1176Leo. This Sessions (to our great griefe we pronounce)

1177Euen pushes 'gainst our heart. The partie try'd,

1178The Daughter of a King, our Wife, and one

1179Of vs too much belou'd. Let vs be clear'd

1180Of being tyrannous, since we so openly

1181Proceed in Iustice, which shall haue due course,

1182Euen to the Guilt, or the Purgation:

1183Produce the Prisoner.

1184Officer. It is his Highnesse pleasure, that the Queene

1185Appeare in person, here in Court. Silence.

1186Leo. Reade the Indictment.

1196Her. Since what I am to say, must be but that

1197Which contradicts my Accusation, and

1198The testimonie on my part, no other

1199But what comes from my selfe, it shall scarce boot me

1200To say, Not guiltie: mine Integritie

1201Being counted Falsehood, shall (as I expresse it)

1202Be so receiu'd. But thus, if Powres Diuine

1203Behold our humane Actions (as they doe)

1204I doubt not then, but Innocence shall make

1205False Accusation blush, and Tyrannie

1206Tremble at Patience. You (my Lord) best know

1207(Whom least will seeme to doe so) my past life

1208Hath beene as continent, as chaste, as true,

1209As I am now vnhappy; which is more

1210Then Historie can patterne, though deuis'd,

1211And play'd, to take Spectators. For behold me,

1212A Fellow of the Royall Bed, which owe

1213A Moitie of the Throne: a great Kings Daughter,

1214The Mother to a hopefull Prince, here standing

1215To prate and talke for Life, and Honor, fore

1216Who please to come, and heare. For Life, I prize it

1217As I weigh Griefe (which I would spare:) For Honor,

1218'Tis a deriuatiue from me to mine,

1219And onely that I stand for. I appeale

1220To your owne Conscience (Sir) before Polixenes

1221Came to your Court, how I was in your grace,

1222How merited to be so: Since he came,

1223With what encounter so vncurrant, I

1224Haue strayn'd t' appeare thus; if one iot beyond

1225The bound of Honor, or in act, or will

1226That way enclining, hardned be the hearts

1227Of all that heare me, and my neer'st of Kin

1228Cry fie vpon my Graue.

1229Leo. I ne're heard yet,

1230That any of these bolder Vices wanted

1231Lesse Impudence to gaine-say what they did,

1232Then to performe it first.

1233Her. That's true enough,

1234Though 'tis a saying (Sir) not due to me.

1235Leo. You will not owne it.

1236Her. More then Mistresse of,

1237Which comes to me in name of Fault, I must not

1238At all acknowledge. For Polixenes

1239(With whom I am accus'd) I doe confesse

1240I lou'd him, as in Honor he requir'd:

1241With such a kind of Loue, as might become

1242A Lady like me; with a Loue, euen such,

1243So, and no other, as your selfe commanded:

1244Which, not to haue done, I thinke had been in me

1245Both Disobedience, and Ingratitude

1246To you, and toward your Friend, whose Loue had spoke,

1247Euen since it could speake, from an Infant, freely,

1248That it was yours. Now for Conspiracie,

1249I know not how it tastes, though it be dish'd

1250For me to try how: All I know of it,

1251Is, that Camillo was an honest man;

1252And why he left your Court, the Gods themselues

1253(Wotting no more then I) are ignorant.

1254Leo. You knew of his departure, as you know

1255What you haue vnderta'ne to doe in's absence.

1256Her. Sir,

1257You speake a Language that I vnderstand not:

1258My Life stands in the leuell of your Dreames,

1259Which Ile lay downe.

1260Leo. Your Actions are my Dreames.

1261You had a Bastard by Polixenes,

1262And I but dream'd it: As you were past all shame,

1263(Those of your Fact are so) so past all truth;

1264Which to deny, concernes more then auailes: for as

1265Thy Brat hath been cast out, like to it selfe,

1266No Father owning it (which is indeed

1267More criminall in thee, then it) so thou

1268Shalt feele our Iustice; in whose easiest passage,

1269Looke for no lesse then death.

1270Her. Sir, spare your Threats:

1271The Bugge which you would fright me with, I seeke:

1272To me can Life be no commoditie;

1273The crowne and comfort of my Life (your Fauor)

1274I doe giue lost, for I doe feele it gone,

1275But know not how it went. My second Ioy,

1276And first Fruits of my body, from his presence

1277I am bar'd, like one infectious. My third comfort

1278(Star'd most vnluckily) is from my breast

1279(The innocent milke in it most innocent mouth)

1280Hal'd out to murther. My selfe on euery Post

1281Proclaym'd a Strumpet: With immodest hatred

1282The Child-bed priuiledge deny'd, which longs

1283To Women of all fashion. Lastly, hurried

1284Here, to this place, i'th' open ayre, before

1285I haue got strength of limit. Now (my Liege)

1286Tell me what blessings I haue here aliue,

1287That I should feare to die? Therefore proceed:

1288But yet heare this: mistake me not: no Life,

1289(I prize it not a straw) but for mine Honor,

1290Which I would free: if I shall be condemn'd

1291Vpon surmizes (all proofes sleeping else,

1292But what your Iealousies awake) I tell you

1293'Tis Rigor, and not Law. Your Honors all,

1294I doe referre me to the Oracle:

1295Apollo be my Iudge.

1296Lord. This your request

1297Is altogether iust: therefore bring forth

1298(And in Apollo's Name) his Oracle.

1299Her. The Emperor of Russia was my Father.

1300Oh that he were aliue, and here beholding

1301His Daughters Tryall: that he did but see

1302The flatnesse of my miserie; yet with eyes

1303Of Pitty, not Reuenge.

1304Officer. You here shal sweare vpon this Sword of Iustice,

1305That you (Cleomines and Dion) haue

1306Been both at Delphos, and from thence haue brought

1307This seal'd-vp Oracle, by the Hand deliuer'd

1308Of great Apollo's Priest; and that since then,

1309You haue not dar'd to breake the holy Seale,

1310Nor read the Secrets in't.

1311 Cleo. Dio. All this we sweare.

1312Leo. Breake vp the Seales, and read.

1317Lords. Now blessed be the great Apollo.

1318Her. Praysed.

1319Leo. Hast thou read truth?

1320Offic. I (my Lord) euen so as it is here set downe.

1321Leo. There is no truth at all i'th' Oracle:

1322The Sessions shall proceed: this is meere falsehood.

1323Ser. My Lord the King: the King?

1324Leo. What is the businesse?

1325Ser. O Sir, I shall be hated to report it.

1326The Prince your Sonne, with meere conceit, and feare

1327Of the Queenes speed, is gone.

1328Leo. How? gone?

1329Ser. Is dead.

1330Leo. Apollo's angry, and the Heauens themselues

1331Doe strike at my Iniustice. How now there?

1332Paul. This newes is mortall to the Queene: Look downe

1333And see what Death is doing.

1334Leo. Take her hence:

1335Her heart is but o're-charg'd: she will recouer.

1336I haue too much beleeu'd mine owne suspition:

1337'Beseech you tenderly apply to her

1338Some remedies for life. Apollo pardon

1339My great prophanenesse 'gainst thine Oracle.

1340Ile reconcile me to Polixenes,

1341New woe my Queene, recall the good Camillo

1342(Whom I proclaime a man of Truth, of Mercy:)

1343For being transported by my Iealousies

1344To bloody thoughts, and to reuenge, I chose

1345Camillo for the minister, to poyson

1346My friend Polixenes: which had been done,

1347But that the good mind of Camillo tardied

1348My swift command: though I with Death, and with

1349Reward, did threaten and encourage him,

1350Not doing it, and being done: he (most humane,

1351And fill'd with Honor) to my Kingly Guest

1352Vnclasp'd my practise, quit his fortunes here

1353(Which you knew great) and to the hazard

1354Of all Incertainties, himselfe commended,

1355No richer then his Honor: How he glisters

1356Through my Rust? and how his Pietie

1357Do's my deeds make the blacker?

1358Paul. Woe the while:

1359O cut my Lace, least my heart (cracking it)

1360Breake too.

1361Lord. What fit is this? good Lady?

1362 Paul. What studied torments (Tyrant) hast for me?

1363What Wheeles? Racks? Fires? What flaying? boyling?

1364In Leads, or Oyles? What old, or newer Torture

1365Must I receiue? whose euery word deserues

1366To taste of thy most worst. Thy Tyranny

1367(Together working with thy Iealousies,

1368Fancies too weake for Boyes, too greene and idle

1369For Girles of Nine) O thinke what they haue done,

1370And then run mad indeed: starke-mad: for all

1371Thy by-gone fooleries were but spices of it.

1372That thou betrayed'st Polixenes, 'twas nothing,

1373(That did but shew thee, of a Foole, inconstant,

1374And damnable ingratefull:) Nor was't much.

1375Thou would'st haue poyson'd good Camillo's Honor,

1376To haue him kill a King: poore Trespasses,

1377More monstrous standing by: whereof I reckon

1378The casting forth to Crowes, thy Baby-daughter,

1379To be or none, or little; though a Deuill

1380Would haue shed water out of fire, ere don't;

1381Nor is't directly layd to thee, the death

1382Of the young Prince, whose honorable thoughts

1383(Thoughts high for one so tender) cleft the heart

1384That could conceiue a grosse and foolish Sire

1385Blemish'd his gracious Dam: this is not, no,

1386Layd to thy answere: but the last: O Lords,

1387When I haue said, cry woe: the Queene, the Queene,

1388The sweet'st, deer'st creature's dead: & vengeance for't

1389Not drop'd downe yet.

1390Lord. The higher powres forbid.

1391Pau. I say she's dead: Ile swear't. If word, nor oath

1392Preuaile not, go and see: if you can bring

1393Tincture, or lustre in her lip, her eye

1394Heate outwardly, or breath within, Ile serue you

1395As I would do the Gods. But, O thou Tyrant,

1396Do not repent these things, for they are heauier

1397Then all thy woes can stirre: therefore betake thee

1398To nothing but dispaire. A thousand knees,

1399Ten thousand yeares together, naked, fasting,

1400Vpon a barren Mountaine, and still Winter

1401In storme perpetuall, could not moue the Gods

1402To looke that way thou wer't.

1403Leo. Go on, go on:

1404Thou canst not speake too much, I haue deseru'd

1405All tongues to talke their bittrest.

1406Lord. Say no more;

1407How ere the businesse goes, you haue made fault

1408I'th boldnesse of your speech.

1409Pau. I am sorry for't;

1410All faults I make, when I shall come to know them,

1411I do repent: Alas, I haue shew'd too much

1412The rashnesse of a woman: he is toucht

1413To th' Noble heart. What's gone, and what's past helpe

1414Should be past greefe: Do not receiue affliction

1415At my petition; I beseech you, rather

1416Let me be punish'd, that haue minded you

1417Of what you should forget. Now (good my Liege)

1418Sir, Royall Sir, forgiue a foolish woman:

1419The loue I bore your Queene (Lo, foole againe)

1420Ile speake of her no more, nor of your Children:

1421Ile not remember you of my owne Lord,

1422(Who is lost too:) take your patience to you,

1423And Ile say nothing.

1424Leo. Thou didst speake but well,

1425When most the truth: which I receyue much better,

1426Then to be pittied of thee. Prethee bring me

1427To the dead bodies of my Queene, and Sonne,

1428One graue shall be for both: Vpon them shall

1429The causes of their death appeare (vnto

1430Our shame perpetuall) once a day, Ile visit

1431The Chappell where they lye, and teares shed there

1432Shall be my recreation. So long as Nature

1433Will beare vp with this exercise, so long

1434I dayly vow to vse it. Come, and leade me

1435To these sorrowes. Exeunt