tyrant, his innocent babe truly begotten; and the king shall live without an heir, if that, which is lost, be not found 15. Lords. Now blessed be the great Apollo! Leon. Hast thou read truth? As it is here set down. Praised! Ay, my lord; even so Leon. There is no truth at all i'the oracle: The sessions shall proceed; this is mere falsehood. Enter a Servant, hastily. Serv. My lord the king, the king! Leon. What is the business? Serv. O sir, I shall be hated to report it: Of the queen's speed 16, is gone. Leon. Serv. How! gone? Is dead. Leon. Apollo's angry; and the heavens themselves Do strike at my injustice. [HERMIONE faints. How now there? Paul. This news is mortal to the queen:-Look down, And see what death is doing. Take her hence; Her heart is but o'ercharg'd; she will recover.— [Exeunt PAULINA and Ladies, with HERM. My great profaneness 'gainst thine oracle!- 15 This is almost literally from Greene's novel. 16 i. e. of the event of the queen's trial. We still say, he sped well or ill. New woo my queen; recall the good Camillo; No richer than his honour :-How he glisters Paul. Re-enter PAULINA. Woe the while! O, cut my lace; lest my heart, cracking it, 1 Lord. What fit is this, good lady? Paul. What studied torments, tyrant, hast for me? What wheels? racks? fires? What flaying? boiling In leads or oils? what old, or newer torture Must I receive; whose every word deserves To taste of thy most worst? Thy tyranny Together working with thy jealousies, Fancies too weak for boys, too green and idle 17 Certain is not in the first folio, it was supplied by the editor of the second. 18 See p. 45, note 16. 19 This vehement retractation of Leontes, accompanied with the confession of more crimes than he was suspected of, is agreeable to our daily experience of the vicissitudes of violent tempers, and the eruptions of minds oppressed with guilt. For girls of nine!-O, think, what they have done, geance for't Not dropp'd down yet. 1 Lord. The higher powers forbid ! Paul. I say, she's dead; I'll swear't: if word, nor oath, Prevail not, go and see: if you can bring 20 The same construction occurs in the second book of Phaer's version of the Æneid: When this the young men heard me speak, of wild they waxed wood.' 21 Damnable is used here adverbially. So in All's Well that Ends Well:-' 'Tis not meant damnable in us.' 22 The poet forgot that Paulina was absent during the king's self-accusation. 23 i. e. a devil would have shed tears of pity, ere he would have perpetrated such an action. Heat outwardly, or breath within, I'll serve you Leon. Go on, go on: Thou canst not speak too much; I have deserv'd All tongues to talk their bitterest. 1 Lord. Say no more; Howe'er the business goes, you have made fault I'the boldness of your speech. Paul. I am sorry for't; All faults I make, when I shall come to know them, I do repent: Alas, I have show'd too much The rashness of a woman: he is touch'd To the noble heart. - What's gone, and what's past help, Should be past grief: Do not receive affliction Of what you should forget. Now, good my liege, The love I bore your queen, -lo, fool again!- Leon. The causes of their death appear, unto Shall be my recreation: So long as Nature will bear up with this exercise, So long I daily vow to use it. Come, And lead me to these sorrows. [Exeunt. SCENE III. Bohemia. A desert Country near the Sea. Enter ANTIGONUS, with the Child; and a Ant. Thou art perfect1 then, our ship hath touch'd upon The deserts of Bohemia? Mar. Ay, my lord; and fear We have landed in ill time: the skies look grimly, And threaten present blusters. In my conscience, The heavens with that we have in hand are angry, And frown upon us. Ant. Their sacred wills be done!-Go, get aboard; Mar. Make your best haste; and go not Besides, this place is famous for the creatures Of prey, that keep upon't. Come, poor babe : I have heard, (but not believ'd), the spirits of the dead 1i. e. well assured. |