Obrázky na stránke
PDF
ePub

Could man fo blench?

Cam. 1 muft believe you, Sir,

I do, and will fetch off Bohemia for't:

Provided that, when he's remov'd, your Highness Will take again your Queen, as yours at first, Even for your fon's fake, and thereby for fealing The injury of tongues, in Courts and Kingdoms Known and ally'd to yours.

Leo. Thou doft advise me,

Even fo as I mine own course have fet down:
I'll give no blemish to her honour, none.

Cam. My Lord,

Go then; and with a countenance as clear
As friendship wears at feafts, keep with Bohemia,
And with your Queen: I am his cup-bearer;
If from me he have wholefome beveridge,
Account me not your fervant.

[blocks in formation]

Leo. I will feem friendly, as thou haft advis'd me.

[Exit.

Cam. O miferable lady!-But, for me, What cafe stand I in? I must be the poifoner Of good Polixenes, and my ground to do't Is the obedience of a mafter; one, Who, in rebellion with himself, will have All that are his, fo too. To do this deed, Promotion follows. If I could find example Of thousands, that had struck anointed Kings, And flourish'd after, I'd not do't: but fince Nor brafs, nor ftone, nor parchment, bears not one; Let villany itself forfwear't, I must

Forfake the Court; to do't, or no, is certain

To me a break-neck.-Happy ftar reign now!
Here comes Bohemia,

SCENE

[blocks in formation]

Pol. This is ftrange! methinks,

My favour here begins to warp. Not speak?-Good day, Camillo.

Cam. Hail, most royal Sir!

Pol. What is the news i'th' court?
Cam. None rare, my Lord.

Pol. The King hath on him fuch a countenance,
As he had loft fome province, and a region
Lov'd, as he loves himself: even now I met him
With customary compliment, when he,
Wafting his eyes to th' contrary, and falling
A lip of much contempt, fpeeds from me, and
So leaves me to confider what is breeding,
That changes thus his manners.

Cam. I dare not know, my Lord.

Pol. How, dare not? do not? do you know, and dare not?

Be intelligent to me, 'tis thereabouts :

For to yourself, what you do know, you must;
And cannot fay, you dare not. Good Camillo,
Your chang'd complexions are to me a mirror,
Which fhews me mine chang'd too; for I muft be
A party in this alteration, finding
Myself thus alter'd with it.

Cam. There is a fickness,

Which puts fome of us in diftemper; but
I cannot name the disease, and it is caught
Of you that yet are well.

Pol. How caught of me?

Make me not fighted like the bafilifk.

I've look'd on thousands, who have sped the better By my regard, but kill'd none fa. Camillo,

As you are certainly a gentleman,

Clerk

Clerk-like experienc'd (which no less adorns
Our gentry, than our parents' noble names,
In whofe fuccefs we are gentle ';) I befeech you,
If you know aught, which does behove my knowledge
Thereof to be inform'd, imprifon't not

In ignorant concealment.

Cam. I may not answer.

5

Pol. A ficknefs caught of me, and yet I well?
I must be answer'd. Doft thou hear, Camillo,
I conjure thee by all the parts of man,

Which honour does acknowledge (whereof the leaft
Is not this fuit of mine), that thou declare,
What incidency thou doft guess of harm

Is creeping towards me; how far off, how near
Which way to be prevented, if it be ;

If not, how best to bear it.

Cam. Sir, I'll tell you.

Since I am charg'd in honour, and by him
That I think honourable; therefore, mark my counsel;
Which must be ev'n as swiftly follow'd, as

I mean to utter it; or both yourself and me

Cry loft, and fo good night.

Pol. On, good Camillo.

Cam. I am appointed Him to murder you.
Pol. By whom, Camillo ?

Cam. By the King.

Pol. For what?

Cam. He thinks, nay, with all confidence he fwears, As he had feen't, or been an inftrument

To vice you to't', that you have toucht his Queen Forbiddenly.

Pol. Oh, then, my best blood turn To an infected gelly, and my name

5 In whofe fuccefs awe are gentle; I know not whether fuccefs here does not mean fucceffion.

6 To vice you to't,-1 i. e. to draw, perfuade you. The character called the Vice, in the old plays, was the Tempter to evil. WARBURTON.

Be

Be yok'd with his, that did betray the best!
Turn then my freshest reputation to

A favour, that may ftrike the dulleft noftril
Where I arrive; and my approach be fhunn'd,
Nay, hated too, worse than the great'ft infection
That e'er was heard, or read!

Cam. Swear this though over 7,

By each particular star in heaven, and
By all their influences; you may as well
Forbid the fea for to obey the moon,
As or by oath remove, or counsel shake,
The fabrick of his folly; whofe foundation
Is pil'd upon his faith, and will continue
The standing of his body.

[ocr errors]

Pol. How fhall this grow?

Cam. I know not; but, I'm fure, 'tis fafer to
Avoid what's grown, than question how 'tis born.
If therefore you dare truft my honefty,
That lies inclosed in this trunk, which you
Shall bear long impawn'd, away to night;
Your followers I will whifper to the business;
And will by twos and threes, at feveral pofterns,
Clear them o'th' city. For myfelf, I'll put
My fortunes to your fervice, which are here
By this discovery loft. Be not uncertain
For by the honour of my parents, I

[ocr errors]

Have utter'd truth; which if you seek to prove,
I dare not stand by; nor fhall you be safer,
Than one condemned by the King's own mouth;

[blocks in formation]

Thereon his execution fworn.

Pol. I do believe thee:

I saw his heart in's face.

Give me thy hand;

Be pilot to me, and thy places fhall

Still neighbour mine. My fhips are ready, and
My people did expect my hence departure
Two days ago. This jealousy

Is for a precious creature; as fhe's rare,
Muft it be great; and, as his perfon's mighty,
Muft it be violent; and, as he does conceive
He is dishonour'd by a man, which ever
Profefs'd to him; why, his revenges must
In that be made more bitter.

Fear o'er-fhades me:

Good expedition be my friend, and comfort

The gracious Queen's; part of his theam, but nothingOf his ill-ta'en fufpicion! Come, Camillo,

I will refpect thee as a father, if

Thou bear'ft my life off hence. Let us avoid.
Cam. It is in mine authority to command

The keys of all the pofterns: please your Highness,
To take the urgent hour. Come, Sir, away. [Exeunt.

[blocks in formation]
« PredošláPokračovať »