Act IIScene I
Sicilia. A Room in the Palace
Enter Hermione, Mamillius and Ladies.
Hermione
Take the boy to you: he so troubles me,’Tis past enduring.
First Lady
Come, my gracious lord,Shall I be your playfellow?
Mamillius
No, I’ll none of you.
First Lady
Why, my sweet lord?
Mamillius
You’ll kiss me hard, and speak to me as ifI were a baby still. I love you better.
Second Lady
And why so, my lord?
Mamillius
Not for becauseYour brows are blacker; yet black brows, they say,Become some women best, so that there be notToo much hair there, but in a semicircleOr a half-moon made with a pen.
Second Lady
Who taught this?
Mamillius
I learn’d it out of women’s faces. Pray now,What colour are your eyebrows?
First Lady
Blue, my lord.
Mamillius
Nay, that’s a mock. I have seen a lady’s noseThat has been blue, but not her eyebrows.
First Lady
Hark ye,The queen your mother rounds apace. We shallPresent our services to a fine new princeOne of these days, and then you’d wanton with us,If we would have you.
Second Lady
She is spread of lateInto a goodly bulk: good time encounter her!
Hermione
What wisdom stirs amongst you? Come, sir, nowI am for you again. Pray you sit by us,And tell ’s a tale.
Mamillius
Merry or sad shall’t be?
Hermione
As merry as you will.
Mamillius
A sad tale’s best for winter. I have oneOf sprites and goblins.
Hermione
Let’s have that, good sir.Come on, sit down. Come on, and do your bestTo fright me with your sprites: you’re powerful at it.
Mamillius
There was a man,—
Hermione
Nay, come, sit down, then on.
Mamillius
Dwelt by a churchyard. I will tell it softly,Yond crickets shall not hear it.
Hermione
Come on then,And give’t me in mine ear.
Enter Leontes, Antigonus, Lords and Guards.
Leontes
Was he met there? his train? Camillo with him?
First Lord
Behind the tuft of pines I met them, neverSaw I men scour so on their way: I ey’d themEven to their ships.
Leontes
How blest am IIn my just censure, in my true opinion!Alack, for lesser knowledge! How accurs’dIn being so blest! There may be in the cupA spider steep’d, and one may drink, depart,And yet partake no venom, for his knowledgeIs not infected; but if one presentTh’ abhorr’d ingredient to his eye, make knownHow he hath drunk, he cracks his gorge, his sides,With violent hefts. I have drunk, and seen the spider.Camillo was his help in this, his pander.There is a plot against my life, my crown;All’s true that is mistrusted. That false villainWhom I employ’d, was pre-employ’d by him.He has discover’d my design, and IRemain a pinch’d thing; yea, a very trickFor them to play at will. How came the posternsSo easily open?
First Lord
By his great authority,Which often hath no less prevail’d than soOn your command.
Leontes
I know’t too well.Give me the boy. I am glad you did not nurse him.Though he does bear some signs of me, yet youHave too much blood in him.
Hermione
What is this? sport?
Leontes
Bear the boy hence, he shall not come about her,Away with him, and let her sport herselfWith that she’s big with; for ’tis PolixenesHas made thee swell thus.
Exit Mamillius with some of the Guards.
Hermione
But I’d say he had not,And I’ll be sworn you would believe my saying,Howe’er you learn th’ nayward.
Leontes
You, my lords,Look on her, mark her well. Be but aboutTo say, “she is a goodly lady,” andThe justice of your hearts will thereto add“’Tis pity she’s not honest, honourable”:Praise her but for this her without-door form,Which on my faith deserves high speech, and straightThe shrug, the hum or ha, these petty brandsThat calumny doth use—O, I am out,That mercy does; for calumny will searVirtue itself—these shrugs, these hum’s, and ha’s,When you have said “she’s goodly,” come between,Ere you can say “she’s honest”: but be it known,From him that has most cause to grieve it should be,She’s an adultress!
Hermione
Should a villain say so,The most replenish’d villain in the world,He were as much more villain: you, my lord,Do but mistake.
Leontes
You have mistook, my lady,Polixenes for Leontes. O thou thing,Which I’ll not call a creature of thy place,Lest barbarism, making me the precedent,Should a like language use to all degrees,And mannerly distinguishment leave outBetwixt the prince and beggar. I have saidShe’s an adultress; I have said with whom:More, she’s a traitor, and Camillo isA federary with her; and one that knowsWhat she should shame to know herselfBut with her most vile principal, that she’sA bed-swerver, even as bad as thoseThat vulgars give bold’st titles; ay, and privyTo this their late escape.
Hermione
No, by my life,Privy to none of this. How will this grieve you,When you shall come to clearer knowledge, thatYou thus have publish’d me! Gentle my lord,You scarce can right me throughly then, to sayYou did mistake.
Leontes
No. If I mistakeIn those foundations which I build upon,The centre is not big enough to bearA school-boy’s top. Away with her to prison!He who shall speak for her is afar off guiltyBut that he speaks.
Hermione
There’s some ill planet reigns:I must be patient till the heavens lookWith an aspect more favourable. Good my lords,I am not prone to weeping, as our sexCommonly are; the want of which vain dewPerchance shall dry your pities. But I haveThat honourable grief lodg’d here which burnsWorse than tears drown: beseech you all, my lords,With thoughts so qualified as your charitiesShall best instruct you, measure me; and soThe king’s will be perform’d.
Leontes
Shall I be heard?
Hermione
Who is’t that goes with me? Beseech your highnessMy women may be with me, for you seeMy plight requires it. Do not weep, good fools;There is no cause: when you shall know your mistressHas deserv’d prison, then abound in tearsAs I come out: this action I now go onIs for my better grace. Adieu, my lord:I never wish’d to see you sorry; nowI trust I shall. My women, come; you have leave.
Leontes
Go, do our bidding. Hence!
Exeunt Queen and Ladies with Guards.
First Lord
Beseech your highness, call the queen again.
Antigonus
Be certain what you do, sir, lest your justiceProve violence, in the which three great ones suffer,Yourself, your queen, your son.
First Lord
For her, my lord,I dare my life lay down, and will do’t, sir,Please you to accept it, that the queen is spotlessI’ th’ eyes of heaven and to you—I meanIn this which you accuse her.
Antigonus
If it proveShe’s otherwise, I’ll keep my stables whereI lodge my wife; I’ll go in couples with her;Than when I feel and see her no further trust her.For every inch of woman in the world,Ay, every dram of woman’s flesh, is false,If she be.
Leontes
Hold your peaces.
First Lord
Good my lord,—
Antigonus
It is for you we speak, not for ourselves:You are abus’d, and by some putter-onThat will be damn’d for’t: would I knew the villain,I would land-damn him. Be she honour-flaw’d,I have three daughters; the eldest is eleven;The second and the third, nine and some five;If this prove true, they’ll pay for’t. By mine honour,I’ll geld ’em all; fourteen they shall not see,To bring false generations: they are co-heirs,And I had rather glib myself than theyShould not produce fair issue.
Leontes
Cease; no more.You smell this business with a sense as coldAs is a dead man’s nose: but I do see’t and feel’t,As you feel doing thus; and see withalThe instruments that feel.
Antigonus
If it be so,We need no grave to bury honesty.There’s not a grain of it the face to sweetenOf the whole dungy earth.
Leontes
What! Lack I credit?
First Lord
I had rather you did lack than I, my lord,Upon this ground: and more it would content meTo have her honour true than your suspicion,Be blam’d for’t how you might.
Leontes
Why, what need weCommune with you of this, but rather followOur forceful instigation? Our prerogativeCalls not your counsels, but our natural goodnessImparts this; which, if you, or stupifiedOr seeming so in skill, cannot or will notRelish a truth, like us, inform yourselvesWe need no more of your advice: the matter,The loss, the gain, the ord’ring on’t, is allProperly ours.
Antigonus
And I wish, my liege,You had only in your silent judgement tried it,Without more overture.
Leontes
How could that be?Either thou art most ignorant by age,Or thou wert born a fool. Camillo’s flight,Added to their familiarity,(Which was as gross as ever touch’d conjecture,That lack’d sight only, nought for approbationBut only seeing, all other circumstancesMade up to th’ deed) doth push on this proceeding.Yet, for a greater confirmation(For in an act of this importance, ’twereMost piteous to be wild), I have dispatch’d in postTo sacred Delphos, to Apollo’s temple,Cleomenes and Dion, whom you knowOf stuff’d sufficiency: now from the oracleThey will bring all, whose spiritual counsel had,Shall stop or spur me. Have I done well?
First Lord
Well done, my lord.
Leontes
Though I am satisfied, and need no moreThan what I know, yet shall the oracleGive rest to the minds of others, such as heWhose ignorant credulity will notCome up to th’ truth. So have we thought it goodFrom our free person she should be confin’d,Lest that the treachery of the two fled henceBe left her to perform. Come, follow us;We are to speak in public; for this businessWill raise us all.
Antigonus
Aside.
To laughter, as I take it,If the good truth were known.
Exeunt.