Who, but to-day, hammer'd of this design;
But durft not tempt a minister of honour,
Left she should be deny'd.

Paul. Tell her, Emilia,

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

Emil. Now be you bleft for it!

I'll to the queen: please you, come fomething nearer. Keep. Madam, if't please the queen to fend the babe, I know not what I fhall incur to pass it,

Having no warrant.

Paul. You need not fear it, fir:

The child was prifoner to the womb; and is,
By law and process of great nature, thence
Freed and enfranchis'd: not a party to
The anger of the king; nor guilty of,
If any be, the trefpafs of the queen.
Keep. I do believe it.

Paul. Do not you fear: upon mine honour, I

Will stand 'twixt you and danger.

[Exeunt.

Enter Leontes, Antigonus, Lords, and other Attendants.

Leo. Nor night, nor day, no reft: It is but weakness To bear the matter thus; mere weakness, if The cause were not in being;-part o'the cause, She, the adultress ;-for the harlot king

Is quite beyond mine arm, out of the blank

i out of the blank and level of my brain,]-above the reach of all my attempts.

And

And level of my brain, plot-proof: but she
I can hook to me: Say, that he were gone,
Given to the fire, a moiety of my rest
Might come to me again.-Who's there?

Atten. My lord?

Enter an Attendant.

Leo. How does the boy?

Atten. He took good reft to-night: 'tis hop'd, His fickness is discharg❜d.

Leo. To fee his noblenefs!
Conceiving the difhonour 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 fpirit, his appetite, his fleep,
And down-right languifh'd.-Leave me folely: go,
[Exit Attendant.
See how he fares.-Fye, fye! no thought of him ;-
The very thought of my revenges that way
Recoil upon me: in himself too mighty;
In his parties, his alliances,-Let him be,
Until a time may ferve: for prefent vengeance,
Take it on her. Camillo and Polixenes

Laugh at me; make their paftime at my forrow:
They should not laugh, if I could reach them; nor
Shall fhe, within my power.

Enter Paulina, with a Child.

Lord. You must not enter.

Paul. Nay, rather, good my lords, be fecond to me:

Fear you his tyrannous paflion more, alas,

Than the queen's life? a gracious innocent foul;

More free, than he is jealous.

Ant. That's enough.

Atten. Madam, he hath not flept to-night; commanded None fhould come at him.

Paul. Not fo hot, good fir;

I come to bring him fleep. 'Tis fuch as you,-
That creep like fhadows by him, and do figh
At each his needlefs heavings,-fuch as you
Nourish the cause of his awaking: I

Do come with words as med'cinal as true;
Honest, as either; to purge him of that humour,
That preffes him from sleep.

Leo. What noise there, ho?

Paul. No noife, my lord; but needful conference, About fome goffips for your highness.

Away with that audacious lady: Antigonus,

I charg'd thee, that she should not come about me;
I knew, fhe would.

Ant. I told her fo, my lord,

On your displeasure's peril, and on mine,
She should not vifit you.

Leo. What, can'ft not rule her?

Paul. From all dishonesty, he can: in this, (Unless he take the course that you have done, Commit me, for committing honour) trust it, He fhall not rule me.

Ant. Lo you now; you hear!

When she will take the rein, I let her run;
But fhe'll not ftumble.

Paul. Good my liege, I come,-
And, I beseech you, hear me, who profefs

Myfelf your loyal fervant, your physician,
Your most obedient counsellor; yet that dares

k

Lefs appear fo, in comforting your evils,

k comforting your evils,]-by confirming you in the practice of evil, through a vicious complaifance.

Than

Than fuch as most seem yours :-I say, I come

From your good queen.

Leo. Good queen!

Paul. Good queen, my lord, good queen! I fay, good

queen;

And would by combat make her good, fo were I

A man, 'the worst about you.

Leo. Force her hence.

Paul. Let him, that makes but trifles of his eyes,
First hand me: on mine own accord, I'll off;
But, firft, I'll do my errand.-The good queen,
For fhe is good, hath brought you forth a daughter;
Here 'tis; commends it to your bleffing.

Leo. Out!

m

[Laying down the child.

A mankind witch! Hence with her, out o' door :

A most intelligencing bawd!

Paul. Not fo:

I am as ignorant in that, as you

In fo intitling me: and no lefs honest

Than you are mad; which is enough, I'll warrant,
As this world goes, to pass for honest.

Leo. Traitors!

Will you not push her out? give her the bastard:-
[To Antigonus.
Thou, dotard, thou art "woman-tyr'd, unroosted
By thy dame Partlet here,-take up the bastard;
Take't up, I fay; give't to thy crone.

Paul. For ever

P

Unvenerable be thy hands, if thou

Tak'ft up the princefs, by that forced baseness

1 the worst about you.]-although the weakest of your subjects. mankind]-mafculine.

nwoman-tyr'd,]-henpecked.

• Partlet]-The name of a hen. P crone.]-old wife. by that forced bafeness]-under that falfe appellation.

Q94

Which

Which he has put upon't!

Leo. He dreads his wife.

Paul. So, I would, you did; then, 'twere past all doubt, You'd call your children yours.

Leo. A neft of traitors!

Ant. I am none, by this good light.

Paul. Nor I; nor any,

But one, that's here; and that's himself: for he

The facred honour of himself, his queen's,

His hopeful fon's, his babe's, betrays to flander,

Whose fting is sharper than the fword's; and will not
(For, as the cafe now ftands, it is a curfe
He cannot be compell'd to't) once remove
The root of his opinion, which is rotten,
As ever oak, or ftone, was found.

Of boundless tongue; who late hath beat her husband, And now baits me !-This brat is none of mine;

It is the iffue of Polixenes:

Hence with it; and, together with the dam,

Commit it to the fire.

Paul. It is yours;

And, might we lay the old proverb to your charge,
So like you, 'tis the worse.-Behold, my lords,
Although the print be little, the whole matter

8

And copy of the father: eye, nofe, lip,

The trick of his frown, his forehead; nay, the vallies,

The pretty dimples of his chin, and cheek;

The very mould and frame of hand, nail, finger :-
And, thou, good goddess nature, which haft made it
So like to him that got it, if thou haft

A callat,]-A fcold.

The trick]-The ftriking resemblance.

"He hath a trick of Coeur-de-lion's face."

KING JOHN, A&I, S. 1. Eli.

The