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ACT II. SCENE I.

The Palace.

Enter Hermione, Mamillius, and Ladies.

HERMIONE.

AKE the boy to you; he fo troubles me,
'Tis paft enduring.

1 Lady. Come, my gracious Lord,

Shall I be your play-fellow?

Mam. No, I'll none of you.

1 Lady. Why, my sweet Lord?

Mam. You'll kifs me hard, and speak to me as if

I were a baby ftill. I love

you better.

2 Lady. And why so, my Lord?

Mam. Not for because

Your brows are blacker; (yet black brows, they fay,
Become fome women beft; fo that there be not
Too much hair there, but in a femicircle,
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 be your eye-brows?

1 Lady. Blue, my Lord.

Mam. Nay, that's a mock: I've seen a lady's nose That has been blue, but not her eye-brows.

1 Lady. Hark ye,

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

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

2 Lady. She is spread of late

Into a goodly bulk; good time encounter her!

Her.

Her. What wisdom ftirs amongst you? come, Sir,

now

I am for you again. Pray you fit by us,

And tell's a tale.

Mam. Merry, or fad, fhall't be?
Her. As merry as you will.

Mam. A fad tale's beft for winter.
I have one of sprights and goblins.
Her. I.et's have that, good Sir..

Come on, fit down. Come on, and do your best
To fright me with your spright: you're powerful at it.
Mam. There was a man

Her. Nay, come fit down; then on.

Mam. Dwelt by a church-yard;-I will tell it foftly:

Yond crickets fhall not hear it.

Her. Come on then, and give't me in mine ear.

SCENE II.

Enter Leontes, Antigonus, and Lords.

Leo. Was he met there? his train? Camillo with him?

Lord. Behind the tuft of pines I met them; never Saw I men fcowr fo on their way: Iey'd them Even to their fhips.

Leo. How bleft am I

In my just cenfure! in my true opinion!
Alack, for leffer knowledge '-how accurs'd
In being fo bleft! There may be in the cup
A fpider steep'd, and one may drink; depart,
And yet partake no venom; for his knowledge
Is not infected: but if one present

Th' abhorr'd ingredient to his eye, make known

Alack, for leffer knowledge-] That is, O that my knowledge were less.

How

How he hath drunk, he cracks his gorge, his fides 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 falfe villain,
Whom I employ'd, was pre-employ'd by him:
He hath discover'd my defign, and I'

2

Remain a pinch'd thing; yea, a very trick

For them to play at will: how came the posterns
So easily open?

Lord. By his great authority,

Which often hath no lefs prevail'd than fo
On your command.

Leo. I know too well.

Give me the boy; [To Herm.] I'm glad, you did not nurfe him:

Though he does bear fome figns of me, yet you
Have too much blood in him.-

Her. What is this, fport?

Leo. Bear the boy hence, he fhall not come about

her;

Away with him, and let her fport herself

With that she's big with: for it is Polixenes
Has made thee fwell thus.

Her. But I'd fay, he had not;

And, I'll be fworn, you would believe my faying,
Howe'er you lean to th' nayward.

Leo. You, my Lords,

Look on her, mark her well; be but about

To fay, fhe is a goodly lady, and

The juftice of your hearts will thereto add,
'Tis pity, fhe's not honest, honourable :
Praise her but for this her without-door form,

2 He hath difcover'd my defign,

and I

Remain a pinch'd thing:] Alluding to the fuperftition of

the vulgar, concerning those who were enchanted, and fastened to the spot, by charms fuperior to their own. WARBURTON.

(Which on my faith deferves high speech), and ftraight The shrug, the hum, or ha,-thefe petty brands, That calumny doth ufe: oh, I am out,

That mercy does; for calumny will fear
Virtue itself.-Thefe fhrugs, thefe hums, and ha's,
When you have faid fhe's goodly, come between,
Ere you can fay fhe's honeft: but be't known,
(From him that has moft caufe to grieve it should be);
She's an adultrefs.

Her. Should a villain fay fo,

The most replenish'd villain in the world,
He were as much more villain: you, my Lord,
Do but mistake.

Leo. You have miftook, my Lady,
Polixenes for Leontes.

O thou thing,
Which I'll not call a creature of thy place,
Left barbarism, making me the precedent,
Should a like language ufe to all degrees;
And mannerly diftinétion leave out

Betwixt the prince and beggar.I have said,
She's an adultrefs; I have faid with whom :
More; fhe's a traitor, and Camillo is

A federary with her, and one that knows
What the fhould fhame to know herfelf,
But with her moft 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 fay
You did miftake.

Leo. No, if I mistake3

3-if I miftake

The center, &c.] That is, If the proofs which I can offer VOL. II.

will not fupport the opinion I have formed, no foundation can be trusted.

S

In

In these foundations which I build upon,
The center is not big enough to bear

A fchool-boy's top. Away with her to prison:
He, who shall speak for her, is far off guilty 4,
But that he speaks.

Her. There's fome 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 fex
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: 'befeech you all, my lords,
With thoughts fo qualified as your charities
Shall best instruct you, measure me; and fo
The King's will be perform'd!

Leo. Shall I be heard?

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,

mistress

[To ber Ladies. There is no cause; when you fhall know, your Has deferv'd prifon, 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 forry; now,

I trust, I fhall. My women,-come, you've leave.

He who fhall Speak for her,
is far off guilty,

But that be Speaks-
-]
This cannot be the Speaker's
Meaning. Leontes would fay, I
fhall hold the perfon in a great
meafure guilty, who fhall dare to
intercede for her: And this, I
believe, Shakespeare ventur'd to
exprefs thus :

He, who fhall fpeak for her, is

far of guilty, &c. i. e. partakes far, deeply, of her Guilt. THEOBALD.

It is ftrange that Mr. Theobald could not find out that far off guilty, fignifies, guilty in a remote degree.

5

this action, ] The word action is here taken in the lawyer's fenfe, for indictment, charge, or accufation.

Leo.

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