Honeft, as either; to purge him of that humour, That preffes him from fleep.

Leo. What noise there, ho?

Paul. No noife, my lord; but needful conference About fome goffips for your highness.

Leo. How?

Away with that audacious lady! Antigonus,

I charg'd thee, that she should not come about me; I knew, fhe would.

Ant. I told her fo, my lord,

On your difpleafure's peril, and on mine,
She fhould not vifit you.

Leo. What, canst not rule her?

Paul. From all dishonesty, he can: in this, (Unless he take the courfe that you have done, Commit me, for committing honour) trust it, He thall not rule me.

Ant. Lo you now; you hear '

When she will take the rein, I let her run;
But he'll not stumble.

Paul. Good my liege, I come,-
And, I beseech you, hear me, who profess
Myfelf your loyal fervant, your physician,
Your moft obedient counfellor; yet that dares
Lefs appear fo, in comforting your evils,
Than fuch as moft feem yours:-I fay, I come
From your good queen.

Leo. Good queen! [good queen; Paul. Good queen, my lord, good queen! I fay, And would by combat make her good, fo were I A man, the worst about you.

Len. Force her bence.

Leo. Out!

You'd call your children yours.

Leo. A neft of traitors!

Ant. I am none, by this good light.
Paul. Nor 1; nor any,

But one, that's here; and that's himfelf: for he
The facred honour of himself, his queen's,

His hopeful fon's, his babe's, betrays to flander,
Whofe fting is fharper than the fword's; and will not
(For, as the cafe now ftands, it is a curfe
He cannot be compell'd to't) once remove
The root of his opinion, which is rotten,
As ever oak, or ftone, was found.

And, lozel 7, 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 yourfelf

Paul. Not fo:

I am as ignorant in that, as you

In fo intitling me: and no lefs honest

Leo. Once more, take her hence. Paul. A moft unworthy and unnatural lord Can do no more.

Leo. I'll have thee burnt.

Paul. I care not:

It is an heretick, that makes the fire,

Leo. Traitors!

But this moft cruel ufage of your queen
(Not able to produce more accufation [vours
Than your own weak-hing'd fancy) fomething fa
Of tyranny, and will ignoble make you,
Yea, fcandalous to the world.

Leo. On your allegiance,

Out of the chamber with her. Were I a tyrant,
Where were her life? fhe durft not call me fo,
If fhe did know me one. Away with her.

Paul. I pray you, do not push me; I'll be gone. Look to your babe, my lord; 'tis yours: Jove

fend her

1 Worft here implies lowest.

contempt, meaning a worthlefs fellow.

You,

You, that are thus fo tender o'er his follies,

Will never do him good, not one of you.

So, fo:-Farewel; we are gone.

My child? away with 't

[Exit.

Leo. Thou, traitor, haft fet on thy wife to this.even thou, that haft A heart fo tender o'er it, take it hence, And fee it inftantly confum'd with fire; Even thou, and none but thou. Take it up ftraight: Within this hour bring me word 'tis done, (And by good teftimony) or I'll feize thy life, With what thou elfe call'ft thine: If thou refufe, And wilt encounter with my wrath, fay fo; The baftard brains with thefe my proper hands Shall I dash out. Go, take it to the fire; For theu fett it on thy wife.

Ant. I did not, fir:

These lords, my noble fellows, if they pleafe, Can clear me in't.

Lord. We can; my royal lege,

He is not guilty of her coming hither.
Leo. You are liars all.

Edit:

Lord. 'Befeech your highnefs, give us better cre-
We have always truly ferv'd you; and befeech
So to esteem of us: And on our knees we beg,
(As recompence of our dear fervices,

Paft, and to come) that you do change this purpose;
Which being fo horrible, fo bloody, must
Lead on to fome foul iffue: We all kneel.

Io. I am a feather for each wind that blows:-
Shall I live on, to fee this baftard kneel
And call me father? better burn it now,
Than curfe it then. But, be it; let it live :
It shall not neither.--Yon, fir, come you hither:

To Antigonus.

You, that have been fo tenderly officious
With Lady Margery, your midwife, there,
To fave this baitard's life :-for 'tis a buttard,
So fure as this beard's grey,-what will you ad-
To fave this brat's life?

Ant. Any thing, my lord,
That my ability may undergo,

[venture

And noblencfs impofe: at leaft, thus much;
I'll pawn the little blood which I have left,
To fave the innocent: any thing potible.
Les. It fhall be poffible: Swear by this word,
Thou wilt perform my bidding.

Leo. Mark, and perform it! (feest thou?) for Of any point in 't fhall not only be

Death to thyself, but to thy lewd-tongu'd wife;
Whom, for this time, we pardon. We enjoin thee,
As thou art liegeman to us, that thou carry
This female baftard hence; and that thou bear it
To fome remote and defert place, quite out
Of our dominions; and that there thou leave it,
Without more mercy, to its own protection,
And favour of the climate. As by ftrange fortune,
It came to us, I do in juftice charge thee,-
On thy foul's peril, and thy body's torture,—
That thou commend it ftrangely I to fome place,
Where chance may nurfe, or end it: Take it up.

Ant. Ifwear to do this; though a prefent death
Had been more merciful.-Come on, poor babe :
Some powerful spirit instruct the kites and ravens
To be thy nurses! Wolves, and bears, they fay,
Cafting their favageness afide, have done
Like offices of pity.-Sir, be profperous
In more than this deed does require! and bleffing,
Against this cruelty, fight on thy fide,
Poor thing, condemn'd to lofs!

Leo. No, I'll not rear Another's iffue.

[Exit, with the child.

Cleo

TH

III.

The common praise it bears.

Dion. Ifhall report,

For moft it caught me, the celeftial habits,

Prove

Stand most unluckily, is from my breast,
The innocent milk in its molt innocent mouth,
Hal'd out to murder: Myfelf on every post
Proclaim'd a ftrumpet; with immodeft hatred,
The child-bed privilege deny'd, which 'longs
To women of all fashion :-Laftly, hurried
Here to this place, i' the open air, before

I have got ftrength of limit. Now, my liege,
Tell me what bieflings I have here alive,
That I should fear to die? Therefore, proceed.
But yet hear this; mittake me not; --~~~~)
-No! life,
I prize it not a straw :-but for mine honour,
(Which I would free) if I thould be condemn'd
Upon furmiles; all proofs fleeping else,
But what your jealoufies atake, I tell you,
'Tis rigour, and not law. Your honours all,
I do refer me to the oracle;

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;-
"Befeech you, tenderly apply to her
Some remedies for life.-Apollo, pardon
My great profanencfs 'gainft thine oracle!-
I'll reconcile me to Polixenes;

New woo my queen; recall the good Camillo
Whom I proclaim a man of truth, of mercy:
For, being tranfported by my jealoufies
To bloody thoughts and to revenge, I chose
Camillo for the minifter, to poifon

My friend Polixenes which had been done,
But that the good mind of Camillo tardy'd
My fwift command, though I with death, and with
Reward, did threaten and encourage him,
Not doing it, and being done: he, most humane,
And fill'd with honour, to my kingly gueft
Unclafp'd my practice; quit his fortunes here,
Which you knew great; and to the certain hazard
Of all incertainties himfelf commended,

No richer than his honour:-How he glifters
Through my dark ruft! and how his piety
Does my deeds make the blacker!
Re-inter Paulina,

Paul. Woe the while!

Lord. What fit is this, good lady?

Cleo. Dion. All this we fwear.

Leo. Break up the feals, and read.

Offi. "Hermione is chatte, Polixenes blameless, "Camillo a true fubject, 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. Praifed!

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' the oracle:
The feflion fhall proceed; this is mere falfehood.
Enter Servant.

Ser. My lord the king, the king!-
Leo. What is the bufinefs?

Ser. O fir, I thall be hated to report it :
The prince your fon, with mere conceit and fear
Of the queen's fpeed 3, is gone.

Leo. How! gone? Ser. Is dead.

[me

Paul. What ftudied torments, tyrant, hait for What wheels? racks? fires? What flaying? boilIn leads, or oils? what old, or newer torture [ing? Muft I receive; whofe every word deferves To taite of thy moft worit? Thy tyranny Together working with thy jealouties,— Fancies too weak for boys, too green and idle For girls of nine !-0, think, what they have done, And then run mad, indeed; ftark mad! for all Thy by-gone fooleries were but fpices of it. That thou betray'dit Polixenes, 'twas nothing; That did but thew thee, of a fool, inconftant, And damnable ungrateful nor was 't much, Thou would't have poiton'd good Camillo's honour, To have him kill a king; poor treipafler, More monttrous ftanding by: whereof I reckon The catting forth to crows thy baby daughter, To be or nene, or little; though a devil Would have fhed water out of fire, ere don't: Nor is 't directly laid to thee, the death Of the young prince; whofe honourable thoughts (Thoughts high for one fo tender) cleft the heart, That could conceive, a grofs and foolish fire Blemish'd his gracious dam: this is not, no, Laid to thy antwer: But the laft,--0, lords, When I have faid, cry woe!--the queen, the queen, The sweeteft, deareit creature's dead; and vengeNot drop down yet. Lance for 't Lod. The higher powers forbid! [path, Paul. I fay, he's dead; I'll wear it: if word, nor Prevail not, go and fee: if you can bring Tincture, or luftre, in her lip, her eye,

Heat

Heat outwardly, or breath within, I'll ferve you
As I would do the gods.--But, O thou tyrant!
Do not repent these things; for they are heavier
Than all thy woes can ftir; therefore betake thee
To nothing but defpair. A thousand knees,
Ten thousand years together, naked, fatting,
Upon a barren mountain, and still winter
In ftorra perpetual, could not move the gods
To look that way thou wert.

Lea. Go on, go on:

Thou canst not (peak too much; I have deferv'd All tongues to talk their bittereft.

Lord. Say no more;

Howe'er the bufinefs goes, you have made fault I' the boldness of your speech,

Paul. I am forry for't;

you

I'll follow inftantly.

Mar. I am glad at heart To be fo rid o' the bufinefs.

Ant. Come, poor babe :---

[Exit. [dead

I have heard, (but not beliey'd) the fpirits of the
May walk again : if fuch thing be, thy mother
Appear'd to me laft night: for ne'er was dream
So like a waking. To me comes a creature,
Sometimes her head on one fide, fome another,
I never faw a veffel of like forrow,

So fill'd, and fo becoming in pure white robes,
Like very fanctity, she did approach

My cabin where I lay; thrice bow'd before me ;
And, gafping to begin fome fpeech, her eyes
Became two fpouts: the fury fpent, anon
Did this break from her: "Good Antigonus,—
Since fate, against thy better difpofition,
"Hath made thy perfon for the thrower-out
Of my poor babe, according to thine oath,-
Places remote enough are in Bohemia,

"There weep, and leave it crying; and, for the babe Is counted loft for ever, Perdita,

"I pr'ythee, call 't: for this ungentle bufinefs,

And I'll fay nothing.

Leo. Thou didft fpeak but well,

When moft the truth; which I receive much better
Than to be pitied of thee. Prythee, bring me
To the dead bodies of my queen, and fon:
One grave thall be for both; upon them fhall
The caufes of their death appear, unto
Our shame perpetual: Once a day, I'll vifit
The chapel where they lie; and tears fhed there,
Shall be my recreation: fo long as nature
Will bear up with this exercife, fo long
I daily vow to use it. Come,
And lead me to thefe forrows.

III.

[Excunt.

SCENE Bohemia. A defert Country near the Sea. Enter Antigonus with the Child, and a Mariner. Ant. Thou art perfect then, our fhip hath The deferts of Bohemia ? [touch'd upon

Mar. Ay, my lord; and fear We have landed in ill time: the fkies look grimly, And threaten prefent blufters. In my confcience, The heavens with that we have in hand are angry, And frown upon us. [aboard;

I will be fquar'd by this. I do believe,
Hermione hath fuffer'd death; and that
Apollo would, this being indeed the iffue
Of king Polixenes, it fhould here be laid,
Either for life, or death, upon the earth
Of its right father.-Bloffom, fpeed thee well!
[Laying down the child,
There lie and there thy character 2: there there;
[Laying down a bundle.
Which may, if fortune please, both breed thee, pretty,
And still reft thine.-The storm begins :——Poor
wretch,

That, for thy mother's fault, art thus expos'd
To lois, and what may follow!-Weep I cannot,
But my heart bleeds: and most accurs'd am I,
To be by oath enjoin'd to this.Farewel! [have
The day frowns more and more; thou art like to
A lullaby too rough: I never faw
The heavens fo dim by day.-A favage clamour!--
Well may I get aboard!-This is the chace;
I am gone for ever. [Exit, pursued by a bear,
Enter an old Shepherd."

but getting wenches with child, wronging the an cientry, ftealing, fighting.-Hark you now!— Would any but thefe boil'd brains of nineteen, and two and twenty, hunt this weather? They have fcar'd away two of my beft fheep; which, I fear, the wolf will fooner find, than the marter: if any where I have them, 'tis by the fea-fide, brouzing