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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.

Give me the boy; I am glad you did not nurse him:
Though he does bear some signs of me, yet you

Have too much blood in him.

Her. What is this? sport?

Leon. Bear the boy hence, he shall not come about her; 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 pretty brands, That calumny doth use: -Ó, 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 it known,

From him that has most cause to grieve it should be,
She's an adultress.

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 adultress; I have said with whom:
More, she's a traitor; and Camillo is
A federary with her; and one that knows
What she would shame to know herself,
Butt with her most vile principal, that she's
A bed-swerver, even as bad as those
That vulgars give bold titles; ay, and privy
To this their late escape.

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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.

Leon. No, no; if I mistake

In those foundations which I build upon,
The centre is not big enough to bear

A school-boy's top.-Away with her to prison:
He, who shall speak for her, is afar off guilty,*
But that he speaks.+

Her. There's some ill planet reigns:
I must be patient, till the heavens look
With an aspéct more favourable.-Good my lords,
I am not prone to weeping, as our sex
Commonly are; the want of which vain dew,
Perchance, shall dry your pities: but I have
That honourable grief lodged here, which burns
Worse than tears drown: 'Beseech you all, my lords,
With thoughts so qualified as your charities

Shall best instruct you, measure me; and so

The king's will be perform'd!

Leon. Shall I be heard?

[To the Guards.

Her. Who is't, that goes with me ?-'Beseech your highness,

My women may be with me; for, you see,

My plight requires it. Do not weep, good fools;

There is no cause: when you shall know your mistress

Has deserved prison, then abound in tears,

As I come out: this action, I now go on,

Is for my better grace.-Adieu, my lord:
I never wish'd to see you sorry; now,

I trust, I shall.- -My women, come; you have leave.
Leon. Go, do our bidding; hence.

[Exeunt QUEEN and LADIES. 1 Lord. 'Beseech your highness, call the queen again. Ant. Be certain what you do, Sir; lest your justice Prove violence; in the which three great ones suffer, Yourself, your queen, your son.

1 Lord. For her, my lord,

I dare my life lay down, and will do't, Sir,

Please you to accept it, that the queen is spotless

I' the eyes of heaven, and to you; I mean,

In this which you accuse her.

Ant. If it prove.

She's otherwise, I'll keep my stables where

I lodge my wife; I'll go in couples with her;

Than when I feel, and see her, no further trust her;

For every inch of woman in the world,

Ay, every dram of woman's flesh, is false,

If she be.

* Remotely guilty.

+ In merely speaking.

Leon. Hold your peaces.

1 Lord. Good my lord,

Ant. It is for you we speak, not for ourselves:
You are abused, and by some putter-on,*

That will be damn'd for't; would I knew the villain,
I would land-damn himt: 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: I 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;
There's not a grain of it, the face to sweeten
Of the whole dungy earth.

Leon. What! lack I credit ?

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 blamed 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 as 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,

You had only in your silent judgment tried it,
Without more overture.

Leon. How could that be?

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

* Instigator.

+ Damn him from the land. Landam him; Gloucestershire word for rate soundly. (Halliwell.)

+ Proof.

(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 confined;
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 KEEPER.

You know me, do you not?

Keep. For a worthy lady,

And one whom much I honour.

Paul. Pray you, then,

Conduct me to the queen.

Keep. I may not, Madam; to the contrary I have express commandment.

Paul. Here's ado,

To lock up honesty and honour from

The access of gentle visitors!Is it lawful,
Pray you, to see her women? any of them?
Emilia ?

Keep. So please you, Madam, to put
Apart these your attendants, I shall bring
Emilia forth.

Paul. I pray now, call her.

Withdraw yourselves.

Keep. And, Madam,

I must be present at your conference.

*Of abilities more than sufficient.

[Exeunt Attend.

[Exit KEEPER.

Paul. Well, be it so, pr'ythee.
Here's such ado to make no stain a stain,
As passes colouring.

Re-enter KEEPER, with EMILIA.

Dear gentlewoman, how fares our gracious lady?
Emil. As well as one so great, and so forlorn,
May hold together: On her frights, and griefs
(Which never tender lady hath borne greater),
She is, something before her time, deliver❜d.
Paul. A boy?

Emil. A daughter; and a goodly babe,
Lusty, and like to live: the queen receives
Much comfort in't: says, My poor prisoner,
I am innocent as you.

Paul. I dare be sworn.

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These dangerous unsafe lunes* o' the king! beshrew them!
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 th' loudest: We do not know
How he may soften at the sight o' the child;
The silence often of pure innocence
Persuades, when speaking fails.

Emil. Most worthy Madam,

Your honour, and your goodness, is so evident,
That your free undertaking cannot miss

A thriving issue; there is no lady living,

So meet for this great errand: Please your ladyship

To visit the next room, I'll presently

Acquaint the queen of your most noble offer;
Who, but to-day, hammer'd of this design;
But durst not tempt a minister of honour,
Lest she should be denied.

Paul. Tell her, Emilia,

I'll use that tongue I have: if wit flow from it,
As boldness from my bosom, let it not be doubted
I shall do good.

Emil. Now be you bless'd for it!

I'll to the queen: Please you, come something nearer.
Keep. Madam, if't please the queen to send the babe,
I know not what I shall incur to pass it,

Having no warrant.

Paul. You need not fear it, Sir:

The child was prisoner to the womb; and is,

* Frenzies.

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