Pol. For what?

Cam. 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 touch'd his queen
Forbiddenly.

Pol. O, then my best blood turn

To an infected jelly; and my name

Be yok'd with his, that did betray the best!
Turn then my freshest reputation to

A savour, that may strike the dullest nostril
Where I arrive; and my approach be shunn'd,
Nay, hated too, worse than the great'st infection
That e'er was heard, or read !

Cam. Swear his thought over

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

8

Pol. How should this grow?

Cam. 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 impawn'd,-away to-night.
Your followers I will whisper to the business;
And will, by twos, and threes, at several posterns,
Clear them o' 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 honour of my parents, I

Have utter'd truth: which if you seek to prove,
I dare not stand by; nor shall you be safer

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

Pol. I do believe thee:

I saw his heart in's face. Give me thy hand;

[7] i. e. To draw, persuade you. The character called the Vice, in the old plays was the tempter to evil. WARBURTON.

The vice is an instrument well known; its operation is to hold things together. STEEVENS.

[8] This folly which is erected on the foundation of settled belief. STEEVENS.

Be pilot to me, and thy places shall

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

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

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

I will respect thee as a father, if

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

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

ACT II.

[Exe.

SCENE I.-The same.

Enter HERMIONE, MAMILLIUS, and
Ladies.

Hermione.

TAKE the boy to you: he so troubles me,

'Tis past enduring.

1 Lady. Come, my gracious lord.

Shall I be your play-fellow?

Mam. No, I'll none of you.

1 Lady. Why, my sweet lord?

Mam. You'll kiss me hard; and speak to me as if I were a baby still.-I love you better.

2 Lady. And why so, my good lord?

Mam. Not for because

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

Too much hair there, but in a semi-circle,

Or half-moon made with a pen.

2 Lady. Who taught you this?

Mam. I learn'd it out of women's faces.-Pray now What colour are your eye-brows?

1 Lady. Blue, my lord.

Mam. Nay, that's a mock: I've seen a lady's nose That has been blue, but not her eye-brows.

2 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.

1 Lady. She is spread of late

Into a goodly bulk: Good time encounter her!

I

Her. What wisdom stirs amongst you? Come, sir, now you again Pray you, sit by us,

am for

And tell's a tale.

Mam. Merry, or sad, shall't be ?
Her. As merry as you will.

Mam. A sad tale's best for winter:

I have one of sprites and goblins.

Her. Let's have that, sir.

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

Her. Nay, come, sit down; then on.

Mam. Dwelt by a church-yard;-I will tell it softly; Yon crickets shall not hear it.

Her. Come on then,

And give't me in mine ear.

Enter LEONTES, ANTIGONUS, Lords, and others. Leo. Was he met there? his train? Camillo with him? 1 Lord. Behind the tuft of pines I met them; never Saw I men scour so on their way: I ey'd them Even to their ships.

Leo. How bless'd am I

In my just censure ?9 in my true opinion?—
Alack, for lesser knowledge !'--How accurs'd
In being so blest! There may be in the cup
A spider steep'd,2 and one may drink; depart,
And yet partake no venom; for his knowledge
Is not infected: but if one present

[9] Censure, in the time of our author, was generally used (as in this instance,) for judgment, opinion. MALONE.

[1] That is, O that my knowledge were less. JOHNSON.

[2] That spiders were esteemed venomous appears by the evidence of a person who was examined in Sir T. Overbury's affair: The Countesse wished me to get the strongest poyson I could, &c. Accordingly I bought seven great spiders, 1 and cantharides.". HENDERSON.

Th' abhorr'd ingredient to his eye, make known

How he hath drank, he cracks his gorge, his sides,
With violent hefts :-I have drank, and seen the spider.
Camillo was his help in this, his pander :-

There is a plot against my life, my crown;

All's true that is mistrusted :—that false villain,
Whom I employ'd, was pre-employ'd by him:
He has discover'd my design, and I
Remain a pinch'd thing; yea, a very trick

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

1 Lord. By his great authority;

Which often hath no less prevail'd than so,
On your command.

Leo. I know't too well.—

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.

Her. What is this? sport?

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

With that she's big with; for 'tis Polixenes

Has made thee swell thus.

Her. But I'd say, he had not;

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

Leo. 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, honourable :

Praise her but for this her without-door form,

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

That mercy does; for calumny will sear

Virtue itself:-these shrugs, these hums, and ha's,
When you have said, she's goodly, come between,
Ere you can say she's honest: But be it known,
From him that has most cause to grieve it should be,
She's an adultress.

Her. Should a villain say so,

[3] Hefts are heavings. STEEVENS.

The most replenish'd villain in the world,

He were as much more villain: you, my lord,
Do but mistake.*

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

A federary with her; and one that knows
What she should shame to know herself,
But with her most vile principal," that she's
A bed-swerver, even as bad as those
That vulgars give bold titles; ay, and privy
To this their late escape.

Her. 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 publish'd me? Gentle my lord,
You scarce can right me throughly then, to say
You did mistake.

Leo. No, no; if I mistake

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

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

Her. There's some ill planet reigns:

[4] Otway had this passage in his thoughts, when he put the following lines into the mouth of Castalio:

"Should the bravest man

That e'er wore conquering sword but dare to whisper
What thou proclaim'st, he were the worst of liars:
My friend may be mistaken." STEEVENS.

[5] A federary (perhaps a word of our author's coinage) is a confederate, an accomplice. STEEVENS

[6] But, which is here used for only, renders this passage somewhat obscure. MALONE.

[7] That is, if the proofs which I can offer will not support the opinion I have formed, no foundation can be trusted. JOHNSON.

Milton has expressed the same thought in more exalted language:

"if this fail,

The pillar'd firmament is rottenness,

And earth's base built on stubble." STEEVENS.