Camillo

Sicilia cannot show himself over-kind to Bohemia. They were trained together in their childhoods; and there rooted betwixt them then such an affection, which cannot choose but branch now. Since their more mature dignities, and royal necessities, made separation of their society, their encounters, though not personal, have been royally attorney'd, with interchange of gifts, letters, loving embassies, that they have seemed to be together, though absent, shook hands, as over a vast, and embraced, as it were, from the ends of opposed winds. The heavens continue their loves!

Polixenes.

Press me not, beseech you, so. There is no tongue that moves, none, none i' the world, [now, So soon as yours, could win me: so it should Were there necessity in your request, although 'Twere needful I denied it. My affairs Do even drag me homeward; which to hinder, Were in your love a whip to me, my stay To you a charge, and trouble: to save both, Farewell, our brother.

Leontes.
Tongue-tied, our queen? speak you.
Hermione.

I had thought, sir, to have held my peace,
until
You had drawn oaths from him, not to stay.
[You, sir,
Charge him too coldly: tell him, you are sure
All in Bohemia's well: this satisfaction
The by-gone day proclaim'd. Say this to him,
He's beat from his best ward.

351

Verily !

No, madam.

I may not, verily. Hermione.

You put me off with limber vows; but I, Though you would seek t' unsphere the stars with oaths,

Should yet say, "Sir, no going." Verily,
You shall not go: a lady's verily is
As potent as a lord's. Will you go yet?
Force me to keep you as a prisoner,

Not like a guest, so you shall pay your fees, When you depart, and save your thanks. How say you?

My prisoner, or my guest? by your dread verily, One of them you shall be.

Polixenes.

Your guest then, madam: To be your prisoner should import offending ; Which is for me less easy to commit, Than you to punish.

Hermione

Not your jailor then, But your kind hostess. Come, I'll question you Of my lord's tricks, and yours, when you were You were pretty lordings then. [boys;

Polixenes.

We were, fair queen, Two lads, that thought there was no more beBut such a day to-morrow as to-day, And to be boy eternal.

Hermione.

[hind,

Was not my lord the verier wag o' the two? Polixenes.

We were as twinn'd lambs, that did frisk I' the sun,

And bleat the one at th' other: what we chang'd,
Was innocence for innocence; we knew not
The doctrine of ill-doing, nor dream'd
That any did. Had we pursued that life,
And our weak spirits ne'er been higher rear'd
With stronger blood, we should have answer'd
heaven

Boldly, "not guilty;" the imposition clear'd,
Hereditary ours.

Hermione. By this we gather,

You have tripp'd since.

Polixenes.

Hermione.

Leontes. Is he won yet? Hermione.

Leontes.

He'll stay, my lord.

Never, but once.

Hermione. What? have I twice said well? when was't before? [make's I pr'ythee, tell me. Cram's with praise, and As fat as tame things: one good deed, dying tongueless,

Slaughters a thousand waiting upon that.
Our praises are our wages: you may ride 's
With one soft kiss a thousand furlongs, ere
With spur we heat an acre. But to the goal:-
My last good deed was to entreat his stay:
What was my first ? it has an elder sister,
Or I mistake you: O, would her name were
Grace!

But once before I spoke to the purpose: When?
Nay, let me have't; I long.

twice:

The one for ever earn'd a royal husband,
Th' other for some while a friend.
Giving her hand to Polirenes.
Leontes.

Aside
Too hot, too hot!
To mingle friendship far is mingling bloods.
I have tremor cordis on me:-my heart dances,
But not for joy,-not joy.-This entertainment
May a free face put on; derive a liberty
From heartiness, from bounty, fertile bosom,
And well become the agent: 't may, I grant;
But to be paddling palms, and pinching fingers,
As now they are; and making practis'd smiles,
As in a looking-glass;-and then to sigh, as
'twere

The mort o' the deer; O! that is entertainment My bosom likes not, nor my brows.-Mamillius, Art thou my boy?

Mamilifus. Ay, my good lord. Leontes.

l' fecks? Why, that's my bawcock. What! hast smutch'd thy nose ?

They say, it is a copy out of mine.
Come, captain,

We must be neat ; not neat, but cleanly, captain:
And yet the steer, the heifer, and the calf,
Are all call'd neat.-Still virginalling

[Observing Politenes and Hermione Upon his palm ?-How now, you wanton calf! Art thou my calf?

Mamillius.
Yes, if you will, my lord.
Leontes,

Thou want'st a rough pash, and the shoots that I have,

To be full like me :-yet, they say, we are

Almost as like as eggs: women say so,
That will say any thing: but were they false
As o'er-dyed blacks, as wind, as waters; false
As dice are to be wish'd, by one that fixes
No bourn 'twixt his and mine; yet were it true
To say this boy were like me.-Come, sir page,
Look on me with your welkin eye: sweet vil-
lain !
Most dear'st! my collop!-Can thy dam?-
[may't be
Thou dost make possible things not so held,
Affection? thy intention stabs the centre:
Communicat'st with dreams;-(how can this
And fellow'st nothing. Then, 'tis very credent,
With what's unreal thou coactive art, [be ?)-
Thou may'st co-join with something; and thou
dost;

(And that beyond commission ;) and I find it,
And that to the infection of my brains,
And hardening of my brows.

Polixenes.

Leontes.

No, in good earnest. How sometimes nature will betray its folly, Its tenderness, and make itself a pastime To harder bosoms! Looking on the lines Of my boy's face, my thoughts I did recoil Twenty-three years, and saw myself unbreech'd, In my green velvet coat; my dagger muzzled, Lest it should bite its master, and so prove, As ornaments oft do, too dangerous. How like, methought, I then was to this kernel, This squash, this gentleman. Mine honest Will you take eggs for money? [friend, Mamillius

No, my lord, I'll fight.

Inch-thick, knee-deep, o'er head and ears a fork'd one!

Go play, boy, play ;-thy mother plays, and I Play too, but so disgrac'd a part, whose issue Will hiss me to my grave: contempt and clamour Will be my knell.-Go play, boy, play. There have been,

arm

Or I am much deceiv'd, cuckolds ere now;
And many a man there is, (even at this present,
Now, while I speak this,) holds his wite by th'
[sence,
That little thinks she has been sluic'd in's ab-
And his pond fish'd by his next neighbour, by
Sir Smile, his neighbour. Nay, there's comfort
[open'd,
Whiles other men have gates, and those gates
As mine, against their will. Should all despair
That have revolted wives, the tenth of mankind
Would hang themselves. Physic for't there is
It is a bawdy planet, that will strike [none:
Where 'tis predominant; and 'tis powerful,

in't,

think it,

From east, west, north, and south: be it con-
No barricado for a belly: know it; [cluded,
It will let in and out the enemy,
With bag and baggage. Many a thousand on's
Have the disease, and feel't not.-How now,
boy?
Mamillius,

I am like you, they say.

Camillo.

Business, my lord? I think, most understand Bohemia stays here longer.

Leontes.

Ha?

Camillo.

Stays here longer.

Leontes.

Ay, but why?

Camillo.

To satisfy your highness, and the entreaties Of our most gracious mistress.

Leontes.

But that his negligence, his folly, fear,
Amongst the infinite doings of the world,
Sometime puts forth. In your affairs, my lord,
If ever I were wilful-negligent,

It was my folly; if industriously

I play'd the fool, it was my negligence,
Not weighing well the end; if ever fearful
To do a thing, where I the issue doubted,
Whereof the execution did cry out
Against the non-performance, 'twas a fear
Which oft infects the wisest. These, my lord,
Are such allow'd infirmities, that honesty
Is never free of: but, beseech your grace,
Be plainer with me: let me know my trespass
By its own visage; if I then deny it,
'Tis none of mine.

Leontes.

Have not you seen, Camillo, (But that's past doubt; you have, or your eyeglass

Is thicker than a cuckold's horn) or heard,
(For, to a vision so apparent, rumour
Cannot be mute) or thought, (for cogitation
Resides not in that man that does not think)
My wife is slippery? If thou wilt confess,
Or else be impudently negative,
[say,
To have nor eyes, nor ears, nor thought, then
My wife's a hobby-horse; deserves a name
As rank as any flax-wench, that puts to
Before her troth-plight: say't and justify't.
Camilo.

I would not be a stander-by, to hear
My sovereign mistress clouded so, without
My present vengeance taken. 'Shrew my heart,
You never spoke what did become you less
Than

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