As like Hermione as is her picture, Cleo. Paul. Good madam, I have done. As, walk'd your first queen's ghost, it should take joy That Enter a Gentleman. Gent. One that gives out himself Prince Florizel, You, gracious couple, do: and then I lost→ Flo. The lands and waters 'twixt your throne and his Leon. O my brother, Of my behind-hand slackness. Welcome hither, What with him? he comes not As is the spring to the earth. And hath he too Like to his father's greatness: his approach, But few, And those but mean. O Hermione, As every present time doth boast itself How! not women? Paul. Go, Cleomenes; Leon. Leon. Prithee, no more; cease; thou know'st Re-enter Cleomenes and others, with Florizel and Perdita. Your mother was most true to wedlock, prince; Exposed this paragon to the fearful usage, She came from Libya. Leon. Good my lord, Where the warlike Smalus, whose daughter His tears proclaim'd his, parting with her: thence, Leon. The blessed gods Sir, my liege, Paul. Your eye hath too much youth in 't: not a month 'Fore your queen died, she was more worth such Than what you look on now. [gazes Leon. I thought of her, Even in these looks I made. [To Florizel.] But your petition Is yet unanswer 'd. I will to your father: SCENE II.— Before Leontes' palace. First Gent. I was by at the opening of the fardel, heard the old shepherd deliver the manner how he found it whereupon, after a little amazedness, we were all commanded out of the chamber; only this methought I heard the shepherd say, he found the child. Aut. I would most gladly know the issue of it. First Gent. I make a broken delivery of the business; but the changes I perceived in the king and Camillo were very notes of admiration: they seemed almost, with staring on one another, to tear the cases of their eyes; there was speech in their dumbness, language in their very gesture; they looked as they had heard of a world ransomed, or one destroyed: a notable passion of wonder appeared in them; but the wisest beholder, that knew no more but seeing, could not say if the importance were joy or sorrow; but in the extremity of the one, it must needs be. Enter another Gentleman. Here comes a gentleman that haply knows more. The news, Rogero? Enter a third Gentleman. Here comes the Lady Paulina's steward: he can deliver you more. How goes it now, sir? this news which is called true is so like an old tale, that the verity of it is in strong suspicion : has the king found his heir? Third Gent. Most true, if ever truth were preg nant by circumstance: that which you hear you'll swear you see, there is such unity in the proofs. The mantle of Queen Hermione's, her jewel about the neck of it, the letters of Antigonus found with it which they know to be his character, the majesty of the creature in resemblance of the mother, the affection of nobleness which nature shows above her breeding, and many other evidences proclaim her with all certainty to be the king's daughter. Did you see the meeting of the two kings? Sec. Gent. No. Third Gent. Then have you lost a sight, which was to be seen, cannot be spoken of. There might you have beheld one joy crown another, so and in such manner that it seemed sorrow wept to take leave of them, for their joy waded in tears. There was casting up of eyes, holding up of hands, with countenances of such distraction that they were to be known by garment, not by favour. Our king, being ready to leap out of himself for joy of his found daughter, as if that joy were now become a loss, cries O, thy mother, thy mother!' then asks Bohemia forgiveness; then embraces his son-in-law; then again worries he his daughter with clipping her; now he thanks the old.shepherd, which stands by like a weather-bitten conduit of many kings' reigns. I never heard of such another encounter, which lames report to follow it and undoes description to do it. Sec. Gent. What, pray you, became of Antigonus, that carried hence the child? Third Gent. Like an old tale still, which will have matter to rehearse, though credit be asleep and not an ear open. He was torn to pieces with a bear: this avouches the shepherd's son; who has not only his innocence, which seems much, to justify him, but a handkerchief and rings of his that Paulina knows. First Gent. What became of his bark and his followers? Third Gent. Wrecked the same instant of their master's death and in the view of the shepherd: so that all the instruments which aided to expose the child were even then lost when it was found. But O, the noble combat that 'twixt joy and sorrow was fought in Paulina! She had one eye declined for the loss of her husband, another elevated that the ora cle was fulfilled: she lifted the princess from the earth, and so locks her in embracing, as if she would pin her to her heart that she might no more be in danger of losing. First Gent. The dignity of this act was worth the audience of kings and princes; for by such was it acted. Third Gent. One of the prettiest touches of all and that which angled for mine eyes, caught the water though not the fish, was when, at the relation of the queen's death, with the manner how she came to 't bravely confessed and lamented by the king, how attentiveness wounded his daughter; till, from one sign of dolour to another, she did, with an 'Alas, I would fain say, bleed tears, for I am sure my heart wept blood. Who was most marble there changed colour; some swooned, all sorrowed: if all the world could have seen 't, the woe had been universal. First Gent. Are they returned to the court? Sec. Gent. Nothing but bonfires: the oracle is ful- Third Gent. No: the princess hearing of her moth filled; the king's daughter is found: such a deal of er's statue, which is in the keeping of Paulina,-a wonder is broken out within this hour that ballad-piece many years in doing and now newly performed by that rare Italian master, Julio Romano, who, had makers cannot be able to express it. he himself eternity and could put breath into his work, would beguile Nature of her custom, so perfectly he is her ape: he so near to Hermione hath done Hermione that they say one would speak to her and stand in hope of answer: thither with all greediness of affection are they gone, and there they intend to sup. Sec. Gent. I thought she had some great matter there in hand; for she hath privately twice or thrice a day, ever since the death of Hermione, visited that removed house. Shall we thither and with our company piece the rejoicing? First Gent. Who would be thence that has the benefit of access? every wink of an eye some new grace will be born: our absence makes us unthrifty to our knowledge. Let's along. [Exeunt Gentlemen. Aut. Now, had I not the dash of my former life in me, would preferment drop on my head. I brought the old man and his son aboard the prince; told him I heard them talk of a fardel and I know not what: but he at that time, overfond of the shepherd's daughter, so he then took her to be, who began to be much sea-sick, and himself little better, extremity of weather continuing, this mystery remained undiscovered. But 't is all one to me; for had I been the finder out of this secret, it would not have relished among my other discredits. Enter Shepherd and Clown. Here come those I have done good to against my will, and already appearing in the blossoms of their fortune. Shep. Come, boy; I am past moe children, but thy sons and daughters will be all gentlemen born. Clo. You are well met, sir. You denied to fight with me this other day, because I was no gentleman born. See you these clothes? say you see them not and think me still no gentleman born: you were best say these robes are not gentlemen born: give me the lie, do, and try whether I am not now a gentleman born. Aut. I know you are now, sir, a gentleman born. Clo. Ay, and have been so any time these four hours. Shep. And so have I, boy. Clo. So you have: but I was a gentleman born before my father; for the king's son took me by the hand, and called me brother; and then the two kings called my father brother; and then the prince my brother and the princess my sister called my father father; and so we wept, and there was the first gentleman-like tears that ever we shed. Shep. We may live, son, to shed many more. Clo. Ay; or else 't were hard luck, being in so preposterous estate as we are. Aut. I humbly beseech you, sir, to pardon me all the faults I have committed to your worship and to give me your good report to the prince my master. Shep. Prithee, son, do; for we must be gentle, now we are gentlemen. Clo. Thou wilt amend thy life? Aut. Ay, an it like your good worship. Aut. I will prove so, sir, to my power. Clo. Ay, by any means prove a tall fellow: if I do not wonder how thou darest venture to be drunk, not being a tall fellow, trust me not. Hark! the kings and the princes, our kindred, are going to see the queen's picture. Come, follow us: we 'll be thy good masters. [Exeunt. SCENE III.—A chapel in Paulina's house. What, sovereign sir, I like your silence, it the more shows off Pol. Leon. Clo. Give me thy hand: I will swear to the prince thou art as honest a true fellow as any is in Bohemia. Shep. You may say it, but not swear it. Clo. If it be ne'er so false, a true gentleman may swear it in the behalf of his friend: and I'll swear to the prince thou art a tall fellow of thy hands and that thou wilt not be drunk; but I know thou art no tall fellow of thy hands and that thou wilt be drunk: but I'll swear it, and I would thou wouldst be a tall fellow of thy hands. O, patience! Dear my brother, Let him that was the cause of this have power Paul. Indeed, my lord, Masterly done: Leon. The fixure of her eye has motion in 't, I'll draw the curtain: O sweet Paulina, Leon. Do, Paulina; [but For this affliction has a taste as sweet Good my lord, forbear: Bequeath to death your numbness, for from him Start not; her actions shall be holy as Cam. She hangs about his neck : Pol. Ay, and make 't manifest where she has lived, Her. Thy father's court? for thou shalt hear that I, Paul. The ruddiness upon her lip is wet; Stand by, a looker on. Leon. What you can make her do, Paul. It is required You do awake your faith. Then all stand still; No foot shall stir. Proceed: Paul. 274 Leon. By us, a pair of kings. Let's from this place. [Exeunt. Enter King John, Queen Elinor, Pembroke, Essex, Salisbury, and others, with Chatillon. K. John. Now, say, Chatillon, what would France with us? [France Chat. Thus, after greeting, speaks the King of In my behaviour to the majesty, The borrow'd majesty, of England here. Eli. A strange beginning: borrow'd majesty!' To Ireland, Poictiers, Anjou, Touraine, Maine, K. John. What follows if we disallow of this? Controlment for controlment: so answer France. [Exeunt Chatillon and Pembroke. This might have been prevented and made whole With very easy arguments of love, I. Which now the manage of two kingdoms must With fearful bloody issue arbitrate. [us. K. John. Our strong possession and our right for Eli. Your strong possession much more than your right, Or else it must go wrong with you and me: Enter a Sheriff. Essex. My liege, here is the strangest controversy Come from the country to be judged by you That e'er I heard; shall I produce the men? K. John. Let them approach. Our abbeys and our priories shall pay This expedition's charge. Enter Robert Faulconbridge, and Philip his bastard brother. What men are you? Rob. The son and heir to that same Faulconbridge. K. John. Is that the elder, and art thou the heir? You came not of one mother then, it seems. Bast. Most certain of one mother, mighty king; That is well known; and, as I think, one father: But for the certain knowledge of that truth I put you o'er to heaven and to my mother: |