The Winter's Tale

CAMILLO. I dare not know, my lord.

POLIXENES. How, dare not! Do not. Do you know, and dare not Be intelligent to me? "Tis thereabouts; For, to yourself, what you do know, you must, And cannot say you dare not. Good Camillo, Your chang"d complexions are to me a mirror Which shows me mine chang"d too; for I must be A party in this alteration, finding Myself thus alter"d with"t.

CAMILLO. 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.

POLIXENES. How! caught of me?

Make me not sighted like the basilisk; I have look"d on thousands who have sped the better By my regard, but kill"d none so. Camillo- As you are certainly a gentleman; thereto Clerk-like experienc"d, which no less adorns Our gentry than our parents" n.o.ble names, In whose success we are gentle- I beseech you, If you know aught which does behove my knowledge Thereof to be inform"d, imprison"t not In ignorant concealment.

CAMILLO. I may not answer.

POLIXENES. A sickness caught of me, and yet I well?

I must be answer"d. Dost thou hear, Camillo?

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

CAMILLO. Sir, I will tell you; Since I am charg"d in honour, and by him That I think honourable. Therefore mark my counsel, Which must be ev"n as swiftly followed as I mean to utter it, or both yourself and me Cry lost, and so goodnight.

POLIXENES. On, good Camillo.

CAMILLO. I am appointed him to murder you.

POLIXENES. By whom, Camillo?

CAMILLO. By the King.

POLIXENES. For what?

CAMILLO. 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.

POLIXENES. O, then my best blood turn To an infected jelly, and my name Be yok"d with his that did betray the Best!

Turn then my freshest reputation to A savour that may strike the dullest nostril Where I arrive, and my approach be shunn"d, Nay, hated too, worse than the great"st infection That e"er was heard or read!

CAMILLO. Swear his thought over By each particular star in heaven and By all their influences, 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, whose foundation Is pil"d upon his faith and will continue The standing of his body.

POLIXENES. How should this grow?

CAMILLO. 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 enclosed in this trunk which you Shall bear along imp.a.w.n"d, away to-night.

Your followers I will whisper to the business; And will, by twos and threes, at several posterns, Clear them o" th" city. For myself, I"ll put My fortunes to your service, which are here By this discovery lost. Be not uncertain, For, by the honour of my parents, I Have utt"red 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.

POLIXENES. 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. This jealousy Is for a precious creature; as she"s rare, Must it be great; and, as his person"s mighty, Must it be violent; and as he does conceive He is dishonour"d by a man which ever Profess"d to him, why, his revenges must In that be made more bitter. Fear o"ershades me.

Good expedition be my friend, and comfort The gracious Queen, part of this theme, but nothing Of his ill-ta"en suspicion! Come, Camillo; I will respect thee as a father, if Thou bear"st my life off hence. Let us avoid.

CAMILLO. It is in mine authority to command The keys of all the posterns. Please your Highness To take the urgent hour. Come, sir, away. Exeunt

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ACT II. SCENE I.

Sicilia. The palace of LEONTES

Enter HERMIONE, MAMILLIUS, and LADIES

HERMIONE. Take the boy to you; he so troubles me, "Tis past enduring.

FIRST LADY. Come, my gracious lord, Shall I be your playfellow?

MAMILLIUS. No, I"ll none of you.

FIRST LADY. Why, my sweet lord?

MAMILLIUS. You"ll kiss me hard, and speak to me as if I were a baby still. I love you better.

SECOND LADY. And why so, my lord?

MAMILLIUS. Not for because Your brows are blacker; yet black brows, they say, Become some women best; so that there be not Too much hair there, but in a semicircle Or a half-moon made with a pen.

SECOND LADY. Who taught"t this?

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

FIRST LADY. Blue, my lord.

MAMILLIUS. Nay, that"s a mock. I have seen a lady"s nose That has been blue, but not her eyebrows.

FIRST LADY. 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.

SECOND LADY. She is spread of late Into a goodly bulk. Good time encounter her!

HERMIONE. What wisdom stirs amongst you? Come, sir, now I am for you again. Pray you sit by us, And tell"s a tale.

MAMILLIUS. Merry or sad shall"t be?

HERMIONE. As merry as you will.

MAMILLIUS. A sad tale"s best for winter. I have one Of sprites and goblins.

HERMIONE. Let"s have that, good sir.

Come on, sit down; come on, and do your best To fright me with your sprites; you"re pow"rfull at it.

MAMILLIUS. There was a man- HERMIONE. Nay, come, sit down; then on.

MAMILLIUS. Dwelt by a churchyard- I will tell it softly; Yond crickets shall not hear it.

HERMIONE. Come on then, And give"t me in mine ear.

Enter LEONTES, ANTIGONUS, LORDS, and OTHERS

LEONTES. Was he met there? his train? Camillo with him?

FIRST LORD. Behind the tuft of pines I met them; never Saw I men scour so on their way. I ey"d them Even to their ships.

LEONTES. How blest am I In my just censure, in my true opinion!

Alack, for lesser knowledge! How accurs"d In being so blest! There may be in the cup A spider steep"d, and one may drink, depart, And yet partake no venom, for his knowledge Is not infected; but if one present Th" abhorr"d ingredient to his eye, make known How he hath drunk, he cracks his gorge, his sides, With violent hefts. I have drunk, and seen the spider.

Camillo was his help in this, his pander.

There is a plot against my life, my crown; All"s true that is mistrusted. That false villain Whom I employ"d was pre-employ"d by him; He has discover"d my design, and I Remain a pinch"d thing; yea, a very trick For them to play at will. How came the posterns So easily open?

FIRST LORD. By his great authority; Which often hath no less prevail"d than so On your command.

LEONTES. I know"t too well.

Give me the boy. I am glad you did not nurse him; Though he does bear some signs of me, yet you Have too much blood in him.

HERMIONE. What is this? Sport?

LEONTES. Bear the boy hence; he shall not come about her; Away with him; and let her sport herself [MAMILLIUS is led out]

With that she"s big with- for "tis Polixenes Has made thee swell thus.

HERMIONE. But I"d say he had not, And I"ll be sworn you would believe my saying, Howe"er you lean to th" nayward.

LEONTES. You, my lords, Look on her, mark her well; be but about To say "She is a goodly lady" and The justice of your hearts will thereto add "Tis pity she"s not honest- honourable."

Praise her but for this her without-door form, Which on my faith deserves high speech, and straight The shrug, the hum or ha, these petty brands That calumny doth use- O, I am out!- That mercy does, for calumny will sear Virtue itself- these shrugs, these hum"s and ha"s, When you have said she"s goodly, come between, Ere you can say she"s honest. But be"t known, From him that has most cause to grieve it should be, She"s an adultress.

HERMIONE. Should a villain say so, The most replenish"d villain in the world, He were as much more villain: you, my lord, Do but mistake.

LEONTES. You have mistook, my lady, Polixenes for Leontes. O thou thing!

Which I"ll not call a creature of thy place, Lest barbarism, making me the precedent, Should a like language use to all degrees And mannerly distinguishment leave out Betwixt the prince and beggar. I have said She"s an adultress; I have said with whom.

More, she"s a traitor; and Camillo is A federary with her, and one that knows What she should shame to know herself But with her most vile princ.i.p.al- that she"s A bed-swerver, even as bad as those That vulgars give bold"st t.i.tles; ay, and privy To this their late escape.

HERMIONE. No, by my life, Privy to none of this. How will this grieve you, When you shall come to clearer knowledge, that You thus have publish"d me! Gentle my lord, You scarce can right me throughly then to say You did mistake.

LEONTES. No; if I mistake In those foundations which I build upon, The centre is not big enough to bear A school-boy"s top. Away with her to prison.

He who shall speak for her is afar off guilty But that he speaks.

HERMIONE. There"s some ill planet reigns.

I must be patient till the heavens look With an aspect more favourable. Good my lords, I am not p.r.o.ne to weeping, as our s.e.x Commonly are- the want of which vain dew Perchance shall dry your pities- but I have That honourable grief lodg"d here which burns Worse than tears drown. Beseech you all, my lords, With thoughts so qualified as your charities Shall best instruct you, measure me; and so The King"s will be perform"d!

LEONTES. [To the GUARD] Shall I be heard?

HERMIONE. Who is"t that goes with me? Beseech your highness My women may be with me, for you see My plight requires it. Do not weep, good fools; There is no cause; when you shall know your mistress Has deserv"d prison, then abound in tears As I come out: this action I now go on Is for my better grace. Adieu, my lord.

I never wish"d to see you sorry; now I trust I shall. My women, come; you have leave.

LEONTES. Go, do our bidding; hence!

Exeunt HERMIONE, guarded, and LADIES FIRST LORD. Beseech your Highness, call the Queen again.

ANTIGONUS. Be certain what you do, sir, lest your justice Prove violence, in the which three great ones suffer, Yourself, your queen, your son.

FIRST 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 spotless I" th" eyes of heaven and to you- I mean In this which you accuse her.

ANTIGONUS. If it prove She"s otherwise, I"ll keep my stables where I lodge my wife; I"ll go in couples with her; Than when I feel and see her no farther trust her; For every inch of woman in the world, Ay, every dram of woman"s flesh is false, If she be.

LEONTES. Hold your peaces.

FIRST LORD. Good my lord- ANTIGONUS. It is for you we speak, not for ourselves.

You are abus"d, and by some putter-on That will be d.a.m.n"d for"t. Would I knew the villain!

I would land-d.a.m.n him. Be she honour-flaw"d- I have three daughters: the eldest is eleven; The second and the third, nine and some five; If this prove true, they"ll pay for "t. By mine honour, I"ll geld "em all; fourteen they shall not see To bring false generations. They are co-heirs; And I had rather glib myself than they Should not produce fair issue.