Pol. The king hath on him such a countenance,
As he had lost some province, and a region
Loved as he loves himself. Even now I met him
With customary compliment; when he,
Wafting his eyes to the contrary, and falling
A lip of much contempt, speeds from me; and
So leaves me to consider what is breeding,
That changes thus his manners.

Cam. I dare not know, my lord.
Pol. How! Dare not?

and dare not

Do not. Do you know,

Be intelligent to me? "Tis thereabouts;
For, to yourself, what you do know, you must;
And cannot say you dare not. Good Camillo,
Your changed complexions are to me a mirror,
Which shows me mine changed too; for I must be
A party in this alteration, finding
Myself thus altered with it.

Cam.

There is a sickness

Which puts some of us in distemper; but

I cannot name the disease; and it is caught
Of you that yet are well.

Pol.

How! caught of me?

Make me not sighted like the basilisk.

I have looked on thousands, who have sped the better
By my regard, but killed none so. Camillo,-

As you are certainly a gentleman; thereto
Clerk-like, experienced, which no less adorns
Our gentry, than our parents' noble names,

In whose success we are gentle,'-I beseech you,
If you know aught which does behove my knowledge
Thereof to be informed, imprison it not

In ignorant concealment.

Cam.

I may not answer.

Pol. A sickness caught of me, and yet I well! I must be answered.-Dost thou hear, Camillo,

I conjure thee, by all the parts of man,

Which honor does acknowledge,-whereof the least

1 Success, for succession. Gentle, well born, was opposed to simple.

Is not this suit of mine,-that thou declare
What incidency thou dost guess of harm

Is creeping toward me; how far off, how near;
Which way to be prevented, if to be;

If not, how best to bear it.

Cam.

Sir, I'll tell you;

Since I am charged in honor, and by him

That I think honorable. Therefore, mark my counsel; Which must be even as swiftly followed, as

I mean to utter it; or both yourself and me

Cry, lost, and so good-night.

Pol.
On, good Camillo.
Cam. I am appointed him to murder you.1
Pol. By whom, Camillo ?

Cam.

Pol.

By the king.

For what?

Cam. He thinks, nay, with all confidence he

swears,

As he had seen't, or been an instrument

2

To vice you to't,-that you have touched his queen
Forbiddenly.
Pol.

O, then my best blood turn
To an infected jelly; and my name

Be yoked with his, that did betray the best! 3
Turn then my freshest reputation to

A savor, that may strike the dullest nostril
Where I arrive; and my approach be shunned,
Nay, hated too, worse than the great'st infection
That e'er was heard, or read!

Swear his thought over

Cam.
By each particular star in heaven, and
By all their influences, you may as well
Forbid the sea for to obey the moon,

1 "I am appointed him to murder you;" I am the person appointed to murder you.

2 i. e. to screw or move you to it. A vice, in Shakspeare's time, meant any kind of winding screw. The vice of a clock was a common expression.

3 That is, Judas.

4 "Swear his thought over." The meaning apparently is, “ Over-swear his thought by," &c.

As, or by oath, remove, or counsel, shake
The fabric of his folly; whose foundation
Is piled upon his faith,' and will continue
The standing of his body.

Pol.

How should this grow?
Cam. I know not; but, I am sure, 'tis safer to
Avoid what's grown, than question how 'tis born.
If therefore you dare trust my honesty,-
That lies inclosed in this trunk, which you
Shall bear along impawned,-away to-night.
Your followers I will whisper to the business;
And will, by twos, and threes, at several posterns,
Clear them o' the city. For myself, I'll put
My fortunes to your service, which are here
By this discovery lost. Be not uncertain:
For, by the honor of my parents, I

Have uttered truth; which if you seek to prove,
I dare not stand by; nor shall you be safer

Than one condemned by the king's own mouth, thereon

His execution sworn.

Pol.

I do believe thee:

Give me thy hand ;

I saw his heart in his face.

Be pilot to me, and thy places shall

Still neighbor mine. My ships are ready, and
My people did expect my hence departure

Two days ago.-This jealousy

Is for a precious creature; as she's rare,
Must it be great; and, as his person's mighty,
Must it be violent; and as he does conceive
He is dishonored by a man which ever
Professed to him, why, his revenges must

In that be made more bitter. Fear o'ershades me;
Good expedition be my friend, and comfort

The gracious queen, part of his theme, but nothing

1 "Is piled upon his faith;" this folly which is erected on the foundation of settled belief.

2 i. e. I will place thee in elevated rank, always near to my own in dignity, or near my person.

Of his ill-ta'en suspicion!

Come, Camillo;

I will respect thee as a father, if

Thou bear'st my life off hence. Let us avoid.
Cam. It is in mine authority to command
The keys of all the posterns. Please your highness
To take the urgent hour. Come, sir, away.

[Exeunt.

ACT II.

SCENE I. The same.

Enter HERMIONE, MAMILLIUS, and Ladies.

Her. Take the boy to you: he so troubles me,

'Tis past enduring.

1 Lady.

Come, my gracious lord,

No, I'll none of you.

Shall I be your playfellow ?

Mam.

1 Lady. Why, my sweet lord?

Mam. You'll kiss me hard; and speak to me as if

I were a baby still.-I love you better.

2 Lady. And why so, my lord?

Not for because

Mam. Your brows are blacker; yet black brows, they say, Become some women best; so that there be not Too much hair there, but in a semicircle,

Or half-moon made with a pen.

2 Lady.

Who taught you this?

Mam. I learned it out of women's faces.-Pray

now

What color are your eyebrows?

1 Johnson might well say, "I can make nothing of the following words:

and comfort

The gracious queen, part of his theme, but nothing

Of his ill-ta'en suspicion.""

He suspected the line which connected them to the rest to have been lost.

1 Lady.

Blue, my lord.

Mam. Nay, that's a mock; I have seen a lady's

nose

That has been blue, but not her eyebrows.

2 Lady.

Hark ye;

The queen, your mother, rounds apace: we shall
Present our services to a fine new prince,

One of these days; and then you'd wanton with us,
If we would have you.

1 Lady. She is spread of late Into a goodly bulk. Good time encounter her! Her. What wisdom stirs amongst you? Come, sir,

Let's have that, good sir.

Come on, sit down.-Come on, and do your best
To fright me with your sprites: you're powerful at it.
Mam. There was a man,-

Her. Nay, come, sit down; then on.

Mam. Dwelt by a churchyard;-I will tell it softly; Yon crickets shall not hear it.

Her.

And give't me in mine ear.

Come on then,

Enter LEONTES, ANTIGONUS, Lords, and others.

Leon. Was he met there? his train? Camillo

with him?

1 Lord. Behind the tuft of pines I met them;

never

Saw I men scour so on their way. I eyed them

Even to their ships.

Leon.

How blessed am I

In my just censure!1 in my true opinion!—

1 i. e. judgment.