Chide me, dear stone; that I may say, indeed,
Thou art Hermione; or, rather, thou art she,
In thy not chiding; for she was as tender
As infancy and grace.-But yet, Paulina,
Hermione was not so much wrinkled, nothing
So aged, as this seems.

Pol.

O, not by much.

Paul. So much the more our carver's excellence;
Which lets go by some sixteen years, and makes her
As she lived now.
Leon.
As now she might have done
So much to my good comfort, as it is
Now piercing to my soul. O, thus she stood,
Even with such life of majesty, (warm life,

As now it coldly stands,) when first I wooed her!
I am ashamed. Does not the stone rebuke me,
For being more stone than it ?-O royal piece,
There's magic in thy majesty; which has
My evils conjured to remembrance; and
From thy admiring daughter took the spirits,
Standing like stone with thee.

Per. And give me leave;

And do not say, 'tis superstition, that

I kneel, and then implore her blessing.—Lady,
Dear queen, that ended when I but began,
Give me that hand of yours, to kiss.

Paul.

O patience;

The statue is but newly fixed; the color's
Not dry.

Cam. My lord, your sorrow was too sore laid on; Which sixteen winters cannot blow away, So many summers, dry; scarce any joy Did ever so long live; no sorrow,

But killed itself much sooner.

Pol.

Dear my brother, Let him, that was the cause of this, have power To take off so much grief from you, as he

Will piece up in himself.

Paul.

Indeed, my lord, If I had thought the sight of my poor image

!

Would thus have wrought1 you, (for the stone is mine,)
I'd not have showed it.2

Leon.

Do not draw the curtain. Paul. No longer shall you gaze on't; lest your fancy

May think anon it moves.

Leon.

Let be, let be.
'Would I were dead, but that, methinks, already-
What was he that did make it?-See, my lord,
Would you not deem, it breathed? and that those

veins

Did verily bear blood?

Pol.

Masterly done. The very life seems warm upon her lip.

Leon. The fixture of her eye has motion in't,
As we are mocked with art.3

Paul.
I'll draw the curtain
My lord's almost so far transported, that
He'll think anon it lives.

Leon.
O, sweet Paulina,
Make me to think so twenty years together;
No settled senses of the world can match
The pleasure of that madness. Let't alone.

Paul. I am sorry, sir, I have thus far stirred you;

but

I could afflict you further.

Leon.

Do, Paulina;
For this affliction has a taste as sweet

As any cordial comfort.--Still, methinks,
There is an air comes from her.

What fine chisel

Could ever yet cut breath? Let no man mock me,

For I will kiss her.

Paul.
The ruddiness upon
You'll mar it, if you
With oily painting.

Good my lord, forbear.
her lip is wet;
kiss it; stain your own
Shall I draw the curtain?

1 Worked, agitated.

2 The folio reads, "I'd not have showed it." In the late edition of Malone's Shakspeare it stands, "I'll not have showed it." But surely this is erroneous.

3 As for as if. With has the force of by.

VOL. III.

14

Leon. No, not these twenty years.

Per.

Stand by, a looker on.
Paul.

Either forbear,

Quit presently the chapel; or resolve you
For more amazement. If you can behold it,

I'll make the statue move indeed; descend,

So long could I

And take you by the hand; but then you'll think
(Which I protest against) I am assisted
By wicked powers.

Leon.

What you can make her do,
I am content to look on; what to speak,
I am content to hear; for 'tis as easy

To make her speak, as move.

Paul. It is required,

You do awake your faith. Then, all stand still,
Or those that think it is unlawful business

am about, let them depart.

Leon.

Proceed;

No foot shall stir.
Paul.

Music; awake her: strike.

[Music.

'Tis time; descend; be stone no more; approach ;
Strike all that look upon with marvel. Come:
I'll fill your grave up: stir; nay, come away;
Bequeath to death your numbness, for from him
Dear life redeems you. You perceive she stirs :
[HERMIONE comes down from the pedestal.
Start not her actions shall be holy, as,
You hear, my spell is lawful. Do not shun her,
Until you see her die again; for then

You kill her double. Nay, present your hand.
When she was young, you wooed her; now,
Is she become the suitor.

Leon.
If this be magic, let it be an art
Lawful as eating.

Pol.

She embraces him.

Cam. She hangs about his neck ;

If she pertain to life, let her speak too.

in age,

O, she's warm! [Embracing her.

Pol. Ay, and make't manifest where she has lived,

Or, how stolen from the dead.

Paul.

That she is living, Were it but told you, should be hooted at Like an old tale; but it appears she lives, Though yet she speak not. Mark a little while.Please you to interpose, fair madam ; kneel, And pray your mother's blessing.-Turn, good lady; Our Perdita is found.

[Presenting PER., who kneels to HER. Her. You gods, look down, And from your sacred vials pour your graces Upon my daughter's head!-Tell me, mine own, Where hast thou been preserved? where lived? how

found

Thy father's court? For thou shalt hear, that I—
Knowing by Paulina that the oracle

Gave hope, thou wast in being-have preserved
Myself to see the issue.

Paul.

There's time enough for that; Lest they desire, upon this push to trouble Your joys with like relation. Go together, You precious winners' all; your exultation Partake to every one. I, an old turtle, Will wing me to some withered bough; and there My mate, that's never to be found again, Lament till I am lost.

Leon.

O peace, Paulina; Thou shouldst a husband take by my consent, As I by thine, a wife. This is a match,

And made between's by vows. Thou hast found

mine;

But how, is to be questioned; for I saw her,

As I thought, dead; and have in vain said many

A

prayer upon her grave. I'll not seek far (For him, I partly know his mind) to find thee An honorable husband.-Come, Camillo,

1 You who by this discovery have gained what you desired.

And take her by the hand; whose1 worth, and honesty,
Is 2 richly noted; and here justified
By us, a pair of kings.-Let's from this place.-
What!-Look3 upon, my brother.-Both your pardons,
That e'er I put between your holy looks

4

My ill suspicion.-This your son-in-law,
And son unto the king, (whom Heavens directing,)
Is troth-plight to your daughter.-Good Paulina,
Lead us from hence; where we may leisurely
Each one demand, and answer to his part
Performed in this wide gap of time, since first
We were dissevered. Hastily lead away.

[Exeunt.

1 Whose relates to Camillo, though Paulina is the immediate antecedent. In the loose construction of ancient phraseology, whose is often used in this manner, where his would be more proper.

2 It is erroneously printed for is here in the late Variorum Shakspeare. 3 Look upon, for look on. Thus in King Henry V. Part III. Act ii. Sc. 3: “And look upon, as if the tragedy," &c.

4 Whom is here used where him would be now employed.

THIS play, as Dr. Warburton justly observes, is, with all its absurdities, very entertaining. The character of Autolycus is naturally conceived, and strongly represented. JOHNSON.

*This is not only a frigid note of approbation, but is unjustly attributed to Warburton, whose opinion is conveyed in more enthusiastic terms. He must in justice be allowed to speak for himself. "This play throughout is written in the very spirit of its author. And in telling this homely and simple, though agreeable, country tale,

'Our sweetest Shakspeare, Fancy's child,
Warbles his native wood-notes wild.

This was necessary to observe in mere justice to the play; as the meanness of the fable, and the extravagant conduct of it, had misled some of great name (i. e. Dryden and Pope) into a wrong judgment of its merit; which, as far as regards sentiment and character, is scarce inferior to any in the collection."