I dare my life lay down, and will do 't, Sir,
Please you t' accept it, that the Queen is spotless
I' th' eyes of Heaven, and to you, I mean
In this which you accuse her.

Ant. If it prove

She's otherwife, I'll keep my ftable-stand * where
I lodge my wife, I'll go in couples with her :
Than when I feel, and see, no further trust her;
For every inch of woman in the world,

Ay, every dram of woman's flesh is false,
If the be.

Leo. Hold your peaces.

Lord. Good my Lord,

Ant. It is for you we speak, not for ourselves: You are abus'd, and by fome putter-on,

That will be damn'd for 't; 'would I knew the villain, I would land-dam him. Be fhe honour-flaw'd,

I have three daughters; the eldest is eleven;

The fecond and the third, nine, and fome five;

If this prove true, they'll pay for 't. By mine honour,
I'll geld 'em all: fourteen they shall not see,
To bring falfe generations; they are co-heirs,
And I had rather glib myself, than they
Should not produce fair iffue.

Leo. Ceafe; no more:

You fmell this bufinefs with a fenfe as cold
As is a dead man's nofe; I fee't and feel 't,

As

you feel doing thus; and fee withal

The inftruments that feel.

Ant. If it be fo,

[Laying hold of his arm.

We need no grave to bury honefty;

There's not a grain of it, the face to sweeten

Of the whole dungy earth.

Leo. What? lack I credit?

Lord. I had rather you did lack than I, my Lord,

Stable-ftand is a term of the foreft-laws, and fignifies a place where a deer-ftealer fixes his ftand, and keeps watch for the purpose of killing deer as they pafs by. From the place it came to be applied alfo to the perfon, and any man taken in a foreft in that fituation, with a gun or bow in his hand, was presumed to be an offender, and had the name of a stable-stand.

Upon this ground; and more it would content me
To have her honour true, than your fufpicion;
Be blam'd for 't how you might.

Leo. Why, what need we

Commune with you of this? but rather follow
Our forceful inftigation? our prerogative
Calls not your counfels, but our natural goodness
Imparts this; which, if you (or ftupified,
Or feeming fo, in skill) cannot, or will not,
Relish a truth like us; inform yourselves,
We need no more of your advice; the matter,
The lofs, the gain, the ord'ring on 't, is all
Properly ours.

Ant. And I wish, my Liege,

You had only in your filent judgment try'd it,
Without more overture.

Leo. How could that be?

Either thou art moft ignorant by age,

Or thou wert born a fool.

Added to their familiarity,

Camillo's flight,

(Which was as grofs as ever touch'd conjecture, That lack'd fight only, nought for approbation* But only feeing; all other circumstances

Made up to th' deed), doth push on this proceeding. Yet for a greater confirmation,

(For in an act of this importance 'twere

Moft piteous to be wild), I have dispatch'd in post,
To facred Delphos, to Apollo's temple,
Cleomenes and Dion, whom you know
Of stuff'd fufficiency. Now, from the oracle
They will bring all: whofe fpiritual counfel had,
Shall ftop, or fpur me. Have I done well?
Lord. Well done, my Lord.

Leo. Tho' I am fatisfy'd, and need no more

Than what I know, yet shall the oracle
Give reft to th' minds of others; fuch as he,
Whofe ignorant credulity will not

Come up to th' truth. So have we thought it good
From our free person she should be confin'd,
Left that the treachery of the two fled hence
Be left her to perform. Come, follow us,

* Approbation here signifies proof.

We are to fpeak in public; for this business

Will raife us all.

Ant. To laughter, as I take it,

If the good truth were known.

[Afide. [Exeunt.

Changes to a prifon.

Enter Paulina, and a Gentleman, with other attendants.

Paul. The keeper of the prifon,

Let him have knowledge who I am.

call to him.

[Exit Gentleman.

Good Lady,

No court in Europe is too good for thee;

What doft thou then in prifon? Now, good Sir,
You know me, do you not?

Re-enter Gentleman, with the Goaler.

Goa. For a worthy Lady,

And one whom much I honour.

Paul. Pray you then

Conduct me to the Queen.

Goa. I may not, Madam;

To the contrary I have exprefs commandment.

Paul. Here's ado to lock up honefty and honour
from

Th' accefs of gentle vifitors! Is 't lawful, pray you,
To fee her women? any of them? Æmilia?

Goa. So please you, Madam,

To put apart these your attendants, I

Shall bring Emilia forth.

Paul. I pray you now, call her.

Withdraw yourselves.

Goa. And, Madam,

I must be present at your conference.
Paul. Well; be it fo, pr'ythee.

Enter Emilia.

[Exeunt Gent. &c.

Here's fuch ado to make no ftain a stain,
As paffes colouring. Dear gentlewoman,
How fares our gracious Lady?

Emil. As well as one fo great and fo forlorn May hold together; on her frights and griefs, (Which never tender lady hath borne greater),

She is fomething before her time deliver'd.
Paul. A boy?

Emil. A daughter, and a goodly babe,
Lufty, and like to live: the Queen receives
Much comfort in 't; fays, My poor prifoner,
I'm innocent as you.

Paul. I dare be fworn.

Thefe dangerous, unfafe lunes i' th' King! befhrew them,
He must be told on 't, and he fhall; the office
Becomes a woman beft. I'll take't upon me.
If I prove honey-mouth, let my tongue blifter,
And never to my red-look'd anger be

The trumpet any more! Pray you, Æmilia,
Commend my
beft obedience to the Queen;
If the dares truft me with her little babe,
I'll fhew't the King, and undertake to be
Her advocate to th' loud'ft. We do not know
How he may foften at the fight o' th' child.
The filence often of pure innocence
Perfuades, when speaking fails.

Emil. Moft worthy Madam,

Your honour and your goodnefs is fo evident,
That your free undertaking cannot mifs
A thriving iffue: there is no lady living

So meet for this great errand. Pleafe your Ladyfhip
To vifit the next room, I'll presently

Acquaint the Queen of your moft noble offer,
Who but to-day hammer'd of this defign;
But durft not tempt a minister of honour,

Left fhe fhould be deny'd.

Paul. Tell her, Æmilia,

I'll use that tongue I have; if wit flow from 't,
As boldness from my bofom, let 't not be doubted
I fhall do good.

Emil. Now be you blefs'd for it!

I'll to the Queen: please you, come fomething nearer. Goa. Madam, if 't please the Queen to fend the babe, I know not what I fhall incur to pafs it,

Having no warrant.

Paul. You need not fear it, Sir;

The child was prifoner to the womb, and is
By law and procefs of great nature thence

Free'd and infranchis'd; not a party to
The anger of the King, nor guilty of,
If any be, the trefpafs of the Queen.
Goa. I do believe it.

Paul. Do not you fear; upon mine honour I
Will ftand 'twixt you and danger.

[Exeunt.

SCENE IV. Changes to the palace.

[nefs

Enter Leontes, Antigonus, Lords, and other attendants.
Leo. Nor night, nor day, no reft ;- -it is but weak-
To bear the matter thus: mere weakness, if
The caufe were not in being: part o' th' caufe,
She, the adult'refs; for the harlot-king
Is quite beyond mine arm; out of the blank
And level of my brain; plot-proof; but she
I can hook to me: fay that she were gone,
Given to the fire, a moiety of my reft
Might come to me again. Who's there?
Enter an attendant.

Atten. My Lord.

Leo. How do's the boy?

Atten. He took good reft to-night; 'tis hop'd His fickness is discharg'd.

Leo. To fee his nobleness!

Conceiving the difhonour of his mother,
He straight declin'd, droop'd, took it deeply
Faften'd, and fix'd the shame on't in himself;
Threw off his fpirit, his appetite, his fleep,
And down-right languifh'd. Leave me folely; go,
[Exit Attendant.
See how he fares.-Fie, fie, no thought of him.-
The very thought of my revenges
that way

Recoil upon me; in himself too mighty,
And in his parties, his alliance; let him be,
Until a time may serve. For prefent vengeance,
Take it on her. Camillo and Polixenes

Laugh at me; make their pastime at my

forrow:

They should not laugh, if I could reach them; nor
Shall fhe within my power.