That wilt not stay her tongue.

Ant. Hang all the husbands

That cannot do that feat, you'll leave your self
Hardly one fubject.

Leo. Once more take her hence.

Pau. A moft unworthy and unnatural Lord

Can do no more.

Leo. I'll ha' thee burnt.

Pau. I care not;

It is an heretick that makes the fire,

Not fhe which burns in't, I'll not call you tyrant,

But this moft cruel ufage of

your Queen

(Not able to produce more accufation

Than your own weak-hing'd fancy) fomething favours
Of tyranny, and will ignoble make you,

Yea, fcandalous to all the world.

Leo. On your allegiance,

Out of the chamber with her. Were I a tyrant,
Where were her life? fhe durft not call me fo,
If the did know me one. Away with her!

Pau, I pray yon, do not push me, I'll be gone.
Look to your babe, my Lord, 'tis yours; Jove fend her
A better guiding spirit! What need these hands?
You that are thus fo tender o'er his follies,

Will never do him good, not one of you.

So, fo: farewel, we are gone.

SCENE VI.

Leo. Thou, traytor, haft fet on thy wife to this.
My child? away with't. Even thou that haft
A heart fo tender o'er it, take it hence,

And fee it inftantly confum'd with fire;

[Exit.

Even thou, and none but thou. Take it up ftraight:
Within this hour bring me word 'tis done,

And by good teftimony, or I'll feize

Thy life, with all that's thine: if thou refufe,
And wilt encounter with my wrath, fay fo;
The baftard-brains with these my proper hands
Shall I dash out: go take it to the fire,
For thou fett'd'ft on thy wife.

Ant. I did not, Sir:

The

The Lords, my noble fellows, if they please,

Can clear me in't.

Lord. We can, my royal Liege,

He is not guilty of her coming hither.

Leo. You're liars all.

Lord. 'Befeech your Highness, give us better credit.
We've always truly ferv'd you, and befeech you
So to esteem of us; and on our knees

We beg (as recompence of our dear fervice
Paft, and to come) that you do change this purpose,
Which being fo horrible, fo bloody, muft

Lead on to fome foul iffue. We all kneel-
Leo. I am a feather for each wind that blows:
Shall I live on to fee this baftard kneel

And call me father? better burn it now,"
Than curse it then. But be it; let it live:

It shall not neither. You, Sir, come you hither; [To Ant.
You that have been so tenderly officious
With Lady Margery, your midwife there,
To fave this baftard's life; (for 'tis a bastard,

So fure as this beard's grey) what will you adventure
To fave this brat's life?

Ant. Any thing, my Lord,

That my ability may undergo

And nobleness impofe: at least thus much;

I'll pawn the little blood which I have left,

To fave the innocent; what's poffible.

Leo. It fhall be poffible; fwear by this sword Thou wilt perform my bidding.

Ant. I will, my Lord.

Leo. Mark and perform it; fee't thou; for the fail Of any point in't fhall not only be

Death to thy felf, but to thy lewd-tongu'd wife,
Whom for this time we pardon. We enjoyn thee,
As thou art liege-man to us, that thou carry
This female baftard hence, and that thou bear it
To fome remote and defart place, quite out
Of our dominions; and that there thou leave it,
Without more mercy, to its own protection
And favour of the climate. As by ftrange fortune

It came to us, I do in justice charge thee,
On thy foul's peril and thy body's torture,
That thou commend it to fome ftranger place,
Where chance may nurfe or end it. Take it up.
Ant, I fwear to do this; tho' a prefent death
Had been more merciful. Come on, poor babe,
Some powerful fpirit inftruct the kites and ravens
To be thy nurfes! Wolves and bears, they fay,
(Cafting their favagenefs afide) have done
Like offices of pity. Sir, be profperous

In more than this deed does require! and bleffing
Against this cruelty fight on thy fide,
Poor thing condemn'd to lofs!

Leo. No; I'll not rear

Another's iffue

[Exit with the Child,

Enter a Meffenger.

Mef. Pleafe your Highness, pofts

From thofe you fent to th' Oracle, are come
An hour fince Cleomines and Dion,

Being well arriv'd from Delphos, are both landed,
Hafting to th' Court,

Lord. So please you, Sir, their speed

Hath been beyond account.

Leo. Twenty three days

They have been abfent; this good speed foretels
The great Apollo fuddenly will have

The truth of this appear. Prepare you, Lords,
Summon a feffion, that we may arraign
Qur most difloyal Lady; for as the hath
Been publickly accus'd, fo fhall the have
A juft and open tryal. While the lives,
My heart will be a burthen to me.
And think upon my bidding.

\ Cleo.

20. TH

Leave me,

[Exeunt feverally.

ACT III. SCENE I.

A Part of Sicily.

Enter Cleomines and Dion.

HE climate's delicate, the air most sweet, Fertile the foil, the temple much furpalling The common praise it bears.

Dion. I fhall report,

For most they caught me, the celestial habits,

Methinks I fo fhould term them, and the reverence
Of the grave wearers. O, the facrifice;

How ceremonious, folemn, and unearthly
It was i'th' offering!

Cleo. But of all, the burst

And the ear-deafning voice o'th' Oracle,
Kin to Jove's thunder, fo furpris'd my sense
That I was nothing.

Dion. If th' event o'th' journey

Prove as fuccefsful to the Queen (O be't fo!)
As it hath been to us rare, pleafant, speedy ;.
The ufe is worth the time on't.

Cleo. Great Apollo,

Turn all to th' beft! thefe proclamations,
So forcing faults upon Hermione,
I little like.

Dion. The violent carriage of it

Will clear or end the bufinefs, when the Oracle
Thus by Apollo's great Divine feal'd up,

Shall the contents difcover: something rare

Even then will rush to knowledge. Go; fresh horses.
And gracious be the iffue!

[Excunt; SCENE II. A Court of Justice. Leontes, Lords, and Officers, appear properly feated. Les. This feffion, to our great grief, we pronounce, Even pushes 'gainst our heart. The party try'd, The daughter of a King, our wife, and one Of us too much belov'd; let us be clear'd Of being tyrannous, fince we so openly Proceed in juftice, which shall have due course, Even to the guilt, or the purgation. Produce the prisoner.

Offi. It is his Highness' pleasure, that the Queen Appear in perfon here in Court. Silence!

Hermione is brought in guarded; Paulina and Ladies. Leo. Read the indictment.

Offi. Hermione, Queen to the worthy Leontes, King of Sicilia, thou art bere accufed and arraigned of high treafon,

in committing adultery with Polixenes King of Bithynia, and confpiring with Camillo to take away the life of our fovereign Lord the King, thy royal husband; the pretence whereof being by circumftances partly laid open, thou, Hermione, contrary to the faith and allegiance of a true fubject, didft counfel and aid them, for their better fafety, to fly away by night. Her. Since what I am to say, must be but that Which contradicts my accusation, and

The teftimony on my part no other

But what comes from my felf, it shall scarce boot me
To fay, not guilty: mine integrity

Being counted falfhood, fhall, as I express it,
Be fo receiv'd. But thus: if powers divine
Behold our human actions, as they do,

I doubt not then, but innocence shall make
Falfe accufations blush, and tyranny

Tremble at patience. You, my Lord, best know,
Who least will seem to do fo, my paft life
Hath been as continent, as chafte, as true,
As I am now unhappy; which is more
Than history can pattern, tho' devis'd
And play'd to take spectators. For behold me
A fellow of the royal bed, which owe

A moiety of the throne, a great King's daughter,
The mother to a hopeful Prince, here ftanding
To prate and talk for life and honour, 'fore
Who please to come and hear. For life, I prize it
As I weigh grief which I would fpare: for honour,
'Tis a derivative from me to mine,

And only that I ftand for. I appeal

To your own confcience, Sir, before Polixenes
Came to your Court, how I was in your grace,
How merited to be fo: fince he came,
With what encounter fo uncurrant have
I ftrain'd t'appear thus? if one jot beyond
The bounds of honour, or in act or will
That way enclining, hardned be the hearts
Of all that hear me, and my near❜ft of kin
Cry fie upon my grave!

Leo. I ne'er heard yet

That