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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 posterns: please your Highness,
To take the urgent hour. Come, Sir, away.

Come, Sir, away. [Exeunt.

T

ACT II.

SCENE, the Palace.

Enter Hermione, Mamillius, and Ladiet.

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 kifs 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 becaufe

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 feen a Lady's nofé That has been blue, but not her eye-brows.

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 fpread of late

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

Her. What wifdom ftirs amongst 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 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? Camillo with him? Lord. Behind the tuft of pines I met them; never Saw I men scowr so on their way: I ey'd them

Even to their ships.

Leo. How bleft am I

In my just 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 mistrusted that false villains
Whom I employ'd, was pre-employ'd by him i
He hath discover'd my defign, and I
Remain a pinch'd thing; yea, a very trick

For

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From them to play at will: how came the posterns
So eafily open?

Lord. By his great authority,

Which often hath no less prevail'd than fo
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, fport?

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

With that fhe'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 the nayward.

Leo. You, my Lords,

Look on her, mark her well; be but about

To fay, fhe is a goodly Lady, and

The justice of your hearts will thereto add,

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

Praise her but for this her without-door form,

(Which on my faith deferves high speech,) and ftraight
The fhrug, the hum, or ha,-(thefe petty-brands,
That calumny doth use: oh, I am out,-
That mercy do's; for calumny will fear

Virtue itself.) 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 adultrefs.

Her. Should a villain fay fo,

The moft replenish'd villain in the world,

He were as much more villain; you, my Lord,
Do but mistake.

Leo. You have mistook, 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

Should a like language use to all degrees;
And mannerly diftinguishment leave out
Betwixt the Prince and beggar.—I have said,
She's an adultrefs; I have faid with whom :
More; she's a traitor, and Camillo is

A federary with her; and one that knows
What the should fhame to know herself,
But with her moft vile principal, that she's
A bed fwerver, even as bad as those

That vulgars give bold'ft 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 fcarce can right me throughly then, to fay
You did mistake.

Leo. No, if I mistake

In these foundations which I build upɔn,
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 (8),
But that he fpeaks.

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
Commonly are,) the want of which vain dew,
Perchance, fhall 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 inftru&t you, measure me; and fo
The King's will be perform'd !-

(8) He, robo fhall fpeak for her, is far off guilty,

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But that he speaks. This cannot be the Speaker's meaning. Leontes would fay, I fhall hold the pe fon in a great measure guilty, who shall dare to intercede for her: And this, I believe, Shakespeare

ventur'd to express thus:

He, who fhall Speak for her, is far of guilty, &c. i, e. partakes far, deeply of her git

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Leo.

Leo. Shall I be heard?-

[nefs,

Her. Whois't, that goes with me? 'befeech your High.
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 see 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 juftice Prove violence; in the which three great ones fuffer, Yourfelf, 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 accufe 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 her, no farther truft her;

For every inch of woman in the world,

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

If the be.

Leo. Hold your peaces.

Lord. Good my Lord,

Ant. It is for you we fpeak, not for ourselves:

You are abus'd, and by fome putter on,

That will be damn'd for't; 'would, I knew the villain, I would land-damn him: be fhe honour-flaw'd,

I have three daughters; the eldest is eleven (9);

(9)

The

I bave three daughters; the eldeft is eleven ; The fecond and the third, nine; and fons five; If this prove true, they'll pay for't.] The 2d folio edition led Mr. Rozve fit inadvertently to fix five fons upon Antigonus, more than the Poet ever defign'd him; and Mr. Pope ftumbled implicitly

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