diff --git "a/res/the_winter's_tale.txt" "b/res/the_winter's_tale.txt" new file mode 100644--- /dev/null +++ "b/res/the_winter's_tale.txt" @@ -0,0 +1,4667 @@ +The Winter's Tale +by William Shakespeare + + +Characters in the Play +====================== +LEONTES, King of Sicilia +HERMIONE, Queen of Sicilia +MAMILLIUS, their son +PERDITA, their daughter +POLIXENES, King of Bohemia +FLORIZELL, his son +CAMILLO, a courtier, friend to Leontes and then to Polixenes +ANTIGONUS, a Sicilian courtier +PAULINA, his wife and lady-in-waiting to Hermione +Courtiers in Sicilia: + CLEOMENES + DION +EMILIA, a lady-in-waiting to Hermione +SHEPHERD, foster father to Perdita +SHEPHERD'S SON +AUTOLYCUS, former servant to Florizell, now a rogue +ARCHIDAMUS, a Bohemian courtier +TIME, as Chorus +TWO LADIES attending on Hermione +LORDS, SERVANTS, and GENTLEMEN attending on Leontes +An OFFICER of the court +A MARINER +A JAILER +Shepherdesses in Bohemia: + MOPSA + DORCAS +SERVANT to the Shepherd +SHEPHERDS and SHEPHERDESSES +Twelve COUNTRYMEN disguised as satyrs + + +ACT 1 +===== + +Scene 1 +======= +[Enter Camillo and Archidamus.] + + +ARCHIDAMUS If you shall chance, Camillo, to visit Bohemia +on the like occasion whereon my services +are now on foot, you shall see, as I have said, great +difference betwixt our Bohemia and your Sicilia. + +CAMILLO I think this coming summer the King of +Sicilia means to pay Bohemia the visitation which +he justly owes him. + +ARCHIDAMUS Wherein our entertainment shall shame +us; we will be justified in our loves. For indeed-- + +CAMILLO Beseech you-- + +ARCHIDAMUS Verily, I speak it in the freedom of my +knowledge. We cannot with such magnificence--in +so rare--I know not what to say. We will give you +sleepy drinks, that your senses, unintelligent of our +insufficience, may, though they cannot praise us, as +little accuse us. + +CAMILLO You pay a great deal too dear for what's given +freely. + +ARCHIDAMUS Believe me, I speak as my understanding +instructs me and as mine honesty puts it to +utterance. + +CAMILLO Sicilia cannot show himself over-kind to Bohemia. +They were trained together in their childhoods, +and there rooted betwixt them then such an +affection which cannot choose but branch now. +Since their more mature dignities and royal necessities +made separation of their society, their encounters, +though not personal, hath been royally +attorneyed with interchange of gifts, letters, loving +embassies, that they have seemed to be together +though absent, shook hands as over a vast, and +embraced as it were from the ends of opposed +winds. The heavens continue their loves. + +ARCHIDAMUS I think there is not in the world either +malice or matter to alter it. You have an unspeakable +comfort of your young Prince Mamillius. It is a +gentleman of the greatest promise that ever came +into my note. + +CAMILLO I very well agree with you in the hopes of +him. It is a gallant child--one that indeed physics +the subject, makes old hearts fresh. They that went +on crutches ere he was born desire yet their life to +see him a man. + +ARCHIDAMUS Would they else be content to die? + +CAMILLO Yes, if there were no other excuse why they +should desire to live. + +ARCHIDAMUS If the King had no son, they would desire +to live on crutches till he had one. +[They exit.] + +Scene 2 +======= +[Enter Leontes, Hermione, Mamillius, Polixenes, Camillo, +and Attendants.] + + +POLIXENES +Nine changes of the wat'ry star hath been +The shepherd's note since we have left our throne +Without a burden. Time as long again +Would be filled up, my brother, with our thanks, +And yet we should for perpetuity +Go hence in debt. And therefore, like a cipher, +Yet standing in rich place, I multiply +With one "We thank you" many thousands more +That go before it. + +LEONTES Stay your thanks awhile, +And pay them when you part. + +POLIXENES Sir, that's tomorrow. +I am questioned by my fears of what may chance +Or breed upon our absence, that may blow +No sneaping winds at home to make us say +"This is put forth too truly." Besides, I have stayed +To tire your Royalty. + +LEONTES We are tougher, brother, +Than you can put us to 't. + +POLIXENES No longer stay. + +LEONTES +One sev'nnight longer. + +POLIXENES Very sooth, tomorrow. + +LEONTES +We'll part the time between 's, then, and in that +I'll no gainsaying. + +POLIXENES Press me not, beseech you, so. +There is no tongue that moves, none, none i' th' +world, +So soon as yours could win me. So it should now, +Were there necessity in your request, although +'Twere needful I denied it. My affairs +Do even drag me homeward, which to hinder +Were in your love a whip to me, my stay +To you a charge and trouble. To save both, +Farewell, our brother. + +LEONTES Tongue-tied, our queen? +Speak you. + +HERMIONE +I had thought, sir, to have held my peace until +You had drawn oaths from him not to stay. You, sir, +Charge him too coldly. Tell him you are sure +All in Bohemia's well. This satisfaction +The bygone day proclaimed. Say this to him, +He's beat from his best ward. + +LEONTES Well said, Hermione. + +HERMIONE +To tell he longs to see his son were strong. +But let him say so then, and let him go. +But let him swear so and he shall not stay; +We'll thwack him hence with distaffs. +[To Polixenes.] Yet of your royal presence I'll +adventure +The borrow of a week. When at Bohemia +You take my lord, I'll give him my commission +To let him there a month behind the gest +Prefixed for 's parting.--Yet, good deed, Leontes, +I love thee not a jar o' th' clock behind +What lady she her lord.--You'll stay? + +POLIXENES No, madam. + +HERMIONE +Nay, but you will? + +POLIXENES I may not, verily. + +HERMIONE Verily? +You put me off with limber vows. But I, +Though you would seek t' unsphere the stars with +oaths, +Should yet say "Sir, no going." Verily, +You shall not go. A lady's "verily" is +As potent as a lord's. Will you go yet? +Force me to keep you as a prisoner, +Not like a guest, so you shall pay your fees +When you depart and save your thanks. How say you? +My prisoner or my guest? By your dread "verily," +One of them you shall be. + +POLIXENES Your guest, then, madam. +To be your prisoner should import offending, +Which is for me less easy to commit +Than you to punish. + +HERMIONE Not your jailer, then, +But your kind hostess. Come, I'll question you +Of my lord's tricks and yours when you were boys. +You were pretty lordings then? + +POLIXENES We were, fair queen, +Two lads that thought there was no more behind +But such a day tomorrow as today, +And to be boy eternal. + +HERMIONE Was not my lord +The verier wag o' th' two? + +POLIXENES +We were as twinned lambs that did frisk i' th' sun +And bleat the one at th' other. What we changed +Was innocence for innocence. We knew not +The doctrine of ill-doing, nor dreamed +That any did. Had we pursued that life, +And our weak spirits ne'er been higher reared +With stronger blood, we should have answered +heaven +Boldly "Not guilty," the imposition cleared +Hereditary ours. + +HERMIONE By this we gather +You have tripped since. + +POLIXENES O my most sacred lady, +Temptations have since then been born to 's, for +In those unfledged days was my wife a girl; +Your precious self had then not crossed the eyes +Of my young playfellow. + +HERMIONE Grace to boot! +Of this make no conclusion, lest you say +Your queen and I are devils. Yet go on. +Th' offenses we have made you do we'll answer, +If you first sinned with us, and that with us +You did continue fault, and that you slipped not +With any but with us. + +LEONTES Is he won yet? + +HERMIONE +He'll stay, my lord. + +LEONTES At my request he would not. +Hermione, my dearest, thou never spok'st +To better purpose. + +HERMIONE Never? + +LEONTES Never but once. + +HERMIONE +What, have I twice said well? When was 't before? +I prithee tell me. Cram 's with praise, and make 's +As fat as tame things. One good deed dying +tongueless +Slaughters a thousand waiting upon that. +Our praises are our wages. You may ride 's +With one soft kiss a thousand furlongs ere +With spur we heat an acre. But to th' goal: +My last good deed was to entreat his stay. +What was my first? It has an elder sister, +Or I mistake you. O, would her name were Grace! +But once before I spoke to th' purpose? When? +Nay, let me have 't; I long. + +LEONTES Why, that was when +Three crabbed months had soured themselves to +death +Ere I could make thee open thy white hand +And clap thyself my love; then didst thou utter +"I am yours forever." + +HERMIONE 'Tis grace indeed. +Why, lo you now, I have spoke to th' purpose twice. +The one forever earned a royal husband, +Th' other for some while a friend. +[She gives Polixenes her hand.] + +LEONTES, [aside] Too hot, too hot! +To mingle friendship far is mingling bloods. +I have tremor cordis on me. My heart dances, +But not for joy, not joy. This entertainment +May a free face put on, derive a liberty +From heartiness, from bounty, fertile bosom, +And well become the agent. 'T may, I grant. +But to be paddling palms and pinching fingers, +As now they are, and making practiced smiles +As in a looking glass, and then to sigh, as 'twere +The mort o' th' deer--O, that is entertainment +My bosom likes not, nor my brows.--Mamillius, +Art thou my boy? + +MAMILLIUS Ay, my good lord. + +LEONTES I' fecks! +Why, that's my bawcock. What, hast smutched thy +nose? +They say it is a copy out of mine. Come, captain, +We must be neat--not neat, but cleanly, captain. +And yet the steer, the heifer, and the calf +Are all called neat.--Still virginalling +Upon his palm?--How now, you wanton calf? +Art thou my calf? + +MAMILLIUS Yes, if you will, my lord. + +LEONTES +Thou want'st a rough pash and the shoots that I +have +To be full like me; yet they say we are +Almost as like as eggs. Women say so, +That will say anything. But were they false +As o'erdyed blacks, as wind, as waters, false +As dice are to be wished by one that fixes +No bourn 'twixt his and mine, yet were it true +To say this boy were like me. Come, sir page, +Look on me with your welkin eye. Sweet villain, +Most dear'st, my collop! Can thy dam?--may 't +be?-- +Affection, thy intention stabs the center. +Thou dost make possible things not so held, +Communicat'st with dreams--how can this be? +With what's unreal thou coactive art, +And fellow'st nothing. Then 'tis very credent +Thou may'st co-join with something; and thou dost, +And that beyond commission, and I find it, +And that to the infection of my brains +And hard'ning of my brows. + +POLIXENES What means Sicilia? + +HERMIONE +He something seems unsettled. + +POLIXENES How, my lord? + +LEONTES +What cheer? How is 't with you, best brother? + +HERMIONE You look +As if you held a brow of much distraction. +Are you moved, my lord? + +LEONTES No, in good earnest. +How sometimes nature will betray its folly, +Its tenderness, and make itself a pastime +To harder bosoms! Looking on the lines +Of my boy's face, methoughts I did recoil +Twenty-three years, and saw myself unbreeched, +In my green velvet coat, my dagger muzzled +Lest it should bite its master and so prove, +As ornaments oft do, too dangerous. +How like, methought, I then was to this kernel, +This squash, this gentleman.--Mine honest friend, +Will you take eggs for money? + +MAMILLIUS No, my lord, I'll fight. + +LEONTES +You will? Why, happy man be 's dole!--My brother, +Are you so fond of your young prince as we +Do seem to be of ours? + +POLIXENES If at home, sir, +He's all my exercise, my mirth, my matter, +Now my sworn friend and then mine enemy, +My parasite, my soldier, statesman, all. +He makes a July's day short as December, +And with his varying childness cures in me +Thoughts that would thick my blood. + +LEONTES So stands this +squire +Officed with me. We two will walk, my lord, +And leave you to your graver steps.--Hermione, +How thou lov'st us show in our brother's welcome. +Let what is dear in Sicily be cheap. +Next to thyself and my young rover, he's +Apparent to my heart. + +HERMIONE If you would seek us, +We are yours i' th' garden. Shall 's attend you there? + +LEONTES +To your own bents dispose you. You'll be found, +Be you beneath the sky. [Aside.] I am angling now, +Though you perceive me not how I give line. +Go to, go to! +How she holds up the neb, the bill to him, +And arms her with the boldness of a wife +To her allowing husband! +[Exit Hermione, Polixenes, and Attendants.] +Gone already. +Inch thick, knee-deep, o'er head and ears a forked +one!-- +Go play, boy, play. Thy mother plays, and I +Play too, but so disgraced a part, whose issue +Will hiss me to my grave. Contempt and clamor +Will be my knell. Go play, boy, play.--There have +been, +Or I am much deceived, cuckolds ere now; +And many a man there is, even at this present, +Now while I speak this, holds his wife by th' arm, +That little thinks she has been sluiced in 's absence, +And his pond fished by his next neighbor, by +Sir Smile, his neighbor. Nay, there's comfort in 't +Whiles other men have gates and those gates +opened, +As mine, against their will. Should all despair +That have revolted wives, the tenth of mankind +Would hang themselves. Physic for 't there's none. +It is a bawdy planet, that will strike +Where 'tis predominant; and 'tis powerful, think it, +From east, west, north, and south. Be it concluded, +No barricado for a belly. Know 't, +It will let in and out the enemy +With bag and baggage. Many thousand on 's +Have the disease and feel 't not.--How now, boy? + +MAMILLIUS +I am like you, they say. + +LEONTES Why, that's some comfort.-- +What, Camillo there? + +CAMILLO, [coming forward] Ay, my good lord. + +LEONTES +Go play, Mamillius. Thou 'rt an honest man. +[Mamillius exits.] +Camillo, this great sir will yet stay longer. + +CAMILLO +You had much ado to make his anchor hold. +When you cast out, it still came home. + +LEONTES Didst note it? + +CAMILLO +He would not stay at your petitions, made +His business more material. + +LEONTES Didst perceive it? +[Aside.] They're here with me already, whisp'ring, +rounding: +"Sicilia is a so-forth." 'Tis far gone +When I shall gust it last.--How came 't, Camillo, +That he did stay? + +CAMILLO At the good queen's entreaty. + +LEONTES +"At the queen's" be 't. "Good" should be pertinent, +But so it is, it is not. Was this taken +By any understanding pate but thine? +For thy conceit is soaking, will draw in +More than the common blocks. Not noted, is 't, +But of the finer natures, by some severals +Of headpiece extraordinary? Lower messes +Perchance are to this business purblind? Say. + +CAMILLO +Business, my lord? I think most understand +Bohemia stays here longer. + +LEONTES +Ha? + +CAMILLO Stays here longer. + +LEONTES Ay, but why? + +CAMILLO +To satisfy your Highness and the entreaties +Of our most gracious mistress. + +LEONTES Satisfy? +Th' entreaties of your mistress? Satisfy? +Let that suffice. I have trusted thee, Camillo, +With all the nearest things to my heart, as well +My chamber-counsels, wherein, priestlike, thou +Hast cleansed my bosom; I from thee departed +Thy penitent reformed. But we have been +Deceived in thy integrity, deceived +In that which seems so. + +CAMILLO Be it forbid, my lord! + +LEONTES +To bide upon 't: thou art not honest; or, +If thou inclin'st that way, thou art a coward, +Which hoxes honesty behind, restraining +From course required; or else thou must be +counted +A servant grafted in my serious trust +And therein negligent; or else a fool +That seest a game played home, the rich stake +drawn, +And tak'st it all for jest. + +CAMILLO My gracious lord, +I may be negligent, foolish, and fearful. +In every one of these no man is free, +But that his negligence, his folly, fear, +Among the infinite doings of the world, +Sometime puts forth. In your affairs, my lord, +If ever I were willful-negligent, +It was my folly; if industriously +I played the fool, it was my negligence, +Not weighing well the end; if ever fearful +To do a thing where I the issue doubted, +Whereof the execution did cry out +Against the non-performance, 'twas a fear +Which oft infects the wisest. These, my lord, +Are such allowed infirmities that honesty +Is never free of. But, beseech your Grace, +Be plainer with me; let me know my trespass +By its own visage. If I then deny it, +'Tis none of mine. + +LEONTES Ha' not you seen, Camillo-- +But that's past doubt; you have, or your eyeglass +Is thicker than a cuckold's horn--or heard-- +For to a vision so apparent, rumor +Cannot be mute--or thought--for cogitation +Resides not in that man that does not think-- +My wife is slippery? If thou wilt confess-- +Or else be impudently negative +To have nor eyes nor ears nor thought--then say +My wife's a hobby-horse, deserves a name +As rank as any flax-wench that puts to +Before her troth-plight. Say 't, and justify 't. + +CAMILLO +I would not be a stander-by to hear +My sovereign mistress clouded so without +My present vengeance taken. 'Shrew my heart, +You never spoke what did become you less +Than this, which to reiterate were sin +As deep as that, though true. + +LEONTES Is whispering nothing? +Is leaning cheek to cheek? Is meeting noses? +Kissing with inside lip? Stopping the career +Of laughter with a sigh?--a note infallible +Of breaking honesty. Horsing foot on foot? +Skulking in corners? Wishing clocks more swift? +Hours minutes? Noon midnight? And all eyes +Blind with the pin and web but theirs, theirs only, +That would unseen be wicked? Is this nothing? +Why, then the world and all that's in 't is nothing, +The covering sky is nothing, Bohemia nothing, +My wife is nothing, nor nothing have these nothings, +If this be nothing. + +CAMILLO Good my lord, be cured +Of this diseased opinion, and betimes, +For 'tis most dangerous. + +LEONTES Say it be, 'tis true. + +CAMILLO +No, no, my lord. + +LEONTES It is. You lie, you lie. +I say thou liest, Camillo, and I hate thee, +Pronounce thee a gross lout, a mindless slave, +Or else a hovering temporizer that +Canst with thine eyes at once see good and evil, +Inclining to them both. Were my wife's liver +Infected as her life, she would not live +The running of one glass. + +CAMILLO Who does infect her? + +LEONTES +Why, he that wears her like her medal, hanging +About his neck--Bohemia, who, if I +Had servants true about me, that bare eyes +To see alike mine honor as their profits, +Their own particular thrifts, they would do that +Which should undo more doing. Ay, and thou, +His cupbearer--whom I from meaner form +Have benched and reared to worship, who mayst see +Plainly as heaven sees Earth and Earth sees heaven +How I am galled--mightst bespice a cup +To give mine enemy a lasting wink, +Which draft to me were cordial. + +CAMILLO Sir, my lord, +I could do this, and that with no rash potion, +But with a ling'ring dram that should not work +Maliciously like poison. But I cannot +Believe this crack to be in my dread mistress, +So sovereignly being honorable. I have loved thee-- + +LEONTES Make that thy question, and go rot! +Dost think I am so muddy, so unsettled, +To appoint myself in this vexation, sully +The purity and whiteness of my sheets-- +Which to preserve is sleep, which being spotted +Is goads, thorns, nettles, tails of wasps-- +Give scandal to the blood o' th' Prince, my son, +Who I do think is mine and love as mine, +Without ripe moving to 't? Would I do this? +Could man so blench? + +CAMILLO I must believe you, sir. +I do, and will fetch off Bohemia for 't-- +Provided that, when he's removed, your Highness +Will take again your queen as yours at first, +Even for your son's sake, and thereby for sealing +The injury of tongues in courts and kingdoms +Known and allied to yours. + +LEONTES Thou dost advise me +Even so as I mine own course have set down. +I'll give no blemish to her honor, none. + +CAMILLO My lord, +Go then, and with a countenance as clear +As friendship wears at feasts, keep with Bohemia +And with your queen. I am his cupbearer. +If from me he have wholesome beverage, +Account me not your servant. + +LEONTES This is all. +Do 't and thou hast the one half of my heart; +Do 't not, thou splitt'st thine own. + +CAMILLO I'll do 't, my lord. + +LEONTES +I will seem friendly, as thou hast advised me. +[He exits.] + +CAMILLO +O miserable lady! But, for me, +What case stand I in? I must be the poisoner +Of good Polixenes, and my ground to do 't +Is the obedience to a master, one +Who in rebellion with himself will have +All that are his so too. To do this deed, +Promotion follows. If I could find example +Of thousands that had struck anointed kings +And flourished after, I'd not do 't. But since +Nor brass, nor stone, nor parchment bears not one, +Let villainy itself forswear 't. I must +Forsake the court. To do 't or no is certain +To me a breakneck. Happy star reign now! +Here comes Bohemia. + +[Enter Polixenes.] + + +POLIXENES, [aside] This is strange. Methinks +My favor here begins to warp. Not speak?-- +Good day, Camillo. + +CAMILLO Hail, most royal sir. + +POLIXENES +What is the news i' th' court? + +CAMILLO None rare, my lord. + +POLIXENES +The King hath on him such a countenance +As he had lost some province and a region +Loved as he loves himself. Even now I met him +With customary compliment, when he, +Wafting his eyes to th' contrary and falling +A lip of much contempt, speeds from me, and +So leaves me to consider what is breeding +That changes thus his manners. + +CAMILLO I dare not know, my +lord. + +POLIXENES +How, dare not? Do not? Do you know and dare not? +Be intelligent to me--'tis thereabouts; +For to yourself what you do know, you must, +And cannot say you dare not. Good Camillo, +Your changed complexions are to me a mirror +Which shows me mine changed too, for I must be +A party in this alteration, finding +Myself thus altered with 't. + +CAMILLO There is a sickness +Which puts some of us in distemper, but +I cannot name the disease, and it is caught +Of you that yet are well. + +POLIXENES How caught of me? +Make me not sighted like the basilisk. +I have looked on thousands who have sped the +better +By my regard, but killed none so. Camillo, +As you are certainly a gentleman, thereto +Clerklike experienced, which no less adorns +Our gentry than our parents' noble names, +In whose success we are gentle, I beseech you, +If you know aught which does behoove my +knowledge +Thereof to be informed, imprison 't not +In ignorant concealment. + +CAMILLO I may not answer. + +POLIXENES +A sickness caught of me, and yet I well? +I must be answered. Dost thou hear, Camillo? +I conjure thee by all the parts of man +Which honor does acknowledge, whereof the least +Is not this suit of mine, that thou declare +What incidency thou dost guess of harm +Is creeping toward me; how far off, how near; +Which way to be prevented, if to be; +If not, how best to bear it. + +CAMILLO Sir, I will tell you, +Since I am charged in honor and by him +That I think honorable. Therefore mark my counsel, +Which must be e'en as swiftly followed as +I mean to utter it, or both yourself and me +Cry lost, and so goodnight. + +POLIXENES On, good Camillo. + +CAMILLO +I am appointed him to murder you. + +POLIXENES +By whom, Camillo? + +CAMILLO By the King. + +POLIXENES For what? + +CAMILLO +He thinks, nay with all confidence he swears, +As he had seen 't or been an instrument +To vice you to 't, that you have touched his queen +Forbiddenly. + +POLIXENES O, then my best blood turn +To an infected jelly, and my name +Be yoked with his that did betray the Best! +Turn then my freshest reputation to +A savor that may strike the dullest nostril +Where I arrive, and my approach be shunned, +Nay, hated too, worse than the great'st infection +That e'er was heard or read. + +CAMILLO 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 piled upon his faith and will continue +The standing of his body. + +POLIXENES How should this grow? + +CAMILLO +I know not. But I am sure 'tis safer to +Avoid what's grown than question how 'tis born. +If therefore you dare trust my honesty, +That lies enclosed in this trunk which you +Shall bear along impawned, away tonight! +Your followers I will whisper to the business, +And will by twos and threes at several posterns +Clear them o' th' city. For myself, I'll put +My fortunes to your service, which are here +By this discovery lost. Be not uncertain, +For, by the honor of my parents, I +Have uttered truth--which if you seek to prove, +I dare not stand by; nor shall you be safer +Than one condemned by the King's own mouth, +thereon +His execution sworn. + +POLIXENES I do believe thee. +I saw his heart in 's face. Give me thy hand. +Be pilot to me and thy places shall +Still neighbor 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 dishonored by a man which ever +Professed 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. + +CAMILLO +It is in mine authority to command +The keys of all the posterns. Please your Highness +To take the urgent hour. Come, sir, away. +[They exit.] + + +ACT 2 +===== + +Scene 1 +======= +[Enter Hermione, Mamillius, and Ladies.] + + +HERMIONE +Take the boy to you. He so troubles me +'Tis past enduring. + +FIRST LADY Come, my gracious lord, +Shall I be your playfellow? + +MAMILLIUS +No, I'll none of you. + +FIRST LADY Why, my sweet lord? + +MAMILLIUS +You'll kiss me hard and speak to me as if +I were a baby still.--I love you better. + +SECOND LADY +And why so, my lord? + +MAMILLIUS 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. + +SECOND LADY Who taught this? + +MAMILLIUS +I learned it out of women's faces.--Pray now, +What color are your eyebrows? + +FIRST LADY Blue, my lord. + +MAMILLIUS +Nay, that's a mock. I have seen a lady's nose +That has been blue, but not her eyebrows. + +FIRST LADY Hark ye, +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. + +SECOND LADY She is spread of late +Into a goodly bulk. Good time encounter her! + +HERMIONE +What wisdom stirs amongst you?--Come, sir, now +I am for you again. Pray you sit by us, +And tell 's a tale. + +MAMILLIUS Merry or sad shall 't be? + +HERMIONE As merry as you will. + +MAMILLIUS +A sad tale's best for winter. I have one +Of sprites and goblins. + +HERMIONE Let's have that, good sir. +Come on, sit down. Come on, and do your best +To fright me with your sprites. You're powerful at it. + +MAMILLIUS +There was a man-- + +HERMIONE Nay, come sit down, then on. + +MAMILLIUS +Dwelt by a churchyard. I will tell it softly, +Yond crickets shall not hear it. + +HERMIONE +Come on then, and give 't me in mine ear. + +[They talk privately.] + +[Enter Leontes, Antigonus, and Lords.] + + +LEONTES +Was he met there? His train? Camillo with him? + +LORD +Behind the tuft of pines I met them. Never +Saw I men scour so on their way. I eyed them +Even to their ships. + +LEONTES How blest am I +In my just censure, in my true opinion! +Alack, for lesser knowledge! How accursed +In being so blest! There may be in the cup +A spider steeped, and one may drink, depart, +And yet partake no venom, for his knowledge +Is not infected; but if one present +Th' abhorred 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 employed was pre-employed by him. +He has discovered my design, and I +Remain a pinched thing, yea, a very trick +For them to play at will. How came the posterns +So easily open? + +LORD By his great authority, +Which often hath no less prevailed than so +On your command. + +LEONTES I know 't too well. +[To Hermione.] 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. + +HERMIONE What is this? Sport? + +LEONTES, [to the Ladies] +Bear the boy hence. He shall not come about her. +Away with him, and let her sport herself +With that she's big with, [(to Hermione)] for 'tis +Polixenes +Has made thee swell thus. +[A Lady exits with Mamillius.] + +HERMIONE But I'd say he had not, +And I'll be sworn you would believe my saying, +Howe'er you lean to th' nayward. + +LEONTES You, my lords, +Look on her, mark her well. Be but about +To say "She is a goodly lady," and +The justice of your hearts will thereto add +"'Tis pity she's not honest, honorable." +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 "hum"s 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 adult'ress. + +HERMIONE Should a villain say so, +The most replenished villain in the world, +He were as much more villain. You, my lord, +Do but mistake. + +LEONTES 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 adult'ress; 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. + +HERMIONE No, by my life, +Privy to none of this. How will this grieve you, +When you shall come to clearer knowledge, that +You thus have published me! Gentle my lord, +You scarce can right me throughly then to say +You did mistake. + +LEONTES No. If I mistake +In those foundations which I build upon, +The center 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. + +HERMIONE There's some ill planet reigns. +I must be patient till the heavens look +With an aspect more favorable. 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 honorable grief lodged 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 performed. + +LEONTES Shall I be heard? + +HERMIONE +Who is 't that goes with me? Beseech your Highness +My women may be with me, for you see +My plight requires it.--Do not weep, good fools; +There is no cause. When you shall know your +mistress +Has deserved prison, then abound in tears +As I come out. This action I now go on +Is for my better grace.--Adieu, my lord. +I never wished to see you sorry; now +I trust I shall.--My women, come; you have leave. + +LEONTES Go, do our bidding. Hence! +[Hermione exits, under guard, with her Ladies.] + +LORD +Beseech your Highness, call the Queen again. + +ANTIGONUS +Be certain what you do, sir, lest your justice +Prove violence, in the which three great ones suffer: +Yourself, your queen, your son. + +LORD For her, my lord, +I dare my life lay down--and will do 't, sir, +Please you t' accept it--that the Queen is spotless +I' th' eyes of heaven, and to you--I mean +In this which you accuse her. + +ANTIGONUS If it prove +She's otherwise, I'll keep my stables where +I lodge my wife. I'll go in couples with her; +Than when I feel and see her, no farther trust her. +For every inch of woman in the world, +Ay, every dram of woman's flesh, is false, +If she be. + +LEONTES Hold your peaces. + +LORD Good my lord-- + +ANTIGONUS +It is for you we speak, not for ourselves. +You are abused, and by some putter-on +That will be damned for 't. Would I knew the +villain! +I would land-damn him. Be she honor-flawed, +I have three daughters--the eldest is eleven; +The second and the third, nine and some five; +If this prove true, they'll pay for 't. By mine honor, +I'll geld 'em all; fourteen they shall not see +To bring false generations. They are co-heirs, +And I had rather glib myself than they +Should not produce fair issue. + +LEONTES Cease. No more. +You smell this business with a sense as cold +As is a dead man's nose. But I do see 't and feel 't, +As you feel doing thus, and see withal +The instruments that feel. + +ANTIGONUS If it be so, +We need no grave to bury honesty. +There's not a grain of it the face to sweeten +Of the whole dungy Earth. + +LEONTES What? Lack I credit? + +LORD +I had rather you did lack than I, my lord, +Upon this ground. And more it would content me +To have her honor true than your suspicion, +Be blamed for 't how you might. + +LEONTES Why, what need we +Commune with you of this, but rather follow +Our forceful instigation? Our prerogative +Calls not your counsels, but our natural goodness +Imparts this, which if you--or stupefied +Or seeming so in skill--cannot or will not +Relish a truth like us, inform yourselves +We need no more of your advice. The matter, +The loss, the gain, the ord'ring on 't is all +Properly ours. + +ANTIGONUS And I wish, my liege, +You had only in your silent judgment tried it, +Without more overture. + +LEONTES How could that be? +Either thou art most ignorant by age, +Or thou wert born a fool. Camillo's flight, +Added to their familiarity-- +Which was as gross as ever touched conjecture, +That lacked sight only, naught for approbation +But only seeing, all other circumstances +Made up to th' deed--doth push on this +proceeding. +Yet, for a greater confirmation-- +For in an act of this importance 'twere +Most piteous to be wild--I have dispatched in post +To sacred Delphos, to Apollo's temple, +Cleomenes and Dion, whom you know +Of stuffed sufficiency. Now from the oracle +They will bring all, whose spiritual counsel had +Shall stop or spur me. Have I done well? + +LORD Well done, +my lord. + +LEONTES +Though I am satisfied and need no more +Than what I know, yet shall the oracle +Give rest to th' minds of others, such as he +Whose ignorant credulity will not +Come up to th' truth. So have we thought it good +From our free person she should be confined, +Lest that the treachery of the two fled hence +Be left her to perform. Come, follow us. +We are to speak in public, for this business +Will raise us all. + +ANTIGONUS, [aside] To laughter, as I take it, +If the good truth were known. +[They exit.] + +Scene 2 +======= +[Enter Paulina, a Gentleman, and Paulina's Attendants.] + + +PAULINA, [to Gentleman] +The keeper of the prison, call to him. +Let him have knowledge who I am. +[Gentleman exits.] +Good lady, +No court in Europe is too good for thee. +What dost thou then in prison? + +[Enter Jailer, with the Gentleman.] + +Now, good sir, +You know me, do you not? + +JAILER For a worthy lady +And one who much I honor. + +PAULINA Pray you then, +Conduct me to the Queen. + +JAILER I may not, madam. +To the contrary I have express commandment. + +PAULINA +Here's ado, to lock up honesty and honor from +Th' access of gentle visitors. Is 't lawful, pray you, +To see her women? Any of them? Emilia? + +JAILER So please you, madam, +To put apart these your attendants, I +Shall bring Emilia forth. + +PAULINA I pray now, call her.-- +Withdraw yourselves. +[Attendants and Gentleman exit.] + +JAILER +And, madam, I must be present at your conference. + +PAULINA Well, be 't so, prithee. [Jailer exits.] +Here's such ado to make no stain a stain +As passes coloring. + +[Enter Emilia with Jailer.] + +Dear gentlewoman, +How fares our gracious lady? + +EMILIA +As well as one so great and so forlorn +May hold together. On her frights and griefs, +Which never tender lady hath borne greater, +She is something before her time delivered. + +PAULINA +A boy? + +EMILIA A daughter, and a goodly babe, +Lusty and like to live. The Queen receives +Much comfort in 't, says "My poor prisoner, +I am innocent as you." + +PAULINA I dare be sworn. +These dangerous unsafe lunes i' th' King, beshrew +them! +He must be told on 't, and he shall. The office +Becomes a woman best. I'll take 't upon me. +If I prove honey-mouthed, let my tongue blister +And never to my red-looked anger be +The trumpet anymore. Pray you, Emilia, +Commend my best obedience to the Queen. +If she dares trust me with her little babe, +I'll show 't the King and undertake to be +Her advocate to th' loud'st We do not know +How he may soften at the sight o' th' child. +The silence often of pure innocence +Persuades when speaking fails. + +EMILIA Most worthy madam, +Your honor and your goodness is so evident +That your free undertaking cannot miss +A thriving issue. There is no lady living +So meet for this great errand. Please your Ladyship +To visit the next room, I'll presently +Acquaint the Queen of your most noble offer, +Who but today hammered of this design, +But durst not tempt a minister of honor +Lest she should be denied. + +PAULINA Tell her, Emilia, +I'll use that tongue I have. If wit flow from 't +As boldness from my bosom, let 't not be doubted +I shall do good. + +EMILIA Now be you blest for it! +I'll to the Queen. Please you come something +nearer. + +JAILER, [to Paulina] +Madam, if 't please the Queen to send the babe, +I know not what I shall incur to pass it, +Having no warrant. + +PAULINA You need not fear it, sir. +This child was prisoner to the womb, and is +By law and process of great nature thence +Freed and enfranchised, not a party to +The anger of the King, nor guilty of, +If any be, the trespass of the Queen. + +JAILER I do believe it. + +PAULINA +Do not you fear. Upon mine honor, I +Will stand betwixt you and danger. +[They exit.] + +Scene 3 +======= +[Enter Leontes.] + + +LEONTES +Nor night nor day no rest. It is but weakness +To bear the matter thus, mere weakness. If +The cause were not in being--part o' th' cause, +She th' adult'ress, for the harlot king +Is quite beyond mine arm, out of the blank +And level of my brain, plot-proof. But she +I can hook to me. Say that she were gone, +Given to the fire, a moiety of my rest +Might come to me again.--Who's there? + +[Enter a Servant.] + + +SERVANT My lord. + +LEONTES How does the boy? + +SERVANT He took good rest tonight. 'Tis hoped +His sickness is discharged. + +LEONTES To see his nobleness, +Conceiving the dishonor of his mother. +He straight declined, drooped, took it deeply, +Fastened and fixed the shame on 't in himself, +Threw off his spirit, his appetite, his sleep, +And downright languished. Leave me solely. Go, +See how he fares. [Servant exits.] +Fie, fie, no thought of him. +The very thought of my revenges that way +Recoil upon me--in himself too mighty, +And in his parties, his alliance. Let him be +Until a time may serve. For present vengeance, +Take it on her. Camillo and Polixenes +Laugh at me, make their pastime at my sorrow. +They should not laugh if I could reach them, nor +Shall she within my power. + +[Enter Paulina, carrying the baby, with Servants, +Antigonus, and Lords.] + + +LORD You must not enter. + +PAULINA +Nay, rather, good my lords, be second to me. +Fear you his tyrannous passion more, alas, +Than the Queen's life? A gracious innocent soul, +More free than he is jealous. + +ANTIGONUS That's enough. + +SERVANT +Madam, he hath not slept tonight, commanded +None should come at him. + +PAULINA Not so hot, good sir. +I come to bring him sleep. 'Tis such as you +That creep like shadows by him and do sigh +At each his needless heavings, such as you +Nourish the cause of his awaking. I +Do come with words as medicinal as true, +Honest as either, to purge him of that humor +That presses him from sleep. + +LEONTES What noise there, ho? + +PAULINA +No noise, my lord, but needful conference +About some gossips for your Highness. + +LEONTES How?-- +Away with that audacious lady. Antigonus, +I charged thee that she should not come about me. +I knew she would. + +ANTIGONUS I told her so, my lord, +On your displeasure's peril and on mine, +She should not visit you. + +LEONTES What, canst not rule her? + +PAULINA +From all dishonesty he can. In this, +Unless he take the course that you have done-- +Commit me for committing honor--trust it, +He shall not rule me. + +ANTIGONUS La you now, you hear. +When she will take the rein I let her run, +But she'll not stumble. + +PAULINA Good my liege, I come-- +And I beseech you hear me, who professes +Myself your loyal servant, your physician, +Your most obedient counselor, yet that dares +Less appear so in comforting your evils +Than such as most seem yours--I say I come +From your good queen. + +LEONTES Good queen? + +PAULINA +Good queen, my lord, good queen, I say "good +queen," +And would by combat make her good, so were I +A man, the worst about you. + +LEONTES Force her hence. + +PAULINA +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 she is good, hath brought you forth a +daughter-- +Here 'tis--commends it to your blessing. +[She lays down the baby.] + +LEONTES Out! +A mankind witch! Hence with her, out o' door. +A most intelligencing bawd. + +PAULINA Not so. +I am as ignorant in that as you +In so entitling me, and no less honest +Than you are mad--which is enough, I'll warrant, +As this world goes, to pass for honest. + +LEONTES Traitors, +Will you not push her out? [To Antigonus.] Give her +the bastard, +Thou dotard; thou art woman-tired, unroosted +By thy Dame Partlet here. Take up the bastard, +Take 't up, I say. Give 't to thy crone. + +PAULINA, [to Antigonus] Forever +Unvenerable be thy hands if thou +Tak'st up the Princess by that forced baseness +Which he has put upon 't. + +LEONTES He dreads his wife. + +PAULINA +So I would you did. Then 'twere past all doubt +You'd call your children yours. + +LEONTES A nest of traitors! + +ANTIGONUS +I am none, by this good light. + +PAULINA Nor I, nor any +But one that's here, and that's himself. For he +The sacred honor of himself, his queen's, +His hopeful son's, his babe's, betrays to slander, +Whose sting is sharper than the sword's; and will +not-- +For, as the case now stands, it is a curse +He cannot be compelled to 't--once remove +The root of his opinion, which is rotten +As ever oak or stone was sound. + +LEONTES A callet +Of boundless tongue, who late hath beat her +husband +And now baits me! This brat is none of mine. +It is the issue of Polixenes. +Hence with it, and together with the dam +Commit them to the fire. + +PAULINA It is yours, +And, might we lay th' 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, nose, lip, +The trick of 's frown, his forehead, nay, the valley, +The pretty dimples of his chin and cheek, his +smiles, +The very mold and frame of hand, nail, finger. +And thou, good goddess Nature, which hast made it +So like to him that got it, if thou hast +The ordering of the mind too, 'mongst all colors +No yellow in 't, lest she suspect, as he does, +Her children not her husband's. + +LEONTES A gross hag!-- +And, losel, thou art worthy to be hanged +That wilt not stay her tongue. + +ANTIGONUS Hang all the husbands +That cannot do that feat, you'll leave yourself +Hardly one subject. + +LEONTES Once more, take her hence. + +PAULINA +A most unworthy and unnatural lord +Can do no more. + +LEONTES I'll ha' thee burnt. + +PAULINA I care not. +It is an heretic that makes the fire, +Not she which burns in 't. I'll not call you tyrant; +But this most cruel usage of your queen, +Not able to produce more accusation +Than your own weak-hinged fancy, something +savors +Of tyranny, and will ignoble make you, +Yea, scandalous to the world. + +LEONTES, [to Antigonus] On your allegiance, +Out of the chamber with her! Were I a tyrant, +Where were her life? She durst not call me so +If she did know me one. Away with her! + +PAULINA, [to Lords] +I pray you do not push me; I'll be gone.-- +Look to your babe, my lord; 'tis yours. Jove send her +A better guiding spirit.--What needs these hands? +You that are thus so tender o'er his follies +Will never do him good, not one of you. +So, so. Farewell, we are gone. [She exits.] + +LEONTES, [to Antigonus] +Thou, traitor, hast set on thy wife to this. +My child? Away with 't! Even thou, that hast +A heart so tender o'er it, take it hence, +And see it instantly consumed with fire. +Even thou, and none but thou. Take it up straight. +Within this hour bring me word 'tis done, +And by good testimony, or I'll seize thy life, +With what thou else call'st thine. If thou refuse +And wilt encounter with my wrath, say so. +The bastard brains with these my proper hands +Shall I dash out. Go, take it to the fire, +For thou sett'st on thy wife. + +ANTIGONUS I did not, sir. +These lords, my noble fellows, if they please, +Can clear me in 't. + +LORDS We can, my royal liege. +He is not guilty of her coming hither. + +LEONTES You're liars all. + +LORD +Beseech your Highness, give us better credit. +We have always truly served you, and beseech +So to esteem of us. And on our knees we beg, +As recompense of our dear services +Past and to come, that you do change this purpose, +Which being so horrible, so bloody, must +Lead on to some foul issue. We all kneel. + +LEONTES +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. [To Antigonus.] You, sir, come +you hither, +You that have been so tenderly officious +With Lady Margery, your midwife there, +To save this bastard's life--for 'tis a bastard, +So sure as this beard's gray. What will you +adventure +To save this brat's life? + +ANTIGONUS Anything, 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 save the innocent. Anything possible. + +LEONTES +It shall be possible. Swear by this sword +Thou wilt perform my bidding. + +ANTIGONUS, [his hand on the hilt] I will, my lord. + +LEONTES +Mark, and perform it, seest thou; for the fail +Of any point in 't shall not only be +Death to thyself but to thy lewd-tongued wife, +Whom for this time we pardon. We enjoin thee, +As thou art liegeman to us, that thou carry +This female bastard hence, and that thou bear it +To some remote and desert place quite out +Of our dominions, and that there thou leave it, +Without more mercy, to it own protection +And favor of the climate. As by strange fortune +It came to us, I do in justice charge thee, +On thy soul's peril and thy body's torture, +That thou commend it strangely to some place +Where chance may nurse or end it. Take it up. + +ANTIGONUS +I swear to do this, though a present death +Had been more merciful.--Come on, poor babe. +[He picks up the baby.] +Some powerful spirit instruct the kites and ravens +To be thy nurses! Wolves and bears, they say, +Casting their savageness aside, have done +Like offices of pity. [To Leontes.] Sir, be prosperous +In more than this deed does require.--And blessing +Against this cruelty fight on thy side, +Poor thing, condemned to loss. +[He exits, carrying the baby.] + +LEONTES No, I'll not rear +Another's issue. + +[Enter a Servant.] + + +SERVANT Please your Highness, posts +From those you sent to th' oracle are come +An hour since. Cleomenes and Dion, +Being well arrived from Delphos, are both landed, +Hasting to th' court. + +LORD, [to Leontes] So please you, sir, their speed +Hath been beyond account. + +LEONTES Twenty-three days +They have been absent. 'Tis good speed, foretells +The great Apollo suddenly will have +The truth of this appear. Prepare you, lords. +Summon a session, that we may arraign +Our most disloyal lady; for, as she hath +Been publicly accused, so shall she have +A just and open trial. While she lives, +My heart will be a burden to me. Leave me, +And think upon my bidding. +[They exit.] + + +ACT 3 +===== + +Scene 1 +======= +[Enter Cleomenes and Dion.] + + +CLEOMENES +The climate's delicate, the air most sweet, +Fertile the isle, the temple much surpassing +The common praise it bears. + +DION I shall report, +For most it caught me, the celestial habits-- +Methinks I so should term them--and the reverence +Of the grave wearers. O, the sacrifice, +How ceremonious, solemn, and unearthly +It was i' th' off'ring! + +CLEOMENES But of all, the burst +And the ear-deaf'ning voice o' th' oracle, +Kin to Jove's thunder, so surprised my sense +That I was nothing. + +DION If th' event o' th' journey +Prove as successful to the Queen--O, be 't so!-- +As it hath been to us rare, pleasant, speedy, +The time is worth the use on 't. + +CLEOMENES Great Apollo +Turn all to th' 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 sealed up, +Shall the contents discover. Something rare +Even then will rush to knowledge. Go. Fresh horses; +And gracious be the issue. +[They exit.] + +Scene 2 +======= +[Enter Leontes, Lords, and Officers.] + + +LEONTES +This sessions, to our great grief we pronounce, +Even pushes 'gainst our heart: the party tried +The daughter of a king, our wife, and one +Of us too much beloved. Let us be cleared +Of being tyrannous, since we so openly +Proceed in justice, which shall have due course +Even to the guilt or the purgation. +Produce the prisoner. + +OFFICER +It is his Highness' pleasure that the Queen +Appear in person here in court. + +[Enter Hermione, as to her trial, Paulina, and Ladies.] + +Silence! + +LEONTES Read the indictment. + +OFFICER [reads] Hermione, queen to the worthy Leontes, +King of Sicilia, thou art here accused and arraigned +of high treason, in committing adultery with Polixenes, +King of Bohemia, and conspiring with Camillo +to take away the life of our sovereign lord the King, thy +royal husband; the pretense whereof being by circumstances +partly laid open, thou, Hermione, contrary to +the faith and allegiance of a true subject, didst counsel +and aid them, for their better safety, to fly away by +night. + +HERMIONE +Since what I am to say must be but that +Which contradicts my accusation, and +The testimony on my part no other +But what comes from myself, it shall scarce boot me +To say "Not guilty." Mine integrity, +Being counted falsehood, shall, as I express it, +Be so received. But thus: if powers divine +Behold our human actions, as they do, +I doubt not then but innocence shall make +False accusation blush and tyranny +Tremble at patience. You, my lord, best know, +Whom least will seem to do so, my past life +Hath been as continent, as chaste, as true, +As I am now unhappy; which is more +Than history can pattern, though devised +And played to take spectators. 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 honor fore +Who please to come and hear. For life, I prize it +As I weigh grief, which I would spare. For honor, +'Tis a derivative from me to mine, +And only that I stand for. I appeal +To your own conscience, sir, before Polixenes +Came to your court, how I was in your grace, +How merited to be so; since he came, +With what encounter so uncurrent I +Have strained t' appear thus; if one jot beyond +The bound of honor, or in act or will +That way inclining, hardened be the hearts +Of all that hear me, and my near'st of kin +Cry fie upon my grave. + +LEONTES I ne'er heard yet +That any of these bolder vices wanted +Less impudence to gainsay what they did +Than to perform it first. + +HERMIONE That's true enough, +Though 'tis a saying, sir, not due to me. + +LEONTES +You will not own it. + +HERMIONE More than mistress of +Which comes to me in name of fault, I must not +At all acknowledge. For Polixenes, +With whom I am accused, I do confess +I loved him as in honor he required, +With such a kind of love as might become +A lady like me, with a love even such, +So and no other, as yourself commanded, +Which not to have done, I think, had been in me +Both disobedience and ingratitude +To you and toward your friend, whose love had +spoke, +Even since it could speak, from an infant, freely +That it was yours. Now, for conspiracy, +I know not how it tastes, though it be dished +For me to try how. All I know of it +Is that Camillo was an honest man; +And why he left your court, the gods themselves, +Wotting no more than I, are ignorant. + +LEONTES +You knew of his departure, as you know +What you have underta'en to do in 's absence. + +HERMIONE Sir, +You speak a language that I understand not. +My life stands in the level of your dreams, +Which I'll lay down. + +LEONTES Your actions are my dreams. +You had a bastard by Polixenes, +And I but dreamed it. As you were past all shame-- +Those of your fact are so--so past all truth, +Which to deny concerns more than avails; for as +Thy brat hath been cast out, like to itself, +No father owning it--which is indeed +More criminal in thee than it--so thou +Shalt feel our justice, in whose easiest passage +Look for no less than death. + +HERMIONE Sir, spare your threats. +The bug which you would fright me with I seek. +To me can life be no commodity. +The crown and comfort of my life, your favor, +I do give lost, for I do feel it gone, +But know not how it went. My second joy +And first fruits of my body, from his presence +I am barred like one infectious. My third comfort, +Starred most unluckily, is from my breast, +The innocent milk in it most innocent mouth, +Haled out to murder; myself on every post +Proclaimed a strumpet; with immodest hatred +The childbed privilege denied, which longs +To women of all fashion; lastly, hurried +Here to this place, i' th' open air, before +I have got strength of limit. Now, my liege, +Tell me what blessings I have here alive, +That I should fear to die? Therefore proceed. +But yet hear this (mistake me not: no life, +I prize it not a straw, but for mine honor, +Which I would free), if I shall be condemned +Upon surmises, all proofs sleeping else +But what your jealousies awake, I tell you +'Tis rigor, and not law. Your Honors all, +I do refer me to the oracle. +Apollo be my judge. + +LORD This your request +Is altogether just. Therefore bring forth, +And in Apollo's name, his oracle. [Officers exit.] + +HERMIONE +The Emperor of Russia was my father. +O, that he were alive and here beholding +His daughter's trial, that he did but see +The flatness of my misery, yet with eyes +Of pity, not revenge. + +[Enter Cleomenes, Dion, with Officers.] + + +OFFICER, [presenting a sword] +You here shall swear upon this sword of justice +That you, Cleomenes and Dion, have +Been both at Delphos, and from thence have +brought +This sealed-up oracle, by the hand delivered +Of great Apollo's priest, and that since then +You have not dared to break the holy seal +Nor read the secrets in 't. + +CLEOMENES, DION All this we swear. + +LEONTES Break up the seals and read. + +OFFICER [reads] Hermione is chaste, Polixenes blameless, +Camillo a true subject, Leontes a jealous tyrant, +his innocent babe truly begotten; and the King shall +live without an heir if that which is lost be not +found. + +LORDS +Now blessed be the great Apollo! + +HERMIONE Praised! + +LEONTES Hast thou read truth? + +OFFICER +Ay, my lord, even so as it is here set down. + +LEONTES +There is no truth at all i' th' oracle. +The sessions shall proceed. This is mere falsehood. + +[Enter a Servant.] + + +SERVANT +My lord the King, the King! + +LEONTES What is the business? + +SERVANT +O sir, I shall be hated to report it. +The Prince your son, with mere conceit and fear +Of the Queen's speed, is gone. + +LEONTES How? Gone? + +SERVANT Is dead. + +LEONTES +Apollo's angry, and the heavens themselves +Do strike at my injustice. +[Hermione falls.] +How now there? + +PAULINA +This news is mortal to the Queen. Look down +And see what death is doing. + +LEONTES Take her hence. +Her heart is but o'ercharged. She will recover. +I have too much believed mine own suspicion. +Beseech you, tenderly apply to her +Some remedies for life. + +[Paulina exits with Officers carrying Hermione.] + +Apollo, pardon +My great profaneness 'gainst thine oracle. +I'll reconcile me to Polixenes, +New woo my queen, recall the good Camillo, +Whom I proclaim a man of truth, of mercy; +For, being transported by my jealousies +To bloody thoughts and to revenge, I chose +Camillo for the minister to poison +My friend Polixenes, which had been done +But that the good mind of Camillo tardied +My swift command, though I with death and with +Reward did threaten and encourage him, +Not doing it and being done. He, most humane +And filled with honor, to my kingly guest +Unclasped my practice, quit his fortunes here, +Which you knew great, and to the hazard +Of all incertainties himself commended, +No richer than his honor. How he glisters +Through my rust, and how his piety +Does my deeds make the blacker! + +[Enter Paulina.] + + +PAULINA Woe the while! +O, cut my lace, lest my heart, cracking it, +Break too! + +LORD What fit is this, good lady? + +PAULINA, [to Leontes] +What studied torments, tyrant, hast for me? +What wheels, racks, fires? What flaying? Boiling +In leads or oils? What old or newer torture +Must I receive, whose every word deserves +To taste of thy most worst? Thy tyranny, +Together working with thy jealousies, +Fancies too weak for boys, too green and idle +For girls of nine, O, think what they have done, +And then run mad indeed, stark mad, for all +Thy bygone fooleries were but spices of it. +That thou betrayedst Polixenes, 'twas nothing; +That did but show thee of a fool, inconstant +And damnable ingrateful. Nor was 't much +Thou wouldst have poisoned good Camillo's honor, +To have him kill a king: poor trespasses, +More monstrous standing by, whereof I reckon +The casting forth to crows thy baby daughter +To be or none or little, though a devil +Would have shed water out of fire ere done 't. +Nor is 't directly laid to thee the death +Of the young prince, whose honorable thoughts, +Thoughts high for one so tender, cleft the heart +That could conceive a gross and foolish sire +Blemished his gracious dam. This is not, no, +Laid to thy answer. But the last--O lords, +When I have said, cry woe!--the Queen, the Queen, +The sweet'st, dear'st creature's dead, and vengeance +for 't +Not dropped down yet. + +LORD The higher powers forbid! + +PAULINA +I say she's dead. I'll swear 't. If word nor oath +Prevail not, go and see. If you can bring +Tincture or luster in her lip, her eye, +Heat outwardly or breath within, I'll serve you +As I would do the gods.--But, O thou tyrant, +Do not repent these things, for they are heavier +Than all thy woes can stir. Therefore betake thee +To nothing but despair. A thousand knees +Ten thousand years together, naked, fasting, +Upon a barren mountain, and still winter +In storm perpetual, could not move the gods +To look that way thou wert. + +LEONTES Go on, go on. +Thou canst not speak too much. I have deserved +All tongues to talk their bitt'rest. + +LORD, [to Paulina] Say no more. +Howe'er the business goes, you have made fault +I' th' boldness of your speech. + +PAULINA I am sorry for 't. +All faults I make, when I shall come to know them, +I do repent. Alas, I have showed too much +The rashness of a woman. He is touched +To th' noble heart.--What's gone and what's past +help +Should be past grief. Do not receive affliction +At my petition. I beseech you, rather +Let me be punished, that have minded you +Of what you should forget. Now, good my liege, +Sir, royal sir, forgive a foolish woman. +The love I bore your queen--lo, fool again!-- +I'll speak of her no more, nor of your children. +I'll not remember you of my own lord, +Who is lost too. Take your patience to you, +And I'll say nothing. + +LEONTES Thou didst speak but well +When most the truth, which I receive much better +Than to be pitied of thee. Prithee, bring me +To the dead bodies of my queen and son. +One grave shall be for both. Upon them shall +The causes of their death appear, unto +Our shame perpetual. Once a day I'll visit +The chapel where they lie, and tears shed there +Shall be my recreation. So long as nature +Will bear up with this exercise, so long +I daily vow to use it. Come, and lead me +To these sorrows. +[They exit.] + +Scene 3 +======= +[Enter Antigonus carrying the babe, and a Mariner.] + + +ANTIGONUS +Thou art perfect, then, our ship hath touched upon +The deserts of Bohemia? + +MARINER Ay, my lord, and fear +We have landed in ill time. The skies look grimly +And threaten present blusters. In my conscience, +The heavens with that we have in hand are angry +And frown upon 's. + +ANTIGONUS +Their sacred wills be done. Go, get aboard. +Look to thy bark. I'll not be long before +I call upon thee. + +MARINER Make your best haste, and go not +Too far i' th' land. 'Tis like to be loud weather. +Besides, this place is famous for the creatures +Of prey that keep upon 't. + +ANTIGONUS Go thou away. +I'll follow instantly. + +MARINER I am glad at heart +To be so rid o' th' business. [He exits.] + +ANTIGONUS Come, poor babe. +I have heard, but not believed, the spirits o' th' dead +May walk again. If such thing be, thy mother +Appeared to me last night, for ne'er was dream +So like a waking. To me comes a creature, +Sometimes her head on one side, some another. +I never saw a vessel of like sorrow, +So filled and so becoming. In pure white robes, +Like very sanctity, she did approach +My cabin where I lay, thrice bowed before me, +And, gasping to begin some speech, her eyes +Became two spouts. The fury spent, anon +Did this break from her: "Good Antigonus, +Since fate, against thy better disposition, +Hath made thy person for the thrower-out +Of my poor babe, according to thine oath, +Places remote enough are in Bohemia. +There weep, and leave it crying. And, for the babe +Is counted lost forever, Perdita +I prithee call 't. For this ungentle business +Put on thee by my lord, thou ne'er shalt see +Thy wife Paulina more." And so, with shrieks, +She melted into air. Affrighted much, +I did in time collect myself and thought +This was so and no slumber. Dreams are toys, +Yet for this once, yea, superstitiously, +I will be squared by this. I do believe +Hermione hath suffered death, and that +Apollo would, this being indeed the issue +Of King Polixenes, it should here be laid, +Either for life or death, upon the earth +Of its right father.--Blossom, speed thee well. +There lie, and there thy character; there these, +[He lays down the baby, a bundle, and a box.] +Which may, if fortune please, both breed thee, pretty, +And still rest thine. [Thunder.] The storm begins. +Poor wretch, +That for thy mother's fault art thus exposed +To loss and what may follow. Weep I cannot, +But my heart bleeds, and most accurst am I +To be by oath enjoined to this. Farewell. +The day frowns more and more. Thou 'rt like to have +A lullaby too rough. I never saw +The heavens so dim by day. +[Thunder, and sounds of hunting.] +A savage clamor! +Well may I get aboard! This is the chase. +I am gone forever! [He exits, pursued by a bear.] + +[Enter Shepherd.] + + +SHEPHERD I would there were no age between ten and +three-and-twenty, or that youth would sleep out the +rest, for there is nothing in the between but getting +wenches with child, wronging the ancientry, stealing, +fighting--Hark you now. Would any but these +boiled brains of nineteen and two-and-twenty hunt +this weather? They have scared away two of my best +sheep, which I fear the wolf will sooner find than +the master. If anywhere I have them, 'tis by the +seaside, browsing of ivy. Good luck, an 't be thy will, +what have we here? Mercy on 's, a bairn! A very +pretty bairn. A boy or a child, I wonder? A pretty +one, a very pretty one. Sure some scape. Though I +am not bookish, yet I can read waiting-gentlewoman +in the scape. This has been some stair-work, +some trunk-work, some behind-door work. They +were warmer that got this than the poor thing is +here. I'll take it up for pity. Yet I'll tarry till my son +come. He halloed but even now.--Whoa-ho-ho! + +[Enter Shepherd's Son.] + + +SHEPHERD'S SON Hilloa, loa! + +SHEPHERD What, art so near? If thou 'lt see a thing to +talk on when thou art dead and rotten, come hither. +What ail'st thou, man? + +SHEPHERD'S SON I have seen two such sights, by sea +and by land--but I am not to say it is a sea, for it is +now the sky; betwixt the firmament and it, you +cannot thrust a bodkin's point. + +SHEPHERD Why, boy, how is it? + +SHEPHERD'S SON I would you did but see how it chafes, +how it rages, how it takes up the shore. But that's +not to the point. O, the most piteous cry of the poor +souls! Sometimes to see 'em, and not to see 'em. +Now the ship boring the moon with her mainmast, +and anon swallowed with yeast and froth, as you'd +thrust a cork into a hogshead. And then for the land +service, to see how the bear tore out his shoulder-bone, +how he cried to me for help, and said his +name was Antigonus, a nobleman. But to make an +end of the ship: to see how the sea flap-dragoned it. +But, first, how the poor souls roared and the sea +mocked them, and how the poor gentleman roared +and the bear mocked him, both roaring louder than +the sea or weather. + +SHEPHERD Name of mercy, when was this, boy? + +SHEPHERD'S SON Now, now. I have not winked since I +saw these sights. The men are not yet cold under +water, nor the bear half dined on the gentleman. +He's at it now. + +SHEPHERD Would I had been by to have helped the old +man. + +SHEPHERD'S SON I would you had been by the ship side, +to have helped her. There your charity would have +lacked footing. + +SHEPHERD Heavy matters, heavy matters. But look +thee here, boy. Now bless thyself. Thou met'st with +things dying, I with things newborn. Here's a sight +for thee. Look thee, a bearing cloth for a squire's +child. Look thee here. Take up, take up, boy. Open +'t. So, let's see. It was told me I should be rich by +the fairies. This is some changeling. Open 't. What's +within, boy? + +SHEPHERD'S SON, [opening the box] You're a made old +man. If the sins of your youth are forgiven you, +you're well to live. Gold, all gold. + +SHEPHERD This is fairy gold, boy, and 'twill prove so. +Up with 't, keep it close. Home, home, the next way. +We are lucky, boy, and to be so still requires +nothing but secrecy. Let my sheep go. Come, good +boy, the next way home. + +SHEPHERD'S SON Go you the next way with your +findings. I'll go see 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. + +SHEPHERD That's a good deed. If thou mayest discern +by that which is left of him what he is, fetch me to +th' sight of him. + +SHEPHERD'S SON Marry, will I, and you shall help to +put him i' th' ground. + +SHEPHERD 'Tis a lucky day, boy, and we'll do good +deeds on 't. +[They exit.] + + +ACT 4 +===== + +Scene 1 +======= +[Enter Time, the Chorus.] + + +TIME +I, that please some, try all--both joy and terror +Of good and bad, that makes and unfolds error-- +Now take upon me, in the name of Time, +To use my wings. Impute it not a crime +To me or my swift passage that I slide +O'er sixteen years, and leave the growth untried +Of that wide gap, since it is in my power +To o'erthrow law and in one self-born hour +To plant and o'erwhelm custom. Let me pass +The same I am ere ancient'st order was +Or what is now received. I witness to +The times that brought them in. So shall I do +To th' freshest things now reigning, and make stale +The glistering of this present, as my tale +Now seems to it. Your patience this allowing, +I turn my glass and give my scene such growing +As you had slept between. Leontes leaving, +Th' effects of his fond jealousies so grieving +That he shuts up himself, imagine me, +Gentle spectators, that I now may be +In fair Bohemia. And remember well +I mentioned a son o' th' King's, which Florizell +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 ensues +I list not prophesy; but let Time's news +Be known when 'tis brought forth. A shepherd's +daughter +And what to her adheres, which follows after, +Is th' 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. +[He exits.] + +Scene 2 +======= +[Enter Polixenes and Camillo.] + + +POLIXENES I pray thee, good Camillo, be no more +importunate. 'Tis a sickness denying thee anything, +a death to grant this. + +CAMILLO It is fifteen years since I saw my country. +Though I have for the most part been aired abroad, +I desire to lay my bones there. Besides, the penitent +king, my master, hath sent for me, to whose feeling +sorrows I might be some allay--or I o'erween to +think so--which is another spur to my departure. + +POLIXENES As thou lov'st me, Camillo, wipe not out the +rest of thy services by leaving me now. The need I +have of thee thine own goodness hath made. Better +not to have had thee than thus to want thee. Thou, +having made me businesses which none without +thee can sufficiently manage, must either stay to +execute them thyself or take away with thee the very +services thou hast done, which if I have not enough +considered, as too much I cannot, to be more +thankful to thee shall be my study, and my profit +therein the heaping friendships. Of that fatal country +Sicilia, prithee speak no more, whose very +naming punishes me with the remembrance of that +penitent, as thou call'st him, and reconciled king +my brother, whose loss of his most precious queen +and children are even now to be afresh lamented. +Say to me, when sawst thou the Prince Florizell, my +son? Kings are no less unhappy, their issue not +being gracious, than they are in losing them when +they have approved their virtues. + +CAMILLO Sir, it is three days since I saw the Prince. +What his happier affairs may be are to me unknown, +but I have missingly noted he is of late +much retired from court and is less frequent to his +princely exercises than formerly he hath appeared. + +POLIXENES I have considered so much, Camillo, and +with some care, so far that I have eyes under my +service 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 say, that from very nothing, and beyond the +imagination of his neighbors, is grown into an +unspeakable estate. + +CAMILLO I have heard, sir, of such 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. + +POLIXENES That's likewise part of my intelligence, but, +I fear, the angle that plucks our son thither. Thou +shalt accompany us to the place, where we will, not +appearing what we are, have some question with +the shepherd, from whose simplicity I think it not +uneasy to get the cause of my son's resort thither. +Prithee be my present partner in this business, and +lay aside the thoughts of Sicilia. + +CAMILLO I willingly obey your command. + +POLIXENES My best Camillo. We must disguise +ourselves. +[They exit.] + +Scene 3 +======= +[Enter Autolycus singing.] + + +AUTOLYCUS + When daffodils begin to peer, + With heigh, the doxy over the dale, + Why, then comes in the sweet o' the year, + For the red blood reigns in the winter's pale. + + The white sheet bleaching on the hedge, + With heigh, the sweet birds, O how they sing! + Doth set my pugging tooth an edge, + For a quart of ale is a dish for a king. + + The lark, that tirralirra chants, + With heigh, with heigh, the thrush and the jay, + Are summer songs for me and my aunts, + While we lie tumbling in the hay. + +I have served Prince Florizell and in my time wore +three-pile, but now I am out of service. + + But shall I go mourn for that, my dear? + The pale moon shines by night, + And when I wander here and there, + I then do most go right. + + If tinkers may have leave to live, + And bear the sow-skin budget, + Then my account I well may give, + And in the stocks avouch it. + +My traffic is sheets. When the kite builds, look to +lesser linen. My father named me Autolycus, who, +being, as I am, littered under Mercury, was likewise +a snapper-up of unconsidered trifles. With die and +drab I purchased this caparison, and my revenue is +the silly cheat. Gallows and knock are too powerful +on the highway. Beating and hanging are terrors to +me. For the life to come, I sleep out the thought of +it. A prize, a prize! + +[Enter Shepherd's Son.] + + +SHEPHERD'S SON Let me see, every 'leven wether tods, +every tod yields pound and odd shilling; fifteen +hundred shorn, what comes the wool to? + +AUTOLYCUS, [aside] If the springe hold, the cock's +mine. [He lies down.] + +SHEPHERD'S SON I cannot do 't without counters. Let +me see, what am I to buy for our sheep-shearing +feast? [(He reads a paper.)] Three pound of sugar, +five pound of currants, rice--what will this sister of +mine do with rice? But my father hath made her +mistress of the feast, and she lays it on. She hath +made me four-and-twenty nosegays for the shearers, +three-man song men all, and very good ones; +but they are most of them means and basses, but +one Puritan amongst them, and he sings psalms to +hornpipes. I must have saffron to color the warden +pies; mace; dates, none, that's out of my note; +nutmegs, seven; a race or two of ginger, but that I +may beg; four pound of prunes, and as many of +raisins o' th' sun. + +AUTOLYCUS, [writhing as if in pain] O, that ever I was +born! + +SHEPHERD'S SON I' th' name of me! + +AUTOLYCUS O, help me, help me! Pluck but off these +rags, and then death, death. + +SHEPHERD'S SON Alack, poor soul, thou hast need of +more rags to lay on thee rather than have these off. + +AUTOLYCUS O sir, the loathsomeness of them offends +me more than the stripes I have received, which are +mighty ones and millions. + +SHEPHERD'S SON Alas, poor man, a million of beating +may come to a great matter. + +AUTOLYCUS I am robbed, sir, and beaten, my money +and apparel ta'en from me, and these detestable +things put upon me. + +SHEPHERD'S SON What, by a horseman, or a footman? + +AUTOLYCUS A footman, sweet sir, a footman. + +SHEPHERD'S SON Indeed, he should be a footman by +the garments he has left with thee. If this be a +horseman's coat, it hath seen very hot service. Lend +me thy hand; I'll help thee. Come, lend me thy +hand. + +AUTOLYCUS O, good sir, tenderly, O! + +SHEPHERD'S SON Alas, poor soul. + +AUTOLYCUS O, good sir, softly, good sir. I fear, sir, my +shoulder blade is out. + +SHEPHERD'S SON How now? Canst stand? + +AUTOLYCUS, [stealing the Shepherd's Son's purse] Softly, +dear sir, good sir, softly. You ha' done me a charitable +office. + +SHEPHERD'S SON Dost lack any money? I have a little +money for thee. + +AUTOLYCUS No, good sweet sir, no, I beseech you, sir. I +have a kinsman not past three-quarters of a mile +hence, unto whom I was going. I shall there have +money or anything I want. Offer me no money, I +pray you; that kills my heart. + +SHEPHERD'S SON What manner of fellow was he that +robbed you? + +AUTOLYCUS A fellow, sir, that I have known to go about +with troll-my-dames. I knew him once a servant of +the Prince. I cannot tell, good sir, for which of his +virtues it was, but he was certainly whipped out of +the court. + +SHEPHERD'S SON His vices, you would say. There's no +virtue whipped out of the court. They cherish it to +make it stay there, and yet it will no more but abide. + +AUTOLYCUS Vices, I would say, sir. I know this man +well. He hath been since an ape-bearer, then a +process-server, a bailiff. Then he compassed a motion +of the Prodigal Son, and married a tinker's wife +within a mile where my land and living lies, and, +having flown over many knavish professions, he +settled only in rogue. Some call him Autolycus. + +SHEPHERD'S SON Out upon him! Prig, for my life, prig! +He haunts wakes, fairs, and bearbaitings. + +AUTOLYCUS Very true, sir: he, sir, he. That's the rogue +that put me into this apparel. + +SHEPHERD'S SON Not a more cowardly rogue in all +Bohemia. If you had but looked big and spit at him, +he'd have run. + +AUTOLYCUS I must confess to you, sir, I am no fighter. I +am false of heart that way, and that he knew, I +warrant him. + +SHEPHERD'S SON How do you now? + +AUTOLYCUS Sweet sir, much better than I was. I can +stand and walk. I will even take my leave of you and +pace softly towards my kinsman's. + +SHEPHERD'S SON Shall I bring thee on the way? + +AUTOLYCUS No, good-faced sir, no, sweet sir. + +SHEPHERD'S SON Then fare thee well. I must go buy +spices for our sheep-shearing. + +AUTOLYCUS Prosper you, sweet sir. +[Shepherd's Son exits.] +Your purse is not hot enough to purchase your +spice. I'll be with you at your sheep-shearing too. If +I make not this cheat bring out another, and the +shearers prove sheep, let me be unrolled and my +name put in the book of virtue. +[Sings.] Jog on, jog on, the footpath way, + And merrily hent the stile-a. + A merry heart goes all the day, + Your sad tires in a mile-a. +[He exits.] + +Scene 4 +======= +[Enter Florizell and Perdita.] + + +FLORIZELL +These your unusual weeds to each part of you +Does give a life--no shepherdess, but Flora +Peering in April's front. This your sheep-shearing +Is as a meeting of the petty gods, +And you the queen on 't. + +PERDITA Sir, my gracious lord, +To chide at your extremes it not becomes me; +O, pardon that I name them! Your high self, +The gracious mark o' th' land, you have obscured +With a swain's wearing, and me, poor lowly maid, +Most goddesslike pranked up. But that our feasts +In every mess have folly, and the feeders +Digest it with a custom, I should blush +To see you so attired, swoon, I think, +To show myself a glass. + +FLORIZELL I bless the time +When my good falcon made her flight across +Thy father's ground. + +PERDITA Now Jove afford you cause. +To me the difference forges dread. Your greatness +Hath not been used to fear. Even now I tremble +To think your father by some accident +Should pass this way as you did. O the Fates, +How would he look to see his work, so noble, +Vilely bound up? What would he say? Or how +Should I, in these my borrowed flaunts, behold +The sternness of his presence? + +FLORIZELL Apprehend +Nothing but jollity. The gods themselves, +Humbling their deities to love, have taken +The shapes of beasts upon them. Jupiter +Became a bull, and bellowed; the green Neptune +A ram, and bleated; and the fire-robed god, +Golden Apollo, a poor humble swain, +As I seem now. Their transformations +Were never for a piece of beauty rarer, +Nor in a way so chaste, since my desires +Run not before mine honor, nor my lusts +Burn hotter than my faith. + +PERDITA O, but sir, +Your resolution cannot hold when 'tis +Opposed, as it must be, by th' power of the King. +One of these two must be necessities, +Which then will speak: that you must change this +purpose +Or I my life. + +FLORIZELL Thou dear'st Perdita, +With these forced thoughts I prithee darken not +The mirth o' th' feast. Or I'll be thine, my fair, +Or not my father's. For I cannot be +Mine own, nor anything to any, if +I be not thine. To this I am most constant, +Though destiny say no. Be merry, gentle. +Strangle such thoughts as these with anything +That you behold the while. Your guests are coming. +Lift up your countenance as it were the day +Of celebration of that nuptial which +We two have sworn shall come. + +PERDITA O Lady Fortune, +Stand you auspicious! + +FLORIZELL See, your guests approach. +Address yourself to entertain them sprightly, +And let's be red with mirth. + +[Enter Shepherd, Shepherd's Son, Mopsa, Dorcas, +Shepherds and Shepherdesses, Servants, Musicians, +and Polixenes and Camillo in disguise.] + + +SHEPHERD +Fie, daughter, when my old wife lived, upon +This day she was both pantler, butler, cook, +Both dame and servant; welcomed all; served all; +Would sing her song and dance her turn, now here +At upper end o' th' table, now i' th' middle; +On his shoulder, and his; her face afire +With labor, and the thing she took to quench it +She would to each one sip. You are retired +As if you were a feasted one and not +The hostess of the meeting. Pray you bid +These unknown friends to 's welcome, for it is +A way to make us better friends, more known. +Come, quench your blushes and present yourself +That which you are, mistress o' th' feast. Come on, +And bid us welcome to your sheep-shearing, +As your good flock shall prosper. + +PERDITA, [to Polixenes] Sir, welcome. +It is my father's will I should take on me +The hostess-ship o' th' day. [To Camillo.] You're +welcome, sir.-- +Give me those flowers there, Dorcas.--Reverend +sirs, +For you there's rosemary and rue. These keep +Seeming and savor all the winter long. +Grace and remembrance be to you both, +And welcome to our shearing. + +POLIXENES Shepherdess-- +A fair one are you--well you fit our ages +With flowers of winter. + +PERDITA Sir, the year growing ancient, +Not yet on summer's death nor on the birth +Of trembling winter, the fairest flowers o' th' season +Are our carnations and streaked gillyvors, +Which some call nature's bastards. Of that kind +Our rustic garden's barren, and I care not +To get slips of them. + +POLIXENES Wherefore, gentle maiden, +Do you neglect them? + +PERDITA For I have heard it said +There is an art which in their piedness shares +With great creating nature. + +POLIXENES Say there be; +Yet nature is made better by no mean +But nature makes that mean. So, over that art +Which you say adds to nature is an art +That nature makes. You see, sweet maid, we marry +A gentler scion to the wildest stock, +And make conceive a bark of baser kind +By bud of nobler race. This is an art +Which does mend nature, change it rather, but +The art itself is nature. + +PERDITA So it is. + +POLIXENES +Then make your garden rich in gillyvors, +And do not call them bastards. + +PERDITA I'll not put +The dibble in earth to set one slip of them, +No more than, were I painted, I would wish +This youth should say 'twere well, and only +therefore +Desire to breed by me. Here's flowers for you: +Hot lavender, mints, savory, marjoram, +The marigold, that goes to bed wi' th' sun +And with him rises weeping. These are flowers +Of middle summer, and I think they are given +To men of middle age. You're very welcome. + +CAMILLO +I should leave grazing, were I of your flock, +And only live by gazing. + +PERDITA Out, alas! +You'd be so lean that blasts of January +Would blow you through and through. [(To +Florizell.)] Now, my fair'st friend, +I would I had some flowers o' th' spring, that might +Become your time of day, [(to the Shepherdesses)] +and yours, and yours, +That wear upon your virgin branches yet +Your maidenheads growing. O Proserpina, +For the flowers now that, frighted, thou let'st fall +From Dis's wagon! Daffodils, +That come before the swallow dares, and take +The winds of March with beauty; violets dim, +But sweeter than the lids of Juno's eyes +Or Cytherea's breath; pale primroses, +That die unmarried ere they can behold +Bright Phoebus in his strength--a malady +Most incident to maids; bold oxlips and +The crown imperial; lilies of all kinds, +The flower-de-luce being one--O, these I lack +To make you garlands of, and my sweet friend, +To strew him o'er and o'er. + +FLORIZELL What, like a corse? + +PERDITA +No, like a bank for love to lie and play on, +Not like a corse; or if, not to be buried, +But quick and in mine arms. Come, take your +flowers. +Methinks I play as I have seen them do +In Whitsun pastorals. Sure this robe of mine +Does change my disposition. + +FLORIZELL What you do +Still betters what is done. When you speak, sweet, +I'd have you do it ever. When you sing, +I'd have you buy and sell so, so give alms, +Pray so; and for the ord'ring your affairs, +To sing them too. When you do dance, I wish you +A wave o' th' sea, that you might ever do +Nothing but that, move still, still so, +And own no other function. Each your doing, +So singular in each particular, +Crowns what you are doing in the present deeds, +That all your acts are queens. + +PERDITA O Doricles, +Your praises are too large. But that your youth +And the true blood which peeps fairly through 't +Do plainly give you out an unstained shepherd, +With wisdom I might fear, my Doricles, +You wooed me the false way. + +FLORIZELL I think you have +As little skill to fear as I have purpose +To put you to 't. But come, our dance, I pray. +Your hand, my Perdita. So turtles pair +That never mean to part. + +PERDITA I'll swear for 'em. + +POLIXENES, [to Camillo] +This is the prettiest lowborn lass that ever +Ran on the greensward. Nothing she does or seems +But smacks of something greater than herself, +Too noble for this place. + +CAMILLO He tells her something +That makes her blood look out. Good sooth, she is +The queen of curds and cream. + +SHEPHERD'S SON, [to Musicians] Come on, strike up. + +DORCAS +Mopsa must be your mistress? Marry, garlic +To mend her kissing with. + +MOPSA Now, in good time! + +SHEPHERD'S SON +Not a word, a word. We stand upon our manners.-- +Come, strike up. [Music begins.] +[Here a Dance of Shepherds and Shepherdesses.] + +POLIXENES +Pray, good shepherd, what fair swain is this +Which dances with your daughter? + +SHEPHERD +They call him Doricles, and boasts himself +To have a worthy feeding. But I have it +Upon his own report, and I believe it. +He looks like sooth. He says he loves my daughter. +I think so too, for never gazed the moon +Upon the water as he'll stand and read, +As 'twere, my daughter's eyes. And, to be plain, +I think there is not half a kiss to choose +Who loves another best. + +POLIXENES She dances featly. + +SHEPHERD +So she does anything, though I report it +That should be silent. If young Doricles +Do light upon her, she shall bring him that +Which he not dreams of. + +[Enter a Servant.] + + +SERVANT O, master, if you did but hear the peddler at +the door, you would never dance again after a tabor +and pipe; no, the bagpipe could not move you. He +sings several tunes faster than you'll tell money. He +utters them as he had eaten ballads and all men's +ears grew to his tunes. + +SHEPHERD'S SON He could never come better. He shall +come in. I love a ballad but even too well if it be +doleful matter merrily set down, or a very pleasant +thing indeed and sung lamentably. + +SERVANT He hath songs for man or woman, of all sizes. +No milliner can so fit his customers with gloves. He +has the prettiest love songs for maids, so without +bawdry, which is strange, with such delicate burdens +of dildos and fadings, "Jump her and thump +her." And where some stretch-mouthed rascal +would, as it were, mean mischief and break a foul +gap into the matter, he makes the maid to answer +"Whoop, do me no harm, good man"; puts him off, +slights him, with "Whoop, do me no harm, good +man." + +POLIXENES This is a brave fellow. + +SHEPHERD'S SON Believe me, thou talkest of an admirable +conceited fellow. Has he any unbraided +wares? + +SERVANT He hath ribbons of all the colors i' th' rainbow; +points more than all the lawyers in Bohemia +can learnedly handle, though they come to him by +th' gross; inkles, caddises, cambrics, lawns--why, +he sings 'em over as they were gods or goddesses. +You would think a smock were a she-angel, he so +chants to the sleeve-hand and the work about the +square on 't. + +SHEPHERD'S SON Prithee bring him in, and let him +approach singing. + +PERDITA Forewarn him that he use no scurrilous words +in 's tunes. [Servant exits.] + +SHEPHERD'S SON You have of these peddlers that have +more in them than you'd think, sister. + +PERDITA Ay, good brother, or go about to think. + +[Enter Autolycus, wearing a false beard, singing.] + + +AUTOLYCUS + Lawn as white as driven snow, + Cypress black as e'er was crow, + Gloves as sweet as damask roses, + Masks for faces and for noses, + Bugle bracelet, necklace amber, + Perfume for a lady's chamber, + Golden coifs and stomachers + For my lads to give their dears, + Pins and poking-sticks of steel, + What maids lack from head to heel, + Come buy of me, come. Come buy, come buy. + Buy, lads, or else your lasses cry. + Come buy. + +SHEPHERD'S SON If I were not in love with Mopsa, thou +shouldst take no money of me; but being enthralled +as I am, it will also be the bondage of certain +ribbons and gloves. + +MOPSA I was promised them against the feast, but they +come not too late now. + +DORCAS He hath promised you more than that, or there +be liars. + +MOPSA He hath paid you all he promised you. Maybe +he has paid you more, which will shame you to give +him again. + +SHEPHERD'S SON 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 +of these secrets, but you must be tittle-tattling +before all our guests? 'Tis well they are whisp'ring. +Clamor your tongues, and not a word more. + +MOPSA I have done. Come, you promised me a tawdry +lace and a pair of sweet gloves. + +SHEPHERD'S SON Have I not told thee how I was cozened +by the way and lost all my money? + +AUTOLYCUS And indeed, sir, there are cozeners abroad; +therefore it behooves men to be wary. + +SHEPHERD'S SON Fear not thou, man. Thou shalt lose +nothing here. + +AUTOLYCUS I hope so, sir, for I have about me many +parcels of charge. + +SHEPHERD'S SON What hast here? Ballads? + +MOPSA Pray now, buy some. I love a ballad in print +alife, for then we are sure they are true. + +AUTOLYCUS Here's one to a very doleful tune, how a +usurer's wife was brought to bed of twenty moneybags +at a burden, and how she longed to eat adders' +heads and toads carbonadoed. + +MOPSA Is it true, think you? + +AUTOLYCUS Very true, and but a month old. + +DORCAS Bless me from marrying a usurer! + +AUTOLYCUS Here's the midwife's name to 't, one Mistress +Taleporter, and five or six honest wives that +were present. Why should I carry lies abroad? + +MOPSA, [to Shepherd's Son] Pray you now, buy it. + +SHEPHERD'S SON, [to Autolycus] Come on, lay it by, and +let's first see more ballads. We'll buy the other +things anon. + +AUTOLYCUS 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. + +DORCAS Is it true too, think you? + +AUTOLYCUS Five justices' hands at it, and witnesses +more than my pack will hold. + +SHEPHERD'S SON Lay it by too. Another. + +AUTOLYCUS This is a merry ballad, but a very pretty +one. + +MOPSA Let's have some merry ones. + +AUTOLYCUS 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. + +MOPSA We can both sing it. If thou 'lt bear a part, thou +shalt hear; 'tis in three parts. + +DORCAS We had the tune on 't a month ago. + +AUTOLYCUS I can bear my part. You must know 'tis my +occupation. Have at it with you. + +Song. + + +AUTOLYCUS Get you hence, for I must go + Where it fits not you to know. + +DORCAS Whither? + +MOPSA O, whither? + +DORCAS Whither? + +MOPSA It becomes thy oath full well + Thou to me thy secrets tell. + +DORCAS Me too. Let me go thither. + +MOPSA Or thou goest to th' grange or mill. + +DORCAS If to either, thou dost ill. + +AUTOLYCUS Neither. + +DORCAS What, neither? + +AUTOLYCUS Neither. + +DORCAS Thou hast sworn my love to be. + +MOPSA Thou hast sworn it more to me. + Then whither goest? Say whither. + + +SHEPHERD'S SON We'll have this song out anon by +ourselves. My father and the gentlemen are in sad +talk, and we'll not trouble them. Come, bring away +thy pack after me.--Wenches, I'll buy for you +both.--Peddler, let's have the first choice.--Follow +me, girls. +[He exits with Mopsa, Dorcas, Shepherds and +Shepherdesses.] + +AUTOLYCUS And you shall pay well for 'em. + +Song. + + Will you buy any tape, + Or lace for your cape, + My dainty duck, my dear-a? + Any silk, any thread, + Any toys for your head, + Of the new'st and fin'st, fin'st wear-a? + Come to the peddler. + Money's a meddler + That doth utter all men's ware-a. +[He exits.] + +[Enter a Servant.] + + +SERVANT, [to Shepherd] Master, there is three carters, +three shepherds, three neatherds, three swineherds, +that have made themselves all men of hair. +They call themselves saultiers, 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' th' mind, if it be not too rough for +some that know little but bowling, it will please +plentifully. + +SHEPHERD Away! We'll none on 't. Here has been too +much homely foolery already.--I know, sir, we +weary you. + +POLIXENES You weary those that refresh us. Pray, let's +see these four threes of herdsmen. + +SERVANT 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 th' +square. + +SHEPHERD Leave your prating. Since these good men +are pleased, let them come in--but quickly now. + +SERVANT Why, they stay at door, sir. + +[He admits the herdsmen.] + +[Here a Dance of twelve herdsmen, dressed as Satyrs.] +[Herdsmen, Musicians, and Servants exit.] + +POLIXENES, [to Shepherd] +O father, you'll know more of that hereafter. +[Aside to Camillo.] Is it not too far gone? 'Tis time to +part them. +He's simple, and tells much. [To Florizell.] 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 +To load my she with knacks. I would have ransacked +The peddler's silken treasury and have poured it +To her acceptance. You have let him go +And nothing marted with him. If your lass +Interpretation should abuse and call this +Your lack of love or bounty, you were straited +For a reply, at least if you make a care +Of happy holding her. + +FLORIZELL Old sir, I know +She prizes not such trifles as these are. +The gifts she looks from me are packed and locked +Up in my heart, which I have given already, +But not delivered. [To Perdita.] O, hear me breathe +my life +Before this ancient sir, who, it should seem, +Hath sometime loved. I take thy hand, this hand +As soft as dove's down and as white as it, +Or Ethiopian's tooth, or the fanned snow that's +bolted +By th' northern blasts twice o'er. + +POLIXENES What follows this?-- +How prettily th' young swain seems to wash +The hand was fair before.--I have put you out. +But to your protestation. Let me hear +What you profess. + +FLORIZELL Do, and be witness to 't. + +POLIXENES +And this my neighbor too? + +FLORIZELL And he, and more +Than he, and men--the Earth, the heavens, and +all-- +That were I crowned 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. + +POLIXENES Fairly offered. + +CAMILLO +This shows a sound affection. + +SHEPHERD But my daughter, +Say you the like to him? + +PERDITA I cannot speak +So well, nothing so well, no, nor mean better. +By th' pattern of mine own thoughts I cut out +The purity of his. + +SHEPHERD 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. + +FLORIZELL O, that must be +I' th' 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. + +SHEPHERD Come, your hand-- +And daughter, yours. + +POLIXENES, [To Florizell] Soft, swain, awhile, beseech +you. +Have you a father? + +FLORIZELL I have, but what of him? + +POLIXENES +Knows he of this? + +FLORIZELL He neither does nor shall. + +POLIXENES Methinks a father +Is at the nuptial of his son a guest +That best becomes the table. Pray you once more, +Is not your father grown incapable +Of reasonable affairs? Is he not stupid +With age and alt'ring rheums? Can he speak? Hear? +Know man from man? Dispute his own estate? +Lies he not bedrid, and again does nothing +But what he did being childish? + +FLORIZELL No, good sir. +He has his health and ampler strength indeed +Than most have of his age. + +POLIXENES By my white beard, +You offer him, if this be so, a wrong +Something unfilial. Reason my son +Should choose himself a wife, but as good reason +The father, all whose joy is nothing else +But fair posterity, should hold some counsel +In such a business. + +FLORIZELL I yield all this; +But for some other reasons, my grave sir, +Which 'tis not fit you know, I not acquaint +My father of this business. + +POLIXENES Let him know 't. + +FLORIZELL +He shall not. + +POLIXENES Prithee let him. + +FLORIZELL No, he must not. + +SHEPHERD +Let him, my son. He shall not need to grieve +At knowing of thy choice. + +FLORIZELL Come, come, he must not. +Mark our contract. + +POLIXENES, [removing his disguise] Mark your divorce, +young sir, +Whom son I dare not call. Thou art too base +To be acknowledged. Thou a scepter's heir +That thus affects a sheep-hook!--Thou, old traitor, +I am sorry that by hanging thee I can +But shorten thy life one week.--And thou, fresh +piece +Of excellent witchcraft, whom of force must know +The royal fool thou cop'st with-- + +SHEPHERD O, my heart! + +POLIXENES +I'll have thy beauty scratched with briers and made +More homely than thy state.--For thee, fond boy, +If I may ever know thou dost but sigh +That thou no more shalt see this knack--as never +I mean thou shalt--we'll bar thee from succession, +Not hold thee of our blood, no, not our kin, +Far'r than Deucalion off. Mark thou my words. +Follow us to the court. [To Shepherd.] Thou, churl, +for this time, +Though full of our displeasure, yet we free thee +From the dead blow of it.--And you, enchantment, +Worthy enough a herdsman--yea, him too, +That makes himself, but for our honor therein, +Unworthy thee--if ever henceforth thou +These rural latches to his entrance open, +Or hoop his body more with thy embraces, +I will devise a death as cruel for thee +As thou art tender to 't. [He exits.] + +PERDITA Even here undone. +I was not much afeard, for once or twice +I was about to speak and tell him plainly +The selfsame sun that shines upon his court +Hides not his visage from our cottage but +Looks on alike. [To Florizell.] Will 't please you, sir, +be gone? +I told you what would come of this. Beseech you, +Of your own state take care. This dream of mine-- +Being now awake, I'll queen it no inch farther, +But milk my ewes and weep. + +CAMILLO, [to Shepherd] Why, how now, father? +Speak ere thou diest. + +SHEPHERD I cannot speak, nor think, +Nor dare to know that which I know. [To Florizell.] +O sir, +You have undone a man of fourscore three, +That thought to fill his grave in quiet, yea, +To die upon the bed my father died, +To lie close by his honest bones; but now +Some hangman must put on my shroud and lay me +Where no priest shovels in dust. [To Perdita.] O +cursed wretch, +That knew'st this was the Prince, and wouldst +adventure +To mingle faith with him!--Undone, undone! +If I might die within this hour, I have lived +To die when I desire. [He exits.] + +FLORIZELL, [to Perdita] Why look you so upon me? +I am but sorry, not afeard; delayed, +But nothing altered. What I was, I am, +More straining on for plucking back, not following +My leash unwillingly. + +CAMILLO Gracious my lord, +You know your father's temper. At this time +He will allow no speech, which I do guess +You do not purpose to him; and as hardly +Will he endure your sight as yet, I fear. +Then, till the fury of his Highness settle, +Come not before him. + +FLORIZELL I not purpose it. +I think Camillo? + +CAMILLO, [removing his disguise] Even he, my lord. + +PERDITA, [to Florizell] +How often have I told you 'twould be thus? +How often said my dignity would last +But till 'twere known? + +FLORIZELL It cannot fail but by +The violation of my faith; and then +Let nature crush the sides o' th' Earth together +And mar the seeds within. Lift up thy looks. +From my succession wipe me, father. I +Am heir to my affection. + +CAMILLO Be advised. + +FLORIZELL +I am, and by my fancy. If my reason +Will thereto be obedient, I have reason. +If not, my senses, better pleased with madness, +Do bid it welcome. + +CAMILLO This is desperate, sir. + +FLORIZELL +So call it; but it does fulfill my vow. +I needs must think it honesty. Camillo, +Not for Bohemia nor the pomp that may +Be thereat gleaned, for all the sun sees or +The close earth wombs or the profound seas hides +In unknown fathoms, will I break my oath +To this my fair beloved. Therefore, I pray you, +As you have ever been my father's honored friend, +When he shall miss me, as in faith I mean not +To see him anymore, cast your good counsels +Upon his passion. Let myself and fortune +Tug for the time to come. This you may know +And so deliver: I am put to sea +With her who here I cannot hold on shore. +And most opportune to our need I have +A vessel rides fast by, but not prepared +For this design. What course I mean to hold +Shall nothing benefit your knowledge, nor +Concern me the reporting. + +CAMILLO O my lord, +I would your spirit were easier for advice +Or stronger for your need. + +FLORIZELL Hark, Perdita.-- +I'll hear you by and by. +[Florizell and Perdita walk aside.] + +CAMILLO He's irremovable, +Resolved for flight. Now were I happy if +His going I could frame to serve my turn, +Save him from danger, do him love and honor, +Purchase the sight again of dear Sicilia +And that unhappy king, my master, whom +I so much thirst to see. + +FLORIZELL, [coming forward] Now, good Camillo, +I am so fraught with curious business that +I leave out ceremony. + +CAMILLO Sir, I think +You have heard of my poor services i' th' love +That I have borne your father? + +FLORIZELL Very nobly +Have you deserved. It is my father's music +To speak your deeds, not little of his care +To have them recompensed as thought on. + +CAMILLO Well, my +lord, +If you may please to think I love the King +And, through him, what's nearest to him, which is +Your gracious self, embrace but my direction, +If your more ponderous and settled project +May suffer alteration. On mine honor, +I'll point you where you shall have such receiving +As shall become your Highness, where you may +Enjoy your mistress--from the whom I see +There's no disjunction to be made but by, +As heavens forfend, your ruin--marry her, +And with my best endeavors in your absence, +Your discontenting father strive to qualify +And bring him up to liking. + +FLORIZELL How, Camillo, +May this, almost a miracle, be done, +That I may call thee something more than man, +And after that trust to thee? + +CAMILLO Have you thought on +A place whereto you'll go? + +FLORIZELL Not any yet. +But as th' 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. + +CAMILLO Then list to me. +This follows: if you will not change your purpose +But undergo this flight, make for Sicilia, +And there present yourself and your fair princess, +For so I see she must be, 'fore Leontes. +She shall be habited as it becomes +The partner of your bed. Methinks I see +Leontes opening his free arms and weeping +His welcomes forth, asks thee, the son, forgiveness, +As 'twere i' th' father's person; kisses the hands +Of your fresh princess; o'er and o'er divides him +'Twixt his unkindness and his kindness. Th' one +He chides to hell and bids the other grow +Faster than thought or time. + +FLORIZELL Worthy Camillo, +What color for my visitation shall I +Hold up before him? + +CAMILLO Sent by the King your father +To greet him and to give him comforts. Sir, +The manner of your bearing towards him, with +What you, as from your father, shall deliver, +Things known betwixt us three, I'll write you down, +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. + +FLORIZELL I am bound to you. +There is some sap in this. + +CAMILLO A course more promising +Than a wild dedication of yourselves +To unpathed waters, undreamed shores, most +certain +To miseries enough; no hope to help you, +But as you shake off one to take another; +Nothing so certain as your anchors, who +Do their best office if they can but stay you +Where you'll be loath to be. Besides, you know +Prosperity's the very bond of love, +Whose fresh complexion and whose heart together +Affliction alters. + +PERDITA One of these is true. +I think affliction may subdue the cheek +But not take in the mind. + +CAMILLO Yea, say you so? +There shall not at your father's house these seven +years +Be born another such. + +FLORIZELL My good Camillo, +She's as forward of her breeding as she is +I' th' rear our birth. + +CAMILLO I cannot say 'tis pity +She lacks instructions, for she seems a mistress +To most that teach. + +PERDITA Your pardon, sir. For this +I'll blush you thanks. + +FLORIZELL My prettiest Perdita. +But O, the thorns we stand upon!--Camillo, +Preserver of my father, now of me, +The medicine of our house, how shall we do? +We are not furnished like Bohemia's son, +Nor shall appear in Sicilia. + +CAMILLO My lord, +Fear none of this. I think you know my fortunes +Do all lie there. It shall be so my care +To have you royally appointed as if +The scene you play were mine. For instance, sir, +That you may know you shall not want, one word. +[They step aside and talk.] + +[Enter Autolycus.] + + +AUTOLYCUS 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 +ribbon, glass, pomander, brooch, table book, ballad, +knife, tape, glove, shoe tie, 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 benediction 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 ears. You might have +pinched a placket, it was senseless; 'twas nothing to +geld a codpiece of a purse. I could 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 hubbub 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, Florizell, and Perdita come forward.] + +CAMILLO, [to Florizell] +Nay, but my letters, by this means being there +So soon as you arrive, shall clear that doubt. + +FLORIZELL +And those that you'll procure from King Leontes-- + +CAMILLO +Shall satisfy your father. + +PERDITA Happy be you! +All that you speak shows fair. + +CAMILLO, [noticing Autolycus] Who have we here? +We'll make an instrument of this, omit +Nothing may give us aid. + +AUTOLYCUS, [aside] +If they have overheard me now, why, hanging. + +CAMILLO How now, good fellow? Why shak'st thou so? +Fear not, man. Here's no harm intended to thee. + +AUTOLYCUS I am a poor fellow, sir. + +CAMILLO 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 a 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. +[He hands Autolycus money.] + +AUTOLYCUS I am a poor fellow, sir. [Aside.] I know you +well enough. + +CAMILLO Nay, prithee, dispatch. The gentleman is half +flayed already. + +AUTOLYCUS Are you in earnest, sir? [Aside.] I smell the +trick on 't. + +FLORIZELL Dispatch, I prithee. + +AUTOLYCUS Indeed, I have had earnest, but I cannot +with conscience take it. + +CAMILLO Unbuckle, unbuckle. +[Florizell and Autolycus exchange garments.] +Fortunate mistress--let my prophecy +Come home to you!--you must retire yourself +Into some covert. Take your sweetheart's hat +And pluck it o'er your brows, muffle your face, +Dismantle you, and, as you can, disliken +The truth of your own seeming, that you may-- +For I do fear eyes over--to shipboard +Get undescried. + +PERDITA I see the play so lies +That I must bear a part. + +CAMILLO No remedy.-- +Have you done there? + +FLORIZELL Should I now meet my father, +He would not call me son. + +CAMILLO Nay, you shall have no hat. +[He gives Florizell's hat to Perdita.] +Come, lady, come.--Farewell, my friend. + +AUTOLYCUS Adieu, sir. + +FLORIZELL +O Perdita, what have we twain forgot? +Pray you, a word. [They talk aside.] + +CAMILLO, [aside] +What I do next shall be to tell the King +Of this escape, and whither they are bound; +Wherein my hope is I shall so prevail +To force him after, in whose company +I shall re-view Sicilia, for whose sight +I have a woman's longing. + +FLORIZELL Fortune speed us!-- +Thus we set on, Camillo, to th' seaside. + +CAMILLO The swifter speed the better. +[Camillo, Florizell, and Perdita exit.] + +AUTOLYCUS I understand the business; I hear it. To have +an open ear, a quick eye, and a nimble hand is +necessary for a cutpurse; a good nose is requisite +also, to smell out work for th' 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 anything 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 a piece of honesty to +acquaint the King withal, I would not do 't. I hold it +the more knavery to conceal it, and therein am I +constant to my profession. + +[Enter Shepherd's Son and Shepherd, carrying the +bundle and the box.] + +Aside, aside! Here is more matter for a hot brain. +Every lane's end, every shop, church, session, hanging, +yields a careful man work. [He moves aside.] + +SHEPHERD'S SON, [to Shepherd] 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. + +SHEPHERD Nay, but hear me. + +SHEPHERD'S SON Nay, but hear me! + +SHEPHERD Go to, then. + +SHEPHERD'S SON She being none of your flesh and +blood, your flesh and blood has not offended the +King, and so your flesh and blood is not to be +punished by him. Show those things you found +about her, those secret things, all but what she has +with her. This being done, let the law go whistle, I +warrant you. + +SHEPHERD I will tell the King all, every word, yea, and +his son's pranks too; who, I may say, is no honest +man, neither to his father nor to me, to go about to +make me the King's brother-in-law. + +SHEPHERD'S SON Indeed, brother-in-law was the farthest +off you could have been to him, and then your +blood had been the dearer by I know how much an +ounce. + +AUTOLYCUS, [aside] Very wisely, puppies. + +SHEPHERD Well, let us to the King. There is that in this +fardel will make him scratch his beard. + +AUTOLYCUS, [aside] I know not what impediment this +complaint may be to the flight of my master. + +SHEPHERD'S SON Pray heartily he be at' palace. + +AUTOLYCUS, [aside] Though I am not naturally honest, +I am so sometimes by chance. Let me pocket up my +peddler's excrement. [(He removes his false beard.)] +How now, rustics, whither are you bound? + +SHEPHERD To th' palace, an it like your Worship. + +AUTOLYCUS Your affairs there? What, with whom, the +condition of that fardel, the place of your dwelling, +your names, your ages, of what having, breeding, +and anything that is fitting to be known, discover! + +SHEPHERD'S SON We are but plain fellows, sir. + +AUTOLYCUS A lie; you are rough and hairy. Let me have +no lying. It becomes none but tradesmen, and they +often give us soldiers the lie, but we pay them for it +with stamped coin, not stabbing steel; therefore +they do not give us the lie. + +SHEPHERD'S SON Your Worship had like to have given +us one, if you had not taken yourself with the +manner. + +SHEPHERD Are you a courtier, an 't like you, sir? + +AUTOLYCUS Whether it like me or no, I am a courtier. +Seest thou not the air of the court in these enfoldings? +Hath not my gait in it the measure of the +court? Receives not thy nose court odor from me? +Reflect I not on thy baseness court contempt? +Think'st thou, for that I insinuate and toze from +thee thy business, I am therefore no courtier? I am +courtier cap-a-pie; and one that will either push on +or pluck back thy business there. Whereupon I +command thee to open thy affair. + +SHEPHERD My business, sir, is to the King. + +AUTOLYCUS What advocate hast thou to him? + +SHEPHERD I know not, an 't like you. + +SHEPHERD'S SON, [aside to Shepherd] Advocate's the +court word for a pheasant. Say you have none. + +SHEPHERD, [to Autolycus] None, sir. I have no pheasant, +cock nor hen. + +AUTOLYCUS +How blest are we that are not simple men! +Yet Nature might have made me as these are. +Therefore I will not disdain. + +SHEPHERD'S SON, [to Shepherd] This cannot be but a +great courtier. + +SHEPHERD His garments are rich, but he wears them +not handsomely. + +SHEPHERD'S SON He seems to be the more noble in +being fantastical. A great man, I'll warrant. I know +by the picking on 's teeth. + +AUTOLYCUS The fardel there. What's i' th' fardel? +Wherefore that box? + +SHEPHERD Sir, there lies such secrets in this fardel and +box which none must know but the King, and +which he shall know within this hour if I may come +to th' speech of him. + +AUTOLYCUS Age, thou hast lost thy labor. + +SHEPHERD Why, sir? + +AUTOLYCUS The King is not at the palace. He is gone +aboard a new ship to purge melancholy and air +himself, for, if thou beest capable of things serious, +thou must know the King is full of grief. + +SHEPHERD So 'tis said, sir--about his son, that should +have married a shepherd's daughter. + +AUTOLYCUS If that shepherd be not in handfast, let him +fly. The curses he shall have, the tortures he shall +feel, will break the back of man, the heart of +monster. + +SHEPHERD'S SON Think you so, sir? + +AUTOLYCUS Not he alone shall suffer what wit can +make heavy and vengeance bitter; but those that are +germane to him, though removed fifty times, shall +all come under the hangman--which, though it be +great pity, yet it is necessary. An old sheep-whistling +rogue, a ram tender, to offer to have his daughter +come into grace! Some say he shall be stoned, but +that death is too soft for him, say I. Draw our throne +into a sheepcote? All deaths are too few, the sharpest +too easy. + +SHEPHERD'S SON Has the old man e'er a son, sir, do you +hear, an 't like you, sir? + +AUTOLYCUS He has a son, who shall be flayed alive; then +'nointed over with honey, set on the head of a +wasps'-nest; then stand till he be three-quarters and +a dram dead, then recovered again with aqua vitae +or some other hot infusion; then, raw as he is, and +in the hottest day prognostication proclaims, shall +he be set against a brick wall, the sun looking with a +southward eye upon him, where he is to behold him +with flies blown to death. But what talk we of these +traitorly rascals, whose miseries are to be smiled at, +their offenses being so capital? Tell me--for you +seem to be honest plain men--what you have to the +King. Being something gently considered, I'll bring +you where he is aboard, tender your persons to his +presence, whisper him in your behalfs; and if it be +in man besides the King to effect your suits, here is +man shall do it. + +SHEPHERD'S SON, [to Shepherd] He seems to be of +great authority. Close with him, give him gold; and +though authority be a stubborn bear, yet he is oft +led by the nose with gold. Show the inside of your +purse to the outside of his hand, and no more ado. +Remember: "stoned," and "flayed alive." + +SHEPHERD, [to Autolycus] An 't please you, sir, to +undertake the business for us, here is that gold I +have. I'll make it as much more, and leave this +young man in pawn till I bring it you. + +AUTOLYCUS After I have done what I promised? + +SHEPHERD Ay, sir. + +AUTOLYCUS Well, give me the moiety. [Shepherd hands +him money.] Are you a party in this business? + +SHEPHERD'S SON In some sort, sir; but though my case +be a pitiful one, I hope I shall not be flayed out of it. + +AUTOLYCUS O, that's the case of the shepherd's son! +Hang him, he'll be made an example. + +SHEPHERD'S SON, [to Shepherd] Comfort, good comfort. +We must to the King, and show our strange +sights. He must know 'tis none of your daughter nor +my sister. We are gone else.--Sir, I will give you as +much as this old man does when the business is +performed, and remain, as he says, your pawn till it +be brought you. + +AUTOLYCUS I will trust you. Walk before toward the +seaside. Go on the right hand. I will but look upon +the hedge, and follow you. + +SHEPHERD'S SON, [to Shepherd] We are blessed in this +man, as I may say, even blessed. + +SHEPHERD Let's before, as he bids us. He was provided +to do us good. [Shepherd and his son exit.] + +AUTOLYCUS If I had a mind to be honest, I see Fortune +would not suffer me. She drops booties in my +mouth. I am courted now with a double occasion: +gold, and a means to do the Prince my master good; +which who knows how that may turn back to my +advancement? I will bring these two moles, these +blind ones, aboard him. If he think it fit to shore +them again and that the complaint they have to the +King concerns him nothing, let him call me rogue +for being so far officious, for I am proof against that +title and what shame else belongs to 't. To him will I +present them. There may be matter in it. +[He exits.] + + +ACT 5 +===== + +Scene 1 +======= +[Enter Leontes, Cleomenes, Dion, Paulina, and +Servants.] + + +CLEOMENES +Sir, you have done enough, and have performed +A saintlike sorrow. No fault could you make +Which you have not redeemed--indeed, paid down +More penitence than done trespass. At the last, +Do as the heavens have done: forget your evil; +With them forgive yourself. + +LEONTES Whilst I remember +Her and her virtues, I cannot forget +My blemishes in them, and so still think of +The wrong I did myself, which was so much +That heirless it hath made my kingdom and +Destroyed the sweet'st companion that e'er man +Bred his hopes out of. + +PAULINA True, too true, my lord. +If one by one you wedded all the world, +Or from the all that are took something good +To make a perfect woman, she you killed +Would be unparalleled. + +LEONTES I think so. Killed? +She I killed? I did so, but thou strik'st me +Sorely to say I did. It is as bitter +Upon thy tongue as in my thought. Now, good now, +Say so but seldom. + +CLEOMENES Not at all, good lady. +You might have spoken a thousand things that +would +Have done the time more benefit and graced +Your kindness better. + +PAULINA You are one of those +Would have him wed again. + +DION If you would not so, +You pity not the state nor the remembrance +Of his most sovereign name, consider little +What dangers by his Highness' fail of issue +May drop upon his kingdom and devour +Incertain lookers-on. What were more holy +Than to rejoice the former queen is well? +What holier than, for royalty's repair, +For present comfort, and for future good, +To bless the bed of majesty again +With a sweet fellow to 't? + +PAULINA There is none worthy, +Respecting her that's gone. Besides, the gods +Will have fulfilled their secret purposes. +For has not the divine Apollo said, +Is 't not the tenor of his oracle, +That King Leontes shall not have an heir +Till his lost child be found? Which that it shall +Is all as monstrous to our human reason +As my Antigonus to break his grave +And come again to me--who, on my life, +Did perish with the infant. 'Tis your counsel +My lord should to the heavens be contrary, +Oppose against their wills. Care not for issue. +The crown will find an heir. Great Alexander +Left his to th' worthiest; so his successor +Was like to be the best. + +LEONTES Good Paulina, +Who hast the memory of Hermione, +I know, in honor, O, that ever I +Had squared me to thy counsel! Then even now +I might have looked upon my queen's full eyes, +Have taken treasure from her lips-- + +PAULINA And left them +More rich for what they yielded. + +LEONTES Thou speak'st truth. +No more such wives, therefore no wife. One worse, +And better used, would make her sainted spirit +Again possess her corpse, and on this stage, +Where we offenders now appear, soul-vexed, +And begin "Why to me?" + +PAULINA Had she such power, +She had just cause. + +LEONTES She had, and would incense me +To murder her I married. + +PAULINA I should so. +Were I the ghost that walked, I'd bid you mark +Her eye, and tell me for what dull part in 't +You chose her. Then I'd shriek, that even your ears +Should rift to hear me, and the words that followed +Should be "Remember mine." + +LEONTES Stars, stars, +And all eyes else dead coals! Fear thou no wife; +I'll have no wife, Paulina. + +PAULINA Will you swear +Never to marry but by my free leave? + +LEONTES +Never, Paulina, so be blest my spirit. + +PAULINA +Then, good my lords, bear witness to his oath. + +CLEOMENES +You tempt him over-much. + +PAULINA Unless another +As like Hermione as is her picture +Affront his eye. + +CLEOMENES Good madam-- + +PAULINA I have done. +Yet if my lord will marry--if you will, sir, +No remedy but you will--give me the office +To choose you a queen. She shall not be so young +As was your former, but she shall be such +As, walked your first queen's ghost, it should take +joy +To see her in your arms. + +LEONTES My true Paulina, +We shall not marry till thou bid'st us. + +PAULINA That +Shall be when your first queen's again in breath, +Never till then. + +[Enter a Servant.] + + +SERVANT +One that gives out himself Prince Florizell, +Son of Polixenes, with his princess--she +The fairest I have yet beheld--desires access +To your high presence. + +LEONTES What with him? He comes not +Like to his father's greatness. His approach, +So out of circumstance and sudden, tells us +'Tis not a visitation framed, but forced +By need and accident. What train? + +SERVANT But few, +And those but mean. + +LEONTES His princess, say you, with him? + +SERVANT +Ay, the most peerless piece of earth, I think, +That e'er the sun shone bright on. + +PAULINA O Hermione, +As every present time doth boast itself +Above a better gone, so must thy grave +Give way to what's seen now. [To Servant.] Sir, you +yourself +Have said and writ so--but your writing now +Is colder than that theme--she had not been +Nor was not to be equalled. Thus your verse +Flowed with her beauty once. 'Tis shrewdly ebbed +To say you have seen a better. + +SERVANT Pardon, madam. +The one I have almost forgot--your pardon; +The other, when she has obtained your eye, +Will have your tongue too. This is a creature, +Would she begin a sect, might quench the zeal +Of all professors else, make proselytes +Of who she but bid follow. + +PAULINA How, not women? + +SERVANT +Women will love her that she is a woman +More worth than any man; men, that she is +The rarest of all women. + +LEONTES Go, Cleomenes. +Yourself, assisted with your honored friends, +Bring them to our embracement. +[Cleomenes and others exit.] +Still, 'tis strange +He thus should steal upon us. + +PAULINA Had our prince, +Jewel of children, seen this hour, he had paired +Well with this lord. There was not full a month +Between their births. + +LEONTES Prithee, no more; cease. Thou +know'st +He dies to me again when talked of. Sure, +When I shall see this gentleman, thy speeches +Will bring me to consider that which may +Unfurnish me of reason. They are come. + +[Enter Florizell, Perdita, Cleomenes, and others.] + +Your mother was most true to wedlock, prince, +For she did print your royal father off, +Conceiving you. Were I but twenty-one, +Your father's image is so hit in you, +His very air, that I should call you brother, +As I did him, and speak of something wildly +By us performed before. Most dearly welcome, +And your fair princess--goddess! O, alas, +I lost a couple that 'twixt heaven and Earth +Might thus have stood, begetting wonder, as +You, gracious couple, do. And then I lost-- +All mine own folly--the society, +Amity too, of your brave father, whom, +Though bearing misery, I desire my life +Once more to look on him. + +FLORIZELL By his command +Have I here touched Sicilia, and from him +Give you all greetings that a king, at friend, +Can send his brother. And but infirmity, +Which waits upon worn times, hath something +seized +His wished ability, he had himself +The lands and waters 'twixt your throne and his +Measured to look upon you, whom he loves-- +He bade me say so--more than all the scepters +And those that bear them living. + +LEONTES O my brother, +Good gentleman, the wrongs I have done thee stir +Afresh within me, and these thy offices, +So rarely kind, are as interpreters +Of my behindhand slackness. Welcome hither, +As is the spring to th' earth. And hath he too +Exposed this paragon to th' fearful usage, +At least ungentle, of the dreadful Neptune, +To greet a man not worth her pains, much less +Th' adventure of her person? + +FLORIZELL Good my lord, +She came from Libya. + +LEONTES Where the warlike Smalus, +That noble honored lord, is feared and loved? + +FLORIZELL +Most royal sir, from thence, from him, whose +daughter +His tears proclaimed his, parting with her. Thence, +A prosperous south wind friendly, we have crossed +To execute the charge my father gave me +For visiting your Highness. My best train +I have from your Sicilian shores dismissed, +Who for Bohemia bend, to signify +Not only my success in Libya, sir, +But my arrival and my wife's in safety +Here where we are. + +LEONTES The blessed gods +Purge all infection from our air whilst you +Do climate here! You have a holy father, +A graceful gentleman, against whose person, +So sacred as it is, I have done sin, +For which the heavens, taking angry note, +Have left me issueless. And your father's blest, +As he from heaven merits it, with you, +Worthy his goodness. What might I have been +Might I a son and daughter now have looked on, +Such goodly things as you? + +[Enter a Lord.] + + +LORD Most noble sir, +That which I shall report will bear no credit, +Were not the proof so nigh. Please you, great sir, +Bohemia greets you from himself by me, +Desires you to attach his son, who has-- +His dignity and duty both cast off-- +Fled from his father, from his hopes, and with +A shepherd's daughter. + +LEONTES Where's Bohemia? Speak. + +LORD +Here in your city. I now came from him. +I speak amazedly, and it becomes +My marvel and my message. To your court +Whiles he was hast'ning--in the chase, it seems, +Of this fair couple--meets he on the way +The father of this seeming lady and +Her brother, having both their country quitted +With this young prince. + +FLORIZELL Camillo has betrayed me, +Whose honor and whose honesty till now +Endured all weathers. + +LORD Lay 't so to his charge. +He's with the King your father. + +LEONTES Who? Camillo? + +LORD +Camillo, sir. I spake with him, who now +Has these poor men in question. Never saw I +Wretches so quake. They kneel, they kiss the earth, +Forswear themselves as often as they speak. +Bohemia stops his ears and threatens them +With divers deaths in death. + +PERDITA O my poor father! +The heaven sets spies upon us, will not have +Our contract celebrated. + +LEONTES You are married? + +FLORIZELL +We are not, sir, nor are we like to be. +The stars, I see, will kiss the valleys first. +The odds for high and low's alike. + +LEONTES My lord, +Is this the daughter of a king? + +FLORIZELL She is +When once she is my wife. + +LEONTES +That "once," I see, by your good father's speed +Will come on very slowly. I am sorry, +Most sorry, you have broken from his liking, +Where you were tied in duty, and as sorry +Your choice is not so rich in worth as beauty, +That you might well enjoy her. + +FLORIZELL, [to Perdita] Dear, look up. +Though Fortune, visible an enemy, +Should chase us with my father, power no jot +Hath she to change our loves.--Beseech you, sir, +Remember since you owed no more to time +Than I do now. With thought of such affections, +Step forth mine advocate. At your request, +My father will grant precious things as trifles. + +LEONTES +Would he do so, I'd beg your precious mistress, +Which he counts but a trifle. + +PAULINA Sir, my liege, +Your eye hath too much youth in 't. Not a month +'Fore your queen died, she was more worth such +gazes +Than what you look on now. + +LEONTES I thought of her +Even in these looks I made. [To Florizell.] But your +petition +Is yet unanswered. I will to your father. +Your honor not o'erthrown by your desires, +I am friend to them and you. Upon which errand +I now go toward him. Therefore follow me, +And mark what way I make. Come, good my lord. +[They exit.] + +Scene 2 +======= +[Enter Autolycus and a Gentleman.] + + +AUTOLYCUS Beseech you, sir, were you present at this +relation? + +FIRST GENTLEMAN I was by at the opening of the fardel, +heard the old shepherd deliver the manner how he +found it, whereupon, after a little amazedness, we +were all commanded out of the chamber. Only this, +methought, I heard the shepherd say: he found the +child. + +AUTOLYCUS I would most gladly know the issue of it. + +FIRST GENTLEMAN I make a broken delivery of the +business, but the changes I perceived in the King +and Camillo were very notes of admiration. They +seemed almost, with staring on one another, to tear +the cases of their eyes. There was speech in their +dumbness, language in their very gesture. They +looked as they had heard of a world ransomed, or +one destroyed. A notable passion of wonder appeared +in them, but the wisest beholder that knew +no more but seeing could not say if th' importance +were joy or sorrow; but in the extremity of the one it +must needs be. + +[Enter another Gentleman.] + +Here comes a gentleman that happily knows more.-- +The news, Rogero? + +SECOND GENTLEMAN Nothing but bonfires. The oracle +is fulfilled: the King's daughter is found! Such a +deal of wonder is broken out within this hour that +ballad makers cannot be able to express it. + +[Enter another Gentleman.] + +Here comes the Lady Paulina's steward. He can +deliver you more.--How goes it now, sir? This news +which is called true is so like an old tale that the +verity of it is in strong suspicion. Has the King +found his heir? + +THIRD GENTLEMAN Most true, if ever truth were pregnant +by circumstance. That which you hear you'll +swear you see, there is such unity in the proofs. The +mantle of Queen Hermione's, her jewel about the +neck of it, the letters of Antigonus found with it, +which they know to be his character, the majesty of +the creature in resemblance of the mother, the +affection of nobleness which nature shows above +her breeding, and many other evidences proclaim +her with all certainty to be the King's daughter. Did +you see the meeting of the two kings? + +SECOND GENTLEMAN No. + +THIRD GENTLEMAN Then have you lost a sight which +was to be seen, cannot be spoken of. There might +you have beheld one joy crown another, so and in +such manner that it seemed sorrow wept to take +leave of them, for their joy waded in tears. There +was casting up of eyes, holding up of hands, with +countenance of such distraction that they were to +be known by garment, not by favor. Our king, being +ready to leap out of himself for joy of his found +daughter, as if that joy were now become a loss, +cries "O, thy mother, thy mother!" then asks Bohemia +forgiveness, then embraces his son-in-law, then +again worries he his daughter with clipping her. +Now he thanks the old shepherd, which stands by +like a weather-bitten conduit of many kings' reigns. +I never heard of such another encounter, which +lames report to follow it and undoes description to +do it. + +SECOND GENTLEMAN What, pray you, became of Antigonus, +that carried hence the child? + +THIRD GENTLEMAN Like an old tale still, which will +have matter to rehearse though credit be asleep and +not an ear open: he was torn to pieces with a bear. +This avouches the shepherd's son, who has not only +his innocence, which seems much, to justify him, +but a handkerchief and rings of his that Paulina +knows. + +FIRST GENTLEMAN What became of his bark and his +followers? + +THIRD GENTLEMAN Wracked the same instant of their +master's death and in the view of the shepherd, so +that all the instruments which aided to expose the +child were even then lost when it was found. But O, +the noble combat that 'twixt joy and sorrow was +fought in Paulina. She had one eye declined for the +loss of her husband, another elevated that the +oracle was fulfilled. She lifted the Princess from the +earth, and so locks her in embracing as if she would +pin her to her heart that she might no more be in +danger of losing. + +FIRST GENTLEMAN The dignity of this act was worth the +audience of kings and princes, for by such was it +acted. + +THIRD GENTLEMAN One of the prettiest touches of all, +and that which angled for mine eyes--caught the +water, though not the fish--was when at the relation +of the Queen's death--with the manner how +she came to 't bravely confessed and lamented by +the King--how attentiveness wounded his daughter, +till, from one sign of dolor to another, she did, +with an "Alas," I would fain say bleed tears, for I am +sure my heart wept blood. Who was most marble +there changed color; some swooned, all sorrowed. +If all the world could have seen 't, the woe had been +universal. + +FIRST GENTLEMAN Are they returned to the court? + +THIRD GENTLEMAN No. The Princess hearing of her +mother's statue, which is in the keeping of +Paulina--a piece many years in doing and now +newly performed by that rare Italian master, Julio +Romano, who, had he himself eternity and could +put breath into his work, would beguile Nature of +her custom, so perfectly he is her ape; he so near to +Hermione hath done Hermione that they say one +would speak to her and stand in hope of answer. +Thither with all greediness of affection are they +gone, and there they intend to sup. + +SECOND GENTLEMAN I thought she had some great +matter there in hand, for she hath privately twice or +thrice a day, ever since the death of Hermione, +visited that removed house. Shall we thither and +with our company piece the rejoicing? + +FIRST GENTLEMAN Who would be thence that has the +benefit of access? Every wink of an eye some new +grace will be born. Our absence makes us unthrifty +to our knowledge. Let's along. +[The Three Gentlemen exit.] + +AUTOLYCUS Now, had I not the dash of my former life +in me, would preferment drop on my head. I +brought the old man and his son aboard the Prince, +told him I heard them talk of a fardel and I know +not what. But he at that time, overfond of the +shepherd's daughter--so he then took her to be-- +who began to be much seasick, and himself little +better, extremity of weather continuing, this mystery +remained undiscovered. But 'tis all one to +me, for had I been the finder-out of this secret, it +would not have relished among my other +discredits. + +[Enter Shepherd and Shepherd's Son, +both dressed in rich clothing.] + +Here come those I have done good to against my +will, and already appearing in the blossoms of their +fortune. + +SHEPHERD Come, boy, I am past more children, but thy +sons and daughters will be all gentlemen born. + +SHEPHERD'S SON, [to Autolycus] You are well met, sir. +You denied to fight with me this other day because I +was no gentleman born. See you these clothes? Say +you see them not and think me still no gentleman +born. You were best say these robes are not gentlemen +born. Give me the lie, do, and try whether I am +not now a gentleman born. + +AUTOLYCUS I know you are now, sir, a gentleman born. + +SHEPHERD'S SON Ay, and have been so any time these +four hours. + +SHEPHERD And so have I, boy. + +SHEPHERD'S SON So you have--but I was a gentleman +born before my father. For the King's son took me +by the hand and called me brother, and then the +two kings called my father brother, and then the +Prince my brother and the Princess my sister called +my father father; and so we wept, and there was the +first gentlemanlike tears that ever we shed. + +SHEPHERD We may live, son, to shed many more. + +SHEPHERD'S SON Ay, or else 'twere hard luck, being in +so preposterous estate as we are. + +AUTOLYCUS I humbly beseech you, sir, to pardon me all +the faults I have committed to your Worship and to +give me your good report to the Prince my master. + +SHEPHERD Prithee, son, do, for we must be gentle now +we are gentlemen. + +SHEPHERD'S SON, [to Autolycus] Thou wilt amend thy +life? + +AUTOLYCUS Ay, an it like your good Worship. + +SHEPHERD'S SON Give me thy hand. I will swear to the +Prince thou art as honest a true fellow as any is in +Bohemia. + +SHEPHERD You may say it, but not swear it. + +SHEPHERD'S SON Not swear it, now I am a gentleman? +Let boors and franklins say it; I'll swear it. + +SHEPHERD How if it be false, son? + +SHEPHERD'S SON If it be ne'er so false, a true gentleman +may swear it in the behalf of his friend.--And +I'll swear to the Prince thou art a tall fellow of thy +hands and that thou wilt not be drunk; but I know +thou art no tall fellow of thy hands and that thou +wilt be drunk. But I'll swear it, and I would thou +wouldst be a tall fellow of thy hands. + +AUTOLYCUS I will prove so, sir, to my power. + +SHEPHERD'S SON Ay, by any means prove a tall fellow. If +I do not wonder how thou dar'st venture to be +drunk, not being a tall fellow, trust me not. Hark, +the Kings and Princes, our kindred, are going to see +the Queen's picture. Come, follow us. We'll be thy +good masters. +[They exit.] + +Scene 3 +======= +[Enter Leontes, Polixenes, Florizell, Perdita, Camillo, +Paulina, and Lords.] + + +LEONTES +O grave and good Paulina, the great comfort +That I have had of thee! + +PAULINA What, sovereign sir, +I did not well, I meant well. All my services +You have paid home. But that you have vouchsafed, +With your crowned brother and these your contracted +Heirs of your kingdoms, my poor house to visit, +It is a surplus of your grace which never +My life may last to answer. + +LEONTES O Paulina, +We honor you with trouble. But we came +To see the statue of our queen. Your gallery +Have we passed through, not without much content +In many singularities; but we saw not +That which my daughter came to look upon, +The statue of her mother. + +PAULINA As she lived peerless, +So her dead likeness, I do well believe, +Excels whatever yet you looked upon +Or hand of man hath done. Therefore I keep it +Lonely, apart. But here it is. Prepare +To see the life as lively mocked as ever +Still sleep mocked death. Behold, and say 'tis well. +[She draws a curtain +to reveal Hermione (like a statue).] +I like your silence. It the more shows off +Your wonder. But yet speak. First you, my liege. +Comes it not something near? + +LEONTES Her natural posture!-- +Chide me, dear stone, that I may say indeed +Thou art Hermione; or rather, thou art she +In thy not chiding, for she was as tender +As infancy and grace.--But yet, Paulina, +Hermione was not so much wrinkled, nothing +So aged as this seems. + +POLIXENES O, not by much! + +PAULINA +So much the more our carver's excellence, +Which lets go by some sixteen years and makes her +As she lived now. + +LEONTES As now she might have done, +So much to my good comfort as it is +Now piercing to my soul. O, thus she stood, +Even with such life of majesty--warm life, +As now it coldly stands--when first I wooed her. +I am ashamed. Does not the stone rebuke me +For being more stone than it?--O royal piece, +There's magic in thy majesty, which has +My evils conjured to remembrance and +From thy admiring daughter took the spirits, +Standing like stone with thee. + +PERDITA And give me leave, +And do not say 'tis superstition, that +I kneel, and then implore her blessing. [She kneels.] +Lady, +Dear queen, that ended when I but began, +Give me that hand of yours to kiss. + +PAULINA O, patience! +The statue is but newly fixed; the color's +Not dry. + +CAMILLO, [to Leontes, who weeps] +My lord, your sorrow was too sore laid on, +Which sixteen winters cannot blow away, +So many summers dry. Scarce any joy +Did ever so long live; no sorrow +But killed itself much sooner. + +POLIXENES Dear my brother, +Let him that was the cause of this have power +To take off so much grief from you as he +Will piece up in himself. + +PAULINA Indeed, my lord, +If I had thought the sight of my poor image +Would thus have wrought you--for the stone is +mine-- +I'd not have showed it. + +LEONTES Do not draw the curtain. + +PAULINA +No longer shall you gaze on 't, lest your fancy +May think anon it moves. + +LEONTES Let be, let be. +Would I were dead but that methinks already-- +What was he that did make it?--See, my lord, +Would you not deem it breathed? And that those +veins +Did verily bear blood? + +POLIXENES Masterly done. +The very life seems warm upon her lip. + +LEONTES +The fixture of her eye has motion in 't, +As we are mocked with art. + +PAULINA I'll draw the curtain. +My lord's almost so far transported that +He'll think anon it lives. + +LEONTES O sweet Paulina, +Make me to think so twenty years together! +No settled senses of the world can match +The pleasure of that madness. Let 't alone. + +PAULINA +I am sorry, sir, I have thus far stirred you, but +I could afflict you farther. + +LEONTES Do, Paulina, +For this affliction has a taste as sweet +As any cordial comfort. Still methinks +There is an air comes from her. What fine chisel +Could ever yet cut breath? Let no man mock me, +For I will kiss her. + +PAULINA Good my lord, forbear. +The ruddiness upon her lip is wet. +You'll mar it if you kiss it, stain your own +With oily painting. Shall I draw the curtain? + +LEONTES +No, not these twenty years. + +PERDITA, [rising] So long could I +Stand by, a looker-on. + +PAULINA Either forbear, +Quit presently the chapel, or resolve you +For more amazement. If you can behold it, +I'll make the statue move indeed, descend +And take you by the hand. But then you'll think-- +Which I protest against--I am assisted +By wicked powers. + +LEONTES What you can make her do +I am content to look on; what to speak, +I am content to hear, for 'tis as easy +To make her speak as move. + +PAULINA It is required +You do awake your faith. Then all stand still-- +Or those that think it is unlawful business +I am about, let them depart. + +LEONTES Proceed. +No foot shall stir. + +PAULINA Music, awake her! Strike! +[Music sounds.] +'Tis time. Descend. Be stone no more. Approach. +Strike all that look upon with marvel. Come, +I'll fill your grave up. Stir, nay, come away. +Bequeath to death your numbness, for from him +Dear life redeems you.--You perceive she stirs. + +[Hermione descends.] + + +Start not. Her actions shall be holy as +You hear my spell is lawful. Do not shun her +Until you see her die again, for then +You kill her double. Nay, present your hand. +When she was young, you wooed her; now in age +Is she become the suitor? + +LEONTES O, she's warm! +If this be magic, let it be an art +Lawful as eating. + +POLIXENES She embraces him. + +CAMILLO She hangs about his neck. +If she pertain to life, let her speak too. + +POLIXENES +Ay, and make it manifest where she has lived, +Or how stol'n from the dead. + +PAULINA That she is living, +Were it but told you, should be hooted at +Like an old tale, but it appears she lives, +Though yet she speak not. Mark a little while. +[To Perdita.] Please you to interpose, fair madam. +Kneel +And pray your mother's blessing. [To Hermione.] +Turn, good lady. +Our Perdita is found. + +HERMIONE You gods, look down, +And from your sacred vials pour your graces +Upon my daughter's head! Tell me, mine own, +Where hast thou been preserved? Where lived? How +found +Thy father's court? For thou shalt hear that I, +Knowing by Paulina that the oracle +Gave hope thou wast in being, have preserved +Myself to see the issue. + +PAULINA There's time enough for that, +Lest they desire upon this push to trouble +Your joys with like relation. Go together, +You precious winners all. Your exultation +Partake to everyone. I, an old turtle, +Will wing me to some withered bough and there +My mate, that's never to be found again, +Lament till I am lost. + +LEONTES O peace, Paulina. +Thou shouldst a husband take by my consent, +As I by thine a wife. This is a match, +And made between 's by vows. Thou hast found +mine-- +But how is to be questioned, for I saw her, +As I thought, dead, and have in vain said many +A prayer upon her grave. I'll not seek far-- +For him, I partly know his mind--to find thee +An honorable husband.--Come, Camillo, +And take her by the hand, whose worth and honesty +Is richly noted and here justified +By us, a pair of kings. Let's from this place. +[To Hermione.] What, look upon my brother! Both +your pardons +That e'er I put between your holy looks +My ill suspicion. This your son-in-law +And son unto the King, whom heavens directing, +Is troth-plight to your daughter.--Good Paulina, +Lead us from hence, where we may leisurely +Each one demand and answer to his part +Performed in this wide gap of time since first +We were dissevered. Hastily lead away. +[They exit.] \ No newline at end of file