LORDS. We can. My royal liege, He is not guilty of her coming hither.

LEONTES. You're liars all.

FIRST LORD. Beseech your Highness, give us better credit.

We have always truly serv'd you; and beseech So to esteem of us; and on our knees we beg, As recompense of our dear services Past and to come, that you do change this purpose, Which being so horrible, so b.l.o.o.d.y, must Lead on to some foul issue. We all kneel.

LEONTES. I am a feather for each wind that blows.

Shall I live on to see this b.a.s.t.a.r.d kneel And call me father? Better burn it now Than curse it then. But be it; let it live.

It shall not neither. [To ANTIGONUS] You, Sir, come you hither.

You that have been so tenderly officious With Lady Margery, your midwife there, To save this b.a.s.t.a.r.d's life- for 'tis a b.a.s.t.a.r.d, So sure as this beard's grey- what will you adventure To save this brat's life?

ANTIGONUS. Anything, my lord, That my ability may undergo, And n.o.bleness impose. At least, thus much: I'll p.a.w.n the little blood which I have left To save the innocent- anything possible.

LEONTES. It shall be possible. Swear by this sword Thou wilt perform my bidding.

ANTIGONUS. I will, my lord.

LEONTES. Mark, and perform it- seest thou? For the fail Of any point in't shall not only be Death to thyself, but to thy lewd-tongu'd wife, Whom for this time we pardon. We enjoin thee, As thou art liegeman to us, that thou carry This female b.a.s.t.a.r.d hence; and that thou bear it To some remote and desert place, quite out Of our dominions; and that there thou leave it, Without more mercy, to it own protection And favour of the climate. As by strange fortune It came to us, I do in justice charge thee, On thy soul's peril and thy body's torture, That thou commend it strangely to some place Where chance may nurse or end it. Take it up.

ANTIGONUS. I swear to do this, though a present death Had been more merciful. Come on, poor babe.

Some powerful spirit instruct the kites and ravens To be thy nurses! Wolves and bears, they say, Casting their savageness aside, have done Like offices of pity. Sir, be prosperous In more than this deed does require! And blessing Against this cruelty fight on thy side, Poor thing, condemn'd to loss! Exit with the child LEONTES. No, I'll not rear Another's issue.

Enter a SERVANT

SERVANT. Please your Highness, posts From those you sent to th' oracle are come An hour since. Cleomenes and Dion, Being well arriv'd from Delphos, are both landed, Hasting to th' court.

FIRST LORD. So please you, sir, their speed Hath been beyond account.

LEONTES. Twenty-three days They have been absent; 'tis good speed; foretells The great Apollo suddenly will have The truth of this appear. Prepare you, lords; Summon a session, that we may arraign Our most disloyal lady; for, as she hath Been publicly accus'd, so shall she have A just and open trial. While she lives, My heart will be a burden to me. Leave me; And think upon my bidding. Exeunt

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ACT III. SCENE I.

Sicilia. On the road to the Capital

Enter CLEOMENES and DION

CLEOMENES. The climate's delicate, the air most sweet, Fertile the isle, the temple much surpa.s.sing The common praise it bears.

DION. I shall report, For most it caught me, the celestial habits- Methinks I so should term them- and the reverence Of the grave wearers. O, the sacrifice!

How ceremonious, solemn, and unearthly, It was i' th' off'ring!

CLEOMENES. But of all, the burst And the ear-deaf'ning voice o' th' oracle, Kin to Jove's thunder, so surpris'd my sense That I was nothing.

DION. If th' event o' th' journey Prove as successful to the Queen- O, be't so!- As it hath been to us rare, pleasant, speedy, The time is worth the use on't.

CLEOMENES. Great Apollo Turn all to th' best! These proclamations, So forcing faults upon Hermione, I little like.

DION. The violent carriage of it Will clear or end the business. When the oracle- Thus by Apollo's great divine seal'd up- Shall the contents discover, something rare Even then will rush to knowledge. Go; fresh horses.

And gracious be the issue! Exeunt

SCENE II.

Sicilia. A court of justice

Enter LEONTES, LORDS, and OFFICERS

LEONTES. This sessions, to our great grief we p.r.o.nounce, Even pushes 'gainst our heart- the party tried, The daughter of a king, our wife, and one Of us too much belov'd. Let us be clear'd Of being tyrannous, since we so openly Proceed in justice, which shall have due course, Even to the guilt or the purgation.

Produce the prisoner.

OFFICER. It is his Highness' pleasure that the Queen Appear in person here in court.

Enter HERMIONE, as to her trial, PAULINA, and LADIES

Silence!

LEONTES. Read the indictment.

OFFICER. [Reads] 'Hermione, Queen to the worthy Leontes, King of Sicilia, thou art here accused and arraigned of high treason, in committing adultery with Polixenes, King of Bohemia; and conspiring with Camillo to take away the life of our sovereign lord the King, thy royal husband: the pretence whereof being by circ.u.mstances partly laid open, thou, Hermione, contrary to the faith and allegiance of true subject, didst counsel and aid them, for their better safety, to fly away by night.'

HERMIONE. Since what I am to say must be but that Which contradicts my accusation, and The testimony on my part no other But what comes from myself, it shall scarce boot me To say 'Not guilty.' Mine integrity Being counted falsehood shall, as I express it, Be so receiv'd. But thus- if pow'rs divine Behold our human actions, as they do, I doubt not then but innocence shall make False accusation blush, and tyranny Tremble at patience. You, my lord, best know- Who least will seem to do so- my past life Hath been as continent, as chaste, as true, As I am now unhappy; which is more Than history can pattern, though devis'd And play'd to take spectators; 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 To prate and talk for life and honour fore Who please to come and hear. For life, I prize it As I weigh grief, which I would spare; for honour, 'Tis a derivative from me to mine, And only that I stand for. I appeal To your own conscience, sir, before Polixenes Came to your court, how I was in your grace, How merited to be so; since he came, With what encounter so uncurrent I Have strain'd t' appear thus; if one jot beyond The bound of honour, or in act or will That way inclining, hard'ned be the hearts Of all that hear me, and my near'st of kin Cry fie upon my grave!

LEONTES. I ne'er heard yet That any of these bolder vices wanted Less impudence to gainsay what they did Than to perform it first.

HERMIONE. That's true enough; Though 'tis a saying, sir, not due to me.

LEONTES. You will not own it.

HERMIONE. More than mistress of Which comes to me in name of fault, I must not At all acknowledge. For Polixenes, With whom I am accus'd, I do confess I lov'd him as in honour he requir'd; With such a kind of love as might become A lady like me; with a love even such, So and no other, as yourself commanded; Which not to have done, I think had been in me Both disobedience and ingrat.i.tude To you and toward your friend; whose love had spoke, Ever since it could speak, from an infant, freely, That it was yours. Now for conspiracy: I know not how it tastes, though it be dish'd For me to try how; all I know of it Is that Camillo was an honest man; And why he left your court, the G.o.ds themselves, Wotting no more than I, are ignorant.

LEONTES. You knew of his departure, as you know What you have underta'en to do in's absence.

HERMIONE. Sir, You speak a language that I understand not.

My life stands in the level of your dreams, Which I'll lay down.

LEONTES. Your actions are my dreams.

You had a b.a.s.t.a.r.d by Polixenes, And I but dream'd it. As you were past all shame- Those of your fact are so- so past all truth; Which to deny concerns more than avails; for as Thy brat hath been cast out, like to itself, No father owning it- which is indeed More criminal in thee than it- so thou Shalt feel our justice; in whose easiest pa.s.sage Look for no less than death.

HERMIONE. Sir, spare 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 lost, for I do feel it gone, But know not how it went; my second joy And first fruits of my body, from his presence I am barr'd, like one infectious; my third comfort, Starr'd most unluckily, is from my breast- The innocent milk in it most innocent mouth- Hal'd out to murder; myself on every post Proclaim'd a strumpet; with immodest hatred The child-bed privilege denied, which 'longs To women of all fas.h.i.+on; lastly, hurried Here to this place, i' th' open air, before I have got strength of limit. Now, my liege, Tell me what blessings 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 straw, but for mine honour Which I would free- if I shall be condemn'd Upon surmises, all proofs sleeping else But what your jealousies awake, I tell you 'Tis rigour, and not law. Your honours all, I do refer me to the oracle: Apollo be my judge!

FIRST LORD. This your request Is altogether just. Therefore, bring forth, And in Apollo's name, his oracle.

Exeunt certain OFFICERS HERMIONE. The Emperor of Russia was my father; O that he were alive, and here beholding His daughter's trial! that he did but see The flatness of my misery; yet with eyes Of pity, not revenge!

Re-enter OFFICERS, with CLEOMENES and DION

OFFICER. You here shall swear upon this sword of justice That you, Cleomenes and Dion, have Been both at Delphos, and from thence have brought This seal'd-up oracle, by the hand deliver'd Of great Apollo's priest; and that since then You have not dar'd to break the holy seal Nor read the secrets in't.

CLEOMENES, DION. All this we swear.

LEONTES. Break up the seals and read.

OFFICER. [Reads] 'Hermione is chaste; Polixenes blameless; Camillo a true subject; Leontes a jealous tyrant; his innocent babe truly begotten; and the King shall live without an heir, if that which is lost be not found.'

LORDS. Now blessed be the great Apollo!

HERMIONE. Praised!

LEONTES. Hast thou read truth?

OFFICER. Ay, my lord; even so As it is here set down.

LEONTES. There is no truth at all i' th' oracle.

The sessions shall proceed. This is mere falsehood.

Enter a SERVANT

SERVANT. My lord the King, the King!

LEONTES. What is the business?

SERVANT. O sir, I shall be hated to report it: The Prince your son, with mere conceit and fear Of the Queen's speed, is gone.

LEONTES. How! Gone?

SERVANT. Is dead.

LEONTES. Apollo's angry; and the heavens themselves Do strike at my injustice. [HERMIONE swoons]

How now, there!

PAULINA. This news is mortal to the Queen. Look down And see what death is doing.