Away with him! and let her sport herself
With that she's big with; fort is Polixenes
Has made thee swell thus.
Her.
But I'd say he had not,
And I'll be sworn you would believe my saying,
Howe'er you lean to the nayward.

Leon.

You, my lords, Look on her, mark her well; be but about 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
has,

When you have said she's goodly, come be

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

A fedary 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.

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.

Leon.

No; if I mistake

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

100

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

190

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 195
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. [Exeunt. 200

35

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-mouth'd, let my tongue blister
And never to my red-look'd anger be
The trumpet any more. 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 the loud'st. We do not know
How he may soften at the sight o' the child. 40
The silence often of pure innocence
Persuades when speaking fails.

Emil.
Most worthy madam,
Your honour and your goodness is so evident
That your free undertaking cannot miss

Gaol. Madam, if 't please the Queen to send the babe,

I know not what I shall incur to pass it,
Having no warrant.

Paul.

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 enfranchis'd, not a party to The anger of the King nor guilty of, If any be, the trespass of the Queen. Gaol. I do believe it.

Paul. Do not you fear. Upon mine honour, I Will stand betwixt you and danger. [Exeunt. «

SCENE III. [A room in Leontes' palace.] Enter LEONTES, ANTIGONUS, LORDS, and SER

He took good rest to-night; 'Tis hop'd his sickness is discharg'd. Leon. To see his nobleness! Conceiving the dishonour of his mother, He straight declin'd, droop'd, took it deeply, Fasten'd and fix'd the shame on 't in himself, Threw off his spirit, his appetite, his sleep, * And downright languish'd. Leave me solely;

Fear you his tyrannous passion more, alas, Than the Queen's life? A gracious innocent soul,

More free than he is jealous.
Ant.

That's enough. [2.] Serv. Madam, he hath not slept to-night; commanded

None should come at him.

Paul.

31

35

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 humour
That presses him from sleep.

Leon.
What noise there, ho?
Paul. No noise, my lord; but needful con-
ference

About some gossips for your Highness.
Leon.

40

How!

70

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 war-

rant,

The sacred honour of himself, his queen's, His hopeful son's, his babe's, betrays to slander,

85

Whose sting is sharper than the sword's, and will not

For, as the case now stands, it is a curse
He cannot be compell'd to 't-
The root of his opinion, which is rotten
As ever oak or stone was sound.
Leon.

A callat

90

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!

And, might we lay the old proverb to your

charge,

So like you, 't is 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,

100

The very mould and frame of hand, nail, finger; And thou, good goddess Nature, which hast

made it

105

So like to him that got it, if thou hast
The ordering of the mind too, 'mongst all
colours

No yellow in 't, lest she suspect, as he does,
Her children not her husband's!

Leon.
A gross hag!
And, lozel, thou art worthy to be hang'd,
That wilt not stay her tongue.

Ant.

109

Hang all the husbands That cannot do that feat, you'll leave yourself Hardly one subject.

Leon.

Once more, take her hence.