The by-gone day proclaimed; say this to him, Leon. Well said, Hermione. Her. To tell he longs to see his son, were strong: But let him say so then, and let him go; But let him swear so, and he shall not stay; We'll thwack him hence with distaffs. Yet of your royal presence [To POL.] I'll adventure Pol. Her. Nay, but you will? Pol. Her. Verily! No, madam. You put me off with limber vows; but I, Though you would seek to unsphere the stars with oaths, Should yet say, Sir, no going. Verily, Force me to keep you as a prisoner, Not like a guest: so you shall pay your fees, When you depart, and save your thanks. How say you? My prisoner, or my guest? By your dread verily, Pol. Your guest, then, madam : To be your prisoner, should import offending; Than you to punish. Her. Not your jailer, then, 1 To let had for its synonymes to stay or stop; to let him there, is to stay him there. Gests were scrolls in which were marked the stages or places of rest in a progress or journey, especially a royal one. 2 i. e. indeed, in very deed, in troth. Good deed is used in the same sense by the earl of Surrey, sir John Hayward, and Gascoigne. Of But your kind hostess. Come, I'll question you lord's tricks, and yours, when you were boys; You were pretty lordings then. my Pol. We were, fair queen, Two lads that thought there was no more behind, But such a day to-morrow as to-day, And to be boy eternal. Her. Was not my lord the verier wag o' the two? Pol. We were as twinned lambs, that did frisk i'the sun, And bleat the one at the other. What we changed, Was innocence for innocence; we knew not The doctrine of ill doing, nor dreamed That any did. Had we pursued that life, Hereditary ours. Her. By this we gather, You have tripped since. Pol. O, my most sacred lady, Her. Grace to boot! 2 Of this make no conclusion; lest you say, If Your queen and I are devils. Yet, go on; Leon. Her. He'll stay, my Leon. Is he won yet? Hermione, my dearest, thou never spok'st To better purpose. 1 i. e. setting aside the original sin, bating the imposition from the offence of our first parents, we might have boldly protested our innocence. 2 "Grace to boot; " an exclamation equivalent to give us grace. Her. Leon. Never? Never, but once. Her. What? have I twice said well? When was't before? I pr'ythee, tell me. Cram us with praise, and make us Our praises are our wages: you may ride us, What was my first? It has an elder sister, Or I mistake you. O, would her name were Grace! But once before I spoke to the purpose. When? Nay, let me have't; I long. Leon. And clap1 thyself my love; then didst thou utter, Her. It is grace, indeed.— Why, lo you now, I have spoke to the purpose twice. The one forever earned a royal husband; The other, for some while, a friend. [Giving her hand to POLIXENES. Leon. Too hot, too hot. [Aside. To mingle friendship far, is mingling bloods. I have tremor cordis on me ;-my heart dances; But not for joy,-not joy.-This entertainment May a free face put on; derive a liberty From heartiness, from bounty, fertile bosom,2 And well become the agent. It may, I grant: But to be paddling palms, and pinching fingers, 1 At entering into any contract, or plighting of troth, this clapping of hands together set the seal. Numerous instances of allusion to the custom have been adduced by the editors; one shall suffice, from the old play of Ram Alley: "Come, clap hands, a match." The custom is not yet disused in common life. 2 "from bounty, fertile bosom." Malone thinks that a letter has been omitted, and that we should read— As now they are; and making practised smiles, Mam. Leon. Ay, my good lord. 2 I'fecks? Why, that's my bawcock. What, hast smutched thy nose? They say, it's a copy out of mine. Come, captain, 3 Are all called neat.-Still virginalling 3 [Observing POLIXENES and HERMIONE. Upon his palm?-How now, you wanton calf? Art thou my calf? Mam. Yes, if you will, my lord. Leon. Thou want'st a rough pash, and the shoots that I have,* To be full like me yet, they say, we are 6 No bourn 'twixt his and mine; yet were it true 1 i. e. the death of the deer. The mort was also certain notes played on the horn at the death of the deer. 2 "Bawcock." A burlesque word of endearment supposed to be derived from beau-coq, or boy-cock. It occurs again in Twelfth Night, and in King Henry V., and in both places is coupled with chuck or chick. It is said that bra'cock is still used in Scotland. 3 Still playing with her fingers as a girl playing on the virginals. Virginals were stringed instruments played with keys like a spinnet, which they resembled in all respects but in shape, spinnets being nearly triangular, and virginals of an oblong square shape like a small piano-forte. 4 Thou wantest a rough head, and the budding horns that I have. A pash in some places denoting a young bull calf whose horns are springing; a mad pash, a mad-brained boy. 5 i. e. entirely. 6 i. e. old, faded stuffs, of other colors, dyed black. 7 Welkin is blue; i. e. the color of the welkin or sky. Most dearest! my collop!'-can thy dam?—May't be? Affection! thy intention stabs the centre;2 Thou dost make possible, things not so held; And fellow'st nothing. Then, 'tis very credent,3 And hardening of my brows. Pol. What means Sicilia? How, my lord? Her. He something seems unsettled. What cheer? How is't with you, best brother? As if you held a brow of much distraction. You look Leon. As ornaments oft do, too dangerous. How like, methought, I then was to this kernel, Mam. No, my lord, I'll fight. 1 In King Henry VI. Part I. we have— "God knows thou art a collop of my flesh." 2 Affection here means imagination. Intention is earnest consideration, eager attention. It is this vehemence of mind which affects Leontes, by making him conjure up unreal causes of disquiet; and thus, in the Poet's language, "stabs him to the centre." 3 Credent, credible. 4 i. e. an immature pea-pod. 5 "Will you take eggs for money?" A proverbial phrase for "Will you suffer yourself to be cajoled or imposed upon?" |