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Arch. Wherein our entertainment fhall fhame us2, we will be justified in our love; for, indeed,Cam. 'Beseech you

Arch. Verily, I fpeak it in the freedom of my knowledge, we cannot with fuch magnificence-in fo rare,-I know not what to fay-we will give you fleepy drinks, that your fenfes, unintelligent of our insufficience, may, tho' they cannot praise us, as little accufe us.

Cam. You pay a great deal too dear, for what's given freely.

Arch. Believe me, I fpeak, as my Understanding instructs me; and as mine honefty puts it to utterance.

Cam. Sicilia cannot fhew himself over-kind to Bobemia; they were trained together in their childhoods; and there rooted betwixt them then fuch an affection, which cannot chufe but branch now. Since their more mature dignities and royal neceffities made feparation of their fociety, their incounters, though not perfonal, have been royally attornied with interchange of gifts, letters, loving embaffies; that they have feem'd to be together, tho' abfent; fhook hands, as over a Vaft; and embrac'd, as it were, from the ends of oppofed winds. The heavens continue their loves!

Arch. I think, there is not in the world either malice, or matter, to alter it. You have an unfpeakable comfort of your young Prince Mamillius: it is a gentleman of the greatest promife, that ever came into my note.

Cam. I very well agree with you in the hopes of him it is a gallant child; one that, indeed, phyficks the fubject, makes old hearts fresh: they, that went

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on crutches, ere he was born, defire yet their life to fee him a man.

Arch. Would they elfe be content to die?

Cam. Yes, if there were no other excufe why they fhould defire to live.

Arch. If the King had no fon, they would defire to live on crutches 'till he had one.

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Enter Leontes, Hermione, Mamillius, Polixenes, and Attendants.

Pol.

N

INE Changes of the watry ftar hath been
The fhepherd's note, fince we have left our
Throne

Without a burden: time as long again

Would be fill'd up, my brother, with our thanks;
And yet we fhould, for perpetuity,

Go hence in debt: and therefore, like a cypher,
Yet ftanding in rich place, I multiply

With one, we thank you, many thoufands more,

That go before it.

Leo. Stay your thanks a while;

And pay them, when you part,

Pol. Sir, that's to-morrow:

I'm queftion'd by my fears, of what may chance,
Or breed upon our abfence, that may blow

THAT MAY blow

No Jneaping winds at home, &c. This is nonfenfe, we fhould read it thus,

MAY THERE blow, &c. He had faid he was apprehenfive that his prefence might be wanted at home; but, left this fhould

No

prove an ominous fpeech, he en-
deavours, as was the custom, to
avert it by a deprecatory prayer.
may there blow
No fneaping winds to make us
fay,

This was put forth too truly.
But the Oxford Editor, rather

than

No fneaping winds at home, to make us fay, "This is put forth too truly.", Befides, I have ftay'd To tire your royalty.

Leo. We are tougher, brother, Than you can put us to't.

Pol. No longer Stay.

Leo. One fev❜n-night longer.

Pol. Very footh, to-morrow.

Leo. We'll part the time between's then: and in that I'll no gain-faying.

Pol. Prefs me not, 'befeech you, fq;

There is no tongue that moves. None, none i'th' world,

So foon as yours, could win me: fo it fhould now,
Were there neceffity in your request, altho'
"Twere needful I deny'd it. My affairs

Do even drag me homeward; which to hinder,
Were, in your love, a whip to me; my stay,.
To you a charge and trouble: to fave both,
Farewel, our brother.

Leo. Tongue-ty'd, our Queen? fpeak you.

Her. I had thought, Sir, to've held my peace, until
You'ad drawn paths from him not to ftay: you, Sir,
Charge him too coldly. Tell him, you are fure,
All in Bohemia's well: this fatisfaction

The by-gone day proclaim'd; fay this to him,
He's beat from his best ward.

Leo. Well faid, Hermione.

Her. To tell, he longs to fee his fon, were strong.

But let him fay fo then, and let him go;

But let him fwear fo, and he shall not ftay;
We'll thwack him hence with diftaffs.

Yet of your royal prefence I'll adventure

than be beholden to this correction, alters it to,

[To Polixenes.

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there may

blow

ment.

WARBURTON.

The

7

The borrow of a week. When at Bobemia
You take my Lord, I'll give you my commiffion",
To let him there a month, behind the gest
Prefix'd for's parting: yet (good heed) Leontes,
I love thee not a jar o'th' clock behind
What lady fhe her lord. You'll stay?

Pol. No, Madam.

Her. Nay, but you will?
Pol. I may not, verily.
Her. Verily?

You put me off with limber vows; but I,
Tho' you would feek t' unsphere the ftars with oaths,
Should yet fay, "Sir, no going: verily,

"You fhall not go;" a lady's verily is
As potent as a lord's. Will you go, yet?
Force me to keep you as a prifoner,

Not like a gueft; fo you fhall pay your fees,

When you depart, and fave your thanks. How fay you?

My prifoner? or my gueft? by your dread verily, One of them you fhall be.

Pol. Your gueft then, Madam:

To be your prifoner, fhould import offending;
Which is for me lefs eafy to commit,

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Than you to punish.

Her. Not your Goaler then,

But your kind Hoftefs; come, I'll question you

Of my Lord's tricks, and yours, when you were boys: You were pretty lordings then?

Pol. We were, fáir Queen,

Two lads, that thought there was no more behind, But fuch a day to-morrow as to-day,

And to be boy eternal.

Her. Was not my Lord the verier wag o'th' two? Pol. We were as twinn'd lambs, that did frisk i'th'

Sun,

And bleat the one at th' other: what we chang'd,
Was innocence for innocence; we knew not
The doctrine of ill-doing; no, nor dream'd,
That any did had we purfu'd that life,
And our weak fpirits ne'er been higher rear'd
With ftronger blood, we should have anfwer'd heaven
Boldly, Not guilty; th' impofition clear'd,
Hereditary ours.

Her. By this we gather,

You have tript fince.

Pol. O my moft facred Lady,

Temptations have fince then been born to's: for
In those unfledg'd days was my wife a girl;
Your precious felf had then not crois'd the eyes
my young play-fellow.

Of

Her. Grace to boot!

Of this make no conclufion, left you say,

9

th' impofition clear'd, Hereditary ours.] . e. fetting afide original fin; bating the impofition from the offence of our firft parents, we might have boldly protefted our innocence to heaven. WARBURTON.

1 Grace to boot! Of this make no conclufion, left

Your

you fay, &c.] Polixènes had faid, that fince the time of childhood and innocence, temp tations had grown to them; for that, in that interval, the two Queens were become women. To each part of this obfervation the Queen anfwers in order. To that of temptations the replies,

Grace

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