Do strike at my injuftice.-How now? there!

[Hermione faints. Paul. This news is mortal to the Queen: look down,

And see what death is doing."
Leo. Take her hence;

Her heart is but o'er-charg'd; fhe will recover.
[Exeunt Paulina and ladies with Hermione,

SCENE IV.

I have too much believ'd mine own suspicion :
'Befeech you, tenderly apply to her
Some remedies for life. Apollo, pardon
My great Prophanenefs 'gainst thine Oracle!
I'll reconcile me to Polixenes,

New woo my Queen, recall the good Camillo ;
Whom I proclaim a man of Truth, of Mercy;
For, being tranfported by my jealoufies
To bloody thoughts and to revenge, I chose
Camillo for the Minifier, to poifon
My friend Polixenes; which had been done,
But that the good mind of Camillo tardied
My fwift Command; tho' I with death, and with
Reward, did threaten, and encourage him,
Not doing it, and being done; he (moft humane,
And fill'd with Honour) to my kingly Gueft
Unclafp'd my practice, quit his fortunes here,
Which you knew great, and to the certain hazard
Of all incertainties himfelf commended,
No richer than his honour: how he glifters
Through my dark Ruft! and how his Piety
Does my deeds make the blacker 3!

SCENE V.

Enter Paulina,

Paul. Woe the while!

O, cut my lace, left my heart, cracking it,
Break too.

Lord. What fit is this, good lady?

Paul. What ftudied torments, Tyrant, haft for me? What wheels? racks? fires? what flaying? boiling? burning

In leads, or oils? what old, or newer, torture
Muft I receive? whofe every word deferves
To tafte of thy moft worst. Thy Tyranny
Together working with thy Jealoufies,
Fancies too weak for boys, too green and idle
For girls of nine! O, think, what they have done,
And then run mad, indeed; stark mad, for all
Thy by-gone fooleries were but fpices of it.
That thou betray'dft Polixenes, 'twas nothing;
That did but fhew thee, of a Fool, inconftant 4,
And damnable ingrateful; nor was't much,
Thou would't have poifon'd good Camillo's honour,
To have him kill a King: poor trefpaffes,

---

call him Idiot to his Face. THEOB.
- fhew thee of a fool—]·
So all the copies. We fhould
read,fhew thee off, a fool,
i. e. reprefent thee in thy true
colours; a fool, an inconftant,
&c.
WARBURTON.
Poor Mr. Theobald's courtly
remark cannot be thought to de-
ferve much notice. Dr. Warbur
ton too might have fpared his fa-
gacity if he had remembered,
that the prefent reading, by a
mode of fpeech anciently much
used, means only, It show'd thee
first a fool, then inconftant and
ungrateful.

More

More monstrous ftanding by; whereof I reckon
The cafting forth to crows thy baby-daughter,
To be, or none, or little; tho' a devil
Would have fhed water out of fire, ere don't
Nor is't directly laid to thee, the death
Of the young Prince, whofe honourable thoughts.
(Thoughts high for one fo tender) cleft the heart,
That could conceive a grofs and foolish Sire
Blemish'd his gracious Dam: this is not, no,
Laid to thy answer; but the last-O Lords,
When I have faid, cry, Woe!-the Queen, the Queen,
The sweetest, deareft, creature's dead; and vengeance
for't

Not drop down yet.

Lord. The higher powers forbid!

Paul. I fay, fhe's dead: I'll fwear't: if word, nor oath,

Prevail not, go and fee: if you can bring
Tincture or luftre in her lip, her eye,

Heat outwardly, or breath within, I'll ferve you
As I would do the Gods. But, O thou tyrant!
Do not repent these things, for they are heavier
Than all thy woes can ftir: therefore betake thee
To nothing but Despair. A thousand knees,
Ten thousand years together, naked, fafting,
Upon a barren mountain, and still winter
In ftorm perpetual, could not move the Gods
To look that way thou wert.

Leo. Go on, go on:

Thou canst not speak too much; I have deferv'd
All tongues to talk their bitterest.

Lord. Say no more;

Howe'er the business goes, you have made fault
I'th' boldness of your speech.

Paul. I am forry fort *.

All faults I make, when I fhall come to know them,

*This is another inftance to vehement and ungovernable of the fudden changes incident minds.

I do repent: alas, I've fhew'd too much

The rashness of a woman; he is touch'd

To th' nobler heart. What's gone, and what's paft help,

Should be past grief. Do not receive affliction
At my petition, I beseech you; rather
Let me be punish'd, that have minded you
Of what you should forget. Now, good my Liege,
Sir, royal Sir, forgive a foolish woman;
The love I bore your Queen-lo, fool again!-
I'll fpeak of her no more, nor of your children;
I'll not remember you of my own Lord,
Take you your patience to you,

Who is loft too.
And I'll fay nothing.

Leo. Thou didst say but well,

When moft the truth; which I receive much better
Than to be pitied of thee. Pr'ythee, bring me
To the dead bodies of my Queen and fon;
One Grave shall be for both. Upon them shall
The causes of their death appear unto
Our fhame perpetual; once a day I'll vifit
The Chapel where they lie, and tears fhed there
Shall be my recreation. So long as nature
Will bear up with this exercise,
So long I daily vow to use it. Come
And lead me to thefe forrows.

[Exeunt.

SCENE VI.

Changes to Bohemia. A defert Country; the Sea at a little diftance.

Enter Antigonus with a Child, and a Mariner.

Ant. HOU art perfect then, our fhip hath touch'd upon

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S

5 Thou art perfect then,] Speare for certain, well affured, or Perfect is often used by Shake well informed.

The

1

The deferts of Bohemia?

Mar. Ay, my Lord; and fear,

We've landed in ill time: the fkies look grimly, And threaten prefent blufters. In my confcience, The heav'ns with that we have in hand are angry, And frown upon's.

Ant. Their facred wills be done! get thee aboard, Look to thy bark, I'll not be long before I call upon thee.

Mar. Make your best hafte, and go not
Too far i'th' land; 'tis like to be loud weather.
Befides, this place is famous for the creatures
Of prey, that keep upon't.
Ant. Go thou away.

I'll follow inftantly.

Mar. I'm glad at heart to be fo rid o'th' bufinefs,

[Exit.

Ant. Come, poor babe; I have heard,
But not believ'd, the spirits of the dead
May walk again; if fuch thing be, thy mother
Appear'd to my last night; for ne'er was dream
-So like a waking. To me comes a creature,
Sometimes her head on one fide, fome another,
I never faw a veffel of like forrow

So fill'd, and fo becoming; in pure white robes,
Like very fanctity, fhe did approach

My cabin where I lay; thrice bow'd before me,
And, gafping to begin fome fpeech, her eyes
Became two fpouts; the fury spent, anon
Did this break from her. "Good Antigonus,
"Since fate, against thy better difpofition,
"Hath made thy perfon for the thrower-out
"Of my poor babe, according to thine oath,
Places remote enough are in Bohemia,

"There weep, and leave it crying; and, for the babe
" Is counted loft for ever and ever, Perdita,
"I pry'thee, call't. For this ungentle business,
"Put on thee by my Lord, thou ne'er fhall fee

"Thy