As it hath been to us, rare, pleasant, speedy,
The time is worth the use on't.
Cleo. Great Apollo,

Turn all to th' beft! these Proclamations,
So forcing faults upon Hermione,

I little like.

Dion. The violent carriage of it

Will clear, or end the business; when the Oracle,
(Thus by Apollo's great Divine feal'd up,)
Shall the contents difcover: fomething rare

Even then will rush to knowledge. Go; fresh horses:
And gracious be the iffue!

[Exeunt.

SCENE reprefents a Court of Juftice.

Leontes, Lords, and Officers, appear properly feated.

Leo.

TH

HIS Seffion, (to our great grief, we pronounce,)

Ev'n pufhes 'gainst our heart. The party try'd,
The daughter of a King, our wife, and one
Of us too much belov'd let us be clear'd
Of being tyrannous, fince we fo openly
Proceed in juftice, which fhall have due course,
Even to the guilt, or the purgation.
Produce the prifoner.-

Offi. It is his Highness' pleasure, that the Queen
Appear in perfon here in Court. Silence!

Hermione is brought in, guarded; Paulina, and Ladies, attending.

Leo. Read the indictment.

Offi. Hermione, Queen to the worthy Leontes, King of Sicilia, thou art here accufed and arraigned of high treafon, in committing adultery with Polixenes King of Bohemia, and confpiring with Camillo to take away the life of our fovereign lord the King, thy royal husband; the pretence whereof being by circumftances partly laid open, thou, Hermione, contrary to the faith and allegiance of

a true

a true Subject, didst counsel and aid them, for their better Safety, to fly away by night.

Her. Since what I am to fay, must be but That Which contradicts my accufation; and

The Testimony on my part, no other

But what comes from my felf; it fhall fcarce boot me

To fay, Not guilty: mine integrity,

Being counted falfhood, fhall, as I express it,
Be fo receiv'd. But thus, if Powers divine
Behold our human actions, as they do,

I doubt not then, but Innocence fhall make
Falfe Accufation blush, and Tyranny

Tremble at Patience. You, my lord, best know,
Who least will feem to do fo, my past life
Hath been as continent, as chaft, as true,
As I am now unhappy; which is more
Than History can pattern, tho' devis'd,
And play'd, to take Spectators. For behold me
A fellow of the royal bed, which owe

A Moiety of the Throne, a great King's daughter,
The mother to a hopeful Prince, here ftanding
To prate and talk for life and honour, 'fore

Who please to come and hear. For life, I prize it
As I weigh grief which I would fpare: for honour,
'Tis a derivative from me to mine,

And only That I ftand for. I appeal

To your own confcience, Sir, before Polixenes
Came to your Court, how I was in your grace,
How merited to be fo; fince he came,
With what encounter fo uncurrant I
Have ftrain'd t'appear thus; if one jot beyond
The bounds of honour, or in act, or will
That way inclining, hardned be the hearts
Of all that hear me, and my near'st of kin
Cry, fie, upon my grave!

Leo. I ne'er heard yet,

1

That any of those bolder vices wanted
Lefs impudence to gain-fay what they did,
Than to perform it first.

Her. That's true enough;

Tho' 'tis a faying, Sir, not due to me.
Leo. You will not own it.

Her. More than mistress of,

What comes to me in name of fault, I must not
At all acknowledge. For Polixenes,
With whom I am accus'd, I do confess,
I lov'd him, as in honour he requir'd;
With fuch a kind of love, as might become
A lady like me, with a love, even fuch,
So and no other, as your felf commanded:

Which not to have done, I think, had been in me
Both disobedience and ingratitude

To you, and towards your friend; whofe love had fpoke,

Even fince it could fpeak, from an infant, freely,
That it was yours. Now for Confpiracy,

I know not how it taftes, tho' it be difh'd
For me to try how; all I know of it,
Is, that Camillo was an honest man;

And why he left your Court, the Gods themselves
(Wotting no more than I,) are ignorant.

Leo. You knew of his departure, as you know
What you have underta'en to do in's abfence.
Her. Sir,

You speak a language that I understand not;
My life ftands in the level of your Dreams,
Which I'll lay down.

Leo. Your Actions are my Dreams.
You had a Baftard by Polixenes,

And I but dream'd it: as you were past all shame,
(Those of your Fact are fo) fo paft all truth;
Which to deny, concerns more than avails: for as
Thy brat hath been cast out, like to it felf,
No father owning it, (which is, indeed,

More criminal in thee than it) so thou
Shalt feel our juftice; in whofe eafieft paffage
Look for no less than death.

Her. Sir, fpare your threats;

The bug, which you would fright me with, I feek:

Το

To me can life be no commodity;

The crown and comfort of my life, your Favour,
I do give loft, for I do feel it gone,

But know not how it went. My fecond joy,
The firft-fruits of my body, from his prefence
I'm barr'd like one infectious. My third comfort,
(Starr'd moft unluckily,) is from my breast
(The innocent milk in its moft innocent mouth)
Hal'd out to murder; my felf on every poft
Proclaim'd a ftrumpet; with immodeft hatred
The child-bed privilege deny'd, which 'longs
To women of all fashion: laftly, hurried (14)
Here to this place, i'th' open air, before
I have got strength of limit. Now, my liege,
Tell me what Bleffings I have here alive,
That I should fear to die? therefore proceed:
But yet hear this; miftake me not; no life,-
I prize it not a ftraw; but for mine honour,
Which I would free, if I fhall be condemn'd
Upon furmifes, (all proofs fleeping else,
But what your jealoufies awake,) I tell you,
'Tis Rigour, and not Law. Your Honours all,
I do refer me to the Oracle:

Apollo be my judge.

Enter Dion and Cleomines.

Lord. This your request

Is altogether juft; therefore bring forth,
And in Apollo's name, his Oracle.

Her. The Emperor of Ruffia was my father,
Oh, that he were alive, and here beholding
His daughter's tryal; that he did but fee

(14)

laftly, burried

Here to this Place, ith open Air, before

I have got Strength of Limbs.] This is the Reading of Mr. Rowe

and Mr. Pope. I have reftor'd, with the old Editions;

I have got Strength of Limit.

before

i. e. Strength enough for coming abroad, going never fo little a way.

So, in Cymbeline ;

A Prifon, for a Debtor that not dares

To ftride a Limit,

H 4

The

The flatness of my mifery; yet with eyes
Of Pity, not Revenge!

Offi. You here fhall fwear upon the Sword of Justice, That you, Cleomines and Dion, have

Been both at Delphos, and from thence have brought
This feal'd-up Oracle, by the hand deliver'd

Of great Apollo's Prieft; and that fince then
You have not dar'd to break the holy Seal,
Nor read the fecrets in't.

Cleo. Dion. All this we fwear.

Leo. Break up the feals, and read.

Offi. Hermione is chafte, Polixenes blameless, Camillo a true Subject, Leontes a jealous Tyrant, his innocent babe truly begotten; and the King fhall live without an heir, if That, which is loft, be not found.

Lords. Now bleffed be the great Apollo!

Her. Praised!

Leo. Haft thou read truth?

Offi. Ay, my lord, even fo as it is here fet down.
Leo. There is no truth at all i'th' Oracle;
The Seffion fhall proceed; this is meer falfhood.

Enter Servant.

Serv. My lord the King, the King,

Leo. What is the business?

Ser. O Sir, I fhall be hated to report it.

The Prince your fon, with meer conceit and fear
Of the Queen's Speed, is gone.

Leo. How gone?

Ser. Is dead.

Leo. Apollo's angry, and the heav'ns themselves Do ftrike at my injuftice.- How now, there?

[Her. faints.

Pau. 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. I have too much believ'd mine own fufpicion : 'Beseech you, tenderly apply to her

Some