And now baits me! This brat is none of mine; It is the iffue of Polixenes. Hence with it, and together with the dam, Pau. It is yours; And, might we lay th' old proverb to your charge, The trick of's frown, his forehead, nay, the valley, The ordering of the mind too, 'mongst all colours Leo. A grofs hag! And lozel, thou art worthy to be hang'd, Ant. Hang all the husbands, That cannot do that feat, you'll leave your felf 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, 62 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 Yea, fcandalous to the world. Leo. On your allegiance, you, Out of the chamber with her. Were I a tyrant, Look Look to your babe, my lord, 'tis yours; Jove send her Will never do him good, not one of you. [Exit. Leo. Thou, traytor, haft fet on thy wife to this. My child? away with't. Even thou, thou that hast A heart fo tender o'er it, take it hence, And see it inftantly confum'd with fire; Even thou, and none but thou. Take it up ftraight: Ant. I did not, Sir: Thefe lords, my noble fellows, if they please, Lord. We can; my royal liege, He is not guilty of her coming hither. Lords. 'Befeech your Highness give us better credit. (As recompence of our dear services 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 Leo. 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, [To Antigonus. You, that have been fo tenderly officious So fure as this beard's grey) what will you adventure Ant. Ant. Any thing, my lord, And Nobleness impofe: at least, thus much; Ant. I will, my lord. Leo. Mark and perform it; feeft thou? for the fail Of any point in't fhall not only be Death to thy felf, but to thy lewd-tongu'd wife, In more than this deed does require; and Bleffing, Poor thing, condemn'd to lofs. [Exit, with the child. Another's iffue. Enter a Messenger. Mes. Please your Highness, Pofts, From those you sent to th' Oracle, are come An hour fince. Cleomines and Dion, Being well arriv'd from Delphos, are both landed, Hafting to th' Court. VOL. III. Lord. So please you, Sir, their speed Hath been beyond account. Leo. Twenty three days They have been abfent: this good speed foretels, The truth of this appear. Prepare you, lords, ACT III. [Exeunt, severally. SCENE, a Part of Sicily near the Sea-fide. T Enter Cleomines and Dion. CLEOMINES. HE climate's delicate, the air moft fweet, (12) (12) The Climate's delicate, the Air most fweet, Dion. Fertile the Ifle -] I muft fubjoin a very reasonable. Con jecture of my Friend upon this Paffage. But the Temple of "Apollo at Delphi was not in an Island, but in Phocis on the Continent. "It's plain, the blundering Tranfcribers had their Heads running on "Delos, an Inland of the Cyclades. So that the true Reading is un"doubtedly; 66 The Climate's delicate, the Air moft feet, "Soil might with a very eafy Tranfpofition of the Letters, be corrupted to Ifle. But the true Reading manifefts itself likewife on this Ac count; that, in a Defcription, the Sweetness of Air, and Fertility of Soil, is much more terfe and elegant than Air and Ifle. Mr. Warburton. But Dion. I fhall report, (13) For moft it caught me, the celestial habits, (Methinks, I fo should term them,) and the reverence Of the grave wearers. O, the Sacrifice How ceremonious, folemn, and unearthly It was i' th' offering! Cleo. But of all, the Burst And the ear-deafning voice o' th' Oracle, Dion. If th' event o' th' journey Prove as fuccessful to the Queen, (O, be't so!) But to confefs the Truth, I am very fufpicious that our Author, notwithstanding, wrote Ile, and for this Reafon. The Groundwork and Incidents of his Play are taken from an old Story, call'd, The pleasant and delectable Hiftory of Doraftus and Fawnia; written by Mr. Robert Green, a Master of Arts in Cambridge, in the Reign of Q. Elizabeth: and there the Queen begs of her Lord, in the Rage of his Jealousy, That it would please his Majefty to fend fix of his Nobles, whom he best trufted, to the Ile of Delphos, there to enquire of the Oracle of Apollo, &c. Another palpable Abfurdity our Author has copied from the fame Tale, in making Bobemia a maritime Country, which is known to be Inland, and in the Heart of the main Continent. (13) Dion. I fhall report, For moft it caught me, &c.] What will he report? And what means this Reafon of his Report, viz. that the Celestial Habits first caught his Obfervation? I do not know, whether his Declaration of reporting, be more obfcure, or his Reafon for it more ridiculous. The Speaker feems to be under thofe Circumftances, which his Brother Ambaffador in the next Speech talks of, So furprix'd my Senfe, that I was Nothing. But if we may fuppofe him recover'd from his Surprize, we may be affur'd He faid; - It fhames Report. Foremost it caught me, the Celestial Habits, &c. Cleomines had faid, The Temple much furpafs'd the common Praise it bore. Dion replies, Yes, it hames Report by fo far exceeding what Report had pretended to fay of it: and then goes on to particularize the Wonders of the Place. The firft Thing, fays he, that ftruck me, was the Priests Habits, &c. And, by the Bye, it is worth obferving, that the Wonders are particulariz'd in their exact Order: first, the Habits of the Priefts, who were ready to meet Enquirers; then, the Priefts Behaviour; then, the Sacrifice; and then, the pronouncing the Oracle. The Reader may fee Van Dale de Oraculis Ethnicorum; and be fatisfied of This. Mr. Warburton. |