Aut. Adieu, Sir.

Flo. O Perdita, what have we twain forgot? Pray, you, a word.

Cam. What I do next, fhall be to tell the King [Afide. Of this efcape, and whither they are bound : Wherein my hope is, I fhall fo prevail

To force him after; in whofe company

I fhall review Sicilia; for whofe fight
I have a woman's longing.

Flo. Fortune fpeed us!

Thus we feton, Camillo, to th'fea-fide. [Exit Flo. with Per. Cam. The fwifter fpeed, the better.

[Exit.

is necef

Aut. I understand the bufinefs, I hear it to have an open ear, a quick eye, and a nimble hand, fary for a cut-purfe; a good nofe is requifite alfo, to fmell out work for th' other fenfes. I fee, this is the time that the unjust man doth thrive. What an exchange had this been, without boot? what a boot is here, with this exchange? fure, the gods do this year connive at us, and we may do any thing extempore. The Prince himfelf is about a piece of iniquity; ftealing away from his father, with his clog at his heels. If I thought it were a piece of honefty to acquaint the King withal, I would not do't; I hold it the more knavery to conceal it; and therein am I conflant to my profeffion.

Enter Clown and Shepherd.

Afide, afide,-here's more matter for a hot brain; every lane's end, every fhop, church, feffion, hanging, yields a careful man work.

Clo. See, fee; what a man you are now! there is no other way, but to tell the King she's a changling, and none of your flesh and blood.

Shep. Nay, but hear me.

Clo. Nay, but hear me.

Shep. Go to then.

Clo. She being none of your flesh and blood, your, flesh and blood has not offended the King; and, fo, your flesh and blood is not to be punish'd by him.

04

Shew

Shew these things you found about her, thofe fecret things, all but what she has with her; this being done, let the law go whistle; I warrant you.

Shep. I will tell the King all, every word, yea, and his fon's pranks too; who, I may fay, is no honeft man neither to his father, nor to me, to go about to make mo the King's brother-in-law.

Clo. Indeed, brother-in-law was the fartheft off you could have been to him; and then your blood had been the dearer by I know how much an ounce.

Aut. Very wifely, puppies!

[Afide. Shep. Well; let us to the King; there is that in this farthel will make him fcratch his beard.

Aut. I know not, what impediment this complaint may be to the flight of my mafter.

Clo. 'Pray heartily, he be at the palace.

Aut. Tho I am not naturally honeft, I am so fometimes by chance: let me pocket up my pedler's excrement. How now, rufticks, whither are you bound? Shep. To th' palace, and it like your worship.

Aut. Your affairs there, what, with whom, the condition of that farthel, the place of your dwelling, your names, your age, of what having, breeding, and any thing that is fitting for to be known, difcover.

Clo. We are but plain fellows, Sir.

Aut. A lye; you are rough and hairy; let me have no lying; it becomes none but tradefmen, and they often give us foldiers the lye; but we pay them for it with flamped coin, not ftabbing fteel, therefore they do not give us the lye.

Clo. Your worship had like to have given us one, if you had not taken yourself with the manner.

Shep. Are you a courtier, an like you, Sir?

Aut. Whether it like me, or no, I am a courtier. Seeft thou not the air of the court in these enfoldings? hath not my gate in it the measure of the court? receives not thy nofe court-odour from me? reflect I not, on thy bafenefs, court-contempt ? think'ft thou, for that I infinuate, or toze from thee thy business, I am therefore no courtier? I am courtier, cap-a-pe; and

one

one that will either pufh on, or pluck back thy bufinef there, whereupon I command thee to open thy affair. Shep. My bufinefs, Sir, is to the King.

Aut. What advocate haft thou to him?

Shep. I know not, and't like you.

Clo. Advocate's the court-word for a pheasant; say, have none.

you

Shep. None, Sir; I have no pheafant cock, nor hen. Aut. How blefs'd are we, that are not fimple men! Yet Nature might have made me as these are, Therefore I will not disdain.

Clo. This cannot be but a great courtier.

Shep. His garments are rich, but he wears them not handsomely.

Clo. He feems to be the more noble in being fantaftical; a great man, I'll warrant; I know, by the picking on's teeth.

Aut. The farthel there? what's i'th' farthel?

Wherefore that box?

Shep. Sir, there lies fuch fecrets in this farthel and box, which none muft know but the King; and which he fhall know within this hour, if I may come to th❜ speech of him.

Aut. Age, thou haft loft thy labour.
Shep. Why, Sir?

Aut. The King is not at the palace; he is gone aboard a new fhip, to purge melancholy and air himfelf; for if thou be'ft capable of things ferious, thou must know, the King is full of grief.

Shep. So 'tis faid, Sir, about his fon that fhould have married a fhepherd's daughter.

Aut. If that fhepherd be not in hand-fast, let him fly; the curfes he shall have, the tortures he shall feel, will break the back of man, the heart of monster.

Clo. Think you so, Sin?

Aut. Not he alone shall fuffer what wit can make heavy, and vengeance bitter; but those that are germane to him, tho' remov'd fifty times, fhall all come under the hangman; which tho' it be great pity, yet it is neceffary. An old sheep-whistling rogue, a ram-tender,

to offer to have his daughter come into grace! fome fay, he shall be fton'd; but that death is too foft for him, fay I: draw our throne into a fheep-coat! all deaths are too few, the fharpeft too easy.

Clo. Has the old man e'er a fon, Sir, do you hear, and't like you, Sir?

Aut. He has a fon, who fhall be flay'd alive, then 'nointed over with honey, fet on the head of a wasp's neft, then ftand 'till he be three quarters and a dram dead; then recover'd again with aqua-vita, or fome other hot infufion; then raw as he is, (and in the hotteft.day prognoftication proclaims) fhall he be fet against a brick-wall, the fun looking with a fouthward eye upon death. But what talk we of thefe traitorly rafcals, whose miferies are to be fmil'd at, their offences being fo capital? Tell me, (for you feem to be honest plain men) what you have to the King; being fomething gently confider'd, I'll bring you where he is aboard, tender your perfons to his prefence, whisper him in your behalf, and if it be in man befides the King, to effect your fuits, here is a man fhall do it.

Clo. He feems to be of great authority; clofe with him, give him gold; and tho' authority be a ftubborn hear, yet he is oft led by the nofe with gold; fhew the infide of your purfe to the outfide of his hand, and no more ado. Remember, fton'd, and flay'd alive

Shep. And't please you, Sir, to undertake the bufinefs for, us, here is that gold I have; I'll make it as much more, and leave this young man in pawn 'till I bring it you.

Aut. After I have done what I promised?

Shep. Ay, Sir.

Aut. Well, give me the moiety. Are you a party in

this bufinefs?

Cla. In fome fort, Sir; but tho' my cafe be a pitiful one, I hope, I fhall not be flay'd out of it.

Aut. Oh, that's the cafe of the shepherd's fon; hang him, he'll be made an example.

Clo. Comfort, good comfort; we must to the King,

and

1

Sir,

and fhew our ftrange fights; he must know, 'tis none of your daughter, nor my fifter; we are gone else. I will give you as much as this old man does, when the bufinefs is perform'd; and remain, as he fays, your pawn 'till it be brought you.

Aut. I will trust you, walk before toward the fea-fide, go on the right hand; I will but look upon the hedge, and follow you.

Clo. We are blefs'd in this man, as I may fay, even blefs'd. Shep. Let's before, as he bids us: he was provided to do us good. [Exeunt Shepherd and Clown.

Aut. If I had a mind to be honest, I fee, Fortune would not fuffer me; the drops booties in my mouth. I am courted now with a double occafion: gold, and a means to do the Prince my mafter good; which, who knows how that may turn back to my advancement? I will bring thefe two moles, these blind ones, aboard him; if he think it fit to fhoar them again, and that the complaint they have to the King concerns him nothing, let him call me rogue, for being fo far officious; for I am proof against that title, and what fhame elfe belongs to't: to him will I present them, there may be matter in it. [Exit.

SCENE changes to Sicilia.

Enter Leontes, Cleomines, Dion, Paulina, and Servants.

CLEOMINES.

IR, you have done enough, and have perform'd

no

could you make,

Which you have not redeem'd; indeed, paid down
More penitence, than done trefpafs. At the laft,
Do as the heavens have done, forget your evil;-
With them, forgive yourself.

06

Leo.