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

Lea. You have mistook, my lady,
Polixenes for Leontes. O thou thing,
Which I'll not call a creature of thy place,
Left barbarifm, making me the precedent,
Should a like language ufe to all degrees;
And mannerly, diftinguishment leave out
Betwixt the prince and beggar.I have faid,
She's an adultrefs; I have faid with whom :
More; fhe's a traitor, and Camillo is

A federary with her; and one that knows
What the fhould fhame to know herself,
But with her moft vile Principal, that she's
A bed-fwerver, even as bad as those

That Vulgars give bold'ft titles; ay, and privy
To this their late efcape.

Her. No, by my life,

Privy to none of this: how will this grieve you,
When you fhall come to clearer knowledge, that.
You thus have publifh'd me? gentle my lord,
You fcarce can right me throughly then, to say
You did mistake.

Leo. No, if I mistake

In thefe foundations which I build upon,
The center is not big enough to bear

A school-boy's top. Away with her to prison:
He, who fhall fpeak for her, is far of guilty, (6)
But that he fpeaks.

Her. There's fome ill planet reigns;

I must be patient, 'till the heavens look
With an afpect more favourable. Good my lords,
I am not prone to weeping; (as our sex

(6) He, who shall speak for her, is far off guilty,

But that he fpeaks.] This cannot be the Speaker's Meaning. Leontes would fay, I fhall hold the Perfon in a great meafure guilty, who fhall dare to intercede for her: And this, I believe, Shakespeare ventur'd to exprefs thus:

He, who shall Speak for her, is far of guilty, &c. i. c. partakes far, deeply, of her Guilt.

Commonly

Commonly are,) the want of which vain dew,
Perchance, fhall dry your pities; but I have
That honourable grief lodg'd here, which burns
Worfe than tears drown: befeech you all, my lords,
With thoughts fo qualified as your charities
Shall beft instruct you, measure me; and fo
The King's will be perform'd!-

Leo. Shall I be heard?

Her. Who is't, that goes with me? 'befeech your
Highness,

My women may be with me, for, you see,

My plight requires it. Do not weep, good fools,
There is no caufe; when you fhall know, your mistress
Has deferv'd prifon, then abound in tears,

As I come out; this action, I now go on,
Is for my better grace. Adieu, my lord,
I never wifh'd to fee you forry; now,
I trust, I fhall. My women,
come, you've leave.
Leo. Go, do our bidding; hence.

[Exit Queen, guarded; and Ladies. Lord. 'Beseech your Highnefs call the Queen again. Ant. Be certain what you do, Sir, left your juftice Prove violence; in the which three Great ones fuffer, Your felf, your Queen, your fon.

Lord. For her, my lord,

I dare my life lay down, and will do't, Sir,
Please you t'accept it, that the Queen is spotless
I'th' eyes of heaven, and to you, (I mean,
In this which you accufe her.)

Ant. If it prove

She's otherwise, I'll keep my ftables where
I lodge my wife, I'll go in couples with her:
Than when I feel, and fee, no further trust her;
For every inch of woman in the world,

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

If the be.

Leo. Hold your peaces.

Lord. Good my lord,

Ant. It is for you we fpeak, not for our felves: You are abus'd, and by fome putter-on,

That

That will be damn'd for't; 'would, I knew the villain,
I would land-damm him: be she honour-flaw'd,
I have three daughters; the eldest is eleven ;
The fecond, and the third, nine, and fome five;
If this prove true, they'll pay for't. By mine honour,
I'll geld 'em all: fourteen they fhall not fee,
To bring falfe generations: they are co-heirs,
And I had rather glib myself, than they
Should not produce fair iffue.

Leo. Ceafe; no more:

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

Ant. If it be fo,

We need no grave to bury honefty;
There's not a grain of it, the face to sweeten
Of the whole dungy earth.

Leo. What? lack I credit?

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.

Leo. Why, what need we

Commune with you of this? but rather follow
Our forceful inftigation? our prerogative
Calls not your counfels, but our natural goodness
Imparts this; which, if you, (or ftupified,
Or feeming fo, in skill,) cannot, or will not
Relish a truth like us; inform yourselves,
We need no more of your advice; the matter,
The lofs, the gain, the ord'ring on't, is all
Properly ours.

Ant. And I wish, my Liege,

You had only in your filent judgment`try'd it,
Without more overture.

Leo. How could that be?

Either thou art moft ignorant by age,

Or thou wert born a fool. Camillo's flight,
Added to their familiarity,

(Which was as grofs as ever touch'd conjecture, That lack'd fight only; nought for approbation, But only feeing; all other circumftances

Made up to th deed) doth pufh on this proceeding; Yet for a greater confirmation,

(For, in an act of this importance, 'twere

Moft piteous to be wild) I have dispatch'd in poft,
To facred Delphos, to Apollo's temple,

Cleomines and Dion, whom you know

Of fluff'd fufficiency: Now, from the oracle
They will bring all: whose spiritual counsel had,
Shall ftop, or fpur me.
Have I done well?

Lord. Well done, my Lord.

Leo. Tho' I am fatisfy'd, and need no more
Than what I know, yet fhall the oracle
Give reft to th' minds of others; fuch as he,
Whofe ignorant credulity will not

Come up to th' truth. So have we thought it good
From our free perfon, fhe fhould be confin'd;
Left that the treachery of the two, fled hence,
Be left her to perform. Come, follow us,
We are to speak in publick; for this business
Will raise us all.

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

Paul.

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SCENE changes to a Prifon.

Enter Paulina, and a Gentleman.

TH

[Exeunt.

HE keeper of the prison, call to him:
[Exit Gentleman.

Let him have knowledge who I am. Good lady,
No court in Europe is too good for thee;
What doft thou then in prifon? now, good Sir,
You know me, do you not?

Re-enter Gentleman, with the Goaler.

Gea. For a worthy lady,

And one whom much I honour.

Paul. Pray you then,

Conduct me to the Queen.

GoA.

Goa. I may not, Madam;

To the contrary I have express commandment.

Paul. Here's ado to lock up honefty and honour from
Th' accefs of gentle vifitors! Is't lawful, pray you,
To fee her women? any of them? Emilia?
Goa. So please you, Madam,

To put a-part these your attendants,
Shall bring Emilia forth.

Paul. I pray you now, call her :
Withdraw yourselves.

Goa. And, Madam,

I must be present at your conference.
Paul. Well; be it fo, pr'ythee.

Enter Emilia.

I

[Exeunt Gent. &c.

Here's fuch ado to make no ftain a stain,
As paffes colouring. Dear gentlewoman,
How fares our gracious lady?

Emil. As well, as one fo great and fo forlorn
May hold together; On her frights and griefs,
(Which never tender lady hath borne greater,)
She is, fomething before her time, deliver'd.
Paul. A boy?

Emil. A daughter, and a goodly babe,
Lufty, and like to live: the Queen receives
Much comfort in't: fays, My poor prifoner,

I'm innocent as you.

Paul. I dare be fworn:

Thefe dangerous, unfafe lunes i'th' King! befhrew them, (7)

He must be told on't, and he fhall; the office
Becomes a woman beft. I'll take't upon me.
If I prove honey-mouth'd, let my tongue blifter;

-] I have

(7) Thefe dang'rous, unfafe Lunes 'th' King!no where, but in our Author, observ'd this Word adopted in our Tongue, to fignify, Frenzy, Lunacy. But it is a Mode of Expreffion with the French.Il y a de la lune (i. e. He has got the Moon in his Head; he is frantick.) Cotgrave. Lune. folie. Les femmes ont des lunes dans la tête, Richelet.

VOL. III.

M

And

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