He were as much more villain: you, my lord, Do but mistake. Leon. You have mistook, my lady, Polixenes for Leontes: O thou thing, That vulgars give bold'st titles; ay, and privy No, by my life, Her. Leon. No, no; if I mistake In those foundations which I build upon, The center is not big enough to bear A school-boy's top.-Away with her to prison: Her. There's some ill planet reigns I must be patient, till the heavens look With an aspect more favourable.-Good my lords, I am not prone to weeping, as our sex Commonly are; the want of which vain dew, n -federary-] i. e. Confederate. : • But with her most vile principal,] But has here the sense of only. The meaning is, Hermione should be ashamed to know what she knows, even though she had no other confidant than her wicked companion in guilt. P He, who shall speak for her, is afar off guilty, But that he speaks.] Far off guilty, signifies, guilty in a remote degree.— JOHNSON. But that he speaks-means, in merely speaking.-MALONE. Perchance, shall dry your pities: but I have The king's will be perform❜d! Leon. Shall I be heard? [To the Guards. Her. Who is't, that goes with me?-'Beseech your highness, My women may be with me; for, you see, My plight requires it. Do not weep, good fools ; There is no cause; when you shall know, your mistress As I come out: this action, I now go on, I trust, I shall.- -My women, come; you have leave. [Exeunt Queen and Ladies. 1 Lord 'Beseech your highness, call the queen again. Ant. Be certain what you do, sir; lest your justice Prove violence; in the which three great ones suffer, Yourself, your queen, your son. 1 Lord. For her, my lord,— I dare my life lay down, and will do't, sir, Please you to accept it, that the queen is spotless I'the eyes of heaven, and to you; In this which you accuse her. Ant. I mean, If it prove She's otherwise, I'll keep my stables where I lodge my wife; I'll go in couples with her; Ay, every dram of woman's flesh, is false, If she be. ૧ my stables-] i. e. My constant station,—a stable stand is a term of the forest laws, and signifies a place where a deer-stealer fixes his stand, and keeps watch for the purpose of killing deer as they pass by.-HANMER. 1 Lord. Good my lord, Ant. It is for you we speak, not for ourselves : That will be damn'd for't; 'would I knew the villain, Leon. Cease; no more. You smell this business with a sense as cold As is a dead man's nose: but I do see't, and feel't, The instruments that feel. We need no grave to bury honesty; There's not a grain of it, the face to sweeten Of the whole dungy earth. Leon. What! lack I credit? 1 Lord. I had rather you did lack, than I, my lord, Upon this ground: and more it would content me To have her honour true, than your suspicion; Be blam'd for't how you might. Leon. Why, what need we Commune with you of this? but rather follow Or seeming so in skill,) cannot, or will not, 8 ·putter-on,] i. e. Instigator. land-damn him:] Of this disputed sentence Dr. Johnson's interpretation, which considers it as meaning "I'll condemn him to quit the country," is the most delicate; but I fear that the more gross explanation of Hanmer is most He derives the word from lant or land the old word for urine, and explains it, "stop his urine by mutilation." correct. t U glib-] i. e. Castrate. doing thus;] Leontes at these words grasps the arm of Antigonus. The loss, the gain, the ordering on't, is all Ant. And I wish, my liege, You had only in your silent judgment tried it, Leon. How could that be? Either thou art most ignorant by age, Or thou wert born a fool. Camillo's flight, (Which was as gross as ever touch'd conjecture, (For in an act of this importance, 'twere Most piteous to be wild), I have despatch'd in post, Of stuff'd sufficiency: Now, from the oracle 1 Lord. Well done, my lord. Leon. Though I am satisfied, and need no more Give rest to the minds of others; such as he, Come up to the truth: So have we thought it good, From our free person she should be confin'd; Ant. [aside.] To laughter, as I take it, X y 2 approbation,]-is here put for proof. stuff'd sufficiency:] i. e. Of abilities more than enough. [Exeunt. the treachery of the two, &c.] Hermione is confined lest she should ex ecute the plot against his life and crown, in which he has before declared that she is federary with Polixenes and Camillo.-JOHNSON. SCENE II. The same. The outer Room of a Prison. Enter PAULINA and Attendants. Paul. The keeper of the prison,-call to him; [Exit an Attendant. Let him have knowledge who I am.-Good lady! No court in Europe is too good for thee, What dost thou then in prison?—Now, good sir, Re-enter Attendant, with the Keeper. You know me, do you not? Keep. I may not, madam; to the contrary I have express commandment. Paul. Here's ado, To lock up honesty and honour from The access of gentle visitors !Is it lawful, Keep. So please you, madam, to put Apart these your attendants, I shall bring Keep. [Exeunt Attend. And, madam, [Exit Keeper. I must be present at your conference. Paul. Well, be it so, pr'ythee. Here's such ado to make no stain a stain, As passes colouring. Re-enter Keeper, with Emilia. Dear gentlewoman, how fares our gracious lady? |