Enter Hermione, Mamillius, and Ladies. Her. Take the boy to you: he so troubles me, 'Tis past enduring: 1 Lady.

Come, my gracious lord.
Shall I be your play-fellow?
Мат. .

No, I'll none of you. 1 Lady. Why, my sweet lord? Mam. You'll kiss me hard; and speak to me

as if

I were a baby still.- I love

you

better. 2 Lady. And why so, my good lord? Mam..

Not for because Your brows are blacker; yet black brows, they say, Become some women best; so that there be not Too much hair there, but in a semicircle, Or 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 are your eye-brows? i Lady.

Blue, my lord. Mam. Nay, that's a mock: I have seen a lady's

nose

That has been blue, but not her eye-brows.

2 Lady. The queen, your mother, rounds apace: we shall

Hark ye:

Present our services to a fine new prince,
One of these days; and then you'd wanton with us,
If we would have you.
i Lady.

She is spread of late
Into a goodly bulk: Good time encounter her!
Her. What wisdom stirs amongst you? Come,

sir, now
I am for you again: Pray you, sit by us,
And tell 's a tale.
Mam.

Merry, or sad, shall’t be?
Her. As merry as you will,
Mam.

A sad tale's best for winter:
I have one of sprites and goblins,
Her.

Let's have that, sir. Come on, sit down :- Come on, and do your

best To fright me with your sprites; you're powerful

at it. Mam. There was a man, Her.

Nay, come, sit down; then on. Mam. Dwelt by a church-yard;— I will tell it

softly; Yon crickets shall not hear it. Her.

Come on then, And give't me in mine ear.

Enter Leontes, Antigonus, Lords, and Others. Leon. Was he met there? his train? Camillo

with him? 1 Lord. Behind the tuft of pines I met them;

never Saw I men scour so on their way: I ey'd them Even to their ships.

Leon.

How bless'd am I 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 The abhorr'd ingredient to his eye, make known How he hath drank, he cracks his gorge, his sides, With violent hefts:--I have drank, and seen the

spider.
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 villain,
Whom I employ’d, was pre-employ'd by him:
He has 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?

1 Lord. By his great authority;
Which often hath no less prevail'd than so,
On your command.
Leon.

I know't too well.-
Give me the boy; I am glad, you did not nurse

him: Though he does bear some signs of me, yet you Have too much blood in him. Her.

What is this? sport? Leon. Bear the boy hence, he shall not come

about her; Away with him:--and let her sport herself With that she's big with; for 'tis Polixenes

Has made thee swell thus.

Her. But I'd say, he had not, And, I'll be sworn, you would believe my saying, Howe'er you lean to the nayword. Leon.

You, my lords, 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, (Which, on my faith, deserves high speech,) and

straight The shrug, the hum, or ha; these petty brands, That calumny doth use:-0, I am out, That mercy does; for calumny will sear 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 it be known,
From him that has most cause to grieve it should be,
She's an adultress.
Her.

Should a villain say so,
The most replenish'd villain in the world,
He were as much more villain: you, my lord,
Do but mistake.
Leon.

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
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,
But with her most vile principal, that she's
A bed-swerver, even as bad as those
That vulgars give bold 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.
Leon.

No, no; if I mistake
In those foundations which I build upon,
The center is not big enough to bear
A schoolboy's top.—Away with her to prison:
He, who shall speak for her, is afar off guilty,
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,
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 you all, my

lords,
With thoughts so qualified as your charities
Shall best instruct you, measure me;—and so
The king's will be perform’d!
Leon.

Shall I be heard? [To the guards.