Cam. Pol.

By the king.

For what?

Cam. He thinks, nay, with all confidence he swears, As he had seen't, or been an instrument

To vice you to't,-that you have touched his queen
Forbiddenly.
Pol.

O, then my best blood turn
To an infected jelly; and my name

Be yoked with his, that did betray the best!
Turn then my freshest reputation to

A savor, that may strike the dullest nostril
Where I arrive; and my approach be shunned,
Nay, hated too, worse than the great'st infection
That e'er was heard, or read!

Swear his thought over

Cam.
By each particular star in heaven, and
By all their influences, you may as well
Forbid the sea for to obey the moon,
As, or by oath, remove, or counsel, shake
The fabric of his folly; whose foundation
Is piled upon his faith, and will continue.
The standing of his body.

Pol.

How should this grow?

Cam. I know not; but, I am sure, 'tis safer to
Avoid what's grown, than question how 'tis born.
If therefore you dare trust my honesty,
That lies inclosed in this trunk, which you
Shall bear along impawned,-away to-night.
Your followers I will whisper to the business;
And will, by twos, and threes, at several posterns,
Clear them o' the city. For myself, I'll put
My fortunes to your service, which are here
By this discovery lost. Be not uncertain:
For, by the honor of my parents, I

Have uttered truth; which if you seek to prove,

I dare not stand by; nor shall you be safer

Than one condemned by the king's own mouth, thereon His execution sworn.

Pol.

I do believe thee:

I saw his heart in his face. Give me thy hand;

Be pilot to me, and thy places shall

Still neighbor mine. My ships are ready, and
My people did expect my hence departure

Two days ago.-This jealousy

Is for a precious creature; as she's rare,
Must it be great; and, as his person's mighty,

H

Must it be violent; and as he does conceive
He is dishonored by a man which ever
Professed to him, why, his revenges must

In that be made more bitter. Fear o'ershades me;
Good expedition be my friend, and comfort

The gracious queen, part of his theme, but nothing
Of his ill-ta'en suspicion! Come, Camillo;

I will respect thee as a father, if

Thou bear'st my life off hence. Let us avoid.
Cam. It is in mine authority to command

The keys of all the posterns. Please your highness
To take the urgent hour. Come, sir, away.

[Exeunt.

ACT II.

SCENE I. The same.

Enter HERMIONE, MAMILLIUS, and Ladies.

Her. Take the boy to you: he so troubles me,

'Tis past enduring.

1 Lady.

Come, my gracious lord,

No, I'll none of you.

Shall I be your playfellow?
Mam.

1 Lady. Why, my sweet lord?

Mam. You'll kiss me hard; and speak to me as if

I were a baby still.-I love you better.

2 Lady. And why so, my lord?

Mam.

Not for because

Your brows are blacker; yet black brows, they say,
Become some women best; so that there be not

Too much hair there, but in a semicircle,

Or half-moon made with a pen.

2 Lady. Mam. I learned it out of women's faces.-Pray now What color are your eyebrows?

Who taught you this?

Blue, my lord.

1 Lady. Mam. Nay, that's a mock; I have seen a lady's nose That has been blue, but not her eyebrows.

2 Lady.

Hark ye;

The queen, your mother, rounds apace: we shall
Present our services to a fine new prince,

One of these days; and then you'd wanton with us,
If we would have you.

1 Lady.

Into a goodly bulk.
Her. What wisdom
I am for you again.
And tell's a tale.
Mam.

She is spread of late
Good time encounter her!
stirs amongst you? Come, sir, now
Pray you, sit by us,

Merry, or sad, shall't be?

Her. As merry as you will.
Mam.

A sad tale's best for winter.

I have one of sprites and goblins.
Her.

Let's have that, good sir.

Come on, sit down.-Come on, and do your best

To fright me with your sprites: you're powerful at it Mam. There was a man,—

Her. Nay, come, sit down; then on.

Mam. Dwelt by a churchyard; -I will tell it softly; Yon crickets shall not hear it.

Her.

And give't me in mine ear.

Come on then,

Enter LEONTES, ANTIGONUS, Lords, and others.

Leon. Was he met there? his train? Camillo with him?
1 Lord. Behind the tuft of pines I met them; never
Saw I men scour so on their way. I eyed them
Even to their ships.

Leon.
How blessed am I
In my just censure! in my true opinion!
Alack, for lesser knowledge! How accursed,
In being so blest!-There may be in the cup
A spider steeped, and one may drink; depart,
And yet partake no venom; for his knowledge
Is not infected: but if one present

The abhorred ingredient to his eye make known,
How he hath drunk, he cracks his gorge, his sides.
With violent hefts. I have drunk, and seen the spider.
Camillo was his help in this, his pander.-
There is a plot against my life, my crown;
All's true that is mistrusted.-That false villain,
Whom I employed, was pre-employed by him:
He has discovered my design, and I
Remain a pinched thing; yea, a very trick

For them to play at will. How came the posterns
So easily open?

1 Lord.

By his great authority;

Which often hath no less prevailed them so,

On your command.

Leon.

I know't too well.--

Give me the boy; I am glad you did not nurse him.
Though he does bear some signs of me, yet you
Have too much blood in him.

Her.

What is this? sport?

Leon. Bear the boy hence; he shall not come about her; Away with him; and let her sport herself

With that she's big with; for 'tis Polixenes

Has made thee swell thus.

But I'd say, he had not,

Her.
And, I'll be sworn, you would believe my saying,
Howe'er you lean to the nayward.

Leon.
You, my lords,
Look on her, mark her well; be but about
To say, She is a goodly lady, and

The justice of your hearts will thereto add,
'Tis pity, she's not honest, honorable.

Praise her but for this her without-door form,

(Which, on my faith, deserves high speech,) and straight The shrug, the hum, or ha: these petty brands, That calumny doth use; -0, I am out;

That mercy does; for calumny will sear

Virtue itself; these shrugs, these hums, and ha's,
When you have said, she's goodly, come between,
Ere you can say she's honest. But be it known,
From him that has most cause to grieve it should be,
She's an adult'ress.

Her.

Should a villain say so,
The most replenish villain in the world,
He were as much more villain. You, my lord,
Do but mistake.

Leon.
You have mistook, my lady,
Polixenes for Leontes. O thou thing,
Which I'll not call a creature of thy place,
Lest barbarism, making me the precedent,
Should a like language use to all degrees,
And mannerly distinguishment leave out
Betwixt the prince and beggar!I have said,
She's an adult'ress; I have said with whom ;
More, she's a traitor! and Camillo is

A federary with her; and one that knows
What she should shame to know herself,
But with her most vile principal, that she's
A bed-swerver, even as bad as those

That vulgars give bold'st titles; ay, and privy
To this their late escape.
No, by my life,

Her.

Privy to none of this. How will this grieve you,
When you shall come to clearer knowledge, that
You thus have published me? Gentle my lord,
You scarce can right me throughly, then, to say
You did mistake.

Leon.
In those foundations which I build upon,
The centre is not big enough to bear

No, no; if I mistake

A school-boy's top. Away with her to prison.
He who shall speak for her, is afar off guilty,
But that he speaks.

Her.

There's some ill planet reigns.

I must be patient till the heavens look

With an aspéct more favorable.-Good my lords,
I am not prone to weeping, as our sex
Commonly are; the want of which vain dew,
Perchance, shall dry your pities: but I have
That honorable grief lodged here, which burns
Worse than tears drown. 'Beseech you all, my lords,
With thought so qualified as your charities

Shall best instruct you, measure me; -and so
The king's will be performed!

Leon.

Shall I be heard?

[To the Guards.

Her. Who is't that goes with me? 'Beseech your

highness,

My women may be with me; for, you see,

My plight requires it. Do not weep, good fools;
There is no cause; when you shall know your mistress
Has deserved prison, then abound in tears,

As I come out. This action, I now go on,
Is for my better grace.-Adieu, my lord;
I never wished to see you sorry; now,

I trust, I shall.- My women, come; you have leave.
Leon. Go, do our bidding; hence.

[Exeunt Queen and Ladies. 1 Lord. 'Beseech your highness, call the queen again. Ant. Be certain what you do, sir; lest, your justice Prove violence; in the which three great ones suffer, Yourself, your queen, your son.

1 Lord.

For her, my lord,

I dare my life lay down, and will do't, sir,
Please you to accept it, that the queen is spotless
I'the eyes of Heaven, and to you: I mean,

In this which you accuse her.

Ant.

H*

If it prove