of a wafp's neft; then stand, till he be three quarters and a dram dead: then recovered again with aqua-vitæ, or some other hot infufion: then, raw as he is, and in the hottest day prognoftication proclaims," fhall he be fet against a brick-wall, the fun looking with a fouthward eye upon him; where he is to behold him, with flies blown to death. But what talk we of these traitorly rafcals, whofe miferies are to be fmil'd at, their offences being fo capital? Tell me, (for you feem to be honeft plain men,) what you have to the king: being fomething gently confidered,' I'll bring you where he is aboard, tender your perfons to his prefence, whifper him in your behalfs; and, if it be in man, befides the king, to effect your suits, here is man fhall do it. CLOWN. He feems to be of great authority: clofe with him, give him gold; and though authority be a stubborn bear, yet he is oft led by the nofe naked to enter into it, where hee long time endured the greatest languor and torment in the worlde, with fwarmes of flies that dayly fed on hym; and in this forte, with paine and famine, ended his miferable life." The Stage of popifh Toyes, 1581, p. 33. REED. the hotteft day prognoftication proclaims,] That is, the hotteft day foretold in the almanack. JOHNSON. Almanacks were in Shakspeare's time published under this title. "An Almanack and Prognoftication made for the year of our Lord God, 1595." See Herbert's Typograph. Antiq. II. 1029. 7 MALONE. -being fomething gently confidered,] Means, I having a genlemanlike confideration given me, i. e. a bribe, will bring you, &c. So, in The Three Ladies of London, 1584: 66 -fure, fir, I'll confider it hereafter if I can. "What, confider me? doft thou think that I am a bribe taker?" Again, in The Ifle of Gulls, 1633: "Thou shalt be well confidered, there's twenty crowns in earnest." STEEVENS. with gold: fhow the infide of your purse to the outfide of his hand, and no more ado: Remember, ftoned, and flay'd alive. SHEP. An't please you, fir, to undertake the bufinefs for us, here is that gold I have: I'll make it as much more; and leave this young man in pawn, till I bring it you. Aur. After I have done what I promised? AUT. Well, give me the moiety:—Are you a party in this business? CLOWN. In fome fort, fir: but though my cafe be a pitiful one, I hope I shall not be flay'd out of it. Aur. O, that's the cafe of the fhepherd's fon :Hang him, he'll be made an example. CLOWN. Comfort, good comfort: We must to the king, and fhow our ftrange fights: he must know, 'tis none of your daughter, nor my fister; we are gone else. Sir, I will give you as much as this old man does, when the bufinefs is perform'd; and remain, as he says, your pawn, till it be brought you. AUT. I will truft you. Walk before toward the fea-fide; go on the right hand; I will but look upon the hedge, and follow you. CLOWN. We are blefs'd in this man, as I may fay, even blefs'd. SHEP. Let's before, as he bids us: he was provided to do us good. [Exeunt Shepherd and Clown. AUT. If I had a mind to be honest, I see, fortune would not fuffer me; fhe drops booties in my mouth. I am courted now with a double occafion; gold, and a means to do the prince my mafter good; which, who knows how that may turn back to my advancement? I will bring these two moles, these blind ones, aboard him: if he think it fit to shore them again, and that the complaint they have to the king concerns him nothing, let him call me, rogue, for being fo far officious; for I am proof against that title, and what shame elfe belongs to't: To him will I present them, there may be matter [Exit. in it. ACT V. SCENE I. Sicilia. A Room in the Palace of Leontes. Enter LEONTES, CLEOMENES, DION, PAULINA, and Others. CLEO. Sir, you have done enough, and have perform'd A faint-like forrow: no fault could you make, Which you have not redeem'd; indeed, paid down More penitence, than done trespass: At the laft, Do, as the heavens have done; forget your evil; With them, forgive yourself. LEON. Whilft I remember Her, and her virtues, I cannot forget My blemishes in them; and so still think of The wrong I did myfelf: which was fo much, That heirless it hath made my kingdom; and Destroy'd the sweet'ft companion, that e'er man Bred his hopes out of. PAUL. True, too true, my lord: If, one by one, you wedded all the world, Or, from the all that are, took fomething good,' To make a perfect woman; fhe, you kill'd, Would be unparallel'd. LEON. I think fo. Kill'd! She I kill'd? I did fo: but thou ftrikeft me Upon thy tongue, as in my thought: Now, good Have done the time more benefit, and grac'd PAUL. You are one of those, Would have him wed again. DION. If you would not fo, You pity not the ftate, nor the remembrance Of his most sovereign name; confider little, What dangers, by his highnefs' fail of iffue, May drop upon his kingdom, and devour Incertain lookers-on. What were more holy, True, too true, my lord:] In former editions: Paul. Too true, my lord: A very flight examination will convince every intelligent reader, that true, here has jumped out of its place in all the editions. THEOBALD. 9 Or, from the all that are, took fomething good,] This is a favourite thought; it was bestowed on Miranda and Rofalind before. JOHNSON. Than to rejoice, the former queen is well?1 With a fweet fellow to't? PAUL. There is none worthy, Respecting her that's gone. Besides, the gods Is't not the tenour of his oracle, That king Leontes fhall not have an heir, LEON. Good Paulina,— Who haft the memory of Hermione, 2 the former queen is well?] i. e. at reft; dead. In Antony and Cleopatra, this phrafe is faid to be peculiarly applicable to the dead: Me. First, madam, he is well. Cleop. Why there's more gold; but firrah, mark; "The gold I give thee will I melt, and pour So, in Romeo and Juliet, Balthazar fpeaking of Juliet, whom he imagined to be dead, fays: "Then she is well, and nothing can be ill." MALONE. This phrafe feems to have been adopted from Scripture. See 2 Kings, iv. 26. HENLEY. |