Leo. Go, do our bidding; hence!

[Ex. Queen guarded, and Ladies, Lord. 'Beseech your Highness, call the Queen again. Ant. Be certain what you do, Sir, left your justice Prove violence, in the which three great ones fuffer, Your felf, your Queen, your fon.

Lord. For her, my Lord,

I dare my life lay down, and will do't, Sir,
Please you t' accept it, that the Queen is fpotlefs
Ith' eyes of heaven, and to you; I mean
In this which you accufe her.

Ant. If it prove

She's otherwife, I'll keep my ftable-ftand where
I lodge my wife, F'll go in couples with her:
Than when I feel, and fee her, no further truft her
For every inch of woman in the world,

Ay, every dram of woman's fleth is falfe,

If the be.

Leo. Hold your peaces.

Lord. Good my Lord!

Ant. It is for you we speak, not for our felves:
You are abused by fome putter-on,

That will be damn'd for't; would I knew the villain,
I would land-damm him: be the honour-flaw'd,
I have three daughters; th" eldest is eleven ;
The fecond, and the third, nine, and fome tive;
If this prove true, they'll pay for't. By mine honour,
I'll geld 'em all: fourteen they fhall not fee
To bring falfe generations: they are co-heirs,
And I had rather glib my felf, than they

Stable-ftand (ftabilis ftatie as Spelman interprets it) is a term of the Foreft-Laws, and fignifies a place where a Deer-stealer fixes his ftand under fome convenient cover, and keeps watch for the pur pofe of killing Deer as they pafs by. From the place it came to be applied allo to the petion, and any man taken in a forest in that fituation with a gun or bow in his hand was prefumed to be an of fender and had the name of a Stable-stand. In all former editions this hath been printed fables, ard it may perhaps be objected that nother fy lable a led fpoils the fmoothmefs of the verfe. But b pronouncing table fhort the meature will very well bear it accord ing to the libe ty allowed in this kind of writing, and which Shuten, par never fcruples to use.

Should

Should not produce fair iffue.

Leo. Ceafe, no more:

You smell 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 I feel.

Ant. If it be fo,

We need no grave to bury honefty,

[Laying bold of bis arm.

There's not a grain of it, the face to fweeten
Of the whole dungy earth.

Leo. What? lack I credit?

Lord. I had rather you did lack than I, my Lord,
Upon this ground; and more it would content me
To have your honour true, than your fufpicion;
Be blam'd for't how you might.

Leo. Why, what need we,

Commune with you for this? not 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 fkill, cannot, or will not
Relish a truth like us; inform your felves,
We need no more of your advice: the matter,
The lofs, the gain, the ordering on't, are all
Properly ours.

Ant. And I wifh, 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

The word approbation here fignifics, preof.

Moft

Moft piteous to be wild) I've difpatch'd in poffy.
To facred Delphos, to Apollo's temple,
Cleomines and Dian, whom you know

Of stuff'd fufficiency: now, from the Oracle
They will bring all, whofe fpiritual counfel had
Shall stop or fpur me on. Have I done well?

Lord. Well done, my Lord.

Leo. Tho' I am fatisfy'd, and need no more
Than what I know, yet fhall the Oracle
Give reft to th' minds of others; fuch as he,
Whose ignorant credulity will not

Come up to th' truth. So we have thought it good
From our free perfon fhe fhould be confin'd,
Left that the treachery of the two, fled hence,
Be left her to perform. Come, follow us,
We are to peak in publick for this bufiaefs
Will raife us all.

Ant. To laughter, as I take it,
If the good truth were known.

SCENE III, A Prifon

Adr [Exeunte

Enter Paulina and a Gentleman, with other Attendants. Pau. The keeper of the prifon, call to him: [Exit Gent Let him have knowledge who I am. 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 Gealer.

Goa. For a worthy Lady,

And one whom much Fhonour.

Pau. Pray you then

Conduct me to the Queen.

Goa. I may not, Madam

To the contrary I have exprefs commandment.

Pau. Here's a-do

To lock up honefty and honour from

Th' accefs of gentle vifitors! Is't lawful,
Pray you, to fee her women? any of them?
Emilia ?

Goa. If it fo pleafe you, Madam, i
To put a part these your attendants, I

Shak

Shall bring Emilie forth.
Pau. I pray now, call her:
Withdraw your felves.

[To ber Attendants who go out,

Goa. And, Madam, must I be
Prefent at all your conference.
Pau. Well, well;

Be it fo, pr'ythee.

Enter Emilia.

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

Emil. As well as one fo great and fo forlorn
My hold together; on her frights and griefs,
Which never tender Lady hath barn greater,
She is, fomething before her time, deliver'd.
Pau. 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.

Pau. I dare be fworn:

Thefe dang'rous, unfafe lunes i'th King, befhrew them?
He must be told of it, and fhall; the office
Becomes a woman beft. I'll take't upon me.

If I prove honey-mouth'd, Net my tongue blifter,
And never to my red-look'd anger be

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

Emil. Moft worthy Madam,

Your honour and your goodness is fo evident,
That your free undertaking cannot mifs

A thriving iffue: there's no Lady living

So meet for this great errand. Please your Ladyhip.
To visit the next room, I'll prefently

AC

Acquaint the Queen of your moft noble offer,
Who but to-day hammer'd on this defign,
But durft not tempt a minifter of honour,
Left the fhould be deny'd.

Pau. Tell her, Emilia,

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 bleft for it!

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

Having no warrant.

Pau. 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 enfranchis'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.

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

SCENE IV. The Palace.

[Exeunt.

Enter Leontes, Antigonus, Lords and other Attendants. Leo. Nor night, nor day, no reft; it is but weakness To bear the matter thus; meer weakness, if The cause were not in being; part o'th' cause 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 the I can hook to me: fay that fhe 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 does 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