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Aut. I will prove fo, fir, to my power.

Clo. Ay, by any means prove a tall fellow: If I do not wonder, how thou dar'ft venture to be drunk, not being a tall fellow, truft me not.-Hark! the kings and the princes, our kindred, are going to fee the queen's picture. Come, follow us: we'll be thy good mafters. [Exeunt.

SCENE III.

Paulina's Houfe.

Enter Leontes, Polixenes, Florizel, Perdita, Camillo, Paulina, Lords, and Attendants.

Leo. O grave and good Paulina, the great comfort That I have had of thee!

Paul. What, fovereign fir,

I did not well, I meant well: All my services,
You have paid home: but that you have vouchsaf'd,
With your crown'd brother, and these your contracted
Heirs of your kingdoms, my poor house to visit;
It is a furplus of your grace, which never
My life may last to answer.

Leo. O Paulina,

We honour you with trouble: But we came
To see the statue of our queen: your gallery

Have we pafs'd through, not without much content
In many fingularities; but we saw not
That which my daughter came to look upon,
The ftatue of her mother.

Paul. As fhe liv'd peerless,

So her dead likeness, I do well believe,
Excels whatever yet you look'd upon,

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

To

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

Still fleep mock'd death: behold; and fay, 'tis well. [Paulina draws a curtain, and discovers a ftatue.

I like your filence, it the more fhews off

Your wonder: But yet speak ;-firft, you, my liege.
Comes it not fomething near?

Leo. Her natural posture !—

Chide me, dear ftone; that I may say, indeed,
Thou art Hermione: or, rather, thou art she,
In thy not chiding; for fhe was as tender,
As infancy, and grace.-But yet, Paulina,
Hermione was not fo much wrinkled; nothing
So aged, as this feems.

Pol. Oh, not by much.

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

Leo. As now fhe might have done,

So much to my good comfort, as it is

Now piercing to my foul. Oh, thus she stood,
Even with fuch life of majefty, (warm life,
As now it coldly ftands) when firft I woo'd her!
I am afham'd: Does not the ftone rebuke me,
For being more ftone than it ?-Oh, royal piece,
There's magick in thy majefty; which has
My evils conjur'd to remembrance; and
From thy admiring daughter took the fpirits,
Standing like ftone with thee!

Per. And give me leave;

And do not fay, 'tis fuperftition, that

I kneel, and then implore her bleffing.-Lady,
Dear queen, that ended when I but began,
Give me that hand of yours, to kifs.

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The statue is but newly fix'd, the colour's

Not dry.

Cam. My lord, your forrow was too fore laid on;
Which fixteen winters cannot blow away,

So many fummers, dry: fcarce any joy
Did ever fo long live; no forrow,
But kill'd itself much fooner.

Pol. Dear my brother,

power

Let him, that was the cause of this, have
To take off fo much grief from you, as he
Will piece up in himself.

Paul. Indeed, my lord,

If I had thought, the fight of my poor image
Would thus have wrought you, (for the stone is mine)
I'd not have fhew'd it.

Leo. Do not draw the curtain.

Paul. No longer fhall you gaze on't; left your fancy May think anon, it moves.

Leo. Let be, let be.

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. Mafterly done:

The very life seems warm upon her lip.

t

Leo. The fixure of her eye has motion in't,

So are we mock'd with art.

Paul. I'll draw the curtain;

My lord's almost so far transported, that

He'll think anon, it lives.

Leo. O fweet Paulina,

Make me to think fo twenty years together;

• already]-'tis on the point to move.

The fixure of her eye bas motion in't, fo are we]-The fix'd gaze of her eye hath all the appearance of tremulous motion imparted to it by the artist-As we are mock'd.

VOL. II.

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No fettled fenfes of the world can match

The pleasure of that madness. Let't alone.

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

Leo. 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 chizzel
Could ever yet cut breath? Let no man mock me,
For I will kifs her.

Paul. Good my lord, forbear:

The ruddinefs upon her lip is wet;

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

Per. So long could I

Stand by, a looker on.

Paul. Either forbear,

Quit presently the chapel; or refolve you
For more amazement: If you can behold it,
I'll make the ftatue move indeed; defcend,

And take you by the hand: but then you'll think,
(Which I protest against) I am assisted

By wicked powers.

Leo. What you can make her do,

I 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, thofe, that think it is unlawful business

I am about, let them depart.

Leo. Proceed;

No foot fhall ftir.

Paul. Mufick; awake her: ftrike.

[Mufick.

'Tis time; defcend; 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.

Start not; her actions fhall be holy, as,
You hear, my spell is lawful: do not shun her,
Until you fee her die again; for then

You kill her double: Nay, prefent your hand :

When she was young, you woo'd her; now, in age,
Is fhe become the fuitor.

Leo. Oh, fhe's warm!

If this be magick, let it be an art

Lawful as eating.

Pol. She embraces him.

Cam. She hangs about his neck;

If fhe pertain to life, let her fpeak too.

[Embracing ber.

Pol. Ay, and make't manifeft where she has liv'd, Or how ftol'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, the lives,

Though yet the speak not. Mark a little while.-
Please you to interpofe, fair madam; kneel,
And pray your mother's bleffing.-Turn, good lady;
Our Perdita is found.

[Presenting Perdita, who kneels to Hermione.

Her. You gods, look down,

And from your facred vials pour your graces

Upon my daughter's head !-Tell me, mine own,
Where haft 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

▪ look upon]—look on you.
X X 2

Gave

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