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To bloody thoughts and to revenge, I chose
Camillo for the minister, to poison

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My friend Polixenes: which had been done,
But that the good mind of Camillo tardy'd
My swift command; though I with death, and
with

Reward, did threaten and encourage him,
Not doing it, and being done; he, most hu-

mane,

And fill'd with honour, to my kingly guest
Unclasp'd my practice; quit his fortunes here,
Which you knew great, and to the hazard
Of all incertainties himself commended,

No richer than his honour: How he glisters
Thorough my rust! and how his piety
Does my deeds make the blacker!

Re-enter PAULINA.

Paul. Woe the while!

O, cut my lace; lest my heart, cracking it,
Break too!

1. Lord. What fit is this, good lady?

Paul. What studied torments, tyrant, hast for me ?

What wheels? racks? fires? What flaying?

boiling?

In leads, or oils? what old, or newer torture
Must I receive; whose every word deserves
To taste of thy most worst? Thy tyranny,
Together working with thy jealousies,
Fancies too weak for boys, too green and idle
For girls of nine! O, think, what they have

done,

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And then run mad, indeed; stark mad! for all Thy by-gone fooleries were but spices of it. That thou betray'dst Polixenes, 'twas nothing; That did but show thee, of a fool, inconstant,

And damnable ungrateful; nor was't much, Thou would'st have poison'd good Camillo's ho.

nour,

To have him kill a king; poor trespasses,
More monstrous standing by: whereof I reckon
The casting forth to crows thy baby daughter,
To be or none, or little; though a devil
Would have shed water out of fire, ere don't:
Nor is't directly laid to thee, the death
Of the young prince; whose honourable
thoughts

(Thoughts high for one so tender) cleft the

heart,

That could conceive, a grofs and foolish sire Blemish'd his gracious dam: this is not, no, Laid to thy answer: But the last, O lords, When I have said, cry, woe!. the queen, the

queen,

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The sweetest, dearest, creature's dead; and vengeance for't

Not dropp'd down yet.

1. Lord. The higher powers forbid!

Paul. I say, she's dead; I'll swear't: if word,
nor oath,

Prevail not, go and see: if you can bring
Tincture, or lustre, in her lip, her eye,

Heat outwardly, or breath within, I'll serve

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To nothing but despair. A thousand knees,
Ten thousand years together, naked, fasting,
Upon a barren mountain, and still winter
In storm perpetual, could not move the gods

To look that way thou wert.

Leon. Go on, go on:

Thou canst not speak too much; serv'd

All tongues to talk their bitterest. 1. Lord. Say no more;

I have de

Howe'er the business goes, you have made fault

I'the boldness of your speech.

Paul. I am sorry for't;

All faults I make, when I shall come to know

them,

I do repent: Alas, I have shew'd too much
The rashness of a woman: he is touch'd

To the noble heart What's

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past help,

gone,

and what's

Should be past grief: Do not receive affliction
At my petition, I beseech you; rather

Let me be punish'd, that have minded you
Of what you should forget. Now, good my

liege,

Sir, royal sir, forgive a foolish woman;
The love I bore your queen,

again!

lo, fool

I'll speak of her no more, nor of your children;
I'll not remember you of my own lord,
Who is lost too: Take your patience to you,
And I'll say nothing.

Leon. Thou didst speak but well,

When most the truth; which I receive much better

Than to be pitied of thee. Pr'ythee, bring me
To the dead bodies of my queen, and son:
One grave shall be for both; upon them shall
The causes of their death appear, unto
Our shame perpetual: Once a day I'll visit
The chapel where they lie; and tears, shed there,
Shall be my recreation: so long as nature

Will bear up with this exercise, so long,

I daily vow to use it.
To these sorrows.

Come, and lead me

[Exeunt.]

SCENE III.

Bohemia. Adesert country near the sea.

Enter ANTIGONUS, with the Child; and a Mariner. Ant. Thou art perfect then, our ship hath touch'd upon

The deserts of Bohemia?

Mar. Ay, my lord; and fear

We have landed in ill time: the skies look

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Look to thy bark; I'll not be long, before

I call upon thee.

not

Mar. Make your best haste; and go Too far i'the land: 'tis like to be loud weather; Besides, this place is famous for the creatures Of prey, that keep upon't.

Ant. Go thou away;

I'll follow instantly..

Mar. I am glad at heart

To be so rid o'the business.

Ant. Come, poor

babe:

[Exit.]

I have heard, (but not believ'd), the spirits of the

dead

May walk again: if such thing be, thy mother Appear❜d to me last night; for ne'er was dream

So like a walking. To me comes a creature, Sometimes her head on one side, some another; I never saw a vessel of like sorrow,

So fill'd, and so becoming: in pure white robes,
Like very sanctity, she did approach

My cabin where I lay: thrice bow'd before me;
And, gasping to begin some speech, her eyes
Became two spouts: the fury spent, anon
Did this break from her: Good Antigonus,
Since fate, against thy better disposition,
Hath made thy person for the thrower-out
Of my poor babe, according to thine oath,-
Places remote enough are in Bohemia,

There weep, and leave it crying; and, for the

babe

Is counted lost for ever, Perdita,

I pr'ythee, call't: for this ungentle business,
Put on thee by my lord, thou ne'er shalt see
Thy wife Paulina more:-- and so, with shrieks,
She melted into air. Affrighted much,

I did in time collect myself; and thought
This was so, and no slumber. Dreams are toys:
Yet, for this once, yea, superstitiously,
I will be squar'd by this. I do believe,
Hermione hath suffer'd death; and that
Apollo would, this being indeed the issue
Of king Polixenes, it should here be laid,
Either for life, or death, upon the earth
Of its right father: - Blossom, speed thee well!
[laying down the child.]

There lie; and there thy character: there these;

[laying down a bundle.]

Which may, if fortune please, both breed thee,

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That, for thy mother's fault, art thus expos'd

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