Left that the treachery of the two,3 fled hence,
Be left her to perform. Come, follow us;
We are to speak in publick: for this business
Will raise us all.

ANT. [Afide.] To laughter, as I take it,
If the good truth were known.

SCENE II.

[Exeunt.

The fame. The outer Room of a Prison.

Enter PAULINA and Attendants.

PAUL. The keeper of the prifon,-call to him; [Exit an Attendant. Let him have knowledge who I am.-Good lady! No court in Europe is too good for thee, What doft thou then in prifon?-Now, good fir,

Re-enter Attendant, with the Keeper.

You know me, do

KEEP.

you not?

For a worthy lady,

Pray you then,

And one whom much I honour.

PAUL.

Conduct me to the queen.

KEEP. I may not, madam; to the contrary

I have express commandment.

PAUL.

Here's ado,

To lock up honefty and honour from

The accefs of gentle vifitors!Is it lawful,

3 Left that the treachery of the two, &c.] He has before declared, that there is a plot against his life and crown, and that Hermione is federary with Polixenes and Camillo. JOHNSON.

Pray you, to fee her women? any of them?
Emilia ?

KEEP. So please you, madam, to put

Apart thefe your attendants, I fhall bring

Emilia forth.

I must be present at your conference.

PAUL. Well, be it fo, pr'ythee. [Exit Keeper. Here's fuch ado to make no ftain a ftain,

As paffes colouring.

Re-enter Keeper, with EMILIA.

Dear gentlewoman, how fares our gracious lady? EMIL. As well as one fo great, and fo forlorn, May hold together: On her frights, and griefs, (Which never tender lady hath borne greater,) She is, fomething before her time, deliver'd. PAUL. A boy?

EMIL. A daughter; and a goodly babe, Lufty, and like to live: the queen receives Much comfort in't: fays, My poor prifoner, I am innocent as you.

PAUL.

I dare be fworn :

These dangerous unsafe lunes o' the king 14 befhrew

them!

4 Thefe dangerous unfafe lunes o' the king!] I have no where, but in our author, obferved this word adopted in our tongue, to fignify frenzy, lunacy. But it is a mode of expreffion with the French.-Il y a de la lune: (i. e. he has got the moon in his head; he is frantick.) Cotgrave. "Lune, folie. Les femmes ont des lunes dans la tete. Richelet." THEOBALD.

He must be told on't, and he fhall: the office
Becomes a woman beft; I'll take't upon me:
If I prove honey-mouth'd, let my tongue blifter;
And never to my red-look'd anger be

The trumpet any more :-Pray you, Emilia,
Commend beft obedience to the queen;

my

If the dares truft me with her little babe,
I'll show't the king, and undertake to be
Her advocate to th' loudeft: We do not know
How he may foften at the fight o' the child;
The filence often of pure innocence

Perfuades, when speaking fails.

EMIL.

Moft worthy madam, Your honour, and your goodness, is so evident, That your free undertaking cannot mifs

A thriving iffue; there is no lady living,

So meet for this great errand: Please your ladyfhip
To vifit the next room, I'll presently

Acquaint the queen of your most noble offer ;
Who, but to-day, hammer'd of this design;
But durft not tempt a minifter of honour,
Left fhe fhould be denied.

PAUL.

Tell her, Emilia, I'll use that tongue I have: if wit flow from it, As boldness from my bofom, let it not be doubted I fhall do good.

EMIL.

Now be you bleft for it! I'll to the queen: Pleafe you, come fomething

nearer.

A fimilar expreffion occurs in The Revenger's Tragedy, 1608: "I know 'twas but fome peevish moon in him." Again, in you like it, A&t III. fc ii: "At which time would I, being but a moonish youth," &c. STEEvens.

As

The old copy has-i' the king. This flight correction was made by Mr. Steevens. MALONE.

KEEP. Madam, if't please the queen to fend the

babe,

I know not what I fhall incur, to pass it,

Having no warrant.

PAUL.

You need not fear it, fir:

The child was prifoner to the womb; and is,
By law and process of great nature, thence
Free'd and enfranchis'd: not a party to
The anger of the king; nor guilty of,
If any be, the trefpafs of the queen.
KEEP. I do believe it.

PAUL.

Do not you fear: upon

Mine honour, I will ftand 'twixt you and danger.

SCENE III.

[Exeunt.

The fame. A Room in the Palace.

Enter LEONTES, ANTIGONUS, Lords, and other Attendants.

LEON. Nor night, nor day, no reft: It is but weakness

To bear the matter thus; mere weakness, if
The cause were not in being;-part o'the cause,
She, the adultress;-for the harlot king
Is quite beyond mine arm, out of the blank
And level of my brain,+ plot-proof: but she

out of the blank

And level of my brain,] that I can make against him. archery. JOHNSON.

VOL. IX.

Beyond the aim of any attempt
Blank and level are terms of

T

I can hook to me: Say, that fhe were gone,
Given to the fire, a moiety of my rest

Might come to me again.

1 ATTEN.

Who's there?

My lord? [Advancing.

He took good rest to-night;

To fee,

LEON. How does the boy?

1 ATTEN.

"Tis hop'd, his fickness is discharg'd.

LEON.

His nobleness !

Conceiving the difhonour of his mother,
He ftraight declin'd, droop'd, took it deeply;
Faften'd and fix'd the fhame on't in himself;
Threw off his fpirit, his appetite, his fleep,
And downright languifh'd.-Leave me folely :5-go,
See how he fares. [Exit Attend.]-Fye, fye! no
thought of him ;—

The very thought of my revenges that way
Recoil upon me: in himself too mighty;
And in his parties, his alliance,6-Let him be,

Blank and level, mean mark and aim; but they are terms of gunnery, not of archery. Douce.

So, in King Henry VIII:

S

66

-I ftood i'th' level

"Of a full-charg'd confpiracy." RITSON.

Leave me folely :] That is, leave me alone.

The very thought of my revenges that way
Recoil upon me in himself too mighty;

M. MASON.

And in his parties, his alliance,] So, in Doraftus and Fawnia: "Pandofto, although he felt that revenge was a fpur to warre, and that envy alwayes proffereth fteele, yet he faw Egifthus was not only of great puiffance and proweffe to withstand him, but also had many kings of his alliance to ayd him, if need fhould serve; for he married the Emperor of Ruffia's daughter." Our author, it is obfervable, whether from forgetfulness or defign,