Leo. Go, do our bidding; hence!

Ex. Queen guarded, and Ladies

Lord. 'Beseech your Highness, call the Queen again. Ant. Be certain what you do, Sir, left your justice Prove violence, in the which three great ones fuffer, Your self, your Queen, your fon.

Lord. For her, my Lord,

I dare my life lay down, and will do't, Sir,
Please you t' accept it, that the Queen is spotless
I'th' eyes of heaven, and to you; I mean
In this which you accuse her.

Ant. If it prove

She's otherwise, I'll keep my ftable-ftand * where
I lodge my wife, I'll go in couples with her:
Than when I feel, and fee her, no further truft her
For every inch of woman in the world,
Ay, every dram of woman's flesh is false,
If the be.

Leo. Hold your peaces.
Lord. Good my Lord!

Ant. It is for you we speak, not for our felves:

You are abused by fome putter-on,

That will be damn'd for't; would I knew the villain,
I would land-damm him: be the honour-flaw'd,
I have three daughters; the eldest is eleven;
The fecond, and the third, nine, and some tive;
If this prove true, they'll pay for't. By mine honour,
I'll geld 'em all: fourteen they shall not fee
To bring false generations: they are co-heirs,
And I had rather glib my self, than they

;

Stable-stand (pabilis statio as Stelman interprets it) is a term of the Foreft-Laws, and fignifies a place where a Deer-stealer fixes his stand under fome convenient cover, and keeps watch for the pur pose of killing Deer as they pafs by. From the place it came to be applied alfo to the perion, and any man taken in a foreft in that fituation with a gun or bow in his hand was prefumed to be an ofSender and had the name of a Stabte-stand. In all former editions this hath been printed tables, and it may perhaps be objected that another fydable ad led spoils the fmoothness of the verfe. But by pronouncing table short the meature wilt very well bear it according to the liberty allowed in this kind of writing, and which Shate pear never foruples to use.

Should

Should not produce fair issue.

Leo. Cease, no more:

You smell this business with a sense as cold

As is a dead man's nose; I see't, and feel't,

As you feel doing thus; and see withal

The instruments I feel.

Ant. If it be so,

We need no grave to bury honesty,

[Laying bold of bis arm.

There's not a grain of it, the face to sweeten

Of the whole dungy earth.

Leo. What? lack I credit?

Lord. I had rather you did lack than I, my Lord,
Upon this ground; and more it would content me
To have your honour true, than your fufpicion;
Be blam'd for't how you might.

Leo. Why, what need we.
Commune with you for this? not rather follow
Our forceful inftigation ? our prerogative
Calls not your counsels, but our natural goodness
Imparts this; which if you, or stupified,
Or seeming so in skill, cannot, or will not
Relish a truth like us; inform your selves,
We need no more of your advice: the matter,
The loss, the gain, the ordering on't, are all
Properly ours.

Ant. And I wish, my Liege,

You had only in your filent judgment try'd it,
Without more overture.

Leo. How could that be?

Either thou art most ignorant by age,
Or thou wert born a fool. Camillo's flight
Added to their familiarity,

1

(Which was as gross as ever touch'd conjecture,
That lack'd fight only, nought for approbation
But only feeing, all other circumstances
Made up to the deed) doth push on this proceeding;

Yet for a greater confirmation,

(For in an act of this importance, 'twere

3

• The word approbation here signifies, proof.

1

:

Moft

Most piteous to be wild) I've difpatch'd in
To sacred Delphos, to Apollo's temple,
Cleomines and Dian, whom you know
Of stuff'd sufficiency: now, from the Oracle
They will bring all, whose spiritual counsel had
Shall stop or spur me on. Have I done well?
Lord. Well done, my Lord.

Leo. Tho I am fatisfy'd, and need no more
Than what I know, yet shall the Oracle
Give reft to th' minds of others; such as he
Whose ignorant credulity will not
Come up to th' truth. So we have thought it good
From our free person she should be confin'd,
Left that the treachery of the two, fled hence,
Be left her to perform. Come, follow us,
We are to speak in publick; for this business
Will raise us all.

Ant. To laughter, as I take it,

SCENE III. A Prifom.

3

J

If the good truth were known.

[Exeunt

Enter Paulina and a Gentleman, with other Attendants. Pau. The keeper of the prifon, call to him: [Exit Gent

Let him have knowledge who Fam. Good Lady,

No Court in Europe is too good for thee;

What doft thou then in prifon? now, good Siry

You know me, do you not ?

Goa. For a worthy Lady,

Pau. Pray you then

[Re-enter Gentleman with the Goaler

And one whom much I honour.

Conduct me to the Queen.

Goa. I may not, Madam;

To the contrary I have express commandment.

Pau. Here's a-do

To lock up honesty and honour from

Th' access of gentle vifitors! Is't lawful,
Pray you, to fee her women? any of them?

Emilia ?

Goa. If it fo please you, Madam, To put a-part these your attendants, I

1

a

:

Shall

Shall bring Emilia forth.

Pau. I pray now, call her:

Withdraw your selves.

;

[To ber Attendants sobo go out.

Goa. And, Madam, must I be

Present at all your conference.

Pau. Well, well;

Be it fo, pr'ythee.

Enter Emilia.

Here's fuch a do to make no ftain a stain,
As paffes colouring. Dear gentlewoman,
How fares our gracious Lady?

Emil. As well as one so great and fo forlora
My hold together; on her frights and griefs,
Which never tender Lady hath born greater,
She is, something before her time, deliver'd.

Pau. A boy?

Emil. A daughter, and a goodly babe, Lufty, and like to live: the Queen receives Much comfort in't; says, my poor prisoner, I'm innocent as you.

Pau. I dare be sworn:

1

These dang'rous, unsafe lunes i'th King, beshrew them!
He must be told of it, and shall; the office
Becomes a woman best. I'll take't upon me.
If I prove honey-mouth'd, let my tongue blifter,
And never to my red-look'd anger be
The trumpet any more! Pray you, Emilia,
Commend my best obedience to the Queen,
If the dares truft me with her little babe,
I'll fhaw't the King, and undertake to be
Her advocate to the loud'st. We do not know
How he may soften at the fight o'th' child:

The filence often of pure innocence

Perfuades, when speaking fails.

Emil. Moft worthy Madam,

Your honour and your goodness is so evident,

That your free undertaking cannot miss

A thriving issue: there's no Lady living

So meet for this great errand.. Please your Ladyship

To vifit the next room, I'll prefently

Ac

Acquaint the Queen of your most noble offer,
Who but to-day hammer'd on this design,
But durst not tempt a minifter of honour,

Lest she should be deny'd.

Pau. Tell her, Emilia,

1

I'll use that tongue I have; if wit flow from't
As boldness from my bosom, let't not be doubted
I shall do good.

Emil. Now be you blest for it!..

I'll to the Queen: please you, come something nearer.
Goa. Madam, if it please the Queen to send the babe,
I know not what I shall incur to pass it,
Having no warrant.

Pau. You need not fear it, Sir;
The child was prisoner to the womb, and is
By law and process of great nature thence
Free'd and enfranchis'd, not a party to
The anger of the King, nor guilty of,
If any be, the trespass of the Queen.
Goa. I do believe it.

Pau. Do not you fear; upon mine honour, I
Will stand 'twixt you and danger.

SCENE IV. The Palace.

[Exeunt.

Enter Leontes, Antigonus, Lords and other Attendants. Leo. Nor night, nor day, no reft; it is but weakness To bear the matter thus; meer weakness, if The cause were not in being; part o'th' cause She, the adult'ress; for the harlot-King Is quite beyond mine arm; out of the blank And level of my brain; plot-proof; but the I can hook to me: say that she were gone, Given to the fire, a moiety of my reft Might come to me again. Who's there? Enter an Attendant.

Atten. My Lord.

Lee. How does the boy?
Atten. He took good reft

To-night, 'tis hop'd, his sickness is discharg'd.
Lev. To fee his nobleness!

Conceiving the dishonour of his mother,