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Than fuch as moft feems yours. I fay, I come

From your good Queen.

Leo. Good Queen?

Paul. Good Queen, my Lord,.
Good Queen, I fay, good Queen ;

And would by combat make her good, fo were I
A man, the worst about you.

Leo. Force her hence.

Paul. Let him, that makes but trifles of his eyes, Firft hand me: on mine own accord, I'll off; But first, I'll do my errand. The good Queen, For fhe is good, hath brought you forth a daughter, Here 'tis ; commends it to your blefing.

Leo. Out!

[Laying down the child.'.

A mankind witch! (11) hence with her, out o' door:: A most intelligencing bawd.!

Paul. Not fo,

I am as ignorant in that as you,

In fo intit'ling me; and no lefs honest,

Than you are mad; which is enough, I'll warrant,, As this world goes, to pass for honeft.

Leo. Traitors!

Will you not push her out? give her the bastard. [To Anti-
Thou dotard, thou art woman-tyr'd; unroofsted
By thy dame Partlet here. Take up the baftard,,
Take't up, I fay; give't to thy croan.

Paul. For ever

Unvenerable be thy hands, if thou

Take'ft up the Princefs, by that forced bafenefs
Which he has put upon't!

Leo. He dreads his wife.

Paul. So, I would, you did: then 'twere paft all doubt, You'd call your children yours.

(11) A mankind witch!] i. e. One as bold and mafculine, as if the were a man. So in B. Johnson's Silent Woman, when Morofe is te izid by his new wife's fhe-friends, he cries out in deteftation of their toldness; O mankind generation!

And fo Beaumont and Fletcher in their Monfieur Thomas.

I do not bleed; 'twas a found knock the gave me;
A plaguy mankind girl!

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Leo. A neft of traytors!

Ant. I am none, by this good light.

Paul. Nor I; nor any

But one, that's here; and that's himself. For he
The facred honour of himself, his Queen's,

His hopeful fon's, his babe's, betrays to flander,
Whofe fting is fharper than the fword's; and will not
(For as the cafe now ftands, it is a curfe
He cannot be compell'd to't) once remove
The root of his opinion, which is rotten,
As ever oak or ftone was found.

Leo. A callat

Of boundless tongue, who late hath beat her husband,
And now baits me!-This brat is none of mine;
It is the iffue of Polixenes.

Hence with it, and together with the dam,
Commit them to the fire.

Paul. It is your's;

And, might we lay th' old proverb to your charge,
So like you, 'tis the worse. Behold, my Lords,
Altho' the print be little, the whole matter
And copy of the father; eye, nose, lip,

The trick of's frown, his forehead, nay, the valley,
The pretty dimples of his chin, and cheek, his fmiles,
'The very mold and frame of hand, nail, finger.
And thou, good goddefs Nature, which haft made it
So like to him that got it, if thou hast

The ordering of the mind too, 'mongst all colours
No yellow in't; left the fufpect, as he does,
Her children not her husband's.

Leo. A grofs hag!

And lozel, thou art worthy to be hang'd,

That wilt not ftay her tongue.

Ant. Hang, all the hufbands,

That cannot do that feat, you'll leave yourself

Hardly one fubject.

Leo. Once more, take her hence.

Paul. A most unworthy and unnatural Lord Can do no more.

Leo. I'll ha' thee burnt.

Paul. I care not;

It is an heritick that makes the fire,

Not the 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 favourss Of tyranny, and will ignoble make you,,

Yea, fcandalous to the world.

Leo. On your allegiance,

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

Paul. I pray you, do not push me, I'll be gone. Look to your babe, my Lord, 'tis your's; Jove fend her t A better guiding fpirit! What need thefe 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...

[Exity.

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

And fee it inftantly confum'd with fire;

Even thou, and none but thou. Take it up ftraights: Within this hour bring me word it is done,

And by good teftimony, or I'll feize thy life,

With what thou elfe call'ft thine: if thou refufe, .
And wilt encounter with my wrath, fay fo:

The baftard brains with thefe my proper hands-
Shall I dash out: go take it to the fire,

For thou fett'ft on thy wife..

Ant. I did not, Sir:

Thefe Lords, my noble fellows, if they pleafe,
Can clear me in't..

Lord. We can; my royal Liege,,

He is not guilty of her coming hither.

Leg. You're liars all.

Lords. 'Befeech your Highness give us better credit. We've always truly ferv'd you, and beseech you So to esteem of us and on our knees we beg1: (As recompence of our dear fervices.

Paft,',

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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 curfe it then. But be it; let it live:

It fhall not neither.

You, Sir, come you hither;

[To Antigonus.

You, that have been fo tenderly officious
With Lady Margery, your midwife there,

To fave this baftard's life; (for 'tis a baftard,
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 noblenefs impofe: at leaft, thus much;
I'll pawn the little blood which I have left,
To fave the innocent; any thing poffible.

Lea. It fhall be poffible; fwear by this fword,
Thou wilt perform my bidding.

Ant. I will, my Lord.

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

Death to thyfelf, but to thy lewd-tongu'd wife,
Whom for this time we pardon. We enjoin thee,
As thou art liege-man to us, that thou carry.
This female bastard 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 it's own protection
And favour of the climate. As by ftrange fortune
It came to us, I do in juice charge thee,
On thy foul's peril and thy body's torture,
That thou commend it ftrangely to fome 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 say,

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(Cafting

(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.

Enter a Meffenger.

[Exit, with the child.

Mef. Please 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 pleafe 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,
Our most difloyal Lady; for as the hath
Been publickly accus'd, fo fhall fhe have.
A juft and open trial. While fhe lives,
My heart will be a burden to me. Leave me,
And think upon my bidding..

A CT II

[Exeunt, feverally...

SCENE, a Part of Sicily near the Sea-fide.. Enter Cleomines and Dion,

CLEOMINES.

HE climate's delicate, the air moft fweet, (12)
Fertile the ille, the temple much furpaffing

The common praise it bears.

(12) The climate's delicate, the air moft (weet,

Dion.

Fertile the ife-] I must subjoin a very reasonable con

jecture

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