34

SCENE IV.

The KING'S Closet.

LEONTES alone, discovered.

Leon. Nor night, nor day, no rest;-It is but

weakness

To bear the matter thus, mere weakness.—If
The cause were not in being;-part o'the cause,
She, the adultress,-for the harlot king

Is quite beyond mine arm, out of the blank
And level of my brain, plot-proof,—but she
I can hook to me:-Say, that she were gone,
Given to the death, a moiety of my rest
Might come to me again.-Who's there?

Ant. My lord?

Enter ANTIGONUS.

Leon. How does the boy?

Ant. He took good rest to-night; "Tis hop'd, his sickness is discharged. Leon. To see

His nobleness!

Conceiving the dishonour of his mother,
He straight declin'd, droop'd, took it deeply;
Fasten'd and fix'd the shame on't in himself;
Threw off his spirit, his appetite, his sleep,
And downright languish'd.-

Polixenes, thou-Fie! no more of him;-
The very thought of my revenges that way
Recoils upon me; in himself too mighty,
His parties, his alliance.-Let him be,

Until a time may serve For present vengeance,

Take it on her.

Camillo and Polixenes

Laugh at me; make their pastime at my sorrow: They should not laugh if I could reach them; nor Shall she, within my power.

PHOCION, THASIUS, and PAULINA, without. Tha. You must not enter.

Paul. Nay, rather, good my lords, be second to

me;

Fear you his tyrannous passion more, alas!

Than the queen's life? a gracious innocent soul;
More free than he is jealous.

Ant. That's enough.

Enter PHOCION, THASIUS, and PAULINA, with the

CHILD.

Pho. Madam, he hath not slept to night; commanded

None should come at him.

Paul. Not so hot, good sir

I come to bring him sleep. "Tis such as you,-
That creep like shadows by him, and do sigh
At each his needless heavings,-such as you
Nourish the cause of his awaking: I
Do come, with words as med'cinal as true,
To purge him of that humour,

That presses him from sleep.

Leon. What noise there, ho?

Paul. No noise, my lord; but needful conference, About some gossips for your highness.

Leon. How?—

Away with that audacious lady.-Antigonus,

I charg'd thee that she should not come about me, Ant. I told her so, my lord,

On your displeasure's peril, and on mine,

She should not visit you.

Paul. Good my liege, I come,you, hear

And I beseech

me, who profess

Myself your loyal servant, your physician,
Your most obedient counsellor: yet that dare
Less appear so, in comforting your evils,

Than such as may seem yours: I say, I come
From your good queen.

Leon. Good queen!

Paul. Good queen, my lord-good queen: I say, good queen;

And would by combat make her good, so were I
A man, the worst about you.

Leon. Force her hence.

Paul. Let him, that makes but trifles of his eyes, First hand me: on mine own accord I'll off; But, first, I'll do my errand.-The good queen,For she is good,-hath brought you forth a daughter; Here 'tis; commends it to your blessing.

Leon. Out!

[Laying down the CHILD.

A mankind witch! Hence with her, out o'door:
A most intelligencing bawd!

Paul. Not so:

I am as ignorant in that, as you

In so entitling me: and no less honest

Than you are mad; which is enough, I'll warrant, As this world goes, to pass for honest.

Leon. Traitors!

Will you not push her out?-Give her the bastard:
Thou, dotard, thou art woman-tir'd, unroosted
By thy dame Partlet here,

Take't up, I say; give't to thy crone.

Paul. For ever

Unvenerable be thy hands, if thou

Tak'st up the princess, by that forced baseness

Which he has put upon't!

Leon. He dreads his wife!

Paul. So I would, you did; then, 'twere past all doubt,

You'd call your children yours.

Leon. A nest of traitors!

Ant. I am none, by this good light.
Paul. Nor I; nor any

But one, that's here; and that's himself:-For he
The sacred honour of himself, his queen's,

His hopeful son's, his babe's, betrays to slander,
Whose sting is sharper than the sword's; and will

not

Once remove

The root of his opinion, which is rotten,

As ever oak, or stone, was sound.

Leon. This brat is none of mine.

Paul. 'Tis yours;

And, might we lay the old proverb to your charge,
So like you, 'tis the worse.-Behold, my lords,
Although the print be little, the whole matter
And copy of the father: eye, nose, lip,

The trick of his frown, his forehead; nay, the valley,

The pretty dimples of his chin, and cheek,

And thou, good goddess Nature, which hast made it So like to him that got it, if thou hast

The ordering of the mind too, 'mongst all colours

No yellow in't; lest she suspect, as he does,
Her children not her husband's!

Leon. A gross hag!

And, lozel, thou art worthy to be hang'd,
That wilt not stay her tongue.

Ant. Hang all the husbands

That cannot do that feat, you'll leave yourself

Hardly one subject.

Leon. Once more, take her hence.

Paul. A most unworthy and unnatural lord

Can do no more.—

I will not call you tyrant;

But this most cruel usage of your queen

Savours of tyranny, and will ignoble make you,
Yea, scandalous to the world.

E

Leon. On your allegiance,

Out of the chamber with her.

Were I a tyrant,

Where were her life?

Away with her.

Paul. I pray you, do not push me; I'll be gone, Look to your babe, my lord; 'tis yours; Jove send

her

A better guiding spirit!

-What need these hands?

You, that are thus so tender o'er his follies,

Will never do him good, not one of you.

So, so;-Farewell; we are gone.

[Exit PAULINA.

Leon. Thou, traitor, hast set on thy wife to this.

My child? Away with't!-Even thou, that hast,
A heart so tender o'er it, take it hence,

And see it instantly consum'd with fire;

Even thou, and none but thou. Take it up straight; Within this hour bring me word 'tis done,

And by good testimony, or I'll seize thy life, With what thou else call'st thine.-Go,-do it,hence,

For thou sett'st on thy wife.

Ant. I did not, sir:

These lords, my noble fellows, if they please,
Can clear me in't.

Pho. We can: My royal liege,

He is not guilty of her coming hither.
Leon. You are traitors, all.

Ant. 'Beseech your highness give us better credit: We have always truly serv'd you; and beseech

So to esteem of us: And on my knees I beg,

(As recompence of my dear services,

Past, and to come), that you do change this pur

pose;

Which, being so horrible, so bloody, must

Lead on to some foul issue: We beseech

Leon. Shall I live on, to see this creature kneel

And call me father? Better end it now,