Be pilot to me, and thy places shall Still neighbour mine 56; My ships are ready, and Is for a precious creature: as she's rare, Thou bear'st my life off hence: Let us avoid. [Exeunt. 56 i. e. I will place thee in elevated rank always near to my own in dignity, or near my person. 57 Johnson might well say, 'I can make nothing of the following words :' and comfort The gracious queen, part of his theme, but nothing Of his ill-ta'en suspicion.' he suspected the line which connected them to the rest to have been lost. I have sometimes thought that we should read not noting instead of but nothing. Perhaps they will bear this construction: Good expedition be my friend, and may my absence bring comfort to the gracious queen who is part of his theme, but who knows nothing of his unjust suspicion.' ་ ACT II. SCENE I. The same. Enter HERMIONE, MAMILLIUS, and Ladies. Her. Take the boy to you: he so troubles me, 'Tis past enduring. 1 Lady. Come, my gracious lord, Shall I be your playfellow? No, I'll none of you. 1 Lady. Why, my sweet lord? Mam. You'll kiss me hard; and speak to me as if better. I were a baby still.—I love you Mam. Not for because Your brows are blacker; yet black brows, they say, Become some women best; so that there be not Too much hair there, but in a semicircle, Or half-moon made with a pen. 2 Lady. Who taught you this? Blue, my lord. Mam. I learn'd it out of women's faces.-Pray now What colour are your eye-brows? 1 Lady. Mam. Nay, that's a mock: I have seen a lady's nose That has been blue, but not her eye-brows. 2 Lady. Hark ye: The queen, your mother, rounds apace: we shall Present our services to a fine new prince, One of these days; and then you'd wanton with us, If we would have you. 1 Lady. She is spread of late Into a goodly bulk: Good time encounter her! Her. What wisdom stirs amongst you? Come, sir, now I am for you again: Pray you, sit by us, And tell's a tale. Mam. Merry, or sad, shall't be? Her. As merry as you will. A sad tale's best for winter: I have one of sprites and goblins. Let's have that, good sir. Her. Come on, sit down:-Come on, and do your best To fright me with your sprites: you're powerful at it. Mam. There was a man, Her. Nay, come, sit down; then on. Mam. Dwelt by a church-yard;-I will tell it softly; Yon crickets shall not hear it. Her. And give't me in mine ear. Come on then, Enter LEONTES, ANTIGONUS, Lords, and Others. Leon. Was he met there? his train? Camillo with him? 1 Lord. Behind the tuft of pines I met them; never Saw I men scour so on their way: I ey'd them Even to their ships. How bless'd am I Leon. 3 The abhorr'd ingredient to his eye; make known 1 i. e. judgment. 2 Alack, for lesser knowledge!' that is, O that my knowledge were less! 3 Spiders were esteemed poisonous in our author's time. How he hath drunk, he cracks his gorge, his sides, With violent hefts:-I have drunk, and seen the spider. Camillo was his help in this, his pander :- Remain a pinch'd thing5; yea, a very trick For them to play at will:-How came the posterns So easily open? 1 Lord. By his great authority; Which often hath no less prevail'd than so, On your command. Leon. I know't too well. Give me the boy; I am glad, you did not nurse him: Though he does bear some signs of me, yet you Have too much blood in him. Her. What is this? sport? Leon. Bear the boy hence, he shall not come about her; Away with him:-and let her sport herself With that she's big with; for 'tis Polixenes But I'd say, he had not, Her. And, I'll be sworn, you would believe my saying, Howe'er you lean to the nayward. Leon. You, my lords, Look on her, mark her well; be but about To say, she is a goodly lady, and The justice of your hearts will thereto add, 4 Hefts, heavings, things which are heaved up. 5 i. e. a thing pinched out of clouts, a puppet for them to move and actuate as they please.' This interpretation is countenanced by a passage in The City Match, by Jasper Maine: Pinch'd napkins, captain, and laid Like fishes, fowls, or faces.' 'Tis pity, she's not honest, honourable: Praise her but for this her without-door form, (Which, on my faith, deserves high speech) and straight The shrug, the hum, or ha; these petty brands, That mercy does; for calumny will sear 6 Virtue itself:-these shrugs, these hums, and has, When you have said, she's goodly, come between, Ere you can say she's honest: But be it known, From him that has most cause to grieve it should be, She's an adultress. Her. Should a villain say so, The most replenish villain in the world, He were as much more villain: you, my lord, Do but mistake. Leon. You have mistook, my lady, Polixenes for Leontes: O thou thing, Which I'll not call a creature of thy place, A federary with her; and one that knows 6 i. e. will brand it. Thus in All's Well that Ends Well:My maiden's name sear'd, otherwise.' 7 Federary. This word, which is probably of the poet's own invention, is used for confederate, accomplice. 8 One that knows what she should be asham'd to know herself, even if the knowledge of it was shared but with her paraIt is the use of but for be-out (only, according to Malone) that obscures the sense. mour. |