"land-fervice.to fee how the bear tore out his "fhoulder-bone, how he cry'd to me for help, and "faid, his name was Antigonus, a nobleman. But to "make an end of the thip, to fee how the fea flapdragon'd it. But firft, how the But firft, how the poor fouls roar'd, " and the fea mock'd them. And how the poor gen"tleman roar'd, and the bear mock'd him; both roaring louder than the fea, or weather.

66

Shep. Name of mercy, when was this, boy?

Clo. Now, now, I have not wink'd fince I faw thefe fights; the men are not yet cold under water, nor the bear half din'd on the gentleman; he's at it now.

Shep. 'Would, I had been by to have help'd the old man.

Clo. I would, you had been by the fhip-fide, to have help'd her; there your charity would have lack'd footing. [Afide.

Shep. Heavy matters, heavy matters! but look thee here, boy. Now blefs thyfelf; thou meet'ft with things dying, I with things new born. Here's a fight for thee; look thee, a bearing-cloth for a fquire's child! look thee here; take up, take up, boy, open't; fo, let's fee: it was told me, I fhould be rich by the fairies. This is fome changling: open't; what's within, boy?

Clo. You're a mad old man; if the fins of your youth are forgiven you, you're well to live. Gold! all gold!

Shep. This is fairy gold, boy, and will prove fo. Up with it, keep it clofe: home, home, the next way. We are lucky, boy; and to be fo ftill, requires nothing but fecrefie. Let my fheep go: come, good boy, the next way home,

Clo. Go you the next way with your findings, I'l go fee if the Bear be gone from the gentleman; and how much he hath eaten they are never curit but when they are hungry if there be any of him left, I'll bury it.

Y 4

Shep.

Shep. That's a good deed

If thou may'st discern by that which is left of him, what he is, fetch me to th' fight of him.

Clo. Marry, will I; and you fhall help to put him i'th' ground.

Shep. 'Tis a lucky day, boy, and we'll do good deeds on't.

Enter Time, as Chorus.

[Exeunt

Time. I, that please fome, try all, both joy and

terror

Of good and bad, that make and unfold error;
Now take upon me, in the name of Time,
To ufe my wings. Impute it not a crime
To me, or my fwift paffage, that I flide
O'er fixteen years, 7 and leave the gulf untry'd
Of that wide gap; fince it is in my power
To o'erthrow law, and in one self-born hour
To plant and o'erwhelm cuftom. Let me pafs
The fame I am, ere ancient'ft order was,
Or what is now receiv'd. I witnefs to

The times, that brought them in; fo fhall I do
To th' fresheft things now reigning, and make stale
The gliftering of this prefent, as my tale
Now feems to it: your patience this allowing,
I turn my glass; and give my scene fuch growing,
As you had flept between. Leontes leaving
Th' effects of his fond jealoufies, fo grieving
That he fhuts up himfelf; imagine me,
Gentle fpectators, that I now may be

7

and leave the GROWTH untry'd

Of that wide gap-] The growth of what? The reading is nonienfe. Shakespear wrote

and leave the GULF untry'd, i. e. unwaded thro'. By this means, too, the uniformity of the metaphor is reflored. All the terms of the fentence, relating to a Gulf; as fwift passage,fide over ·untry'dwide gap.

In

In fair Bobemia; and remember well,

IT

I mention here a fon o'th' King's whom Florizel
I now name to you; and with fpeed fo pace.
To fpeak of Perdita, now grown in grace.
Equal with wondring. What of her enfues,
I lift not prophefie. But let Time's news

Be known, when 'tis brought forth. A fhepherd's daughter,

And what to her adheres, which follows after,
Is th' argument of time; of this allow,
If ever you have spent time worse ere now:
If never, yet that Time himself doth fay,
He wishes earnestly, you never may.

[Exit.

ACT IV. SCENE I.

The Court of Bohemia.

Enter Polixenes and Camillo.

POLIXEN ES.

Pray thee, good Camillo, be no more importunate; 'tis a fickness denying thee any thing, a death to

grant this.

Cam. It is fifteen years fince I faw my country; though I have for the most part been aired abroad, I defire to lay my bones there. Befides, the penitent King, my mafter, hath fent for me; to whofe feeling forrows I might be fome allay, or I o'erween to think fo, which is another fpur to my departure.

Pol. As thou lov'ft me, Camillo, wipe not out the reft of thy fervices by leaving me now; the need I have of thee, thine own goodness hath made: better

not

not to have had thee, than thus to want thee. Thou having made me bufineffes, which none, without thee, can fufficiently manage, muft either ftay to execute them thy felf, or take away with thee the very services thou haft done; which if I have not enough confider'd, (as too much I cannot,) to be more thankful to thee fhall be my ftudy; and my profit therein, the reaping friendships. Of that fatal country Sicilia, pr'ythee, fpeak no more; whofe very naming punifhes me with the remembrance of that penitent, as thou call'ft him, and reconciled King my brother, whofe lofs of his most precious Queen and children are even now to be afresh lamented. Say to me, when faw'st thou the Prince Florizel my fon? Kings are no lefs unhappy, their iffue not being gracious, than they are in lofing them, when they have approved their virtues.

Cam. Sir, it is three days fince I faw the Prince; what his happier affairs may be, are to me unknown: 2 but I have (miffing him) noted, he is of late much retired from court, and is lefs frequent to his princely exercises than formerly he hath appear'd.

Pol. I have confider'd fo much, Camillo, and with fome care fo far, that I have eyes under my fervice, which look upon his removednefs; from whom I

I and my profit therein, the HEAPING friendships.] This is nonfenfe. We should read, REAPING friendships. The King had faid his ftudy fhould be to reward his friend's deferts; and then concludes, that his profit in this study fhould be reaping the fruits of his friend's attachment to him; which refers to what he had before faid of the neceffity of Camillo's ftay, or otherwife he could not reap the fruit of those bufineffes, which Camillo had

cut out.

2 but I have (MISSINGLY) noted,] We should read, but I have (MISSING HIM) noted. This accounts for the reafon of his taking note, because he often miffed him, that is, wanted his agreeable company. For a compliment is intended; and, in that fenfe, it is to be understood. The Oxford Editor reads, mufingly noted.

have this intelligence, that he is feldom from the house of a moft homely fhepherd; a man, they fay, that from very nothing, and beyond the imagination of his neighbours, is grown into an unspeakable estate.

Cam. I have heard, Sir, of fuch a man, who hath a daughter of moft rare note; the report of her is extended more than can be thought to begin from fuch

a cottage.

Pol. That's likewise a part of my intelligence; but, I fear, the Angle that plucks our fon thither. Thou fhalt accompany us to the place, where we will (not appearing what we are) have fome question with the fhepherd; from whofe fimplicity, I think it not uneafie to get the cause of my fon's refort thither. Pr'ythee, be my prefent partner in this bufinefs, and lay afide the thoughts of Sicilia.

Cam. I willingly obey your command.
Pol. My best Camillo

we muft difsguise ourselves,

SCENE

Changes to the Country.

Enter Autolicus finging.

WHEN daffadils begin to peere,

II.

[Exeunt.

With, beigh! the doxy over the dale,

3 Why, then come in the fweet o'th' year;
'Fore the red blood reins-in the winter pale.

3 Why, then COMES in the fweet o' th' year;

For the red blood REIGNS in the WINTER's pale.] I think this nonfenfe should be read thus,

Why, then COME in the fweet o'th' year;

'FORE the red blood REINS-in the winter pale,

i. e. Why then come in, or let us enjoy, pleafure, while the feafon ferves, before pale winter reins-in the red or youthful blood; as much as to fay, let us enjoy life in youth, before old age comes and freezes up the blood.

The