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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,

Shall I be your playfellow?

Mam.

No, I'll none of yon.

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.

Who taught you this?

Mam. I learn'd it out of women's faces.-Pray

now

What colour are your eyebrows?

1 Lady. Blue, my lord. 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.

She is spread of late Into a goodly bulk: Good time encounter her! Her. What wisdom stirs amongst you? Come,

sir, now

I am for you again: Pray you, sit by us,

And tell's a tale.

Mam.

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, 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 church-yard;-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 ey'd them
Even to their ships.
Leon.
How bless'd am I
In my just censure! in my true opinion!-
Alack, for lesser knowledge! How accurs'd,
In being so blest!-There may be in the cup
A spider steep'd, and one may drink; depart,
And yet partake no venom; for his knowledge
Is not infected: but if one present

The abhorr'd 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 employ'd, was pre-employ'd by him:
He has discover'd my design, and I

Remain a pinch'd thing; yea, a very trick
For them to play at will:-How came the pos-

terns

So easily open?

1 Lord.

By his great authority; Which often hath no less prevail'd than 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, honourable:

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 has, 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 adultress.

Her.

Should a villain say so, The most replenish'd 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 adultress; 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.

Her.

No, by my life, Privy to none of this: How will this grieve you, When you shall come to clearer knowledge, that You thus have publish'd me? Gentle my lord, You scarce can right me throughly then, to say You did mistake.

Leon.
No, no; if I mistake
In those foundations which I build upon,
The centre is not big enough to bear

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 aspect more favourable.-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 honourable grief lodg'd here, which burns Worse than tears drown: 'Beseech you all, my lords,

With thoughts so qualified as your charities Shall best instruct you, measure me ;-and so The king's will be perform'd!

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 deserv'd 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 wish'd 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.

[justice

Ant. Be certain what you do, sir; lest your

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. If it prove She's otherwise, I'll keep my stables where I lodge my wife; I'll go in couples with her; Then when I feel, and see her, no further trust her;

For every inch of woman in the world,

Ay, every dram of woman's flesh, is false,
If she be.
Leon.

1 Lord.

Hold your peaces.

Good my lord.Ant. It is for you we speak, not for ourselves: You are abus'd, and by some putter-on, That will be damn'd for 't; 'would, I knew the villain,

I would land-damn him: Be she honour-flaw'd,I have three daughters; the eldest is eleven; The second, and the third, nine, and some five; If this prove true, they'll pay for't: by mine honour,

I'll geld them all; fourteen they shall not see, To bring false generations; they are coheirs; And I had rather glib myself, than they

Should not produce fair issue.

Leon.

Cease; no more. You smell this business with a sense as cold As is a dead man's nose: I see 't, and feel't, As you feel doing thus; and see withal The instruments that feel.

Ant.

If it be so,

We need no grave to bury honesty ;
There's not a grain of it, the face to sweeten
Of the whole dungy earth.

Leon.

What! lack I credit?

1 Lord. I had rather you did lack, than I, my

[me

lord, Upon this ground: and more it would content To have her honour true, than your suspicion; Be blam'd for 't how you might.

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