Both disobedience and ingratitude

To you and toward your friend, whose love had spoke

Even since it could speak, from an infant, freely

That it was yours. Now for conspiracy,

I know not how it tastes, though it be dished

For me to try how. All I know of it

Is that Camillo was an honest man;

And why he left your court, the gods themselves,

Wotting no more than I, are ignorant.

LEONTES

You knew of his departure, as you know

What you have underta’en to do in’s absence.

HERMIONE Sir,

You speak a language that I understand not.

My life stands in the level of your dreams,

Which I’ll lay down.

LEONTES

Your actions are my ‘dreams’.

You had a bastard by Polixenes,

And I but dreamed it. As you were past all shame—

Those of your fact are so—so past all truth;

Which to deny concerns more than avails; for as

Thy brat hath been cast out, like to itself,

No father owning it—which is indeed

More criminal in thee than it—so thou

Shalt feel our justice, in whose easiest passage

Look for no less than death.

HERMIONE

Sir, spare your threats.

The bug which you would fright me with, I seek.

To me can life be no commodity.

The crown and comfort of my life, your favour,

I do give lost, for I do feel it gone

But know not how it went. My second joy,

And first fruits of my body, from his presence

I am barred, like one infectious. My third comfort,

Starred most unluckily, is from my breast,

The innocent milk in it most innocent mouth,

Haled out to murder; myself on every post

Proclaimed a strumpet, with immodest hatred

The childbed privilege denied, which ‘longs

To women of all fashion; lastly, hurried

Here, to this place, i’th’ open air, before

I have got strength of limit. Now, my liege,

Tell me what blessings I have here alive,

That I should fear to die. Therefore proceed.

But yet hear this—mistake me not—no life,

I prize it not a straw; but for mine honour,

Which I would free: if I shall be condemned

Upon surmises, all proofs sleeping else

But what your jealousies awake, I tell you

’Tis rigour, and not law. Your honours all,

I do refer me to the oracle.

Apollo be my judge.

A LORD

This your request

Is altogether just. Therefore bring forth,

And in Apollo’s name, his oracle.

[Exeunt certain Officers]

HERMIONE

The Emperor of Russia was my father.

O that he were alive, and here beholding

His daughter’s trial; that he did but see

The flatness of my misery—yet with eyes

Of pity, not revenge.

[Enter Officers with Cleomenes and Dion]

OFFICER

You here shall swear upon this sword of justice

That you, Cleomenes and Dion, have

Been both at Delphos, and from thence have brought

This sealed-up oracle, by the hand delivered

Of great Apollo’s priest; and that since then

You have not dared to break the holy seal,

Nor read the secrets in’t.

CLEOMENES and DION All this we swear. LEONTES Break up the seals, and read.

OFFICER (reads) Hermione is chaste, Polixenes blameless, Camillo a true subject, Leontes a jealous tyrant, his innocent babe truly begotten, and the King shall live without an heir if that which is lost be not found.

LORDS

Now blessèd be the great Apollo!

HERMIONE

Praised!

LEONTES Hast thou read truth?

OFFICER

Ay, my lord, even so as it is here set down.

LEONTES

There is no truth at all i’th’ oracle.

The sessions shall proceed. This is mere falsehood.

Enter a Servant

SERVANT

My lord the King! The King!

LEONTES What is the business?

SERVANT

O sir, I shall be hated to report it.

The prince your son, with mere conceit and fear

Of the Queen’s speed, is gone.

LEONTES

How, ‘gone’?

SERVANT

Is dead.

LEONTES

Apollo’s angry, and the heavens themselves

Do strike at my injustice.

Hermione falls to the ground

How now there?

PAULINA

This news is mortal to the Queen. Look down

And see what death is doing.

LEONTES

Take her hence.

Her heart is but o’ercharged. She will recover.

I have too much believed mine own suspicion.

Beseech you, tenderly apply to her

Some remedies for life.

Exeunt Paulina and Ladies, carrying Hermione

Apollo, pardon

My great profaneness ’gainst thine oracle.

I’ll reconcile me to Polixenes,

New woo my queen, recall the good Camillo,

Whom I proclaim a man of truth, of mercy;

For being transported by my jealousies

To bloody thoughts and to revenge, I chose

Camillo for the minister to poison

My friend Polixenes, which had been done,

But that the good mind of Camillo tardied

My swift command. Though I with death and with

Reward did threaten and encourage him,

Not doing it, and being done, he, most humane

And filled with honour, to my kingly guest

Unclasped my practice, quit his fortunes here—

Which you knew great—and to the certain hazard

Of all incertainties himself commended,