Pol. I'll have thy beauty fcratch'd with briars, and

made

More homely than thy ftate. For thee, fond boy,
If I may ever know thou doft but figh

That thou no more fhalt fee this knack, as never
I mean thou shalt, we'll bar thee from fucceffion;
Not hold thee of our blood, no, not our kin,
Far' than Deucalion off: mark thou my words;
Follow us to the court. Thou churl, for this time,
Tho' full of our displeasure, yet we free thee
From the dead blow of it: and you, inchantment,
Worthy enough a herdfman; yea him too,
That makes himself, but for our honour therein,
Unworthy thee; if ever, henceforth, thou
Thefe rural latches to his entrance open,
Or hoope his body more with thy embraces,
I will devife a death as cruel for thee,
As thou art tender to it.

S C E NE VIII.

Per. Even here undone.

[Exit.

"I was not much afraid; for once or twice "I was about to speak, and tell him plainly, The felf-fame fun that fhines upon his court, Hides not his vifage from our cottage, but "Looks on alike.- -Wilt pleafe you, Sir, be gone? [To Florizel. I told you what would come of this. 'Beleech you, Of your own ftate take care: this dream of mine, Being now awake, I'll queen it no inch farther, But milk my ewes, and weep." Cam. Why, how now, father? Speak ere thou dieft.

Shep. I cannot speak nor think,

Nor dare to know, that which I know. O Sir,

[To Florizel. You have undone a man of fourfcore three, "That thought to fill his grave in quiet; yea, "To die upon the bed my father dy'd, "To lie clofe by his honeft bones but now

:

Some hangman muft put on my throwd, and lay me

"Where no priest shovels in duft. O curfed wretch !

[To Perdita. That knew'ft this was the Prince, and would'ft adven

ture

To mingle faith with him. Undone, undone !
If I might die within this hour, I have liv'd
To die when I defire.

Flo.

SCENE IX.

Why look you fo upon me?

I am but forry, not afraid; delay'd,

But nothing alter'd: what I was, I am;

[Exit.

More ftraining on, for plucking back; not following My leafh unwillingly.

Cam. Gracious my Lord,

You know your father's temper: at this time
He will allow no fpeech, (which I do guess,
You do not purpose to him); and as hardly
Will he endure your fight, as yet I fear,
Then, till the fury of his Highness settle,
Come not before him.

Flo. I not purpose it.

I think, Camillo

Cam. Even he, my Lord.

Per. How often have I told you 't would be thus? How often faid, my dignity would last

But till 'twere known?

Flo. It cannot fail, but by

The violation of my faith; and then

Let nature crush the fides o' th' earth together,

And mar the feeds within !.

-Lift up thy looks!

From my fucceffion wipe me, father, I

Am heir to my affection.

Cam. Be advis'd.

Flo. I am; and by my fancy, if my reafon
Will thereto be obedient, I have reason;

If not, my fenfes better pleas'd with madness,
Do bid it welcome.

Cam. This is defperate, Sir.

Flo. So call it; but it does fulfil my vow;
I needs must think it honefty. Camillo,
Not for Bithynia, nor the pomp that may
VOL. III.

Ꮓ

Be thereat glean'd; for all the fun fees, or
The clofe earth wombs, or the profound feas hide
In unknown fathoms, will I break my oath
To this my fair belov'd: therefore, I pray you,
father's friend,
have ever been my

As you
When he fhall mifs me, (as, in faith, I mean not
To fee him any more), caft your good counfels
Upon his paffion; let myfelf and fortune

Tug for the time to come.

This you may know,
And fo deliver, I am put to fea

With her, whom here I cannot hold on shore;
And, most opportune to our need, I have
A veffel rides faft by, but not prepar'd

For this defign. What courfe I mean to hold,
Shall nothing benefit your knowledge, nor
Concern me the reporting.

Cam. O my Lord,

I would your spirit were easier for advice,
Or ftronger for your need.

Flo. Hark, Perdita

I'll hear you by and by.

Cam. He's irremoveable,

Refolv'd for flight: now were I happy, if
His going I could frame to ferve my turn;

[To Camillo.

Save him from danger, do him love and honour;
Purchase the fight again of dear Sicilia,

And that unhappy King, my mafter, whom
I fo much thirft to fee.

Flo. Now, good Camillo,

I am fo fraught with curious business, that
I leave out ceremony.

Cam. Sir, I think

You have heard of my poor services, i' th' love
That I have borne your father.

Flo. Very nobly

Have you deferv'd: it is my father's music
To fpeak your deeds, not little of his care
To have them recompens'd, as thought on.
Cam. Well, my Lord,

[Afide.

If you may pleafe to think I love the King,
And through him what's nearest to him, which is
1our gracious felf, embrace but my direction,

If your more ponderous and fettled project
May fuffer alteration; on mine honour

I'll point you where you fhall have fuch receiving
As fhall become your Highnefs, where you may
Enjoy your miftrefs; from the whom, I fee,
There's no disjunction to be made, but by
(As heav'ns forefend!) your ruin. Marry her;
And with my beft endeavours, in your abfence,
Your difcontented father I'll ftrive to qualify,
And bring him up to liking.

Flo. How, Camillo,

May this, almoft a miracle, be done?

That I may call thee fomething more than man,
And after that truft to thee.

Cam. Have you thought on

A place whereto you'll go?

Flo. Not any ýet :

But as th' unthought-on accident is guilty
Of what we wildly do, fo we profefs

Ourselves to be the flaves of chance, and flies

Of every wind that blows.

Cam. Then lift to me.

This follows, if you will not change your purpofe,
But undergo this flight, make for Sicilia;

And there prefent yourfelf and your fair princess
(For fo I fee fhe muft be) 'fore Leontes:
She fhall be habited as it becomes

The partner of your bed.

Methinks I fee

Leontes opening his free arms, and weeping
His welcomes forth: afks thee, the fon, forgiveness,
As 'twere i'th' father's perfon; kiffes the hands
Of your fresh princefs; o'er and o'er divides him,
"Twixt his unkindness and his kindness: th' one
He chides to hell, and bids the other grow
Fafter than thought or time.

Flo. Worthy Camillo,

What colour for my vifitation fhall I
Hold up before him?

Cam. Sent by the King your father
To greet him, and to give him comforts. Sir,
The manner of your bearing towards him, with
What you, as from your father, shall deliver,

Things known betwixt us three, I'll write you down;
The which shall point you forth at every fitting,
What you muft fay; that he fhall not perceive,
But that you have your father's bofom there,
And speak his very heart.

Flo. I am bound to you:
There is fome fap in this.

Cam. A courfe more promifing
Than a wild dedication of yourfelves

To unpath'd waters, undream'd fhores; most certain
To miferies enough: no hope to help you,
But as you shake off one, to take another:
Nothing fo certain as your anchors, who
Do their beft office, if they can but ftay you
Where you 'll be loth to be: befides, you know,
Profperity's the very bond of love,

Whofe fresh complexion and whofe heart together
Affliction alters.

Per. One of thefe is true:

I think affliction may fubdue the cheek,

But not take in the mind.

Cam. Yea, fay you fo?

There fhall not at your father's house, these seven years, Be born another fuch.

Flo. My good Camillo,

She is as forward of her breeding, as

She is i'th' rear o' our birth.

Cam. I cannot fay, 'tis pity

She lacks inftructions, for the feems a miftrefs
To moft that teach.

Per. Your pardon, Sir, for this:

I'll blush you thanks.

Flo. My prettieft Perdita

But, oh, the thorns we ftand upon! Camillo,

Preferver of my father, now of me;

The medicine of our houfe! how fhall we do?

We are not furnish'd like Bithynia's fon,

Nor fhall appear in Sicily

Cam. My Lord,

Fear none of this: I think you know my

Do all lie there it fhall be fo my care

:

To have you royally appointed, as if

fortunes