I do refer me to the oracle :

Apollo be my judge.

Enter Dion and Cleomines.

Lord. This your request

Is altogether juft; therefore bring forth,
And in Apollo's name, his oracle.

Her. The emperor of Russia was my father,
Oh, that he were alive, and here beholding
His daughter's trial; that he did but fee
The flatnefs of my mifery; yet with eyes
Of pity, not revenge!

Off. You here fhall fwear upon the fword of juftice,. That you, Cleomines and Dion, have

Been both at Delphos, and from thence have brought
This feal'd-up oracle, by the hand deliver'd
Of great Apollo's prieft; and that fince then
You have not dar'd to break the holy feal,
Nor read the secrets in't.

Cleo. Dion. All this we fwear.

Leo. Break up the feals, and read.

Offi. Hermione is chafte, Polixenes blameleft, Camille a true fubject, Leontes a jealous tyrant, his innocent babe truly begotten; and the King ball live without an heir, if that, which is loft, be not found.

Lords. Now bleffed be the great Apollo!

Her. Praifed!

Leo. Haft thou read truth?

Offi. Ay, my Lord, even fo as it is here fet down.
Leo. There is no truth at all i'th' oracle

The feffion fhall proceed; this is mere falfhood..

Enter Servant.

Serv. My Lord the King, the King,-.

Leo. What is the bufinefs?

Ser. O Sir, I fhall be hated to report it.

The Prince your fon, with mere conceit and fear.
Of the Queen's fpeed, is gone.

Leo. How gone ?

Sen. Is dead

Leo.

Leo. Apollo's angry, and the heav'ns themselves Do ftrike at my injuftice. How now, there?

[Her. faints Paul. This news is mortal to the Queen: look down, And fee what death is doing.

Leo. Take her hence ;;

Her heart is but o'er-charg'd; fhe will recover.

[Exeunt Paulina and Ladies with Hermione.

I have too much believ'd mine own fufpicion:
'Befeech you, tenderly apply to her
Some remedies for life. Apollo, pardon
My great prophanenefs 'gainst thine oracle!
I'll reconcile me to Polixenes,

New woo my Queen, recal the good Camillo ;
(Whom I proclaim a man of truth, of mercy)
For being tranfported by my jealoufies
To bloody thoughts and to revenge, I chofe
Camillo for the minifter, to poifon

My friend Polixenes; which had been done,
But that the good mind of Camillo tardied
My fwift command; tho' I with death, and with
Reward, did threaten, and encourage him,
Not doing it, and being done; he (moft humane,
And fill'd with honour) to my kingly guest
Unclafp'd my practice, quit his fortunes here,
Which you knew great, and to the certain hazard
Of all incertainties himfelf commended,
No richer than his honour: how he glifters.
Through my dark ruft! and how his piety
Does my deeds make the blacker!

Enter Paulina.

Paul. Woe the while!

O, cut my lace, left my heart, cracking it,

Break too.

Lord. What fit is this, good Lady?

Paul. What ftudied torments, tyrant, haft for me? What wheels?racks? fires? what flaying?boiling?burning In leads or oils? what old, or newer, torture

Muft I receive? whate every word deferves

To take of thy most worst. Thy tyranny
Together working with thy jealoufies,

(Fancies too weak for boys, too green and idle
For girls of nine!) O, think, what they have done,
And then run mad, indeed; ftark mad, for all
Thy by gone fooleries were spices of it.

That thou betray'dft Polixenes, 'twas nothing: (15)
That did but fhew thee of a foul inconftant,
And damnable ingrateful: nor was't much,
Thou would't have poifon'd good Camillo's honour,
To have him kill a King: poor trefpaffes,
More monstrous ftanding by; whereof I reckon
The cafting forth to crows thy baby-daughter,
To be, or none, or little; tho' a devil

Would have fhed water out of fire, ere don't:
Nor is't directly laid to thee, the death

Of the young Prince, whofe honourable thoughts
(Thoughts high for one fo tender) cleft the heart,
That could conceive a grofs and foolish Sire
Blemish'd his gracious Dam: this is not, no,
Laid to thy answer; but the last, O Lords,
When I have faid, cry, woe! the Queen, the Queen,→→
The sweeteft, deareft,creature's dead; and vengeance for't
Not dropt down yet.

Lord. The higher powers forbid!

Paul. I fay, the's dead: I'll fwear't: if word, nor oath, Prevail not, go and fee: if you can bring

Tincture or luftre in her lip, her eye,

Heat outwardly, or breath within, I'll ferve you
As I would do the Gods. But, O thou tyrant! (16)

(15) That thou betrayd'ft Polixenes, 'twas nothing;

That did but fhew thee, of a fool, inconftant,

Do

And damnable ingrateful. I have ventur'd at a flight alteration here, against the authority of all the copies. It is certainly too gross and blunt in Paulina, tho' the might impeach the King of fooleries in fome of his past actions and conduct, to call him downright a fool. And it is much more pardonable in her to arraign his morals, and the qualities of his mind, than rudely to call him ideat to his face.

(16)

but, 0, thou tyrant!

Do'ft not repent thefe things, for they are beavier
Than all thy woes can flir ? iberefore betake thee

То

Do not repent these things; for they are heavier
Than all thy woes can ftir: therefore betake thee
To nothing but defpair. A thousand knees,
Ten thousand years together, naked, fafting,
Upon a barren mountain, and still winter
In storm perpetual, could not move the Gods
To look that way thou wert.

Leo. Go on, go on:

Thou canst not fpeak too much; I have deferv'd
All tongues to talk their bitterest.

Lord. Say no more;

Howe'er the business goes, you have made fault
I'th' boldness of your fpeech.

Paul. I am forry for't

All faults I make, when I fhall come to know them, I do repent: alas, I've fhew'd too much

The rafhnefs of a woman; he is touch'd

To the noble heart. What's gone, and what's paft help, Should be past grief. Do not receive affliction

At my petition, I beseech you; rather

Let me be panish'd, that have minded you

Of what you should forget. Now, good my Leige,
Sir, royal Sir, forgive a foolish woman;

The love I bore your Queen-lo, fool again!
I'll speak of her no more, nor of

your children: I'll not remember you of my own Lord,

Who is loft too. Take you your patience to you,
And I'll fay nothing

Leo. Thou didit speak but well,

When moft the truth; which I receive much better Than to be pitied of thee. Pr'ythee, bring me To the dead bodies of my Queen and fon;

To nothing but defpair.] Mr. Rowe reads this paffage thus; but Mr. Pope has been pleafed to add to the abfurdity of it, by an inno vation in the pointing. Paulina is made, by this notable change, to argue with the King in this manner; Do'st thou not repent of thy ac tions, becaufe repentance can do thee no fervice?—I have restor❜d the genuine reading of the old copies: And, 'tis evident, Paulina is defign'd to difcourage him from repentance, on the fuppofition of his crimes being too heinous to be forgiven: She therefore bids him abfolutely to embrace defpair.

One

One grave fhall be for both. Upon them shall
The causes of their death appear unto

Our fhame perpetual; once a day I'll vifit
The chapel where they lie, and tears fhed there
Shall be my recreation. So long as nature
Will bear up with this exercise, so long
I daily vow to use it. Come, and lead me
To thefe forrows.

[Exeunt.

SCENE changes to Bohemia. A defart Country; the Sea at a little distance.

Enter Antigonus with a Child, and a Mariner.

Ant. The defarts of Bohemia?
T
Hou art perfect then, our fhip hath touch'd upon

Mar. Ay, my Lord; and fear,

We've landed in ill time: the fkies look grimly,
And threaten prefent blufters. In my confcience,
The heav'ns with that we have in hand are angry,
And frown upon's.

Ant. Their facred wills be done! get thee aboard,
Look to thy bark, I'll not be long before
I call upon thee.

Mar. Make your best hafte, and go not

Too far i'th' land; 'tis like to be loud weather.
Befides, this place is famous for the creatures
Of prey, that keep upon't.

Ant. Go thou away.

I'll follow inftantly.

Mar. I'm glad at heart

To be fo rid o'th' business.

Ant. Come, poor babe;

[Exit.

I have heard, but not believ'd, the spirits o'th' dead
May walk again; if fuch thing be, thy mother
Appear'd to me laft night; for ne'er was dream
So like a waking. To me comes a creature,
Sometimes her head on one fide, fome another,
I never faw a veffel of like forrow

So fill'd, and fo becoming; in pure white robes,
Like very fanctity, fhe did approach

My cabin where I lay; thrice bow'd before me,

And,