Kill'd! Leon. Upon thy tongue, as in my thought. Now, good now, Cleo. Not at all, good lady: Would have him wed again. Dion. If you would not so, You pity not the state, nor the remembrance Of his most sovereign name; consider little, What dangers, by his highness' fail of issue, May drop upon his kingdom, and devour Incertain lookers-on. What were more holy, Than to rejoice the former queen is well? What holier than, for royalty's repair, For present comfort, and for future good, To bless the bed of majesty again With a sweet fellow to't? Paul. There is none worthy, Respecting her that's gone. Besides, the gods Will have fulfill'd their secret purposes; For has not the divine Apollo said, Is't not the tenour of his oracle, That king Leontes shall not have an heir, Till his lost child be found? which, that it shall, Leon. Good Paulina,Who hast the memory of Hermione, I know, in honour,-O, that ever I Had squar'd me to thy counsel!-then, even now, I might have look'd upon my queen's full eyes, Have taken treasure from her lips, Paul. And left them More rich, for what they yielded. She had just cause. Leon. Had she such power, She had; and would incense me To murder her I married. Paul. I should so: Were I the ghost that walk'd, I'd bid you mark You chose her? then I'd shriek, that even your ears Leon. Stars, stars! And all eyes else dead coals.-Fear thou no wife; I'll have no wife, Paulina. Paul. Will you swear Never to marry, but by my free leave? As like Hermione as is her picture, Go, Cleomenes; Yourself, assisted with your honour'd friends, Bring them to our embracement.-Still 'tis strange, [Exeunt CLEOMENES, Lords, and Gentleman. He thus should steal upon us. Had our Prince Paul. Leon. Pr'ythee, no more: cease! thou know'st, Your mother was most true to wedlock, prince, Most noble sir, That which I shall report will bear no credit, Were not the proof so nigh. Please you, great sir, Bohemia greets you from himself by me; Flo. The lands and waters 'twixt your throne and his (He bade me say so) more than all the sceptres, Leon. O, my brother! Good gentleman, the wrongs I have done thee stir Of my behind-hand slackness.-Welcome hither, Flo. She came from Libya. Leon. Good, my lord, Desires you to attach his son, who has Fled from his father, from his hopes, and with Leon. My marvel, and my message. To your court Flo. Whose honour, and whose honesty, till now, Endur'd all weathers. Where the warlike Smalus, That noble, honour'd lord, is fear'd, and lov'd? Flo. Most royal sir, from thence; from him, whose daughter His tears proclaim'd his, parting with her: thence (A prosperous south-wind friendly) we have cross'd, To execute the charge my father gave me, Leon. That once, I see, by your good father's speed, Will come on very slowly. I am sorry, Most sorry, you have broken from his liking, Flo. Dear, look up: Though fortune, visible an enemy, Should chase us with my father, power no jot Hath she to change our loves.-Beseech you, sir, Remember since you ow'd no more to time Than I do now; with thought of such affections, 293 distraction, that they were to be known by garment, not by favour. Our king, being ready to leap out of Step forth mine advocate: at your request, tress, Which he counts but a trifle. Paul. Sir, my liege, Your eye hath too much youth in't: not a month Is yet unanswer'd. I will to your father: SCENE II.-The Same. Enter AUTOLYCUS and a Gentleman. Aut. Beseech you, sir, were you present at this relation? 1 Gent. I was by at the opening of the fardel, heard the old shepherd deliver the manner how he found it: whereupon, after a little amazedness, we were all commanded out of the chamber; only this, methought I heard the shepherd say, he found the child. Aut. I would most gladly know the issue of it. Enter another Gentleman. 2 Gent. Nothing but bonfires. The oracle is ful- Enter a third Gentleman. Here comes the lady Paulina's steward: he can deliver you more. How goes it now, sir? This news, which is called true, is so like an old tale, that the verity of it is in strong suspicion. Has the king found his heir? 3 Gent. Most true, if ever truth were pregnant by circumstance: that which you hear you'll swear you see, there is such unity in the proofs. The mantle of queen Hermione ;-her jewel about the neck of it; the letters of Antigonus found with it, which they know to be his character;-the majesty of the creature, in resemblance of the mother;-the affection of nobleness, which nature shows above her breeding, and many other evidences, proclaim her with all certainty to be the king's daughter. Did you see the meeting of the two kings? 2 Gent. No. 3 Gent. Then you have lost a sight, which was to be seen, cannot be spoken of. There might you have beheld one joy crown another; so, and in such manner, that, it seemed, sorrow wept to take leave of them, for their joy waded in tears. eyes, holding up of hands, with countenance of such There was casting up of were now become a loss, cries, "O, thy mother, thy mother!" then asks Bohemia forgiveness; then embraces his son-in-law; then again worries he his shepherd, which stands by, like a weather-beaten daughter with clipping her: now he thanks the old conduit of many kings' reigns. I never heard of such another encounter, which lames report to follow it, and undoes description to show it. 2 Gent. What, pray you, became of Antigonus, that carried hence the child? 3 Gent. Like an old tale still, which will have matter to rehearse, though credit be asleep, and not an ear open. He was torn to pieces with a bear: this avouches the shepherd's son, who has not only his innocence (which seems much) to justify him, but a handkerchief, and rings of his that Paulina knows. 1 Gent. What became of his bark, and his followers? death, and in the view of the shepherd: so that all the 3 Gent. Wrecked, the same instant of their master's then lost, when it was found. But, O! the noble cominstruments, which aided to expose the child, were even bat, that 'twixt joy and sorrow was fought in Paulina! She had one eye declined for the loss of her husband, another elevated that the oracle was fulfilled: she lifted the princess from the earth, and so locks her in she might no more be in danger of losing her. embracing, as if she would pin her to her heart, that ence of kings and princes, for by such was it acted. 1 Gent. Are they returned to the court? statue, which is in the keeping of Paulina,-a piece of access? every wink of an eye, some new grace will me, would preferment drop on my head. I brought continuing, this mystery remained undiscovered. But 'tis all one to me; for had I been the finder out of this secret, it would not have relished among my other discredits. Enter Shepherd and Clown, in new apparel. Here come those I have done good to against my will, and already appearing in the blossoms of their fortune. Shep. Come, boy; I am past more children; but thy sons and daughters will be all gentlemen born. Clo. You are well met, sir. You denied to fight with me this other day, because I was no gentleman born: see you these clothes? say, you see them not, and think me still no gentleman born: you were best say, these robes are not gentlemen born. Give me the lie, do, and try whether I am not now a gentleman born. Aut. I know, you are now, sir, a gentleman born. Clo. Ay, and have been so any time these four hours. Shep. And so have I, boy. Clo. So you have;-but I was a gentleman born before my father, for the king's son took me by the hand, and called me, brother; and then the two kings called my father, brother; and then the prince, my brother, and the princess, my sister, called my father, father; and so we wept; and there was the first gentleman-like tears that ever we shed. Shep. We may live, son, to shed many more. Clo. Ay; or else 'twere hard luck, being in so preposterous estate as we are. Aut. I humbly beseech you, sir, to pardon me all the faults I have committed to your worship, and to give me your good report to the prince my master. Shep. Pr'ythee, son, do; for we must be gentle, now we are gentlemen. Clo. Thou wilt amend thy life? Aut. Ay, an it like your good worship. Clo. Give me thy hand: I will swear to the prince, thou art as honest a true fellow as any is in Bohemia. Shep. You may say it, but not swear it. Clo. Not swear it, now I am a gentleman? Let boors and franklins say it, I'll swear it. Shep. How if it be false, son? Clo. If it be ne'er so false, a true gentleman may swear it in the behalf of his friend :-And I'll swear to the prince, thou art a tall fellow of thy hands, and that thou wilt not be drunk; but I know, thou art no tall fellow of thy hands, and that thou wilt be drunk ; but I'll swear it, and I would thou would'st be a tall fellow of thy hands. Aut. I will prove so, sir, to my power. Clo. Ay, by any means prove a tall fellow: if I do not wonder how thou darest venture to be drunk, not being a tall fellow, trust me not.-[Trumpets.] Hark! the kings and the princes, our kindred, are going to see the queen's picture. Come, follow us: we'll be thy good masters. [Exeunt. So her dead likeness, I do well believe, Leon. I like your silence: it the more shows off As now she might have done, Per. And give me leave, And do not say 'tis superstition, that [Kneeling. I kneel, and thus implore her blessing.-Lady, Dear queen, that ended when I but began, Give me that hand of yours to kiss. Paul. O, patience! The statue is but newly fix'd, the colour's Not dry. Cam. My lord, your sorrow was too sore laid on, Which sixteen winters cannot blow away, So many summers dry: scarce any joy Did ever so long live; no sorrow, But kill'd itself much sooner. Pol. Dear my brother, Let him that was the cause of this have power To take off so much grief from you, as he Will piece up in himself. Paul. Indeed, my lord, If I had thought, the sight of my poor image [Offers to draw. Do not draw the curtain. Paul. No longer shall you gaze on't, lest your fancy May think anon it moves. Leon. Let be, let be! Would I were dead, but that, methinks, already I am but dead, stone looking upon stone.What was he that did make it?-See, my lord, Would you not deem it breath'd, and that those veins H Make me to think so twenty years together: No settled senses of the world can match The pleasure of that madness. Let 't alone. That she is living, Were it but told you, should be hooted at Paul. I am sorry, sir, I have thus far stirr'd you; but Like an old tale; but it appears she lives, I could afflict you farther. Leon. Do, Paulina, For this affliction has a taste as sweet As any cordial comfort.-Still, methinks, Paul. Good my lord, forbear. [She stays him. You'll mar it, if you kiss it; stain your own Stand by, a looker on. Paul. So long could I Either forbear, Quit presently the chapel, or resolve you Leon. What you can make her do, I am content to look on: what to speak, I am content to hear; for 'tis as easy To make her speak, as move. Paul. It is requir'd, You do awake your faith. Then, all stand still. On, those that think it is unlawful business I am about; let them depart. Leon. No foot shall stir. Proceed: Though yet she speak not. Mark a little while.- And from your sacred vials pour your graces Thou should'st a husband take by my consent, And made between's by vows. Thou hast found mine; As I thought, dead; and have in vain said many A prayer upon her grave: I'll not seek far And take her hand, whose worth, and honesty, By us, a pair of kings.-Let's from this place.— My ill-suspicion.-This your son-in-law, |