LEONTES, King of Sicilia.

POLIXENES, King of Bithynia.

MAMILLUS, Young Prince of Sicilia,

FLORIZEL, Prince of Bithynia.

CAMILLO,

ANTIGONUS,

CLEOMINES,

Sicilian Lords.

DION,

Other Sicilian Lords.

ARCHIDAMUS, a Lord of Bithynia.

Old Shepherd, reputed Father of Perdita.
Clown, his Son.

AUTOLICUS, a Roguish Pedlar.
A Mariner.

TIME, as Chorus.

HERMIONE, Queen to Leontes.

PERDITA, Daughter to Leontes and Hermione!
PAULINA, Wife to Antigonus.

EMILIA, Attendant on the Queen.

Goaler, Shepherds, Shepherdeffes, and Attendants. SCENE, partly in Sicilia, and partly in Bithynia. The plot taken from the old ftory-book of Doraftus and Faunia.

N B. The Country here call'd Bithynia hath in all former Edi tions been printed Bohemia an inland kingdom fituated nearly in the center of Europe, whereas many of the great incid nts of the Play turn upon its being a maritime country of which Polxenes was the King. This is a blunder and an abfurdity of which Shakespear in justice ought not to be thought capable: and as he hath turn'd quite anew the ftory contain'd in the old paltry book of Doraftus and Faunia, changing moft of the main circumstances and all the names of the Perfons; it is probable he removed this impropriety and placed the fcene in Bithynia, which the ignorance and negligence of the first Tranfcribers or Printers night corrupt and bring back again to Bobe mia by a lefs variation in the letters than they have been guilty of in numberless other places of this Work.

THE

WINTER'S TALE.

Arch.

ACT I.

SCENE I

A Palace. Enter Camillo, and Archidamus.
F you fhall chance, Camillo, to vifit Bithynia,
on the like occafion whereon my fervices are
now on foot, you fhall fee, as I have faid,
great difference betwixt our Bithynia and your
Sicilia.

I

Cam. I think, this coming fummer, the King of Sicilia means to pay Bithynia the vifitation which he justly owes him.

Arch. Wherein our entertainment shall shame us, we will be juftified in our loves; for indeed

Cam. Befeech you

Arch. Verily I fpeak it in the freedom of my knowledge we cannot with fuch magnificence-in fo rare-I know not what to fay-we will give you fleepy drinks, that your fenfes (unintelligent of our infufficience) may, tho' they cannot praife us, as little accufe us.

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

Arch. Believe me, I fpeak as my understanding inftructs me, and as mine honefty puts it to utterance.

Cam. Sicilia cannot fhew himself over-kind to Bithynias VOL, W.

her

they were train'd together in their childhoods; and there rooted betwixt them then fuch an affection, which cannot chufe but branch now. Since their more mature dignities and royal neceffities made feparation of their fociety, their incounters, though not perfonal, have been royally attornied with enterchange of gifts, letters, loving embaffies, that they have feem'd to be together, tho' abfent; fhook hands, as over a vast sea, and embrac'd as it were from the ends of oppofed winds. The heav'ns continue their love!

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 Mamillus: it is a gentleman of the greateft 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, phyficks the fubject, makes old hearts fresh: they that went on crutches ere he was born defire yet their life to fee him a man.

Arch. Would they else be content to die?

Cam. Yes, if there were no other excuse why they should defire to live.

Arch. If the King had no fon, they would defire to live on crutches 'till he had one. [Exeunt. SCENE II. Enter Leontes, Hermione, Mamillus, Polixenes, Camillo, and Attendants.

Pol. Nine changes of the watry ftar hath been
The fhepherd's note, fince we have left our throne
Without a burthen; time as long again

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

:

Go hence in debt and therefore, like a cypher,
Yet ftanding in rich place, I multiply

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

Leo. Stay your thanks a while,
And pay them when you part.

Pol. Sir, that's to-morrow:

I'm queftion'd by my fears, of what may chance
Or breed upon our abfence: there may blow
Some fneaping winds at home, to make us fay,
This is put forth too early: befides, I have ftay'd

Το

To tire your Royalty.

Leo. We are tougher, brother,

Than you can put us to't.

Pol. No longer stay.

Leo. One fev'n-night longer.

Pol. Very footh, to-morrow.

Leo. We'll part the time between's then: and in that I'll no gain-faying.

Pol. Prefs me not, 'befeech you!

There is no tongue that moves, none, none i'th'world
So foon as yours, could win me: so it should now
Were there neceffity in your request, altho'
"Twere needful I deny'd 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 fave both,
Farewel, our brother !

Leo. Tongue-ty'd our Queen? fpeak you.

Her. I had thought, Sir, to have held my peace, until You had drawn oaths from him not to ftay: you, Sir, Charge him too coldly.. Tell him you are fure

All in Bithynia's well this fatisfaction

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

Leo. Well faid, Hermione.

Her. To tell, he longs to fee his fon, were frong; But let him fay fo then, and let him go ;

But let him fwear fo, and he fhall not stay,

We'll thwack him hence with diftaffs.

Yet of your royal prefence I'll adventure [To Polixenes,
The borrow of a week. When at Bithynia

You take my Lord, I'll give you my commiffion
To let him there a month, behind the geste
Prefix'd for's parting: yet, good heed, Leontes;
I love thee not a jar o' th' clock behind
What Lady' the her Lord, You'll ftay ?
Pol. No, Madam.

Her. Nay, but you will,

Pol. I may not verily.
Her. Verily?

You

B2

You put me off with limber vows; but I,

Tho' you would feek t'unfphere the ftars with paths,
Should yet fay, Sir, no going: verily

You fhall not go ja Lady's verily is

As potent as a Lord's. Will you go yet?
Force me to keep you as a prifoner,

Not like a guest ?fo you fhall pay your fees

When you depart, and fave your thanks. How fay you ?*

My prifoner? or my gueft? by your dread verily,
One of them you fhall be.

Pol. Your gueft then, Madam :

To be your prifoner, fhould import offending ;,
Which is for me lefs eafie to commit,

Than you to punish.

Her. Not your goaler then,

But your kind hoftefs; come, I'll question you
Of my Lord's tricks and yours, when you were boys a
You were pretty Lordings then ?

Pol. We were, fair Queen,

Two lads, that thought there was no more behind,
But fuch a day to-morrow as to-day,

And to be boy eternal.

Her. Was not my Lord the verier wag o'th'two?

Pol. We were as twinn'd lambs, that did frisk i'th' fun,« And bleat the one at th'other : what we chang'd

Was innocence for innocence; we knew not

The doctrine of ill-doing, no nor dream'a

That any did had we purfu'd that life,

:

And our weak fpirits ne'er been higher rear'd
With ftronger blood, we fhould have anfwer'd heaven
Boldly, not guilty; th' impofition clear/d

Hereditary ours.

Her. By this we gather

You have tript fince.

Pol. O my moft facred Lady,

Temptations have fince then been born to's ; for
In thofe unfledg'd days was my wife a girl;
Your precious felf had then not crofs'd the eyes'
Of my young play-fellow.

Her Oh! Grace to boot!.