Than I do now: with thought of fuch affections, LEO. Would he do fo, I'd beg your precious mistress, Which he counts but a trifte. PAU. Sir, my liege, Your eye hath too much youth in't: not a month 'Fore your queen dy'd, the was more worth fuch gazes Than what you look on now. LEO. I thought of her, Even in these looks I made. But your petition Is yet unanfwer'd: I will to your father; SCENE U. The fame. Before the Palace. Enter AUTOLICUS, and a Gentleman. Aur. 'Beseech you, fir, were you present at this relation? 1. G. I was by at the opening of the farthel, heard the old fhepherd deliver the manner how he found it; whereupon, after a little amazedness, we were all commanded out of the chamber; only this, methought, I heard the fhepherd say, he found the child. AUT. I would moft gladly know the iffue of it. 1. G. I make a broken delivery of the business ; But the changes I perceived in the king, and Camille, were very notes of admiration: they seem'd almoft, with ftaring on one another, to tear the cafes of their eyes; there was fpeech in their dumbness, language in their very gefture; they look'd, as they had heard of a world ranfom'd, or one destroy'd: A notable paffion of wonder appeared in them: but the wiseft beholder, that knew no more but seeing, could not fay, if the importance were joy, or forrow; but in the extremity of the one, it must needs be. Enter another Gentleman. 2. G. Nothing but bonfires: The oracle is fulfil'd; the king's daughter is found: fuch a deal of wonder is broken out within this hour, that ballad-makers cannot be able to exprefs it. Enter a third Gentleman. Here comes the lady Paulina's fteward, he can deliver you more. How goes it now, fir? this news (which is call'd true) is fo like an old tale, that the verity of it is in ftrong fufpition: Has the king found his heir? 3. G. Moft true; if ever truth were pregnant by circumftances: that, which you hear, you'll fwear, you fee; there is fuch unity in the proofs. The mantle of queen Hermione's; her jewel about the neck of it; the letters of Antigonus, found with it, which they know to be his character; the majesty of the creature, in resemblance of the mother; the affection of nobleness, which nature shews above her breeding, and many other evidences, proclaim her, with all certainty, to be the king's daughter. Did you fee the meeting of the twa kings? 2. G. No. 3. G. Then have you lost a fight, which was to be feen, cannot be spoken of. There might you have beheld one joy crown another; fo, and in fuch manner, that, it feem'd, forrow wept to take leave of them; for their joy waded in tears. There was cafting up of eyes, holding up of hands; with countenance of fuch distraction, that they were to be known by garment, not by favour. Our king, being ready to leap out of himself for joy of his found daughter; as if that joy were now become a lofs, cries, O, thy mother, thy mother! then afks Bohemia forgiveness; then embraces his fon-in-law; then, again, worries he his daughter, with clipping her: now he thanks the old fhepherd; which ftands by, like a weather-beaten conduit of many kings' reigns. I never heard of fuch another encounter; which lames report to follow it, and undoes description to do it. 2. G. What, pray you, became of Antigonus, that carry'd hence the child? 3. G. Like an old tale ftill; which will have matter to rehearse, though credit be afleep, and not an ear open He was torn to pieces with a bear: this avouches the fhepherd's fon; who has not only his innocence (which feems much) to justify him, but a handkerchief, and rings, of his, that Paulina knows. 1. G. What became of his bark, and his followers? 3. G. Wreckt, the fame inftant of their master's death; and in the view of the fhepherd: fo that all the inftruments, which aided to expose the child, were even then loft, when it was found. But, o, the noble combat, that, 'twixt joy and forrow, was fought in Paulina! She had one eye declin'd, for the lofs of her husband; another elevated, that the oracle was ful 13 Weather-bitten fil'd: She lifted the princefs from the earth; and fo locks her in embracing, as if fhe would pin her to her heart, that fhe might no more be in danger of losing. 1. G. The dignity of this act was worth the audience of kings and princes; for by fuch was it acted. 3. G. One of the prettiest touches of all, and that which angl'd for mine eyes, (caught the water, though not the fish) was, when at the relation of the queen's death, with the manner how he came to't, (bravely confeff'd, and lamented, by the king) how attentivenefs wounded his daughter: 'till, from one fign of dolour to another, fhe did, with an, alas, I would fain fay, bleed tears; for, I am fure, my heart wept blood. Who was most marble there, changed colour; fome fwooned, all forrowed: if all the world could have feen't, the woe had been univerfal. 1. G. Are they return'd to the court? 3. G. No: The princefs hearing of her mother's ftatue, which is in the keeping of Paulina, a piece many years in doing, and now newly perform'd, by that rare Italian mafter, Julio Romano; who, had he himself eternity, and could put breath into his work, would beguile nature of her cuftom, fo perfectly is he her ape he fo near to Hermione hath done Hermione, that, they fay, one would fpeak to her, and stand. in hope of answer :-thither, with all greedinefs of affection, are they gone; and there they intend to fup. 2. G. I thought, fhe had fome great matter there in hand; for the hath privately, twice or thrice a day, ever fince the death of Hermione, visited that remov'd house. Shall we thither, and with our company piece the rejoicing? 1. G. Who would be thence, that has the benefit of accefs? every wink of an eye, fome new grace will be born: our abfence makes us unthrifty to our knowledge. Let's along. [Exeunt Gentlemen. AUT. Now, had I not the dafh of my former life in me, would preferment drop on my head. I brought the old man and his fon aboard the prince; told him, I heard them talk of a farthel, and I know not what : but he at that time over-fond of the fhepherd's daughter; (fo he then took her to be) who began to be much fea-fick, and himself little better, extremity of weather continuing, this mystery remain'd undiscover'd. But 'tis all one to me for had I been the finder-out of this fecret, it would not have relish'd among my other difcredits. Enter Shepherd, and Clown. Here come those I have done good to against my will, and already appearing in the bloffoms of their fortune. She. Come, boy; I am past more children; but thy fons and daughters will be all gentlemen born. Clo. You are well met, fir: You deny'd to fight with me this other day, because I was no gentleman born: See you these cloths? fay, you fee them not, and think me ftill no gentleman born: you were beft fay, these robes are not gentlemen born. Give me the lie; do; and try whether I am not now a gentleman born. AUT. I know, you are now, fir, a gentleman born. Clo. Ay, and have been so any time these four hours. |