his name was Antigonus, a nobleman :-But to make an end of the fhip;-to fee how the fea" flap-dragon'd it: -but, first, how the poor fouls roar'd, and the sea mock'd them; and how the poor gentleman roar'd, and the bear mock'd him, both roaring louder than the fea, or weather. Shep. 'Name of mercy, when was this, boy?

Clo. Now, now; I have not wink'd fince I saw these fights; the men are not yet cold under water, nor the bear half din'd on the gentleman; he's at it now.

Shep. Would I had been by, to have help'd the old man. Clo. I would you had been by the ship fide, to have help'd her; there your charity would have lack'd footing,

[Afide.

Shep. Heavy matters! heavy matters! but look thee here, boy. Now blefs thyself; thou met'ft with things dying, I with things new born. Here's a fight for thee; look thee, a bearing cloth for a fquire's child! Look thee here; take up, take up, boy; open't. So, let's fee;-It was told me, I should be rich by the fairies: this is fome

P

› changeling :open't: What's within, boy?

Clo. You're a made old man; if the fins of your youth are forgiven you, you're well to live. Gold! all gold!

Shep. This is fairy gold, boy, and 'twill prove fo: up with it, keep it clofe; home, home, the next way. We are lucky, boy; and to be fo ftill, requires nothing but fecrecy. Let my theep go:-Come, good boy, the next way home.

Clo. Go you the next way with your findings; I'll go fee if the bear be gone from the gentleman, and how much he hath eaten : they are never ' curst, but when they are hungry if there be any of him left, I'll bury it.

"flap-dragon'd it :]-fwallowed it like a cork.

O

dent.

a bearing-cloth]-a mantle.

changeling]-child left in lieu of one ftoin by the fairies.

You're a made old man ;]-Your fortune's made by this lucky inci curft,]-mifchievous.

Shep

Shep. That's a good deed: If thou may'st discern by that which is left of him, what he is, fetch me to the fight of him.

Clo. Marry, will I; and you shall help to put him i'the ground.

Shep. 'Tis a lucky day, boy; and we'll do good deeds

Time. I, that please fome, try all; both joy, and terror,

S

Of good and bad; that make, and unfold error,

Now take upon me, in the name of Time,
To use my wings. Impute it not a crime,
To me, or my fwift paffage, that I flide
O'er fixteen years, and leave the growth untry'd
Of that wide gap, fince it is in my power
To o'erthrow law, and in one self-born hour
To plant and o'erwhelm cuftom: "Let me pafs
The fame I am, ere ancient'st order was,

Or what is now receiv'd: I witness to

The times that brought them in; fo fhall I do

To the freshest things now reigning; and make stale

W

The glistering of this prefent, as my tale

Now feems to it. Your patience this allowing,

• that make, and unfold error,]—occafion abfurdities by the portion of me that is past, and develope them in my progrefs.

growth untry'd of that wide gap :]-that long series of years, and their product unexamined.

"Let me pass the fame I am, ere ancient'ft order was, or what is now receiv'd:]-Conceive of me now, as of old, before any regular fucceffion of events was established, or the terms ancient and modern known.

W

The gliftering of this prefent,]-the glare of novelty, which marks the manners of to-day.

I turn my glass; and give my scene fuch growing,
As you had slept between. Leontes leaving
The effects of his fond jealoufies; fo grieving,
That he shuts up himfelf; Imagine me,
Gentle spectators, that I now may be

In fair Bohemia; and remember well,

I mentioned a fon o'the king's, which Florizel
I now name to you; and with speed so pace
To speak of Perdita, now grown in grace
Equal with wond'ring: What of her enfues,
I lift not prophecy; but let Time's news

Be known, when 'tis brought forth :—— a shepherd's daughter,

And what to her adheres, which follows after,

Is the argument of time: Of this allow, If ever you have spent time worse ere now; If never yet, that Time himself doth say, He wishes earnestly you never may.

SCENE I.

The Court of Bohemia.

Enter Polixenes and Camillo.

[Exit.

Pol. I pray thee, good Camillo, be no more importunate: 'tis a fickness, denying thee any thing; a death to grant this.

Cam. It is fixteen years, fince I faw my country: though I have for the most part, been aired abroad, I defire to lay my bones there. Befides, the penitent king, my master, hath fent for me: to whofe feeling forrows I might be fome allay, or I o'erween to think fo; which is another Spur to my departure.

Pol. As thou lov'ft me, Camillo, wipe not out the reft

* Is the argument of time :]-The fubject of the prefent time.

of

y

of thy fervices by leaving me now: the need I have of thee, thine own goodnefs hath made; better not to have had thee, than thus to want thee: thou, having made me. bufineffes, which none, without thee, can fufficiently manage, muft either stay to execute them thyfelf, or take away with thee the very fervices thou haft done: which if I have not enough confider'd, (as too much I cannot) to be more thankful to thee, fhall be my study; and my profit therein, the heaping friendships. Of that fatal country Sicilia, pr'ythee fpeak no more: whofe very naming punishes me with the remembrance of that penitent, as thou call'ft him, and reconciled king, my brother; whose loss of his moft precious queen, and children, are even now to be afresh lamented. Say to me, when faw'ft thou the prince Florizel my fon? Kings are no less unhappy, their iffue not being gracious; than they are in lofing them, when they have approved their virtues.

Cam. Sir, it is three days, fince I faw the prince: What his happier affairs may be, are to me unknown: but I have miffingly, noted, he is of late much retired from court: and is less frequent to his princely exercifes, than formerly he hath appeared.

Pol. I have confider'd fo much, Camillo; and with fome care; fo far, that I have eyes under my fervice, which look upon his removedness: from whom I have this intelligence; That he is seldom from the house of a most homely shepherd; a man, they fay, that from very nothing, and beyond the imagination of his neighbours, is grown into an unspeakable estate.

Cam. I have heard, fir, of fuch a man, who hath a daughter of most rare note: the report of her is extended more, than can be thought to begin from such a cottage.

Y the heaping friendships.]—the fresh kindneffes I fhall heap upon thee will more closely cement our friendship; will increase the flock that already fubfifts between us.

miffingly,occafionally-mufingly noted, with furprise observed.

Pol.

a

Pol. That's likewife part of my intelligence; and, I fear, the angle that plucks our fon thither. Thou shalt accompany us to the place: where we will, not appearing what we are, have some question with the fhepherd; from whofe fimplicity, I think it not uneafy to get the cause of my fon's refort thither. Pr'ythee, be my prefent partner in this business, and lay aside the thoughts of Sicilia. Cam. I willingly obey your command.

Pol. My best Camillo !We must disguise ourselves. [Exeunt.

SCENE II.

The Country.

b

Enter Autolycus finging.

When daffodils begin to peer,-

With, heigh! the doxy over the dale,-
Why, then comes in the fweet o'the year;
For the red blood reigns in the winter's pale.

The white sheet bleaching on the hedge,

With, hey! the fweet birds, O, how they fing!— Doth fet my pugging tooth on edge;

d

For a quart of ale is a dish for a king.

The lark, that tirra-lirra chaunts,

With, hey! with, hey! the thrush and the jay:
Are fummer fongs for me and my aunts,

While we lie tumbling in the bay.

I have ferv'd prince Florizel, and, in my time, wore threepile; but now I am out of fervice:

a the angle]-bait, decoy.

b Autolychus was the fon of Mercury, and as great a cheat as his father. < reigns in the winter's pale.]—now flows brifkly, though within the confines of winter, but juft on the verge of fpring-runs in the winter pale. prigging, progging, thievish.

d

f three-pile]-rich velvet.

aunts,]-trulls.

But