But this moft cruel ufage of your Queen (Not able to produce more accufation

Than your own weak-hing'd fancy) fomething favours
Of tyranny; and will ignoble make you,
Yea, fcandalous to the world.

Lea. On your allegiance,

Out of the chamber with her. Were I a tyrant,
Where were her life? fhe durft not call me so,
If the did know me one. Away with her.

Paul. I pray you, do not push me, I'll be gone.
Look to your babe, my lord, 'tis yours; Jove fend her
A better guiding fpirit! What need thefe hands?
You, that are thus fo tender o'er his follies,

Will never do him good, not one of you.
So, fo: farewel, we are gone.

[Exit

Leo. Thou, traitor, haft fet on thy wife to this. My child? away with't. Even thou, thou that haft 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 feize 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 dafh out: go take it to the fire,
For thou fett'ft on thy wife.

Ant. I did not, Sir:

Thefe lords, my noble fellows, if they pleafe,
Can clear me in't.

Lord. We can; my royal Liege,

He is not guilty of her coming hither:

Leo. You're liars all.

Lords. Befeech your Highness, give us better credit. We've always truly ferv'd you, and befeech you

So to efteem 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, muft

Lead on to fome foul iffure. We all kneel

Leo. I am a feather for each wind that blows: Shall I live on, to fee this baftard 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 fo tenderly officious

With lady Margery, your midwife there,

[To Antigonus.

To fave this baltard's life; (for 'tis a baftard,

So fure as this beard's grey) what will you adventure To fave this brat's life?

Ant. Any thing, my Lord,

That my ability may undergo,.

And nobleness.impofe: at least, thus much;
I'll pawn the little blood which I have left,
To fave the innocent; any thing poffible.

Leo. It fhall be poffible; fwear by this sword,
Thou wilt perform my bidding.

Ant. I will, my Lord.

Leo. Mark and perform it; feeft thou? for the fail Of any point in't fhall not only be

Death to thyself, but to thy lewd-tongu'd wife,
Whom for this time we pardon. We enjoyn thee,
As thou art liege-man to us, that thou carry
This female bastard hence, and that thou bear it
To fome remote and defart 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 strange 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 ftrangely to fome place,
Where chance may nurse, or end it. Take it up.
Ant. I fwear to do this: tho' a prefent death
Had been more merciful. Come on, poor babe ;
Some powerful fpirit inftruct the kites and ravens
To be thy nurses! Wolves and bears, they fay,
Cafting their favagenefs afide) have done
Like offices of pity. Sir, be profperous
In more than this deed does require; and bleffing,

Against

[Exit, with the Child.

Against this cruelty, fight on thy fide!
Poor thing, condemn'd to lofs.
Leo. No; I'll not rear

Another's iffue.

Enter a Messenger.

Mef. Please your Highness, posts,

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 difloyal Lady; for as fhe hath
Been publickly accus'd, fo fhall fhe have
A juft and open tryal. While fhe lives,
My heart will be a burthen to me.
And think upon my bidding.

Leave me,

[Exeunt feverally.

A C T III.

SCENE, A Part of Sicily, near the Sea-fide.

Enter Cleomines and Dion.

CLEO MINES.

"HE climate's delicate, the air most sweet,

T Fertile the ifle, the temple much furpaffing

The common praise it bears.

Dion. I fhall report,

For most it caught me, the celeftial habits,

M 5

(Me

(Methinks, I fo fhould term them,) and the reverence O, the facrifice

Of the grave wearers.

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 fo!)
As it hath been to us, rare, pleafant, speedy,
The time is worth the ufe on't.

Cleo. Great Apollo,

Turn all to th' beft! these 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 rufh to knowledge. Go; fresh horfes: And gracious be the iffue!

[Exeunt.

SCENE represents a Court of Justice.

Leontes, Lords and Officers, appear properly feated.

Leo. TH

HIS feffion, (to our great grief, we pro-
nounce,)

Ev'n pushes 'gainft 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 fo openly
Proceed in juftice, which fhall have due course,
Even to the guilt, or the purgation.

Produce the prifoner.

Offi. It is his Highness' pleasure, that the Queen Appear in perfon here in court. Silence!

Hermione

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

Leo. Read the indictment.

Offi. Hermione, Queen to the worthy Leontes, King of Sicilia, thou art here accufed and arraigned of high treafon, in committing adultery avith Polixenes, King of Bohemia, and confpiring with Camillo to take away the life of our fovereign bord the King, thy royal husband; the pretence whereof being by circumflances partly laid apen, thou, Hermione, contrary to the faith and allegiance of a true fubject, didft counsel and aid them, for their better fafety, to fly away by night.

Her. Since what I am to say, must be but That Which contradicts my accufation; and

The teftimony on my part, no other

But what comes from myfelf; it shall scarce boot me

To fay, Not guilty: mine integrity,

Being counted falfhood, fhall, as I express it,
Be fo receiv'd. But thus, if powers divine
Behold our human actions, as they do,

I doubt not then, but innocence shall make
Falfe accufation blush, and tyranny

Tremble at patience.

-

patience. You, my Lord, beft know,
Who leaft will feem to do fo, my past life
Hath been as continent, as chafte, as true,
As I am now unhappy; which is more
Than hiftory can pattern, tho' devis❜d,
And play'd, to take fpectators. For behold me
A fellow of the royal bed, which owe

A moiety of the throne, a great King's daughter,
The mother to a hopeful Prince, here standing
To prate and talk for life and honour, 'fore
Who please to come and hear. For life, I prize it
As I weigh grief which I would spare: for honour,
'Tis a derivative from me to mine,

And only That Iftand for. I appeal
To your own conscience, Sir, before Polixenes
Came to your court, how I was in your grace,
How merited to be fo; fince he came,