SCENEI. The fame. A Street in fome Town. CLE. The climate's delicate; the air moft fweet; Fertile the foil; the temple much furpaffing The common praise it bears. Dio. I fhall report, For moft it caught me, the celeftial habits, How ceremonious, folemn, and unearthly, It was i'the offering! CLE. But, of all, the burft And the ear-deaf'ning voice o'the oracle, Dio. If the event o'the journey Prove as fucceffful to the queen, -O, be't fo! As it hath been to us, rare, pleasant, speedy, 'The ufe is worth the time on't. CLE. Great Apollo Turn all to the best! These proclamations, I little like. Dro. The violent carriage of it Will clear, or end, the businefs: When the oracle Even then, will rush to knowledge.Ĝo, fresh horfes ; — [Exeunt. SCENE II. The fame. A Court of Justice: 5 the Ine, 20 time is worth the ufe 26 v. Note, At the upper End, a Throne; Lords, on either LEO. This feffion (to our great grief, we pronounce) Even pushes 'gainft our heart: The party try'd, The daughter of a king; our wife; and one Of us too much belov'd. Let us be clear'd Of being tyrannous, fince we fo openly Proceed in juftice; which fhall have due courfe, Even to the guilt, or the purgation.Produce the prisoner. Off. It is his highness' pleasure, that the Appear in perfon here in court. queen Enter HERMIONE, to the Bar: PAULINA, LEO. Read the indictment. Cri, Silence ! Off. [reads.] 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 confpiring with Camillo to take away the life of our fovereign lord the king, thy royal husband: the pretence whereof being by circumftances partly lay'd open, thou, Hermione, contrary to the faith and allegiance of a true subject, didft counfel and aid them, for their better fafety, to fly away by night. HER. Since what I am to fay, must be but that Which contradicts my accusation; and The teftimony on my part, no other 5 Seffions But what comes from myself; it shall scarce boot me, Being counted falfhood, fhall, as I exprefs it, I doubt not then, but innocence fhall make Tremble at patience. You, my lord, best know, A moiety of the throne, a great king's daughter, And only that I ftand for. I appeal To your own confcience, fir, before Polixenes LEO. I ne'er heard yet, That any of these bolder vices wanted 9 Whom least 25 I Have Lefs impudence to gain-fay what they did, HER. "That's true enough; Though 'tis a faying, fir, not due to me. LEO. You will not own it. HER. More than mistress of, Which comes to me in name of fault, I must not (With whom I am accus'd) I do confefs, To you, and toward your friend; whose love had spoke, Even fince it could fpeak, from an infant, freely, That it was yours. Now, for confpiracy, I know not how it tafts; though it be dish'd Is, that Camilla was an honeft man; And, why he left your court, the gods themselves, LEO. You knew of his departure, as you know What you have underta'en to do in his abfence. HER. Sir, you fpeak a language that I understand not: My life ftands in the level of your dreams, Which I'll lay down. LEO. Your actions are my dreams; You had a bastard by Polixenes, And I but dream'd it: As you were paft all shame, (Those of your fact are so) so past all truth: To deny, concerns, more than avails: for as HER, Sir, fpare your threats; The bug, which you would fright we with, I feek. To me can life be no commodity: The crown and comfort of my life, your favour, But know not how it went: My fecond joy, I am bar'd, like one infectious: My third comfort, The innocent milk in it's most innocent mouth, Which to |