Dramatis Perfonæ.

LEONTES, King of Sicilia.
Polixenes, King of Bohemia.
Mamillius, young Prince of Sicilia.
Florizel, Prince of Bohemia.

Camillo,

Another Sicilian Lord.

Archidamus, a Bohemian Lord.

Rogero, a Sicilian Gentleman.

An Attendant on the young Prince Mamillius.
Officers of a Court of Judicature.

Old Shepherd, reputed Father of Perdita.
Clown, his Son.

A Mariner.

Goaler.

Servant to the old Shepherd.

Autolicus, a Rogue.

Time, as Chorus.

Hermione, Queen to Leontes.

Perdita, Daughter to Leontes and Hermione.

Paulina, Wife to Antigonus.

Emilia, Attendant on the Queen.

Two other Ladies.

Mopía,

} Shepherde Jes.

Dorcas, S

Satyrs for a Dance, Shepherds, Shepherdesses, Guards,

and Attendants.

SCENE, fometimes in, Sicilia; fometimes, in

Bohemia.

THE

WINTER's TALE

ACTI.

SCENE, an Antichamber in Leontes's PALACE.

I

Enter Camillo, and Archidamus.

F

ARCHIDAMUS.

you fhall chance, Camillo, to vifit Bohemia, on the like occafion whereon my fervices are now on foot; you shall see, as I have faid, great difference betwixt our Bohemia and your Sicilia.

Cam. I think, this coming fummer, the King of Sicilia means to pay Bobemia the vifitation, which he justly owes him.

Arch. Wherein our entertainment fhall fhame us, we will be juftified in our loves; for, indeed,

Cam. 'Befeech you

Arch. Verily, I fpeak it in the freedom of my knowledge; we cannot with fuch magnificence

in fo rare

I know not what to fay-we will give you fleepy drinks, that your fenfes (unintelligent of our infufficience) may, tho' they cannot praife us, as little

accufe us.

VOL. III.

Cam. You pay a great deal too dear, for what's given freely.

Arch. Believe me, I fpeak, as my Understanding inftructs me; and as mine honeky puts it to ut

terance.

Cam. Sicilia cannot fhew himself over kind to Bohemia; they were train'd together in their childhoods; and there rooted betwixt them then fuch an affection, which cannot chufe but branch now. Since their more mature dignities and royal neceffities made feparation of their fociety, their incounters, though not perfonal, have been royally attornied with interchange of gifts, letters, loving embaflies; that they have feem'd to be together, tho' abfent; fhook hands, as over a Vaft; and embrac'd, as it were, from the ends of oppofed winds. The heav'ns continue their loves!

Arch. I think, there is not in the world either malice, or matter to alter it. You have an unspeakable comfort of your young Prince Mamillius: it is a gentleman of the greatest promife, that ever came into my

note.

Cam. I very well agree with you in the hopes of him it is a gallant child; one that, indeed, phyficks the fubject, makes old hearts fresh: they, that went on crutches, ere he was born, defire yet their life to fee him a man.

Arch. Would they elfe be content to die?

Cam. Yes, if there were no other excufe why they fhould defire to live.

Arch. If the King had no fon, they would defire to live on crutches 'till he had one.

SCENE opens to the Prefence.

Enter Leontes, Hermione, Mamillius, Polixenes,
and Attendants.

Pol. NINE Changes of the watry ftar hath been

The shepherd's note, fince we have left our

Throne

Without

Without a burthen: time as long again

Would be fill'd up, my brother, with our thanks;
And yet we should, for perpetuity,

Go hence in debt: and therefore, like a cypher,
Yet ftanding in rich place, I multiply

With one, we thank you, many thousands more
That go before it.

Leo. Stay your thanks a while;
And pay them, when you part.

Pol. Sir, that's to-morrow:

I'm question'd by my fears, of what may chance,
Or breed upon our absence, that may blow
No fneaping winds at home, to make us fay,
"This is put forth too truly." Befides, I have ftay'd
To tire your royalty.

Leo. We are tougher, brother,

Than you can put us to't.

Pol. No longer Stay.

Leo. One fev'n-night longer.

Pol. Very footh, to-morrow.

Leo. We'll part the time between's then: and in that

I'll no gain-faying.

Pol. Prefs me not, 'befeech you, fo;

There is no tongue that moves, none, none i' th' world,
So foon as yours, could win me: fo it should now.
Were there neceffity in your request, altho'
'Twere needful I deny'd it. My affairs

Do even drag me homeward; which to hinder,
Were in your love, a whip to me; my stay,
To you a charge and trouble: to fave both,
Farewel, our brother.

Lea. Tongue-ty'd, our Queen? fpeak you.

Her. I had thought, Sir, to've held my peace, until
You'd drawn oaths from him not to ftay; you, Sir,
Charge him too coldly. Tell him, you are fure,
All in Bohemia's well this fatisfaction

The by-gone day proclaim'd; fay this to him,
He's beat from his best ward.

Leo. Well faid, Hermione.

Her. To tell, he longs to fee his fon, were strong,

L 2

But

But let him fay fo then, and let him go;
But let him fwear fo, and he fhall not stay;
We'll thwack him hence with diftaffs.
Yet of your royal prefence I'll adventure

[To Polixenes.

The borrow of a week. When at Bohemia
You take my lord, I'll give him my commiffion,
To let him there a month, behind the geft (1)
Prefix'd for's parting: yet, (good deed) Leontes,
I love thee not a jar o' th' clock behind
What lady fhe her lord. You'll stay?
Pol, No, Madam.

Her. Nay, but you will?

Pol. I may not, verily.
Her. Verily?

You put me off with limber vows; but I,

Tho' you would seek t' unsphere the stars with oaths,
Should yet fay," Sir, no going: verily,

"You shall not go;" a lady's verily is
As potent as a lord's. Will you go, yet?
Force me to keep you as a prifoner,

Not like a gueft; fo you fhall pay your fees,

When you depart, and fave your thanks. How fay you ? My prifoner? or my gueft? by your dread verily,

One of them you shall be.

Pol. Your Gueft then, Madam :

To be your prifoner, fhould import offending;
Which is for me less easie to commit,

Than you to punish.

Her. Not your Goaler then,

But your kind Hoftefs; come, I'll question you
Of my lord's tricks, and yours, when you were boys :

(1)

-bebind the geft

Preferib'd for's parting :] I have not ventur'd to alter the Text, tho', I freely own, I can neither trace, nor understand, the Phrafe. I have fufpected, that the Poet wrote;

-bebind the just

Preferib'd for's parting.

i. e. the juft, precife, time; the instant; (where Time is likewife understood) by an Elleipfis practis'd in all Tongues.

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