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It is a furplus of your Grace, which never
My life may laft to answer.

Leo. O Paulina,

We honour you with trouble; but we came
To fee the ftatue of our Queen. Your gallery
Have we pafs'd through, not without much content,
In many fingularities; but we faw not
That, which my daughter came to look upon,
The ftatue of her mother.

Paul. As fhe liv'd peerless,

So her dead likeness, I do well believe,
Excels whatever yet you look'd upon,

Or hand of man hath done; therefore I keep it
Lovely, apart. But here it is; prepare

To fee the life as lively mock'd as ever

Still fleep mock'd death; behold, and fay, 'tis well! [Paulina draws a curtain, and difcovers a ftatue.

I like your filence, it the more fhews off

--

Your wonder; but yet speak. First you, my Liege, Comes it not fomething near?

Leo. Her natural posture!

Chide me, dear stone, that I may say, indeed,
Thou art Hermione: or rather, thou art fhe,
In thy not chiding, for she was as tender
As infancy and grace. But yet, Paulina,
Hermione was not fo much wrinkled, nothing
So aged as this feems.

Pol. Oh, not by much.

Paul. So much the more our carver's excellence,

7 therefore I keep it Lovely, apart.- -] Lovely, i. e. charily, with more than ordinary regard and tenderness. The Oxford Editor reads,

Lonely, apart-

As if it could be apart without

being alone.

WARBURTON.

I am yet inclined to lonely, which in the old angular writing cannot be diftinguished from lovely. To fay, that I keep it alone, feparate from the reft, is a pleonafm which scarcely any nicety declines.

Which lets go by fome fixteen years;
As fhe liv'd now.

and make her,

Leo. As now the might have done,
So much to my good comfort, as it is
Now piercing to my foul. Oh, thus fhe stood
Even with fuch life of Majefty (warm life,
As now it coldly stands) when first I woo'd her.
I am afham'd; do's not the ftone rebuke me,
For being more ftone than it? oh, royal piece!
There's magick in the Majefty, which has
My evils conjur'd to remembrance; and
From my admiring daughter took the spirits,
Standing like ftone with thee.

Per. And give me leave,

And do not say 'tis fuperftition, that

I kneel, and then implore her bleffing. Lady,
Dear Queen, that ended when I but began,
Give me that hand of yours to kiss.

8

Paul. O, patience 3 ;————

The statue is but newly fix'd; the colour's
Not dry.

Cam. My Lord, your forrow was too fore laid on, Which fixteen winters cannot blow away,

So many fummers, dry; scarce any joy

Did ever fo long live; no forrow,

But kill'd itself much fooner.

Pol. Dear my brother,

Let him, that was the cause of this, have power
To take off fo much from you, as he

Will piece up in himself.

Paul. Indeed, my Lord,

If I had thought, the fight of my poor image
Would thus have wrought you (for the ftone is mine)
I'd not have fhew'd it.

Leo. Do not draw the curtain.

Paul. No longer fhall you gaze on't, left your fancy

O patience.] That is, Stay a while, be not so eager.

May

May think anon, it move.

Leo. Let be, let be;

? Would I were dead, but that, methinks, alreadyWhat was he, that did make it? fee, my Lord, Would you not deem, it breath'd; and that those veins

Did verily bear blood?

Pol. Masterly done!

The very life feems warm upon her lip.

Leo. The fixure of her eye has motion in't', 'As we were mock'd with art.

Paul. I'll draw the curtain.

My Lord's almoft fo far tranfported, that
He'll think anon, it lives.

Leo. O fweet Paulina,

Make me to think fo twenty years together:
No fettled fenfes of the world can match
The pleasure of that madnefs. Let alone.

Paul. I'm forry, Sir, I have thus far stirr'd you;

but

I could afflict you further.

Leo. Do, Paulina;

For this affliction has a tafte as fweet

As any cordial comfort. Still, methinks,

There is an air comes from her. What fine chizzel Could ever yet cut breath? let no man mock me, For I will kifs her.

Paul. Good my Lord, forbear; The ruddiness upon her lip is wet;

9 Would I were dead, but that, methinks, already-] The fentence compleated is, —but that, methinks, already I converfe with the dead. But there his paffion made him break off. WARBURTON. The FIXURE of her eye has motion in't.] This is fad

nonfenfe. We should read,

The FISSURE of her eyethe eye is. i. e. the focket, the place where WARBURTON. Fixure is right. The mean ing is, that her eye, though fix ed, as in an earnest gaze, has motion in it. EDWARDS.

You'll

You'll marr it, if you kifs it; ftain your own

With oily painting.

Shall I draw the curtain?

Leo. No, not these twenty years.

Per. So long could I

Stand by, a looker on.
Paul. Either forbear,

Quit presently the chapel, or refolve you
For more amazement; if you can behold it,
I'll make the statue move, indeed; defcend,
And take you by the hand; but then you'll think,
Which I protest against, I am affifted

By wicked powers.

Leo. What you can make her do,

I am content to look on; what to speak,
I am content to hear; for 'tis as eafy
To make her speak, as move.

Paul. It is requir'd,

You do awake your faith: then, all stand still :
And thofe, that think it is unlawful business
I am about, let them depart.

Leo. Proceed;

No foot fhall ftir.

[Mufick.

Pol. Mufick; awake her: ftrike.
'Tis time, defcend; be ftone no more; approach,
Strike all that look upon with marvel. Come,
I'll fill your grave up: ftir; nay, come away;
Bequeath to death your numbness; for from him
Dear life redeems you. You perceive, fhe stirs;
Hermione comes down.

Start not; her actions fhall be holy, as
You hear my fpell is lawful; do not fhun her,
Until you fee her die again, for then

You kill her double. Nay, prefent your hand;
When fhe was young, you woo'd her; now in age,
Is the become the fuitor.

Leo. Oh, fhe's warm;

If this be magick, let it be an art
Lawful as eating.

[Embracing her.

Pol.

Pol. She embraces him.

Cam. She hangs about his neck;
If the pertain to life, let her fpeak too.

Pol. Ay, and make it manifeft where she has liv'd, Or how ftol'n from the dead?

Paul. That she is living,

Were it but told you, should be hooted at
Like an old tale; but it appears, the lives,
Tho' yet she speak not.

Mark a little while.

Please you to interpofe Fair Madam, kneel,

-

And pray your mother's bleffing.-Turn, good Lady: Our Perdita is found.

[Prefenting Perdita, who kneels to Herm.

Her. You Gods, look down,

And from your facred vials pour your graces

Upon my daughter's head. Tell me, mine own, Where haft thou been preferv'd? where liv'd? how

found

Thy father's court? for thou fhalt hear, that I,
Knowing by Paulina that the Oracle

Gave hope that thou waft in being, have preferv'd
Myfelf, to fee the iffue.

Paul. There's time enough for that;

Left they defire, upon this push, to trouble
Your joys with like relation. Go together,
* You precious winners all, your exultation
Partake to every one; I, an old turtle,

Will wing me to fome wither'd bough, and there
My mate, that's never to be found again,
Lament 'till I am loft.

Leo. O peace, Paulina:

Thou should'st a husband take by my consent,
As I by thine, a wife. This is a match,

And made between's by vows. Thou haft found mine,

Ye precious winners all.] You who by this discovery have gained what you defired may join in

feftivity, in which I, who have loft what can never be recovered, can have no part.

But

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