We are lucky, boy; and to be so still, requires nothing but fecrecy. Let my fheep go: come, good boy, the home.

next way

Clo. Go you the next way with your findings, I'll go fee if the Bear be gone from the gentleman; and how much he hath eaten they are never curft but when they are hungry: if there be any of him left, I'll bury it.

Shep. That's a good deed. If thou may'ft difcern by that which is left of him, what he is, fetch me to th' fight of him.

Clo. Marry, will I; and you fhall help to put him i'th' ground.

Shep. 'Tis a lucky day, boy, and we'll do good deeds on't. [Exeunt.

Enter Time, as Chorus.

Time. I, that pleafe fome, try all, both joy and

terror

Of good and bad, that make and unfold error;
Now take upon me, in the name of Time,
To ufe my wings. Impute it not a crime
To me, or my fwift paffage, that I flide

O'er fixteen years, and leave the growth untry'd'

Of

Of that wide gaps-] The growth of what? The reading is nonfenfe. Shakespeare wrote,

and leave the GULF untry'd, i. e. unwaded thro'. By this means, too, the unifor mity of the metaphor is restored. All the terms of the sentence, relating to a Gulf; as swift paffage,-flide over-untry'd-wide gap. WARBURTON.

This emendation is plausible, but the common reading is confiftent enough with our author's

manner

Of that wide gap; fince it is in my power
To o'erthrow law, and in one felf-born hour. *
To plant and o'erwhelm cuftom. Let me pafs
The fame I am, ere ancient'ft order was,

Or what is now receiv'd. I witnefs to

The times, that brought them in; fo fhall I do
To the fresheft things now reigning, and make ftale
The glistering of this prefent, as my tale
Now feems to it: your patience this allowing,
I turn my glafs; and give my fcene fuch growing,
As you had flept between. Leontes leaving
Th' effects of his fond jealoufies, fo grieving
That he fhuts up himfelf; imagine me2,
Gentle fpectators, that I now may be
In fair Bohemia; and remember well,

I mention here a fon o'th' King's, whom Florizel
I now name to you; and with speed fo pace
To fpeak of Perdita, now grown in grace
Equal with wond'ring. What of her enfues,
I lift not prophecy. But let Time's news
Be known, when 'tis brought forth. A fhepherd's
daughter,

manner, who attends more to his ideas than to his words. The growth of the wide gap, is fomewhat irregular; but he means, the growth, or progreffion of the time which filled up the gap of the story between Perdita's birth and her fixteenth year. To leave this growth untried, is to leave the passages of the intermediate years unnoted and unexa mined. Untried is not, perhaps, the word which he would have chofen, but which his rhyme required,

fince it is in my power, &c.] The reasoning of Time is not very clear; he feems to mean, that he who has broke fo many laws may now break another; that he who introduced every VOL. II.

U

thing may introduce Perdita on her fixteenth year; and he intreats that he may pafs as of old, before any order or fucceffion of objects, ancient or modern, diftinguished her periods.

imagine me, Gentle Spectators, that I now may be

In fair Bohemia ;- •] Time is every where alike. I know not whether both fenfe and grammar may not dictate,

imagine we, Gentle Spectators, that you now may be, &c.

Let us imagine that you, who behold thefe fcenes, are now in Bohemia.

And

And what to her adheres, which follows after,
Is th' argument of time; of this allow,
If ever you have spent time worse ere now:
If never, yet that Time himself doth fay,
He wishes earnestly, you! nevér may

[Exit.

A CT IV.

SCENE I.

I

The Court of Bohemia.

Enter Polixenes and Camillo.

POLIXEN ES.

PRAY thee, good Camillo, be no more impor tunate; 'tis a ficknefs denying thee any thing, a death to grant this.

Cam. It is fifteen years fince I faw my country; though I have for the most part been aired abroad, I defire to lay my bones there. Besides, the penitent King, my mafter, hath fent for me; to whofe feeling forrows I might be fome allay, or I o'erween to think fo, which is another fpur to my departure.

Pol. As thou lov'ft me, Camille, wipe not out the reft of thy fervices by leaving me now; the need I have of thee, thine own goodness hath made: better not to have had thee, than thus to want thee. Thou having made me bufineffes, which none, without thee, can fufficiently manage, muft either ftay to execute them thyfelf, or take away with thee the very fervices thou hast done; which if I have not enough confider'd, (as too much I cannot) to be more thankful to thee thall be my ftudy; and my profit therein, the heapargument is the fame rather begins the fourth act than concludes the third.

with fubject.
I believe this fpeech of Time

ing friendships. Of that fatal country Sicilia, pr'ythee, fpeak no more; whofe very naming punishes me with the remembrance of that penitent, as thou call'ft him, and reconciled King my brother, whofe lofs of his most precious Queen and children are even now to be afresh lamented. Say to me when faw'st thou the Prince Florizel my fon? Kings are no lefs unhappy, their iffue not being gracious, than they are in lofing them, when they have approved their virtues.

Cam. Sir, it is three days fince I faw the Prince; what his happier affairs may be, are to me unknown; but I have millingly noted', he is of late much retired from court, and is lefs frequent to his princely exercises than formerly he hath appear'd.

Pol, I have confider'd fo much, Camillo, and with fome care fo far, that I have eyes under my fervice, which look upon his removednefs; from whom I have

and my profit therein, the HEAPING friendships.] This is nonfenfe. We should read, REAP ING friendships. The King had faid his ftudy fhould be to reward his friend's deferts; and then concludes, that his profit in this ftudy fhould be reaping the fruits of his friend's attachment.. to him; which refers to what he had before faid of the neceffity of Camillo's stay, or otherwife he could not reap the fruit of thofe bufinees, which Camille had cut WARBURTON.

Out.

I fee at that the prefent reading is nonfenfe; the fenfe of beaping friendships is, though like many other of our author's, únuipal, at least unusual to modern ears, is not very obfcure. To be more thankful fhall be my Andy; and my profit therein the

heaping friendships. That is, I will for the future be more liberal of recompence, from which I shall receive this advantage, that as I heap benefits I shall heap friendhips, as I confer favours on thee fhall increase the friendship betaween us.

5 but I have (MISSINGLY) noted,] We fhould read, but I have (MISSING HIM) noted. This accounts for the reafon of his taking note, because he often miffed him, that is, wanted his agreeable company, For a compliment is intended; and, in that fenfe, it is to be understood. The Oxford Editor reads, mufingly noted.

WARBURTON.

fce not how the fenfe is mended by Sir T. Hanmer's 'alteration, nor how it is at all changed by Dr. Warburton's.

4

this intelligence, that he is feldom from the houfe of a most homely fhepherd; a man, they fay, that from very nothing, and beyond the imagination of his neighbours, is grown into an unspeakable estate.

Cam. I have heard, Sir, of fuch a man, who hath a daughter of moft rare note; the report of her is extended more than can be thought to begin from fuch a cottage.

Pol. That's likewife a part of my intelligence. "But, I fear, the Angel that plucks our fon thither. Thou shalt accompany us to the place, where we will, not appearing what we are, have some question with the fhepherd; from whofe fimplicity, I think it not uneafy to get the cause of my fon's refort thither. Pr'ythee, be my prefent partner in this business, and lay afide the thoughts of Sicilia.

Cam. I willingly obey your command.

Pol. My best Camillo-we must disguise ourselves.

Exeunt.

W

S CEN E II.

Changes to the Country.

Enter Autolycus finging.

HEN daffodils begin to peere,
With, heigh! the doxy over the dale,
Why, then comes in the fweet o'th' year;
For the red blood reigns in the winter's pale'.

But I fear the Angle.] Mr.
Theobald reads; And I fear the
Eagle.

Why, then COMES in the
fweet of the year;
For the red blood REIGNS in

the WINTER's pale.] I

The