his jealousy gets the better of his resolution, and he finds it impossible to restrain his hatred."

365. How! dare not!-do not? Most editors point this "How ! dare not? do not." W. has "How! dare not, do not?" The folio reads, "How, dare not? doe not?" We take the meaning to be "What! you dare not?—or is it 'do not' that you mean? Do you know, and yet dare not tell me? You must mean something of the sort." The folio has an interrogation point at the end of 365, but most of the modern editors follow Capell (and Hanmer, who also changed Do you know to "You do know") in transferring it to the next line, as in the text. We are not sure that the change is absolutely necessary, and adopt it with some hesitation. "Do you know, and dare not?" might be an ellipsis for "Do you know, and dare not tell me?"-just as you must two lines below you must be intelligent, you must avow it. Polixenes evidently suspects that Camillo, in saying that he dares not know, means that he dares not tell what he knows. K., V., and the Camb. editors retain the old pointing, making Be intelligent to me imperative.

=

For intelligent" bearing intelligence, giving information, communicative" (Schmidt), cf. Lear, iii. 7. 12: "Our posts shall be swift and intelligent betwixt us. See also Id. iii. 1. 25 and iii. 5. 12. On thereabouts, cf. A. and C. iii. 10. 29: 66 Ay, are you thereabouts?"

376. Sighted like the basilisk. With eyes like those of the fabled basilisk, that kill with a glance. See Hen. V. p. 183 (note on The fatal balls), or R. and J. p. 186 (note on Death-darting eye).

377. Sped. Thrived, prospered. Cf. iii. 3.46 below: "speed thee well!" See also iv. 4. 652. For a different meaning, see R. and J. p. 182. 378. Regard. Look; as in T. N. ii. 5. 59, 73, etc.

379. Thereto. Besides. Cf. Oth. ii. 1. 133: "If she be black, and thereto have a wit," etc.

380. Clerk-like. Scholar-like. Cf. the use of clerk scholar in M. N. D. v. I. 93, Hen. VIII. ii. 2. 92, Per. v. prol. 5, etc.

381. Our gentry. Our gentle birth. Cf. Cor. iii. 1. 144: gentry, title, wisdom;" R. of L. 569: "By knighthood, gentry, and sweet friendship's oath," etc.

382. In whose success, etc. To our descent from whom we owe our gentility, or nobility. For success succession, cf. 2 Hen. IV. iv. 2. 47: "And so success of mischief shall be born," etc.

388. Conjure. For the accent, see Macb. p. 230. Parts actions, tasks (Schmidt).

391. Incidency. Liability to fall or happen; used by S. only here. Cf. incident liable to happen, in T. of A. v. 1. 203:

398. Me. For me I, cf. A. Y. L. i. 2. 279, i. 3. 44, Rich. II. iii. 3. 192, Sonn. 37. 14, etc. See also Gr. 210.

400. I am appointed him. Abbott (Gr. 220) makes him by him. Clarke explains the passage thus: "I am he who is appointed," etc. The former explanation is perhaps to be preferred. The king has not been

L

mentioned in the conversation thus far, but Camillo is thinking of him. Polixenes, who is not thinking of him—or at least only doubtfully—naturally asks "By whom, Camillo?"

404. To vice. To screw, move, or impel. Cf. the noun (=screw), in Much Ado, v. 2. 21: "you must put in the pikes with a vice." Schmidt cites T. N. v. I. 125:

"I partly know the instrument

That screws me from my true place in your favour."

For verbs formed from nouns, see Gr. 290. D. reads "tice" (Heath had suggested "'ntice"), which W. approves, though he retains vice in the text. W. says that "Camillo would hardly suppose such a case as the violent forcing of Polixenes into the arms of Hermione ;" but vice does not imply any violent forcing (any more than "screws in the passage just quoted), but mere motive power. The meaning is that Leontes feels as sure of it as if he had seen it, or been the agent to bring it about, like a screw which transmits the power in a machine. Cf. Nomenclator, 1585 : "A vice or gin of wood, wherewith such things as are done within out of sight, are shewed to the beholders by the turning about of wheeles."

407. Best. Printed with a capital in the folio. For the allusion, cf. Rich. II. iii. 2. 132: "Three Judases, each one thrice worse than Judas ;" Id. iv. 1. 170: "So Judas did to Christ;" 3 Hen. VI. v. 7. 33: “so Judas kiss'd his Master," etc.

412. Swear his thought over, etc. "Endeavour to overcome his opinion by swearing oaths numerous as the stars" (Johnson). Swear over="swear down" (C. of E. v. 1. 227). Overswear swear again, in T. N. v. 1. 276. Some editors, including W., adopt Theobald's "Swear this though over. Lettsom suggests "Swear this oath over."

414. Influences. The astrological term. Cf. Ham. i. 1. 119, Lear. i. 2. 136, etc. See also Milton, Comus, 336: "Or if your influence be quite damm'd up;" Hymn on Nativity, 71: “Bending one way their precious influence," etc.

415. For to obey the moon. See on I above. Douce compares M. of V. iv. 1. 72:

"You may as well go stand upon the beach,

And bid the main flood bate his usual height."

On for to, see Ham. p. 220, or Gr. 152.

417. Whose foundation, etc. "This folly which is erected on the foundation of settled belief" (Steevens).

423. This trunk. This body of mine. Cf. Hen. V. iii. 6. 163: "this frail and worthless trunk," etc.

425. Whisper. For the transitive use, cf. iv. 4. 777: "whisper him in your behalfs," etc.

426. Posterns. The smaller gates, the less frequented outlets of the city.

429. Discovery. Disclosure. See Ham. p. 205, note on Prevent your discovery.

431. Seek to prove. 433. Thereon, etc. 436. Thy places.

That is, by any appeal to Leontes.

And the execution of the sentence sworn by him. Thy honours (Steevens). Clarke sees in places "the

combined meaning of position as to fortune, and spot wherein to dwell; for we afterwards find that Polixenes confers manifold dignities and honours upon Camillo, and keeps him ever near to himself in Bohemia."

438. Hence. For the adjective use, cf. Cymb. iii. 2. 65: “Our hence going" (often printed "hence-going ").

444. Profess'd. Professed friendship. Cf. M. for M. iv. 2. 192: "by the saint whom I profess" (to whom I profess devotion), etc.

446. Good expedition, etc. A much disputed passage; but on the whole Clarke's explanation seems satisfactory: "Good speed (or prosperous issue of events) befriend me, and comfort the queen; who is, with myself, the object of his anger, but who, like myself, deserves no jot of his misconceived suspicion!" Good expedition may well enough be=good speed, or fortune (cf. iii. 2. 143 below: "the queen's speed"). If, however, we take expedition in its ordinary sense, we may perhaps accept Malone's paraphrase: "Good expedition befriend me by removing me from a place of danger, and comfort the innocent queen by removing the object of her husband's jealousy; the queen, who is the subject of his conversation, but without reason the object of his suspicion!" Halliwell renders it thus: 'May expedition be my friend by removing me from this scene of danger, and at the same time may my absence, the object thus accomplished, comfort the beautiful queen, who is, indeed, partly the subject of, but in no degree the reasonable object of, his suspicion." Various emendations have been proposed, none of which improve the passage. Warb. suggested "queen's" for queen; "that is, be expedition my friend, and comfort the queen's!" Neither he nor Johnson could see how the expedition of Leontes would comfort the queen; but, as the Camb. editors remark, "his flight without Hermione would be the best means not only of securing his own safety, but of dispelling the suspicions Leontes entertained of his queen.'

Malone cites, in illustration of the phraseology, T. N. iii. 4. 280: "it is something of my negligence, nothing of my purpose;" and W. adds ii. 3.3 below:

"part o' the cause,

She, the adulteress;-for the harlot king

Is quite beyond mine arm," etc.

450. Avoid. Depart, begone. Cf. Cor. iv. 5. 34: "pray you, avoid.” See also Temp. iv. 1. 142, A. and C. v. 2. 242, Cymb. i. 1. 125, etc.

Coleridge remarks on this 1st act: "Observe the easy style of chitchat between Camillo and Archidamus as contrasted with the elevated diction on the introduction of the kings and Hermione in the second scene, and how admirably Polixenes' obstinate refusal to Leontes to stay

'There is no tongue that moves; none, none i' the world
So soon as yours, could win me

prepares for the effect produced by his afterwards yielding to Hermione ; which is, nevertheless, perfectly natural from mere courtesy of sex, and the exhaustion of the will by former efforts of denial, and well calculated to set in nascent action the jealousy of Leontes. This, when once excited, is unconsciously increased by Hermione :

'Yet, good deed, Leontes,

I love thee not a jar o' the clock behind

What lady she her lord;'

accompanied, as a good actress ought to represent it, by an expression and recoil of apprehension that she had gone too far.

'At my request, he would not.'

The first working of the jealous fit

'Too hot, too hot;'

The morbid tendency of Leontes to lay hold of the merest trifles, and his grossness immediately afterwards

'Paddling palms and pinching fingers'—

followed by his strange loss of self-control in his dialogue with the little boy."

ACT II.

SCENE I.-5. As if I were a baby still. "Can anything be more perfectly true to young boy nature? And not only in this touch, but in the whole sketch of the child's character, S. has drawn Mamillius with 'Nature's own sweet and cunning hand'" (Clarke).

7. For because. Cf. K. John, ii. 1. 588: "But for because he hath not wooed me yet," etc. On for because, see Gr. 151.

II. Taught you this. The 1st folio has "taught 'this," which W. retains and defends. It must be admitted that in some other instances the apostrophe seems to indicate the elision of a pronoun, etc. Cf. Gr. 461. 20. Encounter. Befall; as in Cymb. i. 6. 112:

"it were fit

That all the plagues of hell should at one time

Encounter such revolt."

25. A sad tale's best for winter. An allusion to the title of the comedy. "This first portion of the play-full of chilling suspicion, bitter injustice, and cold-blooded cruelty-harmonizes finely with the name of The Winter's Tale; while the warmth of youthful beauty, the glow of young love, the return of confidence, the restoration to faith and truth, the revival from death to life, in the latter portion of the play, poetically consist with the ripeness of summer and the rich colouring of the season then made its existing time" (Clarke).

33. Was he met, etc. Clarke says: "Admirably does the he, his, and him in this line, referring to the unnamed Polixenes, serve to indicate the perturbation of the speaker." It is possible, however, that it merely indicates the continuation of a conversation begun before the parties come upon the stage.

37. Censure. Judgment, opinion. See Ham. p. 190 or Macb. p. 251. 38. Alack, for lesser knowledge! Oh, would that I knew less!

40. Spider. Henderson remarks: "That spiders were esteemed venomous appears by the evidence of a person who was examined in Sir T.

...

Overbury's affair: The Countesse wished me to get the strongest poyson I could.. Accordingly I bought seven great spiders, and cantharides.'" Malone quotes Holland's Leaguer, a pamphlet published in 1632 : "like the spider, which turneth all things to poison which it tasteth." Clarke adds, in proof that it was supposed to be necessary to see the spider in order to be poisoned by it, the following from a play by Middleton: "Even when my lip touch'd the contracting cup,

Even then to see the spider!"

For depart the Coll. MS. gives " apart," and St. conjectures "deep o't." The meaning appears to be "go away unconscious of harm."

44. Cracks his gorge. That is, by endeavouring to vomit. Cf. Ham. v. 1.207: my gorge rises at it;" and see note in our ed. p. 263.

66

45. Hefts. Heavings, retchings; used by S. only here.

50. Discover'd. Revealed, betrayed (not found out). Cf. iv. 4. 701 below: "any thing that is fitting to be known, discover;" and see on discovery, i. 2. 429 above.

51. Pinch'd. Made ridiculous, served a trick (Schmidt). Cf. T. of S. ii. 1. 373: "What, have I pinch'd you, Signior Gremio?" Clarke

believes that the word is="galled, wounded, disabled." Some make pinch'd thing rag-baby or puppet.

65. Without-door. Outward, external.
69. Sear. Brand; as in A. W. ii. 1. 176 :

66 my maiden's name

Sear'd otherwise," etc.

75. Replenish'd. Complete, consummate. Cf. Rich. III. iv. 3. 18: "The most replenished sweet work of nature."

On the passage, see p. 24 above.

82. Mannerly distinguishment. Decent distinction.

86. Federary. Confederate, accomplice. S. uses the word nowhere else, but he has fedary or fœdary in the same sense in M. for M. ii. 4. 122 and Cymb. iii. 2. 21.

One that knows, etc. "One that knows what she should be ashamed of, even if the knowledge of it rested only in her own breast and that of her paramour" (Malone). But only; as in 101 below. "The passage has a confused effect (most naturally and characteristically produced, to accord with the speaker's agitation) from Camillo being the antecedent to one that knows, while she 's forms the antecedent to and privy to this, etc." (Clarke).

90. Bold'st. Changed by Steevens to "bold," to correct the "intolerable roughness" of the line. The plural vulgars is found only here. Hanmer gave "the vulgar." See Gr. 201, 433.

95. Throughly. Thoroughly. See Ham. p. 249.

98. The centre. The earth, the centre of the Ptolemaic universe. Cf. T.and C. i. 3. 85: "The heavens themselves, the planets, and this centre," See also on i. 2. 138 above. Steevens quotes Milton, Comus, 597 :

etc.

"if this fail,

The pillar'd firmament is rottenness,
And earth's base built on stubble."