To harder bosoms! Looking on the lines

Of my boy’s face, methoughts I did recoil

Twenty-three years, and saw myself unbreeched,

In my green velvet coat; my dagger muzzled,

Lest it should bite its master, and so prove,

As ornament oft does, too dangerous.

How like, methought, I then was to this kernel,

This squash, this gentleman.—Mine honest friend,

Will you take eggs for money?

MAMILLIUS

No, my lord, I’ll fight.

LEONTES

You will? Why, happy man be’s dole!—My brother,

Are you so fond of your young prince as we

Do seem to be of ours?

POLIXENES

If at home, sir,

He’s all my exercise, my mirth, my matter;

Now my sworn friend, and then mine enemy;

My parasite, my soldier, statesman, all.

He makes a July’s day short as December,

And with his varying childness cures in me

Thoughts that would thick my blood.

LEONTES

So stands this squire

Officed with me. We two will walk, my lord,

And leave you to your graver steps. Hermione,

How thou lov’st us show in our brother’s welcome.

Let what is dear in Sicily be cheap.

Next to thyself and my young rover, he’s

Apparent to my heart.

HERMIONE

If you would seek us,

We are yours i’th’ garden. Shall’s attend you there?

LEONTES

To your own bents dispose you. You’ll be found,

Be you beneath the sky. (Aside) I am angling now,

Though you perceive me not how I give line.

Go to, go to!

How she holds up the neb, the bill to him,

And arms her with the boldness of a wife

To her allowing husband!

Exeunt Polixenes and Hermione Gone already.

Inch-thick, knee-deep, o‘er head and ears a forked

one!—

Go play, boy, play. Thy mother plays, and I

Play too; but so disgraced a part, whose issue

Will hiss me to my grave. Contempt and clamour

Will be my knell. Go play, boy, play. There have been,

Or I am much deceived, cuckolds ere now,

And many a man there is, even at this present,

Now, while I speak this, holds his wife by th’arm,

That little thinks she has been sluiced in’s absence,

And his pond fished by his next neighbour, by

Sir Smile, his neighbour. Nay, there’s comfort in‘t,

Whiles other men have gates, and those gates opened,

As mine, against their will. Should all despair

That have revolted wives, the tenth of mankind

Would hang themselves. Physic for’t there’s none.

It is a bawdy planet, that will strike

Where ’tis predominant; and ‘tis powerful. Think it:

From east, west, north, and south, be it concluded,

No barricado for a belly. Know’t,

It will let in and out the enemy

With bag and baggage. Many thousand on’s

Have the disease and feel’t not.—How now, boy?

MAMILLIUS

I am like you, they say.

LEONTES

Why, that’s some comfort.

What, Camillo there!

CAMILLO [coming forward] Ay, my good lord.

LEONTES

Go play, Mamillius, thou’rt an honest man.

Exit Mamillius

Camillo, this great sir will yet stay longer.

CAMILLO

You had much ado to make his anchor hold.

When you cast out, it still came home.

LEONTES Didst note it?

CAMILLO

He would not stay at your petitions, made

His business more material.

LEONTES

Didst perceive it?

(Aside) They’re here with me already, whisp‘ring,

rounding,

‘Sicilia is a so-forth’. ’Tis far gone

When I shall gust it last.—How came’t, Camillo,

That he did stay?

CAMILLO

At the good Queen’s entreaty.

LEONTES

‘At the Queen’s’ be’t. ‘Good’ should be pertinent,

But so it is, it is not. Was this taken

By any understanding pate but thine?

For thy conceit is soaking, will draw in

More than the common blocks. Not noted, is’t,

But of the finer natures? By some severals

Of head-piece extraordinary? Lower messes

Perchance are to this business purblind? Say.

CAMILLO

Business, my lord? I think most understand

Bohemia stays here longer.

LEONTES Ha?

CAMILLO Stays here longer.

LEONTES Ay, but why?

CAMILLO

To satisfy your highness, and the entreaties

Of our most gracious mistress.

LEONTES Satisfy?

Th‘entreaties of your mistress? Satisfy?

Let that suffice. I have trusted thee, Camillo,

With all the near’st things to my heart, as well

My chamber-counsels, wherein, priest-like, thou

Hast cleansed my bosom, I from thee departed

Thy penitent reformed. But we have been

Deceived in thy integrity, deceived

In that which seems so.

CAMILLO

Be it forbid, my lord.

LEONTES

To bide upon’t: thou art not honest; or

If thou inclin‘st that way, thou art a coward,

Which hoxes honesty behind, restraining

From course required. Or else thou must be counted

A servant grafted in my serious trust

And therein negligent, or else a fool

That seest a game played home, the rich stake drawn,

And tak’st it all for jest.

CAMILLO

My gracious lord,

I may be negligent, foolish, and fearful.