7

Do even drag me homeward; which to hinder,
Were, in your love, a whip to me; my stay,
To you a charge and trouble: to save both,
Farewel, our brother.

Leo. Tongue-ty'd our Queen, speak you.
Her. I had thought, Sir, to've held my peace, until
You'ad drawn oaths from him not to stay: you, Sir,
Charge him too coldly. Tell him, you are fure,
All in Bithynia's well: this fatisfaction
The bygone day proclaim'd; fay this to him,
He's beat from his best ward.

Leo. Well faid, Hermione.

[To Pol.

Her. To tell, he longs to fee his son, were strong;
But let him fay 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 I'll adventure
The borrow of a week. When at Bithynia
You take my Lord, I'll give you my commission,
To let him there a month, behind the gest
Prefix'd for's parting: yet, good heed, Leontes,
I love thee not a jar o' th' clock behind
What lady she her lord. You'll stay?
Pol. No, Madam.

Her. Nay, but you will.

Pol. I may not, verily.

Her. Verily?

You put me off with limber vows; but I,
Tho' you would feek t'unsphere the stars with oaths,

66

Should yet fay, Sir, no going: verily,

"You shall not go;" a Lady's verily is

As potent as a Lord's. Will you go yet?

Force me to keep you as a prifoner,

Not like a guest? so you shall pay your fees,

When you depart, and save your thanks. How fay

you?

My prifoner? or my guest? by your dread verily,

One of them you shall be.

Pol. Your guest then, Madam.

To be your prifoner, should import offending;

Which is for me less cafy to commit,

Than you to punish.

Her.

Her. Not your gaoler then,

But your kind hofters; come, I'll question you

Of my Lord's tricks, and your's, when ye were boys:

You were pretty lordings then?

Pol. We were, fair Queen,

Two lads, that thought there was no more behind,

But fuch a day to-morrow as to-day,

And to be boy eternal.

Her. Was not my Lord

The verier wag o' th' two?

Pol. We were as twinn'd lambs, that did frisk i th

fun

And bleat the one at th' other: what we change'd
Was innocence for innocence; we knew not
The doctrine of ill-doing; no, nor dream'd
That any did: had we pursu'd that life,
And our weak fpirits ne'er been higher rear'd
With stronger blood, we should have anfwer'd heaven
Boldly, Not guilty; th' imposition clear'd,
Hereditary ours *.

Her. By this we gather

You have tript fince.

Pol. O my most sacred Lady,

Temptations have fince then been born to's: for
In those unfledge'd days was my wife a girl;
Your precious self had not then cross'd the eyes
Of my young play-fellow.

Her. Grace to boot!

Of this make no conclufion, left you fay,
Your Queen and I are devils. Yet go on;
Th' offences we have made you do we'll anfwer;
If you first finn'd with us, and that with us
You did continue fault; and that you flipt not,
With any but with us.

Leo. Is he won yet?

Her. He'll stay my Lord.

Leo. At my request he would not: Hermione, my dearest, thou ne'er spok'st To better purpose.

i. e. fetting afide origiral fin; bating the imposition from the offence of our fiant parents, we might have boldly protested our innocence to heaven,

Her. Never?

Leon. Never but once.

Her. What? have I twice faid well? when was't

before?

I pr'ythee tell me; cram's with praise, and make's
As fat as tame things: one good deed dying tongueless,
Slaughters a thousand waiting upon that.
Our praises are our wages. You may ride's
With one foft kiss a thousand furlongs, ere
With spur we heat an acre, but to the goal *.
My laft good deed was to intreat his stay;
What was my first? it has an elder sister,
Or I mistake you: O, would her name were Grace !
But once before I spake to th' purpose? when?
Nay, let me hav't; I long.

Leo. Why, that was when

Three crabbed months had fow'rd themselves to death,
Ere I could make thee open thy white hand,
And clepe thyself my love; then didst thou utter
" I am your's for ever."

Her. 'Tis grace, indeed.

Why, lo you now; I've spoke to the purpose twice;

The one for ever earn'd a royal husband;

Th' other, for fome while a friend.

Leo. Too hot, too hot

[Afide.

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,
And well become the agent: 't may, I grant;
But to be padling palms, and pinching fingers,
As now they are, and making practis'd smiles,
As in a looking-glass-and then to figh, as 'twere
The mort o'th' deer+; Oh, that is entertainment
My bosom likes not, nor my brows. --Mamillius,
Art thou my boy?

Mam. Ay, my good Lord.

* i. e. good usage will win us to any thing; but, with ill, we ftop fhort, even there where both our interest and our inclination would otherwise have carried us.

† A leffon upon the horn at the death of the deer. VOL. III.

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Leo. Leo. I'fecks!

[nofe?

Why, that's my bawcock; what Bohas't smutch'd thy They say, it's a copy out of mine. Come, Captain, We must be neat; not neat, but cleanly, Captain;

[Wipes the boy's face.

And yet the steer, the heifer, and the calf,

Are all call'd neat. Still virginalling

Upon his palm?

Art thou my calf?

[Obferving Polixenes and Hermione.

How now, you wanton calf!

Mam Yes, if you will, my Lord.

T

Leo. Thou want'st a rough pash, and the shoots that

I have,

To be full like me. - Yet they fay, we are
Almost as like as eggs: women say so,
That will fay any thing; but they were false,
As o'er-dy'd blacks *, as winds, as waters; false
As dice are to be wish'd, by one that fixes
No bourne 'twixt his and mine; yet were it true
To fay, this boy were like me. Come, Sir page,
Look on me with your welkin-eye, sweet villain,
Most dear'st, my collop-can thy dam-may't be
Imagination! thou dost stab to th' centre.
Thou doft make poffible things not be so held,
Communicat'ft with dreams-(how can this be?)
With what's unreal, thou co-active art,
And fellow'st nothing. Then 'tis very credent,
Thou may'st co-join with something, and thou/dost,
And that beyond commiffion; and I find it;
And that to the infection of my brains,

And hard'ning of my brows.
Pol. What means Sicilia?

Her. He fomething seems unsettled...

Pol. How? my Lord?

Leo. What cheer how is't with you, best brother?
Her. You look

As if you held a brow of much distraction.

Are not you mov'd, my Lord?

Leo. No, in good earnest.

* A black dye being used in too great quantity, coth not only make the cloth to rot upon which it is put, but the colour itself to fade and *grow rusty much the fooner.

How

٠٦٢٠

How fometimes nature will betray its folly!
Its tenderness! and make itself a pastime
To harder hofoms! looking on the lines
Of my boy's face, methoughts I did recoil
Twenty-three years, and saw myself unbreech'd,
In my green velvet coat; my dagger muzzled,
Left it should bite its master; and so prove,
As ornaments oft do, too dangerous:

How like, methought, I then was to this kernel,
This squash, this gentleman. Mine honest friend,
Will you take eggs for money?

Mam. No, my Lord, I'll fight.

i

N

Leo. You will! why, happy man be's dole!-My

brother,

Are you fo fond of your young prince, as we
Do seem to be of ours?

Pol. If at home, Sir,

He's all my exercise, my mirth, my matter:
Now my fworn friend, and then mine enemy;
My parafite, my foldier, statesman, all.
He makes a July's day short as December :
And, with his varying childness, cures in me
Thoughts that should thick my blood.

Leo. So stands this squire

Office'd with me: we two will walk, my Lord,
And leave you to your graver steps. Hermione,
How thou lov'st us, shew in our brother's welcome.
Let what is dear in Sicily, be cheap.

Next to thyself, and my young rover he's
Apparent to my heart.

Her. If you will feek us,

We are your's i'th' garden: shall's attend you there? Leo. To your own bents dispose you; you'll be found,

Be you beneath the sky. I am angling now,

Tho' you perceive me not, how I give line;
Go to, go to.

[Afide, obferving Her.

How she holds up the neb! the bill to him!
And arms her with the boldness of a wife

[Exeunt Polix. Her. and attendants.

[Manent Leo. Mam. and Cam.

To her allowing husband Gone already,

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Inck