SCENE II.-The same. A Room of State in the Palace. Enter LEONTES, POLIXENES, HERMIONE, MAMILLIUS, CaMILLO, and Attendants. Pol. Nine changes of the wat'ry star have been Would be fill'd up, my brother, with our thanks; Go hence in debt: And therefore, like a cipher With one we-thank-you, many thousands more Leon. Stay your thanks awhile; Sir, that's to-morrow. And pay them when you part. Pol. I am question'd by my fears, of what may chance, No sneaping winds at home, to make us say, "This is put forth too truly!"a Besides, I have stay'd To tire your royalty. Leon. We'll part the time between's then: and in that I'll no gainsaying. Pol. Press me not, 'beseech you, so; There is no tongue that moves, none, none i' the world, Do even drag me homeward: which to hinder a The construction of this passage is somewhat involved; but the meaning is, O that no sneaping (ruffling) winds at home may blow, to make us say my presages were too true. VOL. IV. C Το you a charge and trouble: to save both, Leon. Tongue-tied, our queen? speak you. The by-gone day proclaim'd; say this to him, Leon. Well said, Hermione. Her. To tell he longs to see his son, were strong: But let him say so then, and let him go; But let him swear so, and he shall not stay, We'll thwack him hence with distaffs. Yet of your royal presence [to POLIXENES] I'll adventure The borrow of a week. When at Bohemia You take my lord, I'll give him my commission, a To let him there a month, behind the gest↳ What lady she her lord.-You'll stay? You put me off with limber vows: But I, Though you would seek to unsphere the stars with oaths, Should yet say, "Sir, no going." Verily, You shall not go; a lady's verily is As potent as a lord's. Will you go yet? a To let is to hinder: and it is probably here used as a reflective verb-to stay himself. b Gest is literally a lodging; and the houses or towns where a prince had assigned to stop in his progress, and of which a list was prepared with dates, were so called. We have the expression in Webster sufficiently clear :— "Like the gesse in the progress; You know where you shall find me." Good deed-indeed. d Jar of the clock-the ticking of the pendulum. Not like a guest; so you shall pay your fees, When you depart, and save your thanks. How say you? My prisoner? or my guest? by your dread verily, One of them you shall be. Pol. Your guest then, madam : To be your prisoner should import offending; Than you to punish. Her. Not your gaoler then, But your kind hostess. Come, I'll question you We were, fair queen, Pol. And to be boy eternal. Her. Was not my lord the verier wag o' the two? Pol. We were as twinn'd lambs, that did frisk i' the sun, And bleat the one at the other: What we chang'd Was innocence for innocence; we knew not The doctrine of ill-doing, nor dream'd That any did: Had we pursued that life, And our weak spirits ne'er been higher rear'd With stronger blood, we should have answer'd heaven Temptations have since then been born to us: for Grace to boot! Her. 'll answer; The offences we have made You did continue fault, and that you slipp'd not Her. What? have I twice said well? when was 't before? I prithee, tell me : Cram us with praise, and make us Our praises are our wages: You may ride us, а My last good deed a was to entreat his stay; Or I mistake you: O, would her name were Grace! Nay, let me have 't; I long. Leon. Why, that was when Three crabbed months had sour'd themselves to death, Ere I could make thee open thy white hand, And clap thyself my love; then didst thou utter, "I am yours for ever.” Her. It is Grace, indeed. Why, lo you now, I have spoke to the purpose twice; The one for ever earn'd a royal husband; The other, for some while a friend. [Giving her hand to POL. Leon. Too hot, too hot: [Aside. To mingle friendship far, is mingling bloods. a Good deed. All the modern editions have contrived to leave out the word deed, without authority and without explanation. b This was part of the troth-plight. So in 'King John :'— "It likes us well; young princes, close your hands." And in Henry V.:'— "And so, clap hands, and a bargain." ; I have tremor cordis on me:- Mam. Leon. Ay, my good lord. I' fecks? Why, that's my bawcock. What, hast smutch'd thy nose?— Are all call'd neat.—Still virginalling 1 [Observing POLIXENES and HERMIONE. Upon his palm? How now, you wanton calf? Art thou my calf? Mam. Yes, if you will, my lord. Leon. Thou want'st a rough pash," and the shoots that I have, To be full like me :-yet, they say we are a The mort o' the deer-the prolonged note of the hunter's horn at the death of the deer. b Pash. Jamieson explains the word as used in Scotland to be head; as a bare pash, a bare head. But in the midland counties the tuft of hair between the horns of a bull is called the pash. The correct application of the local word is evident when we observe that Leontes has just said, "Art thou my calf?" • Full like me―quite like me. ■ O'er-died blacks—cloths died black a second time, or cloths originally of another colour died black; and so, false, because impaired in quality. |