Reward did threaten and encourage him,

Not doing it, and being done: he, most humane,
And filled with honour, to my kingly guest
Unclasped my practice, quit his fortunes here,
Which you knew great, and to the certain hazard
Of all incertainties himself commended,

No richer than his honour :-how he glisters
Thorough my rust! and how his piety
Does my deeds make the blacker!

Re-enter PAULINA.

Paul.

Woe the while ;

O, cut my lace, lest my heart, cracking it,

Break too!

1 Lord. What fit is this, good lady?

Paul. What studied torments, tyrant, hast for

me?

What wheels? racks? fires? what flaying? boiling,
In leads, or oils what old or newer torture
Must I receive, whose every word deserves
To taste of thy most worst? Thy tyranny,
Together working with thy jealousies—
Fancies too weak for boys, too green and idle
For girls of nine-O! think, what they have done,
And then run mad, indeed,-stark mad! for all
Thy by-gone fooleries were but spices of it

76

THE WINTER S TALE.

That thou betray'dst Polixenes, 't was nothing;
That did but show thee, of a fool, inconstant,
And damnable ingrateful; nor was 't much,
Thou wouldst have poisoned good Camillo's honour,
To have him kill a king; poor trespasses,
More monstrous standing by: whereof I reckon
The casting forth to crows thy baby daughter,
To be or none, or little,-though a devil
Would have shed water out of fire, ere done 't :
Nor is 't directly laid to thee, the death

Of the young prince, whose honourable thoughts-
Thoughts high for one so tender-cleft the heart
That could conceive a gross and foolish sire
Blemished his gracious dam: this is not, no,
Laid to thy answer: but the last,-O lords!
When I have said, cry Woe!'-the queen, the

queen,

The sweet'st dear'st creature's dead; and vengeance for 't

Not dropped down yet.

1 Lord.

The higher powers forbid !

Paul. I say, she's dead; I'll swear't: if word

nor oath

Prevail not, go and see.

If you can bring

her lin her eve.

As I would do the gods.-But, O thou tyrant!
Do not repent these things, for they are heavier
Than all thy woes can stir; therefore, betake thee
To nothing but despair. A thousand knees
Ten thousand years together, naked, fasting,
Upon a barren mountain, and still winter,
In storm perpetual, could not move the gods
To look that way thou wert.

Leon.

Go on, go on;

Thou canst not speak too much: I have deserved All tongues to talk their bitterest.

1 Lord.

Say no more:

Howe'er the business goes, you have made fault
I' the boldness of your speech.

Paul.

I am sorry for 't:

All faults I make, when I shall come to know

them,

I do repent. Alas, I have showed too much

The rashness of a woman. He is touched

To the noble heart. - What's gone, and what's past help,

Should be past grief: do not receive affliction

At my petition; I beseech you rather,

Let me be punished, that have minded you

Of what you should forget. Now, good my liege, Sir, royal sir, forgive a foolish woman

.78

The love I bore your queen,-lo, fool again !—
I'll speak of her no more, nor of

your

I'll not remember you of my own lord,

Who is lost too.

children;

Take your patience to you,

Thou didst speak but well,

And I'll say nothing.

Leon.

When most the truth, which I receive much better
Than to be pitied of thee. Pr'ythee, bring me
To the dead bodies of my queen and son.
One grave shall be for both upon them shall
The causes of their death appear, unto
Our shame perpetual. Once a day I'll visit
The chapel where they lie; and tears shed there
Shall be my recreation: so long as nature

Will bear up with this

I daily vow to use it.
To these sorrows.

exercise, so long
Come, and lead me

[Exeunt

SCENE III-Bohemia.

A Desert Country near

the Sea.

Enter ANTIGONUS, with the Babe; and a Mariner.

Ant. Thou art perfect then, our ship hath

Mar. Ay, my lord; and fear We have landed in ill time: the skies look grimly, And threaten present blusters. In my conscience, The heavens with that we have in hand are angry, And frown upon 's.

Ant. Their sacred wills be done!-Go, get aboard;

Look to thy bark: I'll not be long before
I call upon thee.

Mar. Make your best haste, and go not

Too far i' the land: 't is like to be loud weather;
Besides, this place is famous for the creatures
Of prey that keep upon 't.

I have heard—but not believed-the spirits o' the

dead

May walk again: if such thing be, thy mother
Appeared to me last night, for ne'er was dream
So like a waking. To me comes a creature,
Sometimes her head on one side, some another;
I never saw a vessel of like sorrow,

So filled and sol