Goa. I may not, Madam;

To the contrary I have exprefs commandment.

Paul. Here's ado to lock up honefty and honour from Th' accefs of gentle vifitors! Is't lawful, pray you, To fee her women? any of them? Emilia?

Goa. So please you, Madam,

To put a-part these your attendants, I
Shall bring Emilia forth.

Paul. I pray you now,

Withdraw yourselves.

Goa. And, Madam,

call her :

[Exeunt Gent. &c.

I must be present at your conference.
Paul. Well; be it fo, pr'ythee.

Enter Emilia.

Here's fuch ado to make no stain a stain,
As paffes colouring. Dear gentlewoman,
How fares our gracious lady?

Emil. As well, as one fo great and fo forlorn
May hold together; On her frights and griefs,
(Which never tender lady hath borne greater,)
She is, fomething before her time, deliver'd.
Paul. A boy?

Emil. A daughter, and a goodly babe,
Lufty, and like to live: the Queen receives
Much comfort in't: fays, My poor prifoner,

I'm innocent as you.

Paul. I dare be fworn:

These dangerous, unfafe lunes i'th' King! befhrew them, (7)

He must be told on't, and he fhall; the office
Becomes a woman beft. I'll take't upon me.
If I prove honey-mouth'd, let my tongue blifter;

(7) Thefe dang'rous, unsafe Lunes i'th' King !- -] I have no where, but in our Author, obferv'd this Word adopted in our Tongue, to fignify, Frenzy, Lunacy. But it is a Mode of Expreffion with the French.- -il y a de la lune: (i. e. He has got the Moon in his Head; he is frantick.) Cotgrave. Lune. folie. Les femmes ont des lunes dans la tête. Richelet.

VOL. III.

M

And

And never to my red-look'd anger be
The trumpet any more! Pray you, Emilia,
Commend my beft obedience to the Queen,
If fhe dares truft me with her little babe,
I'll fhew't the King, and undertake to be
Her advocate to th' loud'ft. We do not know,
How he may foften at the fight o'th' child:
The filence often of pure innocence
Perfuades, when speaking fails.

Emil. Moft worthy Madam,

Your honour and your goodness is fe evident,
That your free undertaking cannot mifs
A thriving iffue: there is no lady living

So meet for this great errand. Please your ladyship
To vifit the next room, I'll prefently

Acquaint the Queen of your moft noble offer,
Who but to day hammer'd of this defign;
But durft not tempt a minister of honour,
Left she should be deny'd.

Paul. Tell her, Emilia,

I'll use that tongue I have; if wit flow from't,
As boldness from my bofom, let't not be doubted
I fhall do good.

Emil. Now be you bleft for it!

I'll to the Queen: please you, come fomething nearer. Goa. Madam, if't please the Queen to fend the babe, I know not what I fhall incur, to pass it,

Having no warrant.

Paul. You need not fear it, Sir;

The child was prifoner to the womb, and is

By law and procefs of great nature thence

Free'd and enfranchis'd; not a party to
The anger of the King, nor guilty of,
If any be, the trefpafs of the Queen.
Goa. I do believe it.

Paul. Do not you fear; upon mine honour, I
Will ftand 'twixt you and danger.

[Exeunt.

SCENE

SCENE changes to the Palace.

Enter Leontes, Antigonus, Lords and other Attendants.

Leo. NOR

night, nor day, no reft;it is but
weakness

To bear the matter thus; meer weakness, if
The cause were not in being; part o'th' cause,
She, the adultrefs; for the Harlot-King
Is quite beyond mine arm; out of the blank
And level of my brain; plot-proof; but she
I can hook to me: fay, that fhe were gone,
Given to the fire, a moiety of my reft
Might come to me again. Who's there?

Atten. My Lord.

Enter an Attendant.

Leo. How do's the boy?

Atten. He took good reft to night; 'tis hop'd, His fickness is discharg'd.

Leo. To fee his nobleness!

Conceiving the dishonour of his mother,
He ftraight declin'd, droop'd, took it deeply;
Faften'd, and fix'd the shame on't in himself;
Threw off his fpirit, his appetite, his fleep,
And down-right languish'd. Leave me folely; go,
[Exit Attendant.
See how he fares. -Fie, fie, no thought of him ;-
The very thought of my revenges that way
Recoyl upon me; in himself too mighty,
And in his parties, his alliance; let him be,
Until a time may serve. For prefent vengeance,
Take it on her. Camillo and Polixenes

Laugh at me; make their pastime at my forrow;
They should not laugh, if I could reach them; nor
Shall fhe, within my power.

Enter Paulina, with a Child.

Lord. You must not enter.

Paul. Nay rather, good my lords, be fecond to me : Fear you his tyrannous paffion more, alas,

Than the Queen's life? a gracious innocent foul,
More free than he is jealous.

Ant. That's enough.

Atten. [within] Madam, he hath not flept to night; commanded,

None fhould come at him.

Paul. Not fo hot, good Sir;

I come to bring him fleep. 'Tis fuch as you,
That creep like fhadows by him, and do figh
At each his needlefs heavings; fuch as you
Nourish the cause of his awaking. I

Do come with words, as medicinal, as true;
(Honeft, as either ;) to purge him of that humour,
That preffes him from fleep.

Leo. What noise there, ho?

Paul. No noife, my Lord, but needful conference,

About fome goffips for your Highness.

Leo. How?

Away with that audacious lady.

Antigonus,

I charg'd thee, that the should not come about me;

I knew, fhe would.

Ant. I told her fo, my Lord,

On your displeasure's peril and on mine,
She fhould not vifit you.

Leo. What can't not rule her?

Paul. From all dishonesty he can; in this,
(Unless he take the course that you have done,
Commit me, for committing honour,) truft it,
He fhall not rule me.

Ant. Lo-you now, you hear,

When she will take the rein, I let her run,
But fhe'll not stumble.

Paul. Good my Liege, I come
And I befeech you, hear me, who profess
Myself your loyal fervant, your physician,

Your

Your most obedient counsellor: yet that dares
Lefs appear fo, in comforting your evils,
Than fuch as moft feems yours. I fay, I come
From your good Queen.

Leo. Good Queen ?

Paul. Good Queen, my Lord,
Good Queen, I fay, good Queen ;

And would by combat make her good, fo were I
A man, the worst about you.

Leo. Force her hence.

Paul. Let him, that makes but trifles of his eyes, Firft hand me: on mine own accord, I'll off; But first, I'll do my errand. The good Queen, For fhe is good, hath brought you forth a daughter, Here 'tis ; commends it to your bleffing.

Leo. Out!

[Laying down the Child.

A mankind witch! hence with her, out o' door :
A most intelligencing bawd!

Paul. Not fo;

I am as ignorant in That, as you

In fo intit❜ling me; and no lefs honeft,

Than you are mad; which is enough, I'll warrant,
As this world goes, to pass for honest.

Leo. Traitors!

Will you not push her out? give her the bastard.
[To Antigonus.
Thou dotard, thou art woman-tyr'd; unroofted
By thy dame Partlet here. Take up the baftard,
Take't up, I fay; give't to thy croan.

Paul. For ever

Unvenerable be thy hands, if thou

Take'ft up the Princess, by that forced baseness

Which he has put upon't!

Leo. He dreads his wife.

Paul. So, I would, you did: then 'twere past all doubt, You'd call your children yours.

Leo. A neft of traytors!

Ant. I am none, by this good light.

Paul. Nor I; nor any

M 3

But