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ACT II.

SCENE I.

The same.

Enter Hermione, Mamillius, and Ladies.

Her. Take the boy to you: he so troubles me, 'Tis past enduring.

1 Lady.

Come, my gracious lord,

No, I'll none of you.

Shall I be your play-fellow?
Mam.

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 have 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! Her. What wisdom stirs amongst you? Come,

sir, now

I am for you again: Pray you, sit by us,

And tell's a tale.

Mam.

Merry or sad, shall't be?

Her. As merry as you will.
Mam.

A sad tale's best for winter:

I have one of sprites and goblins.

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.

And giv't me in mine ear.

Come on then,

Enter Leontes, Antigonus, Lords, and others.

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

1 Lord. Behind the tuft of pines I met them;

never

Saw I men scour so on their way: I eye'd them
Even to their ships.

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

The abhorr'd ingredient to his eye, make known
How he hath 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;

* Judgment.

O that my knowledge were less!

Spiders were esteemed poisonous in our author's time.
§ Heavings.

Worse than tears drown: 'Beseech you all, my

lords,

With thoughts so qualified as your charities
Shall best instruct you, measure me;-and so
The king's will be perform'd!

Leon.

Shall I be heard?

[To the Guards.

Her. Who is't, that goes with me?-'Beseech
your highness,

My women may be with me; for, you see,
My plight requires it. Do not weep, good fools;
There is no cause: when you shall know, your
mistress

Has deserv'd 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 wish'd to see you sorry: now,

I trust, I shall.--My women, come; you have leave.

Leon. Go, do our bidding; hence.

[Exeunt Queen and Ladies. 1 Lord. 'Beseech your highness, call the queen

again.

Ant. Be certain what you do, sir; lest your jus

tice

Prove violence; in the which three great ones

suffer,

Yourself, your queen, your son.

For her, my lord,—

1 Lord. I dare my life lay down, and will do't, sir, Please you to accept it, that the queen is spotless I'the eyes of heaven, and to you; I mean,

In this which you accuse her.

If it prove

Ant. 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 further trust her; For every inch of woman in the world,

* Take my station.

N

Ay, every dram of woman's flesh, is false,

If she be.
Leon.

1 Lord.

Hold your peaces.

Good my lord,

Ant. It is for you we speak, not for ourselves: You are abus'd, and by some putter-on*,

That will be damn'd for't; 'would I knew the vil

lain,

I would land-damn him: Be she honour-flaw'd,-
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 ho-
Pro

nour,

I'll geld them 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.

Leon.

Cease; no more.

You smell this business with a sense as cold
As is a dead man's nose: I see't, and feel't,
As you feel doing thus; and see withal
The instruments that feel.

Ant.

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.

Leon.

What! lack I credit?

1 Lord. I had rather you did lack, than I, my

lord,
Upon this ground: and more it would content me
To have her honour true, than your suspicion :
Be blam'd for't how you might.

Leon.
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 stupified,
Or seeming so in skill), cannot, or will not,
Relish as truth, like us; inform yourselves,

We need no more of your advice: the matter,
The loss, the gain, the ordering on't, is all
Properly ours.

Ant.

And I wish, my liege,

You had only in your silent judgment tried it,
Without more overture.

Leon.

How could that be?

Either thou art most ignorant by age,

Or thou wert born a fool.

Added to their familiarity,

Camillo's flight,

(Which was as gross as ever touch'd conjecture, That lack'd sight only, nought for approbation*, But only seeing, all other circumstances

Made up to the 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 despatch'd in post,
To sacred Delphos, to Apollo's temple,
Cleomenes and Dion, whom you know
Of stuff'd sufficiency+; Now, from the oracle
They will bring all; whose spiritual counsel had,
Shall stop, or spur me. Have I done well?
1 Lord. Well done, my lord.

Leon. Though I am satisfied, and need no more
Than what I know, yet shall the oracle
Give rest to the minds of others; such as he,
Whose ignorant credulity will not

Come up to the truth: So have we thought it good,
From our free person she should be confin'd;
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.

Ant. [Aside.] To laughter, as I take it,
If the good truth were known.

* Proof.

[Exeunt.

Of abilities more than sufficient.