SCENE changes to Paulina's House.

Enter Leontes, Polixenes, Florizel, Perdita, Camillo, Paulina, Lords and Attendants.

Leo. Grave and good Paulina, the great comfort

I have of thee!

Paul. What, fovereign Sir,

I did not well, I meant well; all my fervices
You have paid home. But that you have vouchsaf'd,
With your crown'd brother, and these your contracted
Heirs of your kingdoms, my poor houfe to vifit;
It is a furplus of your Grace, which never
My life may last to answer.

Leo. O Paulina,

We honour you with trouble; but we came
To fee the ftatue of our Queen. Your gallery.
Have we pafs'd through, not without much content,
In many fingularities; but we faw not

That, which my daughter came to look upon,
The ftatue of her mother.

Paul. As the liv'd peerlefs,

So her dead likeness, I do well believe,
Excels whatever yet you look'd upon,

Or hand of man hath done; therefore I keep it
Lovely, apart. But here it is; prepare

To fee the life as lively mock'd, as ever

Still fleep mock'd death; behold, and fay, 'tis well! [Paulina draws a curtain, and discovers Hermione fanding like a flatue.

I like your filence, it the more fhews off

Your wonder; but yet fpeak, firit you, my Liege,
Comes it not fomething near?

Leo. Her natural posture!

Chide me, dear stone, that I may fay, indeed,
Thou art Hermione; or rather, thou art fhe,
In thy not chiding; for she was as tender
As infancy and grace. But yet, Paulina,
Hermione was not fo much wrinkled, nothing
So aged as this seems.

Pol. Oh, not by much.

Paul. So much the more our carver's excellence, Which lets go by some fixteen years; and makes her, As the liv'd now.

Leo. As now fhe might have done,

So much to my good comfort, as it is

Now piercing to my foul. Oh, thus fhe ftood;
Even with fuch life of Majefty, (warm life,

As now it coldly stands,) when first I woo'd her.
I am afham'd; do's not the ftone rebuke me,
For being more ftone than it? oh, royal piece!
There's magick in thy Majefty, which has
My evils conjur'd to remembrance; and
From my admiring daughter took the spirits,
Standing like ftone with thee.

Per. And give me leave,

And do not fay 'tis fuperftition, that

I kneel, and then implore her bleffing.-Lady,
Dear Queen, that ended when I but began,
Give me that hand of yours to kifs.

Paul. O, patience;

The ftatue is but newly fix'd; the colour's
Not dry.

Cam. My Lord, your forrow was too fore laid on, Which fixteen winters cannot blow away,

So many fummers dry: fcarce any joy

Did ever fo long live; no forrow,

But kill'd itself much fooner.

Pol. Dear my brother,

Let him, that was the cause of this, have power
To take off fo much grief from you, as he

Will piece up in himself.

Paul. Indeed, my Lord,

If I had thought, the fight of my poor image
Would thus have wrought you, (for the stone is mine,)

I'd not have fhew'd it.

Leo. Do not draw the curtain.

Paul. No longer fhall you gaze on't, left your fancy May think anon, it move.

Leo. Let be, let be;

Would

Would I were dead, but that, methinks, already
What was he, that did make it? fee, my Lord,

Would you not deem, it breath'd; and that those veins Did verily bear blood?

Pol. Masterly done!

The very life feems warm upon her lip.

Leo. The fixure of her eye has motion in't, As we were mock'd with art.

Paul. I'll draw the curtain.

My Lord's almoft fo far transported, that
He'll think anon, it lives.

Leo. O fweet Paulina,

Make me to think fo twenty years together:
No fettled fenfes of the world can match
The pleasure of that madness. Let't alone.

Paul. I'm forry, Sir, I have thus far stirr'd you; but I could afflict you further.

Leo. Do, Paulina;

For this affliction has a taste as sweet

As any cordial comfort. Still, methinks,

There is an air comes from her. What fine chizzel
Could ever yet cut breath? let no man mock me,
For I will kiss her.

Paul. Good my Lord, forbear;

The ruddinefs upon her lip is wet;

You'll marr it, if you kiss it; ftain your own
With oily painting; fhall I draw the curtain ?
Leo. No, not these twenty years.

Per. So long could I

Stand by, a looker on.

Paul. Either forbear,

Quit presently the chappel, or refolve you
For more amazement; if you can behold it,

I'll make the ftatue move, indeed; defcend,
And take you by the hand; but then you'll think,
Which I protest against, I am affifted

By wicked powers.

Leo. What you can make her do,

I am content to look on; what to speak,
I am content to hear; for 'tis as easie

To

To make her speak, as move.
Paul. It is requir'd,

You do awake your faith; then, all stand still:
And those, that think it is unlawful bufinefs
I am about, let them depart.

Leo. Procced;

No foot fhall ftir.

[Mufick

Paul. Mufick; awake her: ftrike;
'Tis time, defcend; be stone no more; approach,
Strike all that look upon with marvel. Come,
I'll fill your grave up: ftir; nay, come away:
Bequeath to death your numnefs; for from him
Dear life redeems you; you perceive, she stirs;

Hermione comes down.

Start not; her actions fhall be holy, as,
You hear, my fpell is lawful; do not fhun her,
Until you fee her die again, for then

You kill her double. Nay, present your hand;
When she was young, you woo'd her; now in age,
Is the become the fuitor.

Leo. Oh, fhe's warm;

If this be magick, let it be an art

Lawful as eating.

Pol. She embraces him.

Cam. She hangs about his neck;

If the pertain to life, let her speak too.

[Embracing her.

Pol. Ay, and make it manifeft where fhe has liv'd, Or how ftol'n from the dead?

Paul. That fhe is living,

Were it but told you, fhould be hooted at
Like an old tale; but it appears, fhe lives,
Tho' yet fhe fpeak not. Mark a little while.
Please you to interpofe, fair Madam, kneel,
And pray your mother's bleffing; turn, good Lady:
Our Perdita is found.

[Prefenting Perdita, who kneels to Herm.

Her. You Gods, look down,

And from your facred vials pour your graces
Upon my daughter's head; tell me, mine own,

Where hast thou been preferv'd? where liv'd? how found

Thy

Thy father's court; for thou fhalt hear, that I,
Knowing by Paulina that the Oracle
Gave hope thou waft in being, have preferv'd
Myself, to fee the iffue.

Paul. There's time enough for That ;
Left they defire, upon this pufh, to trouble
Your joys with like relation. Go together,
You precious winners all, your exultation
Partake to every one; I, an old turtle,
Will wing me to fome wither'd bough, and there
My mate, that's never to be found again,
Lament 'till I am loft.

Leo. O peace, Paulina:

Thou should'st a husband take by my confent,
As I by thine, a wife. This is a match,

And made between's by vows. Thou haft found mine,
But how, is to be queftion'd; for I faw her,
As I thought, dead; and have, in vain, faid many
A prayer upon her grave. I'll not feek far
(For him, I partly know his mind) to find thee
An honourable husband. Come, Camillo,
And take her by the hand; whose worth and honesty
Is richly noted; and here justified

By us, a pair of Kings. Let's from this place.
What? look upon my brother: Both your pardons,
That e'er I put between your holy looks

My ill fufpicion this, your fon-in-law,

And fon unto the King- -whom heav'ns directing,
Is troth-plight to your daughter. Good Paulina,
Lead us from hence, where we may leisurely
Each one demand, and answer to his part
Perform'd in this wide gap of time, fince first
We were diffever'd. Haftily lead away. [Exeunt omnes.

THE