Turn all to the best! These proclamations,
So forcing faults upon Hermione,

I little like.

Dion.

The violent carriage of it

Will clear, or end, the business: When the oracle, (Thus by Apollo's great divine seal'd up,)

Shall the contents discover, something rare,
Even then will rush to knowledge.

horses;

And gracious be the issue!

SCENE II.

The same. A Court of Justice.

-Go,-fresh

[Exeunt.

LEONTES, Lords, and Officers, appear properly seated.

Leon. This sessions (to our great grief, we pro

nounce,)

Even pushes 'gainst our heart: The party tried,
The daughter of a king; our wife; and one
Of us too much belov'd.-Let us be clear'd
Of being tyrannous, since we so openly
Proceed in justice; which shall have due course,
Even to the guilt, or the purgation.3-
Produce the prisoner.

Offi. It is his highness' pleasure, that the queen Appear in person here in court.-Silence!

HERMIONE is brought in, guarded; PAULINA and Ladies, attending.

Leon. Read the indictment.

Offi. Hermione, queen to the worthy Leontes, king of Sicilia, thou art here accused and arraigned

3 Even to the guilt, or the purgation.] The word even is not to be understood here as an adverb, but as an adjective, signifying equal or indifferent.

of high treason, in committing adultery with Polixenes, king of Bohemia; and conspiring with Camillo to take away the life of our sovereign lord the king, thy royal husband: the pretence whereof being by circumstances partly laid open, thou, Hermione, contrary to the faith and allegiance of a true subject, didst counsel and aid them, for their better safety, to fly away by night.

Her. Since what I am to say, must be but that Which contradicts my accusation; and

The testimony on my part, no other

But what comes from myself; it shall scarce boot

me

To say, Not guilty: mine integrity,

Being counted falsehood, shall, as I express it,
Be so receiv'd. But thus,-If powers divine
Behold our human actions, (as they do,)

I doubt not then, but innocence shall make
False accusation blush, and tyranny

Tremble at patience.-You, my lord, best know,
(Who least will seem to do so,) my past life
Hath been as continent, as chaste, as true,
As I am now unhappy; which is more
Than history can pattern, though devis'd,
And play'd, to take spectators: For behold me,—
A fellow of the royal bed, which owe

A moiety of the throne, a great king's daughter,
The mother to a hopeful prince,-here standing,
To prate and talk for life, and honour, 'fore
Who please to come and hear. For life, I prize it"

· pretence-] Is, in this place, taken for a scheme laid, a design formed.

mine integrity, &c.] That is, my virtue being accounted wickedness, my assertion of it will pass but for a lie. Falsehood means both treachery and lie. JOHNSON.

For life, I prize it-] Life is now to me only grief, and as such only is considered by me: I would therefore willingly dismiss it. JOHNSON.

As I weigh grief, which I would spare: for honour, 'Tis a derivative from me to mine,7

And only that I stand for. I appeal

To your own conscience, sir, before Polixenes
Came to your court, how I was in your grace,
How merited to be so; since he came,
With what encounter so uncurrent I
Have strain'd, to appear thus: if one jot beyond
The bound of honour; or, in act, or will,
That way inclining; harden'd be the hearts
Of all that hear me, and my near'st of kin
Cry, Fye upon my grave!

Leon.
I ne'er heard yet,
That any of these bolder vices wanted
Less impudence to gainsay what they did,
Than to perform it first.

Her.

8

That's true enough;

Though 'tis a saying, sir, not due to me.

Leon. You will not own it. Her. More than mistress of, Which comes to me in name of fault, I must not At all acknowledge. For Polixenes,

7 'Tis a derivative from me to mine,] This sentiment, which is probably borrowed from Ecclesiasticus, iii. 11, cannot be too often impressed on the female mind: "The glory of a man is from the honour of his father; and a mother in dishonour, is a reproach unto her children." STEEVENS.

I ne'er heard yet,

That any of these bolder vices wanted

Less impudence to gainsay what they did,

Than to perform it first.] It is apparent that according to the proper, or at least, according to the present, use of words, less should be more, or wanted should be had. But Shakspeare is very uncertain in his use of negatives. It may be necessary once to observe, that in our language, two negatives did not originally affirm, but strengthen the negation. This mode of speech was in time changed, but, as the change was made in opposition to long custom, it proceeded gradually, and uniformity was not obtained but through an intermediate confusion. JOHNSON.

(With whom I am. I

Ilov'd him as incur E TELT L

With such and I ma e mes rest

A lady like me: Vili ce fa

So, and no che

Which not to have one. In

Both disobedience and my name

To you, and toward your fend.

spoke,

Even since it could weak

That it was yours. Now, fr mom.

I know not how I use:

For me to try bow: all I ki z

Is, that Camillo was an beES TAL:

And, why he left your court me pa tenserva
Wotting no more than L are grat

Leon. You knew of his depart #1 L
What you have undertaken to to it as stre
Her. Sir,

You speak a language that I understand to:
My life stands in the level of your dreams,
Which I'll lay down

Leon.

Your actions are my dream;

You had a bastard by PrizeDES,

And I but dream'd it :-As 10 M 2 H state, (Those of your fact are so,, o past al true:

Which to deny, concerns more that als

For as

Thy brat hath been cast out, e to neis
No father owning it, (why, ide
More criminal in thee, that ity) 60 ton
Shalt feel our justice; in whose easiest passage,
Look for no less than death.

Her.

Sir, spare your threats;

9 My life stands in the level - To be in the level is, to be within the reach.

' (Those of your fact are so,)] i. e. guilt.

The bug, which you would fright me with, I seek.
To me can life be no commodity:

The crown and comfort of my life, your favour,
I do give lost; for I do feel it gone,

But know not how it went: My second joy,
And first-fruits of my body, from his presence,
I am barr'd, like one infectious: My third com-

fort,

2

Starr'd most unluckily, is from my breast,

The innocent milk in its most innocent mouth,
Haled out to murder: Myself on every post
Proclaim'd a strumpet; With immodest hatred,
The child-bed privilege denied, which 'longs
To women of all fashion:-Lastly, hurried
Here to this place, i'the open air, before
I have got strength of limit. Now, my liege,
Tell me what blessings I have here alive,
That I should fear to die? Therefore, proceed.
But yet hear this; mistake me not;—
-No! life,
I prize it not a straw:-but for mine honour,
(Which I would free,) if I shall be condemn'd
Upon surmises; all proofs sleeping else,
But what your jealousies awake; I tell you
'Tis rigour, and not law.-Your honours all,
I do refer me to the oracle;

Apollo be my judge.

1 Lord.

This your request

Is altogether just: therefore, bring forth,
And in Apollo's name, his oracle.

[Exeunt certain Officers.

Her. The emperor of Russia was my father:
O, that he were alive, and here beholding
His daughter's trial! that he did but see

2 Starr'd most unluckily,] i. e. born under an inauspicious planet.

3

strength of limit.] Strength to pass the limits of the child-bed chamber.