80

THE WINTER S TALE.

Like very sanctity, she did approach

My cabin where I lay, thrice bowed before me,
And, gasping to begin some speech, her eyes
Became two spouts: the fury spent, anon
Did this break from her: Good Antigonus,
Since fate, against thy better disposition,
Hath made thy person for the thrower-out
Of my poor babe, according to thine oath,-
Places remote enough are in Bohemia,

There weep, and leave it crying; and, for the babe

Is counted lost for ever, Perdita,

I pr'ythee, call 't: for this ungentle business,
Put on thee by my lord, thou ne'er shalt see
Thy wife Paulina more:'-and so, with shrieks,
She melted into air. Affrighted much,

I did in time collect myself, and thought
This was so, and no slumber.

Dreams are toys;

Yet for this once, yea, superstitiously,
I do believe,
I will be squared by this.
Hermione hath suffered death; and that
Apollo would, this being indeed the issue
Of King Polixenes, it should here be laid,
Either for life or death, upon the earth

There lie; and there thy character: there these, [Laying down a bundle. Which may, if fortune please, both breed thee,

pretty,

And still rest thine.-The storm begins.-Poor

wretch,

That for thy mother's fault art thus exposed
To loss, and what may follow!-Weep I cannot,
But my heart bleeds, and most accursed am I,
To be by oath enjoined to this.—Farewell !-
The day frowns more and more :-thou art like to

have

A lullaby too rough :-I never saw

The heavens so dim by day.

A savage cla

Shep. I would there were no age between ten and three-and-twenty, or that youth would sleep out the rest; for there is nothing in the between but getting wenches with child, wronging the ancientry, stealing, fighting.-Hark you now!Would any but these boiled-brains of nineteen and

two and

82

THE WINTER'S TALE.

scared away two of my best sheep; which, I fear, the wolf will sooner find than the master: if anywhere I have them, 't is by the seaside, browsing of ivy. Good luck, an 't be thy will!-What have we here? [Taking up the Babe.] Mercy A boy, or a on's, a barn; a very pretty barn! child, I wonder? A pretty one; a very pretty one. Sure, some scape: though I am not bookish, yet I can read waiting-gentlewoman in the scape. This has some stair-work, some trunk work, some behind-door-work: they were warmer that got this than the poor thing is here. pity; yet I'll tarry till my son but even now. -Whoa, ho hoa! Clo. [Without.] Hilloa, loa! Shep. What! art so near? thing to talk on when thou art

I'll take it up for

come: he hollaed

If thou 'lt see a dead and rotten,

come hither.

Enter Clown.

What ail'st thou, man?

Clo. I have seen two such sights, by sea and by land--but I am not to say it is a sea, for it is now

:

the sky betwixt the firmament and it you cannot thrust a bodkin's point.

it

rages,

how it takes up the shore! but that's not to the point. O, the most piteous cry of the poor souls! sometimes to see 'em, and not to see 'em ; now the ship boring the moon with her mainmast, and anon swallowed with yest and froth, as you'd thrust a cork into a hogshead. And then for the

land-service :—to see how the bear tore out his shoulder-bone; how he cried to me for help, and said his name was Antigonus, a nobleman.—But to make an end of the ship:—to see how the sea flapdragoned it ;-but, first. how the poor souls roared. and the sea mocked them;-and how the poor gentleman roared, and the bear mocked him, both roaring louder than the sea or weather.

Shep. Name of mercy! when was this, boy?

Clo. Now, now; I have not winked since I saw these sights: the men are not yet cold under water, nor the bear half-dined on the gentleman : he's at it now.

Shep. Would I had been by, to have helped the old man!

Clo. I would you had been by the ship's side, to have helped her: there your charity would have lacked footing.

Shep. Heavy matters! heavy matters! but look thee here, boy. Now bless thrself

84

THE WINTER'S TALE.

with things dying, I with things new-born.

Here's

It was told me,

up,

I

Look thee, a bearing-cloth for a a sight for thee ! take up, squire's child! Look thee here :—take boy; open't. So, let's see. should be rich by the fairies: this is some changeling. Open 't-what's within, boy?

Clo. You're a made old man: if the sins of your youth are forgiven you, you 're well to live. Gold ! all gold!

Shep. This is fairy gold, boy, and 't will prove so: up with 't, keep it close; home, home, the next We are lucky, boy; and to be so still, reway. quires nothing but secrecy.-Let my sheep go.— Come, good boy, the next way

home.

Clo. Go you the next way with your findings: I'll go see if the bear be gone from the gentleman, and how much he hath eaten.

curst, but when they are hungry.

of him left, I'll bury it.

They are never

If there be any

Sheep. That's a good deed. If thou may'st discern by that which is left of him what he is, fetch me to the sight of him.

Clo. Marry, will I; and you shall help to put him i' the ground.

J 211 do good