They're here with me already; whifp'ring, rounding *; Sicilia is a fo-forth 'tis far gone,

When I fhall gust it last.

That he did ftay?

How cam't, Camillo,

Cam. At the good Queen's intreaty.

Leo. At the Queen's be't: good, fhould be pertinent; But fo it is, it is not. Was this taken

By any understanding pate but thine?

For thy conceit is foaking, will draw in
More than the common blocks; not noted, is't
But of the finer natures? by some severals

Of head-piece extraordinary; lower meffes,
Perchance, are to this business purblind? fay.

Cam. Bufinefs, my Lord? I think most understand Bithynia ftays here longer.

Leo. Ha?

Cam. Stays here longer.

Leo. Ay, but why?

Cam. To fatisfy your Highness, and th' intreaties Of our most gracious mistress.

Leo. Satisfy

Th' intreaties of your mistress? fatisfy?

Let that fuffice. I've trufted thee, Camillo,
With all the things nearest my heart; as well
My chamber-counfels, wherein, priest-like, thou
Haft cleans'd my bofom. I from thee departed
Thy penitent reform'd; but we have been
Deceiv'd in thy integrity; deceiv'd

In that which feems fo.

Cam. Be it forbid, my

Leo. To bide upon't.

Lord

-Thou art not honest; or,

If thou inclin'ft that way, thou art a coward,

Which boxes honesty behind, reftraining

From course requir'd: or else thou must be counted

A fervant grafted in my serious trust,

And therein negligent; or elfe a fool,

That feeft a game play'd home, the rich stake drawn, And tak'ft it all for jest.

Cam. My gracious Lord,

I may be negligent, foolish and fearful.

In ev'ry one of these no man is free,

*i, e, rounding in the car; a phrafe in ufe at that time,

But

But that his negligence, his folly, fear,
Among the infinite doings of the world,
Sometime puts forth. In your affairs, my Lord,
If ever I were wilful negligent,

It was my folly: if induftrioufly

I play'd the fool, it was my negligence,
Not weighing well the end: if ever fearful
To do a thing, where I the iffue doubted,
Whereof the execution did cry out
Against the non-performance, 'twas a fear
Which oft infects the wifeft. Thefe, my Lord,
Are fuch allow'd infirmities, that honesty
Is never free of. But, 'befeech your Grace,
Be plainer with me, let me know my trespass
By its own vifage; if I then deny it,

'Tis none of mine.

Leo. Ha' not you feen, Camillo,

(But that's paft doubt you have; or your eye-glafs
Is thicker than a cuckold's horns), or heard,
(For to a vifion fo apparent, rumour

Cannot be mute), or thought, (for cogitation
Refides not in that man that does not think it),
My wife is flippery? if thou wilt, confefs;
(Or elfe be impudently negative,

To have nor eyes, nor ears, nor thought), then faỳ,
My wife's a hobby-horfe, deferves a name

As rank as any flax-wench, that puts to
Before her troth-plight: fay't and juftify't.
Cam. I would not be a stander-by, to hear
My fovereign Miftrefs clouded fo, without
My prefent vengeance taken; 'fhrew my heart,
You never spoke what did become you lefs
Than this; which to reiterate, were fin
As deep as that, tho' true.

Leo. Is whispering nothing?

Is leaning cheek to cheek? is meeting nofes?
Kiffing with infide lip? ftopping the career
Of laughter with a figh? (a note infallible
Of breaking honefty); horfing foot and foot?
Sculking in corners? withing clocks more swift?
Hours, minutes? the moon, midnight, and all eyes
Blind with the pin and web, but theirs; theirs only,

That

That would, unfeen, be wicked? Is this nothing? Why, then the world, and all that's in't, is nothing. The covering fky is nothing, Bithynia nothing;

My wife is nothing; nor nothing have these nothings, If this be nothing.

Cam. Good my Lord, be cur'd

Of this diseas'd opinion, and betimes;
For 'tis most dangerous.

Leo. Say it be, 'tis true.

Cam. No, no, my Lord.

Leo. It is; you lye, you lye.

I fay thou lyeft, Camillo, and I hate thee;
Pronounce thee a grofs lowt, a mindless flave,
Or else a hovering temporizer, that

Canft with thine eyes at once fee good and evil,
Inclining to them both; were my wife's liver
Infected as her life, she would not live

The running of one glass.

Cam. Who do's infect her?

Leo. Why he that wears her like his medal, hanging About his neck; Bithynia,

who, if I

Had fervants true about me, that bare eyes

To fee alike mine honour, as their profits,
Their own particular thrifts, they would do that
Which fhould undo more doing: I, and thou
His cup-bearer, (whom I from meaner form
Have bench'd, and rear'd to worfhip; who may'ft fee
Plainly, as heav'n fees earth, and earth fees heav'n,
How I am gall'); thou might'ft be-fpice a cup,
To give mine enemy a lafting wink;

Which draught to me were cordial.

Cam. Sir, my Lord,

I could do this, and that with no rafh potion,
But with a ling'ring dram that fhould not work
Maliciously, like poison: but I cannot

Believe this crack to be in my dread Mistress,
So fovereignly being honourable.

Les. I've lov'd thee.-Make't thy queftion, and go

Do'ft think I am fo muddy, fo unfettled,

To appoint myself in this vexation? Sully
The purity and whitenefs of my sheets,

[rot:

(Which to preferve is fleep; which being spotted,

Is

Is goads, thorns, nettles, tails of wafps):

Give fcandal to the blood o' th' Prince, my fon,
Who, I do think, is mine, and love as mine,
Without ripe moving to't? would I do this!
Could man fo blench?

Cam. I muft believe you, Sir;

I do, and will fetch off Bithynia for't:
Provided, that, when he's remov'd, your highness
Will take again your Queen, as your's at firft,
Even for your fon's fake, and thereby for fealing
The injury of tongues, in courts and kingdoms
Known and allay'd to your's.

Leo. Thou dost advise me,

Even fo as I mine own course have fet down:
I'll give no blemish to her honour, none.

Cam. My Lord,

Go then; and with a countenance as clear

As friendship wears at feasts, keep with Bithynia,
And with your Queen. I am his cup-bearer;
If from me he have wholefome beveridge,

Account me not your fervant.

Leo. This is all;

Do't, and thou haft the one half of

my

heart ;

Do't not, thou split'st thine own.

Cam. I'll do't, my Lord.

Leo. I will feem friendly, as thou haft advis'd me.

Cam. O miferable Lady! but, for me,
What cafe ftand I in? I must be the poisoner
Of good Polixenes, and my ground to do't
Is the obedience to a mafter; one,

Who, in rebellion with himself, will have
All that are his fo too. To do this deed,
Promotion follows. If I could find example
Of thoufands, that had ftruck anointed kings,
And flourish'd after, I'd not do't; but fince

[Exit.

Nor brafs, nor ftone, nor parchment, bears not one;
Let villany itself forfwear't, I must

Forfake the court; to do't or no, is certain
To me a break-neck. Happy star reign now!
Here comes Bithynia.

SCENE

Enter Polixenes.

Pol. This is ftrange! methinks

My favour here begins to warp. Not fpeak?-
Good day, Camillo.

Cam. Hail, Most royal Sir !

Pol. What is the news i' th' court;

Cam. None rare, my Lord.

Pol. The King hath on him fuch a countenance, As he had loft fome province, and a region Lov'd as he love's himself: even now I met him With customary compliment, when he, Wafting his eyes to th' contrary, and falling A lip of much contempt, speeds from me, and So leaves me to confider what is breeding, That changes thus his manners.

Cam. I dare not know, my Lord.

Pol. How, dare not? do not? do you know, and dare not?

Be intelligent to me, 'tis thereabouts:

For to yourfelf, what you do know, you must;
And cannot fay, you dare not. Good Camillo.
Your changed complexions are to me a mirror,
Which fhews me mine change'd too; for I must be
A party in this alteration, finding
Myfelf thus alter'd with it.

Cam. There is a fickness

Which puts fome of us in diftemper; but
I cannot name the disease, and it is caught

Of

you that yet are well.

Pol. How caught it of me?

Make me not fighted like the basilisk.

I've look'd on thousands, who have sped the better

By my regard, but killed none fo.

As you are certainly a gentleman,

Camillo,

Clerk-like experience'd, (which no less adorns
Our gentry, than our parents' noble names,

In whofe fuccefs we are gentle), I befeech you,
you know aught which does behove my knowledge

If