Far than Deucalion off: Mark thou my words;
Follow us to the court.-Thou churl, for this time,
Though full of our difpleasure, yet we free thee
From the dead blow of it.-And you, enchantment,
Worthy enough a herdfman; yea, him too,
That makes himself, but for our honour therein,
Unworthy thee,-if ever, henceforth, thou
'These rural latches to his entrance open,
Or hoop his body 3 more with thy embraces,
I will devise a death as cruel for thee,
As thou art tender to it,

Per. Even here undone !

I was not much afeard 4: for once, or twice,
I was about to speak; and tell him plainly,
The felf-fame fun, that fhines upon his court,
Hides not his vifage from our cottage, but
Looks on alike-Wilt please you, fir, be gone?

[Exit,

[to Florizel. I told

2 Far than I think for far than we fhould read far as. We will not hold thee of our kin even so far off as Deucalion, the common anreftor of all. JOHNSON.

The old reading farre, i. e. furtber, is the true one. The ancient comparative of fer was ferrer. See the Gloffaries to Robt. of Glocefter and Robt. of Brunne. This, in the time of Chaucer, was foftened into ferre.

"But er I bere thee moche ferre." H. of Fa. B. z. v.92.
"Thus was it peinted, I can fay no ferre." Knights Tale, 2062.
TYRWHITT.

3 Or hoop bis body-] The old copy has-bope. Pope. MALONE.

Corrected by Mr.

4 I was not much afeard, &c.] The character is here finely sustained. To have made her quite aftonished at the king's discovery of himfelf, had not become her birth; and to have given her prefence of mind to have made this reply to the king, had not become her education. WARBURTON.

5 I was about to speak, and tell him plainly, The felf-fame fun, that shines upon bis court,

Hides not bis vifage from

our cottage, but

Looks on alike.] So, in NOSCE TEIPSUM, a poem by Sir John Davies, 1599:

"Thou, like the funne, doft, with indifferent ray,
"Into the palace and the cottage fhine.".

Looks

I told you, what would come of this: 'Beseech you,
Of your own state take care: this dream of mine,-
Being now awake, I'll queen it no inch farther,
But milk my ewes, and weep.

Cam. Why, how now, father?
Speak, ere thou dieft.

Shep. I cannot fpeak, nor think,

Nor dare to know that which I know.-O, fir, [to Florizel.
You have undone a man of fourscore three,

That thought to fill his grave in quiet; yea,
To die upon the bed my father dy'd,

To lie close by his honeft bones: but now

Some hangman must put on my fhrowd, and lay me
Where no priest fhovels-in duft.-O curfed wretch!

[to Perdita. That knew'ft this was the prince, and would't adventure To mingle faith with him.-Undone! undone !

If I might die within this hour, I have liv'd
To die when I defire.

Flo. Why look you so upon me?

I am but forry, not afeard; delay'd,

But nothing alter'd: What I was, I am :

[Exit.

More ftraining on, for plucking back; not following
My leash unwillingly.

Cam. Gracious my lord,

You know your father's temper7: at this time
He will allow no fpeech,-which, I do guess,
You do not purpose to him ;—and as hardly
Will he endure your fight as yet, I fear:
Then, till the fury of his highness fettle,
Come not before him.

Looks on alike is fenfe; but I fufpect that a word was omitted at the prefs, and that the poet wrote, either-Looks on both alike, or, Looks on all alike. MALONE.

6 Where no prieft fhovels-in duft.] This part of the pricft's office might be remembered in Shakspeare's time: it was not left off till the reign of Edward VI. FARMER.

7 You know your father's temper :] The old copy reads-my father's. Corrected by the editor of the fecond folio. MALONE.

Flo,

Flo. I not purpose it.

I think, Camillo.

Cam. Even he, my lord.

Per. How often have I told you, 'twould be thus?
How often faid, my dignity would last
But till 'twere known?

Flo. It cannot fail, but by

The violation of my faith; And then

Let nature crush the fides o'the earth together,
And mar the feeds within!-Lift up thy looks :-
From my fucceflion wipe me, father! I

Am heir to my affection.

Cam. Be advis'd.

Flo. I am; and by my fancy: if my reason
Will thereto be obedient, I have reason;

If not, my fenfes, better pleas'd with madness,
Do bid it welcome.

Cam. This is desperate, fir.

Flo. So call it: but it does fulfil my vow;
Camillo,

I needs must think it honefty.

Not for Bohemia, nor the pomp that may
Be thereat glean'd; for all the fun fees, or
The close earth wombs, or the profound feas hide
In unknown fathoms, will I break my oath
To this my fair belov'd: Therefore, I pray you,
As you have e'er been my father's honour'd friend,
When he fhall mifs me, (as, in faith, I mean not
To fee him any more,) caft your good counfels
Upon his paffion; Let myfelf, and fortune,
Tug for the time to come. This you may
And fo deliver,-I am put to fea

know,

With her, whom here I cannot hold on fhore;

And mar the feeds within !] So, in Macbeth:

"And nature's germins tumble all together." STEEVENS and by my fancy:] It must be remembered that fancy in our author very often, as in this place, means love. JOHNSON. See Vol. II. p. 516, n. 1.

STEEVENS.

1-whom bere-] Old Copy-zbo. Corrected by the editor of

the fecond folio,

MALONE.
4

And,

And, moft opportune to our need2, I have
A veffel rides fait by, but not prepar'd
For this defign. What courfe I mean to hold,
Shall nothing benefit your knowledge, nor
Concern me the reporting.

Cam. O my lord,

I would your spirit were easier for advice,

Or ftronger for your need.

Flo. Hark, Perdita.

I'll hear you by and by.

Cam. He's irremoveable,

Refolv'd for flight: Now were I happy, if
His going I could frame to ferve my turn;

[takes her afide. [to Camillo

Save him from danger, do him love and honour;
Purchase the fight again of dear Sicilia,
And that unhappy king, my mafter, whom
I fo much thirst to fee.

Flo. Now, good Camillo,

I am fo fraught with curious bufinefs, that
I leave out ceremony.

Cam. Sir, I think,

You have heard of my poor fervices, i'the love 'That I have borne your father?

Flo. Very nobly

Have you deferv'd: it is my father's mufick,
To speak your deeds; not little of his care
To have them recompenc'd as thought on.
Cam. Well, my lord,

If you may pleafe to think I love the king;

[going

And, through him, what is neareft to him, which is
Your gracious felf; embrace but my direction,
(If your more ponderous and fettled project
May fuffer alteration,) on mine honour,
I'll point you where you fhall have fuch receiving
As hall become your highness; where you may
Enjoy your mistress; (from the whom, I fee,
There's no disjunction to be made, but by,

2 And, most opportune to our need,] The old copy has ber need The emendation is Mr. Theobald's. MALONE.

A$

As heavens forefend! your ruin :) marry her;
And (with my beft endeavours, in your abfence,)
Your difcontenting father ftrive to qualify,
And bring him up to liking 3.

Flo. How, Camillo,

May this, almoft a miracle, be done?

That I may call thee fomething more than man,
And, after that, truft to thee.

Cam. Have you thought on

A place, whereto you'll go?
Flo. Not any yet:

But as the unthought-on accident is guilty

To what we wildly do +; fo we profess

Ourselves to be the flaves of chances, and flies

Of every wind that blows.

Cam. Then lift to me:

This follows,-if you will not change your purpose,
But undergo this flight;-Make for Sicilia;

And there present yourself, and your fair princess,
(For fo, I fee, fhe muft be,) 'fore Leontes;

3 And (with my beft endeavours, in your absence,) Your difcontenting father ftrive to qualify,

And bring him up to liking.] And where you may, by letters, intreaties, &c. endeavour to foften your incenfed father, and reconcile him to the match; to effect which, my best services shall not be wanting during your abfence. Mr. Pope, without either authority or neceffity, reads➡ I'll ftrive to qualify;-which has been followed by all the subsequent editors.

Difcontenting is in our author's language the fame as difcontented.

4 But as the unthought-on accident is guilty

MALONE.

To what we wildly do ;] Guilty to, though it founds harsh to our ears, was the phrafeology of the time, or at least of Shakspeare: and this is one of thofe paffages that should caution us not to disturb his text merely because the language appears different from that now in use. See the Comedy of Errors, Vol. II. p. 171, n. 5:

"But left myself be guilty to felf-wrong,

"I'll stop mine ears against the mermaid's fong." Malone. The unthought-on accident is the unexpected difcovery made by Po

lixenes. MASON.

5 Ourfelves to be the flaves of chance,] As chance has driven me to thefe extremities, fo I commit myself to chance to be conducted through them. JOHNSON.

She