Even for your

fon's fake; and, thereby, for fealing

The injury of tongues, in courts and kingdoms
Known and ally'd to yours.

Leo. Thou doft 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 feafts, keep with Bohemia,
And with your queen: I am his cup-bearer;
If from me he have wholesome beveridge,
Account me not your fervant.

Leo. This is all:

Do't, and thou haft the one half of my heart;

P

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

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

Leo. I will feem friendly, as thou haft advis'd me. [Exit.
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 thousands, that had ftruck anointed kings,
And flourish'd after, I'd not do't: but fince
Nor brafs, nor ftone, nor parchment bears not one,
Let villainy 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 Bohemia.

for fealing the injury of tongues,]-preventing flander; fealing up fuch tongues as would spread injurious reports.

P thou split'ft thine own.]—thou art double hearted, a deceiver. a break-neck.]-a dreadful precipice; attended with imminent danger.

PP 3

Enter

Enter Polixenes.

Pol. This is ftrange! methinks,

My favour here begins to warp. Not speak?—

Good-day, Camillo.

Cam. Hail, most royal fir!

Pol. What is the news i'the 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 loves himfelf: even now I met him
With customary compliment; when he,
Wafting his eyes to the 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 yourself, what you do know, you must;
And cannot say, you dare not. Good Camillo,
Your chang'd complexions are to me a mirror,
Which fhews me mine chang'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 of me?

Make me not fighted like the bafilisk :

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

Be intelligent to me ?]-Communicate your knowledge to me.

By

By my regard, but kill'd none fo. Camillo,-
As you are certainly a gentleman; thereto
Clerk-like, experienc'd, which no lefs adorns
Our gentry, than our parents' noble names,
In whofe fuccefs we are gentle,-I beseech you,
If you know aught which does behove my knowledge,
Thereof to be inform'd; imprison it not

In ignorant concealment.

Cam. I may not answer.

Pol. A fickness caught of me, and yet I well! I must be answer'd.-Doft thou hear, Camillo, of man,

I conjure thee, by all the parts

Which honour does acknowledge,-whereof the least
Is not this fuit of mine,—that thou declare
What incidency thou doft guess of harm

Is creeping toward me; how far off, how near;
Which way to be prevented, if to be;

If not, how best to bear it.

Cam. Sir, I'll tell you;

Since I am charg'd in honour, and by him

That I think honourable: Therefore, mark my counfel; Which must be even as fwiftly follow'd, as

I mean to utter it; or both yourself and me

Cry, loft, and fo good-night.

Pol. On, good Camillo.

Cam. I am appointed Him to murder you.

Pol. By whom, Camillo ?

Cam. By the king.

Pol. For what?

Cam. He thinks, nay, with all confidence he swears,

As he had feen't, or been an inftrument

In whofe fuccefs we are gentle,]-Succeffion; in confequence of whofe fuccefs in life, we arrive at that diftinction.

* this fuit of mine,]-a king's request of help.

"To vice you to't,-that you have touch'd his queen Forbiddenly.

Pol. Oh, then my best blood turn

To an infected jelly; and my name

W

Be yok'd with his that did betray the best!
Turn then my fresheft reputation to

A favour, that may strike the dulleft noftril
Where I arrive; and my approach be shun'd,
Nay, hated too, worse than the great'st infection
That e'er was heard, or read!

Cam. Swear his thought over

By each particular ftar in heaven, and
By all their influences; you may as well
Forbid the fea for to obey the moon,

As or, by oath, remove, or counsel, shake,
The fabrick of his folly; whofe foundation
Is pil'd upon his faith, and will continue

The standing of his body.

Pol. How should this grow?

Cam. I know not: but, I am fure, 'tis fafer to
Avoid what's grown, than queftion how 'tis born.
If therefore you dare truft my honesty,-
That lies inclofed in this trunk, which you
Shall bear along impawn'd,-away to-night.
Your followers I will whisper to the business;
And will, by twos, and threes, at feveral posterns,
Clear them o'the city: For myself, I'll put
My fortunes to your fervice, which are here

" To vice you to't,]-to put, or hold you together-to advise.
his that did betray the best !]-Judas's.

* Swear his thought over]-Though you should bring proofs againft his conceiv'd jealousy, enforced with oaths as numerous as the stars they are fetch'd from.-Swear this though over.

Y his faith,]-his fettled belief.

The ftanding of his body.]-During his life.

By

By this discovery loft. Be not uncertain;

For, by the honour of my parents, I

Have utter'd truth: which if you feek to prove,

I dare not stand by; nor fhall you be fafer

Than one condemn'd by the king's own mouth, thereon His execution fworn.

Pol. I do believe thee:

I saw his heart in his face. Give me thy hand;

b

Be pilot to me, and thy places fhall

Still neighbour mine: My ships are ready, and
My people did expect my hence departure
Two days ago.This jealousy

Is for a precious creature: as fhe's rare,
Muft it be great; and, as his perfon's mighty,
Muft it be violent; and as he does conceive

He is dishonour'd by a man which ever

C

Profefs'd to him, why, his revenges must

In that be made more bitter. Fear o'er-fhades me:
Good expedition be my friend, and comfort

d

The gracious queen, part of his theam, but nothing
Of his ill-ta'en fufpicion! Come, Camillo;

I will respect thee as a father, if

Thou bear'ft my life off hence: Let us avoid.

Cam. It is in mine authority, to command

The keys of all the posterns: Please your highness
To take the urgent hour: come, fir, away.

a Be not uncertain ;]-Do not hesitate.

[Exeunt.

b and thy places fhall still neighbour mine :]-we'll be ever near each Profefs'd]-Friendly.

other.

d be my friend, and comfort the gracious queen, part of his theam, but nothing of his ill-ta'en fufpicion !]-by removing me from danger, and comfort the queen, by removing the object of the king's jealousythe innocent queen, whofe charms are made the just fubject of his converfation, but have unjustly excited his fufpicion.

← avoid.]-retire, withdraw ourselves.

ACT