Leo. Go, do our bidding; hence.

[Exit Queen, guarded; and Ladies. Lord. 'Befeech your Highness call the Queen again. Ant. Be certain what you do, Sir, left your justice Prove violence; in the which three Great ones fuffer, Yourself, your Queen, your fon.

Lord. For her, my Lord,

I dare my life lay down, and will do't, Sir,
Please you t'accept it, that the Queen is spotless
I'th' eyes of heaven, and to you, I mean,

In this which you accuse her.

Ant. If it prove

She's otherwife, I'll keep my stable where

6

I lodge my wife, I'll go in couples with her;
Than when I feel, and fee, no further truft her:
For every inch of woman in the world,

Ay every dram of woman's flesh is falfe,

If the be.

Leo. Hold your peaces.

Lord. Good my Lord,

Ant. It is for you we speak, not for ourselves:
You are abus'd, and by fome putter on,

That will be damn'd for't; 'would I knew the villain,
I would land-dam him: be the honour-flaw'd,
I have three daughters; the eldest is eleven;

6

where

I'll keep my fable

I lodge my wife,-] Stableftand (ftabilis ftatio, as Spelman interprets it) is a term of the Fo. reft-Laws, and fignifies a place where a Deer-ftealer fixes his stand under fome convenient cover, and keeps watch for the purpose of killing Deer, as they pafs by. From the place it came to be applied alfo to the perfon, and any man taken in a forest in that fituation with a gun or bow in his hand, was prefumed to be

an offender, and had the name of a Stable-fland. In all former editions this hath been printed ftables, and it may perhaps be objected that another fyllable added fpoils the fmoothness of the verfe. But by pronouncing ftable short the measure will very well bear it, according to the liberty allowed in this kind of writing, and which Shakespeare never fcruples to use; therefore I read, stable-stand. HANMER.

4 Land dam him:] Sir T. Hanmer interprets, flop bis urine.

The second, and the third nine, and * fome five;
If this prove true, they'll pay for't. By mine honour,
I'll geld 'em all fourteen they fhall not fee,
To bring falfe generations: they are co-heirs,
And I had rather glib myself, than they
Should not produce fair iffue.

Leo. Ceafe; no more:

You smell this bufinefs with a fenfe as cold.
As is a dead man's nofe; I fee't and feel't,
As you feel doing thus; and fee withal
The inftruments that feel.

Ant. If it be fo,

We need no grave to bury honesty;

Sinking his brows.

There's not a grain of it, the face to fweeten
Of the whole dungy earth.

Leo. What? lack I credit?

Lord. I had rather you did lack than I, my Lord, Upon this ground; and more it would content me To have her honour true, than your suspicion; Be blam'd for't how you might.

Leo. Why, what need we

Commune with you of this? but rather follow
Our forceful inftigation? our prerogative
Calls not your counfels, but our natural goodness
Imparts this; which, if you, or ftupified,
Or feeming fo in fkill, cannot, or will not
Relish a truth like us; inform yourselves,
We need no more of your advice; the matter,
The lofs, the gain, the ord'ring on't, is all
Properly ours,

Ant. And I wifh, my Liege,

r

You had only in your filent judgment try'd it,
Without more overture.

Leo. How could that be?

Either thou art moft ignorant by age,

Or thou wert born a fool. Camillo's flight,

*This is Mr. Theobald's correction; the former editions read,

fans five.

Added

Added to their familiarity,

(Which was as grofs as ever touch'd conjecture, That lack'd fight only; nought for approbation, But only feeing; all other circumstances

Made up to th' deed) do push on this proceeding; Yet for a greater confirmation,

For, in an act of this importance, 'twere

Moft piteous to be wild, I have dispatch'd in post,
To facred Delphos, to Apollo's temple,
Cleomines and Dion, whom you know

Of stuff'd fufficiency: Now, from the oracle
They will bring all: whofe fpiritual counsel had,
Shall ftop, or fpur me. Have I done well?
Lord. Well done, my Lord.

Leo. Tho' I am fatisfy'd, and need no more
Than what I know, yet fhall the oracle
Give reft to th' minds of others: fuch as he,
Whofe ignorant credulity will not

Come up to th' truth. So have we thought it good
From our free perfon, fhe fhould be confin'd:
Left that the treachery of the two, fled hence,
Be left her to perform. Come, follow us,
We are to speak in publick; for this business
Will raife us all-

Ant. [afide.] To laughter, as I take it,
If the good truth were known.

[Exeunt.

Paul.

SCENE III.

Changes to a Prifon.

Enter Paulina, and Gentlemen.

HE keeper of the prison,-call to him:

ΤΗ

[Exit Gentleman. Good lady,

Let him have knowledge who I am.
No court in Europe is too good for thee;
What doft thou then in prifon?

Re-enter Gentleman, with the Goaler.`

Now, good Sir,

You know me, do you not?

Goal. For a worthy lady,

And one whom much I honour.

Paul. Pray you then, Conduct me to the Queen.

Goal. I may not, Madam;

To the contrary I have express commandment.

Paul. Here's ado to lock up honefty and honour From the accefs of gentle vifitors!

Is it lawful, pray you, to fee her women?

Any of them? Emilia?

Goal. So please you, Madam,

To put a-part these your attendants, I

Shall bring Emilia forth.

Paul. I pray you now, call her:

Withdraw yourselves.

Gaol. And, Madam, I must be

Present at your conference.

Paul. Well, be it fo, prythee.

Here's fuch ado to make no stain a stain,

[Exeunt Gent.

[Exit Goaler.

As paffes colouring.

Enter Emilia.

Dear gentlewoman,

How

How fares our gracious lady?

Emil. As well, as one fo great and fo forlorn
May hold together; on the frights and griefs,
(Which never tender lady hath borne greater ;)
She is, fomething before her time, deliver❜d.
Paul. A boy?

Emil. A daughter, and a goodly babe,
Lufty, and like to live: the Queen receives
Much comfort in't: fays, My poor prifoner,

I'm innocent as you.

Paul. I dare be worn:

These dangerous, unsafe lunes i'th' King' beshrew

them,

He must be told on't, and he fhall; the office

Becomes a woman beft. I'll take't

I'll take't upon me.
If I prove honey-mouth'd, let my tongue blifter;
And never to my red-look'd anger

be

The trumpet any more! Pray you, Emilia,
Commend my beft obedience to the Queen,
If the dares truft me with her little babe,
I'll fhew't the King, and undertake to be
Her advocate to th' loud'ft. We do not know,
How he may foften at the fight o'th' child:
The filence often of pure innocence
Perfuades, when speaking fails.

Emil. Moft worthy Madam,

Your honour and your goodness is fo evident,
That your free undertaking cannot miss

A thriving iffue: there is no lady living

So meet for this great errand. Please your lady fhip To vifit the next room, I'll presently

I

1 Thefe dang❜rous, unfafe Lunes ith King! -] I have no where, but in our Author, obferv'd this Word adopted in our Tongue, to fignify, Frenzy, Lunacy. But it is a Mode of

Expreffion with the French.-
Il y a de la lune: (i. e. He has
got the Moon in his Head; he
is frantick.) Cotgrave. Lune
folie. Les femmes ont des lunes
dans la tete. Richelet.

S4

THEOBALD.

Acquaint