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under the hangman; which tho' it be great pity, yet it is neceffary. An old fheep-whistling rogue, a ram-tender, to offer to have his daughter come into grace! fome fay, he shall be fton'd; but that death is too foft for him, fay I draw our throne into a sheep-coat! all deaths are too few, the fharpest too eafie.

Clo. Has the old man e'er a fon, Sir, do you hear, an't like you, Sir?

Aut. He has a fon, who fhall be flay'd alive, then 'nointed over with honey, fet on the head of a wasp's neft, then stand 'till he be three quarters and a dram dead; then recover'd again with Aqua-vita, or fome other hot infufion; then, raw as he is, (and in the hot teft day prognoftication proclaims) fhall he be fet gainst a brick wall, the Sun looking with a fouthward eye upon him, where he is to behold him, with flies blown to death. But what talk we of these traitorly. rascals, whose miseries are to be smil'd at, their offences being fo capital? Tell me, (for you feem to be honeft plain men) what you have to the King; being fomething gently confider'd, I'll bring you where he is aboard, tender your perfons to his prefence, whisper him in your behalf, and if it be in man, befides the King to effect your fuits, here is a man fhall do it.

Clo. He feems to be of great authority; clofe with him, give him gold; and though authority be a ftubborn Bear, yet he is oft led by the nofe with gold; fhew the infide of your purfe to the outside of his hand, and no more ado. Remember, fton'd, and flay'd alive.

Shep. An't please you, Sir, to undertake the bufinefs for us, here is that gold I have; I'll make it as much more, and leave this young man in pawn 'till I bring it you.

Aut. After I have done what I promised?

Shep. Ay, Sir.

Aut. Well, give me the moiety. Are you a party in this business?

Clo. In fome fort, Sir; but tho' my cafe be a pitiful one, I hope, I shall not be flay'd out of it.

Aut.

Aut. Oh, that's the cafe of the fhepherd's fon; hang him, he'll be made an example.

Clo. Comfort, good comfort; we muft to the King, and fhew our ftrange fights; he must know, 'tis none of your daughter, nor my fifter; we are gone else. Sir, I will give you as much as this old man does, when the bufinefs is perform'd; and remain, as he fays, your Pawn till it be brought you.

Aut. I will truft you, walk before toward the fea-fide, go on the right hand; I will but look upon the hedge, and follow you.

Clo. We are blefs'd in this man, as I may fay, even blefs'd.

Shep. Let's before, as he bids us; he was provided to do us good. [Exeunt Shep. and Clown. Aut. If I had a mind to be honeft, I fee, Fortune would not fuffer me; fhe drops booties in my mouth. I am courted now with a double occafion: gold, and a means to do the Prince my mafter good; which, who knows how That may turn back to my advancement? I will bring these two moles, these blind ones, aboard him; if he think it fit to fhoar them again, and that the complaint they have to the King concerns him nothing, let him call me rogue, for being fo far officious; for I am proof against that Title, and what shame elfe belongs to't: to him will I prefent them, there may be matter in it.

[Exit

[blocks in formation]

ACT V.

SCENE changes to Sicilia.

Enter Leontes, Cleomines, Dion, Paulina, and Servants.

CLEOMINES.

IR, you have done enough, and have perform'd A faint-like forrow: no fault could you make, Which you have not redeem'd; indeed, paid down More penitence, than done trefpafs. At the laft, Do as the heavens have done, forget your evil; With them, forgive your self.

Leo. Whilft I remember

Her and her virtues, I cannot forget

My blemishes in them, and fo ftill think of

The wrong I did my felf; which was fo much,
That heir-lefs it hath made my Kingdom; and
Destroy'd the fweet'ft companion, that e'er man (16)
Bred his hopes out of.

Pau. True, too true, my

lord;

If one by one you wedded all the world,

Or, from the All that are, took fomething good,
To make a perfect woman; fhe, you kill'd,

Would be unparallel'd.

Leo. I think fo.

Kill'd?

Kill'd? fhe I kill'd? I did fo, but thou ftrik'ft me
Sorely, to fay I did; it is as bitter

(16) Deftroy'd the sweet'ft Companion, that e'er Man

Bred his hopes out of, true.

Pau. Too true, my Lord.] A very flight Examination will con vince ev'ry intelligent Reader, that, true, here has jump'd out of its place in all the Editions. What the King would fay, is abfolutely complete without it: and the placing it, where the printed Copies have done, is an Embarrassment to the Sense. Thefe two Reasons, I hope, will be fufficient to justify my Tranfpofition.

Upon

Upon thy tongue, as in my thought. Now, good now, Say fo but feldom.

Cleo. Not at all, good lady;

You might have spoke a thousand things, that would
Have done the time more benefit, and grac'd
Your kindness better.

Pau. You are one of those,
Would have him wed again.
Dio. If you would not fo,

You pity not the state, nor the remembrance
Of his moft fovereign name; confider little,
What dangers (by his highnefs' fail of iffue)
May drop upon his kingdom, and devour"
Incertain lookers on. What were more holy,
Than to rejoice, the former Queen is well?
What holier, than for royalty's repair,
For prefent comfort, and for future good,
To blefs the bed of Majefty again
With a fweet fellow to't?

Pau. There is none worthy,

Refpecting her that's gone; befides, the Gods
Will have fulfill'd their fecret purposes:

For has not the divine Apollo faid,

Is't not the tenour of his oracle,

That King Leontes fhall not have an heir,

'Till his loft child be found? which, that it fhall,
Is all as monstrous to our human reason,

As my Antigonus to break his grave,
And come again to me; who, on my life,
Did perish with the infant. "Tis your counsel,
My lord should to the heav'ns be contrary;
Oppose against their wills.-

Care not for iffue;

[To the King.

The crown will find an heir. Great Alexander

Left his to th' worthieft; fo his fucceffor

Was like to be the best.

Leo. Good Paulina,

Who haft the memory of Hermione,

I know, in honour: O, that ever I

Had fquar'd me to thy counfel! then, even now

I might have look'd upon my Queen's full eyes,
Have taken treasure from her lips!

Pau. And left them

More rich, for what they yielded.
Leo. Thou speak'ft truth:

No more fuch wives, therefore no wife; one worse,
And better us'd, would make her fainted spirit (17)
Again poffefs her corps; and on this stage,

(Where we offend her now) appear

And begin, Why to me?

Pau. Had fhe fuch power,

She had just cause.

foul

Leo. She had, and would incenfe me To murther her I married.

Pau. I fhould fo :

-vext,

Were I the ghoft that walk'd, I'd bid you mark
Her eye, and tell me, for what dull part in't

You chofe her; then I'd fhriek, that even your ears
Shoud'd rift to hear me, and the words that follow'd
Should be, Remember mine.

Leo. Stars, ftars,

And all eyes elfe, dead coals: fear thou no wife :
I'll have no wife, Paulina.

Pau. Will you fwear

Never to marry, but by my free leave?

Leo. Never, Paulina; fo be blefs'd my fpirit!
Pau. Then, good my lords, bear witness to his oath.
Cleo. You tempt him over-much.

Pau. Unless another,

As like Hermione as is her picture,

(17)

-would make her fainted Spirit

Again poffefs her Corps, and on this Stage
(Where we Offenders now appear) soul--vext,

And begin, &c.] 'Tis obvious, that the Grammar is defective; and the Senfe confequently wants fupporting. The flight Change, I have made, cures Both: and, furely, 'tis an Improvement to the Sentiment for the King to fay, that Paulina and He offended his dead Wife's Ghoft with the Subject of a fecond Match; rather than in general Terms to call themfelves Offenders, Sinners,

Affront

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