Tak'st up the princess, by that forced baseness, Leon. He dreads his wife. Paul.So, I would, you did; then 'twere past all doubt, You'd call your children yours. Leon. A nest of traitors! Ant. I am none, by this good light! Paul. NorI; nor any, But one, that's here; and that's himself: for he His hopeful son's, his babe's, betrays to slander, Whose sting is sharper, than the sword's ; and will not Of boundless tongue, who late hath beat her husband, It is the issue of Polixenes. Hence with it, and, together with the dam! Paul. It is yours; And, might we lay the old proverb to your charge, The trick of his frown, his forehead; nay, the valley, Leon. A gross hag! And, lozel, thou art worthy to be hang'd, That wilt not stay her tongue. Ant. Hang all the husbands, That cannot do that feat, you'll leave yourself Leon. Once more, take her hence! Paul. A most unworthy and unnatural lord Can do no more. Leon. I'll have thee burn'd. Paul. I care not: It is an heretic that makes the fire, Not she, which burns in't. I'll not call thee tyrant; Than your own weak-hing'd fancy,) something vours Of tyranny, and will ignoble make you, Leon. On your allegiance, Out of the chamber with her! Were I a tyrant, The bastard brains with these my proper hands Ant. I did not, sir: These lords, my noble fellows, if they please, 1 Lord. We can, my royal liege: He is not guilty of her coming hither. Leon. You are liars all. 1 Lord.'Beseech your highness, give us better credit! Past, and to come,) that you do change this purpose, It shall not neither. You, sir, come you hither! You, that have been so tenderly officious Leon. Mark, and perform it;(see'st thou ?) for the fail Death to thyself, but to thy lewd-tongu'd wife, Paul. I pray you, do not push me! I'll be gone. [Exit. Leon. Thou, traitor, hast set on thy wife to this. Even thou, and none but thou! Take it up straight: In more, than this deed doth require! -and blessing, Poor thing, condemn'd to loss! [Exit with the Child. 1 Atten. Please your highness, posts 1 Lord. So please you, sir, their speed Leon. Twenty-three days They have been absent. 'Tis good speed; foretels, The truth of this appear. Prepare you, lords; Offi. It is his highness' pleasure, that the queen Leon. Read the indictment! (Who least will seem to do so,) my past life A moiety of the throne, a great king's daughter, And only that I stand for. I appeal To your own conscience, sir, before Polixenes Leon. Ine'er heard yet, That any of these bolder vices wanted Her. That's true enough; Though 'tis a saying, sir, not due to me. Leon. You will not own it. Her. More than mistress of, Which comes to me in name of fault, I must not To you,and toward your friend, whose love had spoke, I know not, how it tastes; though it be dish'd Leon. You knew of his departure, as you know, You speak a language, that I understand not: Leon. Your actions are my dreams; - Offi. Hermione, queen to the worthy Leontes, king of Sicilia, thou art here accused and arraigned of high treason, in committing adultery with Polixenes, king of Bohemia, and conspiring with Camillo to And I but dream'd it. As you were past all shame, take away the life of our sovereign lord the king, thy (Those of your fact are so,) so past all truth: royal husband: the pretence whereof being by circum-Which to deny, concerns more, than avails: stances partly laid open, thou, Hermione, contrary to the faith and allegiance of a true subject, didst counsel and aid them, for their better safety, to fly away by night. Her. Since what I am to say, must be but that, Which contradicts my accusation, and The testimony on my part, no other But what comes from myself, it shall scarce boot me Being counted falsehood, shall, as I express it, I doubt not then, but innocence shall make You, my lord, best know, For as Thy brat hath been, cast out, like to itself, Her. Sir, spare your threats! The bug, which you would fright me with, I seek. The crown and comfort of my life, your favour, But know not, how it went. My second joy, I am barr'd, like one infectious. My third comfort, The innocent milk in its most innocent mouth, Apollo be my judge! i Lord. This your request Is altogether just: therefore, bring forth [Exeunt certain Officers. Her. The emperor of Russia was my father: Re-enter Officers, with CLEOMENES and Drox. Been both at Delphos, and from thence have brought Cleo. Dion. All this we swear. Leon. Break up the seals, and read! To bloody thoughts and to revenge, I chose Re-enter PAULINA. Paul. Woethe while! O, cut my lace, lest my heart, cracking it, 1 Lord. What fit is this, good lady? Paul. What studied torments, tyrant, hast for me? Offi. [Reads.] Hermione is chaste, Polixenes blame-To be or none, or little; though a devil Lords. Now blessed be the great Apollo ! Her. Praised! Leon. Hast thou read truth? Offi. Ay, my lord; even so, As it is here set down. Leon. There is no truth at all i'the oracle: The sessions shall proceed; this is mere falsehood. Enter a Servant, hastily. Serv. My lord the king, the king! Leon. What is the business? Serv. O sir, I shall be hated to report it: The prince your son, with mere conceit and fear Leon. Apollo's angry, and the heavens themselves Do strike at my injustice. [Hermione faints.] How now there? Paul. This news is mortal to the queen. -Look down, And see what death is doing! Leon. Take her hence; Her heart is but o'ercharg'd; she will recover, Would have shed water out of fire, ere don't: Not dropp'd down yet. 1 Lord. The higher powers forbid! Paul. I say, she's dead; I'll swear't: if word, nor oath Thou canst not speak too much; I have deserv'd 1 Lord. Say no more! Howe'er the business goes, you have made fault [Exeunt Paulina and Ladies, with Herm. Paul. I am sorry for't; My great profaneness 'gainst thine oracle! New woo my queen, recal the good Camillo, All faults I make, when I shall come to know them, I do repent. Alas, I have show'd too much To the noble heart. What's gone, and what's past help, Should be past grief. Do not receive affliction, Leon. Thou didst speak but well, When most the truth; which I receive much better, The chapel, where they lie; and tears, shed there, [Exeunt. SCENE III.-Bohemia. A desert country near the sea. Enter ANTIGONUS, with the child; and a Mariner. Ant. Thou art perfect then, our ship hath touch'd upon The deserts of Bohemia? Mar. Ay, my lord; and fear, We have landed in ill time; the skies look grimly, Ant. Their sacred wills be done! -Go, get aboard; Mar. Make your best haste, and go not Of prey, that keep upon't. Ant. Go thou away. I'll follow instantly. Mar. I am glad at heart To be so rid o'the business.. Ant. Come, poor babe! [Exit. I have heard, (but not believ'd) the spirits of the dead So fill'd, and so becoming: in pure white robes, I pr'ythee, call't: for this ungentle business, I did in time collect myself, and thought That, for thy mother's fault, art thus expos'd The day frowns more and more; thou art like to have [Exit, pursued by a bear. Enter an old Shepherd. - The heavens so dim by day. A savage clamour?Well may I get aboard! This is the chace; I am gone for ever. Shep. I would, there were no age between ten and three-and-twenty; or that youth would sleep out the rest: for there is nothing in the between but getting wenches with child, wronging the ancientry, stealing, fighting. Hark you now! Would any but these boiled brains of nineteen, and two-and-twenty, hunt this weather? They have scared away two of my best sheep; which, I fear, the wolf will sooner find, than the master: if any where I have them, 'tis by the seaside, browzing on ivy. Good luck, an't be thy will! what have we here? [Taking up the child.] Mercy on's, a barne; a very pretty barne! A boy, or a child, I wonder? A pretty one; a very pretty one! Sure, some scape: though I am not bookish, yet I can read waiting-gentlewoman in the scape. This has been some stair-work, some trunk-work, some behind-doorwork: they were warmer, that got this, than the poor thing is here. I'll take it up for pity: yet I'll tarry, till my son come; he hollaed but even now. Whoa,ho hoa! Enter Clown. Clo., Hilloa, loa! Shep. What, art so near? If thou'lt see a thing to talk on, when thou art dead and rotten, come hither! What ailest thou, man? Clo. I have seen two such sights, by sea, and by land; - but I am not to say, it is a sea, for it is now the sky; betwixt the firmament and it, you cannot thrust a bodkin's point. Shep. Why, boy, how is it? Clo. I would, you did but see, how it chafes, how it rages, how it takes up the shore! but that's not to the point. O,the most piteous cry of the poor souls! sometimes to see'em, and not to see'em: now the ship boring the moon with her main-mast; and anon swallowed with yest and froth, as you'd trust a cork into a hogs-head. And then for the land service, to see how the bear tore out his shoulder-bone; how he cried to me for help, and said, his name was Antigonus, a nobleman!-But to make an end of the ship:—to see how the sea flap-dragoned it:-but, first, how the poor souls roared, and the sea mocked them;-and how the poor gentlemán roared, and the bear mocked him, both roaring louder, than the sea, or weather. Shep. 'Name of mercy, when was this, boy? Clo. Now, now; I have not winked since I saw these sights: the men are not yet cold under water, nor the bear half dined on the gentleman; he's at it now. Shep. Would I had been by, to have helped the old man! Clo. I would, you had been by the ship side, to have helped her; there your charity would have lacked footing. [Aside. Shep. Heavy matters! heavy matters! but look thee here, boy! Now bless thyself; thou met'st with things dying, I with things new born. Here's a sight for thee; look thee, a bearing-cloth for a squire's child! Look thee here; take up, take up, boy; open't! So, let's see; it was told me, I should be rich by the fairies: this is some changeling-open't! What's within, boy? Clo. You're a made old man; if the sins of your youth are forgiven you, you're well to live. Gold! all gold! Shep. This is fairy gold, boy, and 'twill prove so: up with it, keep it close; home, home, the next way! We are lucky, boy; and to be so still, requires nothing but secrecy. Let my sheep go!-Come, good boy, the next way home! Clo. Go you the next way with your findings; I'll go see if the bear be gone from the gentleman, and how much he hath eaten they are never curst, but when they are hungry: if there be any of him left, I'll bury it. Shep. That's a good deed. If thou may'st discern by that which is left of him, what he is, fetch me to the sight of him! Clo. Marry, will I; and you shall help to put him i'the ground. Shep. 'Tis a lucky day, boy; and we'll do good deeds [Exeunt. on't. АС Т IV. Enter Time, as Chorus. Time. I, that please some, try all, both joy, and terror, Of good and bad; that make, and unfold error,- The times that brought them in; so shall I do sorrows I might be some allay, or I o'erween to think so; which is another spur to my departure. Pol. As thou lovest me, Camillo, wipe not out the rest of thy services, by leaving me now! The need, I have of thee, thine own goodness hath made; better not to have had thee, than thus to want thee: thou, having made me businesses, which none, without thee, can sufficiently manage, must either stay, to execute them thyself, or take away with thee the very services, thou hast done: which if I have not enough considered, (as too much I cannot,) to be more thankful to thee, shall be my study: and my profit therein, the heaping friensdhips. Of that fatal country Sicilia, pr'ythee speak no more: whose very naming punishes me with the remembrance of that penitent, as thou call'st him, and reconciled king, my brother; whose loss of his most precious queen, and children are even now to be afresh lamented. Say to me, when saw'st thou the prince Florizel, my son? Kings are no less unhappy, their issue not being gracious, than they are in losing them, when they have approved their virtues. Cam. Sir, it is three days since I saw the prince: what his happier affair may be, are to me unknown: but I have, missingly, noted, he is of late much retired from court, and is less frequent to his princely exer→ cises, than formerly he hath appeared. Pol. I have considered so much, Camillo, and with some care; so far, that I have eyes under my services, which look upon his removednes: from whom I have this intelligence, that he is seldom from the house of a most homely shepherd; a man, they say, that from very nothing, and beyond the imagination of his neighbours is grown into an unspeakable estate. Cam. I have heard, sir, of such a man, who hath a daughter of most rare note: the report of her is extended more, than can be thought to begin from such a cottage. Pol. That's likewise part of nry intelligence. But, I fear the angle, that plucks our son thither. Thou shalt accompany us to the place: where we will, not appearing what we are,have some question with the shepherd; To the freshest things now reigning, and make stale from whose simplicity I think it not uneasy to get The glistering of this present, as my tale I turn my glass, and give my scene such growing, I mentioned a son o'the king's, which Florizel a shepherd's :-a And what to her adheres, which follows after, [Exit. The same. Aroom in the palace of Enter POLIXENES and CAMILLO. Pol. I pray thee, good Camillo, be rro more importunate! 'tis a sickness, denying thee any thing; a death, to grant this. Cam. It is fifteen years, since I saw my country: though I have, for the most part, been aired abroad, I desire to lay my bones there. Besides, the penitent king, my master, hath sent for me: to whose feeling the cause of my son's resort thither. Pr'ythee, be my present partner in this business, and lay aside the thoughts of Sicilia! Cam. I willingly obey your command. Pol. My best Camillo !-We must disguise ourselves. [Exeunt. SCENE II. - The same. A road near the Shepherd's cottage. Enter AUTOLYCUS, singing, When daffodils begin to peer, With, heigh! the doxy over the dale, For the red blood reigns in the winter's pale. The white sheet bleaching on the hedge, With, hey! the sweet birds, O, how they sing! Doth set my pugging tooth on edge; For a quart of ale is a dish for a king. The lark, that tirra-lirra chaunts, With, hey! with, hey! the thrush and the jay: Are summer songs for me and my aunts, While we lie tumbling in the hay. I have served prince Florizel, and, in my time, wore three-pile; but now I am out of service: But shall I go mourn for that, my dear? If tinkers may have leave to live, |