Relish as 17 truth, like us; inform yourselves,
We need no more of your advice: the matter,
The loss, the gain, the ordering on't, is all
Properly ours.

Ant.

And I wish, my liege,

You had only in your silent judgment tried it,
Without more overture.

Leon.

How could that be?

Camillo's flight,

Either thou art most ignorant by age,

Or thou wert born a fool.

Added to their familiarity,

(Which was as gross as ever touch'd conjecture, That lack'd sight only, nought for approbation 18, But only seeing, 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
Most piteous to be wild) I have despatch'd in post,
To sacred Delphos, to Apollo's temple,
Cleomenes and Dion, whom you know

Of stuff'd sufficiency 19: Now, from the oracle
They will bring all; whose spiritual counsel had,
Shall stop, or spur me. Have I done well?
1 Lord. Well done, my lord.

Leon. Though I am satisfied, and need no more

Than what I know, yet shall the oracle

Give rest to the minds of others; such as he,

Whose ignorant credulity will not

Come up to the truth. So have we thought it good,
From our free person she should be confin'd;
Lest that the treachery of the two fled hence,
Be left her to perform. Come, follow us;

17 The old copies read a truth. Rowe made the correction. 19 Approbation, i. e. proof. That wanted nothing but proof to

be seen.

19 Of stuff'd sufficiency, i. e. of abilities more than sufficient.

We are to speak in publick: for this business
Will raise us all.

Ant. [Aside.] To laughter, as I take it,

If the good truth were known.

[Exeunt.

SCENE II. The same. The outer Room of a Prison.

Enter PAULINA and Attendants.

Paul. The keeper of the prison,-call to him;

[Exit an Attendant. Let him have knowledge who I am,-Good lady! No court in Europe is too good for thee,

What dost thou then in prison?—Now, good sir,

Re-enter Attendant, with the Jailer.

You know me, do you not?

Jailer.

And one whom much I honour.

Paul.

Conduct me to the queen.

For a worthy lady,

Pray you, then,

Jailer. I may not, madam; to the contrary

I have express commandment.

Paul.

Here's ado,

To lock up honesty and honour from

The access of gentle visitors !- -Is't lawful,
Pray you, to see her women? any of them?
Emilia ?

Jailer. So please you, madam, to put
Apart these your attendants, I shall bring
Emilia forth.

Paul.

I pray now, call her.

Withdraw yourselves.

Jailer.

[Exeunt Attend.

And, madam,

[Exit Jailer.

I must be present at your conference.
Paul. Well, be it so, pr'ythee.

Here's such ado to make no stain a stain,
As passes colouring.

Re-enter Jailer, with EMILIA.

Dear gentlewoman, how fares our gracious lady?
Emil. As well as one so great, and so forlorn,
May hold together. On her frights and griefs
(Which never tender lady hath borne greater),
She is, something before her time, deliver'd.
Paul. A boy?

Emil.

A daughter; and a goodly babe, Lusty, and like to live: the queen receives Much comfort in't: says, My poor prisoner,

I am innocent as you.

Paul.

I dare be sworn :

These dangerous unsafe lunes1 i̇'the king! beshrew

them!

He must be told on't, and he shall the office
Becomes a woman best; I'll take't

upon me:
If I prove honey-mouth'd, let my tongue blister;
And never to my red-look'd anger be

The trumpet any more :-Pray you, Emilia,
Commend my best obedience to the

queen;
If she dares trust me with her little babe,
I'll show't the king, and undertake to be
Her advocate to th' loudest: We do not know
How he may soften at the sight o'the child;
The silence often of pure innocence

Persuades, when speaking fails.

Emil. Most worthy madam, Your honour, and your goodness, is so evident, That your free undertaking cannot miss

A thriving issue; there is no lady living,

So meet for this great errand: Please your ladyship

Lunes. This word has not been found in any other English writer; but it is used in old French for frenzy, lunacy, folly. A similar expression occurs in The Revenger's Tragedy, 1608:-"I know it was but some peevish moon in him." In As You Like It, we have the expression, a moonish youth.

To visit the next room, I'll presently
Acquaint the queen of your most noble offer;
Who, but to-day, hammer'd of this design;
But durst not tempt a minister of honour,
Lest she should be denied.

Paul.

Tell her, Emilia,

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

Emil.

Now be you blest for it!

I'll to the queen: Please you, come something nearer. Jailer. Madam, if't please the queen to send the

babe,

I know not what I shall incur, to pass it,

Having no warrant.

Paul.

You need not fear it, sir:
This child was prisoner to the womb; and is,
By law and process of great nature, thence
Freed and enfranchis'd: not a party to
The anger of the king; nor guilty of,
If any be, the trespass of the queen.
Jailer. I do believe it.

Paul.

Do not you fear: upon

Mine honour, I will stand 'twixt you and danger.

[Exeunt.

SCENE III. The same. A Room in the Palace.

Enter LEONTES, ANTIGONUS, Lords, and
other Attendants.

Leon. Nor night, nor day, no rest: It is but weakness To bear the matter thus; mere weakness, if

The cause were not in being;-part o'the cause,
She, the adultress ;-for the harlot king
Is quite beyond mine arm, out of the blank

And level of my brain, plot-proof: but she
I can hook to me: Say, that she were gone,
Given to the fire, a moiety of my rest
Might come to me again.- -Who's there?
1 Attend.

Leon. How does the boy? 1 Attend.

My lord! [Advancing.

He took good rest to-night;

'Tis hop'd his sickness is discharg'd.

Leon.

To see his nobleness!

Conceiving the dishonour of his mother,
He straight declin'd, droop'd, took it deeply;
Fasten'd and fix'd the shame on't in himself;
Threw off his spirit, his appetite, his sleep,
And downright languish'd.-Leave me solely3:-go,
See how he fares. [Exit Attend.]-Fie, fie! no
thought of him*;-

The

my revenges very thought of that way Recoil upon me: in himself too mighty; And in his parties, his alliance.-Let him be, Until a time may serve for present vengeance, Take it on her. Camillo and Polixenes

Laugh at me; make their pastime at my sorrow: They should not laugh, if I could reach them; nor Shall she, within my power.

1 Lord.

Enter PAULINA, with a Child.

You must not enter.

Paul. Nay, rather, good my lords, be second to me : Fear you his tyrannous passion more, alas!

2 Blank and level mean mark and aim, or direction. They are terms of gunnery. See note 7, p. 50, of this play. Thus also in Hamlet, Act iv. Sc. 4:

"As level as the cannon to his blank."

3 Leave me solely, i. e. leave me alone.

4 Him refers to Polixenes. Mr. Collier says that Coleridge, in his lectures in 1815, called this, "an admirable instance of propriety in soliloquy, where the mind leaps from one object to another, without any apparent interval!"