How fares our gracious lady? Emil. As well, as one fo great and fo forlorn May hold together; On the frights and griefs, (Which never tender lady hath borne greater;). She is, fomething before her time, deliver'd. Paul. A boy? Emil. A daughter, and a goodly babe, Lufty, and like to live: the Queen receives Much comfort in't: fays, My poor prifoner, I'm innocent as you. Paul. I dare be fworn; Thefe dangerous, unfafe lunes i'th' King! befhrew them, He must be told on't, and he fhall; the office The trumpet any more! Pray you, Emilia, Emil. Moft worthy Madam, Your honour and your goodness is fo evident, So meet for this great errand. Please your ladyfhip Thefe dang'rous, unfafe Lunes "ith' King! - I have no where, but in our Author, obferv'd this Word adopted in Our Tongue, to fignify, Frenzy, Lunacy. But it is a Mode of Expreffion with the French. y a de la lune: (i. e. He has got the Moon in his Head; he is frantick.) Cotgrave. Lune. folie. Les femmes ont des lunes dans la tete, Richelet. S4 THEOBALD. Acquaint Acquaint the Queen of your most noble offer, Paul. Tell her, Emilia, I'll use that tongue I have; if wit flow from't, Emil. Now be you bleft for it! I'll to the Queen: please you, come fomething nearer. Goal. Madam, if't please the Queen to fend the babe, I know not what I fhall incur, to pass it, Having no warrant. Paul. You need not fear it, Sir; The child was prifoner to the womb, and is Paul. Do not you fear; upon mine honour, I SCENE IV. Changes to the Palace [Exeunt Enter Leontes, Antigonus, Lords and other attendants. OR night, nor day, no reft; weakness To bear the matter thus; meer weakness, if it is but The caufe' were not in being-part o'th' caufe, Is quite beyond mine arm; out of the blank out of the blank And level of my brain;] Beyond the aim of any attempt that I can make against him. Blank and level, are terms of archery. And And level of my brain; plot-proof; but fhe. Enter an Attendant. Atten. My Lord. Leo. How does the boy? Atten. He took good reft to night; 'tis hop'd, His fickness is discharg❜d. Leo. To fee his nobleness! Conceiving the difhonour of his mother, He straight declin'd, droop'd, took it deeply; Laugh at me; make their paftime at my forrow; SCENE V. Enter Paulina, with a Child. Lord. You must not enter. Paul. Nay rather, good my Lords, be fecond to me: Fear you his tyrannous paffion more, alas, Than the Queen's life? a gracious innocent foul, Ant. That's enough. Atten. Atten. [within] Madam, he hath not flept to night: commanded, None fhould come at him. Paul. Not fo hot, good Sir; I come to bring him fleep. 'Tis such as you, Do come with words, as medicinal, as true; Leo. What noife there, ho? Paul. No noife, my Lord, but needful conference, About fome goffips for your Highness. Leo. How? Away with that audacious lady.-Antigonus, I charg'd thee, that she should not come about me; I knew, fhe would. Ant. I told her fo, my Lord, On your displeasure's peril and on mine, Leo. What? can't not rule her? Paul. From all difhonefty he can; in this, Unless he take the courfe that you have done, Commit me, for committing honour, truft it, He fhall not rule me. Ant. Lo-you now, you hear. When the will take the rein, I let her run, Paul. Good my Liege, I come And I beseech you, hear me, who profess Leo. Good Queen? Paul. Good Queen, my Lord, Good Good Queen, I fay, good Queen; And would by combat make her good, fo were I' A man, the worst about you. Leo. Force her hence. eyes, Paul. Let him, that makes but trifles of his First hand me. On mine own accord, I'll off; But first, I'll do my errand. The good Queen, For fhe is good, hath brought you forth a daughter, Here 'tis; commends it to your bleffing. Leo. Out! [Laying down the child. A mankind witch! hence with her, out o'door: Paul. Not fo; I am as ignorant in that, as you In fo intit❜ling me; and no lefs honeft Than you are mad; which is enough, I'll warrant, As this world goes, to pafs for honeft. Leo. Traitors! Will you not push her out? give her the baftard. 3 And would by combat make her good, fo were I A man, the worst about you.] Paulina fuppofes the King's jealoufy to be raised and inflamed by the courtiers about him; who, the finely fays, creep like fhadows by him, and do figh At each his needlefs heavings: Surely then, he could not fay, that were the a man, the worst of thefe, fhe would vindicate her miftrefs's honour against the King's fufpicions, in fingle combat. Shakespeare, I am perfuaded, wrote, ・So were I A man, ON TH' worst about you. i. e. were I a man, I would, vindicate her honour, on the worft you. [To Antigonus. of thefe fycophants that are about WARBURTON, The worst means only the lowest. Were I the meaneft of your fervants, I would yet claim the combat against any accuser. 4 A mankind witch? A mankind woman, is yet used in the midland counties, for a woman violent, ferocious, and mischievous. It has the fame fenfe in this paffage. Witches are fuppofed to be mankind, to put off the foftnefs and delicacy of women, therefore Sir Hugh, in the Merry Wives of Windsor, fays, of a woman fufpected to be a witch, that he does not like when a woman has a beard. Of this meaning Mr. Theobald has given examples. Thou |