EMILIA, a lady attending on Hermione

A JAILER

A MARINER

Other Lords and Gentlemen, Ladies, Officers, and Servants at Leontes’s court

POLIXENES, King of Bohemia

FLORIZEL, his son, in love with Perdita; known as Doricles

ARCHIDAMUS, a Bohemian lord

AUTOLYCUS, a rogue, once in the service of Florizel

OLD SHEPHERD

CLOWN, his son

SERVANT of the Old Shepherd

Other Shepherds and Shepherdesses

Twelve countrymen disguised as satyrs

TIME, as chorus

The Winter’s Tale

1.1 Enter Camillo and Archidamus

ARCHIDAMUS If you shall chance, Camillo, to visit Bohemia on the like occasion whereon my services are now on foot, you shall see, as I have said, great difference betwixt our Bohemia and your Sicilia.

CAMILLO I think this coming summer the King of Sicilia means to pay Bohemia the visitation which he justly owes him.

ARCHIDAMUS Wherein our entertainment shall shame us, we will be justified in our loves; for indeed—

CAMILLO Beseech you—

ARCHIDAMUS Verily, I speak it in the freedom of my knowledge. We cannot with such magnificence—in so rare—I know not what to say.—We will give you sleepy drinks, that your senses, unintelligent of our insufficience, may, though they cannot praise us, as little accuse us.

CAMILLO You pay a great deal too dear for what’s given freely.

ARCHIDAMUS Believe me, I speak as my understanding instructs me, and as mine honesty puts it to utterance.

CAMILLO Sicilia cannot show himself over-kind to Bohemia. They were trained together in their childhoods, and there rooted betwixt them then such an affection which cannot choose but branch now. Since their more mature dignities and royal necessities made separation of their society, their encounters—though not personal—hath been royally attorneyed with interchange of gifts, letters, loving embassies, that they have seemed to be together, though absent; shook hands as over a vast; and embraced as it were from the ends of opposed winds. The heavens continue their loves.

ARCHIDAMUS I think there is not in the world either malice or matter to alter it. You have an unspeakable comfort of your young prince, Mamillius. It is a gentleman of the greatest promise that ever came into my note.

CAMILLO I very well agree with you in the hopes of him. It is a gallant child; one that, indeed, physics the subject, makes old hearts fresh. They that went on crutches ere he was born desire yet their life to see him a man.

ARCHIDAMUS Would they else be content to die?

CAMILLO Yes—if there were no other excuse why they should desire to live.

ARCHIDAMUS If the King had no son they would desire to live on crutches till he had one. Exeunt

1.2 Enter Leontes, Hermione, Mamillius, Polixenes, and ⌈Camillo⌉

POLIXENES

Nine changes of the wat‘ry star hath been

The shepherd’s note since we have left our throne

Without a burden. Time as long again

Would be filled up, my brother, with our thanks,

And yet we should for perpetuity

Go hence in debt. And therefore, like a cipher,

Yet standing in rich place, I multiply

With one ‘We thank you’ many thousands more

That go before it.

LEONTES

Stay your thanks a while,

And pay them when you part.

POLIXENES

Sir, that’s tomorrow. I am questioned by my fears of what may chance

Or breed upon our absence, that may blow

No sneaping winds at home to make us say

‘This is put forth too truly.’ Besides, I have stayed

To tire your royalty.

LEONTES

We are tougher, brother,

Than you can put us to’t.

POLIXENES

No longer stay.

LEONTES

One sennight longer.

POLIXENES

Very sooth, tomorrow.

LEONTES

We’ll part the time between’s, then; and in that

I’ll no gainsaying.

POLIXENES

Press me not, beseech you, so.

There is no tongue that moves, none, none i‘th’ world

So soon as yours, could win me. So it should now,

Were there necessity in your request, although

’Twere needful I denied it. My affairs

Do even drag me homeward; which to hinder

Were, in your love, a whip to me; my stay

To you a charge and trouble. To save both,

Farewell, our brother.

LEONTES

Tongue-tied, our queen? Speak you.

HERMIONE

I had thought, sir, to have held my peace until

You had drawn oaths from him not to stay. You, sir,

Charge him too coldly. Tell him you are sure

All in Bohemia’s well. This satisfaction

The bygone day proclaimed. Say this to him,

He’s beat from his best ward.

LEONTES

Well said, Hermione!

HERMIONE

To tell he longs to see his son were strong.

But let him say so then, and let him go.

But let him swear so and he shall not stay,

We’ll thwack him hence with distaffs.

(To Polixenes) Yet of your royal presence I’ll adventure

The borrow of a week. When at Bohemia

You take my lord, I’ll give him my commission

To let him there a month behind the gest

Prefixed for’s parting.—Yet, good deed, Leontes,

I love thee not a jar o’th’ clock behind

What lady she her lord.—You’ll stay?

POLIXENES

No, madam.

HERMIONE Nay, but you will?

POLIXENES I may not, verily.

HERMIONE Verily?

You put me off with limber vows. But I,

Though you would seek t‘unsphere the stars with

oaths,

Should yet say ‘Sir, no going.’ Verily

You shall not go. A lady’s ‘verily’ ’s

As potent as a lord’s. Will you go yet?

Force me to keep you as a prisoner,

Not like a guest: so you shall pay your fees

When you depart, and save your thanks. How say

you?

My prisoner? or my guest? By your dread ‘verily’,

One of them you shall be.

POLIXENES

Your guest then, madam.

To be your prisoner should import offending,