ficience, may, though they cannot praise us, as little

accuse us.

Cam. You pay a great deal too dear, for what's given freely.

Arch. Believe me, I speak as my understanding instructs me, and as mine honesty puts it to utterance.

Cam. Sicilia cannot show himself over-kind to Bohemia. They were trained together in their childhoods ; and there rooted betwixt them then such an affection, which cannot choose but branch now. Since their more mature dignities, and royal necessities, made separation of their society, their encounters, though not personal, have been royally attornied 2, with interchange of gifts, letters, loving embassies; that they have seemed to be together, though absent; shook hands, as over a vast; and embraced, as it were, from the ends of opposed winds. 3 The heavens continue their loves!

Arch. I think, there is not in the world either malice, or matter, to alter it. You have an unspeakable comfort of your young prince Mamillius; it is a gentleman of the greatest promise, that ever came into my

note.

Cam. I very well agree with you in the hopes of him: It is a gallant child; one that, indeed, physicks the subject, makes old hearts fresh; they, that went on

2- royally attornied,] Nobly supplied by substitution of embassies, &c. JOHNSON.

3 shook hands, as over a vast; and embraced, as it were, from the ends of opposed winds.] Shakspeare has, more than once, taken his imagery from the prints, with which the books of his time were ornamented. If my memory do not deceive me, he had his eye on a wood-cut in Holinshed, while writing the incantation of the weird sisters in Macbeth. There is also an allusion to a print of one of the Henries holding a sword adorned with crowns. In this passage he refers to a device common in the title-page of old books, of two hands extended from opposite clouds, and joined as in token of friendship over a wide waste of country. HENLEY.

physicks the subject,] Affords a cordial to the state; has the power of assuaging the sense of misery. JOHNSON.

crutches ere he was born, desire yet their life, to see him a man.

Arch. Would they else be content to die?

Cam. Yes; if there were no other excuse why they should desire to live.

Arch. If the king had no son, they would desire to live on crutches till he had one. [Exeunt.

SCENE II.

The same. A Room of State in the Palace.

Enter LEONTES, POLIXENES, HERMIONE, MAMILLIUS, CAMILLO, and Attendants.

Pol. Nine changes of the wat'ry star have been
The shepherd's note, since we have left our throne
Without a burden: time as long again

Would be fill'd up, my brother, with our thanks;
And yet we should, for perpetuity,

Go hence in debt: And therefore, like a cipher,

Yet standing in rich place, I multiply,

With one we-thank-you, many thousands more
That go before it.

Leon.

Stay your thanks awhile;

And pay them when you part.

Pol.

Sir, that's to-morrow.

I am question'd by my fears, of what may chance,
Or breed upon our absence: That may blow
No sneaping winds 5 at home, to make us say,
This is put forth too truly! Besides, I have stay'd
To tire your royalty.

No sneaping winds—] i. e. Oh! that. Sneaping, nipping winds. 6 This is put forth too truly!] i. e. to make me say, I had too good reason for my fears.

Leon. We'll part the time between's then: and in that

Very sooth, to-morrow.

I'll no gain-saying.

Pol.

Press me not, 'beseech you, so;

There is no tongue that moves, none, none i̇'the world,
So soon as yours, could win me: so it should now,
Were there necessity in your request, although
"Twere needful I denied it. My affairs

Do even drag me homeward; which to hinder,
Were, in your love, a whip to me; my stay,
To you a charge, and trouble: to save both,
Farewell, our brother.

Leon.

you.

Tongue-tied, our queen ? speak

Her. I had thought, sir, to have held my peace, until You had drawn oaths from him, not to stay.

Charge him too coldly: Tell him, you are sure,
All in Bohemia's well: this satisfaction?

The by-gone day proclaim'd; say this to him,
He's beat from his best ward.

Leon.

You, sir,

Well said, Hermione.

Her. To tell, he longs to see his son, were strong:

But let him say so then, and let him go;

But let him swear so, and he shall not stay,

We'll thwack him hence with distaffs.

Yet of your royal presence [to POLIXENES] I'll ad

venture

The borrow of a week. When at Bohemia

You take my lord, I'll give him my commission,

this satisfaction—] We had satisfactory accounts yesterday of the state of Bohemia. JOHNSON.

To let him there a month, behind the gest 8

Prefix'd for his parting: yet, good-deed, Leontes,
I love thee not a jar o'the clock1 behind

What lady she her lord.

Pol.

Her. Nay, but you will?

Pol.

Her. Verily!

You'll stay?

No, madam.

I may not verily.

You put me off with limber vows: But I,

Though you would seek to unsphere the stars with oaths, Should yet say, Sir, no going. Verily,

You shall not go; a lady's verily is

As potent as a lord's. Will you go yet?

Force me to keep you as a prisoner,

Not like a guest; so you shall pay your fees,

When you depart, and save your thanks. How say

you?

My prisoner? or my guest? by your dread verily,

One of them you shall be.

Pol.

Your guest then, madam :

To be your prisoner, should import offending;
Which is for me less easy to commit,

Than you to punish.

Her.

Not your gaoler then,

Come, I'll question you
yours, when you were boys;

But your kind hostess.
Of my lord's tricks, and
You were pretty lordlings then.

Pol.

We were, fair queen,

Two lads, that thought there was no more behind,

8

behind the gest] Gest signifies a stage, or journey. In the time of royal progresses the king's stages, as we may see by the journals of them in the herald's office, were called his gests; from the old French word giste, diversorium.

9

· yet, good-deed,] signifies, indeed, in very deed.

1 ——— a jar o'the clock—] A jar is, I believe, a single repetition of the noise made by the pendulum of a clock: what children call the ticking of it. STEEVENS.

But such a day to-morrow as to day,

And to be boy eternal.

Her. Was not my lord the verier wag o'the two?
Pol. We were as twinn'd lambs, that did frisk i'the

sun,

And bleat the one at the other: What we chang'd
Was innocence for innocence: we knew not
The doctrine of ill-doing, no, nor dream'd+
That any did: Had we pursued that life,

And our weak spirits ne'er been higher rear'd
With stronger blood, we should have answer'd heaven
Boldly, Not guilty; the imposition clear'd,

Hereditary ours."

Her.

By this we gather,

You have tripp'd since.

Pol.

O my most sacred lady,

Temptations have since then been born to us: for
In those unfledg'd days was my wife a girl;
Your precious self had then not cross'd the eyes
Of my young play-fellow.

Her.

Grace to boot!3

Of this make no conclusion; lest you say,

Your queen and I are devils: Yet, go on;

The offences we have made you do, we'll answer ;
If you first sinn'd with us, and that with us

You did continue fault, and that you slipp❜d not
With any but with us.

Leon.

Is he won yet?

-the imposition clear'd,

Hereditary ours.] i. e. setting aside original sin; bating the imposition from the offence of our first parents, we might have boldly protested our innocence to Heaven. WARBURTON.

Grace to boot!] Grace, or Heaven help me!