Son of Polixenes, with his princess, (she Leon. What with him? he comes not And those but mean. Leon. His princess, say you, with him? Paul. O Hermione, [I think, (Which waits upon worn times,) hath some thing seiz'd His wish'd ability, he had himself [his Leon. O, my brother, Afresh within me; and these thy officers, As every present time doth boast itself Above a better, gone; so must thy grave Give way to what's seen now. self Have said, and writ so, (but your writing now Gent. Pardon, madam: creature, Would she begin a sect, might quench the zeal Paul. How? not women? Gent. Women will love her, that she is a woman GENTLEMAN. He thus should steal upon us. Paul. Had our prince, [pair'd (Jewel of children,) seen this hour, he had Well with this lord; there was not full a month Between their births. Leon. Pr'ythee, no more; thou know'st, He dies to me again, when talk'd of: sure, When I shall see this gentleman, thy speeches Will bring me to consider that, which may Unfurnish me of reason.-They are come.--Re-enter CLEOMENES, with FLORIZEL, PERDITA, and Attendants. Your mother was most true to wedlock, prince; Flo. By his command Have I here touch'd Sicilia: and from him ..Than the corse of Hermione, the subject of year writing. She came from Libya. Flo. Good my lord, [less That noble honour'd lord, is fear'd, and lov'd? For visiting your highness: My best train Leon. The blessed gods Purge all infection from our air, whilst you (As he from heaven merits it,) with you, Enter a LORD. That which I shall report, will bear no credit, Bohemia greets you from himself, by me: Leon. Where's Bohemia? speak. Flo. Camillo has betray'd me; Lord Lay't so, to his charge; Lord. Camillo, Sir; I spake with him; who now Has these poor men in question. Never saw I Wretches so quake: they kneel, they kiss the earth; Forswear themselves as often as they speak: Bohemia stops his ears, and threatens them With diverse death in death. Per. O, my poor father! The heaven sets spies upon us, will not have Our contract celebrated. Leon. You are married? Flo. We are not, Sir, nor are we like to be; The stars I see, will kiss the valleys first:The odds for high and low's alike.t Leon. My lord, Is this the daughter of a king? When once she is my wife. Leon. That once, I see, by your good father's speed, Will come on very slowly. I am sorry, Most sorry, you have broken from his liking, Where you were tied in duty: and as sorry, Your choice is not so rich in worth as beauty, That you might well enjoy her. [jot Flo. Dear, look up: Though fortune, visible an enemy. Should chase us, with my father; power no Hath she to change our loves.-'Beseech you, Sir, Remember since you ow'd no more to time table passion of wonder appeared in them: but the wisest beholder, that knew no more but seeing, could not say, if the importance* were joy, or sorrow: but in the extremity of the one, it must needs be. Enter another GENTLEMAN. Here comes a gentleman, that happily, knows more: The news, Rogero? 1 Gent. Nothing but bonfires: The oracle is fulfilled; the king's daughter is found: such a deal of wonder is broken out within this hour, that ballad-makers cannot be able to express it. Enter a third GENTLEMAN. Here comes the lady Paulina's steward; he can deliver you more,-How goes it now, Sir? this news which is called true, is so like an old tale, that the verity of it is in strong suspicion: Has the king found his heir. 3 Gent. Most true; if evertruth were preg nant by circumstance: that, which you hear, you'll swear you see, there is such unity in the proofs. The mantle of queen Hermione :—her jewel about the neck of it :-The letters of Antigonus, found with it, which they know to be his character:-the majesty of the creature, in resemblance of the mother;-the affectiont of nobleness, which nature shows above her breed Than I do now; with thought of such affec-ing, and many other evidences, proclaim her, tions, Step forth mine advocate; at your request, My father will grant precious things, as trifles. Leon. Would he do so, I'd beg your precious mistress, Which he counts but a trifle. Is yet unanswer'd: I will to your father; I now go toward him; therefore follow me. 1 Gent. I was by at the opening of the fardel, heard the old shepherd deliver the manner how he found it: whereupon, after a little amazedness, we were all commanded out of the chambers only this, methought I heard the shepherd say, he found the child. it. Aut. I would most gladly know the issue of with all certainty, to be the king's daughter. Did you see the meeting of the two kings? 2 Gent. No, so, 3 Gent. Then have you lost a sight, which was to be seen, cannot be spoken of. There might you have beheld one joy crown another; and in such manner, that, it seemed, sorrow wept to take leave of them; for their joy waded in tears. There was casting up of eyes, holding up of hands; with countenance of such distraction, that they were to be known by garment, not by favour. Our king, being ready to leap out of himself for joy of his found daughter; as if that joy were now become a loss, cries, 0, thy mother, thy mother! then asks Bohemia forgiveness; then embraces his son-in-law; then again worries he his daughter, with clippings her; now he thanks the old shepherd, which stands by, like a weatherbitten conduit of many kings' reigns. I never heard of such another encounter, which lames report to follow it, and undoes description to do it. nus, that carried hence the child? 2 Gent. What, pray you, became of Antigo have matter to rehearse, though credit be 3 Gent. Like an old tale still; which will asleep, and not an ear open: He was torn to herd's son; who has not only his innocence pieces with a bear: this avouches the shep(which seems much,) to justify him, but a han kerchief, and rings, of his, that Paulina knows. 1 Gent. What became of his bark and his followers? 1 Gent. I make a broken delivery of the business;-But the changes I perceived in the king, master's death; and in the view of the shep3 Gent. Wrecked, the same instant of their and Camillo, were very notes of admiration: herd: so that all the instruments, which aided they seemed almost, with staring at one another, to tear the cases of their eyes; there was it was found. But, O, the noble combat, that, to expose the child, were even then lost, when speech in their dumbness, language in their twixt joy and sorrow, was fought in Paulina! very gesture; they looked, as they had heard She had one eye declined for the loss of her of a world ransom❜d, or one destroyed: A no-husband; another elevated that the oracle was * Conversation. A quibble on the false dice so called. Descent or wealth. fulfilled; She lifted the princess from the earth; and so locks her in embracing, as if she would pin her to her heart, that she might no more be in danger of loosing. 1 Gent. The dignity of this act was worth the audience of kings and princes; for by such was it acted. 3 Gent. One of the prettiest touches of all, and that which angled for mine eyes (caught the water, though not the fish,) was, when at the relation of the queen's death, with the manner how she came to it, (bravely confessed, and lamented by the king,) how attentiveness wounded his daughter: till, from one sign of dolour to another, she did, with an alas! I would fain say, bleed tears; for, I am sure, my heart wept blood. Who was most marble there", changed colour; some swooned, all sorrowed; if all the world, could have seen it, the woe had been universal. 1 Gent. Are they returned to the court? 3 Gent. No: the princess hearing of her mo. ther's statue, which is in the keeping of Paulina, a piece many years in doing, and now newly performed by that rare Italian master, Julio Romano; who, had he himself eternity, and could put breath into his work, would beguile nature of her custom, so perfectly he is her ape: he so near to Hermione hath done Hermione, that, they say, one would speak to her, and stand in hope of answer: thither, with all greediness of affection, are they gone; and there they intend to sup. 2 Gent. I thought, she had some great matter there in hand; for she hath privately, twice or thrice a day, ever since the death of Hermione, visited that removed house. Shall we thither, and with our company piece the rejoicing? 1 Gent. Who would be thence, that has the benefit of access? every wink of an eye, some new grace will be born: our absence makes us unthrifty to our knowledge. Let's along. [Exeunt GENTLEMEN. Aut. Now, had I not the dash of my former life in me, would preferment drop on my head. I brought the old man and his son aboard the prince; told him, I heard him talk of a fardel, and I know not what: but he at that time, over-fond of the shepherd's daughter (so he then took her to be,) who began to be much sea-sick, and himself little better, extremity of weather continuing, this mystery remained undiscovered. But 'tis all one to me: for had I been the finder-out of this secret, it would not have relished among my other discredits. Enter SHEPHERD and CLOWN. Here comes those I have done good to against my will, and already appearing in the blossoms of their fortune. Shep. Come, boy; I am past more children; but thy sons and daughters will be all gentlemen born. Clo. Ay, and have been so any time these four hours. Shep. And so have I, boy. Clo. So you have :-but I was a gentleman born before my father: for the king's son took me by the hand, and called me, brother; and then the two kings called my father, brother; and then the prince, my brother, and the princes, my sister, called my father, father; and so we wept: and there was the first gentleman-like tears that ever we shed. Shep. We may live son to shed many more. Clo. Ay; or else 'twere hard luck, being in so preposterous estate as we are. Aut. I humbly beseech you, Sir, to pardon me all the faults I have committed to your worship, and to give me your good report to the prince my master. Shep. Pr'ythee, son, do; for we must be gentle, now we are gentlemen. Clo. Thou wilt amend thy life? Aut. Ay, an it like your good worship. Clo. Give me thy hand: I will swear to the prince, thou art as honest a true fellow as any is in Bohemia, Shep. You may say it, but not swear it. Clo. Not swear it, now I am a gentleman ? Let boors and franklins* say it, I'll swear it. Shep. How if it be false, son? Clo. If it be ne'er so false, a true gentleman may swear it, in the behalf of his friend :And I'll swear to the prince, thou art a tallt fellow of thy hands, and that thou wilt not be drunk, but I know, thou art no tall fellow of thy hands, and that thou wilt be drunk; but I'll swear it: and I would, thou would'st be a tall fellow of thy hands. Aut. I will prove so, Sir, to my power. Clo. Ay, by any means prove a tall fellow: IfI do not wonder, how thou darest venture to be drunk, not being a tall fellow, trust me not.-Hark! the kings and the princes, our kindred, are going to see the queen's picture. Come, follow us: we'll be thy good masters. [Exeunt. Enter LEONTES, POLIXENES, FLORIZEL,PERTM DITA, CAMILLO, PAULINA, Lords and At tendants. Leon. O grave and good Paulina, the great That I have had of thee! [comfort Paul. What, sovereign Sir, I did not well, I meant well: All my services, You have paid home: but that you have convouchsaf'd [tracted With your crown'd brother, and these your Heirs of your kingdoms, my poor house to visit, It is a surplus of your grace, which never My life may last to answer. Leon. O Paulina, We honour you with trouble: but we came To see the statute of our queen: your gallery Have we passed through, not without much content Clo. You are well met, Sir: You denied to fight with me this other day, because I was no gentleman born: See you these clothes? say, you see them not, and think me still no gen-In many singularities; but we saw not tleman born: you were best say, these robes That which my daughter came to look upon are not gentleman born. Give me the lie; do; The statute of her mother. and try whether I am not now a gentleman born. Aut. I know, you are now, Sir, a gentleman bern. Paul. As she liv'd peerless, So her dead likeness, I do well believe, Excels whatever yet you look'd upon, Or hand of man hath done; therefore I keep it * Yeoman. † Stout. Leon, As now she might have done, I am asham'd: Does not the stone rebuke me, Per. And give me leave; And do not say, tis superstition, that I kneel and then implore her blessing.-Lady, Dear queen that ended when I but began Give me that hand of yours to kiss. Paul. O, patience, The statue is but newly fixed, the colour's Cam. My lord, your sorrow was too sore laid My lord's almost so far transported, that Leon. O sweet Paulina, Make me to think so twenty years together; I could afflict you futher. For this affliction has a taste as sweet Paul. Good my lord, forbear: The rudiness upon her lip is wet; You'll mar it, if you kiss it; stain your own With oily painting: Shall I draw the curtein? Leon. No, not these twenty years. Per. So long could I Stand by, a looker on. Paul. Either forbear, Quit presently the chapel; or resolve you For more amazement: If you can behold it, I'll make the statue move indeed; descend, And take you by the hand: but then you'll think, (Which I protest against,) I am assisted Leon. What you can make her do. You do awake your faith: Then all stand still; Leon. Proceed; No foot shall stir. Paul. Music; awake her strike.-[Music. "Tis time; descend; be stone no more: approach; him Strike all that look upon with marvel. Come; Leon. O, she's warm! If his be magic, let it be an art Paul. No longer shall you gaze on't; lest Lawful as eating. your fancy May think anon, it moves. Leon. Let be, let be. Would I were dead, but that methinks al ready [lord, What was he, that did make it ?-See, my Would you not deem, it breath'd? and that those veins Did verily bear blood? Pol. Masterly done: The very life seems warm upon her lip. Paul. I'll draw the curtain; * Worked, agitated. ia it, Pol. She embraces him. [age, [Embracing her. Cam. She hangs about his neck; If she pertain to life, let her speak too, Pol. Ay, and make't manifest where she has liv'd Or, who stol'n from the dead? Paul. That she is living, Were it but told you, should be hooted at Her. You gods, look down, I. e. Thou her eye be fixed it seems to have motion And from your secret vials pour your graces As if. Upon my daughter's head! Tell me, mine own Where hast thou been preserv'd? where liv'd?, But how, is to be question'd: for I saw her, how found [I,- As I thought, dead; and have, in vain, said Thy father's court? for thou shalt hear, that Paul. There's time enough for that; My mate, that's never to be found again, Leon. O peace, Paulina ; Thou hast Thou should'st a husband take by my consent, As I by thine, a wife: this is a match, And made between's by vows. found mine; You who by this discovery have gained what you ↑ Participate. desired. many A prayer upon her grave: I'll not seek far (For him, I partly know his mind,) to find thee An honourable husband :-Come, Camillo, And take her by the hand: whose worth, and honesty, Is richly noted; and here justified By us, a pair of kings.-Let's from this place.What?-Look upon my brother!—both your pardons, That e'er I put between your holy looks [Exeam, |