Shakespeare's First Folio Part 241

Her. Nay, but you will?

Pol. I may not verely

Her. Verely?

You put me off with limber Vowes: but I, Though you would seek t' vnsphere the Stars with Oaths, Should yet say, Sir, no going: Verely You shall not goe; a Ladyes Verely 'is As potent as a Lords. Will you goe yet?

Force me to keepe you as a Prisoner, Not like a Guest: so you shall pay your Fees When you depart, and saue your Thanks. How say you?

My Prisoner? or my Guest? by your dread Verely, One of them you shall be

Pol. Your Guest then, Madame: To be your Prisoner, should import offending; Which is for me, lesse easie to commit, Then you to punish

Her. Not your Gaoler then, But your kind Hostesse. Come, Ile question you Of my Lords Tricks, and yours, when you were Boyes: You were pretty Lordings then?

Pol. We were (faire Queene) Two Lads, that thought there was no more behind, But such a day to morrow, as to day, And to be Boy eternall

Her. Was not my Lord The veryer Wag o'th' two?

Pol. We were as twyn'd Lambs, that did frisk i'th' Sun, And bleat the one at th' other: what we chang'd, Was Innocence, for Innocence: we knew not The Doctrine of ill-doing, nor dream'd That any did: Had we pursu'd that life, And our weake Spirits ne're been higher rear'd With stronger blood, we should haue answer'd Heauen Boldly, not guilty; the Imposition clear'd, Hereditarie ours

Her. By this we gather You haue tript since

Pol. O my most sacred Lady, Temptations haue since then been borne to's: for In those vnfledg'd dayes, was my Wife a Girle; Your precious selfe had then not cross'd the eyes Of my young Play-fellow

Her. Grace to boot: Of this make no conclusion, least you say Your Queene and I are Deuils: yet goe on, Th' offences we haue made you doe, wee'le answere, If you first sinn'd with vs: and that with vs You did continue fault; and that you slipt not With any, but with vs

Leo. Is he woon yet?

Her. Hee'le stay (my Lord.) Leo. At my request, he would not: Hermione (my dearest) thou neuer spoak'st To better purpose

Her. Neuer?

Leo. Neuer, but once

Her. What? haue I twice said well? when was't before?

I prethee tell me: cram's with prayse, and make's As fat as tame things: One good deed, dying tonguelesse, Slaughters a thousand, wayting vpon that.

Our prayses are our Wages. You may ride's With one soft Kisse a thousand Furlongs, ere With Spur we heat an Acre. But to th' Goale: My last good deed, was to entreat his stay.

What was my first? it ha's an elder Sister, Or I mistake you: O, would her Name were Grace.

But once before I spoke to th' purpose? when?

Nay, let me haue't: I long

Leo. Why, that was when Three crabbed Moneths had sowr'd themselues to death, Ere I could make thee open thy white Hand: A clap thy selfe, my Loue; then didst thou vtter, I am yours for euer

Her. 'Tis Grace indeed.

Why lo-you now; I haue spoke to th' purpose twice: The one, for euer earn'd a Royall Husband; Th' other, for some while a Friend

Leo. Too hot, too hot: To mingle friendship farre, is mingling bloods.

I haue Tremor Cordis on me: my heart daunces, But not for ioy; not ioy. This Entertainment May a free face put on: deriue a Libertie From Heartinesse, from Bountie, fertile Bosome, And well become the Agent: 't may; I graunt: But to be padling Palmes, and pinching Fingers, As now they are, and making practis'd Smiles As in a Looking-Gla.s.se; and then to sigh, as 'twere The Mort o'th' Deere: oh, that is entertainment My Bosome likes not, nor my Browes. Mamillius, Art thou my Boy?

Mam. I, my good Lord

Leo. I'f.e.c.ks: Why that's my Bawc.o.c.k: what? has't s.m.u.tch'd thy Nose?

They say it is a Coppy out of mine. Come Captaine, We must be neat; not neat, but cleanly, Captaine: And yet the Steere, the Heycfer, and the Calfe, Are all call'd Neat. Still Virginalling Vpon his Palme? How now (you wanton Calfe) Art thou my Calfe?

Mam. Yes, if you will (my Lord.) Leo. Thou want'st a rough pash, & the shoots that I haue To be full, like me: yet they say we are Almost as like as Egges; Women say so, (That will say any thing.) But were they false As o're-dy'd Blacks, as Wind, as Waters; false As Dice are to be wish'd, by one that fixes No borne 'twixt his and mine; yet were it true, To say this Boy were like me. Come (Sir Page) Looke on me with your Welkin eye: sweet Villaine, Most dear'st, my Collop: Can thy Dam, may't be Affection? thy Intention stabs the Center.

Thou do'st make possible things not so held, Communicat'st with Dreames (how can this be?) With what's vnreall: thou coactiue art, And fellow'st nothing. Then 'tis very credent, Thou may'st co-ioyne with something, and thou do'st, (And that beyond Commission) and I find it, (And that to the infection of my Braines, And hardning of my Browes.) Pol. What meanes Sicilia?

Her. He something seemes vnsetled

Pol. How? my Lord?

Leo. What cheere? how is't with you, best Brother?

Her. You look as if you held a Brow of much distraction: Are you mou'd (my Lord?) Leo. No, in good earnest.

How sometimes Nature will betray it's folly?

It's tendernesse? and make it selfe a Pastime To harder bosomes? Looking on the Lynes Of my Boyes face, me thoughts I did requoyle Twentie three yeeres, and saw my selfe vn-breech'd, In my greene Veluet Coat; my Dagger muzzel'd, Least it should bite it's Master, and so proue (As Ornaments oft do's) too dangerous: How like (me thought) I then was to this Kernell, This Squash, this Gentleman. Mine honest Friend, Will you take Egges for Money?

Mam. No (my Lord) Ile fight

Leo. You will: why happy man be's dole. My Brother Are you so fond of your young Prince, as we Doe seeme to be of ours?

Pol. If at home (Sir) He's all my Exercise, my Mirth, my Matter; Now my sworne Friend, and then mine Enemy; My Parasite, my Souldier: States-man; all: He makes a Iulyes day, short as December, And with his varying childnesse, cures in me Thoughts, that would thick my blood

Leo. So stands this Squire Offic'd with me: We two will walke (my Lord) And leaue you to your grauer steps. Hermione, How thou lou'st vs, shew in our Brothers welcome; Let what is deare in Sicily, be cheape: Next to thy selfe, and my young Rouer, he's Apparant to my heart

Her. If you would seeke vs, We are yours i'th' Garden: shall's attend you there?

Leo. To your owne bents dispose you: you'le be found, Be you beneath the Sky: I am angling now, (Though you perceiue me not how I giue Lyne) Goe too, goe too.

How she holds vp the Neb? the Byll to him?

And armes her with the boldnesse of a Wife To her allowing Husband. Gone already, Ynch-thick, knee-deepe; ore head and eares a fork'd one.

Goe play (Boy) play: thy Mother playes, and I Play too; but so disgrac'd a part, whose issue Will hisse me to my Graue: Contempt and Clamor Will be my Knell. Goe play (Boy) play, there haue been (Or I am much deceiu'd) Cuckolds ere now, And many a man there is (euen at this present, Now, while I speake this) holds his Wife by th' Arme, That little thinkes she ha's been sluyc'd in's absence, And his Pond fish'd by his next Neighbor (by Sir Smile, his Neighbor:) nay, there's comfort in't, Whiles other men haue Gates, and those Gates open'd (As mine) against their will. Should all despaire That haue reuolted Wiues, the tenth of Mankind Would hang themselues. Physick for't, there's none: It is a bawdy Planet, that will strike Where 'tis predominant; and 'tis powrefull: thinke it: From East, West, North, and South, be it concluded, No Barricado for a Belly. Know't, It will let in and out the Enemy, With bag and baggage: many thousand on's Haue the Disease, and feele't not. How now Boy?

Mam. I am like you say

Leo. Why, that's some comfort.

What? Camillo there?

Cam. I, my good Lord

Leo. Goe play (Mamillius) thou'rt an honest man: Camillo, this great Sir will yet stay longer

Cam. You had much adoe to make his Anchor hold, When you cast out, it still came home

Leo. Didst note it?

Cam. He would not stay at your Pet.i.tions, made His Businesse more materiall

Leo. Didst perceiue it?

They're here with me already; whisp'ring, rounding: Sicilia is a so-forth: 'tis farre gone, When I shall gust it last. How cam't (Camillo) That he did stay?

Cam. At the good Queenes entreatie

Leo. At the Queenes be't: Good should be pertinent, But so it is, it is not. Was this taken By any vnderstanding Pate but thine?

For thy Conceit is soaking, will draw in More then the common Blocks. Not noted, is't, But of the finer Natures? by some Seueralls Of Head-peece extraordinarie? Lower Messes Perchance are to this Businesse purblind? say

Cam. Businesse, my Lord? I thinke most vnderstand Bohemia stayes here longer

Leo. Ha?

Cam. Stayes here longer

Leo. I, but why?

Cam. To satisfie your Highnesse, and the Entreaties Of our most gracious Mistresse

Leo. Satisfie?

Th' entreaties of your Mistresse? Satisfie?

Let that suffice. I haue trusted thee (Camillo) With all the neerest things to my heart, as well My Chamber-Councels, wherein (Priest-like) thou Hast cleans'd my Bosome: I, from thee departed Thy Penitent reform'd: but we haue been Deceiu'd in thy Integritie, deceiu'd In that which seemes so