The Winter's Tale (Modern)
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[2.3]
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[Enter Leontes]
900Leontes 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'th cause,
¶She, th' adulteress; for the harlot-king
¶Is quite beyond mine arm, out of the blank
905And level 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. Who's there? | |
[Enter Servant] | |
| ¶Servant | |
| My lord? | |
910Leontes How does the boy?
¶Servant He took good rest tonight. 'Tis hoped
| ¶His sickness is discharged. | |
| ¶Leontes | |
| To see his nobleness | |
¶Conceiving the dishonor of his mother!
915He straight declined, drooped, took it deeply,
¶Fastened, and fixed the shame on't in himself;
¶Threw off his spirit, his appetite, his sleep,
¶And downright languished. Leave me solely. Go,
| ¶See how he fares. | |
[Exit Servant.] | |
| Fie, fie, no thought of him. | |
920The 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
¶Take it on her. Camillo and Polixenes
925Laugh at me, make their pastime at my sorrow.
¶They should not laugh if I could reach them, nor
| ¶Shall she within my power. | |
| ¶ Enter Paulina [with baby], Antigonus, Lords and Servants. | |
| ¶Lord | |
| You must not enter. | |
930Paulina 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. | |
| ¶Antigonus | |
| That's enough. | |
935Servant Madam, he hath not slept tonight, commanded
| ¶None should come at him. | |
| ¶Paulina | |
| Not so hot, good sir. | |
¶I come to bring him sleep. 'Tis such as you
¶That creep like shadows by him and do sigh
940At each his needless heavings, such as you
¶Nourish the cause of his awaking. I
¶Do come with words as medicinal as true --
¶Honest as either -- to purge him of that humor
| ¶That presses him from sleep. | |
| 945Leontes | |
| [To Paulina, taking notice of voice] What noise there, ho? | |
¶Paulina No noise, my Lord, but needful conference
| ¶About some gossips for your Highness. | |
| ¶Leontes | |
| How? | |
¶Away with that audacious lady! Antigonus,
950I charged thee that she should not come about me.
| ¶I knew she would. | |
| ¶Antigonus | |
| I told her so, my lord, | |
¶On your displeasure's peril and on mine
| ¶She should not visit you. | |
| 955Leontes | |
| What? Canst not rule her? | |
¶Paulina From all dishonesty he can; in this --
¶Unless he take the course that you have done,
¶Commit me for committing honor -- trust it,
| ¶He shall not rule me. | |
| 960Antigonus | |
| La you now, you hear. | |
¶When she will take the rein I let her run,
| ¶But she'll not stumble. | |
| ¶Paulina | |
| Good, my liege, I come, | |
¶And I beseech you hear me, who professes
965Myself your loyal servant, your physician,
¶Your most obedient counselor yet that dares
¶Less appear so in comforting your evils,
¶Than such as most seem yours. I say, I come
| ¶From your good queen. | |
| 970Leontes | |
| "Good" queen? | |
¶Paulina Good queen, my Lord, good queen,
¶I say "good queen",
¶And would by combat make her good, so were I
| ¶A man, the worst about you. | |
| 975Leontes | |
| Force her hence. | |
¶Paulina Let him that makes but trifles of his eyes
¶First hand me; on mine 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.
| 980Here 'tis. Commends it to your blessing. | |
[Laying down the baby] | |
| ¶Leontes | |
| Out! | |
¶A mankind witch? Hence with her, out o'door!
| ¶A most intelligencing bawd. | |
| ¶Paulina | |
| Not so! | |
985I am as ignorant in that as you
¶In so entitling me and no less honest
¶Than you are mad, which is enough I'll warrant
| ¶As this world goes to pass for honest. | |
| ¶Leontes | |
| Traitors! | |
990Will you not push her out? [To Antigonus] Give her the bastard,
¶Thou dotard! Thou art woman-tired, unroosted
¶By thy dame Partlet here. Take up the bastard,
| ¶Take't up, I say! Give't to thy crone. | |
| ¶Paulina | |
| [To Antigonus] Forever | |
995Unvenerable be thy hands, if thou
¶Tak'st up the princess by that forced baseness
| ¶Which he has put upon't. | |
| ¶Leontes | |
| He dreads his wife. | |
¶Paulina So I would you did; then 'twere past all doubt
| 1000You'd call your children yours. | |
| ¶Leontes | |
| A nest of traitors! | |
| ¶Antigonus | |
| I am none, by this good light. | |
| ¶Paulina | |
| Nor I, nor any | |
¶But one that's here, and that's himself. For he
1005The sacred honor of himself, his queen's,
¶His hopeful son's, his babe's, betrays to slander,
¶Whose sting is sharper than the sword's and will not --
¶For as the case now stands, it is a curse
¶He cannot be compelled to't -- once remove
1010The root of his opinion, which is rotten,
| ¶As ever oak or stone was sound. | |
| ¶Leontes | |
| A callet | |
¶Of boundless tongue, who late hath beat her husband
¶And now baits me. This brat is none of mine.
1015It is the issue of Polixenes.
¶Hence with it, and together with the dam
| ¶Commit them to the fire! | |
| ¶Paulina | |
| It is yours, | |
¶And might we lay th'old proverb to your charge,
1020So like you 'tis the worse. Behold, my lords,
¶Although 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 smiles
1025The very mold and frame of hand, nail, finger.
¶And thou, good goddess Nature, which hast made it
¶So like to him that got it, if thou hast
¶The ordering of the mind too, 'mongst all colors
¶No yellow in't, lest she suspect, as he does,
| 1030Her children not her husband's. | |
| ¶Leontes | |
| A gross hag! | |
¶[To Antigonus] And, lozel, thou art worthy to be hanged
| ¶That wilt not stay her tongue. | |
| ¶Antigonus | |
| Hang all the husbands | |
1035That cannot do that feat, you'll leave yourself
| ¶Hardly one subject. | |
| ¶Leontes | |
| Once more, take her hence! | |
¶Paulina A most unworthy and unnatural lord
| ¶Can do no more. | ||
| 1040Leontes | ||
| I'll ha' thee burnt. | ||
| ¶Paulina | ||
| I care not. | ||
¶It is an heretic that makes the fire,
¶Not she which burns in't. I'll not call you tyrant.
¶But this most cruel usage of your queen,
1045Not able to produce more accusation
¶Than your own weak-hinged fancy, something savors
¶Of tyranny and will ignoble make you,
| ¶Yea, scandalous to the world. | |
| ¶Leontes | |
| [To Antigonus] On your allegiance, | |
1050Out of the chamber with her. Were I a tyrant,
¶Where were her life? She durst not call me so
¶If she did know me one. Away with her!
¶Look to your babe, my Lord, 'tis yours. Jove send her
1055A better guiding spirit. What needs these hands?
¶You that are thus so tender o'er his follies
¶Will never do him good, not one of you.
| ¶So, so. Farewell, we are gone. | |
Exit. | |
| ¶Leontes | |
| Thou, traitor, hast set on thy wife to this. | |
1060My child? Away with't! Even thou that hast
¶A heart so tender o'er it, take it hence,
¶And see it instantly consumed with fire.
¶Even thou, and none but thou. Take it up straight;
¶Within this hour bring me word 'tis done,
1065And by good testimony, or I'll seize thy life
¶With what thou else call'st thine. If thou refuse,
¶And wilt encounter with my wrath, say so.
¶The bastard-brains with these my proper hands
¶Shall I dash out. Go, take it to the fire,
| 1070For thou set'st on thy wife. | |
| ¶Antigonus | |
| I did not, sir. | |
¶These lords, my noble fellows, if they please,
| ¶Can clear me in't. | |
| ¶Lords | |
| We can, my royal liege. | |
1075He is not guilty of her coming hither.
¶Leontes You're liars all!
¶Lords Beseech your Highness, give us better credit.
¶We have always truly served you and beseech
¶So to esteem of us, and on our knees we beg
1080As recompense of our dear services
¶Past and to come that you do change this purpose,
¶Which being so horrible, so bloody, must
¶Lead on to some foul issue. We all kneel.
¶Leontes I am a feather for each wind that blows.
1085Shall I live on to see this bastard kneel
¶And call me father? Better burn it now
¶Then curse it then. But be it; let it live.
¶It shall not neither. You sir, come you hither,
¶You that have been so tenderly officious
1090With Lady Margerie, your midwife there,
¶To save this bastard's life, for 'tis a bastard,
¶So sure as this beard's gray. What will you adventure
| ¶To save this brat's life? | |
| ¶Antigonus | |
| Anything, my lord, | |
1095That my ability may undergo
¶And nobleness impose, at least thus much:
¶I'll pawn the little blood which I have left
¶To save the innocent. Anything possible.
¶Leontes It shall be possible. Swear by this sword
| 1100Thou wilt perform my bidding. | |
| ¶Antigonus | |
| [Places hand on hilt of sword] I will, my lord. | |
¶Leontes Mark, and perform it, seest thou? For the fail
¶Of any point in't shall not only be
¶Death to thyself, but to thy lewd-tongued wife,
1105Whom for this time we pardon. We enjoin thee,
¶As thou art liegeman to us, that thou carry
¶This female bastard hence, and that thou bear it
¶To some remote and desert place, quite out
¶Of our dominions; and that there thou leave it
1110Without more mercy, to it own protection
¶And favor of the climate. As by strange fortune
¶It came to us, I do in justice charge thee
¶On thy soul's peril and thy body's torture
¶That thou commend it strangely to some place
1115Where chance may nurse or end it. Take it up.
¶Antigonus I swear to do this, though a present death
¶Had been more merciful. Come on, poor babe,
[Takes up baby]
¶Some powerful spirit instruct the kites and ravens
¶To be thy nurses. Wolves and bears, they say,
1120Casting their savageness aside have done
¶Like offices of pity-- [To Leontes] Sir, be prosperous
¶In more than this deed does require -- [To baby] and blessing
¶Against this cruelty fight on thy side,
| ¶Poor thing, condemned to loss. | |
Exit [with child] | |
| 1125Leontes | |
| No, I'll not rear | |
| ¶Another's issue. | |
Enter a Servant. | |
| ¶Servant | |
| Please your Highness, posts | |
¶From those you sent to th'oracle are come
¶An hour since. Cleomines and Dion,
1130Being well arrived from Delphos, are both landed,
| ¶Hasting to th'court. | |
| ¶Servant | |
| So please you, sir, their speed | |
| ¶Hath been beyond account. | |
| ¶Leontes | |
| Twenty-three days | |
1135They have been absent. 'Tis good speed, foretells
¶The great Apollo suddenly will have
¶The truth of this appear. Prepare you, lords,
¶Summon a session that we may arraign
¶Our most disloyal lady, for as she hath
1140Been publicly accused, so shall she have
¶A just and open trial. While she lives,
¶My heart will be a burden to me. Leave me,
¶And think upon my bidding.
Exeunt.