Be pilot to me, and thy places shall

Still neighbour mine. My ships are ready, and

My people did expect my hence departure

Two days ago. This jealousy

Is for a precious creature. As she’s rare

Must it be great; and as his person’s mighty

Must it be violent; and as he does conceive

He is dishonoured by a man which ever

Professed to him, why, his revenges must

In that be made more bitter. Fear o‘ershades me.

Good expedition be my friend and comfort

The gracious Queen, part of his theme, but nothing

Of his ill-ta’en suspicion. Come, Camillo,

I will respect thee as a father if

Thou bear’st my life off hence. Let us avoid.

CAMILLO

It is in mine authority to command

The keys of all the posterns. Please your highness

To take the urgent hour. Come, sir, away.

Exeunt

2.1 Enter Hermione, Mamillius, and Ladies

HERMIONE

Take the boy to you. He so troubles me

’Tis past enduring.

FIRST LADY

Come, my gracious lord,

Shall I be your play-fellow?

MAMILLIUS No, I’ll none of you.

FIRST LADY Why, my sweet lord?

MAMILLIUS

You’ll kiss me hard, and speak to me as if

I were a baby still. (To Second Lady) I love you better.

SECOND LADY

And why so, my lord?

MAMILLIUS

Not for because

Your brows are blacker—yet black brows they say

Become some women best, so that there be not

Too much hair there, but in a semicircle,

Or a half-moon made with a pen.

SECOND LADY

Who taught ’this?

MAMILLIUS

I learned it out of women’s faces. Pray now,

What colour are your eyebrows?

FIRST LADY

Blue, my lord.

MAMILLIUS

Nay, that’s a mock. I have seen a lady’s nose

That has been blue, but not her eyebrows.

FIRST LADY

Hark ye, The Queen your mother rounds apace. We shall

Present our services to a fine new prince

One of these days, and then you’d wanton with us,

If we would have you.

SECOND LADY

She is spread of late

Into a goodly bulk, good time encounter her.

HERMIONE

What wisdom stirs amongst you? Come sir, now

I am for you again. Pray you sit by us,

And tell’s a tale.

MAMILLIUS Merry or sad shall’t be?

HERMIONE As merry as you will.

MAMILLIUS

A sad tale’s best for winter. I have one

Of sprites and goblins.

HERMIONE

Let’s have that, good sir. Come on, sit down, come on, and do your best

To fright me with your sprites. You’re powerful at it.

MAMILLIUS

There was a man—

HERMIONE

Nay, come sit down, then on.

MAMILLIUS (sitting)

Dwelt by a churchyard.—I will tell it softly,

Yon crickets shall not hear it.

HERMIONE

Come on then, and give’t me in mine ear.

Enter apart Leontes, Antigonus, and Lords

LEONTES

Was he met there? His train? Camillo with him?

A LORD

Behind the tuft of pines I met them. Never

Saw I men scour so on their way. I eyed them

Even to their ships.

LEONTES

How blest am I

In my just censure, in my true opinion!

Alack, for lesser knowledge—how accursed

In being so blest! There may be in the cup

A spider steeped, and one may drink, depart,

And yet partake no venom, for his knowledge

Is not infected; but if one present

Th’abhorred ingredient to his eye, make known

How he hath drunk, he cracks his gorge, his sides,

With violent hefts. I have drunk, and seen the spider.

Camillo was his help in this, his pander.

There is a plot against my life, my crown.

All’s true that is mistrusted. That false villain

Whom I employed was pre-employed by him.

He has discovered my design, and I

Remain a pinched thing, yea, a very trick

For them to play at will. How came the posterns

So easily open?

A LORD

By his great authority,

Which often hath no less prevailed than so

On your command.

LEONTES I know’t too well.

(To Hermione) Give me the boy. I am glad you did not

nurse him.

Though he does bear some signs of me, yet you

Have too much blood in him.

HERMIONE

What is this? Sport?

LEONTES (to a Lord)

Bear the boy hence. He shall not come about her.

Away with him, and let her sport herself

With that she’s big with, (to Hermione) for ’tis

Polixenes

Has made thee swell thus. Exit one with Mamillius

HERMIONE

But I’d say he had not, And I’ll be sworn you would believe my saying,

Howe’er you lean to th’ nayward.

LEONTES

You, my lords,

Look on her, mark her well. Be but about

To say she is a goodly lady, and

The justice of your hearts will thereto add

“Tis pity she’s not honest, honourable.’

Praise her but for this her without-door form—

Which on my faith deserves high speech—and

straight

The shrug, the ‘hum’ or ‘ha’, these petty brands

That calumny doth use—O, I am out,

That mercy does, for calumny will sear

Virtue itself—these shrugs, these ‘hum’s’ and ‘ha’s’,

When you have said she’s goodly, come between

Ere you can say she’s honest. But be’t known