Act 1. Scene 2.] Her. Never? WINTER'S TALE. Leo. Never, but once. Her. What? have I twice said well? when was't before? [us I pr'ythee, tell me: Cram us with praise, and make As fat as tame things: One good deed, dying tongueless, 5 10 Slaughters a thousand, waiting upon that. Leo. Why, that was when [death, Three crabbed months had sour'd themselves to Her. It is Grace, indeed. That will say any thing: But were they false And fellow'st nothing: Then, 'tis very credent1, Pol. What means Sicilia ? Leo. What cheer? how is't with you you, [ther best bro held a brow of much distraction: Why, lo you now, I have spoke to the purpose [Giving her hand to Polixenes. Mam. Ay, my good lord. [thy nose? Why, that's my bawcock. What, hast smutch'd [Observing Polixenes and Hermione. Upon his palm?-How now, you wanton calf? Art thou my calf? Mam. Yes, if you will, my lord. Leo. Thou want'st a rough pash', and the shoots! that I have, To be full like me:-yet they say, we are Meaning, to come to the point, or purpose. 2 25 Leo. No, in good earnest.— How sometimes nature will betray its folly, Mam. No, my lord, I'll fight. Leo. You will? why, happy man be his dole1!—- Are you so fond of your young prince, as we 4 8 We still Alluding to the custon of people clapping the palms of their hands together when they conclude or make a bargain. Hence the phrase to clap up a bargain. Perhaps derived from beau and cog. A lesson upon the horn at the death of the deer. game. A virginal is a very small kind of spinnet. say that such a one is a jolly cock, a cock of the • Pash is kiss, from paz Spanish, i. e. thou want st a mouth made rough by a beard to kiss with. "Shoots are branches, i. e. horns. Leontes is alluding to the ensigns of cuckoldom. Blacks was the common term for mourning. "Bourn is boundary. 1 i. e. blue eye,; an eye of the same colour with the Affection here means imagination. "'i. e. credible, welkin, or sky. i. e. a piece or slice of myself. A proverbial saying, borrowed from 24 This line would seem to belong to the preceding speaker. 16 Another proverbial expression meaning, the French, and implying, Will you put up with affronts? May his dole or share in life be to be a happy man." Meaning next to my heart. 11 10 12 Her. Go to, go to! How she holds up the neb, the bill to him! [Exeunt Polixenes, Hermione, and attendants. More than the common blocks: Not noted, is't, But of the finer natures? by some severals, Of head-piece extraordinary? lower messes, Perchance, are to this business purblind: say. 5 Cam. Business, my lord? I think, most underBohemia stays here longcr. [stand 10 Leo. Ha? The entreaties of your mistress?-satisfy?— Let that suffice. I have trusted thee, Camillo, 15 With all the nearest things to my heart, as well My chamber-councils: wherein, priest-like, thou Hast cleans'd my bosom; I from thee departed Thy penitent reform'd: but we have been Deceiv'd in thy integrity, deceiv'd 20In that which seems so. Or I am much deceiv'd, cuckolds ere now; [none;30 As mine, against their will: Should all despair, It will let in and out the enemy, With bag and baggage: make a thousand of us Have the disease and feel't not.-How now, boy? Mam. I am like you, they say. Leo. Why, that's some comfort.What? Camillo there? Cam. Ay, my good lord. man. Leo. Go, play, Mamillius; thou'rt an honest [Exit Mamillius. Camillo, this great sir will yet stay longer. Cam. You had much ado tomake his anchor hold; When you cast out, it still came home2. Leo. Didst note it? Cam. He would not stay at your petitions; made His business more material'. Leo. Didst perceive it? Cam. Be it forbid, my lord! Leo. To bide upon't;-Thou art not honest: or, If thou inclin'st that way, thou art a coward; Which hoxes' honesty behind, restraining [counted From course requir'd: or else thou must be A servant, grafted in my serious trust, And therein negligent; or else a fool; [drawn, That seest a game play'd home, the rich stake And tak'st it all for jest. Cam. My gracious lord, I may be negligent, foolish, and fearful; 35 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 40 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 allowed infirmities, that honesty 45 Is never free of. But, 'beseech your grace, Be plainer with me; let me know my trespass By its own visage: If then I deny it, 'Tis none of mine. [ing, Cam. At the good queen's entreaty. [tinent; Leo. At the queen's, be't: good should be per-55 For thy conceit is soaking, will draw in 1 This is, a horned one; a cuckold. 2 Leo. 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 it) My wife is slippery? If thou wilt, confess; Or else be impudently negative, To have noreyes, nor ears, nor thought: Then say, My wife's a hobby-horse; deserves a name Meaning, the anchor would not take hold. More urgent and important. i. e. rounding in the ear, (whispering, or telling secretly) a phrase in use at that time. i. e. taste it. Mess is a contraction of muster, an appellation used by the Scots. Lower messes, therefore, are graduates of a lower form. The speaker is now mentioning gradations of understanding, and not of rank. To hox is to ham-string. Meaning, that the act was not necessary to be done. 8 As As rank as any flax-wench, that puts to Leo. Is whispering nothing? Who, I do think, is mine, and love as mine, Cam. I must believe you, sir; 5 I do; and will fetch off Bohemia for't: Is leaning check to cheek? is meeting noses? Cam. Good my lord, be cur'd Of this diseas'd opinion, and betimes; For 'tis most dangerous. I Leo. Say, it be; 'tis true. Cam. No, no, my lord. Leo. It is you lie, you lie : [things, 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, The running of one glass. Cam. Who does infect her? 25 Leo. Thou dost advise me, Even so as I mine own course have set down: Go then; and with a countenance as clear Leo. This is all: Do't, and thou hast the one half of my heart; Cam. I'll do't, my lord. me. Leo. I will seem friendly, as thou hast advis'd [hanging 35 Leo. Why he, that wears her like her medal, About his neck, Bohemia :-Who, -if I Had servants true about me; that bare eyes Enter Polixenes. Cam. Hail, most royal sir! Pol. What is the news i' the court? Pol. The king hath on him such a countenance, 55 Wafting his eyes to the contrary, and falling Cam. I dare not know, my lord. Pol. How! dare not? do not? do you know, and dare not Be intelligent to me? 'Tis thereabouts; 4 i. e. your suspicion is as great a sin as would be that (if committed) for which you suspect her. 2 Disorders in the eye. i. e. to poison him. * i. c. hasty. i. e. malignantly. bleach is to start off, to shrink. Z I have looked on thousands, who have sped the 10 The fabrick of his folly; whose foundation By my regard, but kill'd none so. Camillo,- Cam. I may not answer. 15 20 Is pil'd upon his faith, and will continue Pol. How should this grow? Cum. I know not: but, I am sure, 'tis safer to 25 Have utter'd truth: which if you seek to prove, Pel. I do believe thee: 30I saw his heart in his face. Give me thy hand; 351s for a precious creature: as she's rare, [swears 40 Cam. He thinks, nay, with all confidence he Pol. Oh, then my best blood turn 45 Thou bear'st my life off hence: Let us avoid. 1 Gentle is evidently opposed to simple; alluding to a distinction between the gentry and yeomanry. 2i. e. to draw, persuade you. The character called the Vice in the old plays, was the tempter to evil. Mam. 2 Lady. Hark ye: The queen, your mother, rounds apace: we shall 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, Mam. Merry, or sad, shall it be? Mam. A sad tale's best for winter: 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 15 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. Leo. You my lords, Look on her, mark her well; be but about 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, 25 Virtue itself: these shrugs, these hums, and ha's, [at it. '30 [softly; Her. Nay, come, sit down; then on. Mum. Dwelt by a church-yard;-I will tell it Yon crickets shall not hear it. 35 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, 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!-1 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 50 55 That vulgars give bold'st 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 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, 160 But that he speaks. Her. There's some ill planet reigns: I must be patient, till the heavens look Withan aspect more favourable.--Good my lords, 2 i. e. I am treated as a mere child's baby, a thing pinched out of But is here I am clouts, a puppet for them to move and actuate as they please. i. e. a confederate. Hefts are what is heaved up. used for except. 22 |