THE

WINTER's TALE.

ACT I.

SCENE, an Antichamber in Leontes's PALACE.

Enter Camillo, and Archidamus.

F

(1) ARCHIDAMUS.

you fhall chance, Camillo, to vifit Bohemia, on the like occafion whereon my services are now on foot; you fhall fee, as I have faid, great difference betwixt our Bohemia and your Sicilia.

Cam. I think, this coming fummer, the King of Sisilia means to pay Bohemia the vifitation, which he justly owes him.

Arch.

(1) ARCHIDAM A MUS. This is a Character of that Sort, which the old Criticks have call'door wellov: One entirely out of the Action and Argument of the Play, and introduc'd only to open Something, neceffary to be known, previous to the Action of the Fable. Donatus, in his Preface to Terence's Fair Andrian, explains this Character thus. Perfona autem protatica ea intelligitur, quæ femel inducta in Principio Fabule, in nullis deinceps fabule partibus adhibetur. By a Pro"tatick Character we are to understand fuch a One, as is introduc'd in "the Beginning, and never after appears in any Part of the Fable. Such is Sofia in that Comedy of Terence; Such, Davus in his Phormio; and Philotis and Syra, in his Mother-in-law. Such are the Servants of the Capulets and Mountagues, in our Author's Romeo and Juliet: the Vo L. III. F

Two

Arch. Wherein our entertainment fhall fhame us, we will be justified in our loves; for, indeed,

Cam. 'Beseech you

Arch. Verily, I fpeak it in the freedom of my knowledge; we cannot with fuch magnificence- in fo rare I know not what to fay- we will give you fleepy drinks, that your fenfes (unintelligent of our infufficience) may, tho' they cannot praise us, as little accufe us.

Cam. You pay a great deal too dear, for what's given freely.

Arch. Believe me, I fpeak, as my Understanding inftructs me; and as mine honefty puts it to utterance.

Cam, Sicilia cannot fhew, himself over-kind to Bohemia; they were train'd together in their childhoods; and there rooted betwixt them then fuch an affection, which cannot chufe but branch now. Since their more mature dignities and royal neceffities made separation of their fociety, their incounters, though not perfonal, have been royally attornied with enterchange of gifts, letters, loving embaffies; that they have feem'd to be together, tho' abfent; fhook hands, as over a Vaft; and embrac'd, as it were from the ends of oppofed winds. The heav'ns continue their loves!

Arch. I think, there is not in the world either malice, or matter, to alter it. You have an unspeakable comfort of your young Prince Mamillius: it is a gentleman of the greateft promife, that ever came into my note.

Cam. I very well agree with you in the hopes of him it is a gallant child; one that, indeed, phyficks. the fubject, makes old hearts fresh: they, that went on crutches, ere he was born, defire yet their life to fee

him a man.

Two Gentlemen, who open his Cymbeline; the Sea-Captain, in the Second Scene of Twelfthnight; and (tho' thrown into the Middle of the Play) of the fame Nature are the Gentlemen in K. Henry VIII; who are introduced only to make the Narratives of Buckingham's Arraignment, and Anne Bullen's Coronation.

Arch.

Arch. Would they else be content to die?

Cam. Yes, if there were no other excufe why they fhould defire to live.

Arch. If the King had no fon, they would defire to live on crutches 'till he had one.

SCENE opens to the Prefence.

Enter Leontes, Hermione, Mamillius, Polixenes, and Attendants.

Pol. Nine Changes of the watry star hath been
The fhepherd's note, fince we have left our Throne
Without a burthen: time as long again

Would be fill'd up, my brother, with our thanks;
And yet we fhould, for perpetuity,

Go hence in debt: and therefore, like a cypher,
Yet ftanding in rich place, I multiply

With one, we thank you, many thousands more
That go before it.

Leo. Stay your thanks a while;
And pay them, when you part.

Pol. Sir, that's to morrow:

I'm question'd by my fears, of what may chance,
Or breed upon our abfence, that may blow
No fneaping winds at home, to make us fay,
"This is put forth too truly". Befides, I have stay'd
To tire your royalty.

Leo. We are tougher, brother,

Than you can put us to❜t.

Pol. No longer Stay.

Leo. One fev'n-night longer.

Pol. Very footh, to morrow.

Leo. We'll part the time between's then: and in that,

I'll no gain-faying.

Pol. Prefs me not, 'befeech you, fo;

There is no tongue that moves, none, none i'th' world, So foon as yours, could win me: fo it fhould now, Were there neceffity in your request, altho'

'Twere needful I deny'd it. My affairs

Do even drag me homeward; which to hinder,
Were, in your love, a whip to me; my stay,
To you a charge and trouble: to save both,
Farewell, our brother.

Leo. Tongue-ty'd, our Queen? fpeak you.

Her. I had thought, Sir, to've held my peace, until
You 'ad drawn oaths from him not to ftay: you, Sir,
Charge him too coldly. Tell him, you are fure,
All in Bohemia's well: this fatisfaction

The by-gone day proclaim'd; fay this to him,
He's beat from his best ward.

Leo. Well faid, Hermione.

Her. To tell, he longs to fee his fon, were strong, But let him fay fo then, and let him go;

But let him fwear fo, and he shall not stay;
We'll thwack him hence with diftaffs.
Yet of your royal prefence I'll adventure

[To-Polixenes.

The borrow of a week. When at Bohemia
You take my lord, I'll give him my commiffion,
To let him there a month, behind the geft (2)
Prefix'd for's parting: yet, (good-deed) Leontes,
I love thee not a jar o'th' clock behind

What lady the her lord. You'll stay?
Pol. No, Madam.

Her. Nay, but you

will.

Pol. I may not, verily.

Her. Verily?

You put me off with limber vows; but I,

Tho' you would seek t'unsphere the stars with oaths, Should yet fay, "Sir, no going: verily,

(2)

behind the geft

Preferib'd for's parting:] I have not ventur'd to alter the Text, tho', I freely own, I can neither trace, nor understand, the Phrase. Í have fufpected, that the Poet wrote;

behind the just

Preferib'd for's parting.

i. e. the juft, precife, time; the inftant; (where Time is likewife underftood) by an Elleipfis practis'd in all Tongues. It is familiar with us to fay, I'll do fuch a thing just now. use their Adverb juftement (eo ipfo tempore) precisement, à point nommé.

And in the fame manner the French

"You

"You fhall not go; a lady's verily is
As potent as a lord's. Will you go, yet?
Force me to keep you as a prifoner,

Not like a gueft? fo you fhall pay your fees,

When you depart, and fave your thanks. How fay you?
My prifoner? or my gueft? by your dread verily,
One of them you shall be.

Pol. Your Gueft then, Madam :

To be your prifoner, fhould import offending;
Which is for me less eafie to commit,

Than you to punish.

Her. Not your Goaler then,

But your kind Hoftefs; come, I'll question you
Of my lord's tricks, and yours, when you were boys;
You were pretty lordings then?

Pol. We were, fair Queen,

Two lads, that thought there was no more behind, But fuch a day to morrow as to day,

And to be boy eternal.

Her. Was not my lord

The verier wag o'th' two?

Pol. We were as twinn'd lambs, that did frisk i'th'
Sun,

And bleat the one at th' other: what we chang'd,
Was innocence for innocence; we knew not
The doctrine of ill-doing; no, nor dream'd,
That any did had we purfu'd that life,

And our weak fpirits ne'er been higher rear'd
With ftronger blood, we fhould have answer'd heaven
Boldly, Not guilty; th' impofition clear'd, (3)
Hereditary ours.

Her. By this we gather,

You have tript fince.

Pol. O my moft facred lady,

Temptations have fince then been born to's: for

(3)

th' Impofition clear'd,

Hereditary ours.] i. e. fetting afide Original Sin: bating That Impofition from the Offence of our firft Parents, we might have boldly, protefted our Innocence to Heaven, against any Guilt committed by Our felves.