Pol. A Sickness caught of me, and yet

I well?
I must be anfwer'd. Doit thou hear, Camillo,
I conjure the by all the Parts of Man,

Which Honour do's acknowledge, whereof the least
Is not this Suit of mine, that thou declare
What Incidency thou doft guefs of Harm
Is creeping toward me; how far off, how near,
Which way to be prevented, if to be;
If not, how best to bear it.

Cam. Sir, I will tell you,

Since I am charg'd in Honour, and by him

That I think honourable; therefore mark my Counsel,
Which must be ev'n as fwiftly follow'd as

I mean to utter it; or both your felf and me,
Cry loft, and fo good Night.

Pol. On, good Camillo?

Cam. I am appointed to murder

Pol. By whom, Camillo ?

Cam. By the King.

Pol. For what?

you.

Cam. He thinks, nay with all Confidence he swears,

As he had feen't, or been an Inftrument

To vice you to't, that you have toucht his Queen
Forbiddenly.

Pol. Oh then, my best Blood turn

To an infected Gelly, and my Name
Be yoak'd with his that did betray the beft:
Turn then my fresheft Reputation to

A Savour, that may ftrike the dulleft Noftril
Where I arrive; and my Approach be fhun'd,
Nay hated too, worse than the great'st Infection
That e'er was heard, or read.

Cam. Swear his Thought over

By each particular Star in Heav'n, and
By all their influences; you may as well
Forbid the Sea for to obey the Moon,
As or by Oath remove, or Counsel flake
The Fabrick of his Folly, whofe Foundation
Is pyl'd upon his Faith, and will continue
The ftanding of his Body.

Pol. How should this grow?

Cam

Cam. I know not; but I am fure 'tis fafer to
Avoid what's grown, than queftion how 'tis born.
If therefore you dare truft my Honesty,
That lyes inclofed in this Trunk, which you
Shall bear along impawn'd, away to Night;
Your Followers I will whifper to the Bufinefs,
And will by twoes, and threes, at feveral Posterns,
Clear them o'th' City. For my felf, I'll put
My Fortunes to your Service, which are here
By this Discovery loft. Be not uncertain,
For by the Honour of my Parents, I

Have utter'd Truth; which if you feek to prove,
I dare not ftand by; nor shall you be fafer
Than one condemned by the King's own Mouth:
Thereon his Execution fworn.

Pol. I do believe thee;

I faw his Heart in's Face. Give me thy Hand;
Be Pilot to me, and thy Places shall

Still neighbour mine. My Ships are ready, and
My People did expect my hence departure
Two Days ago. This Jealoufie

Is for a precious Creature; as the's rare,
Muft it be great; and, as his Perfon's mighty,
Muft it be violent; and, as he do's conceive,
He is dishonour'd by a Man, which ever
Profefs'd to him; Why his Revenges must.
In that be made more bitter. Fear o'er-fhades me:
Good Expedition be my Friend, and comfort
The gracious Queen, part of his Theam; but nothing
Of his ill-tane Sufpicion. Come, Camillo,

I will refpect thee as a Father, if

Thou bear'ft my Life off hence. Let us avoid,
Cam. It is in mine Authority to command

The Keys of all the Pofterns: Please your Highness
To take the urgent Hour. Come, Sir, away.

[Exeunt.

ACT II. SCENE I.

Her TA

Enter Hermione, Mamillius, and Ladies.

AKE the Boy to you; he fo troubles me,
"Tis paft enduring.

1 Lady. Come, my gracious Lord,

Shall I be your Play-fellow?

Niam. No, I'll none of you.

1 Lady. Why, my fweet Lord?

Mam. You'll kifs me hard, and fpeak to me, as if I were a Baby ftill. I love you better.

2 Lady. And why fo, my Lord?

Mam. Not for becaufe

Your Brows are blacker; yet black Brows, they fay,
Become fome Women beft, fo that there be not
Too much Hair there, but in a Semicircle,

Or a Half-Moon made with a Pen.

2 Lady. Who taught you this?

Mam. I learn'd it out of Womens Faces: Pray now, What Colour be your Eye-brows?

1 Lady. Blue, my Lord.

Mam. Nay, that's a Mock: I have feen a Lady's Nose That has been blue, but not her Eye-brows.

I Lady. Hark ye,

The Queen, your Mother, rounds apace: We shall

Prefent our Services to a fine new Prince

One of thefe Days, and then you'll wanton with us,

If we would have you.

2 Lady. She is fpread of late

Into a goodly Bulk, good Time encounter her.

Her. What Wifdom ftirs amongst you? Come, Sir, now I am for you again. Pray you fit by us,

And rell's a Tale.

Mam, Merry, or fad, fhal't be?
Her. As merry as you will.

Mam. A fad Tale's beft for Winter.

I have one of Sprights and Goblins.
Her. Let's have that, good Sir.

Come

Come on, fit down. Come on, and do your best,

To fright me with your Sprights: You're powerful at it. Mam. There was a Man.

Her. Nay, come fit down; then on.

Mam. Dwelt by a Church-yard: I will tell it foftly; Yond Crickets fhall not hear it.

Her. Come on then, and giv't me in mine Ear.

Enter Leontes, Antigonus, and Lords.

Lea. Was he met there? his Train? Camillo with him? Lord. Behind the Tuft of Pines I met them, never Saw I Men fcowr fo on their way: Iey'd them Even to their Ships.

Leo. How bleft am I

In my juft Cenfure? In my true Opinion?
Alack, for leffer Knowledge, how accurs'd,
In being fo bleft? There may be in the Cup
A Spider steep'd, and one may drink; depart,
And yet partake no Venom; for his Knowledge
Is not infected; but if one present

Th' abhorr'd Ingredient to his Eye, make known
How he hath drunk, he cracks his Gorge, his Sides
With violent Hefts. I have drunk, and feen the Spider.
Camillo was his Help in this, his Pander:

There is a Plot against my Life, my Crown;
All's true that is miftrufted; that false Villain,
Whom I employ'd, was pre-employ'd by him;
He hath discover'd my Defign, and I
Remain a pinch'd Thing; yea, a very Trick
For them to play at will: How came the Posterns
So eafily open?

Lord. By his great Authority,

Which often have no lefs prevail'd, than fo
On your Command.

Leo. I know't too well.

Give me the Boy, I am glad you did not nurfe him,
Though he 'do's bear fome Signs of me, yet you

Have too much Blood in him.

Her. What is this? Sport?

Leo. Bear the Boy hence, he shall not come about her, Away with him, and let her fport her felf

With that she's big with, for 'tis Polixenes
Has made thee fwell thus.

Her. But I'ld fay he had not;

And I'll be fworn you would believe my Saying,
How e'er you lean to th' Nayward.

Leo. You, my Lords,

Look on her, mark her well; be but about
To fay fhe is a goodly Lady, and

The Juftice of your Hearts will thereto add,
'Tis pity fhe's not honeft: Honourable:

Praife her but for this her without-door Form,
Which on my Faith deferves high Speech, and ftraight
The Shrug, the Hum, or Ha, thefe Petty-brands
That Calumny doth ufe: Oh I am out,

That Mercy do's, for Calumny will fear

Virtue it felf, these Shrugs, these Hum's, and Ha's,
When you have faid fhe's goodly, come between
E'er you can fay fhe's honeft: But be't known,
From him that has moft Caufe to grieve it fhould be,
She's an Adultrefs.

Her. Should a Villain fay fo,

The most replenish'd Villain in the World,
He were as much more Villain: You, my Lord,
Do but miftake.

Leo. You have miftook, my Lady,
Polixenes for Leontes. O thou thing,
Which I'll not call a Creature of thy Place,
Left Barbarism, making me the Precedent,
Should a like Language ufe to all Degrees,
And mannerly Diftinguishment leave out,
Betwixt the Prince and Beggar. I have faid
She's an Adultrefs, I have faid with whom:
More; She's a Traitor, and Camillo is
A Federary with her, and one that knows
What the fhould fhame to know her felf,
But with her moft vild Principal; that she's
A Bed Swarver, even as bad as those

That Vulgar give bold'ft Titles; ay, and privy
To this their late Escape.

Her. No, by my Life,

Privy to none of this: How will this grieve you,

When