So, fo: farewell, we are gone.

Will never do him good, not one of you,

LEO. Thou, traitor, hast set on thy wife to this, My child? away with't. Even thou, thou that hast A heart fo tender o'er it, take it hence,

And fee it inftantly confum'd with fire;

Even thou, and none but thou. Take it up ftraight:
Within this hour bring me word it is done,
And by good teftimony, or I'll seize thy life,
With what thou elfe call'ft thine if thou refufe,
And wilt encounter with my wrath, fay fo:
The baftard brains with these my proper hands
Shall I dash out go take it to the fire,
For thou fett'ft on thy wife.

ANT. I did not, Sir:

These lords, my noble fellows, if they please,
Can clear me in't.

LORD. We can. My royal liege,

He is not guilty of her coming hither.

LEO. You're liars all.

[Exit.

LORD. 'Befeech your highnefs, give us better credit. We've always truly ferv'd you, and beseech you

So to esteem of us: and on our knees we beg

(As recompence of our dear fervices

Paft, and to come) that you do change this purpose,

Which being fo horrible, fo bloody, must

Lead on to fome foul iffue. We all kneel [they kneel.

LEO. I am a feather for each wind that blows:

Shall I live on, to fee this bastard kneel

And call me father? better burn it now,

Than curfe it then. But be it; let it live:

-It shall not neither.-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 fure as this beard's grey) what will
To fave this brat's life?

ANT. Any thing, my lord,

That my ability may undergo,

you

[To Antigonius.

adventure

And nobleness impose: at least, thus much; the little blood which I have left,

I'll

pawn

To fave the innocent; any thing poffible.

LEO. It shall be poffible; fwear by this sword, Thou wilt perform my bidding.

ANT. I will, my lord.

LEO. Mark and perform it ; feest thou? for the fail
Of any point in't shall not only be

Death to thyfelf, but to thy lewd-tongu'd wife,
Whom for this time we pardon. We enjoin thee,
As thou art liege-man to us, that thou carry
This female bastard hence, and that thou bear it
To fome remote and defert place, quite out
Of our dominions; and that there thou leave it,
Without more mercy, to its own protection
And favour of the climate. As by ftrange fortune
It came to us, I do in justice charge thee,
On thy foul's peril and thy body's torture,
That thou commend it strangely to fome place,
Where chance may nurfe, or end it. Take it up.
ANT. I swear to do this: tho' a present death
Had been more merciful. Come on, poor babe,

Some powerful spirit instruct the kites and ravens
To be thy nurses! Wolves and bears, they say,
Cafting their favageness afide, have done

Like offices of pity. Sir, be profperous

In more than this deed does require; and bleffing,
Against this cruelty, fight on thy fide!

-Poor thing condemn'd to lofs.

LEO. No; I'll not rear

Another's iffue.

Enter a Meffenger.

MES. Please your highness, pofts,

[Exit, with the child.

From those you fent to th' oracle, are come

An hour fince, Cleomines and Dion,

Being well arriv'd from Delphos, are both landed,
Hafting to th' court.

LORD. So please you, Sir, their speed

Hath been beyond account.

LEO. Twenty-three days

They have been abfent: this good speed foretels,
The great Apollo fuddenly will have

The truth of this appear. Prepare you, lords,
Summon a feffion, that we may arraign
Our most disloyal lady; for as fhe hath
Been publicly accus'd, fo fhall fhe have
A juft and open trial. While fhe lives,
My heart will be a burden to me.
And think upon my bidding.

Leave me,

[Exeunt feverally.

SCENE I.

T

ACT III.

A part of Sicily, near the fea-fide.

Enter Cleomines and Dion, with attendants.

CLEOMINE S.

HE climate's delicate, the air most sweet,

Fertile the isle, the temple much furpaffing

The common praise it bears,

DION. I fhall report,

For most it caught me, the celestial habits,

(Methinks, I fo fhould term them,) and the reverence Of the grave wearers. O, the facrifice

How ceremonious, folemn, and unearthly
It was i' th' offering!

CLEO. But of all, the burft

And the ear-deafning voice o' th' oracle,
Kin to Jove's thunder, fo furpriz'd my fenfe,
That I was nothing.

DION. If th' event o' th' journey

Prove as fuccessful to the queen, (O be't so')
As it hath been to us, rare, pleasant, speedy,
The time is worth the use on't.

CLEO. Great Apollo,

Turn all to th' beft! thefe proclamations,
So forcing faults upon Hermione,

I little like.

DION. The violent carriage of it

Will clear, or end the bufinefs; when the oracle,

(Thus by Apollo's great divine feal'd up,)

Shall the contents difcover, fomething rare

Even then will rush to knowledge. Gofreth horfes

And gracious be the issue.

[Exeunt.

SCENE II. Represents a court of justice. Leontes, lords and officers, appear properly feated. LEO. This feffion, (to our great grief, we pronounce,) Ev'n pushes 'gainst our heart. The party try'd, The daughter of a king, our wife, and one Of us too much belov'd;-let us be clear'd Of being tyrannous, fince we so openly Proceed in juftice, which shall have due course, Even to the guilt, or the purgation.

-Produce the prifoner.

OFFI. It is his highnefs' pleasure, that the queen Appear in perion here in court.— -Silence!

Hermione is brought in, guarded; Paulina, and ladies attending.

LEO. Read the indiament.

OFFI." Hermione, Queen to the worthy Leontes, king "of Sicilia, thou art here accufed and arraigned of high "treafon, in committing adultery with Polixenes king of "Bohemia, and confpiring with Camillo to take away the "life of our fovereign lord the king, thy royal husband; "the pretence whereof being by circumftances partly laid

open, thou, Hermione, contrary to the faith and allegi66 ance of a true fubject, didft counfel and aid them, for "their better fafety, to fly away by night."

HER. Since what I am to fay, must be but that Which contradicts my accufation; and

The teftimony on my part, no other

But what comes from myfelf; it fhall fearce boot me
To fay, "Not guilty; mine integrity,