THE WINTER'S TAL I' ACT I. SCENE I. A Palace. Enter Camillo, and Archidamus. ARCHIDAM U S. F you shall chance, Camillo, to vifit Bithynia, on the like occafion whereon my services are now on foot, you shall fee, as I have said, great difference betwixt our Bithynia and your Sicilia. Cam. I think, this coming fummer, the king of Sicilia means to pay Bithynia the visitation which he justly owes him. Arch. Wherein our entertainment fhall fhame us, we will be juftified in our loves; for, indeed. Cam. 'Befeech you Arch. Verily, I speak it in the freedom of my knowledge; we cannot with fuch magnificence — in so rare I know not what to say we will give you fleepy drinks, that your fenfes, unintelligent of our infufficience, may, though they cannot praise us, as little accufe us. Cam. You pay a great deal too dear, for what's given freely. Arch. Believe me, I speak as my understanding instructs me, and as mine honefty puts it to utterance. Cam. Sicilia cannot fhow himself over-kind to Bithynia; they were train'd together in their childhoods; and there rooted betwixt them them then fuch an affection, which cannot choose but branch now. Since their more mature dignities, and royal neceffities, made separation of their fociety, their encounters, though not personal, have been royally attornied with interchange of gifts, letters, loving embaffics, that they have feem'd to be together, though absent; fhook hands, as over a vaft fea; and embrac'd, as it the ends of opposed winds. The heav'ns continue their love! Arch. I think, there is not in the world either malice, or matter, to alter it. You have an unspeakable comfort of your young prince Mamillus: it is a gentleman of the greatest promise that ever came into my note. were, from Cam. I very well agree with you in the hopes of him: it is a gallant child; one that, indeed, phyficks the subject, makes old hearts fresh: they that went on crutches ere he was born defire yet their life to see him a man. Arch. Would they else be content to die? Cam. Yes, if there were no other excuse why they should defire to live. Arch. If the king had no fon, they would defire to live on crutches till he had one. [Exeunt. SCENE II. Enter Leontes, Hermione, Mamillus, Polixenes, Camillo, and Attendants. Pol. Nine changes of the watry star hath been Would be fill'd up, my brother, with our thanks, Go hence in debt: and therefore, like a cipher, Yet standing in rich place, I multiply With one we thank you, many thousands more That go before it. Leo. Stay your thanks a while, And pay them when you part. Pol. Pol. Sir, that's to-morrow : I'm question'd by my fears, of what may chance Leo. We are tougher, brother, Than you can put us to't. Pol. No longer stay. Leo. One fev'nnight longer. Pol. Very footh, to-morrow. Leo. We'll part the time between's then: and in that I'll no gainfaying. Pol. Prefs me not, 'befeech you! There is no tongue that moves, none, none i'th' world Do even drag me homeward; which to hinder, Leo. Tonguety'd our queen? fpeak you. Her. I had thought, fir, to have held my peace, until You had drawn oaths from him not to ftay: you, fir, Charge him too coldly. Tell him, you are fure, All in Bithynia's well: this fatisfaction The by-gone day proclaim'd; fay this to him, Leo. Well faid, Hermione. Her. To tell, he longs to fee his son, were strong; But let him fay fo then, and let him go; But let him fwear fo, and he fhall not stay, Yet of your royal presence I'll adventure VOL. II. [to Polixenes. Sff You You take my lord, I'll give you my commiffion What lady fhe her lord. You'll stay ? Pol. No, madam. Her. Nay, but you will. Pol. I may not, verily. You put me off with limber vows; but I, Though you would seek t’unsphere the stars with oaths, You fhall 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 gueft? fo you fhall pay your fees When you depart, and fave your thanks. How fay you ? My prifoner? or my gueft? by your dread verily, One of them you fhall be. Pol. Your gueft then, madam: To be your prisoner, should import offending; Which is for me lefs easy to commit, Than you to punish. Her. Not your jailer then, But your kind hoftefs: come, I'll question you Of my lord's tricks and yours, when you were boys: Pol. We were, fair queen, Two lads, that thought there was no more behind, And to be boy eternal. Her. Was not my lord the verier wag o'th' two? Pol. We were as twinn'd lambs, that did frifk i'th' fun, And bleat the one at th' other: what we chang'd, Was innocence for innocence; we knew not The doctrine of ill-doing, no, nor dream'd That That any did: had we purfu'd that life, And our weak spirits ne'er been higher rear'd With ftronger blood, we should have answer'd heaven Boldly, not guilty; th' impofition clear'd Hereditary ours. Her. By this we gather You have trip'd fince. Pol. O my moft facred lady, Temptations have fince then been born to's; for Her. O, grace to boot! Of this make no conclufion; left you fay, Leo. Is he won yet? Her. He'll ftay, my lord. Leo. At my request he would not: Hermione, my deareft, thou ne'er spok'ft To better purpose. I Her. Never? Leo. Never, but once. Her. What? have I twice faid well? when was't before? pry’thee, tell me; cram's with praise, and make's As fat as tame things: one good deed, dying tongueless, Or I mistake you: o, would her name were Grace! sff 2 But |