Is not infected; but if one present
The abhorr'd ingredient to his eye, make known
How he hath drunk, he cracks his gorge, his sides,
With violent hefts.-I have drunk, and seen the
spider.

Camillo was his help in this, his pander.—
There is a plot against my life, my crown:
All's true that is mistrusted:-that false villain,
Whom I employ'd, was pre-employ'd by him.
He has discover'd my design, and I
Remain a pinch'd thing; yea, a very trick
For them to play at will.-How came the posterns
So easily open?

1 Lord.

By his great authority;

Which often hath no less prevail'd than so, On your command.

Leon.

I know 't too well.

Away with him; and let her sport herself

With that she's big with, for 'tis Polixenes
Has made thee swell thus.

Her.
But I'd say he had not,
And, I'll be sworn, you would believe my saying,
Howe'er you lean to the nayward.

Leon.

You, my lords, Look on her, mark her well; be but about To say, "she is a goodly lady," and The justice of your hearts will thereto add, ""Tis pity she's not honest, honourable :" Praise her but for this her without-door form, (Which, on my faith, deserves high speech,) and straight

The shrug, the hum, or ha-(these petty brands,
That calumny doth use,-O, I am out!-
That mercy does; for calumny will sear
Virtue itself)-these shrugs, these hums, and ha's,
When you have said "she's goodly," come between,
Ere you can say "she's honest." But be 't known,
From him that has most cause to grieve it should be,
She's an adult'ress.

Her.
Should a villain say so,
The most replenish'd villain in the world,
He were as much more villain: you, my lord,
Do but mistake.

Leon.
You have mistook, my lady,
Polixenes for Leontes. O, thou thing!
Which I'll not call a creature of thy place,
Lest barbarism, making me the precedent,
Should a like language use to all degrees,
And mannerly distinguishment leave out
Betwixt the prince and beggar!-I have said
She's an adult'ress; I have said with whom:
More, she's a traitor; and Camillo is
A federary with her, and one that knows
What she should shame to know herself,
But with her most vile principal, that she's
A bed-swerver, even as bad as those
That vulgars give bold'st titles; ay, and privy
To this their late escape.

Her.
No, by my life,
Privy to none of this. How will this grieve you,
When you shall come to clearer knowledge, that
You thus have publish'd me? Gentle my lord,
You scarce can right me throughly then, to say
You did mistake.

For every inch of woman in the world,

Ay, every dram of woman's flesh, is false,
If she be.

Leon. Hold your peaces!

1 Lord. Good my lord,— Ant. It is for you we speak, not for ourselves. You are abus'd, and by some putter-on, That will be damn'd for 't; would I knew the villain,

I would land-damn him. Be she honour-flaw'd,

I have three daughters; the eldest is eleven,
The second, and the third, nine, and some five;
If this prove true, they'll pay for't: by mine honour,
I'll geld them all fourteen they shall not see,
To bring false generations: they are co-heirs,
And I had rather glib myself, than they
Should not produce fair issue.

Leon.
Cease! no more.
You smell this business with a sense as cold
As is a dead man's nose; but I do see't, and feel't,
As you feel doing thus, and see withal
The instruments that feel.

Ant.
If it be so,
We need no grave to bury honesty :

1 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.

Leon. Why, what need we Commune with you of this, but rather follow Our forceful instigation? Our prerogative Calls not your counsels, but our natural goodness Imparts this; which, if you (or stupified, Or seeming so in skill) cannot, or will not, Relish a truth like us, inform yourselves, We need no more of your advice: the matter, The loss, the gain, the ordering on't, is all Properly ours.

Ant.

And I wish, my liege,

Either thou art most ignorant by age,
Or thou wert born a fool. Camillo's flight,

Added to their familiarity,

(Which was as gross as ever touch'd conjecture, That lack'd sight only, nought for approbation But only seeing, all other circumstances

Made up to the deed,) doth push on this proceeding: Yet, for a greater confirmation,

(For in an act of this importance 'twere

Most piteous to be wild,) I have despatch'd in post,
To sacred Delphos, to Apollo's temple,
Cleomenes and Dion, whom you know
Of stuff'd sufficiency. Now, from the oracle
They will bring all; whose spiritual counsel had,
Shall stop, or spur me. Have I done well?
1 Lord. Well done, my lord.

Leon. Though I am satisfied, and need no more
Than what I know, yet shall the oracle
Give rest to the minds of others; such as he,
Whose ignorant credulity will not

Come up to the truth. So have we thought it good,

From our free person she should be confin'd,
Lest that the treachery of the two fled hence
Be left her to perform. Come, follow us:
We are to speak in public; for this business
Will raise us all.

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

[Exeunt.

SCENE II.—The Same. The outer room of a Prison. Enter PAULINA and Attendants.

Paul. The keeper of the prison,-call to him: [Exit an Attendant. Let him have knowledge who I am.-Good lady! No court in Europe is too good for thee, What dost thou then in prison?-Now, good sir,

Re-enter Attendant, with the Jailor. You know me, do you not?

Jail.

And one whom much I honour.

Paul.

Conduct me to the queen.

He must be told on't, and he shall: the office
Becomes a woman best; I'll take't upon me.
If I prove honey-mouth'd, let my tongue blister,
And never to my red-look'd anger be
The trumpet any more.-Pray you, Emilia,
Commend my best obedience to the queen:
If she dares trust me with her little babe,
I'll show't the king, and undertake to be
Her advocate to the loud'st. We do not know
How he may soften at the sight o' the child:
The silence often of pure innocence
Persuades, when speaking fails.

For a worthy lady,

Pray you then,

(If any be) the trespass of the queen.

Jail. I may not, madam: to the contrary

I have express commandment.

Paul.

Here's ado,

Jail. I do believe it.

Conceiving the dishonour of his mother,
He straight declin'd, droop'd, took it deeply,
Fasten'd and fix'd the shame on't in himself,
Threw off his spirit, his appetite, his sleep,

To bear the matter thus, mere weakness. If
The cause were not in being-part o' the cause,
She, th' adult'ress; for the harlot king
Is quite beyond mine arm, out of the blank
And level of my brain, plot-ploof; but she
I can hook to me: say, that she were gone,
Given to the fire, a moiety of my rest
Might come to me again.-Who's there?
1 Atten.

Leon. How does the boy?
1 Atten.

go,

See how he fares. [Exit Attendant.]-Fie, fie! no thought of him :—

The very thought of my revenges that way
Recoil 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 sorrow:
They should not laugh, if I could reach them; nor
Shall she, within my power.

My lord. He took good rest to-night: 'Tis hop'd, his sickness is discharg'd. Leon.

To see his nobleness!

1 Atten. 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 sigh 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.

Leon. What noise there, ho? Paul. No noise, my lord; but needful conference About some gossips for your highness.

Leon.

How?

Away with that audacious lady. Antigonus,

I charg'd thee, 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.

Of tyranny, and will ignoble make you, Yea, scandalous to the world.

Leon.

On your allegiance, Out of the chamber with her. Were I a tyrant, Where were her life? she durst not call me so, If she 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 send her

A better guiding spirit!-What need these hands?-
You, that are thus so tender o'er his follies,
Will never do him good, not one of you.
So, so-farewell; we are gone.

[Erit.

Leon. Thou, traitor, hast set on thy wife to this. My child? away with't!—even thou, that hast A heart so tender o'er it, take it hence, And see it instantly consum'd with fire: Even thou, and none but thou. Take it up straight. Within this hour bring me word 'tis done, (And by good testimony,) or I'll seize thy life, With what thou else call'st thine. If thou refuse, And wilt encounter with my wrath, say so; The bastard-brains with these my proper hands Shall I dash out. Go, take it to the fire, For thou sett'st on thy wife. Ant. I did not, sir: These lords, my noble fellows, if they please, Can clear me in't.

Which, being so horrible, so bloody, must
Lead on to some foul issue. We all kneel.

Leon. I am a feather for each wind that blows.-
Shall I live on, to see this bastard kneel
And call me father? Better burn it now,
Than curse it then. But, be it; let it live :-
It shall not neither.-You, sir, come you hither;
[To ANTIGONUS.

You, that have been so tenderly officious
With lady Margery, your midwife, there,
To save this bastard's life,-for 'tis a bastard,
So sure as thy beard's grey,-what will you ad-

I'll pawn the little blood which I have left,
To save the innocent: any thing possible.
Leon. It shall be possible. Swear by this sword,
Thou wilt perform my bidding.
I will, my lord.

Ant.

Leon. Mark, and perform it, seest thou; for the fail

Of any point in't shall not only be

Death to thyself, but to thy lewd-tongued wife,
Whom for this time we pardon. We enjoin thee,
As thou art liegeman to us, that thou carry
This female bastard hence; and that thou bear it
To some remote and desert 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 soul's peril and thy body's torture,
That thou commend it strangely to some place,
Where chance may nurse, or end it. Take it up.

Ant. I swear to do this, though a present death Had been more merciful.-Come on, poor babe: Some powerful spirit instruct the kites and ravens, To be thy nurses! Wolves, and bears, they say, Casting their savageness aside, have done

1 Lord.

So please you, sir, their speed

Hath been beyond account.
Leon.
Twenty-three days
They have been absent: 'tis good speed, foretels,
The great Apollo suddenly will have
The truth of this appear. Prepare you, lords:
Summon a session, that we may arraign
Our most disloyal lady; for, as she hath
Been publicly accus'd, so shall she have
A just and open trial. While she lives,
My heart will be a burden to me. Leave me,
And think upon my bidding.

[Exeunt.