I told her so, my lord, What, canst not rule her? On your displeasure's peril, and on mine, Leon. Ant. Lo you now; you hear! When she will take the rein, I let her run; But she'll not stumble. Paul. Good my liege, I come, And, I beseech you, hear me, who profess Myself your loyal servant, your physician, Your most obedient counsellor; yet that dare Less appear so, in comforting your evils, Than such as most seem yours: From your good queen. I say, I come Good queen! Leon. good queen; And would by combat make her good, so were I A man, the worst about you. Thou, dotard, [to ANTIGONUS.] thou art womantir'd, unroosted - By thy dame Partlet here, take up the bastard; Paul. Unvenerable be thy hands, if thou Leon. He dreads his wife. Paul. So, I would, you did; then 'twere past all doubt, You'd call your children yours. Leon. A nest of traitors! Once more, take her hence. Paul. A most unworthy and unnatural lord Can do no more. Leon. Paul. I'll have thee burn'd. I care not, I'll not call you It is an heretick, that makes the fire, Not she, which burn's in't. tyrant; But this most cruel usage of your queen (Not able to produce more accusation Than your own weak-hing'd fancy,) something Of any point in't shall not only be Death to thyself, but to thy lewd-tongu'd wife; Whom, for this time, we pardon. We enjoin thee, As thou art liegeman to us, that thou carry Leon. Another's issue. 1 Atten. [Exit, with the Child. No, I'll not rear Please your highness, posts, From those you sent to the oracle, are come An hour since: Cleomenes and Dion, Being well arriv'd from Delphos, are both landed, Hasting to the court. ACT III. Her. Leon. You will not own it. More than mistress of, To you, and toward your friend; whose love had speak, from an infant, freely, I know not how it tastes; though it be dish'd HERMIONE is brought in, guarded; PAULINA and And, why he left your court, the gods themselves, Ladies, attending. Leon. Read the indictment. Offi. 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 pretence 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. Her. 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 mne Being counted falsehood, shall, as I express it, Tremble at patience. You, my lord, best know, A moiety of the throne, a great king's daughter, Have strain'd, to appear thus: if one jot beyond Leon. I ne'er heard yet, That any of these bolder vices wanted Less impudence to gainsay what they did, Than to perform it first. Wotting no more than I, are ignorant. Leon. You knew of his departure, as you know What you have underta'en to do in his absence. Her. Sir, You speak a language that I understand not : Leon. Your actions are my dreams; Thy brat hath been cast out, like to itself, Her. The crown and comfort of my life, your favour, But know not how it went: My second joy, I am barr'd, like one infectious: My third comfort, The innocent milk in its most innocent mouth, I prize it not a straw :— but for mine honour, 1 Lord. This your request Is altogether just therefore, bring forth, And in Apollo's name, his oracle. [Exeunt certain Officers. Her. The emperor of Russia was my father: O, that he were alive, and here beholding Re-enter Officers, with CLEOMENES and DION. Offi. You here shall swear upon this sword of justice, That you, Cleomenes and Dion, have O, cut my lace; lest my heart, cracking it, 1 Lord. What fit is this, good lady? Paul. What studied torments, tyrant, hast for me? What wheels? racks? fires? What flaying? boiling, In leads, or oils? what old, or newer torture Been both at Delphos; and from thence have Must I receive; whose every word deserves Leon. Apollo's angry; and the heavens themselves Do strike at my injustice. [HERMIONE faints.] How now there? Paul. This news is mortal to the queen :- -Look down, And see what death is doing. Leon. [Exeunt PAULINA and Ladies, with HERM. My great profaneness 'gainst thine oracle! I'll reconcile me to Polixenes; New woo my queen; recal the good Camillo; My friend Polixenes: which had been done, To taste of thy most worst? Thy tyranny queen, The sweetest, dearest, creature's dead; and ven- Prevail not, go and see if you can bring Leon. 1 Lord. Say no more; Howe'er the business goes, you have made fault I'the boldness of your speech. Paul. I am sorry for't; All faults I make, when I shall come to know them, I do repent: Alas, I have show'd too much The rashness of a woman he is touch'd To the noble heart. help, What's gone, and what's past Should be past grief: Do not receive affliction Who is lost too: Take your patience to you, The chapel where they lie; and tears, shed there, So long I daily vow to use it. And lead me to these sorrows. Come, [Exeunt. upon The deserts of Bohemia ? Mar. 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 us. Shep. 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 Ant. Their sacred wills be done! Go, get scared away two of my best sheep; which, I fear, I have heard, (but not believ'd,) the spirits of the dead May walk again: if such thing be, thy mother I pr'ythee, call't: for this ungentle business, the wolf will sooner find, than the master; if any where I have them, 'tis by the sea-side, browzing on ivy Good luck, an't be thy will! what have we here? [Taking up the Child.] Mercy on's, a barne; a very pretty barne! 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 hollaed but even Whoa, họ hoa now. Clo. Hilloa, loa! Enter Clown. Shep. What, art so near? If thou'lt see a thing to talk on when thou art dead and rotten, come hither. What ailest thou, man? Clo. 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. Shep. Why, boy, how is it? Clo. 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 yest 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. Shep. Name of mercy, when was this, boy? Clo. Now, now; I have not winked since I saw these sights: the men are not yet cold under water, |