Paul. I pray now, call her. Withdraw yourselves.

Keep.

[Exeunt Attend.

And, madam,

[Exit Keeper.

I must be present at your conference.
Paul. Well, be it so, pr'ythee.

Here's such ado to make no stain a stain,

As passes colouring.

Re-enter Keeper, with EMILIA.

Dear gentlewoman, how fares our gracious lady?
Emil. As well as one so great, and so forlorn,
May hold together: On her frights and griefs
(Which never tender lady hath borne greater),
She is, something before her time, deliver’d.
Paul. A boy?
Emil.

A daughter; and a goodly babe,
Lusty, and like to live: the receives
Much comfort in't: says, My poor prisoner,

I am innocent as you.

Paul.

queen

I dare be sworn:

These dangerous unsafe lunes1 o'the king! beshrew them!

be

He must be told on't, and he shall: the office
Becomes a woman best; I'll take't upon me:
If I prove honey-mouth'd, let my tongue blister;
And never to my red-look'd
anger
The trumpet any more:-Pray you, Emilia,
Commend my best obedience to the queen;
If she dares trust me with her little babe,
I'll show't the king, and undertake to be
Her advocate to th' loudest: We do not know

Lunes. This word has not been found in any other English writer; but it is used in old French for frenzy, lunacy, folly. A similar expression occurs in The Revenger's Tragedy, 1608: 'I know it was but some peevish moon in him.' In As You Like It, we have the expression, a moonish youth.

How he may soften at the sight o' the child;
The silence often of pure innocence

Persuades, when speaking fails.

Most worthy madam,

Emil.
Your honour, and your goodness, is so evident,
That your free undertaking cannot miss

A thriving issue; there is no lady living,

So meet for this great errand: Please your ladyship
To visit the next room, I'll presently

Acquaint the queen of your most noble offer;
Who, but to-day, hammer'd of this design;
But durst not tempt a minister of honour,
Lest she should be denied.

Paul.

Tell her, Emilia, I'll use that tongue I have: if wit flow from it, As boldness from my bosom, let it not be doubted I shall do good.

Emil.

Now be you blest for it! I'll to the queen: Please you, come something nearer. Keep. Madam, if't please the queen to send the

babe,

I know not what I shall incur, to pass it,

Having no warrant.

Paul.

You need not fear it, sir:

The child was prisoner to the womb; and is,
By law and process of great nature, thence
Freed and enfranchis'd: not a party to
The anger of the king; nor guilty of,
If any be, the trespass of the

Keep. I do believe it.

Paul.

queen.

Do not you fear:
: upon

Mine honour, I will stand 'twixt you and danger.

VOL. IV.

E

[Exeunt.

SCENE III. The same.

A Room in the Palace.

Enter LEONTES, ANTIGONUS, Lords, and other Attendants.

Leon. Nor night, nor day, no rest: It is but weakness To bear the matter thus; mere weakness, if The cause were not in being;-part o' the cause, She, the adultress;-for the harlot king Is quite beyond mine arm, out of the blank And level1 of my brain, plot-proof: but she I can hook to me: Say, that she were gone, Given to the fire, a moiety of my rest Might come to me again.

1 Attend.

Leon. How does the boy?

1 Attend.

-Who's there?

My lord! [Advancing.

He took good rest to-night;

To see,

'Tis hop'd his sickness is discharg'd.

Leon.

His nobleness!

Conceiving the dishonour of his mother,

He straight declin'd, droop'd, took it deeply;
Fasten'd and fix'd the shame on't in himself;
Threw off his spirit, his appetite, his sleep,

And downright languish'd.-Leave me solely2:-go, See how he fares. [Exit Attend.]-Fye, fye! no thought of him;

The very thought of my revenges that way
Recoil upon me: in himself too mighty;
And in his parties, his alliance,-Let him be,
Until a time may serve: for present vengeance,

1 Blank and level mean mark and aim, or direction. They are terms of gunnery. See note 8, p. 50, of this play. Thus also

in Hamlet, Act iv. Sc. 4:

'As level as the cannon to his blank.'

2 i. e. leave me alone.

Take it on her.

Camillo and Polixenes

Laugh at me; make their pastime at my sorrow: They should not laugh, if I could reach them; nor Shall she, within my power.

1 Lord.

Enter PAULINA, with a Child.

You must not enter.

Paul. Nay, rather, good my lords, be second to me: Fear you his tyrannous passion more, alas, Than the queen's life? a gracious innocent soul; More free, than he is jealous.

Ant.

That's enough.

1 Atten. Madam, he hath not slept to-night; com

manded

None should come at him.

Paul.

I come to bring him sleep.

Not so hot, good sir;

'Tis such as you,—
That creep like shadows by him, and do sigh
At each his needless heavings, such as you
Nourish the cause of his awaking: I

Do come with words as med'cinal as true;
Honest, as either; to purge him of that humour,
That presses him from sleep.

Leon.

What noise there, ho?

but needful conference

Paul. No noise, my lord;
About some gossips for your highness.

Leon.

How?

Away with that audacious lady: Antigonus,
I charg'd thee, that she should not come about me;
I knew she would.

Ant.

I told her so, my lord,

What, can'st not rule her?

On your displeasure's peril, and on mine,
She should not visit you.

Leon.

Paul. From all dishonesty, he can: in this, (Unless he take the course that you have done,

Commit me, for committing honour) trust it,
He shall not rule me.

Ant.
Lo you now, you hear!
When she will take the rein, I let her run;
But she'll not stumble.

Paul.

Good my liege, I come,

And, I beseech you, hear me, who profess 3
Myself your loyal servant, your physician,
Your most obedient counsellor; yet that dare
Less appear so, in comforting your evils*,
Than such as most seem yours:- -I say, I come
From your good queen.

Leon.

Good queen!

Paul. Good queen, my lord,

good queen;

good queen:

I say,

And would by combat make her good, so were I A man, the worst5 about you.

Leon.

Force her hence.

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

Leon.

[Laying down the Child.

Out!

A mankind witch? Hence with her, out o' door : A most intelligencing bawd!

Paul.

3 The old copy has professes.

Not so:

In comforting your evils.' To comfort, in old language, is to aid, to encourage. Evils here mean wicked courses.

5 i. e. the weakest, or least warlike.

6A mankind witch.' In Junius's Nomenclator, by Abraham Fleming, 1585, Virago is interpreted A manly woman, or a mankind woman.' Johnson asserts that the phrase is still used in the midland counties for a woman violent, ferocious, and mischievous.