Excels whatever yet you look'd upon,

Or hand of man hath done; therefore I keep it
Lonely1, apart: But here it is: prepare

To see the life as lively mock'd, as ever

Still sleep mock'd death: behold; and say, 'tis well. [PAUL. undraws a Curtain and discovers a Statue. I like your silence, it the more shows off

Your wonder: But yet speak;-first, you, my liege,
Comes it not something near?
Leon.
Her natural posture !—
Chide me, dear stone; that I may say, indeed,
Thou art Hermione: or, rather, thou art she,
In thy not chiding; for she was as tender
As infancy and grace.-But yet, Paulina,
Hermione was not so much wrinkled, nothing
So aged, as this seems.

Pol.

O, not by much.

Paul. So much the more our carver's excellence; Which lets go by some sixteen years, and makes her As she liv'd now.

Leon.

As now she might have done, So much to my good comfort, as it is

Now piercing to my soul. O, thus she stood,
Even with such life of majesty (warm life,
As now it coldly stands), when first I woo'd her!
I am asham'd: Does not the stone rebuke me,
For being more stone than it?-O, royal piece,
There's magic in thy majesty; which has
My evils conjured to remembrance; and
From thy admiring daughter took the spirits,
Standing like stone with thee!

Per.

And give me leave; And do not say, 'tis superstition, that

I kneel, and then implore her blessing.-Lady,

Dear

queen, that ended when I but began, Give me that hand of yours, to kiss.

1 The old copy reads louely.

Paul.

O, patience;

The statue is but newly fix'd, the colour's
Not dry.

Cam. My lord, your sorrow was too sore laid on; Which sixteen winters cannot blow away,

So many summers, dry: scarce any joy

Did ever so long live; no sorrow,

But kill'd itself much sooner.

Pol.

Dear my brother,

Let him, that was the cause of this, have power To take off so much grief from you, as he

Will piece up in himself.

Paul.

If I had thought, the sight
Would thus have wrought
I'd not have show'd it3.

Leon.

Indeed, my lord,

of my poor image you (for the stone is mine),

Do not draw the curtain.

Paul. No longer shall you gaze on't; lest your

fancy

May think anon, it moves.

Let be, let be.

Leon. 'Would, I were dead, but that, methinks, already" What was he, that did make it?—See, my lord, Would you not deem, it breath'd? and that those veins Did verily bear blood?

Pol.

Masterly done: The very life seems warm upon her lip.

Leon. The fixture of her eye has motion in't5, As we are mock'd with art 6.

2 Worked, agitated.

3 The folio reads 'Il'd not have show'd it.' In the late edition of Malone's Shakspeare it stands, I'll not have show'd it.' But surely this is erroneous.

4 The sentence if completed would probably have been, 'but that, methinks, already I converse with the dead.'-His passion made him break off.

5 i. e. Though her eye be fixed, it seems to have motion in it. 6 As for as if. With has the force of by.

Paul.

I'll draw the curtain;

My lord's almost so far transported, that

He'll think anon it lives.

Leon.
O sweet Paulina,
Make me to think so twenty years together;
No settled senses of the world can match
The pleasure of that madness. Let't alone.

Paul. I am sorry, sir, I have thus far stirr'd you: but I could afflict you further.

Leon.

Do, Paulina;

For this affliction has a taste as sweet

As

any

cordial comfort. Still, methinks,

There is an air comes from her: What fine chisel Could ever yet cut breath? Let no man mock me, For I will kiss her.

Paul.

Good my lord, forbear:
The ruddiness upon her lip is wet;

You'll mar it, if you kiss it; stain your own
With oily painting: Shall I draw the curtain?
Leon. No, not these twenty years.

Per.

Stand by, a looker on.

So long could I

Either forbear,

Paul.
Quit presently the chapel; or resolve you
For more amazement: If you can behold it,
I'll make the statue move indeed; descend,
And take you by the hand; but then you'll think
(Which I protest against), I am assisted

By wicked

I

Leon.

powers.

What you can make her do,

am content to look on: what to speak, I am content to hear; for 'tis as easy

To make her speak, as move.

Paul.

It is requir'd,

You do awake your faith: Then, all stand still;
Or those, that think it is unlawful business

Leon.

No foot shall stir.

Paul.

Proceed;

Musick; awake her: strike.

[Musick.

'Tis time; descend; be stone no more: approach,
Strike all that look upon with marvel. Come:
I'll fill your grave up: stir; nay, come away;
Bequeath to death your numbness, for from him
Dear life redeems you. You perceive, she stirs :
[HERMIONE comes down from the Pedestal.
Start not: her actions shall be holy, as,
You hear, my spell is lawful: do not shun her,
Until you see her die again; for then

You kill her double: Nay, present your hand:
When she was young, you woo'd her; now, in age,
Is she become the suitor.

Leon.

If this be magick, let it be an art

Lawful as eating.

Pol.

O, she's warm! [Embracing her.

She embraces him.

Cam. She hangs about his neck;

If she pertain to life, let her speak too.

Pol. Ay, and make't manifest where she has liv'd, Or, how stol'n from the dead?

Paul. That she is living, Were it but told you, should be hooted at Like an old tale; but it appears, she lives, Though yet she speak not. Mark a little while.-Please you to interpose, fair madam; kneel, And pray your mother's blessing.-Turn, good lady; Our Perdita is found.

Her.

[Presenting PER. who kneels to HER.
You gods, look down,

And from your sacred vials pour your graces
Upon my daughter's head!-Tell me, mine own,
Where hast thou been preserv'd? where liv'd? how

found

Thy father's court? for thou shalt hear, that I,Knowing by Paulina, that the oracle

Gave hope, thou wast in being,-have preserv'd Myself to see the issue.

Paul.
There's time enough for that;
Lest they desire, upon this push to trouble
Your joys with like relation. Go together,
You precious winners7 all; your exultation
Partake to every one. I, an old turtle,

Will wing me to some wither'd bough: and there
My mate, that's never to be found again,
Lament till I am lost 9.

Leon.

O peace, Paulina; Thou should'st a husband take by my consent, As I by thine, a wife: this is a match,

And made between's by vows. Thou hast found mine; But how, is to be question'd: for I saw her,

As I thought, dead; and have in vain, said many prayer upon her grave: I'll not seek far

A

(For him, I partly know his mind), to find thee An honourable husband:-Come, Camillo,

And take her by the hand: whose 10 worth, and honesty,

Is11 richly noted; and here justified

By us, a pair of kings.-Let's from this place.—

7 You who by this discovery have gained what you desired. 8 i. e. participate.

9 Thus in Lodge's Rosalynde, 1592:

'A turtle sat upon a leavelesse tree,
Mourning her absent pheere
With sad and sorry cheere:
And whilst her plumes she rents,

And for her love laments,' &c,

10 Whose relates to Camillo, though Paulina is the immediate antecedent. I have observed, in the loose construction of ancient phraseology, whose often used in this manner, where his would be more proper.

"It is erroneously printed for is here in the late Variorum Shakspeare.