So fure as this beard's grey,-what will you adventure

To fave this brat's life?

Ant. Any thing, my lord,

That my ability may undergo,

And nobleness impose: at least, thus much;
I'll pawn the little blood which I have left,
To fave the innocent: any thing poffible.

Leo. It fhall be poffible: Swear by this fword,
Thou wilt perform my bidding.

Ant. I will, my lord.

Leo. Mark, and perform it; (feeft thou?) for the * fail Of any point in't shall not only be

Death to thyself, but to thy lewd-tongu'd wife;
Whom, for this time, we pardon. We enjoin thee,
As thou art liegeman to us, that thou carry
This female baftard hence; and that thou bear it
To fome remote and defert place, quite out
Of our dominions; and that there thou leave it,
Without more mercy, to its own protection,
And favour of the climate. As by strange fortune
It came to us, I do in justice charge thee,-
On thy foul's peril, and thy body's torture,-
That thou commend it strangely to fome place,
Where chance may nurse, or end it: Take it up..

Ant. I fwear to do this; though a present death
Had been more merciful.-Come on, poor babe:
Some powerful fpirit inftruct the kites and ravens,
To be thy nurses! Wolves, and bears, they say,
Cafting their favagenefs afide, have done
Like offices of pity.-Sir, be profperous

fail]-failure.

As thou art liegeman to us,]—On thy allegiance.
commend it ftrangely to]-caft it out as a ftranger upon.

In more than this deed does require! and bleffing,
Against his cruelty, fight on thy fide

Poor thing, condemn'd to lofs !

Leo. No, I'll not rear

Another's iffue.

Enter a Messenger.

Mef. Please your highness, pofts,

[Exit, with the child.

From those you fent to the oracle, are come
An hour fince: Cleomenes and Dion,

Being well arriv'd from Delphos, are both landed,
Hafting to the court.

Lord. So please you, fir, their fpeed

Hath been beyond account.

Leo. Twenty-three days

They have been abfent: This good speed fortels,
That great Apollo fuddenly will have

The truth of this appear. Prepare you, lords;
Summon a feffion, that we may arraign
Our most disloyal lady: for, as fhe hath
Been publickly accus'd, so shall she have
A juft and open trial. While the lives,
My heart will be a burden to me. Leave me;
And think upon my bidding.

[Exeunt.

ACT

III.

SCENE I.

A Part of Sicily, near the Sea fide.

Enter Cleomenes, and Dion.

Cleo. The climate's delicate; the air most sweet;

Fertile theifle; the temple much furpaffing

a this deed does require! &c.]-may reasonably be expected after the commiffion of fuch a horrid piece of barbarity; and may the bleffing of heaven fhield thee from all the intended effects of his cruelty, poor thing, devoted to perdition.

Djoil.

The

The common praise it bears.

Dion. I fhall report,

For most it caught me, the celeftial habits,

(Methinks, I fo should term them) and the reverence
Of the grave wearers. O, the facrifice!

How ceremonious, folemn, and unearthly
It was i'the offering!

Cleo. But, of all, the burst

And the ear-deaf'ning voice o'the oracle,
Kin to Jove's thunder, so surpriz'd my sense,
That I was nothing.

Dion. If the event o'the journey

Prove as fuccefsful to the queen,-O, be't fo!-
As it hath been to us, rare, pleasant, speedy,
d The time is worth the use on't.

Cleo. Great Apollo,

Turn all to the best! These proclamations,
So forcing faults upon Hermione,

I little like.

Dion. The violent carriage of it

Will clear, or end, the business: When the oracle,

(Thus by Apollo's great divine feal'd up)

Shall the contents difcover, fomething rare,

Even then will rush to knowledge.-Go,-fresh horses ;And gracious be the iffue!

[Exeunt.

Leontes, Lords, and Officers, appear properly feated. Leo. This feffion (to our great grief, we pronounce) Even pushes 'gainst our heart: The party try'd,

c I shall report, for most it caught me,]-My report will chiefly turn upon what ftruck me most.

The time is worth the use on't.]-The profit of this journey will amply compenfate the time taken up by it ;-our time has been well bestowed.

The

The daughter of a king; our wife; and one
Of us too much belov'd.-Let us be clear'd
Of being tyrannous, fince we fo openly

Proceed in justice; which shall have due course,
Even to the guilt, or the purgation.-

с

Produce the prisoner.

Offi. It is his highness' pleasure, that the queen Appear in perfon here in court.-Silence!

Hermione is brought in, guarded; Paulina and Ladies, attending.

Leo. Read the indictment.

Offi. Hermione, queen to the worthy Leontes, king of Sicilia, thou art bere accufed and arraigned of high treafon, in committing adultery with Polixenes, king of Bohemia; and conSpiring with Camillo to take away the life of our fovereign lord the king, thy royal husband: the pretence whereof being by circumstances partly laid open, thou, Hermione, contrary to the faith and allegiance of a true fubject, didst counsel and aid them, for their better fafety, to fly away by night.

f

Her. Since what I am to fay, must be but that Which contradicts my accufation; and

The teftimony on my part, no other

But what comes from myself; it fhall fcarce boot me To fay, Not guilty: mine integrity,

Being counted falfehood, fhall, as I express it,

Be & fo receiv'd. But thus,-If powers divine
Behold our human actions, (as they do)

I doubt not then, but innocence shall make
Falfe accufation blush, and tyranny
Tremble at patience.-You, my lord, best know,

Even to the guilt, or the purgation.]—Unbiass'd in regard to the proof of her guilt, or of her acquittal.

f the pretence whereof]-the plot, fcheme form'd.

& fo receiv'd.]-received as a lie,

(Who

(Who leaft will feem to do fo) my past life
Hath been as continent, as chaste, as true,
As I am now unhappy; which is more
Than history can pattern, though devis'd,

h

And play'd, to take fpectators: For behold me,-
A fellow of the royal bed, which 'owe

A moiety of the throne, a great king's daughter,
The mother to a hopeful prince,-here standing,
To prate and talk for life, and honour, 'fore
Who please to come and hear. For life, I prize it
As I weigh grief, which I would *fpare: for honour,
'Tis a derivative from me to mine,

And only that I ftand for. I appeal

To your own confcience, fir, before Polixenes
Came to your court, how I was in your grace,
How merited to be fo: Since he came,

With what encounter fo uncurrent. I

Have strain'd, to appear thus: if one jot beyond
The bound of honour; or, in act, or will,
That way inclining; hardned be the hearts
Of all that hear me, and my near'st of kin
Cry, Fye upon my grave!

Leo. I ne'er heard yet,

m

That any of these bolder vices wanted
Lefs impudence to gain-fay what they did,
Than to perform it first.

Her. That's true enough;

Though 'tis a faying, fir, not due to me.

h to take]-to gain the applause of.

i owe]-own, am entitled to.

*fpare:]-get rid of.

With what encounter fo uncurrent I have ftrain'd,]-Declare if your are able, what unjuftifiable congrefs have I held with him ;-in what criminal instance have I fwerv'd." Have ftray'd."

m thefe bolder vices wanted lefs impudence, &c.]-thefe hardened of fenders were lefs at a lofs for, were more deficient in impudence to deny their crime, than to commit it.

Leo.