grace will be born: our absence makes us unthrifty to our knowledge. Let's along.

[Exeunt Gentlemen.

Aut. Now, had I not the dash of my former life in me, would preferment drop on my head. I brought the old man and his son aboard the prince; told him, I heard him talk of a fardel, and I know not what but he at that time, over-fond of the shepherd's daughter, (so he then took her to be,) who began to be much sea-sick, and himself little better, extremity of weather continuing, this mystery remained undiscovered. But 'tis all one to me; for had I been the finder-out of this secret, it would not have relished among my other dis credits.

Enter Shepherd and Clown.

Here come those I have done good to against my will, and already appearing in the blossoms of their fortune.

Shep. Come, boy; I am past more children; but thy sons 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: See you these clothes? say, you see them not, and think me still no gentleman born: you were best say, these robes are not gentlemen born. Give me the lie; do; and try whether I am not now a gentleman born.

suppose, only to spare his own labour that the poet put this whole scene into narrative, for though part of the transaction was already known to the audience, and therefore could not properly be shown again, yet the two kings might have met upon the stage, and, after the examination of the old Shepherd, the young lady might have been recognised in sight of the spectators. JOHNSON.

Aut. I know, you are now, sir, a gentleman born.

Clo. Ay, and have been so any time these four hours.

Shep. And so have I, boy.

Clo. So you have :-but I was a gentleman born before my father: for the king's son took me by the hand, and called me, brother; and then the two kings called my father, brother; and then the prince, my brother, and the princess, my sister, called my father, father; and so we wept: and there was the first gentleman-like tears that ever we shed.

Shep. We may live, son, to shed many more.

Clo. Ay; or else 'twere hard luck, being in so preposterous estate as we are.

Aut. I humbly beseech you, sir, to pardon me all the faults I have committed to your worship, and to give me your good report to the prince my

master.

Shep. 'Pr'ythee, son, do; for we must be gentle, now we are gentlemen.

Clo. Thou wilt amend thy life?

Aut. Ay, an it like your good worship.

Clo. Give me thy hand: I will swear to the prince, thou art as honest a true fellow as any is in Bohemia.

Shep. You may say it, but not swear it.
Clo. Not swear it, now I am

a gentleman? Let boors and franklins say it,' I'll swear it. Shep. How if it be false, son?

Clo. If it be ne'er so false, a true gentleman may swear it, in the behalf of his friend :-And I'll swear to the prince, thou art a tall fellow of thy hands, and that thou wilt not be drunk; but I know, thou art no tall fellow of thy hands, and that

-franklins say it,] Franklin is a freeholder, or yeoman, a man above a villain, but not a gentleman.

thou wilt be drunk; but I'll swear it: and I would, thou would'st be a tall fellow of thy hands.

Aut. I will prove so, sir, to my power.

Clo. Ay, by any means prove a tall fellow : If I do not wonder, how thou darest venture to be drunk, not being a tall fellow, trust me not.-Hark! the kings and the princes, our kindred, are going to see the queen's picture. Come, follow us: we'll be thy good masters. [Exeunt.

The same.

SCENE III.

A Room in Paulina's House.

Enter LEONTES, POLIXENES, FLORIZEL, PERDITA, CAMILLO, PAULINA, Lords, and Attendants.

Leon. O grave and good Paulina, the great com

fort

That I have had of thee!

Paul. What, sovereign sir, I did not well, I meant well: All my services, You have paid home: but that you have vouchsaf'd With your crown'd brother, and these your contracted

Heirs of your kingdoms, my poor house to visit, It is a surplus of your grace, which never

My life may last to answer.

O Paulina,

Leon.
We honour you with trouble: But we came
To see the statue of our queen: your gallery
Have we pass'd through, not without much content
In many singularities; but we saw not

That which my daughter came to look
The statue of her mother.

Paul.

upon,

As she liv'd peerless,

So her dead likeness, I do well believe,

Excels whatever yet you look'd upon,
Or hand of man hath done; therefore I keep it
Lonely, apart: But here it is: prepare

To see the life as lively mock'd, as ever

Still sleep mock'd death: behold; and say, 'tis well. [PAULINA undraws a Curtain, and discovers a

statue.

I like your silence, it the more shows off

Your wonder: But yet speak ;-first, you, my liege. Comes it not something near?

Leon.

Her natural posture !Chide me, dear stone; that I may say, indeed, Thou art Hermione: or, rather, thou art she, In thy not chiding; for she was as tender, As infancy, and grace.-But yet, Paulina, Hermione was not so much wrinkled; nothing So aged, as this seems.

Pol.

O, not by much.

Paul. So much the more our carver's excellence; Which lets go by some sixteen years, and makes her As she liv'd now.

Leon.

As now she might have done, So much to my good comfort, as it is

Now piercing to my soul. O, thus she stood,
Even with such life of majesty, (warm life,
As now it coldly stands) when first I woo'd her!
I am asham'd: Does not the stone rebuke me,
For being more stone than it ?-O, royal piece,
There's magick in thy majesty; which has
My evils conjur'd to remembrance; and
From thy admiring daughter took the spirits,
Standing like stone with thee!

Per.

And give me leave; And do not say, 'tis superstition, that

I kneel, and then implore her blessing.-Lady,
Dear queen, that ended when I but began,
Give me that hand of yours, to kiss.

Paul.

O, patience:

The statue is but newly fix'd, the colour's

Not dry.

Cam. My lord, your sorrow was too sore laid

on;

Which sixteen winters cannot blow away,
So many summers, dry scarce any joy
Did ever so long live; no sorrow,

But kill'd itself much sooner.

Pol.

Dear my brother,

Let him, that was the cause of this, have power
To take off so much grief from you, as he
Will piece up in himself.

Paul.

Indeed, my lord, If I had thought, the sight of my poor image Would thus have wrought you (for the stone is mine,)

I'd not have show'd it.

Leon.

Do not draw the curtain.

Paul. No longer shall you gaze on't; lest your

fancy

May think anon, it moves.

Leon.

Let be, let be.

Would I were dead, but that, methinks, already What was he, that did make it ?-See, my lord, Would you not deem, it breath'd? and that those

veins

Did verily bear blood?

Pol.

Masterly done :

The very life seems warm upon her lip.

Leon. The fixure of her eye has motion in't,'

2- wrought-i. e. worked, agitated.

3 The fixure of her eye has motion in't,] The meaning is,, though the eye be fixed, [as the eye of a statue always is,] yet it seems to have motion in it: that tremulous motion, which is perceptible in the eye of a living person, how much soever one endeavour to fix it.