does infect her?
Leo. Thou dost advise me,
Even so as I mine own course have set down: I'll give no blemish to her honour, none. Cam. My lord,
Go then; and with a countenance as clear As friendship wears at feasts, keep with Bohemia, And with your queen: I am his cup-bearer; If from me he have wholsome beverage, Account me not your servant.
Do't, and thou hast the one half of my heart; Do't not, thou split'st thine own.
Cam. I'll do't, my lord.
Leo. I will seem friendly, as thou hast advis'd [Exit. Cam. O miserable lady!-But, for me, What case stand I in? I must be the poisoner Of good Polixenes: and my ground to do't Is the obedience to a master: one, 30 Who, in rebellion with himself, will have All that are his, so too.-To do this deed, Promotion follows: If I could find example Of thousands, that had struck anointed kings, And flourished after, I'd not do't: but since Nor brass, nor stone, nor parchment, bears not one, Let villainy itself forswear't. I must
Leo. Why he, that wears her like her medal, About his neck, Bohemia -Who,if I
Had servants true about me; that bare eyes To seek alike mine honour as their profits, Their own particular thrifts,-they would do that 40 Which should undo more doing: Ay, and thou, His cup-bearer,-whom I, from meaner form [see Have bench'd and rear'd to worship; who may'st Plainly, as heaven sees earth, and earth sees heaven, How I am gall'd,-thou might'st be-spice a cup, 45 To give mine enemy a lasting' wink; Which draught to me were cordial,
I could do this; and that with no rash' potion, But with a ling'ring dram, that should not work Maliciously, like poison: But I cannot
Believe this crack to be in my dread mistress, So sovereignly being honourable.
Leo. 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,
Forsake the court: to do't, or no, is certain To me a break-neck. Happy star, reign now; Here comes Bohemia.
Enter Polixen ́s. Pol. This is strange! methinks, My favour here begins to warp. Not speak?- Good-day, Camillo.
Cam. Hail, most royal sir!
Pol. What is the news i' the court? Cam. None rare, my lord.
Pol. The king hath on him such a countenance, As he had lost some province, and a region, Lov'd as he loves himself? even now I met him 50 With customary compliments; when he, Wafting his eyes to the contrary, and falling A lip of much contempt, speeds from me; and So leaves me, to consider what is breeding, That changes thus his manners.
Cam. Fdare not know, my lord.
Pol. How dare not? do not? do you know, and dire not
Be intelligent to me? 'Tis thereabouts; For, to yourself, what you do know, you must; 60 And cannot say, you dare not. Good Camillo, Your chang'd complexions are to me a mirror,
1i. e. your suspicion is as great a sin as would ? Disorders in the eye. i. e. to poison him. blench is to start off, to shrink.
I have looked on thousands, who have sped the 10 By my regard, but kill'd none so. Camillo,-
As you are certainly a gentleman; thereto Clerk-like, experienced, which no less adorns Our gentry, than our parents' noble names,
In wlrose success we are gentle',-I beseech you, 15 If you know aught which does behove my know- Thereof to be inform'd; imprison it not In ignorant concealment.
Pol. A sickness caught of me, and yet I well! I must be answer'd.-Dost thou hear, Camillo ? I conjure thee, by all the parts of man, Which honour does acknowledge,-whereof the Is not this suit of mine,-that thou declare What incidency thou dost guess of harm Is creeping toward nie; how far off, how near; Which way to be prevented, if to be; If not, how best to bear it.
Cum. Sir, I'll tell you;
Since I am charg'd in honour, and by him
That I think honourable: Therefore, mark my
Which must be even as swiftly follow'd, as
I mean to utter it; or both yourself and me Cry, lost, and so good-night.
Pol. On, good Camillo.
Cam. I am appointed Him to murder you. Pol. By whom, Camillo ? Cam. By the king.
A favour, that may strike the dullest nostril Where I arrive; and my approach be shun'd, Nay, hated too, worse than the great'st infection That e'er was heard or read!
Cam. Swear his thought over
By each particular star in heaven, and By all their influences, you may as well Forbid the sea for to obey the moon, As or by oath, remove, or counsel, shake The fabrick of his folly; whose foundation Is pil'd upon his faith, and will continue The standing of his body.
Pol. How should this grow?
Cam. I know not: but, I am sure, 'tis safer to Avoid what's grown, than question how 'tis born If therefore you dare trust my honesty,- That lies inclosed in this trunk, which you Shall bear along impawn'd,-away to-night. Your followers I will whisper to the business; And will, by twos and threes, at several posterns, Clear them o' the city: For myself, I'll put My fortunes to your service, which are here By this discovery lost. Be not uncertain; For, by the honour of my parents, I
25 Have utter'd truth: which if you seek to prove, I dare not stand by; nor shall you be safer [thereon, Than one condemn'd; by the king's own mouth Is execution sworn.
saw his heart in his face. Give me thy hand; Be pilot to me, and thy places shall
Still neighbour mine: My ships are ready, and My people did expect my hence departure Two days ago.This jealousy
351s for a precious creature: as she's rare, Must it be great; and, as his person's mighty, Must it be violent; and, as he does conceive He is dishonoured by a man which ever Profess'd to him, why, his revenges must In that be made more bitter. Fear o'er-shades me: Good expedition be my friend, and comfort The gracious queen, part of his theme, but nothing Of his ill-ta'en suspicion! Come, Camillo; I will respect thee as a father, if
Cam. He thinks, nay, with all confidence he As he had seen't, or been an instrument [queen To vice you to't',-that you have touch'd his Forbiddenly.
Pol. Oh, then my best blood turn To an infected jelly; and my name
Be yok'd with his, that did betray the best! Turn then my freshest reputation to
145 Thou bear'st 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. [Exe.
1 Gentle is evidently opposed to simple; alluding to a distinction between the gentry and yeomanry. 2 i. e. to draw, persuade you. The character called the Vice in the old plays, was the tempter to evil.
The queen, your mother, rounds apace: we shall Present our services to a fine new prince, One of these days; and then you'd wanton with us, If we would have you.
Lady. She is spread of late
Into a goodly bulk; Good time encounter her! Her. What wisdom stirs among you? Come sir, now
I am for you again: Pray you, sit by us, And tell us a tale.
Mam. Merry, or sad, shall it be? Her. As merry as you will. Mam. A sad tale's best for winter:
I have one of sprights and goblins. Her. Let's have that, good sir.
Come on, sit down:-Come on, and do your best To fright me with your sprights; you're powerful Mam. There was a man-
Her. But I'd say, he had not,
And, I'll be sworn, you would believe my saying, Howe'er you lean to the nayward.
Look on her, mark her well; be but about To say, she is a goodly lady, and
The justice of your hearts will thereto add,
'Tis pity, she's not honest, honourable: Praise her but for this her without-door form, 20(Which, on my faith, deserves high speech) and straight
The shrug, the hum, or ha; these petty brands, That calumny doth use:-Oh, I am out, That mercy does; for calumny will sear
25 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 it known, From him that has most cause to grieve it should be, She's an adultress.
Her. Nay, come, sit down; then on. [softly; Mam. Dwelt by a church-yard;—I will tell it Yon crickets shall not hear it.
In my just censure? in my true opinion?- Alack, for lesser knowledge !-how accurs'd, In being so blest!-There may be in the cup A spider steep'd, and one may drink; depart, And yet partake no venom; for his knowledge Is not infected: but if one present
Her. Should a villain say so,
The most replenish'd villain in the world, He were a much more villain: you, my lord, Do but mistake.
Leo. You have mistook, my lady, 35 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 40 Betwixt the prince and beggar!-I have said, She's an adultress 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, 45 But with her most vile principal, that she's A bed-swerver, even as bad as those
The abhor'd ingredient to his eye, make known How he hath drunk, he cracks his gorge, his sides, 50 With violent hefts':- -I have drunk, and seen the spider.-
Camillo was his help in this, his pandar :- There is a plot against my life, my crown; All's true, that is mistrusted :-that false villain, Whom I employed, was pre-employ'd by him: He hath discover'd my design, and I Remain a pinch'd thing; yea, a very trick
For them to play at will:--How came the posterns
So easily open?
Lord. By his great authority;
Which often hath no less prevail'd than so,
That vulgars give bold'st titles; ay, and privy To this their late escape.
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 say You did mistake.
Leo. No: if I mistake
In those foundations which I build upon,
The center 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, 60 But that he speaks.
Her. There's some ill planet reigns:
I must be patient, till the heavens look
With an aspect more favourable.-Good my lords,
2. e. I am treated as a mere child's baby, a thing pinched out of
clouts, a puppet for them to move and actuate as they please, 3 i. e. a confederate. * But is here
Hefts are what is heaved up..
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 lodg'd here, which burns Worse than tears drown: 'Beseech youall, my lords, With thoughts so qualified as your charities Shall best instruct you, measure me; and so The king's will be perform'd!-
[To the Guards. Her. Who is't that goes with me?-'beseech 10 your highness,
My women may be with me; for, you see, My plight requires it. Do not weep, good fools; [To her ladies.
There is no cause: when you shall know, your 15 Has deserv'd prison, then abound in tears, [mistress 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,
I trust, I shall. My women, come; you have leave. 20 Leo. Go, do our bidding; hence.
[Exeunt Queen and Ladies. Lord. 'Beseech your highness, call the queen again.
Ant. Be certain, what you do, sir; lest your 25 justice
Prove violence; in the which three great ones suffer, Yourself, your queen, your son.
Lord. 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.
She's otherwise, I'll keep my stable where I lodge my wife; I'll go in couples with her; Than when I feel, and see her, no further trust her; For every inch of woman in the world.
Ay, every dram of woman's flesh, is false, If she be.
Leo. Hold your peaces. Lord. Good my lord,-
Ant. It is for you we speak, not for ourselves: You are abus'd, 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 them 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,
There's not a grain of it, the face to sweeten Of the whole dungy earth.
Leo. What? lack I credit?
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 blanı'd for't how you might.
Leo. Why, what need we
Commune with your 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 as truth, like us; inform yourselves, We need no more of your advice: the matter, The loss, the gain, the ord'ring on't, is all Properly ours.
Ant. And I wish, my liege,
You had only in your silent judgment try'd it, Without more overture.
Leo. How could that be?
Either thou art most ignorant by age,
Or thou wert born a fool. Camillo's flight, 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 Made up to the deed) do push on this proceeding: Yet, for a greater confirmation,
30 (For, in an act of this importance, 'twere Most piteous to be wild) I have dispatch'd in post, To sacred Delphos, to Apollo's temple, Cleomenes and Dion, whom you know Of stuff'd sufficiency: Now, from the oracle 35 They will bring all; whose spiritual counsel had, Shall stop, or spur me. Have I done well?
Lord. Well done, my lord.
Leo. Though I am satisfy'd, and need no more Than what I know, yet shall the oracle
40 Give rest to the minds of others; such as he, Whose ignorant credulity will not
Come up to the truth: Sohave we thought it good, From our free person she should be confin'd; Lest that the treachery of the two, fled hence, Be left her to perform. Come, follow us; We are to speak in public: for this business Will raise us all.
Ant. [Aside.] To laughter, as I take it, If the good truth were known.
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 this, and see withal
The instruments that feel. [Striking his brows. Ant. If it be so,
We need no grave to bury honesty ;
Enter Paulina, and Gentlemen. Paul. The keeper of the prison,-call to him; [Exit Gentleman.
Let him have knowledge who I am.--Good lady! No court in Europe is too good for thee, What dost thou then in prison?-Now, good sir, Re-enter Gentleman, with the Keeper. 60 You know me, do you not?
Action is here applied in the legal sense, for charge or accusation. Meaning, perhaps, I would rid the country of him; condemn him to quit the land. The second folio reads sonnes tive. To glib, or to lib, means the same as to geld.'' Approbation here means proof. Meaning, of abilities more than enough.
To lock up honesty and honour from The access of gentle visitors!-Is it lawful,
Pray you, to see her women? any of them? Emilia?
Keep. So please you, madam,
To put apart these your attendants, I Shall bring Emilia forth.
Paul. I pray you now,
Call her: Withdraw yourselves. Keep. And, madam, I must
Be present at your conference.
Keep. Madam, if't please the queen to send the I know not what I shall incur to pass it, babe, Having no warrant.
Paul. You need not fear it, sir:
5 The child was prisoner to the womb; and is, By law and process of great nature, thence Freed and enfranchis'd; not a party to
The anger of the king; nor guilty of, If any be, the trespass of the queen.
10 Keep. I do believe it.
Paul. Well, be it so, pr'ythee. Here is such ado, [Exit Keeper. 20 To make no stain a stain, as passes colouring.
Re-enter Keeper, with Emilia.
Dear gentlewoman, how fares our gracious lady? Emil. As well as one so great, and so forlorn, May hold together; On her frights and griefs, (Which never tender lady hath borne greater) She is, something before her time, deliver'd. Paul. A boy?
Emil. A daughter; and a goodly babe, Lusty, and like to live: the queen receives Much comfort in't; says, My poor prisoner, I am innocent as you.
Paul. I dare be sworn!
These dangerous unsafe lunes' o' the king; beshrew them!
He must be told ou't, and he shall: the office Becomes a woman best: I'll take't upon me: If I prove honey-mouth'd, let my tongue blister; And never to my red-look'd anger be The trumpet any more:-Pray you, Emilia, Commend my best obedience to the queen; If she dares trust me with her little babe, I'll shew't the king, and undertake to be
Her advocate to th' loudest: We do not know How he may soften at the sight o' the child; The silence often of pure innocence Persuades, when speaking fails.
Emil. Most worthy madam,
Your honour, and your goodness, is so evident, That your free undertaking cannot miss
A thriving issue; there's no lady living, So meet for this great errand: Please your ladyship To visit the next room, I'll presently Acquaint the queen of your most noble offer;
Who, but to-day, hammer'd of this design;
But durst not tempt a minister of honour, Lest she should be deny'd.
I'll use that tongue I have: if wit flow from it,
Paul. Do not you fear; upon mine honour, I Will stand 'twixt you and danger.
lo bear the matter thus; mere weakness, if The cause were not in being;-part o' the cause, She, the adultress;-for the harlot king
Is quite beyond mine arm, out of the blank And level of my brain, plot-proof: but she 25I can hook to me: Say, that she were gone, Given to the fire, a moiety of my rest Might come to me again.-Who's there? Enter an Attendant.
Atten. My lord?
301 Leo. How does the boy?
Atlen. He took good rest to-night; 'tis hop'd, His sickness is discharg'd.
Leo. To see his nobleness! Conceiving the dishonour of his mother,
35 He straight declin'd, droop'd, took it deeply; Fasten'd and fix'd the shame on't in himself: Threw off his spirit, his appetite, his sleep, And downright languish'd.-Leave me solely: go, [Exit Attendant. 40 See how he fares.-Fye,fye! no thought of him;The very thoughts of my revenge that way Recoil upon me: in himself too mighty; And in his parties, his alliance,-Let him be, Until a time may serve: for present vengeance, 45 Take it on her. Camillo and Polixenes
Laugh at me; make their pastime at my sorrow: They should not laugh, if I could reach them; nor Shall she, within my power,
Enter Paulina, with a child. Lord. You must not enter.
[to me; Paul. Nay rather, good my lords, be second Fear you his tyrannous passion, more, alas,
Than the queen's life? a gracious innocent soul; More free, than he is jealous.
Atten. Madam, he hath not slept to-night; comNone should come at him.
Paul. Not so hot, good sir.
I come to bring him sleep. "Tis such as you,
As boldness from my bosom, let it not be doubted 60 That creep like shadows by him, and do sigh
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