And flourish'd after, I'd not do't: but fince
Nor brafs, nor ftone, nor parchment bears not one,
Let villainy itself forfwear it.

The Effects of Jealousy.

This jealoufy

Is for a precious creature: as fhe's rare
Muft it be great; and, as his perfon's mighty
Muft it be violent; and as he does conceive
He is dishonoured by a man, which ever
Profeffed to him; why, his revenges muft
In that be made more bitter.

ACT II.

SCENE I.

Knowledge fometimes hurtful.

There be in the cup

may

A fpider fteep'd, and one may drink, depart
And yet partake no venom; for his knowledge
Is not infected: but if one prefent

Th' abhorr'd ingredient to his eye; make known
How he hath drunk, he cracks his gorge, (8) his fides
With violent hefts.

Calumny.

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

The

(8) Gorge.] i, e. Throat; from the French. Hefts, is the fame as heavings. The reader will find a paffage fimilar to this in Othello, where that unhappy, deluded man, laments his knowledge of his wife's stolen hours of lust; and obferves,

He had been happy, if the gen'ral camp,
Pioneers and all, had tasted her sweet body,
So he had nothing known, &c.

The fhrug, the hum, or ha! these petty brands,
That calumny doth use.-O, Iam out,

That mercy does; for calumny will fear
Virtue itfelf:-thefe fhrugs, thefe hums, and haes,
When you have faid, fhe's goodly, come between,
Ere you can say, she's honest.

Fortitude and Innocence.

Her. Do, not weep, good fools;

There is no cause when you shall know your mif

trefs

Has deferv'd prison, then abound in tears,
As I come out this action, I now go on,
Is for my better grace.

SCENE II.

Honesty and Honour..

Here's a do,

To lock up honefty and honour from
The accefs of gentle visitors!

The Silence of Innocence eloquent

The filence often of pure innocence Perfuades, when speaking fails.

SCENE III. Affectionate Child.

To fee his nobleness!

Conceiving the difhonour of his mother,
He ftraight declin'd, droop'd, took it deeply;
Faften'd and fix'd the fhame on't in himself,
Threw off his fpirit, his appetite, his fleep,
And downright languish'd.

Child refembling its Father.

Behold, my lords,

Altho' the print be little, the whole matter
And сору of the father, eye, nose, lip; I

The trick of his frown, his forehead; nay the valley
The pretty dimples of his chin, and cheek, his fmiles;
The very mould and frame of hand, nail, finger.-
And thou, good goddess nature, which hast made it
So like to him that got it, if thou haft
The ordering of the mind too, 'mongst all colours
No yellow in 't; left fhe fufpect, as he does,
Her children not her husband's.

་

1.

An Infant to be expofed.

Come on, poor

babe!

*

Some powerful fpirits inftruct the kites and ravens
To be thy nurses! wolves and bears, they fay,
(Cafting their favageness afide) have done

Like offices of pity.

ACT III.

SCENE II.

Hermione pleading her Innocence.
If powers divine

Behold our human actions (as they do)
I doubt not then, but innocence fhall make
False accusation blush, and tyranny

Tremble at patience. You, my lord, beft know,
(Who least will feem to do fo) my past life
Hath been as continent, as chafte, as true,
As I am now unhappy; which is more
Than hiftory can pattern, though devis'd,
And play'd to take fpectators: for behold me,-
A fellow of the royal bed, which owe

A moiety of the throne, a great king's daughter,
The mother to a hopeful prince ;-here standing,

2

Το

To prate and talk for life and honour, 'fore

Who please to come and hear. For life, I prize it (9) As I weigh grief, which I would spare; for honour, 'Tis a derivative from me to mine,

And only that I ftand for. I appeal

To your own confcience, Sir, before Polixenes
Came to your court, how I was in your grace,
How merited to be fo: fince he came,

With what encounter fo uncurrent I

Have ftrain'd, (10) to appear thus? if one jot beyond
The bound of honour, or in act, or will,

That way inclining; harden'd be the hearts
Of all that hear me, and my nearest kin

Cry, fie, upon my grave!

A Wife's Lofs of all Things dear, and Contempt of Death.

Leo. Look for no lefs than death.
Her. Sir, fpare your threats;

The bug which you would fright me with, I seek.
To me can life be no commodity:

The crown and comfort of my life, your favour,
I do give loft; for I do feel it gone,

But know not how it went. My fecond joy,
And firft-fruits of my body, from his prefence

I am barr'd, like one infectious: my third comfort,
Star'd moft unluckily, (11) is from my breaft,

The

(9) Life, I prize it, &c.] Life is to me only grief, and as fuch is confidered by me; I would therefore willingly Spare, that is, let it go, or quit the poffeffion of it. 7.

(10) Have firain'd.] Mrs. Ford talks of some strain, in her character; and in B. and Fletcher's Cuftom of the Country, the fame expreffion occurs.

Strain your loves

With any bafe or hir'd perfuafions.

St.

(11) Star'd most unluckily.] i, e. born under an inau

fpicious planet. St.

The innocent milk in its most innocent mouth,
Hal'd out to murther. Myfélf on every post
Proclaim'd a ftrumpet, with unmodest hatred.
The child-bed privilege deny'd, which 'longs
To women of all fashion; laftly, hurry'd
Here to this place, i' the open air, before
I have got strength of limit(12). Now, my liege,
Tell me what bleffings I have here alive,
That I should fear to die! Therefore, proceed.
But yet hear this; mistake me not;-no life;
I prize it not a ftraw: but for mine honour,
(Which I would free) if I fhall be condemn'd
Upon furmifes; all proofs fleeping else,
But what your jealoufies awake; I tell you,
'Tis rigour, and not law.

Defpair of Pardon.

But, O thou tyrant!

Do not repent these things; for they are heavier
Than all thy woes can ftir: therefore, betake thee
To nothing but despair. A thousand knees,
Ten thousand years together, naked, fafting,
Upon a barren mountain, and still winter,
In ftorin perpetual, cou'd not move the Gods
To look that way thou wert.

SCENE III. An Account of a Ghofts appearing in a Dream.

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

dead

May

(12) Strength of limit.] I know not well how ftrength of limit can mean "ftrength to pafs the limits of the childbed chamber," which yet it must mean in this place, unless we read in a more eafy phrafe, Strength of limb. J.

(13) See Paftor Fido, A&t 1. Sc. 4. In the third Book of Lucan's Pharfalia, there is an elegant defcription of Pompey's