I conjure thee by all the parts of man,

Which honour does acknowledge, (whereof the leaft
Is not this fuit of mine,) that thou declare,
What incidency thou doft guefs of harm

Is creeping towards me; how far off, how near;
Which way to be prevented, if it be ;
If not, how best to bear it.

Cam. Sir, I'll tell you.

Since I am charg'd in honour, and by him

That I think honourable; therefore, mark my counsel;
Which must be ev'n as swiftly follow'd, as

I mean to utter it; or both yourself and me
Cry loft, and fo good night.

Pol. On, good Camillo.

Cam. I am appointed Him to murder you.
Pol. By whom, Camillo ?

Cam. By the King.

Pol. For what?

Cam. He thinks, nay, with all confidence he fwears,

As he had feen't, or been an inftrument

To vice you to't, that you have toucht his Queen
Forbiddenly.

Pol. Oh, then, my beft blood turn
To an infected gelly, and my name

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

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

Cam. Swear this though over (5).

(s) Cam.

Swear his Thought over

By

By each particular Star in Heaven, &c.] The Tranf pofition of a fingle Letter reconciles this Paffage to good Senfe; which is not fo, as the Text ftands in all the printed Copies. Polixenes, in the preceding Speech, had been laying the deepest Imprecations on himfelf, if he had ever abus'd Leontes in any Familiarity with his Queen, To which Camille very pertinently Replies:

Swear

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

Pol. How should this grow?

Cam. I know not; but, I'm fure, 'tis fafer to
Avoid what's grown, than queftion how 'tis born.
If therefore you dare truft my honesty,

That lies inclofed in this trunk, which you
Shall bear along impawn'd, away to night;
Your followers I will whisper to the business;
And will by twoes, and threes, at several pofterns,
Clear them o'th' city. For myfelf, I'll put
My fortunes to your service, which are here
By this discovery loft. Be not uncertain;
For by the honour of my parents, I

Have utter'd truth; which if you feek to prove,
I dare not stand by; nor fhall you be safer,
Than one condemned by the King's own mouth;
Thereon his execution fworn.

Pol. I do believe thee:

I faw his heart in's face. Give me thy hand;
Be pilot to me, and thy places fhall

Still neighbour mine. My fhips are ready, and
My people did expect my hence departure
Two days ago.. -This jealoufie

Is for a precious creature; as fhe's rare,
Muft it be great; and, as his perfon's mighty,
Muft it be violent; and, as he does conceive
He is dishonour'd by a man, which ever

3

Swear this though ever, &c. i. e. Sir, Though you should protest your Innocence never fo often, and call every Star and Saint in Heaven to witness to your Adjuration; yet Jealoufy is fo rooted in my Mafter's Bofom, that All you can fay and fwear will have no Force to remove it.

Profefs'd

Profefs'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 theam, but nothing
Of his ill-ta'en fufpicion! Come, Camillo,

I will refpect thee as a father, if

Thou bear'ft my life off hence. Let us avoid.
Cam. It is in mine authority to command
The keys of all the pofterns: please your Highness,
To take the urgent hour. Come, Sir, away. [Exeunt.

T

SCENE, The Palace.

Enter Hermione, Mamillius, and Ladies.
HERMIONE.

"AKE 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 fweet Lord?

Mam. You'll kifs me hard, and speak to me as if I were a baby ftill; I love you better..

2 Lady. And why fo, my Lord ?

Mam. Not for because

Your brows are blacker; (yet black brows, they fay, Become fome women best; fo that there be not

Too much hair there, but in a femicircle,

Or a 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 be your eye-brows?

1 Lady. Blue, my Lord.

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

1 Lady.

1 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'll wanton with us,
If we would have
you.

2 Lady. She is fpread of late

Into a goodly bulk; (good time encounter her!)
Her. What wisdom ftirs amongst you? come, Sir,

now

I am for you again. Pray you fit by us,

And tell's a tale.

Mam. Merry, or fad, fhall't be?
Her. As merry as you will.

Mam. A fad tale's beft for winter.
I have one of sprights and goblins.
Her. Let's have that, good Sir.

Come on, fit down. Come on, and do your beft
To fright me with your fprights: you're powerful at it.'
Mam. There was a man-

Her. Nay, come sit down; then on.

Mam. Dwelt by a church-yard;

foftly:

Yond crickets fhall not hear it.

I will tell it

Her. Come on then, and give't me in mine ear.

Enter Leontes, Antigonus, and Lords.

Leo. Was he met there? his train? Camillo with him? Lord. Behind the tuft of pines I met them; never Saw I men fcowr fo on their way: I ey'd them

Even to their fhips.

Leo. How bleft am I

In my juft cenfure! in my true opinion!
Alack, for leffer knowledge, how accurs'd
In being fo bleft! There may be in the cup
A fpider fteep'd, and one may drink; depart,
And yet partake no venom; for his knowledge
Is not infected: but if one present

Th' abhorr'd ingredient to his eye, make known
How he hath drunk, he cracks his gorge, his fides
With violent hefts.- I have drunk, and feen the
fpider.

Camille

Camillo was his help in this, his Pander:
There is a plot against my life, my crown;
All's true, that is miftrufted: that falfe villain,
Whom I employ'd, was pre-employ'd by him:
He hath difcover'd my defign, and I
Remain a pinch'd thing; yea, a very trick
For them to play at will: how came the pofterns
So eafily open?

Lord. By his great authority,

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

Leo. I know't too well.

Give me the boy; I'm glad, you did not nurse him: Though he does bear fome figns of me, yet you.. Have too much blood in him.

Her. What is this, sport?

Leo. Bear the boy hence, he fhall not come about her; Away with him, and let her fport herself

With that fhe's big with: for 'tis Polixenes

Has made thee fwell thus.

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

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

Leo. You, my lords,

Look on her, mark her well; be but about

To fay, fhe is a goodly lady, and

The juftice of your hearts will thereto add, 'Tis pity, fhe's not honeft, honourable:

Praife her but for this her without-door form,

(Which on my faith deserves high speech,) and ftraight

The fhrug, the hum, or ha,

13

(these petty brands,

That calumny doth ufe: oh, I am out,

That mercy do's; for calumny will fear

Virtue it felf.) Thefe fhrugs, thefe hums, and ha's,
When you have faid fhe's goodly, come between,
Ere you can fay fhe's honeft: but be't known,
(From him, that has moft caufe to grieve it should be;)

She's an adultrefs.

Her. Should a villain fay fo,

The moft replenish'd villain in the world,

He