Is thicker than a cuckold's horn) or heard,
(For, to a vision fo apparent, rumour
Cannot be mute) or thought, (for cogitation
Resides not in that man that does not think't)
My wife is flippery? if thou wilt, confess;
Or elfe be impudently negative

To have nor eyes, nor ears, nor thought: Then say,
My wife's a hoby-horse; deserves a name
As rank as any flax-wench, that puts to
Before her troth-plight: fay't, and juftify't.
CAM. I would not be a ftander-by, to hear
My fovereign miftrefs clouded fo, without
My present vengeance taken : 'Shrew my heart,
You never spoke what did become you lefs
Than this; which to reiterate, were fin
As deep as that, though true.

LEO. Is whifp'ring nothing?

Is leaning cheek to cheek? is meeting noses?
Kiffing with infide lip? ftopping the career
Of laughter with a figh; a note infallible
Of breaking honefty? horfing foot on foot?
Skulking in corners? wifhing clocks more swift;
Hours, minutes; the noon, midnight; and all eyes
Blind with the pin and web, but theirs, theirs only,
That would unfeen be wicked? is this nothing?
Why, then the world, and all that's in't, is nothing;
The covering fky is nothing; Bohemia nothing;
My wife is nothing; nor nothing have these nothings,
If this be nothing.

CAM. Good my lord, be cur'd

Of this diseas'd opinion, and betimes;
For 'tis most dangerous.

LEO. Say, it be; 'tis true.

CAM. No, no, my lord.

LEO. It is; you Ïye, you lye:

I fay, thou ly'ft, Camillo, and I hate thee;
Pronounce thee a grofs lowt, a mindless slave ;
Or else a hovering temporizer, that

Canft with thine eyes at once fee good and evil,
Inclining to them both: Were my wife's liver
Infected as her life, fhe would not live
The running of one glafs.

CAM. Who does infect her?

LEO. Why, he, that wears her like his medal, hanging About his neck, Bohemia: Who, -if I

Had fervants true about me; that bare eyes
To fee alike mine honour as their profits,
Their own particular thrifts, - they would do that
Which fhould undo more doing: Ay, and thou,
His cup-bearer, — whom I, from meaner form,
Have bench'd and rear'd to worship; who may'ft fee
Plainly, as heaven fees earth, and earth fees heaven,
How I am gall'd, -thou might'ft be-fpice a cup,
To give mine enemy a lasting wink;

Which draught to me were cordial.
CAM. Sir, my lord,

I could do this; and that with no rash potion,

But with a ling'ring dram, that should not work
Maliciously, like poison: But I cannot

Believe this crack to be in my dread mistress,

So fovereignly being honourable,

[thee.

LEO. Make that thy question, and go rot! I have lov'd

Doft think, I am fo muddy, fo unfettl'd,

To appoint myself in this vexation ? fully

12 like her Medull 30 v, Note.

The purity and whiteness of my fheets, -
Which to preserve, is fleep; which being spotted,
İs goads, thorns, nettles, tails of wafps? Dr would I
Give fcandal to the blood o'the prince my fon,
Who, I do think, is mine, and love as mine,
Without ripe moving to't? Would I do this?
Could man fo blench?

CAM. I muft believe you, fir;

I do; and will fetch off Bohemia for't :
Provided, that, when he's remov'd, your highness
Will take again your queen, as yours at first;
Even for your fon's fake; and, thereby, for fealing
The injury of tongues, in courts and kingdoms
Known and ally'd to yours.

LEO. Thou doft advise me,

Even fo as I mine own course have set down:
I'll give no blemish to her honour, none.
CAM. My lord,

Go then; and with a countenance as clear

As friendship wears at feafts, keep with Bohemia;
And with your queen: I am his cup-bearer;
If from me he have wholesome beveridge,

Do't, and thou haft the one half of my heart;

Do't not, thou fplit'ft thine own.

CAM. I'll do't, my lord.

LEO. I will feem friendly, as thou hast advis'd me.

[Exit LEONTES. CAM. O miserable lady! But, for me, What cafe ftand I in? I must be the poisoner Of good Polixenes: and my ground to do't

VOL. IV.

Is the obedience to a master; one,
Who, in rebellion with himself, will have
All that are his fo too. To do this deed,
Promotion follows: If I could find example
Of thousands, that had ftruck anointed kings,
And flourish'd after, I'd not do't: but fince
Nor brafs, nor ftone, nor parchment bears not one,
Let villany itself forfwear't. I must

Forfake the court: to do't, or no, is certain
To me a break-neck. Happy ftar, reign now!
Here comes Bohemia.

Enter POLIXENES.

POL. This is ftrange! methinks,

My favour here begins to warp. Not speak?
Good day, Camillo.

CAM. Hail, moft royal fir.

POL. What is the news i'the court?

CAM. None rare, my lord.

!

POL. The king hath on him fuch a countenance, As he had loft fome province, and a region, Lov'd as he loves himfelf: even now I met him With customary compliment; when he, Wafting his eyes to the contrary, and falling A lip of much contempt, fpeeds from me; and So leaves me, to confider what is breeding, That changes thus his manners.

CAM. I dare not know, my lord.

[not

POL. How! dare not? do not. Do you know, and dare

Be intelligent to me? 'Tis thereabouts :
For, to yourself, what you do know, you must;
And cannot fay, you dare not. Good Camillo,
Your chang'd complexions are to me a mirror,

Which fhews me mine chang'd too: for I must be

A party in this alteration, finding

Myself thus alter'd with't.

CAM. There is a fickness,

Which puts fome of us in diftemper; but

I cannot name the disease: and it is caught that yet are well.

Of

f you,

- POL. How! caught of me?

Make me not fighted like the basilisk:

I have look'd on thousands, who have fped the better
By my regard, but kill'd none fo. Camillo,-
As you are, certain, gentleman; thereto
Clerk-like, experienc'd, which no less adorns
Our gentry, than our parents' noble names,
In whose fuccefs we are gentle, I befeech you,
If you know aught which does behove my knowledge,
Thereof to be inform'd; imprison't not

In ignorant concealment.

CAM. I may not answer.

POL. A fickness caught of me, and yet I well! I must be anfwer'd. Doft thou hear, Camillo;

I conjure thee, by all the parts of man

Which honour does acknowledge,

whereof the least

Is not this fuit of mine, that thou declare

What incidency thou doft guess of harm

Is creeping toward me; how far off, how near;
Which way to be prevented, if to be;

If not, how best to bear it.

CAM. Sir, I will tell you;

Since I am charg'd in honour, and by him

That I think honourable: Therefore, mark my counsel; Which must be even as swiftly follow'd, as

12 certainly a Gen