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Tho' full of our displeasure, yet we free thee
From the dead blow of it. And you, enchantment,
Worthy enough a herdsman; yea him too,
That makes himself, but for our honour therein,
Unworthy thee; if ever, henceforth, thou
These rural latches to his entrance open,
Or hoop his body more with thy embraces,
I will devife a death as cruel for thee,
As thou art tender to it.

SCENE VIII.

Per. Even here, undone,

[Exit.

I was not much afraid; for once or twice
I was about to speak, and tell him plainly,
The felf-fame fun that shines upon his court,
Hides not his vifage from our cottage, but
I.ooks on alike. Wilt please you, Sir,
Wilt please you, Sir, be gone?

you,

[To Florizel. I told you what would come of this. 'Beseech Of your own state take care :—this dream of mine,Being now awake, I'll queen it no inch farther, But milk my ewes, and weep.

Cam. Why, how now, father?

Speak, ere thou dieft.

Shep. I cannot fpeak, nor think,

Nor dare to know that which I know. O Sir,

[To Florizel.

You have undone a man of fourfcore three 2,

I was not much afraid; &c.] The Character is here finely fuftained. To have made her quite aftonished on the king's difcovery of himself, had not become her birth; and to have given her prefence of mind to have made this reply to the King, had not become her education.

WARBURTON. 2 You have undone a man of

fourfcore three, &c.] Thefe fentiments, which the Poet has heighten'd by a strain of ridicule that runs thro' them, admirably characterise the speaker; whose felfishness is seen in concealing the adventure of Perdita; and here fupported, by shewing no regard for his fon or her, but being taken up entirely with himself, though four core three.

WARBURTON.
That

That thought to fill his grave in quiet; yea,
To die upon the bed my father dy'd,

To lie close by his honeft bones; but now
Some hangman must put on my fhrowd, and lay me
Where no priest shovels in duft. O curfed wretch !
[To Perdita.
That knew'ft this was the Prince; and would'ft ad-

venture

To mingle faith with him. Undone, undone !
If I might die within this hour, I have liv'd
To die when I defire.

SCENE IX.

Flo. Why look you fo upon me?
I am but forry, not afraid; delay'd,
But nothing alter'd: what I was, I am;

[Exit.

More ftraining on, for plucking back; not following My leafh unwillingly.

Cam. Gracious my Lord,

You know your father's temper: at this time
He will allow no speech (which I do guess,
You do not purpose to him ;) and as hardly
Will he endure your fight as yet, I fear;
Then, 'till the fury of his Highness settle,
Come not before him.

Flo. I not purpose it.

I think, Camillo ?

Cam. Even he, my Lord.

Per. How often have I told you, 'twould be thus ? How often said, my dignity would last

But till 'twere known?

Flo. It cannot fail, but by

The violation of thy faith, and then

Let nature crush the fides o'th' earth together,
And mar the feeds within-Lift up thy looks-
From my fucceffion wipe me, father, I

Am heir to my affection.

Cam. Be advis'd.

Flo.

Flo. I am; and by my fancy *; if
my reafon
Will thereto be obedient, I have reason;
If not, my fenfes, better pleas'd with madness,
Do bid it welcome.

Cam. This is defperate, Sir.

Flo. So call it, but it does fulfil my vow;
I needs must think it honefty. Camillo,
Not for Bohemia, nor the pomp that may
Be thereat glean'd; for all the fun fees, or
The close earth wombs, or the profound feas hide
In unknown fathoms, will I break my oath
To this my fair belov'd: therefore, I pray you,
As you have ever been my father's friend,
When he shall mifs me, as, in faith, I mean not
To see him any more, caft your good counfels
Upon his paffion; let myself and fortune
Tug for the time to come. This you may know,
And fo deliver, I am put to fea

With her, whom here I cannot hold on fhore;
And, moft opportune to our need, I have
A veffel rides faft by, but not prepar'd

For this defign. What courfe I mean to hold
Shall nothing benefit your knowledge, nor
Concern me the reporting.

Cam. O my Lord,

I would your spirit were easier for advice,
Or ftronger for your need.

Flo. Hark, Perdita

I'll hear you by and by.

Cam. [afide.] He's irremoveable,

[To Camillo.

Refolv'd for flight: now were I happy, if

His going I could frame to ferve my turn;

Save him from danger, do him love and honour; Purchase the fight again of dear Sicilia,

And that unhappy King, my master, whom

I fo much thirst to fee.

* It must be remembered that fancy in this authour very often, as in this place, means love.

Flo.

Flo. Now, good Camillo

I am fo fraught with curious business, that

I leave out ceremony.

Cam. Sir, I think,

You have heard of my poor fervices, o'th' love
That I have borne your father?
Flo. Very nobly

Have you deferv'd: it is my father's mufick
To speak your deeds, not little of his care
To have them recompenc'd, as thought on.
Cam. Well, my Lord,

If you may please to think I love the King,
And through him, what's nearest to him, which is
Your gracious felf, embrace but my direction.
If your more ponderous and fettled project
May fuffer alteration, on mine honour,

I'll point you where you fhall have fuch receiving
As fhall become your Highnefs, where you may
Enjoy your mistress; from the whom, Í fee,
There's no disjunction to be made, but by
(As, heav'ns forefend !) your ruin. Marry her,
And with my best endeavours, in your absence,
Your discontented father I'll ftrive to qualify,
And bring him up to liking.

Flo. How, Camillo,

May this, almost a miracle, be done?

That I may call thee fomething more than man,
And after that truft to thee.

Cam. Have you thought on

A place whereto you'll go?

Flo. Not any yet;

*But as th❜unthought-on accident is guilty Of what we wildly do, fo we profefs

Ourselves to be the flaves of chance, and flies

Of every wind that blows.

Cam. Then lift to me.

* As chance has driven me to thefe extremities, fo I commit

myself to chance to be conducted through them.

This follows. If you will not change your purpose,
But undergo this flight, make for Sicilia

And there present yourself, and your fair Princess,
For fo, I see, she must be, 'fore Leontes.

She shall be habited, as it becomes

The

partner of
of your bed. Methinks, I fee
Leontes opening his free arms, and weeping

His welcomes forth; afks thee, the fon, forgiveness,
As 'twere 'ith' father's perfon; kiffes the hands
Of your fresh Princefs; o'er and o'er divides him,
'Twixt his unkindness, and his kindness: th' one
He chides to hell, and bids the other grow
Fafter than thought or time.

Flo. Worthy Camillo,

What colour for my vifitation fhall I
Hold up before him?

Cam. Sent by the King your father

To greet him, and to give him comforts, Sir.
The manner of your bearing towards him, with
What you, as from your father, fhall deliver,

Things known betwixt us three, I'll write you down3;
The which shall point you forth at ev'ry fitting,
What you muft fay; that he shall not perceive,
But that you have your father's bofom there,
And speak his very heart.

Flo. I am bound to you:
There is fome fap in this.

3 Things known betwixt us three I'll write you down, The which shall point you forth at ev'ry fitting,

What you must Jay;] Every Sitting, methinks, gives but a very poor Idea. Every fitting, as I have ventur'd to correct the Text, means, very convenient Opportunity: every Juncture, when it is fit to fpeak of fuch, or fuch, a Point. THEOBALD.

The which shall point you forth

at every fitting,] Every fitting, fays Mr. Theobald, methinks, gives us but a very poor idea. But a poor idea is better than none; which it comes to, when he has alter'd it to every fitting. The truth is, the common reading is very expreffive; and means, at every audience you shall have of the King and Council. The Council days being, in our author's time, called, in common speech, the Sittings. WARB.

Cam.

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