k

Leo. We are tougher, brother,

Than you can put us to't.

Pol. No longer ftay.

Leo. One feven-night longer.

Pol. Very footh, to morrow.

Leo. We'll part the time between's then; and in that I'll no gain-faying.

Pol. Prefs me not, 'beseech you, fo;

There is no tongue that moves; none, none i'the world,
So foon as yours, could win me: fo it fhould now,
Were there neceffity in your request, although
'Twere needful I deny'd it. My affairs

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? fpeak you.

Her. I had thought, fir, to have held my peace, until
You had drawn oaths from him, not to stay. You, fir,
Charge him too coldly: Tell him, you are fure,
All in Bohemia's well: this fatisfaction

The by-gone day proclaim'd; fay this to him,
He's beat from his best ward.

Leo. Well faid, Hermione.

Her. To tell, he longs to fee his fon, were ftrong:
But let him fay fo then, and let him go;

But let him fwear fo, and he fhall not stay,
We'll thwack him hence with diftaffs.-

Yet of

your royal prefence I'll adventure

The borrow of a week. When at Bohemia

[To Polixenes.

You take my lord, I'll give you my commission,

* We are tougher, brother, than you can put us to't.]—We are not fo foon tired of our friends, as you will find on the experiment.

1 in your love, a whip to me ;]-tho' meant in kindness, a pain to me.

To

"To let him there a month, behind the lift

Prefix'd for his parting: yet," good-deed, Leontes,

I love thee not a jar o'the clock behind

What lady fhe 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,

Though you would seek to unsphere the stars, with oaths, Should yet fay, Sir, no going. Verily,

You fhall 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 ; fo you fhall pay your fees,

When you depart, and fave your thanks.. How fay you? My prisoner? or my guest? by your dread verily,

One of them you shall be.

Pol. Your gueft then, madam :

To be your prifoner, fhould import offending;

Which is for me less easy to commit,

Than you to punish.

Her. Not your goaler then,

But your kind hoftefs. Come, I'll question you

Of my lord's tricks, and yours, when you were boys;

You were pretty lordings then.

Pol. We were, fair queen,

Two lads, that thought there was no more behind,

To let him there a month, behind the lift.]—To detain him there a month beyond the limit, or time appointed for his departure. gest.ftage, journey, progrefs-the journal of days, and ftages in a royal progrefs.

"good-deed,]-in very deed-good heed-&c. take you note, obferve well, at the same time, Leontes, I love thee not a tittle less than any other lady loves her lord.

lordings]-diminutive of lord.

But

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

And to be boy eternal.

Her. Was not my lord the verier wag o'the two?
Pol. We were as twinn'd lambs, that did frifk i'the fun,
And bleat the one at the other: what we chang'd,
Was innocence for innocence; we knew not

The doctrine of ill-doing, no, nor dream'd
That any did: Had we purfu'd that life,
And our weak spirits ne'er been higher rear'd
With stronger blood, we fhould have anfwer'd heaven
Boldly, Not guilty; the impofition clear'd,
Hereditary ours.

Her. By this we gather,

You have tripp'd fince.

Pol. O my most sacred lady,

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

Her. Grace to boot!

Of this make no conclufion; left you say,

Your queen and I are devils: Yet, go on;

The offences we have made you do, we'll answer;
If you first finn'd with us, and that with us
You did continue fault, and that you flipp'd 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 deareft, thou never spok'st

To better purpose.

impofition clear'd,]-that fine upon human nature being removed, taken off; setting afide the charge of original fin.

4 Grace to boot!]-Grace defend us!

Her

Her. Never?

Leo. Never, but once.

Her. What? have I twice faid well? when was't before? I pr'ythee, tell me : Cram us with praise, and make us As fat as tame things: One good deed, dying tongueless, Slaughters a thousand, waiting upon that.

Our praises are our wages: You may ride us
With one soft kiss a thousand furlongs, ere
With fpur' we heat an acre-But to the goal ;-
My last good deed was, to intreat his stay;
What was my firft? it has an elder sister,

Or I mistake you: O, would her name were Grace!
But once before I spoke to the purpose: When?
Nay, let me have't; I long.

Leo. Why, that was when

Three crabbed months had four'd themselves to death,
Ere I could make thee open thy white hand,

'And clap thyself my love; then didst thou utter,
I am yours for ever.

t

Her. It is Grace, indeed,

Why, lo you now, I have spoke to the purpofe twice:

The one for ever earn'd a royal husband;

The other, for fome while a friend.

Leo. Too hot, too hot :

[Giving her hand to Polixenes.

To mingle friendship far, is mingling bloods.
I have "tremor cordis on me :-my heart dances;
But not for joy,-not joy.-This entertainment

[Afide.

T we beat an acre-But to the goal;]-run the space of, over-run it. -But to come to the point I was aiming at.

• And clap thyself my love ;]—And declare, by clapping thy palm to mine, by ftriking hands. clepe-call thyself.

It is Grace, indeed.]-This indulgence of her wish for the stay of Polixenes.

" tremor cordis]—a palpitation of the heart.

May

May a free face put on; derive a liberty
From heartiness, from bounty's fertile bofom,
And well become the agent: it may, I grant:
But to be padling palms, and pinching fingers,
As now they are; and making practis'd fmiles,
As in a looking-glafs;—and then to figh, as 'twere
"The mort o'the deer; oh, that is entertainment
My bofom likes not, nor my brows.-Mamillius,
Art thou my boy?

Mam. Ay, my good lord.

Leo. I'fecks?

Why, that's my bawcock. What, haft fmutch'd thy nofe?

They fay, it's a copy out of mine. Come, captain,
We must be neat; not neat, but cleanly, captain:
And yet the fteer, the heifer, and the calf,

[Obferving Polixenes and Hermione.

Upon his palm?-How now, you wanton calf?

Art thou my calf?

Mam. Yes, if you will, my lord.

a

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: Bat were they false
As 'o'er-dy'd blacks, as winds, as waters; false
As dice are to be wifh'd, by one that fixes

"The mort o'the deer ;]-A leffon on the horn at his death. x my barcock.]-my brave boy.

Y not neat,]-not horned cattle.

virginalling]-playing, as on a spinnet, with her fingers.

aa rough pah, and the boots]-a rough pate, like a bull calf, and

the horns.

As o'er-dy'd blacks,]-dy'd too much, and thereby rotted, and made rusty.

that fixes no bourn 'twixt his and mine;]-that plays the deepeft.

No