That vulgars give bold'st titles; ay, and privy
To this their late escape.

Her. No, by my life,

Privy to none of this: how will this grieve you,
When you fhall come to clearer knowledge, that
You thus have publish'd me? Gentle my Lord,'
You scarce can right me throughly then, to fay
You did mistake.

Leo. No, if I mistake

In these foundations which I build upon,
The centre is not big enough to bear

A fchool-boy's top. Away with her to prifon :
He who shall speak for her, is far off guilty,
But that he speaks.

Her. There's fome ill planet reigns;

I must be patient, till the heavens look

With an aspect more favourable. Good my Lords,
I am not prone to weeping, as our sex
Commonly are, the want of which vain dew,
Perchance, fhall dry your pities; but I have
That honourable grief lodge'd here, which burns
Worfe than tears drown: 'befeech you all, my Lords,
With thoughts fo qualified as your charities

Shall beft inftruct you, measure me;

The King's will be perform'd?

Leo. Shall I be heard?

and fo

Her. Who is't that goes with me? 'befeech your My women may be with me; for you fee

[Highness,

My plight requires it. Do not weep, good fools,

There is no caufe; when you fhall know your mistress
Has deferv'd prison, then abound in tears,
As I come out; this action I now go on,
Is for my better grace. Adieu, my Lord,
I never wifh'd to fee you forry; now,

I truft, I fhall. My women,-come, you've leave.
Leo. Go, do your bidding; hence.

[Exit Queen guarded, and Ladies. Lord. 'Befeech your Highnefs call the Queen again, Ant. Be certain what you do, Sir, left your juftice Prove violence; in the which three great ones fuffer, Yourfelf, your Queen, your fon.

Lord. For her, my Lord,

I dare my life lay down, and will do't, Sir,
Pleafe you t'accept it, that the Queen is spotless
I' th' eyes of Heaven, and to you, I mean
In this which you accufe her.

Ant. If it prove

She's otherwife, I'll keep my ftable-stand * where
I lodge my wife, I'll go in couples with her:
Than when I feel, and fee, no further truft her;
For every inch of woman in the world,

Ay, every dram of woman's flesh is false,
If the be.

Leo. Hold your peaces.

Lord. Good my Lord,

Ant. It is for you we speak, not for ourselves:
You are abus'd, and by fome putter-on,

That will be damn'd fort; 'would I knew the villain,
I would land-dam him. Be fhe honour-flaw'd,
I have three daughters; the eldest is eleven ;
The fecond and the third, nine, and fome five;
If this prove true, they'll pay for't. By mine honour,
I'll geld 'em all: fourteen they shall not fee,
To bring falfe generations; they are co-heirs,
And I had rather glib myself, than they
Should not produce fair iffue.

Leo. Ceafe; no more:

You fmell this bufinefs with a fenfe as cold
As is a dead man's nofe; I fee't and feel't,

As you feel doing thus; and fee withal

The inftruments that feel.

Ant. If it be fo,

[Laying hold of his arms

We need no grave to bury honefty;

There's not a grain of it the face to fweeten

Of the whole dungy earth.

Leo. What? lack I credit?

Lord. I had rather you did lack than I, my Lord,

*Stable-fand is a term of the foreft laws, and fignifies a place where a deer stealer fixes his ftand, and keeps watch for the purpofe of killing deer as they pafs by. From the place it came to be applied alfo to the pe fon, and any man taken in a foreft in that fituation, with a gun or bow in his hand, was prefumed to be an offender, and had the name of a flable fiand.

Upon this ground; and more it would content me
To have her honour true, than your fufpicion;
Be blam'd for't how you might.

Leo. Why, what need we

Commune with you of this? but rather follow
Our forceful inftigation? our prerogative
Calls not our counfels, but your natural goodness
Imparts this; which, if you (or ftupified,
Or feeming fo, in fkill) cannot, or will not,
Relish a truth like us; inform yourselves,
We need no more of your advice; the matter,
The lofs, the gain, the ord'ring on't, is all
Properly ours.

Ant. And I wish, my Liege,

You had only in your filent judgment try'd it,
Without more overture.

Leo. How could that be?

Either thou art moft ignorant by age,

Or thou wert born a fool.

Added to their familiarity,

Camillo's flight,

(Which was as grofs as ever touch'd conjecture, That lack'd fight only, nought for approbation* But only feeing; all other circumstances

Made up to th' deed), doth pufh on this proceeding,
Yet for a greater confirmation,

(For in an act of this importance, 'twere

Moft piteous to be wild), I have dispatch'd in poft,
To facred Delphos, to Apollo's temple,
Cleomenes and Dion, whom you know
Of ftuff'd fufficiency. Now, from the oracle
They will bring all: whose spiritual counsel had,
Shall ftop, or spur me. Have I done well?

Lord. Well done, my Lord.

Leo. Tho' I am fatisfy'd, and need no more
Than what I know, yet fhall the oracle
Give reft to th' minds of others; fuch as he,

Whose ignorant credulity will not

Come up to th' truth. So have we thought it good
From our free person she should be confin'd,

Left that the treachery of the two fled hence

Be left her to perform. Come, follow us,

Approbation here fignifies proof.

VOL. III.

Ff

We

:

We are to speak in public; for this business

Will raife us all.

Ant. To laughter, as I take it,

If the good truth were known.

[Afide.

[Exeunt.

SCENE III. Changes to a prison.

Enter Paulina, and a Gentleman, with other attendantṣ. Paul. The keeper of the prifon, call to him.

[Exit Gentleman. Let him have knowledge who I am. Good Lady, No court in Europe is too good for thee;

What dost thou then in prifon? Now, good Sir,
You know me, do you not?

Re-enter Gentleman, with the Gaoler.

Gao. For a worthy Lady,

And one whom much I honour.

Paul. Pray you then

Conduct me to the Queen.

Gao. I may not, Madam;

To the contrary I have express commandment.
Paul. Here's ado to lock up honesty and honour
from

Th' accefs of gentle vifitors! Is't lawful, pray you,
To fee her women? any of them? Æmilia?

Gao. So please you, Madam,

To put apart thefe your attendants, I

Shall bring Emilia forth.

Paul. I pray you now, call her.

Withdraw yourselves.

Gao. And, Madam,

[Exeunt Gent. &c.

I must be present at your conference.

Paul. Well; be it fo, pr'ythee.

Enter Emilia.

Here's fuch ado to make no ftain a stain,
As paffes colouring. Dear gentlewoman,
How fares our gracious Lady?

Emil. As well as one fo great and fo forlorn May hold together; on her frights and griefs, (Which never tender lady hath borne greater),

She

She is fomething before her time deliver❜d.
Paul. A boy?

Emil. A daughter, and a goodly babe,
Lufty, and like to live: the Queen receives
Much comfort in't; fays, My poor prisoner,
I'm innocent as you.

Paul. I dare be sworn.

Thefe dangerous, unfafe lunesi'th' King! befhrew them,
He must be told on't, and he shall; the office
Becomes a woman beft. I'll take't upon me.
If I prove honey-mouth, let my tongue blifter,
And never to my red-look'd anger be

The trumpet any more! Pray you, Emilia,
Commend my beft obedience to the Queen;
If the dares truft me with her little babe,
I'll fhew't the King, and undertake to be
Her advocate to th' loud'ft. We do not know
How he may foften to at the fight o' th' child.
The filence often of pure innocence
Perfuades, when speaking fails.
Emil. Moft worthy Madam,

Your honour and your goodness is fo evident,
That your
free undertaking cannot miss

A thriving iffue: there is no lady living

So meet for this great errand. Please your Ladyfhip To visit the next room, I'll presently

Acquaint the Queen of your most noble offer,

Who but to-day hammer'd of this defign;

But durft not tempt a minister of honour,

Left the fhould be deny'd.

Paul. Tell her, Æmilia,

I'll ufe that tongue I have; if wit flow from't,
As boldness from my bofom, let't not be doubted
I fhall do good.

Emil. Now be you blefs'd for it!

I'll to the Queen: please you, come fomething nearer. Gaol. Madam, if't please the Queen to fend the babe, I know not what I fhall incur to pass it,

Having no warrant.

Paul. You need not fear it, Sir;

The child was prifoner to the womb, and is
By law and procefs of great nature thence

Ff2

Free'd