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Temptations have since then been born to's; for In those unfledged days was my wife a girl; Your precious self had then not cross'd the eyes Of my young play-fellow.

Her.

Grace to boot!

Of this make no conclusion, lest you say
Your queen and I are devils: yet go on;
The offences we have made you do we'll answer,
If you first sinn'd with us and that with us
You did continue fault and that you slipp'd not
With any but with us.

Leon.

Is he won yet?

Her. He'll stay, my lord.

Leon.

80

At my request he would not. Hermione, my dearest, thou never spokest

To better purpose.

Her.

Leon.

Never?

Never, but once.

Her. What! have I twice said well? when was't before?

90

I prithee tell me; cram's with praise, and make's As fat as tame things: one good deed dying tongueless

Slaughters a thousand waiting upon that.
Our praises are our wages: you may ride's
With one soft kiss a thousand furlongs ere
With spur we heat an acre. But to the goal:
My last good deed was to entreat his stay:
What was my first? it has an elder sister,
Or I mistake you: O, would her name were

Grace!

But once before I spoke to the purpose: when? Nay, let me have't; I long.

Leon.

Why, that was when IOI

Three crabbed months had sour'd themselves to

death,

Ere I could make thee open thy white hand

And clap thyself my love: then didst thou utter 'I am yours for ever.'

Her.

'Tis grace indeed.

Why, lo you now, I have spoke to the purpose twice:

The one for ever earn'd a royal husband;

The other for some while a friend.

Leon.
[Aside] Too hot, too hot!
To mingle friendship far is mingling bloods.
I have tremor cordis on me: my heart dances;
But not for joy; not joy. This entertainment III
May a free face put on, derive a liberty

From heartiness, from bounty, fertile bosom,
And well become the agent; 't may, I grant;
But to be paddling palms and pinching fingers,
As now they are, and making practised smiles,
As in a looking-glass, and then to sigh, as 'twere
The mort* o' the deer; O, that is entertainment
My bosom likes not, nor my brows! Mamillius,
Art thou my boy?

Mam. Leon.

Ay, my good lord.

*Death.

I' fecks!* I 20

Why, that's my bawcock.† What, hast smutch'd thy nose?

*In faith. Fine fellow.

They say it is a copy out of mine. Come, cap

tain,

We must be neat; not neat, but cleanly, captain:

And yet the steer, the heifer and the calf

Are all call'd neat.—Still virginalling‡

Upon his palm!-How now, you wanton calf!

Playing as on a spinnet.

Art thou my calf?
Mam.
Yes, if you will, my lord.
Leon. Thou want'st a rough pash* and the
shoots that I have,

*Face.

130

To be full like me: yet they say we are
Almost as like as eggs; women say so,
That will say any thing: but were they false
As o'er-dyed blacks, as wind, as waters, false
As dice are to be wish'd by one that fixes
No bournt 'twixt his and mine, yet were it true
To say this boy were like me. Come, sir page,
Look on me with your welkin‡ eye: sweet villain!
Most dear'st! my collop! Can thy dam?-may't
be?—
†Boundary. Sky-blue.
Affection! thy intention stabs the centre:
Thou dost make possible things not so held,
Communicatest with dreams;-how can this be?—
With what's unreal thou coactive art,

141

And fellow'st nothing: then 'tis very credent Thou mayst co-join with something; and thou dost,

And that beyond commission, and I find it,
And that to the infection of my brains

And hardening of my brows.

Pol.

What means Sicilia?

Her.
Pol.

He something seems unsettled.

How, my lord!

You look

What cheer? how is't with you, best brother?
Her.
As if you held a brow of much distraction:
Are you moved, my lord?

Leon.
No, in good earnest. 150
How sometimes nature will betray its folly,
Its tenderness, and make itself a pastime
To harder bosoms! Looking on the lines
Of my boy's face, methoughts I did recoil
Twenty-three years, and saw myself unbreech'd,
In my green velvet coat, my dagger muzzled,
Lest it should bite its master, and so prove,
As ornaments oft do, too dangerous:

How like, methought, I then was to this kernel, This squash, this gentleman. Mine honest friend, Will you take eggs for money?

Mam. No, my lord, I'll fight.

161

Leon. You will! why, happy man be's dole!* My brother,

*Portion.

Are you so fond of your young prince as we
Do seem to be of ours?

Pol.
If at home, sir,
He's all my exercise, my mirth, my matter,
Now my sworn friend and then mine enemy,
My parasite, my soldier, statesman, all:
He makes a July's day short as December,
And with his varying childness cures in me
Thoughts that would thick my blood.
Leon.
So stands this squire
Officed with me: we two will walk, my lord,
And leave you to your graver steps. Hermione,
How thou lovest us, show in our brother's wel-

come;

Let what is dear in Sicily be cheap:

170

Next to thyself and my young rover, he's
Apparent* to my heart.

Her.

*Heir-apparent.

If you would seek us,

We are yours i' the garden: shall's attend you

there?

Leon.

To your own bents dispose you: you'll be found,

Be you beneath the sky. [Aside] I am angling

now,

Though you perceive me not how I give line.
Go to, go to!

180

How she holds up the neb,* the bill to him! *Beak And arms her with the boldness of a wife

To her allowing husband!

[Exeunt Polixenes, Hermione, and

Attendants.

Gone already!

Inch-thick, knee-deep, o'er head and ears a fork'd*

*Horned.

one! Go, play, boy, play: thy mother plays, and I Play too, but so disgraced a part, whose issue Will hiss me to my grave: contempt and clamour Will be my knell. Go, play, boy, play. There have been,

190

Or I am much deceived, cuckolds ere now;
And many a man there is, even at this present,
Now while I speak this, holds his wife by the arm,
That little thinks she has been sluiced in's
absence

And his pond fish'd by his next neighbour, by
Sir Smile, his neighbour: nay, there's comfort in't
Whiles other men have gates and those gates
open'd,

As mine, against their will. Should all despair That have revolted wives, the tenth of mankind Would hang themselves. Physic for't there is

none;

It is a bawdy planet, that will strike

200

Where 'tis predominant; and 'tis powerful, think it,

From east, west, north and south: be it concluded, No barricado for a belly; know't;

It will let in and out the enemy

With bag and baggage: many thousand on's
Have the disease, and feel't not. How now, boy!
Mam. I am like you, they say.
Leon.

Why, that's some comfort.

What, Camillo there?
Cam. Ay, my good lord.
Leon. Go play, Mamillius;

man.

Camillo, this great sir will yet

2JO

thou'rt an honest [Exit Mamillius. stay longer.

Cam. You had much ado to make his anchor

hold:

When you cast out, it still came home.

Leon.

Didst note it?

Cam. He would not stay at your petitions;

made

His business more material.

Leon.

Didst perceive it?

[Aside] They're here with me already, whispering, rounding

'Sicilia is a so-forth:' 'tis far gone,

When I shall gust* it last. How came't, Camillo, That he did stay?

Cam.

*Taste.

At the good queen's entreaty. 220 Leon. At the queen's be't: 'good' should be pertinent;

But, so it is, it is not.

Was this taken

By any understanding pate but thine?

For thy conceit is soaking, will draw in
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.
Cam. Business, my lord! I think most un-
derstand

Bohemia stays here longer.

Leon.

Cam.

Leon. Ay, but why?

Ha!

Stays here longer. 230

Cam. To satisfy your highness and the en

treaties

Of our most gracious mistress.

Leon.

Satisfy!

The entreaties of your mistress! satisfy!

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