Oh, that he were alive, and here beholding
His daughter's trial; that he did but fee
The flatnefs of my mifery; yet with eyes
Of Pity, not Revenge!

Offi. You here shall swear upon the Sword of Juftice, That you, Cleomines and Dion, have

Been both at Delphos, and from thence have brought
This feal'd-up Oracle, by the hand deliver'd
Of great Apollo's Prieft; and that fince then
You have not dar'd to break the holy Seal,
Nor read the fecrets in't.

Cleo. Dion. All this we swear.

Leo. Break up the Seals, and read.

Offi. Hermione is chafte, Polixenes blameless, Camillo a true Subject, Leontes a jealous Tyrant, his innocent babe truly begotten; and the King fhall live without an heir, if that, which is left, be not found. Lords. Now bleffed be the great Apollo !

Her. Praised!

Leo. Haft thou read truth?

Offi. Ay, my Lord, even fo as it is here fet down. Lec. There is no truth at all i'th' Oracle; The Seffion fhall proceed; this is mere falfhood.

Enter Servant.

Ser. My Lord the King, the King,

Leo. What is the bufinefs?

Ser. O Sir, I fhall be hated to report it.

The Prince your fon, with mere conceit and fear
Of the Queen's Speed, is gone.

Leo. How gone?

Ser. Is dead.

Leo. Apollo's angry, and the heav'ns themfelves

The fia nefs of my mifery] That is, how long, how fat I am laid by my calamity.

2

Of the Queen's Speed.] Of the event of the Queen's trial: fo we still fay, he ped well or ill.

Do ftrike at my injuftice.How now ? there! [Hermione faints.

Paul. This news is mortal to the Queen look

Her heart is but o'ercharg'd; fhe will recover. [Exeunt Paulina and ladies with Hermione.

SCENE IV.

I have too much believ'd mine own fufpicion :
'Befeech you, tenderly apply to her

Some remedies for life. Apollo, pardon.
My great Prophaneness 'gainst thine Oracle!
I'll reconcile me to Polixenes,

New woo my Queen, recall the good Camillo ;
Whom I proclaim a man of Truth, of Mercy;
For, being transported by my jealou jes
To bloody thoughts and to revenge, I chofe
Camillo for the Minifter, to poison

My friend Polixenes; which had been done,
But that the good mind of Camillo tardied
My fwift command; tho' I with death and with
Reward, did threaten, and encourage him,
Not doing it, and being done; he (most humane,
And fill'd with Honour) to my kingly Guest
Unclafp'd my practice, quit his fortunes here,
Which you knew great, and to the certain hazard
Of all incertainties himself commended,
No richer than his honour: how he glifters
Through my dark Ruft! and how his Piety
Does my deeds make the blacker 3 !

3 This vehement retraction of Leontes, accompanied with the confeffion of more crimes than he was fufpected of, is agreeable

to our daily experience of the viciffitudes of violent tempers, and the eruptions of minds oppreffed with guilt.

SCENE

SCEN E V.

Enter Paulina.

Paul. Woe the while !

O, cut my lace, left my heart, cracking 1t,
Break too..

Lord. What fit is this, good lady?

Paul. What studied torments, Tyrant, haft for me? What wheels? racks? fires? what flaying? boiling? burning

In leads, or oils ? what old, or newer, torture
Must I receive? whofe every word deferves
To taste of thy moft worst. Thy Tyranny
Together working with thy Jealoufies,
Fancies too weak for boys, too green and idle.
For girls of nine! O, think, what they have done,
And then run mad, indeed; ftark mad, for all
Thy by-gone fooleries were but fpices of it.
That thou betray'dft Polixenes, 'twas nothing;
That did but fhew thee, of a Fool, inconftant *,
And damnable ingrateful: nor was't much,
Thou would't have poifon'd good Camillo's honour,
To have him kill a King: poor trefpaffes,

That thou betray'dft Polixe

nes, 'twas nothing; That did but shew thee, of a Fool, inconftant, And damnable ingrateful.] I have ventur'd at a flight Alteration here, against the Authority of all the Copies, and for fool read foul. It is certainly too grofs and blunt in Paulina, tho' the might impeach the King of Fooleries in fome of his paft Actions and Conduct, to call him downright a Fool. And it is much more pardonable in her to arraign his Morals, and the Qualities of his Mind, than rudely to

More monftrous ftanding by; whereof I reckon
The cafting forth to crows thy baby-daughter,
To be, or none, or little, tho' a devil

Would have fhed water out of fire, ere done't:
Nor is't directly laid to thee, the death

Of the young Prince, whofe honourable thoughts
(Thoughts high for one fo tender) cleft the heart,
That could conceive a grofs and foolish Sire
Blemish'd his gracious Dam: this is not, no,
Laid to thy anfwer; but the laft-O Lords,
When I have faid, cry, Woe !-the Queen, the Queen,
The sweetest, dearest, creature's dead; and vengeance
for't

Not drop down yet.

Lord. The higher powers forbid! .

Paul. I fay, fhe's dead: I'll fwear't: if word, nor oath,

Prevail not, go and fee: if you can bring
Tincture or luftre in her lip, her eye,
Heat outwardly, or breath within, I'll ferve you
As I would do the Gods. But, O thou tyrant !
Do not repent these things, for they are heavier
Than all thy woes can ftir: therefore betake thee
To nothing but Defpair. A thousand knees,
Ten thousand years together, naked, fasting,
Upon a barren mountain, and still winter
In ftorm perpetual, could not move the Gods
To look that way thou wert.

Leo. Go on, go on :

Thou canst not fpeak too much; I have deferv'd All tongues to talk their bittereft.

Lord. Say no more;

Howe'er the business goes, you have made fault
I'th' boldness of your speech.

Paul. I am forry for❜t *.

All faults I make, when I fhall come to know them,

* This is another inftance to vehement and ungovernable of the fudden changes incident minds.

I do repent: alas, I've fhew'd too much
The rashness of a woman; he is touch'd
To th' nobler heart.

help,

What's gone, and what's past

Should be past grief. Do not receive affliction
At my petition, I befeech you; rather

I.et me be punish'd, that have minded you

Of what you should forget. Now, good my Liege,
Sir, royal Sir, forgive a foolish woman;

The love I bore your Queen-lo, fool again !—
I'll speak of her no more, nor of

your children: I'll not remember you of my own lord,

Who is loft too. Take you your patience to you, And I'll fay nothing.

Leo. Thou didft fay but well,

When most the truth; which I receive much better Than to be pitied of thee.

Pr'ythee, bring me

To the dead bodies of my Queen and fon;

One Grave shall be for both. Upon them fhall
The causes of their death appear unto

Our shame perpetual; once a day I'll visit
The Chapel where they lie, and tears shed there
recreation. So long as nature

Shall be my recreation.

Will bear up with this exercise,

So long I daily vow to ufe it. Come,

And lead me to these forrows.

SCENE VI.

[Exeunt.

Changes to Bohemia.

A defert Country; the Sea at a little distance.

Ant.

Enter Antigonus with a Child, and a Mariner.

HOU art perfect then, our fhip hath touch'd upon

TH

5

5 Thou art perfect then,] Speare for certain, well ofured, or Perfect is often ufed by Shake- well informed.

The