Per. Forewarn him, that he use no scurrilous words in his tunes. Clo. You have of these pedlers, that have more in 'em than you'd think, sister. Per. Ay, good brother, or go about to think. Enter AUTOLYCUS, singing. Come, buy of me, come: come buy, come buy; Clo. If I were not in love with Mopsa, thou should'st take no money of me; but being enthrall'd as I am, it will also be the bondage of certain ribands and gloves. Mop. I was promised them against the feast; but they come not too late now. Dor. He hath promised you more than that, or there be liars. Mop. He hath paid you all he promised you; may be, he has paid you more; which will shame you to give him again. Clo. Is there no manners left among maids? will they wear their plackets, where they should bear their faces? Is there not milking-time, when you are going to bed, or kiln-hole, to whistle off these secrets; but you must be tittle-tattling before all our guests? 'Tis well they are whispering: Clamour your tongues, and not a word more. Mop. I have done. Come, you promised me a tawdry lace, and a pair of sweet gloves. Clo. Have I not told thee, how I was cozened by the way, and lost all my money? Aut. And, indeed, sir, there are cozeners abroad; therefore it behoves men to be wary. Clo. Fear not thou, man, thou shalt lose nothing here. Aut. I hope so, sir; for I have about me many parcels of charge. Clo. What hast here? ballads? Mop. Pray now, buy some: I love a ballad in print, a'-life; for then we are sure they are true. Aut. Here's one to a very doleful tune, How a usurer's wife was brought to bed of twenty money-bags at a burden; and how she longed to eat adders' heads, and toads carbonadoed. Mop. Is it true, think you? Aut. Very true; and but a month old. tress Taleporter; and five or six honest wives' that were present: Why should I carry lies abroad? Mop. 'Pray you now, buy it. Clo. Come on, lay it by: And let's first see more ballads; we'll buy the other things anon. Aut. Here's another ballad, Of a fish that appeared upon the coast, on Wednesday the fourscore of April, forty thousand fathom above water, and sung this ballad against the hard hearts of maids it was thought, she was a woman, and was turned into a cold fish, for she would not exchange flesh with one that loved her; The ballad is very pitiful, and as true. Dor. Is it true too, think you? Aut. Five justices' hands at it; and witnesses, more than my pack will hold. Clo. Lay it by too: Another. Aut. This is a merry ballad; but a very pretty one. Mop. Let's have some merry ones. Aut. Why, this is a passing merry one; and goes to the tune of, Two maids wooing a man: there's scarce a maid westward, but she sings it; 'tis in request, I can tell you. Mop. We can both sing it; if thou'lt bear a part, thou shalt hear; 'tis in three parts. Dor. We had the tune on't a month ago. Aut. I can bear my part; you must know, 'tis my occupation: have at it with you. SONG. A. Get you hence, for I must go ; D. Whither? M. O, whither? D. Whither? D. Me too, let me go thither. M. Or thou go'st to the grange, or mill: A. Neither. D. What, neither? A. Neither. Then, whither go'st? say, whither? Serv. Master, there is three carters, three shepherds, three neat-herds, three swine-herds, that have made themselves all men of hair ;.they call themselves saltiers: and they have a dance which the wenches say is a gallimaufry of gambols, because they are not in't; but they themselves are o'the mind, (if it be not too rough for some, that know little but bowling,) it will please plentifully. Shep. Away! we'll none on't; here has been too much humble foolery already :-I know, sir, we weary you. Pol. You weary those that refresh us: Pray, let's see these four threes of herdsmen. Serv. One three of them, by their own report, sir, hath danced before the king; and not the worst of the three, but jumps twelve foot and a half by the squire. Shep. Leave your prating; since these good men are pleased, let them come in ; but quickly now. Serv. Why, they stay at door, sir. [Exit. Re-enter Servant, with twelve Rustics habited like Satyrs. They dance, and then exeunt. Pol. O, father, you'll know more of that hereafter. Is it not too far gone?-'Tis time to part them.He's simple, and tells much. [Aside.]-How now, fair shepherd? Your heart is full of something, that does take Your mind from feasting. Sooth, when I was young, And handed love, as you do, I was wont ransack'd The pedler's silken treasury, and have pour'd it Flo. Old sir, I know She prizes not such trifles as these are: lock'd Up in my heart; which I have given already As soft as dove's down, and as white as it ; Pol. What follows this? How prettily the young swain seems to wash The hand, was fair before!-I have put you out: But, to your protestation; let me hear Flo. Do, and be witness to't. Than he, and men ; the earth, the heavens, and all: That,-were I crown'd the most imperial monarch, Thereof most worthy; were I the fairest youth That ever made eye swerve; had force, and knowledge, More than was ever man's,-I would not prize them, Without her love: for her, employ them all; Commend them, and condemn them, to her service, Or to their own perdition. Cam. This shows a sound affection. Per. I cannot speak So well, nothing so well; no, nor mean better: By the pattern of mine own thoughts I cut out The purity of his. Shep. Take hands, a bargain ;And, friends unknown, you shall bear witness to't: I give my daughter to him, and will make Her portion equal his. Flo. O, that must be I'the virtue of your daughter: one being dead, I shall have more than you can dream of yet; Enough then for your wonder: But, come on, Contract us 'fore these witnesses. Shep. Come, your hand ;And, daughter, yours. Pol. Soft, swain, awhile, 'beseech you; Flo. I have: But what of him? Flo. He neither does, nor shall. Pol. Methinks, a father Is, at the nuptial of his son, a guest Is not your father grown incapable hear? Something unfilial: Reason, my son Flo. I yield all this; But, for some other reasons, my grave sir, Pol. Let him know't. Flo. He shall not. Pol. Pr'ythee, let him. Flo. No, he must not. Being now awake, I'll queen it no inch further, Cam. Why, how now, father? Shep. I cannot speak, nor think, To lie close by his honest bones: but now Shep. Let him, my son; he shall not need to Where no priest shovels-in dust.-0_cursed grieve At knowing of thy choice. Flo. Come, come, he must not : Mark our contract. Pol. Mark your divorce, young sir, [Discovering himself. Whom son I dare not call; thou art too base To be acknowledg'd: Thou a sceptre's heir, That thus affect'st a sheep-hook!-Thou, old traitor, I am sorry, that, by hanging thee, I can but Of excellent witchcraft; who, of force, must know Shep. O, my heart! Pol. I'll have thy beauty scratch'd with briars, and made More homely than thy state.-For thee, fond boy, If I may ever know, thou dost but sigh, sion; Not hold thee of our blood, no not our kin, Though full of our displeasure, yet we free thee Worthy enough a herdsman; yea, him too, Per. Even here undone ! [Exit. Flo. Why look you so upon me? My leash unwillingly. Cam. Gracious my lord, You know your father's temper: at this time Flo. I not purpose it. Cam. Even he, my lord. Per. How often have I told you, 'twould be How often said, my dignity would last Flo. It cannot fail, but by The violation of my faith: And then Cam. Be advis'd. Flo. I am; and by my fancy: if my reason Cam. This is desperate, sir. Flo. So call it but it does fulfil my vow; Flo. Very nobly Have you deserv'd: it is my father's music, If you may please to think I love the king; Flo. How, Camillo, May this, almost a miracle, be done? Leontes, opening his free arms, and weeping His welcomes forth: asks thee, the son, forgiveness, As 'twere i'the father's person: kisses the hands Of your fresh princess: o'er and o'er divides him 'Twixt his unkindness and his kindness; the one He chides to hell, and bids the other grow, Faster than thought, or time. Flo. Worthy Camillo, What colour for my visitation shall I Cam. Sent by the king your father The which shall point you forth at every sitting, What you must say; that he shall not perceive, But that you have your father's bosom there, And speak his very heart. Flo. I am bound to you: There is some sap in this. Cam. A course more promising Than a wild dedication of yourselves To unpath'd waters, undream'd shores; most certain, To miseries enough; no hope to help you; Affliction alters. Per. One of these is true: I think, affliction may subdue the cheek, But not take in the mind. Cam. Yea, say you so? There shall not, at your father's house, these seven years, Be born another such. Flo. My good Camillo, She is as forward of her breeding, as I'the rear of birth. Cam. I cannot say, 'tis pity That I may call thee something more than man, She lacks instructions; for she seems a mistress And, after that, trust to thee. Cam. Have you thought on A place, whereto you'll go? Flo. Not any yet; But as the unthought-on accident is guilty To what we wildly do; so we profess Ourselves to be the slaves of chance, and flies Of every wind, that blows. Cam. Then list to me: This follows,-if you will not change your purpose, But undergo this flight ;-make for Sicilia ; The partner of your bed. Methinks, I see To most that teach. Per. Your pardon, sir, for this; I'll blush you thanks. Flo. My prettiest Perdita. But, O, the thorns we stand upon !-Camillo,- The medicin of our house!-how shall we do? Cam. My lord, Fear none of this: I think, you know, my fortunes Z Enter AUTOLYCUS. Aut. Ha, ha! what a fool honesty is! and trust, his sworn brother, a very simple gentleman! I have sold all my trumpery; not a counterfeit stone, not a riband, glass, pomander, brooch, table-book, ballad, knife, tape, glove, shoe-tye, bracelet, horn-ring, to keep my pack from fasting: they throng who should buy first; as if my trinkets had been hallowed, and brought a bencdiction to the buyer; by which means, I saw whose purse was best in picture; and, what I saw, to my good use, I remembered. My clown (who wants but something to be a reasonable man,) grew so in love with the wenches' song, that he would not stir his pettitoes, till he had both tune and words; which so drew the rest of the herd to me, that all their other senses stuck in cars: you might have pinched a placket, it was senseless; 'twas nothing to geld a codpiece of a purse; I would have filed keys off, that hung in chains: no hearing, no feeling, but my sir's song, and admiring the nothing of it. So that, in this time of lethargy, I picked and cut most of their festival purses: and had not the old man come in with a whoobub against his daughter and the king's son, and scared my choughs from the chaff, I had not left a purse alive in the whole army. [Camillo, Florizel, and Perdita, come forward. Cam. Nay, but my letters by this means being there So soon as you arrive, shall clear that doubt. Cam. Shall satisfy your father. Cam. Who have we here? [Seeing Autolycus. We'll make an instrument of this; omit Nothing, may give us aid. Aut. If they have overheard me now, why hanging. Aside. Cam. How now, good fellow? why shakest thou so? Fear not, man; here's no harm intended to thee. Aut. I am a poor fellow, sir. Cam. Why, be so still; here's nobody will steal that from thee: Yet, for the outside of thy poverty, we must make an exchange: therefore, discase thee instantly, (thou must think, there's necessity in't,) and change garments with this gentleman: Though the pennyworth, on his side, be the worst, yet hold thee, there's some boot. Aut. I am a poor fellow, sir :-I know ye well enough. Aside. Cam. Nay, pr'ythee, despatch: the gentleman is half flayed already. Aut. Are you in earnest, sir?—I smell the trick of it.Aside. Flo. Despatch, I pr'ythee. Aut. Indeed, I have had earnest ; but I cannot with conscience take it. Cam. Unbuckle, unbuckle. [Flo. and Autol. exchange garments. Per. I see, the play so lies, Flo. Should I now meet my father, No hat:-Come, lady, come.-Farewell, my friend. Aut. Adieu, sir. Flo. O Perdita, what have we twain forgot? Flo. Fortune speed us!- [Exeunt Florizel, Perdita, and Camille. Aut. Ï ́understand the business, I hear it: To have an open ear, a quick eye, and a nimble hand, is necessary for a cut-purse; a good nose is requisite also, to smell out work for the other senses. I see, this is the time that the unjust man doth thrive. What an exchange had this been, without boot? what a boot is here, with this exchange? Sure, the gods do this year connive at us, and we may do any thing extempore. The prince himself is about a piece of iniquity; stealing away from his father, with his clog at his heels: If I thought it were not a piece of honesty to acquaint the king withal, I would do't: I hold it the more knavery to conceal it: and therein am I constant to my profession. Enter Clown and Shepherd. Aside, aside;-here is more matter for a hot brain every lane's end, every shop, church, session, hanging, yields a careful man work. Clo. See, see; what a man you are now! there is no other way, but to tell the king she's a changeling, and none of your flesh and blood. Shep. Nay, but hear me. Clo. Nay, but hear me. Shep. Go to then. Clo. She being none of your flesh and blood, your flesh and blood has not offended the king; |