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Pol. Pr'ythee, let him.

Flo. No, he must not.

Shep. Let him, my son; he shall not need to grieve At knowing of thy choice.

Flo. Come, come, he must not :

Mark our contract.

Pol. Mark your divorce, young sir,

[Discovering himself.

Whom son I dare not call; thou art too base
To be acknowledg'd. Thou a sceptre's heir,
That thus affect'st a sheep-hook !—Thou old traitor,
I am sorry, that, by hanging thee, I can but

Shorten thy life one week.-And thou, fresh piece
Of excellent witchcraft; who, of force, must know
The royal fool thou cop'st with ;-

Shep. O. my heart!

Pol. I'll have thy beauty scratch'd with briers, and made
More homely than thy state.-For thee, fond boy,-
If I may ever know, thou dost but sigh

That thou no more shalt see this knack (as never
I mean thou shalt,) we'll bar thee from succession;
Not hold thee of our blood, no, not our kin,
Far than Deucalion off. Mark thou my words;
Follow us to the court.-Thou churl, for this time,
Though full of our displeasure, yet we free thee
From the dead blow of it.-And you, enchantment,➡
Worthy enough a herdsman; yea, him too,
That makes himself, but for our honour therein,
Unworthy thee,--if ever, henceforth, thou
These rural latches to his entrance open,

Or hoop his body more with thy embraces,
I will devise a death as cruel for thee,
As thou art tender to't.

Per. Even here undone !

I was not much afeard; for once, or twice,
I was about to speak; and tell him plainly,

The self-same sun, that shines upon his court,
Hides not his visage from our cottage, but

[Exit.

Looks on alike. Will't please you, sir, be gone? [To FLo.

[1] I think for far than we should read far as. We will not hold thee of our kin even so far off as Deucalion, the common ancestor of all. JOHNSON.

[2] The character is here finely sustained. To have made her quite astonished at the king's discovery of himself, had not become her birth; and to have given ber presence of mind to have made this reply to the king, had not become ber educa tion. WARBURTON.

I told you, what would come of this.

'Beseech you,

Of your own state take care: this dream of mine,-
Being now awake, I'll queen it no inch further,

But milk my ewes, and weep.

Cam. Why, how now,

Speak, ere thou diest.

father?

Shep. I cannot speak, nor think,

Nor dare to know that which I know.-O, sir, [TO FLO.

You have undone a man of fourscore three,3

That thought to fill his grave in quiet; yea,

To die upon the bed my father died,

To lie close by his honest bones: but now

Some hangman must put on my shroud, and lay me
Where no priest shovels-in dust.-O cursed wretch!

[TO PERDITA. That knew'st this was the prince, and would'st adventure To mingle faith with him.-Undone ! undone !

If I might die within this hour, I have liv'd

To die when I desire.

Flo. Why look you so upon me?

I am but sorry, not afeard; delay'd,

But nothing alter'd: What I was, I am :

More straining on, for plucking back; not following
My leash unwillingly.

Cam. Gracious my lord,

You know your father's temper: at this time
He will allow no speech,-which, I do guess,
You do not purpose to him ;-and as hardly
Will he endure your sight as yet, I fear :
Then, till the fury of his highness settle,
Come not before him.

Flo. I not purpose it.

I think, Camillo.

Cam. Even he, my lord.

[Exit.

Per. How often have I told you, 'twould be thus ?

How often said, my dignity would last

But till 'twere known?

Flo. It cannot fail, but by

The violation of my faith; And then

Let nature crush the sides o' th' earth together,

[3] These sentiments, which the poet has heightened by a strain of ridicule that runs through them, admirably characterize the speaker; whose selfishness is seen in concealing the adventure of Perdita; and here supported, by showing no regard for his son or her, but being taken up entirely with himself, though fourscore three. WARBURTOF

And mar the seeds within!-Lift up thy looks :-
From my succession wipe me, father! I
Am heir to my affection.

Cam. Be advis'd.

Flo. I am; and by my fancy: if my reason
Will thereto be obedient, I have reason;

If not, my senses, better pleas'd with madness,
Do bid it welcome.

Cam. This is desperate, sir.

Flo. So call it but it does fulfil my vow;
I needs must think it honesty. Camillo,
Not for Bohemia, nor the pomp that may
Be thereat glean'd; for all the sun sees, or
The close earth wombs, or the profound seas hide
In unknown fathoms, will I break my oath
To this my fair belov'd: Therefore, I pray you,
As you have ever been my father's honour'd friend,
When he shall miss me, (as, in faith, I mean not
To see him any more,) cast your good counsels
Upon his passion; Let myself and fortune
Tug for the time to come. This you may know,
And so deliver,-1 am put to sea

With her, whom here I cannot hold on shore;
And, most opportune to our need, I have
A vessel rides fast by, but not prepar'd

For this design. What course I mean to hold,
Shall nothing benefit your knowledge, nor
Concern me the reporting.

Cam. O, my lord,

I would your spirit were easier for advice,

Or stronger for your need.

Flo. Hark, Perdita.

I'll hear you by and by.

Cam. He's irremovable,

[Takes her aside.

[TO CAMILLO.

Resolv'd for flight: Now were I happy, if
His going I could frame to serve my turn;
Save him from danger, do him love and honour;
Purchase the sight again of dear Sicilia,
And that unhappy king, my master, whom
I so much thirst to see.

Flo. Now, good Camillo,

I am so fraught with curious business, that

[4] It must be remembered that fancy in our author very often, as in this place. means love. JOHNSON.

I leave out ceremony.

Cam. Sir, I think,

You have heard of my poor services, i' th' love
That I have borne your father?

Flo. Very nobly

Have you deserv'd it is my father's music
To speak your deeds; not little of his care
To have them recompens'd as thought on.
Cam. Well, my lord,

If you may please to think I lov'd the king;

And, through him, what is nearest to him, which is
Your gracious self; embrace but my direction,
(If your more ponderous and settled project
May suffer alteration,) on mine honour

I'll point you where you shall have such receiving
As shall become your highness; where you may
Enjoy your mistress; (from the whom, I see,
There's no disjunction to be made, but by,
As heavens forefend! your ruin :) marry her;
And (with my best endeavours, in your absence,)
Your discontenting father strive to qualify,
And bring him up to liking.

Flo. How, Camillo,

May this, almost a miracle, be done?

That I may call thee something more than man,
And, after that, trust to thee.

Cam. Have you thought on

A place whereto you'll go?

Flo. Not any yet:

But as th' unthought-on accident is guilty

To what we wildly do; so we profess

Ourselves to be the slaves of chance, and flies

Of every wind that blows.

Cam. Then list to me :

[Going.

This follows,-if you will not change your purpose,

But undergo this flight :-make for Sicilia;

And there present yourself, and your fair princess,
(For so, I see, she must be,) 'fore Leontes;
She shall be habited, as it becomes

The partner of your bed. Methinks, I see
Leontes, opening his free arms, and weeping
His welcomes forth asks thee, the son, forgiveness,
As 'twere i' th' father's person: kisses the hands
Of your fresh princess: o'er and o'er divides him

'Twixt his unkindness and his kindness; the one He chides to hell, and bids the other grow, Faster than thought, or time.

Flo. Worthy Camillo,

What colour for my visitation shall I

Hold up before him?

Cam. Sent by the king your father

To greet him, and to give him comforts.

Sir,

The manner of your bearing towards him, with
What you, as from your father, shall deliver,

Things known betwixt us three, I'll write you down:
The which shall point you forth at every sitting,
What you must say; that he shall not perceive,
But that you have your father's bosom there,
And speak his very heart.

Flo. I am bound to you : There is some sap in this.

Cam. A course more promising

Than a wild dedication of yourselves

To unpath'd waters, undream'd shores; most certain,
To miseries enough: no hope to help you;
But, as you shake off one, to take another:
Nothing so certain as your anchors; who
Do their best office, if they can but stay you

Where you'll be loath to be. Besides, you know,
Prosperity's the very bond of love;

Whose fresh complexion and whose heart together
Aliction alters.

Per. One of these is true :

I think, affliction may subdue the cheek,

But not take in the mind.

Cam. Yea, say you so?

There shall not, at your father's house, these seven years,

Be born another such.

Flo. My good Camillo,

She is as forward of her breeding, as

I' th' rear of birth.

Cam. I cannot say, 'tis pity

She lacks instructions; for she seems a mistress

To most that teach.

Per. Your pardon, sir, for this;

I'll blush you thanks.

Flo. My prettiest Perdita.

But, O, the thorns we stand upon !-Camillo,

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