But one that's here, and that's himself; for he His hopeful son's, his babe's, betrays to slander, (For, as the case now stands, it is a curse He cannot be compell'd to't) once remove The root of his opinion, which is rotten As ever oak, or stone, was sound. Leon. A callat, Of boundless tongue', who late hath beat her husband, And now baits me!-This brat is none of mine: It is the issue of Polixenes. Hence with it; and, together with the dam, Commit them to the fire. Paul. It is your's; And, might we lay the old proverb to your charge, And copy of the father: eye, nose, lip, The trick of his frown, his forehead; nay, the valley, The ordering of the mind too, 'mongst all colours Her children not her husband's. Leon. A gross hag!— And, losel, thou art worthy to be hang'd2, 1 Ant. A CALLAT, Hang all the husbands Of boundless tongue,] "Callat" is sometimes spelt callet, and is a very old term of abuse applied to women. It seems originally to have meant merely a low mean woman, and has been derived from calle, which Tyrwhitt tells us is Fr. for "a species of cap," (Gloss. to Chaucer,) or from calotte, which Grey says was a sort of head-dress worn by country girls. In the time of Shakespeare, and much earlier, callet" was generally used for a lewd woman, a drab. In " Henry VI.," Pt. iii. A. ii. sc. 2, we have "shameless callet;" and the word occurs again in a similar sense in "Othello," A. iv. sc. 2. " 2 And, LOSEL, thou art worthy to be hang'd,] "Losel" is a word of the commonest occurrence, in the sense of a worthless and abandoned fellow. "A losel," says Verstegan in his "Restitution," 1605, as quoted by Reed, "is one that hath lost, neglected, or cast off his own good and welfare, and who is become lewd, and careless of credit and honesty." "Losel" is from A. S. Losian, to lose. That cannot do that feat, you'll leave yourself Hardly one subject. Once more, take her hence. Paul. A most unworthy and unnatural lord Can do no more. Leon. Paul. I'll ha' thee burn'd. I care not: It is an heretic that makes the fire, Not she which burns in't. I'll not call you tyrant; But this most cruel usage of your queen (Not able to produce more accusation Than your own weak hing'd fancy) something savours Of tyranny, and will ignoble make you, Yea, scandalous to the world. Leon. On your allegiance, Paul. I pray you, do not push me; I'll be gone. Look to your babe, my lord; 'tis your's: Jove send her A better guiding spirit! - What need these hands?You, that are thus so tender o'er his follies, Will never do him good, not one of you. [Exit. So, so :-farewell; we are gone. Leon. Thou, traitor, hast set on thy wife to this.- For thou sett'st on thy wife. Ant. I did not, sir : These lords, my noble fellows, if they please, Can clear me in't. 1 Lord. We can: my royal liege, He is not guilty of her coming hither. Leon. You're liars all. 1 Lord. Beseech your highness, give us better credit. We have always truly serv'd you, and beseech you' [Kneeling. So to esteem of us; and on our knees we beg, Lead on to some foul issue. We all kneel.. Leon. I am a feather for each wind that blows. Shall I live on, to see this bastard kneel You, that have been so tenderly officious To save this bastard's life, -for 'tis a bastard, [TO ANTIGONUS. So sure as thy beard's grey ',-what will you adventure To save this brat's life? Ant. Any thing, my lord, That my ability may undergo, Leon. It shall be possible. Swear by this sword, Thou wilt perform my bidding. Ant. I will, my lord. Leon. Mark, and perform it, seest thou; for the fail Death to thyself, but to thy lewd-tongued wife, 3- and beseech You] "You" is from the corr. fo. 1632, and there is little doubt that it had dropped out at the end of the line. * So sure as THY beard's grey,] The old MS. corrector of Lord Ellesmere's copy of the folio, 1623, altered "this" into thy, which, probably, was the true reading. Leontes could not, of course, refer to his own beard; and in order to make " this beard" intelligible, he must have touched or plucked that of Antigonus. On thy soul's peril and thy body's torture, [Taking up the Child. Some powerful spirit instruct the kites and ravens Like offices of pity. --Sir, be prosperous In more than this deed doth require ! - and blessing Against this cruelty fight on thy side, Poor thing, condemn'd to loss! Leon. Another's issue. 1 Atten. [Exit with the Child. No; I'll not rear 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 both landed, Hasting to the court. 1 Lord. So please you, sir, their speed Hath been beyond account. Twenty-three days The truth of this appear. Prepare you, lords : [Exeunt. ACT III. SCENE I. The Same. A Street in some Town. Enter CLEOMENES and DION. Cleo. The climate's delicate, the air most sweet, Fertile the isle, the temple much surpassing 5 Fertile the ISLE,] i.e. The isle of Delphos. Warburton points out a geogra I shall report, The common praise it bears. Dion. For most it caught me, the celestial habits, (Methinks, I so should term them) and the reverence Of the grave wearers. O, the sacrifice! How ceremonious, solemn, and unearthly It was i' the offering! Cleo. But, of all, the burst And the ear-deafening voice o' the oracle, That I was nothing. Dion. If th' event o' the journey Prove as successful to the queen, -0, be 't so!As it hath been to us rare, pleasant, speedy, The time is worth the use on't. Cleo. Great Apollo, Turn all to the best! These proclamations, So forcing faults upon Hermione, Will clear, or end the business: when the oracle, (Thus by Apollo's great divine seal'd up) Shall the contents discover, something rare, Even then, will rush to knowledge. - Go, -fresh horses ; And gracious be the issue! [Exeunt. SCENE II. The Same. A Court of Justice. Enter LEONTES, Lords, and Officers. Leon. This sessions (to our great grief we pronounce) phical blunder here, inasmuch as the temple of Apollo at Delphi was not on an island, but in Phocis on the continent. This is of course true; but Shakespeare had "isle" from Greene, in whom the error was less excusable, as he was Master of Arts in both Universities. In "Pandosto," Bellaria requests "that it would please his Majestie to send sixe of his noble men, whom he best trusted, to the isle of Delphos, there to inquire of the Oracle of Apollo, whether she had committed adultery with Egistus, or conspired to poyson him with Tranion." Shakespeare's Library, Part i. p. 20. VOL. III. E |