Cam. How now, good fellow? why shakest thou

so?

Fear not, man; here's no harm intended to thee. Aut. I am a poor fellow, sir.

Cam. Why, be so still; here's nobody will steal that from thee: yet, for the outside of thy poverty, we must make an exchange; therefore, discase thee instantly (thou must think, there's a necessity in 't) and change garments with this gentleman. Though the pennyworth on his side be the worst, yet hold thee, there's some boot.

Aut. I am a poor fellow, sir.-[Aside.] I know ye well enough.

Cam. Nay, pr'ythee, despatch: the gentleman is half flayed already.

Aut. Are you in earnest, sir?-[Aside.] I smell the trick of it.

Flo. Despatch, I pr'ythee.

Aut. Indeed, I have had earnest; but I cannot with conscience take it.

Cam. Unbuckle, unbuckle. —

[FLORIZEL and AUTOLYCUS exchange garments. Fortunate mistress,-let my prophecy

Come home to you!--you must retire yourself

Into some covert: take your sweet-heart's hat

126

THE WINTER'S TALE.

Dismantle you, and, as you can, disliken

The truth of your own seeming, that you may-
For I do fear eyes over you to shipboard

Get undescried.

I see the play so lies

No remedy

Should I now meet my father

Nay, you shall have no hat.—

Adieu, sir.

He would not call me son.

Cam.

Come, lady, come,-Farewell, my friend.

Aut.

Flo. O Perdita, what have we twain forgot!
Pray you, a word.

[They converse apart.

Cam. What I do next shall be to tell the king
Of this escape, and whither they are bound;
Wherein, my hope is, I shall so prevail
To force him after; in whose company
I shall review Sicilia, for whose sight
I have a woman's longing.--

Fio.

Fortune speed us!—

Thus we set on, Camillo, to the sea-side.

wifter speed, the better.

have an open ear, a quick eye, and a nimble hand, is necessary for a cut-purse; a good nose is requisite also, to smell out work for the other senses. I see, this is the time that the unjust man doth thrive. What an exchange had this been, without boot! what a boot is here with this exchange! Sure, the gods do this year connive at us, and we may do anything extempore. The prince himself is about a piece of iniquity; stealing away from his father, with his clog at his heels. If I thought it were a piece of honesty to acquaint the king withal, I would not do 't: I hold it the more knavery to conceal it, and therein am I constant to my profession. Aside, aside:-here is more matter for a hot brain. Every lane's end, every shop, church, session, hanging, yields a careful man work.

Enter Clown and Shepherd.

Clo. See, see, what a man you are now!

There

is no other way, but to tell the king she's a change

ling, and none of your flesh and blood.

Shep. Nay, but hear me.

Clo. Nay, but hear me.

Shep. Go to, then.

Clo. She being none of your flesh and blood your flesh and blood 1

128

THE WINTER'S TALE.

This

so your flesh and blood is not to be punished by him.
Show those things you found about her; those
secret things, all but what she has with her.
being done, let the law go whistle: I warrant you.
Shep. I will tell the king all, every word, yea,
and his son's pranks too; who, I may say, is no
honest man, neither to his father, nor to me, to go
about to make me the king's brother-in-law.

Clo. Indeed, brother-in-law was the furthest off you could have been to him; and then your blood had been the dearer, by I know how much an ounce. Aut. [Aside.] Very wisely, puppies!

Shep. Well, let us to the king; there is that in this fardel will make him scratch his beard.

Ant. [Aside.] I know not what impediment this complaint may be to the flight of my master. Clo. 'Pray heartily he be at palace.

Aut. [Aside.] Though I am not naturally honest, I am so sometimes by chance:-let me pocket up [Takes off his false beard.] my pedlar's excrement. How now, rustics? Whither are you bound? Shep. To the palace, an it like your worship. Aut. Your affairs there! what? with whom? the dition of that fardel, the place of your dwelling,

Imading

Clo. We are but plain fellows, sir.

Aut. A lie: you are rough and hairy. Let me have no lying; it becomes none but tradesmen, and they often give us soldiers the lie; but we pay them for it with stamped coin, not stabbing steel : therefore, they do not give us the lie.

Clo. Your worship had like to have given us one, if you had not taken yourself with the manner.

Shep. Are you a courtier, an 't like you, sir?

Aut. Whether it like me, or no, I am a courtier. Seest thou not the air of the court in these enfoldings hath not my gait in it the measure of the court receives not thy nose court-odour from me? reflect I not on thy baseness court-contempt? Think'st thou, for that I insinuate, or toze from thee thy business, I am therefore no courtier? I am courtier, cap-a-pè; and one that will either push on, or pluck back thy business there: whereupon I command thee to open thy affair.

Shep. My business, sir, is to the king.

Aut. What advocate hast thou to him?
Shep. I know not, an 't like you.

Clo. Advocate's the court-word for a pheasant : say, you have none.

Shep. None, sir: I have no pheasant, cock, nor