6 Who please to come and hear. For life, I prize it As I weigh grief, which I would spare: for honour, 'Tis a derivative from me to mine", And only that I stand for. I appeal To your own conscience, sir, before Polixenes Have strain'd, to appear thus: if one jot beyond Leon. I ne'er heard yet, Less impudence to gainsay what they did, Her. That's true enough ; Though 'tis a saying, sir, not due to me. 6 Leon. You will not own it. For life, I prize it -] Life is now to me only grief, and as such only is considered by me: I would therefore willingly dismiss it. JOHNSON. 7 'Tis a derivative from me to mine,] This sentiment, which is probably borrowed from Ecclesiasticus iii. 11, cannot be too often impressed on the female mind: "The glory of a man is from the honour of his father; and a mother in dishonour is a reproach unto her children." STEEVENS. 8 I ne'er heard yet, That any of these bolder vices wanted Less impudence to gainsay what they did, Than to perform it first.] It is apparent that according to the proper, or at least according to the present, use of words, less should be more, or wanted should be had. But Shakspeare is very uncertain in his use of negatives. It may be necessary once to observe, that in our language, two negatives did not originally affirm, but strengthen the negation. This mode of speech was in time changed, but, as the change was made in opposition to long custom, it proceeded gradually, and uniformity was not obtained but through an intermediate confusion. JOHNSON. Her. More than mistress of, Which comes to me in name of fault, I must not Which not to have done, I think, had been in me Both disobedience and ingratitude, To you, and toward your friend; whose love had spoke, I know not how it tastes: though it be dish'd Is, that Camillo was an honest man ; And, why he left your court, the gods themselves, Leon. You knew of his departure, as you know You speak a language that I understand not: Leon. Your actions are my dreams; You had a bastard by Polixenes, And I but dream'd it :-As you were past all shame, (Those of your fact are so ',) so past all truth: Which to deny, concerns more than avails: For as t Thy brat hath been cast out, like to itself, More criminal in thee, than it,) so thou 9 My life stands in the level] To be in the level is, to be within the reach. 1 (Those of your fact are so,)] i. e. guilt. line. "For as "-Mr. Malone adds these words to the preceding Shalt feel our justice; in whose easiest passage Her. Sir, spare your threats; The crown and comfort of my life, your favour, But know not how it went: My second joy, I have got strength of limit. Now, my liege, Apollo be my judge. 1 Lord. This your request Is altogether just therefore, bring forth, And in Apollo's name, his oracle. [Exeunt certain Officers. Her. The emperor of Russia was my father: O, that he were alive, and here beholding 2 Starr'd most unluckily,] i. e. born under an inauspicious planet. 3 strength of limit.] Strength to pass the limits of the child-bed chamber. His daughter's trial! that he did but see Re-enter Officers, with CLEOMENES and DION. Offi. You here shall swear upon this sword of justice, That you, Cleomenes and Dion, have Been both at Delphos; and from thence have brought Of great Apollo's priest; and that, since then, Cleo. Dion. All this we swear. Leon. Break up the seals, and read. Offi. [reads.] Hermione is chaste, Polixenes blameless, Camillo a true subject, Leontes a jealous tyrant, his innocent babe truly begotten; and the king shall live without an heir, if that, which is lost, be not found. Lords. Now blessed be the great Apollo ! 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: The prince your son, with mere conceit and fear Of the queen's speed, is gone. Leon. How! gone? The flatness of my misery;] That is, how low, how flat I am laid by my calamity. JOHNSON. 5 Of the queen's speed,] Of the event of the queen's trial: so we still say, he sped well or ill. JOHNSON. Serv. 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: Leon. Some remedies for life.-Apollo, pardon [Exeunt PAULINA and Ladies, with HERM. My great profaneness 'gainst thine oracle!I'll reconcile me to Polixenes; New woo my queen; recall the good Camillo; My friend Polixenes: which had been done, Not doing it, and being done: he, most humane, No richer than his honour:-How he glisters 7 Does my deeds make the blacker!] This vehement retraction of Leontes, accompanied with the confession of more crimes than he was suspected of, is agreeable to our daily experience of the |