That e'er was heard, or read!

САМ.

Swear his thought over

By each particular star in heaven, and
By all their influences, you may as well
Forbid the sea for to obey the moon,
As, or by oath, remove, or counsel, shake
The fabric of his folly; whose foundation
Is pil'd upon his faith, and will continue
The standing of his body.

POL.

How should this grow?

CAM. I know not: but, I am sure, 't is safer to
Avoid what's grown than question how 't is born.
If therefore you dare trust my honesty,—
That lies enclosed in this trunk, which you
Shall bear along impawn'd,-away to-night.
Your followers I will whisper to the business:
And will, by twos, and threes, at several posterns,
Clear them o' the city: For myself, I 'll put
My fortunes to your service, which are here
By this discovery lost. Be not uncertain;
For, by the honour of my parents, I

Have utter'd truth: which, if you seek to prove,

I dare not stand by; nor shall you be safer

Than one condemn'd by the king's own mouth, thereon His execution sworn.

POL.

I do believe thee;

I saw his heart in his face. Give me thy hand:

Be pilot to me, and thy places shall

Still neighbour mine: My ships are ready, and
My people did expect my hence departure
Two days ago.-This jealousy

Is for a precious creature: as she 's rare,
Must it be great; and, as his person 's mighty,
Must it be violent: and as he does conceive
He is dishonour'd by a man which ever
Profess'd to him, why, his revenges must

In that be made more bitter. Fear o'ershades me:
Good expedition be my friend, and comfort
The gracious queen, part of his theme, but nothing
Of his ill-ta'en suspicion! Come, Camillo;

I will respect thee as a father, if

Thou bear'st my life off hence: Let us avoid.
CAM. It is in mine authority to command

The keys of all the posterns: Please your highness
To take the urgent hour: come, sir, away.

[Exeunt.

ACT II.

SCENE I.-Sicilia.-The Palace.

Enter HERMIONE, MAMILLIUS, and Ladies. ·

HER. Take the boy to you: he so troubles me "T is past enduring.

1 LADY.

Come, my gracious lord,

Shall I be your playfellow?

МАМ.

No, I'll none of you.

1 LADY. Why, my sweet lord?

MAM. You'll kiss me hard; and speak to me as if

I were a baby still.-I love you better.

2 LADY. And why so, my lord?
MAM.

Not for because

Your brows are blacker; yet black brows, they say,
Become some women best; so that there be not

Too much hair there, but in a semicircle,

Or a half-moon made with a pen.

2 LADY.

Who taught this?

MAM. I learn'd it out of women's faces: pray now What colour are your eyebrows?

1 LADY.

Blue, my lord.

MAM. Nay, that's a mock: I have seen a lady's nose That has been blue, but not her eyebrows.

Hark ye:

2 LADY. The queen, your mother, rounds apace: we shall Present our services to a fine new prince,

One of these days: and then you'd wanton with us,

If we would have you.

1 LADY.

She is spread of late

Into a goodly bulk: Good time encounter her!

HER. What wisdom stirs amongst you? Come, sir, now I am for you again: Pray you, sit by us,

And tell 's a tale.

MAM.

Merry, or sad, shall 't be?

HER. As merry as you will.
MAM.

A sad tale 's best for winter.

I have one of sprites and goblins.

Let's have that, good sir,

HER.
Come on, sit down:-Come on, and do your best
To fright me with your sprites: you're powerful at it.
MAM. There was a man,-

HER.

Nay, come, sit down; then on.

MAM. Dwelt by a churchyard;-I will tell it softly; Yon crickets shall not hear it.

HER.

And give 't me in mine ear.

Come on then,

Enter LEONTES, ANTIGONUS, Lords, and others.

LEON. Was he met there? his train? Camillo with him?

1 LORD. Behind the tuft of pines I met them; never Saw I men scour so on their way: I ey'd them

Even to their ships.

How bless'd am I

LEON.
In my just censure! -in my true opinion!-
Alack, for lesser knowledge!-How accurs'd
In being so bless'd!-There may be in the cup
A spider steep'd, and one may drink; depart,
And yet partake no venom; for his knowledge
Is not infected: but if one present

The abhorr'd ingredient to his eye, make known
How he hath drunk, he cracks his gorge, his sides,

With violent hefts:-I have drunk, and seen the spider.
Camillo was his help in this, his pander:-

-

There is a plot against my life, my crown;

All's true that is mistrusted:--that false villain,

Whom I employ'd, was pre-employ'd by him:
He has discover'd my design, and I

Remain a pinch'd thing; yea, a very trick

For them to play at will:-How came the posterns
So easily open?

1 LORD.

By his great authority;

Which often hath no less prevail'd than so,

On your command.

Give me the boy; I am glad you did not nurse him:
Though he does bear some signs of me, yet you

Have too much blood in him.

LEON. Bear the boy hence, he shall not come about her; Away with him:-and let her sport herself

With that she's big with; for 't is Polixenes

Has made thee swell thus.

HER.

But I'd say, he had not,

And, I'll be sworn, you would believe my saying,
Howe'er you lean to the nayward.

LEON.
You, my lords,
Look on her, mark her well; be but about
"she is a goodly lady,” and

To say,

The justice of your hearts will thereto add,

66

""T is pity she's not honest, honourable:"

Praise her but for this her without-door form,

(Which, on my faith, deserves high speech,) and straight The shrug, the hum, or ha; these petty brands That calumny doth use:- -O, I am out,

That mercy does; for calumny will sear

Virtue itself: these shrugs, these hums, and ha's,
When you have said she's goodly, come between,
Ere you can say she 's honest: But be 't known,
From him that has most cause to grieve it should be,
She's an adultress.

The most replenish'd villain in the world,
He were as much more villain: you, my lord,
Do but mistake.

LEON.

You have mistook, my lady,

Polixenes for Leontes: O thou thing,
Which I'll not call a creature of thy place,
Lest barbarism, making me the precedent,
Should a like language use to all degrees,
And mannerly distinguishment leave out
Betwixt the prince and beggar!—I have said,
She's an adultress; I have said, with whom:
More, she's a traitor; and Camillo is

A federary with her; and one that knows
What she should shame to know herself,
But with her most vile principal, that she's
A bed-swerver, even as bad as those

That vulgars give bold'st titles; ay, and privy
To this their late escape.

No, by my life,

HER.
Privy to none of this: How will this grieve you,
When you shall come to clearer knowledge, that
You thus have publish'd me! Gentle my lord,
You scarce can right me throughly then, to say
You did mistake.

In those foundations which I build upon,
The centre is not big enough to bear

A schoolboy's top.-Away with her to prison:
He who shall speak for her is afar off guilty,
But that he speaks.

HER.

There's some ill planet reigns:
I must be patient, till the heavens look

With an aspect more favourable.-Good my lords,
I am not prone to weeping, as our sex

Commonly are; the want of which vain dew,
Perchance, shall dry your pities: but I have
That honourable grief lodg'd here, which burns
Worse than tears drown: 'Beseech you all, my lords,
With thoughts so qualified as your charities

Shall best instruct you, measure me;—and so

The king's will be perform'd!

LEON.

Shall I be heard? [To the Guards.

HER. Who is 't that goes with me?—'Beseech your highness, - My women may be with me; for, you see,