Mam. Merry, or fad, fhall it be?
Her. As merry as you will.

Mam. A fad tale's best for winter : I have one of sprights and goblins. Her. Let's have that, good fir.

Come on, fit down. Come on, and do your best To fright me with your fprights; you're powerful at it.

Mam. There was a man

Her. Nay, come, fit down; then on.

Mam. Dwelt by a church-yard;-I will tell it foftly:

Yon' crickets fhall not hear it.

Her. Come on then, and give't me in mine ear.

Enter Leontes, Antigonus, and Lords.

Leo. Was he met there? his train? Camillo with him?

Lord. Behind the tuft of pines I met them; never Saw I men scower fo on their way: I ey'd them Even to their fhips.

Leo. How bleft am I

In my just cenfure! in my true opinion!
Alack, for leffer knowledge + !-how accurs'd
In being fo bleft! There may be in the cup
A fpider steep'd, and one may drink; depart,
And yet partake no venom; for his knowledge
Is not infected: but if one prefent

The abhorr'd ingredient to his eye, make known
How he hath drunk, he cracks his gorge, his fides
With violent hefts;-I have drunk and feen the
fpider.-

Camillo was his help in this, his pander:
There is a plot against my life, my crown;

4 Alack, for leffer knowledge!-]

That is, O that my knowledge were lefs. JOHNSON.

All's

All's true that is miftrusted: that false villain,
Whom I employ'd, was pre-emplòy'd by him:
He hath discover'd my defign, and I'
Remain a pinch'd thing; yea, a very trick

For them to play at will: How came the pofterns
So easily open?

Lord. By his great authority,

Which often hath no lefs prevail'd than fo,
On your command.

Leo. I know't too well.

Give me the boy; [To Hermione.] I am glad, you did not nurse him :

Though he does bear fome figns of me, yet you
Have too much blood in him.--

Her. What is this? fport?

Leo. Bear the boy hence, he fhall not come about

her;

Away with him: and let her fport herself
With that he's big with; for it is Polixenes
Has made thee fwell thus,

Her. But I'd fay, he had not;

And, I'll be fworn, you would believe my faying, Howe'er you lean to the nayward.

Leo. You, my lords,

Look on her, mark her well, be but about

To fay, he is a goodly lady, and

5 He bath difcover'd my defign, and I

Remain a pinch'd thing ;

-]

Alluding to the fuperftition of the vulgar, concerning thofe who were enchanted, and faftened to the fpot, by charms fuperior to their own. WARBURTON.

The fenfe, I think, is, He hath now discovered my defign, and I am treated as a mere child's baby, a thing pinched out of clouts, a puppet for them to move and actuate as they pleafe. Dr. Warburton's fuppofed allufion to enchantments, is quite befide the purpofe. REVISAL.

This fenfe is poffible, but many other meanings might serve as well. JOHNSON.

The

The juftice of your hearts will thereto add, 'Tis pity, he's not honest, honourable:

Praise her but for this her without-door form,
(Which on my faith deserves high speech,) and
ftraight

The shrug, the hum, or ha-these petty brands,
That calumny doth ufe: Oh, I am out,--
That mercy does; for calumny will fear

Virtue itself. These fhrugs, these hums, and ha's, When you have faid, fhe's goodly, come between, Ere you can say she's honeft: But be it known, (From him, that has moft caufe to grieve it fhould be ;)

She's an adultrefs.

Her. Should a villain fay fo,

The most replenish'd villain in the world,
He were as much more villain: you, my lord,
Do but mistake.

Leo. You have miftook, my lady,
Polixenes for Leontes. O thou thing,
Which I'll not call a creature of thy place,
Left barbarifm, making me the precedent,
Should a like language ufe to all degrees,
And mannerly distinguishment leave out
Betwixt the prince and beggar!-I have faid,
She's an adultrefs; I have faid, with whom;
More, fhe's a traitor; and Camillo is

A Federary with her; and one that knows
What she should shame to know herself,

Otway had this paffage in his mind, when he put the following lines into the mouth of Caftalio:

Should the bravest man

That e'er wore conquering fword, but dare to whisper.
What bou pro laim'ft, he were the worst of liars:

My friend my be mistaken.

STEEVENS.

But

But with her moft vile principal, that she's
A bed-fwerver, even as bad as those

That vulgars give bold'st titles; ay, and privy
To this their late escape.

Her. No, by my life,

Privy to none of this. How will this grieve you, When you shall come to clearer knowledge, that You thus have publish'd me? Gentle my lord, You scarce can right me throughly then, to say You did mistake.

Leo. No, if I mistake 7

In thefe foundations which I build upon,
The center is not big enough to bear

A fchool-boy's top. Away with her to prison;
He, who fhall fpeak for her, is far off guilty,
But that he speaks.

Her. There's fome ill planet reigns:

I must be patient, 'till the heavens look
With an aspect more favourable. Good my lords,
I am not prone to weeping, as our fex
Commonly are, the want of which vain dew,
Perchance, fhall dry your pities: but I have
That honourable grief lodg'd here, which burns
Worfe than tears drown: 'Befeech you all, my lords,

That is, if the proofs which I can offer will not fupport the opini on I have formed, no foundation can be trufted. JOHNSON.

He who fhall Speak for her is far off guilty,
But that he speaks.- -]

This cannot be the fpeaker's meaning. Leontes would fay, I fhall hold the perfon, in a great measure guilty, who fhall dare to intercede for her and this, I believe, Shakespeare ventured to exprefs thus: He, who shall speak for her, is far of guilty, &c.

i. e. partakes far, deeply, of her guilt. THEOBALD.

It is ftrange that Mr. Theobald could not find out that far off guilty, fignifies, guilty in a remote degree. JOHNSON.

With thoughts fo qualified as your charities
Shall beft inftruct you, measure me; and fo
The king's will be perform'd !--

Leo. Shall I be heard?

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;

[To her ladies. There is no caufe: when you fhall know, your mis

trefs

Has deferv'd prifon, then abound in tears,
As I come out: this action, I now go on,
Is for my better grace. Adieu, my lord,
I never wifh'd to see you forry; now,

I truft, I fhall.-My women,--come; you have leave.

Leo. Go, do our bidding; hence.

[Exit Queen, guarded; and Ladies. Lord. 'Befeech your highness, call the queen again.

Ant. Be certain what you do, fir; left your juftice Prove violence; in the which three great ones fuffer, Yourself, your queen, your fon.

Lord. For her, my lord,

I dare my life lay down, and will do't, fir,
Please you to accept it, that the queen is spotless
I'the eyes of heaven, and to you; I mean,

In this which you accuse her.

Ant. If it prove

She's otherwife, I'll keep my ftable where r

I lodge

-this action,—

-] The word action is here taken

in the lawyer's fense, for indictment, charge, or accufation. JOHNS.

Stable-fland (flabilis ftatio, as Spelman interprets it) is a term of

the