S. Dro. There is a fat friend at your matter's houfe, That kitchen'd me for you to day at dinner: She now fhall be my filter, not my wife, sed E. Dro. Methinks, you are any glafs, and not my brother: my I fee by you, I am a fweet-fac'd youth: E. Dro. Nay, then thus [Embracing. We came into the world, like brother and brother: And now let's go hand in hand, not one before ano ther. [Exeunt. Dion, Sicilian Lords. Another Sicilian Lord. Archidamus, a Bohemian Lord. Rogero, a Sicilian Gentleman. An Attendant on the young Prince Mamillius. Old Shepherd, reputed Father of Perdita. A Mariner Goaler. H TИIW Servant to the Old Shepherd. Autolicus, a Rogue. Time, as Chorus. Hermione, Queen to Leontes. Perdita, Daughter to Leontes and Hermione. Paulina, Wife to Antigonus. Emilia, Attendant on the Queen. Two other Ladies. A Satyrs for a Dance, Shepherds, Shepherdeffes, Guards, and Attendants. SCENE, fometimes in Sicilia; Sometimes, in Bohemia. THE THE WINTER's TALE. A C T I. SCENE, an Antichamber in Leontes's PALACE. Enter Camillo, and Archidamus. (1) ARCHIDAMUS. F you fhall chance, Camillo, to vifit Bohemia, on the like occafion whereon my services are now on foot; you fhall fee, as I have faid, great difference betwixt our Bohemia and your Sicilia. Cam. I think, this coming fummer, the King of Sicilia means to pay Bohemia the vifitation, which he justly owes him. Arch. t,which the (1) ARCHIDAMUS.] This is a Character (of that old Criticks have call'd Πρόσωπον προλαβικόν : One entirely out of the Action and Argument of the Play, and introduc'd only to open Something, neceffary to be known, previous to the Action of the Fable. Donatus, in his Preface to Terence's Fair Andrian, explains this Character thus. Perfona autem protatica ea intelligitur, que femel inducta in Principio Fabula, in 'nullis deinceps fabule partibus adhibetur." By a Pro"tatick Character we are to understand fuch a One, as is introduc'd in "the Beginning, and never after appears in any Part of the Fable. Such is Sofia in that Comedy of Terence; Such, Davus in his Phormio and Philotis and Syra, in his Mother-in-law. Such are the Servants of the Capulets and Mountagues, in our Author's Romeo and Juliet: the VOL. III. F Twe Arch. Wherein our entertainment fhall fhame us, we will be juftified in our loves; for, indeed, Cam. 'Beseech you Arch. Verily, I fpeak it in the freedom of my know ledge; we cannot with fuch magnificence- in fo rare I know not what to fay- we will give you fleepy drinks, that your fenfes (unintelligent of our infumcience) may, tho' they cannot praise us, as little accufe us. Cam. You pay a great deal too dear, for what's given freely. Arch. Believe me, I fpeak, as my Understanding inftructs me; and as mine honefty puts it to utterance. Cam. Sicilia cannot fhew himself over-kind to Bohemia; they were train'd together in their childhoods, and there rooted betwixt them then fuch an affection, which cannot chufe but branch now. Since their more mature dignities and royal neceffities made fepa ration of their fociety, their incounters, though not perfonal, have been royally attornied with enterchange of gifts, letters, loving embaffies; that they have feem'd to be together, tho' abfent; fhook hands, as over a Vafts and embrac'd, as it were from the ends of opposed winds. The heav'ns continue their loves! Arch. I think, there is not in the world either malice, or matter, to alter it. You have an unspeakable comfort of your young Prince Mamillius: it is a gen tleman of the greatest promise, that ever came into my note. Cam. I very well agree with you in the hopes of him: it is a gallant child, one that, indeed, phyficks the fubject, makes old hearts frefh: they, that went on crutches, ere he was born, defire yet their life to fee him a man. Two Gentlemen, who open his Cymbeline; the Sea-Captain, in the Second Scene of Twelfthnight; and (tho' thrown into the Middle of the Play) of the fame Nature are the Gentlemen in K. Henry VIII; who are introduced only to make the Narratives of Buckingham's Arraignment, and Anne Bullen's Coronation. Arch. |