And never to my red-look'd anger

be
The trumpet any more! Pray you, Emilia,
Commend my

beft obedience to the Queen,
If the dares trust me with her little babe,
I'll shew't the King, and undertake to be
Her advocate to th' loud'ft. We do not know,
How he

may soften at the fight o'th' child : The filence 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
A thriving issue : there is no lady living
So meet for this great errand. Please your ladyship
To visit the next room, I'll prefently
Acquaint the Queen of your moft noble offer,
Who but to day hammer'd of this design;
But durst not tempt a minifter of honour,
Left she fhould be deny'd.

Paul. Tell her, Emilia,
I'll use that tongue I have; if wit flow from't,
As boldness from my bofom, let't not be doubted
I shall do good.

Emil. Now be you bleft for it!
I'll to the Queen : please you, come fomething nearer.

Goa. 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 ;
The child was prisoner to the womb, and is
By law and process of great nature thence
Free'd and enfranchis'd; not a party to
The anger of the King, nor guilty of,
If any be, the trespals of the Queen.

Goa. I do believe it.

Paul. Do not you fear; upon mine honour, I Will Atand 'twixt you and danger.

[Exeunt.

NOR

SCENE changes to the Palace.
Enter Leontes, Antigonus, Lords and other Antendants.
Leo. TOR night, nor day, no reft; it is but

weakness
To bear the matter thus ; meer weakness, if
The cause were not in being; part o'th' cause,
She, the adultress; for the Harlot-King
Is quite beyond mine arm; out of the blank
And level of my brain ; plot-proof ; but the
I can hook to me : say, that the were gone,
Given to the fire, a moiety of my

rest Might come to me again. Who's there?

Enter an Attendant.
Atten. My Lord.
Leo. How do's the boy?

Atten. He took good reft to night ; 'tis hop'd,
His fickness is discharg'd.

Leo. To see his nobleness!
Conceiving the dishonour of his mother,
He straight declin'd, droop'd, took it deeply ;
Faltend, and fix'd the fhame on't in himself;
Threw off his spirit, his appetite, his sleep,
And down-right languifhd. Leave me folely; go,

[Exit Attendants
See how he fares.Fie, fie, no thought of him ;-
The very thought of my revenges that way
Recoyl upon me; in himself too mighty,
And in his parties, his alliance ; let him be,
Until a time may serve. For present vengeance,
Take it on her. Camillo and Polixenes
Laugh at me; make their pastime at my forrow;
They should not laugh, if I could reach them ; ror
Shalí the, within my power.

Enter Paulina, with a Child.
Lord. You must not enter.
Paul. Nay rather, good my lords, be second to me:
Fear you his tyrannous paflion more, alas,
Than the Queen's life? a gracious innocent foul,
More free than he is jealous.

Ant. That's enough.
Atten. [within] Madam, he hath not slept to night;

commanded, None should come at him.

Paul. Not so hot, good Sir ;
I come to bring him sleep. 'Tis such as you,
That creep like shadows by him, and do figh
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.

Leo. What noise there, ho?

Paul. No noise, my Lord, but needful conference, About some goslips for your Highness.

Leo. How?
Away with that audacious lady. - Antigonus,
I charg'd tree, that she should not come about me ;
I knew, she would.

Ant. I told her so, my Lord,
On your displeasure's peril and on mine,
She should not visit you.

Leo. What I can'tt not rule her?

Paul. From all dishonesty he can ; in this,
(Unless he take the course that you have done,
Commit me, for committing honour,) trust it,
He shall not rule me.

Ant. Lo-you now, you hear,
When the will take the rein, I let her run,
But she'll not stumble.

Paul. Good my Liege, I come
And I beseech you, hear me, who profess
Myself your loyal servant, your physician,

You

Your most obedient counsellor : yet that dares
Less appear so, in comforting your evils,
Than such as most teems yours. I say, I come
From your good Queen.

Leo. Good Queen ?

Paul. Good Queen, my Lord,
Good Queen, I tay, good Queen ;
And would by combat make her good, fo were I
A man, the worst about you.

Leo. Force her hence.

Paul. Let him, that makes but trifles of his eyes, Firft hand me : on mine own accord, I'll off ; But first, I'll do my errand. The good Queen, For she is good, hath brought you forth a daughter, Here 'tis ; commends it to your blessing.

[Laying down the Child.
Leo. Out!
A mankind witch ! hence with her, out o' door :
A most intelligencing bawd!

Paul. Not so z
I am as ignorant in That, as you
In so intit’ling me; and no less honest,
Than you are mad; which is enough, I'll warrant,
As this world goes, to pass for honeft.

Leo. Traitors!
Will you not push her out? give her the bastard.

[To Antigonus.
Thou dotard, thou art woman-tyr'd; unroosted
By thy dame Partlet here. Take up the bastard,
Take't up, I say; give't to thy croan.

Paul. For ever
Unvenerable be thy hands, if thou
Take'st up the Princess, by that forced baseness
Which he has put upon't!

Leo. He dreads his wife.

Paul. So, I would, you did : then 'twere past all doubt, You'd call

your
children

yours.
Leo. A neft of traytors !
Ant. I am none, by this good light.
Paul. Nor I ; nor any.

But

M 3

But one, that's here ; and that's himself. For he
The sacred honour of himself, his Queen's,
His hopeful-fon's, his babe's, betrays to slander,
Whose fting is sharper than the sword's; and will not
(For as the case now stands, it is a curse
He cannot be compellid to't) once remove
The root of his opinion, which is rotten,
As ever oak or stone was found.

Leo. A callat
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.

Paul. It is yours ;
And, might we lay th old proverb to your charge,
So like you, 'tis the worse. Behold, my lords,
Altho' 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 fmiles,
The very mould and frame of hand, nail, finger.
And thou, good Goddess Nature, which haft made it
So like to him that got it, if thou hast
The ordering of the mind too, 'mongst all colours
No yellow in't; left the suspect, as he does,
Her children not her husband's.

Leo. A grofs hag!
And, lozel, thou art worthy to be hangød,
That wilt not stay her tongue.

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

Leo. Once more, take her hence.

Paul. A most unworthy and unnatural lord Can do no more.

Leo. I'll ha' thee burnt.

Paul. I care not ; It is an heretick that makes the fire, Not the which burns in't. I'll not call you tyrant,

But