gentle fpectators, that I now may be in fair Bohemia; and remember well, I mention'd a fon o'the king's, which Florizel be known, when 'tis brought forth: a fhepherd's daughter, and what to her adheres, which follows after, is the argument of time: Of this allow, if ever you have spent time worse ere now; [Exit. SCENE I. The fame. A Room in Polixenes' Palace, Enter POLIXENES, and CAMILLO. POL. I pray thee, good Camillo, be no more importunate: 'tis a ficknefs, denying thee any thing; a death, to grant this. ČAM. It is fixteen years, fince I faw my country: though I have, for the most part, been aired abroad, I desire to lay my bones there. Befides, the penitent king, my mafter, hath fent for me: to whose feeling forrows I might be fome allay, or I o'er-ween to think fo; which is another fpur to my departure. POL. As thou lov'ft me, Camillo, wipe not out the reft of thy fervices, 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 busineffes, which none, without thee, can fufficiently manage, muft either ftay to execute 31 is fifteene them thyself, or take away with thee the very services thou haft done: which if I have not enough confider'd, (as too much I cannot) to be more thankful to thee, shall be my study; and my profit therein, the heaping friendships. Of that fatal country Sicilia, pr'ythee, fpeak no more: whose very naming punishes me with the remembrance of that penitent, as thou call'ft him, and reconciled king, my brother; whose lofs of his most precious queen, and children, are even now to be afresh lamented. Say to me, when faw'st thou the prince Florizel, my fon? kings are no lefs unhappy, their iffue not being gracious; than they are in losing them, when they have approved their virtues. CAM. Sir, it is three days, fince I faw the prince: What his happier affairs may be, are to me unknown: but I have, miffingly, noted, he is of late much retired from court; and is lefs frequent to his princely exercises, than formerly he hath appeared. POL. I have confidered fo much, Camillo; and with fome care; fo far, that I have eyes under my fervice which look upon his removednefs: from whom I have this intelligence; That he is feldom from the house of a most homely fhepherd; a man, they say, that, from very nothing, and beyond the imagination of his neighbours, is grown into an unspeakable eftate. CAM. I have heard, fir, of fuch 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 my intelligence; and, I fear, the angle that plucks our fon thither. Thou 32 but (I' fhalt accompany us to the place: where we will, not appearing what we are, have fome queftion with the thepherd; from whose fimplicity, I think it not uneasy to get the cause of my fon's resort thither. Pr'ythee, be my present partner in this business, and lay afide the thoughts of Sicilia. CAM. I willingly obey your command. PoL. My best Camillo! We muft difguise ourselves. [Exeunt. SCENE II. The fame. Fields near the Shepherd's Enter AUTOLICUS, finging. AUT. When daffodils begin to peer, - with, heigh, the doxy over the dale,- The white sheet bleaching on the hedge, with, heigh, the fweet birds, o, how they fing, doth fet my progging tooth on edge; for a quart of ale is a difh for a king. The lark, that tirra-lirra chaunts, with, heigh, with, heigh, the thrush andthejay, are fummer fongs for me and my aunts, while we lye tumbling in the hay. I have ferv'd prince Florizel, and, in my time, wore three-pile; but now I am out of fervice: But fhall I go mourn for that, my dear? 21 pugging the pale moon shines by night: If tinkers may have leave to live, My traffick is fheets; when the kite builds, look to leffer linnen. My father nam'd me, Autolicus; who being (as I am) litter'd under Mercury, was likewise a fnapper-up of unconfider'd trifles: With dye, and drab, I purchaf'd this † caparifon; and my revenue is the filly cheat: Gallows, and knock, are too powerful on the highway: beating, and hanging, are terrors to me; for the life to come, I fleep out the thought of it. A prize! a prize! Enter Clown. Clo. Let me fee: Every 'leven weather tods; every tod yields pound and odd fhilling: fifteen hundred fhorn ; What comes the wool to? AUT. "If the fprindge hold, the cock's mine.” Clo. I cannot do't without counters. Let me fee; What am I to buy for our fheep-fhearing feaft? Three pound of fugar; [reading out of a Note.] five pound of currans; rice What will this fifter of mine do with rice? But my father hath made her mistress of the feaft, and the lays it on. She hath made me four and twenty nose-gays for the fhearers: three-man fongmen all, and very good ones; but they are most of them means, and bafes: but one puritan amongst them, and he fings pfalms to horn-pipes. I muft have faffron, to colour the warden-pies; mace; dates, -none; that's out of my note; nutmegs, feven; a rafe, or two, of ginger; - but that I may beg;-four pound of pruins, and as many of raisins o'the fun. AUT. O, that ever I was born! [groveling on the Ground. Clo. I'the name of me, Aur. O, help me, help me! pluck but off these rags; and then, death, death! Clo. Alack, poor foul; thou haft need of more rags to lay on thee, rather than have these off. AUT. O, fir, the loathsomeness of them offends me, more than the ftripes I have receiv'd; which are mighty ones, and millions. Clo. Alas, poor man; a million of beating may come to a great matter. AUT. I am rob'd, fir, and beaten; my money, and apparel, ta'en from me, and these detestable things put upon me. Clo. What, by a horse-man, or a foot-man? AUT. A foot-man, sweet fir, a foot-man. Clo. Indeed, he fhould be a foot-man, by the garments he has left with thee; if this be a horse-man's coat, it hath feen very hot service. Lend me thy hand, I'll help thee: come, lend me thy hand. Aur. O, good fir, tenderly, o! Clo. Alas, poor foul. Avr. O, good fir, foftly, good fir: I fear, fir, my fhoulder-blade is out. Clo. How now? canft ftand? AUT. Softly, dear fir; [picks his Pocket.] good fir, foftly: you ha' done me a charitable office. |