The Winter’s Tale

dare trust my honesty,
That lies enclosed in this trunk which you
Shall bear along impawn’d, away to-night!
Your followers I will whisper to the business,
And will by twos and threes at several posterns
Clear them o’ the city. For myself, I’ll put
My fortunes to your service, which are here
By this discovery lost. Be not uncertain;
For, by the honour of my parents, I
Have utter’d truth: which if you seek to prove,
I dare not stand by; nor shall you be safer
Than one condemn’d by the king’s own mouth, thereon
His execution sworn. Polixenes

I do believe thee:
I saw his heart in’s face. Give me thy hand:
Be pilot to me and thy places shall
Still neighbour mine. My ships are ready and
My people did expect my hence departure
Two days ago. This jealousy
Is for a precious creature: as she’s rare,
Must it be great, and as his person’s mighty,
Must it be violent, and as he does conceive
He is dishonour’d by a man which ever
Profess’d to him, why, his revenges must
In that be made more bitter. Fear o’ershades me:
Good expedition be my friend, and comfort
The gracious queen, part of his theme, but nothing
Of his ill-ta’en suspicion! Come, Camillo;
I will respect thee as a father if
Thou bear’st my life off hence: let us avoid.

Camillo

It is in mine authority to command
The keys of all the posterns: please your highness
To take the urgent hour. Come, sir, away. Exeunt.

Act II

Scene I

A room in Leontes’ palace.

	Enter Hermione, Mamillius, and Ladies.
Hermione	Take the boy to you: he so troubles me, ’Tis past enduring.
First Lady	Come, my gracious lord, Shall I be your playfellow?
Mamillius	No, I’ll none of you.
First Lady	Why, my sweet lord?
Mamillius	You’ll kiss me hard and speak to me as if I were a baby still. I love you better.
Second Lady	And why so, my lord?
Mamillius	Not for because Your brows are blacker; yet black brows, they say, Become some women best, so that there be not Too much hair there, but in a semicircle, Or a half-moon made with a pen.
Second Lady	Who taught you this?
Mamillius	I learnt it out of women’s faces. Pray now What colour are your eyebrows?
First Lady	Blue, my lord.
Mamillius	Nay, that’s a mock: I have seen a lady’s nose That has been blue, but not her eyebrows.
First Lady	Hark ye; The queen your mother rounds apace: we shall Present our services to a fine new prince One of these days; and then you’ld wanton with us, If we would have you.
Second Lady	She is spread of late Into a goodly bulk: good time encounter her!
Hermione	What wisdom stirs amongst you? Come, sir, now I am for you again: pray you, sit by us, And tell’s a tale.
Mamillius	Merry or sad shall’t be?
Hermione	As merry as you will.
Mamillius	A sad tale’s best for winter: I have one Of sprites and goblins.
Hermione	Let’s have that, good sir. Come on, sit down: come on, and do your best To fright me with your sprites; you’re powerful at it.
Mamillius	There was a man⁠—
Hermione	Nay, come, sit down; then on.
Mamillius	Dwelt by a churchyard: I will tell it softly; Yond crickets shall not hear it.
Hermione	Come on, then, And give’t me in mine ear.
	Enter Leontes, with Antigonus, Lords, and others.
Leontes	Was he met there? his train? Camillo with him?
First Lord	Behind the tuft of pines I met them; never Saw I men scour so on their way: I eyed them Even to their ships.
Leontes	How blest am I In my just censure, in my true opinion! Alack, for lesser knowledge! how accursed In being so blest! There may be in the cup A spider steep’d, and one may drink, depart, And yet partake no venom, for his knowledge Is not infected: but if one present The abhorr’d ingredient to his eye, make known How he hath drunk, he cracks his gorge, his sides, With violent hefts. I have drunk, and seen the spider. Camillo was his help in this, his pandar: There is a plot against my life, my crown; All’s true that is mistrusted: that false villain Whom I employ’d was pre-employ’d by him: He has discover’d my design, and I Remain a pinch’d thing; yea, a very trick For them to play at will. How came the posterns So easily open?
First Lord	By his great authority; Which often hath no less prevail’d than so On your command.
Leontes	I know’t too well. Give me the boy: I am glad you did not nurse him: Though he does bear some signs of me, yet you Have too much blood in him.
Hermione	What is this? sport?
Leontes	Bear the boy hence; he shall not come about her; Away with him! and let her sport herself With that she’s big with; for ’tis Polixenes Has made thee swell thus.
Hermione	But I’ld say he had not, And I’ll be sworn you would believe my saying, Howe’er you lean to the nayward.
Leontes	You, my lords, Look on her, mark her well; be but about To say “she is a goodly lady,” and The justice of your bearts will thereto add “ ’Tis pity she’s not honest, honourable:” Praise her but for this her without-door form, Which on my faith deserves high speech, and straight The shrug, the hum or ha, these petty brands That calumny doth use⁠—O, I am out⁠— That mercy does, for calumny will sear Virtue itself: these shrugs, these hums and ha’s, When you have said “she’s goodly,” come between Ere you can say “she’s honest:” but be’t known, From him that has most cause to grieve it should be, She’s an adulteress.
Hermione	Should a villain say so, The most replenish’d villain in the world, He were as much more villain: you, my lord, Do but mistake.
Leontes	You have mistook, my lady, Polixenes for Leontes: O thou thing! Which I’ll not call a creature of thy place, Lest barbarism, making me the precedent, Should a like language use to all degrees And mannerly distinguishment leave out Betwixt the prince and beggar: I have said She’s an adulteress; I have said with whom: More, she’s a traitor and Camillo is A federary with her, and one that knows What she should shame to know herself But with her most vile principal, that she’s A bed-swerver, even as bad as those That vulgars give