I must be patient, till the heavens look With an aspect more favourable.—Good my lords, Commonly are; the want of which vain dew, Shall best instruct you, measure me ;—and so The king's will be perform'd! Leo. Shall I be heard? [To the Guards. Her. Who is't, that goes with me ?-'beseech your highness, My women may be with me; for, you see, My plight requires it. Do not weep, good fools; There is no cause when you shall know, your mistress Has deserv'd prison, then abound in tears, As I come out: this action, I now go on, Is for my better grace.-Adieu, my lord: I never wish'd to see you sorry; now, I trust, I shall.-My women, come; you have leave. [Exeunt Queen and Ladies. 1 Lord. 'Beseech your highness, call the queen again. Ant. Be certain what you do, sir; lest your justice Prove violence; in the which three great ones suffer, Yourself, your queen, your son. 1 Lord. For her, my lord,— I dare my life lay down, and will do't, sir, Please you t' accept it, that the queen is spotless I' th' eyes of heaven, and to you; I mean, In this which you accuse her. Ant. If it prove She's otherwise, I'll keep my stables where I lodge my wife; I'll go in couples with her; Than when I feel, and see her, no further trust her; [8] An astrological phrase. The aspect of the stars was anciently a familiar term, and continued to be such till the age in which Milton tells usSTEEVENS. "the swart star sparely looks." [9] In the Teutonick language, hund-stall or dog-stable, is the term for a kennel. Stables or stable, however, may mean station, stabillis statio, and two distinct propositions may be intended. I'll keep my station in the same place where my wife is lodged. I'll run every where with her, like dogs that are coupled together. MALONE. Ay, every dram of woman's flesh, is false, Leo. Hold your peaces. 1 Lord. Good my lord, Ant. It is for you we speak, not for ourselves: You are abus'd, and by some putter-on, That will be damn'd for't; 'would I knew the villain, Leo. Cease; no more. You smell this business with a sense as cold The instruments that feel. Ant. If it be so, We need no grave to bury honesty ; There's not a grain of it, the face to sweeten Leo. What! lack I credit? 1 Lord. I had rather you did lack, than I, my lord, Upon this ground; and more it would content me To have her honour true, than your suspicion ; Be blam'd for't how you might. Leo. Why, what need we Commune with you of this? but rather follow Calls not your counsels; but our natural goodness : Or seeming so in skill,) cannot, or will not, [1] Land-damn is probably one of those words which caprice brought into fashion, and which after a short time, reason and grammar drove irrecoverably away. It perhaps meant no more than I will rid the country of him, condemn him to quit the land. JOHNSON. [2] Some stage direction seems necessary in this place; but what that direction should be, it is not easy to decide. Dr. Johnson gives-striking his brows. STEEVENS. Leontes must here be supposed to lay hold of either the board, or arm, or some other part of Antigonus. MALONE. The loss, the gain, the ordering on't, is all Ant. And I wish, my liege, You had only in your silent judgment tried it, Leo. How could that be? Either thou art most ignorant by age, Or thou wert born a fool. Added to their familiarity, Camillo's flight, (Which was as gross as ever touch'd conjecture, Made up to the deed,) doth push on this proceeding; (For, in an act of this importance, 'twere Most piteous to be wild,) I have despatch'd in post, Of stuff'd sufficiency: Now, from the oracle 1 Lord. Well done, my lord. Leo. Though I am satisfied, and need no more Give rest to the minds of others; such as he, Come up to th' truth: So have we thought it good, Ant. [Aside.] To laughter, as I take it, SCENE II. [Exeunts The same. The outer Room of a Prison. Enter PAULINA and Attendants. Paul. The keeper of the prison,-call to him; [Exit an Attendant. Let him have knowledge who I am.-Good lady! 31 Approbation, in this place, is put for proof. JOHNSON. (That is, of abilities more than enough. JOHNSON. VOL. IV. 13 No court in Europe is too good for thee, What dost thou then in prison ?-Now, good sir, You know me, do you not? Keep. For a worthy lady, And one whom much I honour. Paul. Pray you then, Conduct me to the queen. Keep. I may not, madam; to the contrary I have express commandment. Paul. Here's ado, To lock up honesty and honour from Th' access of gentle visitors!-Is it lawful, Keep. So please you, madam, To put apart these your attendants, I shall bring I must be present at your conference. [Exeunt Attendants. [Exit Keeper. Here's such ado to make no stain a stain, Re-enter Keeper, with EMILIA. Dear gentlewoman, how fares our gracious lady? Emil. A daughter, and a goodly babe, Paul. I dare be sworn : These dangerous unsafe lunes o' th' king beshrew them! [5] I have no where, but in our author, observed this word adopted in our tongue to signify frenzy, lunacy. But it is a mode of expression with the French.-Ilga de la lune : (i. e. he has got the moon in his head; he is frantic.) THEOBALL He must be told on't, and he shall the office The trumpet any more :-Pray you, Emilia, Emil. Most worthy madam, Your honour, and your goodness, is so evident, A thriving issue; there is no lady living, So meet for this great errand: Please your ladyship queen of your most noble offer; Paul. Tell her, Emilia, I'll use that tongue I have: if wit flow from it, Emil. Now be you blest for it! I'll to the queen: Please you, come something nearer. Keep. Madam, if't please the queen to send the babe I know not what I shall incur, to pass it, Having no warrant. Paul. You need not fear it, sir: The child was prisoner to the womb; and is, By law and process of great nature, thence The anger of the king; nor guilty of, Keep. I do believe it. Paul. Do not you fear: upon Mine honour, I will stand 'twixt you and danger. [Exeunt. |