Hours, minutes? noon, midnight? and all eyes blind
With the pin and web, but theirs, theirs only,
That would, unseen, be wicked? Is this nothing?
Why, then the world, and all that's in't, is nothing;
The covering sky is nothing; Bohemia nothing ;
My wife is nothing; nor nothing have these nothings,
If this be nothing.

Cam. Good my lord, be cur'd

Of this diseas'd opinion, and betimes;

For 'tis most dangerous.

Leo. Say, it be; 'tis true.

Cam. No, no, my lord.

Leo. You lie, you lie; it is:

I say, thou liest, Camillo, and I hate thee;

Pronounce thee a gross lout, a mindless slave;

Or else a hovering temporizer, that

Canst with thine eyes at once see good and evil,
Inclining to them both: Were my wife's liver
Infected as her life, she would not live

The running of one glass.

Cam. (c.) Who does infect her ?

Leo. (c.) Why, he, that wears her like a medal,

hanging

About his neck, Bohemia :-Who-if I

Had servants true about me, that bare eyes
To see alike mine honour as their profits-

They would do that

Which should undo more doing: Ay, and thou,

His cup-bearer

Who may'st see

Plainly, as heaven sees earth, and earth sees heaven,
How I am galled-might'st bespice a cup,

To give mine enemy a lasting wink;

Which draught to me were cordial.

Cam. Sir-my lord

I could do this; and that with no rash potion,
But with a ling'ring dram, that should not work
Maliciously, like poison :-But I cannot
Believe this crack to be in my dread mistress,
So sovereignly being honourable.

Leo. I've lov'd thee-make't thy question, and go rot!

Dost think, I am so muddy, so unsettled,
To appoint myself in this vexation; sully
The purity and whiteness of my sheets,

Which to preserve, is sleep; which being spotted,

Is goads, thorns, nettles, tails of wasps :--
Give scandal to the blood o'the prince, my son,
Who, I do think, is mine, and love as mine ;-
Without ripe moving to't? Would I do this?
Could man so blench?

Cam. I must believe you, sir;
I do; and will fetch off Bohemia, for't;
Provided that, when he's remov'd, your highness
Will take again your queen, as yours at first;
Even for your son's sake; and, thereby, for sealing
The injury of tongues, in courts and kingdoms
Known and allied to yours.

Leo. Thou dost advise me,

Even so, as I my own course have set down:
I'll give no blemish to her honour, none.

Cam. My lord,

Go then; and with a countenance as clear
As friendship wears at feasts, keep with Bohemia,
And with your queen :-I am his cup-bearer ;
If from me he have wholesome beverage,
Account me not your servant.

Leo. (R.) This is all :

Do't, and thou hast the one-half of my heart;
Do't not, thou splitt'st thine own.-

I will seem friendly, as thou hast advis'd me.

[Exit Leontes, R.

Cam. (c.) O miserable lady!-But, for me,
What case stand I in? I must be the poisoner
Of good Polixenes: and my ground to do't
Is the obedience to a master; one,
Who, in rebellion with himself, will have
All that are his, so too. To do this deed,
Promotion follows: If I could find example
Of thousands, that had struck anointed kings,
And flourish'd after; I'd not do't: but since
Nor brass, nor stone, nor parchment, bears not one,
Let villany itself forswear't. I must
Forsake the court: to do't, or no, is certain
To me a break-neck.-Happy star, reign now !
Here comes Bohemia.

Enter POLIXENES, R.

Pol. (R. C.) This is strange! Methinks,

My favour here begins to warp. Not speak ?--
Good day, Camillo.

Cam. (c.) Hail, most royal sir
Pol. What is the news i' the court?

Cam. None rare, my lord.

Pol. The king hath on him such a countenance,

As he had lost some province, and a region,
Lov'd as he loves himself; even now I met him
With customary compliment; when he,
Wafting his eyes to the contrary, and falling
A lip of much contempt, speeds from me; and
So leaves me, to consider what is breeding,
That changes thus his manners.

Cam. I dare not know, my lord.
Pol. How! dare not?

Cam. There is a sickness

Which puts some of us in distemper; but
I cannot name the disease; and it is caught
Of you, that yet are well.

Pol. How! caught of me?

Make me not sighted like the basilisk:

I've look'd on thousands, who have sped the better
By my regard, but kill'd none so. Camillo,

I beseech you,

If you know aught which does behove my knowledge
Thereof to be inform'd, imprison it not
In ignorant concealment.

Cam. I may not answer.

Pol. I must be answer'd.-Dost thou hear, Camillo

I conjure thee, by all the parts of man
Which honour does acknowledge--whereof
Is not this suit of mine-that thou declare

the least

What incidency thou dost guess of harm
Is creeping toward me; how far off, how near;

Which way to be prevented, if to be;

If not, how best to bear it.

Cam. Sir, I'll tell you;

Since I am charg'd in honour, and by him

That I think honourable: Therefore, mark my counsel

Which must be even as swiftly followed, as

I mean to utter it; or both yourself and me

Cry, lost! and so good night.

Pol. On, good Camillo.

Cam. I am appointed him to murder you.

Pol. By whom, Camillo?

Cam. By the king.

Pol. For what?

:

Cam. He thinks, nay, with all confidence he swears

As he had seen't, or been an instrument

To vice you to't-that you have touch'd his queen
Forbiddenly.

Pol. C, then my best blood turn
To an infected jelly; and my name

Be yok'd with his, that did betray the best!

Cam. Swear this, though over

By each particular star in heaven

You may as well

Forbid the sea for to obey the moon,

As, or by oath remove, or counsel shake,
The fabric of his folly.

Pol. How should this grow?

Cam. I know not: but I am sure, 'tis safer to
Avoid what's grown, than question how 'tis born.
If therefore you dare trust my honesty-
That lies inclosed in this trunk, which you
Shall bear along impawn'd-away to-night.

Be not uncertain ;-

For, by the honour of my parents, I

Have utter'd truth, which if you seek to prove,
I dare not stand by; nor shall you be safer

Than one condemn'd by the king's own mouth, thereon
His execution sworn.

Pol. I do believe thee:

I saw his heart in's face. Give me thy hand;
Be pilot to me, and thy places shall

Still neighbour mine: My ships are ready, and
My people did expect my hence departure

Two days ago.

Cam. It is in mine authority, to command
The keys of all the posterns: Please your highness
To take the urgent hour.

Pol. Good expedition be my friend, and comfort

The gracious queen's !

Cam. Come, sir, away.

[Exeunt, L.

END OF ACT 1.

ACT II.

SCENE I.--The Queen's Apartment.

HERMIONE, MAmillius, Emilia, Lamia, and Hero,

discovered.

Her. [Seated c. in the back ground.] Take the boy to

you: he so troubles me,

'Tis past enduring.

Lnm, (L.) Come, my gracious lord,

Shall I be your play-fellow ?

Mam. (L.) No, I'll none of you. I love you better. Emi. (L.C.) And why so, my lord ?

Mam. Not for because

Your brows are blacker; yet black brows, they say,
Become some women best.

Emi. Who taught this?

Mam. I learn'd it out of women's faces. Pray, now, What colour are your eyebrows?

Lam. Blue, my lord.

Mam. Nay, that's a mock: I've seen a lady's nose

That has been blue, but not her eyebrows.

Emi. Hark ye:

The queen, your mother, rounds apace: we shall
Present our services to a fine new prince,
One of these days; and then you'd wanton with us,
If we would have you.

Her. What wisdom stirs amongst you? Come, sir, [Mamillius goes to Hero.

now

I am for you again: Pray you, sit by us,
And tell's a tale.

Mam. Merry, or sad, shall't be?
Her. As merry as you will.

Mam. A sad tale's best for winter:

I have one of sprites and goblins.
Her. Let's have that, good sir.

Come on, sit down:-Come on, and do your best
To fright me with your sprites; you're powerful at it.

Mam. There was a man

Enter LEONTES, PHOCION, ANTIGONUS, THASIUS, OFFICERS, and GUARDS, L.-LADIES stand R. GUARDS, &C. L. Leo. (L.) Was he met there? his train? Camillo

with him?

Pho. Behind the tuft of pines I met them; never