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He ftraight declin'd, and droop'd, took it moft deeply,
Faften'd and fix'd the fhame on't in himself;
Threw off his fpirit, his appetite, his fleep,

And down-right languifh'd. Leave me folely; go,
See how he fares.- Fie, fie, no thought of him;

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[Ex. Attend.

The very thought of my revenges that way
Recoils upon me; in himself too mighty,
And in his parties, his alliance; let him
Be 'till a time may ferve. For prefent vengeance,
Take it on her. Camillo and Polixenes

Laugh at me, make their paftime at my forrow;
They should not langh, if I could reach them, nor
Shall the within my power.

SCENE V. Enter Paulina with a Child.
Lord. You must not enter.

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Pau. Nay rather, good my Lords, be fecond to me: you his tyrannous paffion more, alas,

Fear

Than the Queen's life? a gracious innocent foul,
More free than he is jealous.

Ant. That's enough.

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Atten. Madam, he hath not slept to-night; commanded None fhould come at him.

Pau. Not fo hot, good Sir,

I come to bring him fleep. 'Tis fuch as you
That creep like fhadows by him, and do figh
At each his needlefs heavings, fuch as you
Nourish the cause of his awaking. I
Do come with words, as medicinal, as true;
Honeft as either, to purge him of that humour
That preffes him from fleep.

Leo. What noise there, ho?

Pau. 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 the fhould not come about me,

I knew the would.

Ant. I told her fo, my Lord,

On your difpleasure's peril and on mine,

V IV.

D

She

She fhould not vifit you.

Leo. What? canft not rule her?

Pau. From all dishonesty he can; in this,
(Unless he take the course that you have done,
Commit me for committing honour,) trust me,
He fhall not rule me.

Ant. Lo-you now, you hear,

When the will take the rein, I let her run,
But he'll not ftumble.

Pau. Good my Liege, I comentados
And I beseech you hear me, who profefs
My felf your loyal fervant, your phyfician,
Your most obedient counsellor: yet that dares
Lefs appear fo, in comforting your evils,
Than fuch as most feem yours. I fay, I come
From your good Queen.

Leo, Good Queen?

Pau. Good Queen, my Lord,
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.

Pau. Let him that makes but trifles of his eyes
Firft 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:
A moft intelligencing bawd.

Pau. Not fo,

I am as ignorant in that as you,

In fo intit'ling me; and no less honeft

Than you are mad; which is enough, I'll warrant,

As this world goes, to pafs for honeft.

Leo. Traytors!

Will you not push her out? give her the baftard. [To Ant. Thou dotard, thou art women-tyr'd; unreofted

By thy dame Partlet here. Take up the bastard,

Take't

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Unvenerable be thy hands, if thou

Tak'ft up the Princefs, by that forced bafenofs

Which he has put upon't!

Leo. He dreads his wife.

Pau. So I would you did: then 'twere past all doubt You'd call your children yours,

Leo. A neft of traytors!

Ant. I am none by this good light.

Pau. Nor I; nor any

But one that's here; and that's himself. For he,
The facred honour of himself, his Queen's,

His hopeful fon's, his babe's, betrays to flander,
Whofe fting is fharper than the fword's; and will not
(For as the cafe now ftands, it is a curfe

He cannot be compell'd to't) once remove
The root of his opinion, which is rotten,
As ever oak or tone was found.

Leo. A callat

Of boundless tongue, who late hath beat her husband,
And now baits me! This brat is none of mine,
It is the iffue of Polixenes.

Hence with it, and together with the dam,
Commit them to the fire.

Pau. It is yours;

And, might we lay th' old proverb to your charge,
So like you, 'tis the worfe. Behold, my Lords,
Altho' the print be little, the whole matter
And copy of the father; eye, nofe, lip,

The trick of's frown, his forehead, nay, the valleys,
The dimples of his chin, and cheek, his smiles,
The very mold and frame of hand, nail, finger.
And thou, good Goddess Nature, which haft made it
So like to him that got it, if thou haft

The ordering of the mind too, 'mongst all colours
No yellow int left the fufpect, as he does,
Her children not her husband's.

Leo. A grofs hag

And, lozel, thou art worthy to be hang`d,

That

That wilt not stay her tongue.

Ant. Hang all the husbands

That cannot do that feat, you'll leave your felf
Hardly one fubject.

Leo. Once more take her hence.

Pau. A moft unworthy and unnatural Lord

Can do no more.

Leo. I'll ha' thee burnt.

Pau. I care not;

It is an heretick that makes the fire,

Not the which burns in't. I'll not call you tyrant,
But this moft cruel ufage of your Queen

(Not able to produce more accufation

Than your own weak-hing'd fancy) fomething favours
Of tyranny, and will ignoble make you,
Yea, fcandalous to all the world.

Leo. On your allegiance,

Out of the chamber with her. Were I a tyrant,
Where were her life? the durft not call me fo,
If fhe did know me one. Away with her!

Pau. I pray you, do not push me, I'll be gone.
Look to your babe, my Lord, 'tis yours; Jove fend her
A better guiding fpirit! What need these hands?
You that are thus fo tender o'er his follies,

Will never do him good, not one of you.

So, fo: farewel, we are gone.

SCENE

VI.

Leo. Thou, traytor, haft fet on thy wife to this.
My child? away with't. Even thou that hast
A heart fo tender o'er it, take it hence,
And fee it inftantly confum'd with fire;

Even thou, and none but thou. Take it up ftraight:
Within this hour bring me word 'tis done,
And by good teftimony, or I'll feize

Thy life, with all that's thine: if thou refufe,
And wilt encounter with my wrath, fay fo;
The baftard-brains with these my proper hands
Shall I dash out: go take it to the fire,
For thou fett'd'ft on thy wife,

Ant. I did not, Sir:

[Exit.

The

The Lords, my noble fellows, if they please,"

Can clear me in't.

Lord. We can, my royal Liege,

He is not guilty of her coming hither.
Leo. You're Hars all.

Lord. 'Befeech your Highnefs, give us better credit.
We've always truly ferv'd you, and befeech you
So to efteem of us; and on our knees

We beg (as recompence of our dear fervice
Paft, and to come) that you do change this purpose,
Which being fo.horrible, fo bloody, muft

Lead on to fome foul iffue... We all kneel

Lea. I am a feather for each wind that blows:

Shall I live on to fee this baftard kneel

And call me father? better burn it now,
Than curfe it then, But be it, let it live:

It shall not neither. You, Sir, come you hither; [To Ant. You that have been fo tenderly officious

With Lady Margery, your midwife there,

To fave this baftard's life; (for 'tis a baftard,
So fure as this beard's grey) what will
To fave this brat's life?

Ant. Any thing, my Lord,"

That my ability may undergo

you

And nobleness impofe: at leaft thus much;
I'll pawn the little blood which I have left,
To fave the innocent; what's poffible.

adventure

Leo. It fhall be poffible;' fwear by this sword Thou wilt perform my bidding.

Ant. I will, my Lord.

Leo. Mark and perform it; feeft thou? for the fail
Of any point in't shall not only be

Death to thy felf, but to thy lewd-tongu'd wife,
Whom for this time we pardon. We enjoyn thee,
As thou art liege-man to us, that thou carry
This female baftard hence, and that thou bear it
To fome remote and defart place, quite out
Of our dominions; and that there thou leave it,
Without more mercy, to its own protection
And favour of the climate. As by ftränge fortune

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