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Shall fhe, within my power.

Enter PAULINA, with a Child.

I LORD. You must not enter.

PAUL. Nay, rather, good my lords, be fecond to me: Fear you his tyrannous paffion more, alas,

Than the queen's life? a gracious innocent foul;

More free, than he is jealous.

ANT. That's enough.

[manded

I ATTEN. Madam, he hath not flept to-night; comNone fhould come at him.

PAUL. Not fo hot, good fir;

I come to bring him fleep. 'Tis fuch as you,→
That creep like fhadows by him, and do figh
At each his needlefs heavings, such as you
Nourish the cause of his awaking: I

Do come with words as med'cinal as true;
Honest, as either; to purge him of that humour,
That preffes him from sleep.

LEON. What noise there, ho?

PAUL. No noise, my lord; but needful conference, About fome goflips for your highness.

LEON. HOW?.

Away with that audacious lady: Antigonus,

I charg'd thee, that the fhould not come about me ;
I knew, fhe would.

ANT. I told her so, my lord,

On your displeasure's peril, and on mine,

She should not vifit you.

LEON. What, canft not rule her?

PAUL. From all dishonesty, he can in this, (Unless he take the course that you have done, Commit me, for committing honour,) truft it, He shall not rule me.

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ANT, Lo you now; you hear!

When she will take the rein, I let her run;
But fhe'll not stumble.

PAUL. Good my liege, I come,—

And, I beseech you, hear me, who profess
Myself your loyal servant, your physician,
Your most obedient counsellor; yet that dare
Lefs appear fo, in comforting your evils,
Than such as most seem yours :—I say, I come
From your good queen.

LEON. Good queen!

[queen;

PAUL. Good queen, my lord, good queen: I fay, good And would by combat make her good, fo were I A man, the worst about you.

LEON. Force her hence.

PAUL. Let him, that makes but trifles of his eyes,
First hand me: on mine own accord, I'll off;
But, first, I'll do my errand. The good queen,
For fhe is good, hath brought you forth a daughter;
Here 'tis ; commends it to your bleffing.

LEON. Out!

[Laying down the child.

A mankind witch! Hence with her, out o'door:

A most intelligencing bawd!

PAUL. Not fo:

I am as ignorant of that, as you

In fo entitling me: and no lefs honeft

Than you are mad; which is enough, I'll warrant,
As this world goes, to pafs for honest.

LEON. Traitors!

Will you not push her out? Give her the bastard :

Thou, dotard, [To ANTIGONUS.] thou art woman-tir'd,

unroofted

By thy dame Partlet here,-take up the bastard;

Take't up, I fay; give't to thy crone

PAUL. For ever

Unvenerable be thy hands, if thou

Tak'ft up the princefs, by that forced bafenefs

Which he has put upon't!

LEON. He dreads his wife.

PAUL. SO, I would, you did; then, 'twere paft all doubt, You'd call your children yours.

LEON. A neft of traitors!

ANT. I am none, by this good light.

PAUL. Nor I; nor any,

But one, that's here; and that's himself: for he
The facred honour of himself, his queen's,

His hopeful fon's, his babe's, betrays to flander,

Whofe fting is sharper than the fword's; and will not (For, as the cafe now ftands, it is a curfe

He cannot be compell'd to't,) once remove
The root of his opinion, which is rotten,
As ever oak, or ftone, was found.

LEON. A callat,

Of boundless tongue; who late hath beat her husband,

And now baits me!

That brat is none of mine;

It is the iffue of Polixenes :

Hence with it; and, together with the dam,

Commit them to the fire.

PAUL. It is yours;

And, might we lay the old proverb to your charge,
So like you, 'tis the worse.-Behold, my lords,
Although the print be little, the whole matter
And copy of the father: eye, nose, lip,

The trick of his frown, his forehead; nay, the valley,

The pretty dimples of his chin, and cheek; his fmiles ;

The very mould and frame of hand, nail, finger
And, thou, good goddess nature, which haft made it
So like to him that got it, if thou haft

The ordering of the mind too, 'mongst all colours
No yellow in't; left fhe fufpect, as he does,

Her children not her husband's!

LEON. A grofs hag!—

And, lozel, thou art worthy to be hang'd,
That wilt not stay her tongue.

ANT. Hang all the hufbands,

That cannot do that feat, you'll leave yourself
Hardly one fubject.

LEON. Once more, take her hence.

PAUL. A most unworthy and unnatural lord

Can do no more.

LEON. I'll have thee burn'd.

PAUL. I care not:

It is an heretick, that makes

the fire,

Not fhe, which burns in't. I'll not call

I'll not call you tyrant;

But this most cruel ufage of your queen (Not able to produce more accufation

Than your own weak-hing'd fancy,) fomething favours
Of tyranny, and will ignoble make you,
Yea, fcandalous to the world.

LEON. On your allegiance,
Out of the chamber with her,

Were I a tyrant,

Where were her life? fhe durft not call me fo,

If she did know me one. Away with her.

PAUL. I pray you do not push me; I'll be gone. Look to your babe, my lord; 'tis yours: Jove fend her A better guiding spirit !-What need these hands?— You, that are thus fo tender o'er his follies,

Will never do him good, not one of

you.

So, foFarewell; we are gone.

[Exit.

LEON. Thou, traitor, hast set on thy wife to this.— My child? away with't!-even thou, that haft

A heart so tender o'er it, take it hence,

And see it instantly confum'd with fire;

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Even thou, and none but thou. Take it up ftraight :
Within this hour bring me word 'tis done,
(And by good teftimony,) or I'll feize thy life,
With what thou else call'ft thine: If thou refuse,
And wilt encounter with my wrath, say fo;
The baftard brains with these my proper hands
Shall I dash out. Go, take it to the fire;
For thou fett'ft on thy wife.

ANT. I did not, fir:

These lords, my noble fellows, if they please,
Can clear me in't.

I LORD. We can; my royal liege,

He is not guilty of her coming hither.
LEON. You are liars all.

I LORD. 'Beseech your highness, give us better credit:
We have always truly ferv'd you; and beseech
So to esteem of us: And on our knees we beg,
(As recompence of our dear fervices,

Paft, and to come,) that you do change this purpose;
Which, being fo horrible, fo bloody, must

Lead on to fome foul issue: We all kneel.

LEON. I am a feather for each wind that blows:

Shall I live on, to fee this baftard kneel

And call me father?

Than curfe it then.
It shall not neither.

Better burn it now,
But, be it; let it live:
You, fir, come you hither;
[TO ANTIGONUS.

You, that have been so tenderly officious

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