Fled from his father, from his hopes, and with Leo. Where's Bithynia? fpeak. Lord. Here in your city. I now came from him. I fpeak amazedly, and it becomes My marvel, and my meffage: to your court Her brother, having both their country quitted Flo. Camillo has betray'd me; Whofe honour and whofe honesty till now Lord. Lay't fo to his charge; He's with the King your father. Lord. Camillo, Sir, I fpake with him; who now Has these poor men in question. Never faw I Wretches fo quake; they kneel, they kifs the earth, Forfwear themfelves as often as they speak. Bithynia stops his ears, and threatens them With divers deaths in death. Per. Oh, my poor father! The heav'n fets fpies upon us, will not have Leo. You are marry'd? Flo. We are not, Sir, nor are we like to be; The stars, I fee, will kifs the valleys first; The odds for high and low's alike. Leo. My Lord, Is this the daughter of a King! Flo. She is, When once she is my wife. Leo. That once, I fee, by your good father's speed, Will come on very flowly. I am forry (Moft forry) you have broken from his liking; Where you were ty'd in duty; and as forry, Flo. Dear, look up; Though Fortune, visible an enemy, VOL. III. Na Should Should chafe us, with my father; power no jot Paul. Sir, my Liege, Your eye hath too much youth in't; not a month 'Fore your Queen dy'd, the was more worth such gazes Than what you look on now. Leo. I thought of her, Even in thefe looks I made.-But your petition [To Florizel. Is yet unanfwer'd; I will to your father; Your honour not o'erthrown by your defires, I'm friend to them and you; upon which errand I now go toward him, therefore follow me, And mark what way I make: come, good my Lord. [Exeunt. SCENE V. Near the court in Sicilia. Enter Autolicus, and a Gentleman. Aut. 'Befeech you, Sir, were you present at this relation? 1 Gent. I was by at the opening of the farthel, heard the old fhepherd deliver the manner how he found it; whereupon, after a little amazedness, we were all commanded out of the chamber: only this, methought, I heard the fhepherd fay, he found the child. ་ Aut. I would most gladly know the iffue of it. 1 Gent. I make a broken delivery of the business; but the changes I perceived in the King and Camillo, were very notes of admiration; they feem'd almost, with ftaring on one another, to tear the cafes of their eyes. There was fpeech in their dumbness, language in their very gefture; they look'd as they had heard of a world ransom'd, or one deftroy'd; a notable paffion of wonder appear'd in them; but the wifeft beholder, that knew no more but feeing, could not fay if th' im th' importance were joy or forrow; but in the extremity of the one it must needs be. Enter another Gentleman. Here comes a gentleman that haply knows more. The news, Rogero? 2 Gent. Nothing but bonefires: the oracle is fulfill'd; the King's daughter is found; fuch a deal of wonder is broken out within this hour, that ballad-makers cannot be able to exprefs it. Enter another Gentleman. Here comes the Lady Paulina's steward, he can deliver you more. How goes it now, Sir? this news, which is call'd true, is so like an old tale, that the verity of it is in ftrong fufpicion. Has the King found his heir? 3 Gent. Moft true, if ever truth were pregnant by circumftance. That which you hear, you'll fwear you fee, there is fuch unity in the proofs. The mantle of Queen Hermione- her jewel about the neck of it the letters of Antigonus found with it, which they know to be his character,- the majesty of the creature, in refemblance of the mother,- -the affection of noblenefs, which nature fhews above her breeding, and many other evidences proclaim her with all certainty to be the King's daughter. Did you fee the meeting of the two Kings? 2 Gent. No. 3 Gent. Then have you loft a fight, which was to be feen, cannot be spoken of. There might you have beheld one joy crown another, fo and in fuch manner, that it feem'd, forrow wept to take leave of them, for their joy waded in tears. There was cafting up of eyes, holding up of hands, with countenance of fuch diftraction, that they were to be known by garment, not by favour. Our King being ready to leap out of himfelf, for joy of his found daughter; as if that joy were now become a lofs, cries, Oh, thy mother, thy mother! then afks Bithynia forgivenefs; then embraces his fon-in-law; then again worries he his daughter, with clipping her. Now he thanks the old fhepherd, who ftands by," like a weather-beaten conduit of many "Kings' Nn 2 Kings' reigns." I never heard of such another encounter, which lames report to follow it, and undoes defcription to do it. 2 Gent. What, pray you, became of Antigonus, that carry'd hence the child? 3 Gent. Like an old tale still which will have matter to rehearse, tho' credit be afleep, and not an ear open; he was torn to pieces with a bear: this avouches the fhepherd's fon, who has not only his innocence, which feems much to juftify him, but a handkerchief and rings of his, that Paulina knows. 1 Gent. What became of his bark and his followers? 3 Gent. Wreck'd the fame instant of their master's death, and in the view of the fhepherd; fo that all the instruments which aided to expofe the child, were even then loft, when it was found. But, oh, the noble combat, that 'twixt joy and forrow was fought in Paulina! She had one eye declin'd for the lofs of her husband, another elevated that the oracle was fulfill'd. She lifted the Princefs from the earth, and fo locks her in embracing, as if she would pin her to her heart, that fhe might no more be in danger of lofing. 1 Gent. The dignity of this act was worth the audience of Kings and Princes; for by fuch was it acted. 3 Gent. One of the prettiest touches of all, and that which angled for mine eyes, was, when at the relation of the Queen's death, with the manner how the came to it, bravely confefs'd and lamented by the King, how attentiveness wounded his daughter; till, from one fign of dolour to another, she did, with an Alas! I would fain fay, bleed tears; for I am fure my heart wept blood. Who was most marble, there changed colour; fome fwooned, all forrowed; if all the world could have feen't, the woe had been univerfal. 1 Gent. Are they returned to the court? 3 Gent. No. The Princess hearing of her mother's ftatue, which is in the keeping of Paulina; a piece many years in doing, and now newly perform'd by that rare Italian mafter Julio Romano; who, had he himself eternity, and could put breath into his work, would be guile Nature of her cuftom, fo perfectly he is her ape; he fo near to Hermione hath done Hermione, that they fay, one would speak to her, and stand in hope of anfwer: thither with all greedinefs of affection are they gone, and there they intend to fup. 2 Gent. thought fhe had fome great matter there in hand; for she hath privately twice or thrice a-day, ever fince the death of Hermione, vifited that removed house. Shall we thither, and with our company piece the rejoicing? 1 Gent. Who would be thence, that has the benefit of accefs? every wink of an eye, fome new grace will be born: our abfence makes us unthrifty to our knowledge. Let's along. [Exeunt. Aut. Now, had I not the dafh of my former life in me, would preferment drop on my head. I brought the old man and his fon aboard the Prince; told him, I heard them talk of a farthel, and I know not what: but he at that time, overfond of the fhepherd's daughter, (fo he then took her to be), who began to be much fea-fick, and himself little better, extremity of weather continuing, this mystery remained undifcovered. But 'tis all one to me; for had I been the finder out of this fecret, it would not have relish'd among my other difcredits. SCENE VI. Enter Shepherd and Clown." Here come thofe I have done good to against my will, and already appearing in the bloffoms of their for tune. Shep. Come, boy, I am past more children; but thy fons and daughters will be all gentlemen born. Clo. “ You are well met, Sir. You denied to fight "with me this other day, because I was no gentleman "born: fee you these cloaths? fay, you fee them not, " and think me ftill no gentleman born. You were "best fay, these robes are not gentleman born. Give me the lye; do, and try whether I am not now a gentleman born. Aut. I know you are now, Sir, a gentleman born. Clo. Ay, and have been fo any time thefe four hours. Shep. |