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Leon. Let be, let be.

Would I were dead, but that methinks already-
What was he that did make it ?-See, my lord,

Would you not deem it breathed? and that those veins
Did verily bear blood?

Pol. Masterly done:

The very life seems warm upon her lip.

Leon. The fixure of her eye has motion in't

As we are mock'd with art.

Paul. I'll draw the curtain;

My lord's almost so far transported, that
He'll think anon, it lives.

Leon. O sweet Paulina,

Make me to think so twenty years together;
No settled senses of the world can match

The pleasure of that madness. Let't alone.

Paul. I am sorry, Sir, I have thus far stirr'd you: but I could afflict you further.

Leon. Do, Paulina;

For this affliction has a taste as sweet

As any cordial comfort.-Still, methinks,

There is an air comes from her: What fine chisel

Could ever yet cut breath? Let no man mock me,
For I will kiss her.

Paul. Good my lord, forbear:

The ruddiness upon her lip is wet;

You'll mar it, if you kiss it; stain your own
With oily painting: Shall I draw the curtain ?
Leon. No, not these twenty years.

Per. So long could I

Stand by, a looker on.

Paul. Either forbear,

Quit presently the chapel; or resolve you

For more amazement: If you can behold it,

I'll make the statue move indeed; descend,

And take you by the hand: but then you'll think (Which I protest against) I am assisted

By wicked powers.

Leon. What you can make her do,

I am content to look on: what to speak,

I am content to hear; for 'tis as easy

To make her speak, as move.

Paul. It is required,

You do awake your faith: Then, all stand still;
Or those, that think it is unlawful business

I am about, let them depart.

Leon. Proceed;

No foot shall stir.

Paul. Music; awake her: strike.

"Tis time; descend; be stone no more: approach;

Strike all that look upon with marvel. Come;

*As if.

[Music.

I'll fill your grave up: stir; nay, come away;
Bequeath to death your numbness, for from him
Dear life redeems you. You perceive, she stirs :

[HERMIONE comes down from the pedestal. Start not her actions shall be holy, as,

:

You hear, my spell is lawful: do not shun her,
Until you see her die again; for then

You kill her double: Nay, present your hand:

When she was young, you woo'd her; now, in age,
Is she become the suitor.

Leon. O, she's warm!

If this be magic, let it be an art

Lawful as eating.

Pol. She embraces him.

Cam. She hangs about his neck;

If she pertain to life, let her speak too.

[Embracing her.

Pol. Ay, and make't manifest where she has lived,

Or, how stol'n from the dead?

Paul. That she is living,

Were it but told you, should be hooted at

Like an old tale; but it appears she lives,

Though yet she speak not. Mark a little while

Please you to interpose, fair Madam; kneel,
And pray your mother's blessing.-Turn, good lady;
Our Perdita is found.

[Presenting PERDITA, who kneels to HERMIONE.

Her. You gods, look down,

And from your secret vials pour your graces

Upon my daughter's head !-Tell me, mine own,

Where hast thou been preserved? where lived? how found

Thy father's court ? for thou shalt hear, that I,—

Knowing by Paulina, that the oracle

Gave hope thou wast in being,-have preserved
Myself, to see the issue.

Paul. There's time enough for that;

Lest they desire, upon this push to trouble
Your joys with like relation.-Go together,
You precious winners all; your exultation
Partake* to every one. I, an old turtle,

Will wing me to some wither'd bough; and there
My mate, that's never to be found again,

Lament till I am lost!

Leon. O peace, Paulina;

Thou shouldst a husband take by my consent,

As I by thine, a wife: this is a match,

And made between's by vows. Thou hast found mine;

But how, is to be question'd: for I saw her,

As I thought, dead; and have, in vain, said many

A prayer upon her grave; I'll not seek far
(For him, I partly know his mind) to find thee
An honourable husband: Come, Camillo,

* Participate.

And take her by the hand: whose worth, and honesty,
Is richly noted; and here justified

By us, a pair of kings.-Let's from this place.-
What?-Look upon my brother!-both your pardons,
That e'er I put between your holy looks
My ill suspicion.-This your son-in-law,

And son unto the king (whom heavens directing),
Is troth-plight to your daughter.-Good Paulina,
Lead us from hence; where we may leisurely
Each one demand, and answer to his part
Perform'd in this wide gap of time, since first
We were dissever'd: Hastily lead away.

[Exeunt.

[blocks in formation]

A MERCHANT, Friend to Antipho- JAILER, OFFICERS, and other Atlus of Syracuse.

tendants.

SCENE.-Ephesus

АСТ І.

SCENE I-A Hall in the DUKE's Palace.

Enter DUKE, ÆGEON, Jailer, Officer, and other Attendants.

Ege. Proceed, Solinus, to procure my fall,

And, by the doom of death, end woes and all.
Duke. Merchant of Syracusa, plead no more;

I am not partial, to infringe our laws:

The enmity and discord, which of late

Sprung from the rancorous outrage of your duke
To merchants, our well-dealing countrymen,—
Who, wanting gilders* to redeem their lives,

Have seal'd his rigorous statutes with their bloods,-
Excludes all pity from our threat'ning looks.
For, since the mortal and intestine jars
"Twixt thy seditious countrymen and us,
It hath in solemn synods been decreed,
Both by the Syracusans and ourselves,

* Name of a coin.

To admit no traffic to our adverse towns:

Nay, more,

If any, born at Ephesus, be seen

At any Syracusan marts* and fairs,
Again, If any, Syracusan born,

Come to the bay of Ephesus, he dies,
His goods confiscate to the duke's dispose;
Unless a thousand marks be levied,

To quit the penalty, and to ransom him.
Thy substance, valued at the highest rate,
Cannot amount unto a hundred marks;
Therefore, by law thou art condemn'd to die.

Ege. Yet this my comfort; when your words are done,
My woes end likewise with the evening sun.
Duke. Well, Syracusan, say, in brief, the cause
Why thou departedst from thy native home;
And for what cause thou cam'st to Ephesus.

Ege. A heavier task could not have been imposed,
Than I to speak my griefs unspeakable:

Yet, that the world may witness, that my end
Was wrought by nature,+ not by vile offence,
I'll utter what my sorrow gives me leave.
In Syracusa was I born; and wed
Unto a woman, happy but for me,
And by me too, had not our hap been bad.
With her I lived in joy; our wealth increased,
By prosperous voyages I often made
To Epidamnum, till my factor's death;
And he (great care of goods at random left)
Drew me from kind embracements of my spouse:

From whom my absence was not six months old,
Before herself (almost at fainting, under
The pleasing punishment that women bear)
Had made provision for her following me,
And soon, and safe, arrived where I was.
There she had not been long, but she becaine
A joyful mother of two goodly sons;

And, which was strange, the one so like the other,
As could not be distinguish'd but by names.
That very hour, and in the self-same inn,
A poor mean woman was delivered

Of such a burden, male twins, both alike:
Those, for their parents were exceeding poor,
I bought, and brought up to attend my sons.
My wife, not meanly proud of two such boys,
Made daily motions for our home return:
Unwilling I agreed; alas, too soon.
We came aboard:

A league from Epidamnum had we sail'd,
Before the always-wind-obeying deep
Gave any tragic instance of our harm:

* Markets.

+ Natural affection.

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