Изображения страниц
PDF
EPUB

Than curse it then.
It shall not, neither.

But, be it ; let it live :
You, withdraw awhile.

[Exeunt Phocion and Thasius, L.

You, sir, come you hither,

You, that have been so tenderly officious

With Lady Margery, your widwife, there,

To save this bastard's life; [Antigonus advances to him, c.] for, 'tis a bastard,

So sure as this beard's gray; what will you adventure To save this brat's life?

Ant. Any thing, my lord,

That my abilities may undergo,

And nobleness impose: at least, thus much-
I'll pawn the little blood which I have left,

To save the innocent: any thing possible.

Leo. It shall be possible: [Draws his sword.] Swear by this sword,

Thou wilt perform my bidding.

Ant. I will, my lord.

Leo. Mark, and perform it; (see'st thou ?) for the fail Of any point in't, shall not only be

Death to thyself, but to thy lewd-tongu'd wife,

Whom, for this time, we pardon. We enjoin thee,
As thou art liegeman to us, that thou carry

This hateful issue of Polixenes,

To some remote and desert place, quite out
Of our dominions, and that there thou leave it,
Without more mercy, to its own protection,
And favour of the climate. As by strange fortune
It came to us, I do in justice charge thee-
On thy soul's peril, and thy body's torture-
That thou commend it strangely to some place,
Where chance may nurse or end it. Take it up.

[Retires and sits.

Ant. (c.) I swear to do this; though a present death Had been more merciful. [Takes up the Child.] Come on,

poor babe;

Some powerful spirit instruct the kites and ravens,
To be thy nurses! Wolves and bears, they say,

Casting their savageness aside, have done

Like offices of pity. Sir, be prosperous

In more than this deed does require! and blessing,
Against this cruelty, fight on thy side,

Poor thing, condemn'd to loss!

[Exit Antigonus with the Child, R.

Leo. No, I'll not rear

Another's issue.

[A Trumpet sounds, L,]

Enter PHOCION and THASIUS, L.

Pho. (L.) Please your highness, posts,
From those you sent to the oracle, are come
An hour since; Cleomenes and Dion,

Being well arriv'd from Delphos, are even now
Entering the court.

Leo. [Rises.] This good speed foretells,
The great Apollo suddenly will have

The truth of this appear. Prepare you, lords;
Summon a session, that we may arraign
Our most disloyal lady; for, as she hath
Been publicly accus'd, so shall she have
A just and open trial. Leave me ;
And think upon my bidding.

[Exeunt, Leontes, R. Phocion and Thasius, L.

END OF ACT II.

ACT III.

SCENE I.—A Court of Justice.-Trumpets sound.
LEONTES, seated on his Throne, PHOCION, THASIUS, CLEO-
MENES, DION, LORDS, OFFICERS, &c. discovered.
Leo. This sessions (to our great grief we pronounce,)
Even pushes 'gainst our heart: the party tried,

The daughter of a king; our wife; and one
Of us too much beloved. Let us be clear'd
Of being tyrannous, since we so openly

Proceed to justice; which shall have due course,
Even to the guilt, or the purgation.-
Produce the prisoner.

Tha. (R. of the table before the King.) It is his highness' pleasure, that the queen

Appear in person here in court.

HERMIONE is brought in L. guarded; PAULINA, LAMIA, and HERO, attending. HERMIONE crosses to R. and sits. Leo. Read the indictment.

Pho. [Standing L. of the table, before the King, reads.] "Hermione, queen to Leontes, King of Sicilia, thou art

here accused and arraigned of high treason, in committing adultery with Polixenes, King of Bohemia; and conspiring with Camillo to take away the life of our sovereign lord the king, thy royal husband.

Her. [Rises, and turns to the Court.] Since what I am to say, must be but that

Which contradicts my accusation; and

The testimony on my part, no other

But what comes from myself; it shall scarce boot me, "Not guilty:" mine integrity

To say,

Being counted falsehood, shall, as I express it,
Be so receiv'd. But thus-If powers divine
Behold our human actions, (as they do,)

I doubt not then, but innocence shall make
False accusation blush, and tyranny

Tremble at patience. You, my lord, best know,
(Who least will seem to do so,) my past life
Hath been as continent, as chaste, as true,
As I am now unhappy; which is more
Than history can pattern, though devis'd,
And play'd, to take spectators; for behold me,
A fellow of the royal bed, which owe

A moiety of the throne, a great king's daughter,
The mother to a hopeful prince, here standing,
To prate and talk for life, and honour, 'fore
Who please to come and hear.

For life, I prize it

As I weigh grief, which I would spare for honour, "Tis a derivative from me to mine,

And only that I stand for. I appeal

To your own conscience, sir, before Polixenes
Came to your court, how was I in your grace,
How merited to be so? since he came
With what encounter so uncurrent I

Have strained to appear thus: if one jot beyond
The bound of honour; or, in act, or will.

That way inclining; harden'd be the hearts

Of all that hear me, and my near❜st of kin
Cry, Fie upon my grave!

[Sits.

Leo. I ne'er heard yet,

That any of these bolder vices wanted

More impudence to gainsay what they did,

Than to perform it first.

Her. [Rises.] That's true enough ;

Though 'tis a saying, sir, not due to me.

[Sits.

Leo. 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.

Her. 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,

[Rises.

The first-fruits of our marriage, from his presence
I am barr'd, like one infectious: My third comfort,
Starr'd most unluckily, is from my breast,
The innocent milk in its most innocent mouth,
Hal'd out to murder: Myself on every post
Proclaim'd a strumpet: With immodest hatred,
The childbed privilege denied, which 'longs
To women of all fashion: Lastly, hurried
Here to this place, i'the 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 condemn'd
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.

Leo. Bring forth,

And in Apollo's name, his oracle.

Her. 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!

[Sits.

Pho. 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 deliver'd

Of great Apollo's priest; and that, since then
You have not dar'd to break the holy seal,

Nor read the secrets in't.

Cle. All this we swear.

Leo. Break up the seals, and read.

Pho. [Unlocks the Oracle, and takes out a puper-Reads. "Hermione is chaste; [Hermione R. falls on her knees.] Polixenes blameless; Camillo a true subject; Leontes' babe truly begotten; and the King shall live without an heir, if that which is lost be not found."

Pau. (R. C.) Now blessed be the great Apollo!
Her. Prais'd!

Leo. Hast thou read truth?

Pho. Ay, my lord, even so

As it is here set down.

Leo. The session shall proceed; this is mere falsehood. Enter EMILIA, L.

Emi. My lord the king, the king!—

Leo. What is the business?

Emi. O sir, I shall be hated to report it:

The prince your son, with mere conceit and fear

Of the queen's speed, is dead.

[Hermione faints.

Leo. [Rises and goes to Hermione R.] How! dead! Her. Oh! oh! oh!-my son !

Leo. How now there?

Pau. This news is mortal to the queen :-Look down, And see what death is doing.

Leo. Take her hence;

Her heart is but o'ercharg'd; she will recover.

[Hermione is borne off by Paulina, Emilia, Lamia,
and Hero, R.

The heavens themselves do strike at my injustice.
I have too much believ'd mine own suspicion :-
'Beseech you, tenderly apply to her

Some remedies for life.-Break up the court.

[Trumpets sound.-Scene closes.

SCENE II.-The King's Closet.

Enter LEONTES, PHOCION, and THASIUS, R.

Leo. (c.) Apollo, pardon

[Phocion and Thasius on his L.

My great profaneness 'gainst thine oracle !—
I'll reconcile me to Polixenes;

D

« ПредыдущаяПродолжить »