586Her. Take the Boy to you: he so troubles me,

587'Tis past enduring.

588Lady. Come (my gracious Lord)

589Shall I be your play-fellow?

590Mam. No, Ile none of you.

591Lady. Why (my sweet Lord?)

592Mam. You'le kisse me hard, and speake to me, as if

593I were a Baby still. I loue you better.

594 2. Lady. And why so (my Lord?)

595Mam. Not for because

596Your Browes are blacker (yet black-browes they say

597Become some Women best, so that there be not

598Too much haire there, but in a Cemicircle,

599Or a halfe-Moone, made with a Pen.)

6002. Lady. Who taught 'this?

601Mam. I learn'd it out of Womens faces: pray now,

602What colour are your eye-browes?

603Lady. Blew (my Lord.)

604Mam. Nay, that's a mock: I haue seene a Ladies Nose

605That ha's beene blew, but not her eye-browes.

606Lady. Harke ye,

607The Queene (your Mother) rounds apace: we shall

608Present our seruices to a fine new Prince

609One of these dayes, and then youl'd wanton with vs,

610If we would haue you.

6112. Lady. She is spread of late

612Into a goodly Bulke (good time encounter her.)

613Her. What wisdome stirs amongst you? Come Sir, now

614I am for you againe: 'Pray you sit by vs,

615And tell's a Tale.

616Mam. Merry, or sad, shal't be?

617Her. As merry as you will.

618Mam. A sad Tale's best for Winter:

619I haue one of Sprights, and Goblins.

620Her. Let's haue that (good Sir.)

621Come-on, sit downe, come-on, and doe your best,

622To fright me with your Sprights: you're powrefull at it.

Aa3 Mam. There

623Mam. There was a man.

624Her. Nay, come sit downe: then on.

625Mam. Dwelt by a Church-yard: I will tell it softly,

626Yond Crickets shall not heare it.

627Her. Come on then, and giu't me in mine eare.

628Leon. Was hee met there? his Traine? Camillo with

629him?

630Lord. Behind the tuft of Pines I met them, neuer

631Saw I men scowre so on their way: I eyed them

632Euen to their Ships.

633Leo. How blest am I

634In my iust Censure? in my true Opinion?

635Alack, for lesser knowledge, how accurs'd,

636In being so blest? There may be in the Cup

637A Spider steep'd, and one may drinke; depart,

638And yet partake no venome: (for his knowledge

639Is not infected) but if one present

640Th' abhor'd Ingredient to his eye, make knowne

641How he hath drunke, he cracks his gorge, his sides

642With violent Hefts: I haue drunke, and seene the Spider.

643Camillo was his helpe in this, his Pandar:

644There is a Plot against my Life, my Crowne;

645All's true that is mistrusted: that false Villaine,

646Whom I employ'd, was pre-employ'd by him:

647He ha's discouer'd my Designe, and I

648Remaine a pinch'd Thing; yea, a very Trick

649For them to play at will: how came the Posternes

650So easily open?

651Lord. By his great authority,

652Which often hath no lesse preuail'd, then so,

653On your command.

654Leo. I know't too well.

655Giue me the Boy, I am glad you did not nurse him:

656Though he do's beare some signes of me, yet you

657Haue too much blood in him.

658Her. What is this? Sport?

659Leo. Beare the Boy hence, he shall not come about her,

660Away with him, and let her sport her selfe

661With that shee's big-with, for 'tis Polixenes

662Ha's made thee swell thus.

663Her. But Il'd say he had not;

664And Ile be sworne you would beleeue my saying,

665How e're you leane to th' Nay-ward.

666Leo. You (my Lords)

667Looke on her, marke her well: be but about

668To say she is a goodly Lady, and

669The iustice of your hearts will thereto adde

670'Tis pitty shee's not honest: Honorable;

671Prayse her but for this her without-dore-Forme,

672(Which on my faith deserues high speech) and straight

673The Shrug, the Hum, or Ha, (these Petty-brands

674That Calumnie doth vse; Oh, I am out,

675That Mercy do's, for Calumnie will seare

676Vertue it selfe) these Shrugs, these Hum's, and Ha's,

677When you haue said shee's goodly, come betweene,

678Ere you can say shee's honest: But be't knowne

679(From him that ha's most cause to grieue it should be)

680Shee's an Adultresse.

681Her. Should a Villaine say so,

682(The most replenish'd Villaine in the World)

683He were as much more Villaine: you (my Lord)

684Doe but mistake.

685Leo. You haue mistooke (my Lady)

686Polixenes for Leontes: O thou Thing,

687(Which Ile not call a Creature of thy place,

688Least Barbarisme (making me the precedent)

689Should a like Language vse to all degrees,

690And mannerly distinguishment leaue out,

691Betwixt the Prince and Begger:) I haue said

692Shee's an Adultresse, I haue said with whom:

693More; shee's a Traytor, and Camillo is

694A Federarie with her, and one that knowes

695What she should shame to know her selfe,

696But with her most vild Principall: that shee's

697A Bed-swaruer, euen as bad as those

698That Vulgars giue bold'st Titles; I, and priuy

699To this their late escape.

700Her. No (by my life)

701Priuy to none of this: how will this grieue you,

702When you shall come to clearer knowledge, that

703You thus haue publish'd me? Gentle my Lord,

704You scarce can right me throughly, then, to say

705You did mistake.

706Leo. No: if I mistake

707In those Foundations which I build vpon,

708The Centre is not bigge enough to beare

709A Schoole-Boyes Top. Away with her, to Prison:

710He who shall speake for her, is a farre-off guiltie,

711But that he speakes.

712Her. There's some ill Planet raignes:

713I must be patient, till the Heauens looke

714With an aspect more fauorable. Good my Lords,

715I am not prone to weeping (as our Sex

716Commonly are) the want of which vaine dew

717Perchance shall dry your pitties: but I haue

718That honorable Griefe lodg'd here, which burnes

719Worse then Teares drowne: 'beseech you all (my Lords)

720With thoughts so qualified, as your Charities

721Shall best instruct you, measure me; and so

722The Kings will be perform'd.

723Leo. Shall I be heard?

724Her. Who is't that goes with me? 'beseech your Highnes

725My Women may be with me, for you see

726My plight requires it. Doe not weepe (good Fooles)

727There is no cause: When you shall know your Mistris

728Ha's deseru'd Prison, then abound in Teares,

729As I come out; this Action I now goe on,

730Is for my better grace. Adieu (my Lord)

731I neuer wish'd to see you sorry, now

732I trust I shall: my Women come, you haue leaue.

733Leo. Goe, doe our bidding: hence.

734Lord. Beseech your Highnesse call the Queene againe.

735Antig. Be certaine what you do (Sir) least your Iustice

736Proue violence, in the which three great ones suffer,

737Your Selfe, your Queene, your Sonne.

738Lord. For her (my Lord)

739I dare my life lay downe, and will do't (Sir)

740Please you t' accept it, that the Queene is spotlesse

741I'th' eyes of Heauen, and to you (I meane

742In this, which you accuse her.)

743Antig. If it proue

744Shee's otherwise, Ile keepe my Stables where

745I lodge my Wife, Ile goe in couples with her:

746Then when I feele, and see her, no farther trust her:

747For euery ynch of Woman in the World,

748I, euery dram of Womans flesh is false,

749If she be.

750Leo. Hold your peaces.

751Lord. Good my Lord.

752Antig. It is for you we speake, not for our selues:

753You are abus'd, and by some putter on,

754That will be damn'd for't: would I knew the Villaine,

755I would Land-damne him: be she honor-flaw'd,

756I haue three daughters: the eldest is eleuen;

757The second, and the third, nine: and some fiue:

758If this proue true, they'l pay for't. By mine Honor

759Ile gell'd em all: fourteene they shall not see

760To bring false generations: they are co-heyres,

761And I had rather glib my selfe, then they

762Should not produce faire issue.

763Leo. Cease, no more:

764You smell this businesse with a sence as cold

765As is a dead-mans nose: but I do see't, and feel't,

766As you feele doing thus: and see withall

767The Instruments that feele.

768Antig. If it be so,

769We neede no graue to burie honesty,

770There's not a graine of it, the face to sweeten

771Of the whole dungy-earth.

772Leo. What? lacke I credit?

773Lord. I had rather you did lacke then I (my Lord)

774Vpon this ground: and more it would content me

775To haue her Honor true, then your suspition

776Be blam'd for't how you might.

777Leo. Why what neede we

778Commune with you of this? but rather follow

779Our forcefull instigation? Our prerogatiue

780Cals not your Counsailes, but our naturall goodnesse

781Imparts this: which, if you, or stupified,

782Or seeming so, in skill, cannot, or will not

783Rellish a truth, like vs: informe your selues,

784We neede no more of your aduice: the matter,

785The losse, the gaine, the ord'ring on't,

786Is all properly ours.

787Antig. And I wish (my Liege)

788You had onely in your silent iudgement tride it,

789Without more ouerture.

790Leo. How could that be?

791Either thou art most ignorant by age,

792Or thou wer't borne a foole: Camillo's flight

793Added to their Familiarity

794(Which was as grosse, as euer touch'd coniecture,

795That lack'd sight onely, nought for approbation

796But onely seeing, all other circumstances

797Made vp to'th deed) doth push-on this proceeding.

798Yet, for a greater confirmation

799(For in an Acte of this importance, 'twere

800Most pitteous to be wilde) I haue dispatch'd in post,

801To sacred Delphos, to Appollo's Temple,

802Cleomines and Dion, whom you know

803Of stuff'd-sufficiency: Now, from the Oracle

804They will bring all, whose spirituall counsaile had

805Shall stop, or spurre me. Haue I done well?

806Lord. Well done (my Lord.)

807Leo. Though I am satisfide, and neede no more

808Then what I know, yet shall the Oracle

809Giue rest to th' mindes of others; such as he

810Whose ignorant credulitie, will not

811Come vp to th' truth. So haue we thought it good

812From our free person, she should be confinde,

813Least that the treachery of the two, fled hence,

814Be left her to performe. Come follow vs,

815We are to speake in publique: for this businesse

816Will raise vs all.

817Antig. To laughter, as I take it,

818If the good truth, were knowne. Exeunt