To me can life be no commodity. The crown and comfort of my life, your Favour, But know not how it went, My fecond joy, Apollo be my judge. SCENE III: Enter Dion and Cleomines. Lord. This your request Is altogether juft; therefore bring forth, Her. The Emperor of Ruffia was my father, I have got ftrength of limit.] I know not well how ftrength of limit can mean frength to pass the limits of the childbed chamber, which yet it muft mean in this place, unlefs we read in a more eafy phrafe, ftrength of limb. And now, &c. Oh, Oh, that he were alive, and here beholding Off. You here fhall fwear upon the Sword of Juftice, Been both at Delphos, and from thence have brought Of great Apollo's Prieft; and that since then Cleo, Dion. All this we fwear. Leo. Break up the Seals, and read. Offi. Hermione is chafte, Polixenes blameless, Camillo a true Subject, Leontes a jealous Tyrant, his innocent babe truly begotten; and the King shall live without an heir, if that, which is loft, be not found. Lords. Now bleffed be the great Apollo! Her. Praifed! Leo. Haft thou read truth? Offi. Ay, my Lord, even fo as it is here fet down. Enter Servant. Ser. My Lord the King, the King, Leo. What is the bufinefs? Ser. O Sir, I fhall be hated to report it. The Prince your fon, with mere conceit and fear Leo. How gone? Ser. Is dead. Leo. Apollo's angry, and the heav'ns themselves The flatness of my misery.] That is, how long, how flat I am laid by my calamity. Do strike at my injuftice.-How now? there! [Hermione faints. Paul. This news is mortal to the Queen: look down, And fee 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 fufpicion: My great Prophanenefs 'gainst thine Oracle! New woo my Queen, recall the good Camillo; My friend Polixenes; which had been done, No richer than his honour: how he glifters 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 4 That thou betray'dft Polixe- call him Idiot to his Face.THEOB. nes, 'twas nothing; Shew thee of a fool-] That did but fhew thee, of a So all the copies. We fhould Fool, inconftant, read,fhew thee off, a fool,And damnable ingrateful.] I i. e. reprefent thee in thy true have ventur'd at a flight Altera. colours; a fool, an inconftant, tion here, against the Authority &c. of all the Copies, and for fool read foul. It is certainly too grofs and blunt in Paulina, tho' The might impeach the King of Fooleries in fome of his paft Actions and Conduct, to call him downright a Fool. And it is much more pardonable in her to arraign his Morals, and the Qualities of his Mind, than rudely to WARBURTON. Poor Mr. Theobald's courtly remark cannot be thought to deserve much notice. Dr. Warbur ton too might have fpared his fagacity 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 monftrous ftanding by; whereof I reckon Would have fhed water out of fire, ere don't: Of the young Prince, whofe honourable thoughts. 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 Heat outwardly, or breath within, I'll ferve you Leo. Go on, go on: Thou canst not speak too much; I have deserv'd Lord. Say no more; Howe'er the bufinefs goes, you have made fault Paul. I am forry fort *. All faults I make, when I fhall come to know them, This is another infiance to vehement and ungovernable of the fudden changes incident minds. |