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Enter Paulina, with a Child.

Lord. You must not enter.

Paul. Nay, rather, good my lords, be fecond to me: Fear you his tyrannous paffion more, alas,

Than the Queen's life? a gracious innocent foul,
More free than he is jealous.

Ant. That's enongh.

Atten. [within] Madam, he hath not flept to night; commanded,

None fhould come at him.

Paul. Not fo hot, good Sir;

I come to bring him fleep. 'Tis fuch as you
That creep like fhadows by him, and do figh
At each his needlefs heavings; fuch as you
Nourish the caufe of his awaking. I

Do come with words, as medicinal, as true;
(Honeft, as either;) to purge him of that humour,
That preffes him from fleep.

Leo. What noise there, ho?

Paul. No noife, my Lord, but needful conference, About fome goffips for your Highness.

Leo. How?

Away with that audacious lady.

Antigonus,

I charg'd thee, that she should not come about me;
I knew, fhe would.

Ant. I told her fo, my Lord,

On your displeasure's peril and on mine,
She should not vifit you.

Leo. What? can't not rule her?

Paul. From all dishonesty he can; in this,
(Unless he take the course that you have done,
Commit me, for committing honour,) truft it,
He thall not rule me.

Ant. Lo-you now, you hear,

When the will take the rein, I let her run,
But he'll not stumble.

Paul. Good my Liege, I come
And I beseech you, hear me, who profess
Myfelf your loyal servant, your phyfician,

Your

Your moft obedient counsellor: yet that dares
Lefs appear fo, in comforting your evils,

Than fuch as moft feems yours. I fay, I come
From your good Queen..

Leo. Good Queen?

Paul. Good Queen, my Lord,
Good Queen, I fay, good Queen ;

And would by combat make her good, fo were I
A man, the worst about you.

Leo. Force her hence.

Paul. Let him, that makes but trifles of his eyes,.
Firft hand me: on mine own accord, I'll off;
But first, I'll do my errand. The good Queen,
For the is good, hath brought you forth a daughter,
Here 'tis; commends it to your bleffing.

Leo. Out!

[Laying down the Child.

A mankind witch! hence with her, out 'door :
A moft intelligencing bawd.!.

Paul. Not fo;

I am as ignorant in That, as you

In fo intit'ling me; and no less honest,.

Than you are mad; which is enough, I'll warrant,
As this world goes, to pafs for honest..

Leo.. Traitors!

Will you not push her out? give her the bastard.
[To Antigonus.
Thou dotard, thou art woman-tyr'd; unrooled
By thy dame Partlet here. Take up the baftard,
Take't up, I fay; give't to thy croan..

Paul. For ever

Unvenerable be thy hands, if thou

Take'ft up the Princess, by that forced bafenefs
Which he has put upon't!

Leo. He dreads his wife..

Paul. So I would, you did : then 'cwere paft all doubt, You'd call your children yours.

Leo. A neft of traytors!

Ant. I am none, by this good light..

Paul. Nor I; nor any

M. 3

But

But one that's here; and that's himself. For he
The facred honour of himself, his Queen's,

His hopeful fon's, his babe's, betrays to flander,
Whofe fting is fharper than the fword's; and will not
(For as the cafe now ftands, it is a curfe
He cannot be compell'd to't) once remove
The root of his opinion, which is rotten,
As ever oak or ftone was found.

Leo. A callat

Of boundless tongue, who late hath beat her husband, And now baits me!

It is the iffue of Polixenes.

This brat is none of mine;

Hence with it, and together with the dam,
Commit them to the fire.

Paul. It is yours;

And, might we lay th' old proverb to your charge,
So like you, 'tis the worfe. Behold, my lords,
Altho' the print be little, the whole matter
And copy of the father; eye, nofe, lip,

The trick of's frown, his forehead, nay, the valley,
The pretty dimples of his chin, and cheek, his fimiles,
The very mould and frame of hand, nail, finger.
And thou, good Goddefs Nature, which haft 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 the fufpect, as he does,
Her chidren not her husband's.

Leo. A grofs hag!

And, lozel, thou art worthy to be hang'd,
That wilt not flay her tongue.

Ant. Hang all the husbands,

That cannot do that feat, you'll leave yourself

Hardly one fubject.

Leo. Once more, take her hence.

Paul. A moft unworthy and unnatural lord

Can do no more.

Leo. I'll ha' thee burnt.

Paul. I care not;

It is an heretick that makes the fire,

Not she which burns in't. I'll not call you tyrant,

But

But this most cruel ufage of your Queen

(Not able to produce more accufation

Than your own weak-hing'd fancy) fomething favours Of tyranny; and will ignoble make you,

Yea, fcandalous to the world.

Leo. On your allegiance,

1

Out of the chamber with her. Were I a tyrant,
Where were her life? fhe durft not call me fo,
If fhe did know me one. Away with her.

Paul I pray you, do not pufh me, I'll be gone.
Look to your babe, my lord; 'tis yours; Jove fend her
A better guiding fpirit! What need these hands?
You, that are thus fo tender o'er his follies,
Will never do him good, not one of you.
So, fo: farewel, we are gone.

[Exit.

ftrait:

Leo. Thou, traitor, haft fet on thy wife to this.
My child? away with't. Even thou, thou that hast
A heart fo tender o'er it, take it hence,
And fee it inftantly confum'd with fire;
Even thou, and none but thou. Take it up
Within this hour bring me word it is done,
And by good teftimony, or I'll feize thy life,
With what thou else call'it thine: if thou refufe,
And wilt encounter with my wrath, fay so:
The baftard brains with these my proper hands
Shall I dash out: go take it to the fire,
For thou fett'ft on thy wife.

Ant. I did not, Sir:

Thefe lords, my noble fellows, if they pleafe,
Can clear me in't.

Lords. We can; my royal Liege,

He is not guilty of her coming hither:

Leo. You're liars all.

Lords. 'Befeech your Highnefs, give us better credit.
We've always truly ferv'd you, and beseech you
So to esteem of us and on our knees we beg,
(As recompence of our dear fervices

Paft, and to come) that you do change this purpose,
Which being fo horrible, fo bloody, muft

Lead on to fome foul iffue. We all kneel

[blocks in formation]

Leo. I am a feather for each wind that blows: Shall I live on, to fee this baftard kneel

And call me father? better burn it now,

Than curfe it then.
It shall not neither.

But be it; let it live:

You, Sir, come you hither;

You, that have been fo tenderly officious
With lady Margery, your midwife there,

[To Antigonus.

To fave this ballard's life; (for 'tis a bastard,

So fare as this beard's gray) what will you adventure
To fave this brat's life?

Ant. Any thing, my Lord,

That my abi'ity may undergo,

And nobleness impofe: at leaft, thus much;
I'll pawn the little blood which I have left,
To fave the innocent; any thing poffible.
Leo. It fhall be poffible; fwear by this fword,
Thou wilt perform my bidding.

Ant. I will, my Lord:

Leo. Mark and perform it; feeft thou? for the fail
Of any point in't shall not only be

Death to thyfelf, but to thy lewd tongu'd wife,
Whom for this time we pardon. We enjoyn thee,
As thou art liege man to us, that thou carry
This female baftard hence, and that thou bear it
To fome remote and defart place, quite out
Of our dominions; and that there thou leave it,
(Without more mercy,) to its own protection
And favour of the climate. As by ftrange fortune
It came to us, I do in juftice charge thee,
On thy foul's peril and thy body's torture,
That thou commend it ftrangely to fome place,
Where chance may nurse, or end it. Take it up,.
Ant. I fwear to do this: tho' a present death
Had been more merciful. Come on, poor babe;
Some powerful fpirit inftruct the kites and ravens
To be thy nurfes! Wolves and bears, they say,
(Cafting their favagenefs afide) have done
Like offices of pity. Sir, be profperous
In more than this deed does require; and bleffing,

T

Againft

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