Your honour, and your goodness, is so evident, A thriving issue; there is no lady living, So meet for this great errand: Please your ladyship Acquaint the queen of your most noble offer; Paul. Tell her, Emilia, Emil. Now be you blest 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, By law and process of great nature, thence The anger of the king; nor guilty of, Paul. Do not you fear : upon [Exeunt. Mine honour, I will stand 'twixt you and danger. SCENE III. The same. A Room in the Palace. Enter LEONTES, ANTIGONUS, Lords, and other Attendants. Leon. Nor night, nor day, no rest: It is but weakness To bear the matter thus; mere weakness, if The cause were not in being; part o'the cause, I Might come to me again. 1 Atten. Leon. How does the boy? 1 Atten. Who's there? My lord? [Advancing. He took good rest to-night; 'Tis hop'd, his sickness is discharg❜d. Leon. His nobleness! Conceiving the dishonour of his mother, To see, He straight declin'd, droop'd, took it deeply; And downright languish'd. Leave me solely9:-go, See how he fares. [Exit Attend.]-Fye, fye, no thought of him; The very thought of my revenges that way And in his parties, his alliance, — Let him be, Until a time may serve: for present vengeance, Laugh at me; make their pastime at my sorrow: 1 Lord. Enter PAULINA, with a Child. You must not enter. Paul. Nay, rather, good my lords, be second to me: you his tyrannous passion more, alas, Fear J Leave me solely:] That is, leave me alone. Than the queen's life? a gracious innocent soul; Ant. That's enough. 1 Atten. Madam, he hath not slept to-night; com manded None should come at him. Paul. Do come with words as med'cinal as true; Leon. What noise there, ho? Paul. No noise, my lord; but needful conference, About some gossips for your highness. Leon. Away with that audacious lady: Antigonus, How? I charg'd thee, that she should not come about me; Ant. I told her so, my lord, What, canst not rule her? On your displeasure's peril, and on mine, Leon. Paul. From all dishonesty, he can: in this, Ant. When she will take the rein, I let her run; Paul. Lo you now; you hear! Good my liege, I come, And, I beseech you, hear me, who profess + Less appear so, in comforting your evils,' From your good queen. say, I come Good queen! Paul. Good queen, my lord, good queen: I say, good queen. And would by combat make her good, so were I A man, the worst about you. Leon. 2 Force her hence. Paul. Let him, that makes but trifles of his eyes First hand me: on mine own accord, I'll off; But, first, I'll do my errand.The good queen, For she is good, hath brought you forth a daughter; Here 'tis; commends it to your blessing. Leon. [Laying down the child. A mankind witch! Hence with her, out o'door : I am as ignorant in that, as you In so entitling me: and no less honest Than you are mad; which is enough, I'll warrant, Leon. Traitors! Out! Will you not push her out? Give her the bastard: Thou dotard, [to ANTIGONUS,] thou art woman-tir'd,* unroosted By thy dame Partlet here, - take up the bastard; 5 1-in comforting your evils,] Comforting is here used in the legal sense of comforting and abetting in a criminal action. 2 · the worst about you.] Were I the weakest of your servants, I would yet claim the combat against any accuser. 3 A mankind witch!] i. e. masculine. 4 thou art woman-tir'd,] Woman-tir'd, is peck'd by a woman; hen-pecked. 5 thy crone.] i. e. thy old worn-out woman, A croan is an old toothless sheep: thence an old woman. Paul. • For ever Unvenerable be thy hands, if thou Tak'st up the princess, by that forced baseness" Leon. He dreads his wife. Paul. So, I would, you did; then 'twere past all doubt, You'd call your children yours. Leon. A nest of traitors! Nor I; nor any, Ant. I am none, by this good light. But one, that's here; and that's himself: for he His hopeful son's, his babe's betrays to slander, Whose sting is sharper than the sword's; and will not Leon. A callat, Of boundless tongue; who late hath beat her husband, And now baits me! This brat is none of mine; It is the issue of Polixenes: Hence with it; and, together with the dam, Commit them to the fire. And, might we lay the old proverb to your charge, So like The trick of his frown, his forehead; nay, the valley, 6 Unvenerable be thy hands, if thou Tak'st up the princess, by that forced baseness-] Leontes had ordered Antigonus to take up the bastard; Paulina forbids him to touch the princess under that appellation. Forced is false, uttered with violence to truth. JOHNSON. |