Atten. Madam, he hath not slept to-night; commanded None fhould come at him.

Paul. Not fo hot, good fir;

I come to bring him fleep. 'Tis fuch as you,-
That creep like fhadows by him, and do figh
At each his needlefs heavings,-such as you
Nourish the caufe of his awaking: I

Do come with words as med'cinal as true;
Honest, as either; to purge him of that humour,
That preffes him from fleep.

Leo. What noife there, ho?

Paul. No noife, my lord; but needful conference, About fome goffips for your highness.

Leo. How ?–

Away with that audacious lady: Antigonus,

I charg'd thee, that fhe fhould not come about me;
I knew, fhe would.

Ant. I told her fo, my lord,

On your displeasure's peril, and on mine,
She fhould not vifit you.

Leo. What, can'st not rule her?

Paul. From all difhonefty, he can: in this, (Unless he take the course that you have done, Commit me, for committing honour) trust it, He fhall not rule me.

Ant. Lo you now; you hear!

When the will take the rein, I let her run;
But she'll not stumble.

Paul. Good my liege, I come,-
And, I beseech you, hear me, who profess
Myself your loyal fervant, your physician,

Your most obedient counfellor; yet that dares

Lefs

k

k

appear fo, in comforting your evils,

comforting your evils,]-by confirming you in the practice of evil, through a vicious complaisance.

Than

Than such as most seem yours:-I say, I come

From your good queen.

Leo. Good queen!

Paul. Good queen, my lord, good queen! I fay, good

queen;

And would by combat make her good, fo were I

A man, 'the worst about you.

Leo. Force her hence.

Paul. Let him, that makes but trifles of his eyes,
First hand me: on mine own accord, I'll off;
But, first, I'll do my errand.-The good queen,
For fhe is good, hath brought you forth a daughter;
Here 'tis; commends it to your bleffing.

Leo. Out!

m

[Laying down the child.

A mankind witch! Hence with her, out o' door :

A moft intelligencing bawd!

Paul. Not fo:

I am as ignorant in that, as you

In fo intitling me: and no lefs honest

Than you are mad; which is enough, I'll warrant,
As this world goes, to pafs for honest.

Leo. Traitors!

n

Will you not push her out? give her the baftard:-
[To Antigonus.
Thou, dotard, thou art woman-tyr'd, unroofted
By thy dame Partlet here,—take up the bastard
Take't up, I fay; give't to thy crone.

Paul. For ever

Р

Unvenerable be thy hands, if thou

Tak'ft up the princefs, by that forced baseness

1 the worst about you.]-although the weakest of your subjects. m mankind ]-mafculine.

Partlet]-The name of a hen.

woman-tyr'd,]-henpecked. Pcrone.]-old wife.

by that forced baseness]-under that false appellation.

Q94

Which

Which he has put upon't!

Leo. He dreads his wife.

Paul. So, I would, you did; then, 'twere past all doubt, You'd call your children yours.

Leo. A neft of traitors!

Ant. I am none, by this good light.

Paul. Nor I; nor any,

But one, that's here; and that's himself: for he
The facred honour of himself, his queen's,

His hopeful fon's, his babe's, betrays to flander,

Whose fting is sharper than the sword's; and will not
(For, as the cafe now ftands, it is a curfe
He cannot be compell'd to't) once remove
The root of his opinion, which is rotten,
As ever oak, or stone, was found.

Of boundless tongue; who late hath beat her husband,
And now baits me !-This brat is none of mine;
It is the iffue of Polixenes :

Hence with it; and, together with the dam,

Commit it to the fire.

Paul. It is yours;

And, might we lay the old proverb to your charge,
So like you, 'tis the worse.-Behold, my lords,
Although the print be little, the whole matter
And copy of the father eye, nofe, lip,

'The trick of his frown, his forehead; nay, the vallies, The pretty dimples of his chin, and cheek;

The very mould and frame of hand, nail, finger :

And, thou, good goddess nature, which haft made it
So like to him that got it, if thou hast

A callat,]-A fcold.

The trick]-The ftriking resemblance.

"He hath a trick of Coeur-de-lion's face."

KING JOHN, A& I, S. 1. Eli.

The

The ordering of the mind too, 'mongst all colours
No yellow in't; left fhe fufpect, as he does,
Her children not her husband's!

Leo. A grofs hag!

u

And, lozel, thou art worthy to be hang'd,

That wilt not stay her tongue.

Ant. Hang all the husbands,

That cannot do that feat, you'll leave yourself
Hardly one fubject.

Leo. Once more, take her hence.

Paul. A most unworthy and unnatural lord

Can do no more.

Leo. I'll have thee burnt.

Paul. I care not:

It is an heretick, that makes the fire,

Not she, which burns in't. I'll not call you tyrant;
But this most cruel ufage of your queen

(Not able to produce more accufation

Than your own weak-hing'd fancy) fomething favours

Of tyranny, and will ignoble make you,

Yea, fcandalous to the world.

Leo. On your allegiance,

Out of the chamber with her. Were I a tyrant,
Where were her life? fhe durft not call me fo,

If she did know me one. Away with her.

Paul. I pray you, do not push me; I'll be gone. Look to your babe, my lord; 'tis yours: Jove fend her A better guiding fpirit!-What need thefe hands?You, that are thus fo tender o'er his follies,

Will never do him good, not one of you.

So, fo:-Farewel; we are gone.

Leo. Thou, traitor, haft fet on thy wife to this.

[Exit.

My child? away with't!-even thou, that haft

A heart fo tender o'er it, take it hence,

And fee it inftantly confum'd with fire;

Even thou, and none but thou. Take it up straight:

Within this hour bring me word 'tis done,

(And by good teftimony) or I'll feize thy life,

With what thou elfe call'ft thine: If thou refuse,

And wilt encounter with my wrath, say fo;

The baftard brains with these my proper hands
Shall I dash out. Go, take it to the fire;
For thou fett'st on thy wife.

Ant. I did not, fir:

These lords, my noble fellows, if they please,
Can clear me in't.

Lord. We can; my royal liege,

He is not guilty of her coming hither.

Leo. You are liars all.

Lord. 'Beseech your highness, give us better credit: We have always truly ferv'd you; and befeech

So to esteem of us: And on our knees we beg,

(As recompence of our dear fervices,

Paft, and to come) that you do change this purpose;
Which being fo horrible, fo bloody, must

Lead on to fome foul iffue: We all kneel.

Leo. I am a feather for each wind that blows:

Shall I live on, to see this bastard kneel

And call me father? better burn it now,

Than curse it then. But, be it; let it live:
It shall not neither.-You, fir, come you hither;

You, that have been fo tenderly officious

W

[To Antigonus.

With lady Margery, your " mild wife, there,
To fave this bastard's life :-for 'tis a bastard,