I was about to speak, and tell him plainly,
The selfsame sun that shines upon his court,
Hides not his visage from our cottage, but
Looks on alike.-Will't please you, sir, be gone?

[TO FLORIZEL.

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.

Speak, ere thou diest.

Shep.

Why, how now, father?

Nor dare to know that which I know.-O, sir!

I cannot speak, nor think,

[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 died,

To lie close by his honest bones: but now,

Some hangman must put on my shroud, and lay me
Where no priest shovels in dust.-0, cursed wretch !

[TO PERDITA.

That knew'st this was the prince, and wouldst adventure
To mingle faith with him.-Undone! undone !

If I might die within this hour, I have liv'd

To die when I desire.

Flo.

[Exit.

Why look you so upon me?

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

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

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

Cam.

Gracious my lord,

You know your father's temper': at this time
He will allow no speech, (which, I do guess,
You do not purpose to him) and as hardly
Will he endure your sight as yet, I fear:
Then, till the fury of his highness settle,
Come not before him.

But milk my ewes, and weep.] We cannot refrain from quoting Coleridge's burst of admiration on this speech: "O! how more than exquisite is this whole speech and that profound nature of noble pride and grief, venting themselves in a momentary peevishness of resentment towards Florizel." Literary Remains, ii. 254. The pastoral tenderness of the conclusion is not less natural and graceful. 7 You know YOUR father's temper :] The copy of 1623 reads, "my father's:" corrected in the second folio.

Flo.

I think, Camillo ?

Cam.

I not purpose it.

Even he, my lord.

Per. How often have I told you 'twould be thus ! How often said 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 sides o' the earth together,
And mar the seeds within!-Lift up thy looks.-
From my succession wipe me, father; I

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

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

Cam.
This is desperate, sir.
Flo. So call it; but it does fulfil my vow:
I needs must think it honesty. Camillo,
Not for Bohemia, nor the pomp that may
Be thereat glean'd; for all the sun sees, or
The close earth wombs, or the profound seas hide
In unknown fathoms, will I break my oath.
To this my fair belov'd. Therefore, I pray you,
As you have ever been my father's honour'd friend,
When he shall miss me, (as, in faith, I mean not
To see him any more) cast your good counsels
Upon his passion: let myself and fortune,
Tug for the time to come. This you may know,
And so deliver.-I am put to sea

With her, whom here I cannot hold on shore;
And, most opportune to our need, I have
A vessel rides fast by, but not prepar'd

For this design. What course I mean to hold
Shall nothing benefit your knowledge, nor
Concern me the reporting.

8 I am; and by my FANCY:] i. e. By my love: we need hardly say that the use of the word "fancy," in this sense, is perpetual in Shakespeare, and not unfrequent in authors of his age.

9 And, most opportune to OUR need,] "To her need" in the folios, but we may unhesitatingly accept the alteration to "our need" in the corr. fo. 1632: it was his need as well as hers. Theobald has "our need."

I would your spirit were easier for advice,
Or stronger for your need.

Flo.

[To CAMILLO.] I'll hear you by and by.

Cam.

Hark, Perdita.

Resolv'd for flight. Now were I happy, if
His going I could frame to serve my turn;
Save him from danger, do him love and honour,
Purchase the sight again of dear Sicilia,
And that unhappy king, my master, whom
I so much thirst to see.

Flo.

Now, good Camillo,

I am so fraught with curious business', that

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

Flo.

Very nobly Have you deserv'd: it is my father's music, To speak your deeds; not little of his care To have them recompens'd, as thought on. Cam.

[Going.

Well, my lord,

If you may please to think I love the king,
And, through him, what's nearest to him, which is
Your gracious self, embrace but my direction,
(If your more ponderous and settled project
May suffer alteration) on mine honour,

I'll point you where you shall have such receiving
As shall become your highness; where you may
Enjoy your mistress; (from the whom, I see
There's no disjunction to be made, but by,
As heavens forefend, your ruin) marry her;
And, (with my best endeavours in your absence)
Your discontenting father strive to qualify,
And bring him up to liking.

Flo.

How, Camillo,

May this, almost a miracle, be done,

1 I am so fraught with CURIOUS business,] The corr. fo. 1632 substitutes serious for "curious;" and although we apprehend that the former is the true and more applicable word, we are hardly so confident of it as to warrant the insertion of serious in our text.

That I may call thee something more than man,

And, after that, trust to thee.

Cam.

A place whereto you'll go ?

Flo.

Have you thought on

Not any yet;

But as th' unthought-on accident is guilty
To what we wildly do, so we profess

Ourselves to be the slaves of chance, and flies
Of every wind that blows.

Cam.

Then list 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 so, I see, she must be) 'fore Leontes:
She shall be habited as it becomes

The partner of your bed. Methinks, I see
Leontes, opening his free arms, and weeping
His welcomes forth; asks thee, the son, forgiveness',
As 'twere i' the father's person; kisses the hands
Of your fresh princess; o'er and o'er divides him
"Twixt his unkindness and his kindness: th' one
He chides to hell, and bids the other grow
Faster than thought, or time.

Flo.

Worthy Camillo,

What colour for my visitation shall I

Hold up before him?

Cam.

Sent by the king, your father,

To greet him, and to give him comforts. Sir, The manner of your bearing towards him, with you, as from your father, shall deliver,

What

Things known betwixt us three, I'll write you down:
The which shall point you forth at every sitting
What you must say, that he shall not perceive,
But that you have your father's bosom there,
And speak his very heart.

Flo.

There is some sap in this.

Cam.

I am bound to you.—

A course more promising

Than a wild dedication of yourselves

To unpath'd waters, undream'd shores; most certain,

2

asks THEE, THE son, forgiveness,] The old copies of 1623 and 1632 have this passage, "asks thee there son forgiveness." The folio of 1664 reads as in our text, which is no doubt correct.

To miseries enough: no hope to help you,
But, as you shake off one, to take another :
Nothing so certain as your anchors, who

Do their best office, if they can but stay you
Where you'll be loth to be. Besides, you know,
Prosperity's the very bond of love,

Whose fresh complexion, and whose heart together,
Affliction alters.

Per.

One of these is true:

I think, affliction may subdue the cheek,
But not take in the mind.

Cam.

Yea, say you so ?

There shall not, at your father's house, these seven years,
Be born another such.

But, O, the thorns we stand upon!-Camillo,

Preserver of my father, now of me,

The medicine of our house, how shall we do?

We are not furnish'd like Bohemia's son,

Nor shall appear't in Sicilia ‘.

Fear none of this. I think, you know, my fortunes
Do all lie there: it shall be so my care

To have you royally appointed, as if

The scene you play were mine. For instance, sir,

That you may know you shall not want,-one word.

[They retire and talk.

3 She is i' the rear o' our birth.] In the folio, 1623, "our" is printed with an apostrophe before it thus 'our, and this fact sufficiently proves that o', very commonly used for of, had dropped out before it.

+ Nor shall APPEAR'T in Sicilia] i. e. Nor shall appear "like Bohemia's son in Sicilia. In the old copies 't dropped out, making the sentence appear as if unfinished, and so it has been commonly printed. This small addition (from the corr. fo. 1632) seems to set all right and to complete the speech of Florizel. In his preceding speech o' was omitted by a similar accident.

3 The scene you play were MINE.] True in the corr. fo. 1632, perhaps rightly.