PAUL. Well, be it fo, pr'ythee. [Exit Keeper. Here's fuch ado to make no ftain a ftain,

As paffes colouring.

Re-enter Keeper, with EMILIA.

Dear gentlewoman, how fares our gracious lady?
EMIL. As well as one fo great, and fo forlorn,
May hold together: On her frights, and griefs,
(Which never tender lady hath borne greater,)
She is, fomething before her time, deliver'd.
PAUL. A boy?

EMIL.

A daughter; and a goodly babe,
Lufty, and like to live: the queen receivès
Much comfort in't: fays, My poor prisoner,

I am innocent as you.

I dare be fworn :-

PAUL.
These dangerous unfafe lunes o'the king! beshrew

them!

8

He must be told on't, and he fhall: the office
Becomes a woman beft; I'll take't upon me:
If I prove honey-mouth'd, let my tongue blifter;
And never to my red-look'd anger be
The trumpet any more: -Pray you, Emilia,

8 Thefe dangerous unfafe lunes o' the king!] I have no where, but in our author, observed this word adopted in our tongue, to fignify, frenzy, lunacy. But it is a mode of expreffion with the French.Il y a de la lune : (i. e. he has got the moon in his head; he is frantick.) Cotgrave. "Lune, folie. Les femmes ont des lunes dans Richelet." THEOBALD.

la tête.

A fimilar expreffion occurs in The Revenger's Tragedy, 1608 : "I know 'twas but fome peevish moon in him." Again, in As you like it, A& III. fc. ii: At which time would I, being but a moonish youth," &c. STEEVENS.

The old copy has the king. This flight correction was made by Mr. Steevens.

MALONE.

Commend my beft obedience to the queen;
If fhe dares truft me with her little babe,
I'll fhow't the king, and undertake to be
Her advocate to th' loudeft: We do not know
How he may foften at the fight o'the child;
The filence often of pure innocence
Perfuades, when speaking fails.

EMIL.

Moft worthy madam,

Your honour, and your goodnefs, is fo evident, That your free undertaking cannot miss

A thriving iffue; there is no lady living,

So meet for this great errand: Pleafe your ladyfhip To vifit the next room, I'll presently

Acquaint the queen of your moft noble offer;
Who, but to-day, hammer'd of this defign;
But durft not tempta minifler of honour,
Left fhe fhould be denied.

PAUL.

Tell her, Emilia,

I'll ufe that tongue I have: if wit flow from it,
As boldnefs from my bofom, let it not be doubted
I fhall do good.

EMIL.

Now be you bleft for it! I'll to the queen: Pleafe you, come fomething

nearer.

KEEP.Madam,if'tpleafe the queen to fend the babe, I know not what I fhall incur, to pass it,

Having no warrant.

PAUL.

You need not fear it, fir:
The child was prifoner to the womb; and is,
By law and procefs of great nature, thence
Free'd and enfranchis'd: not a party to
The anger of the king; nor guilty of,
If any be, the trefpafs of the queen.

KEEP. I do believe it.

PAUL.

Do not you fear: upon

Mine honour, I will ftand 'twixt you and danger.

SCENE III.

The fame. A Room in the Palace.

[Exeunt.

Enter LEONTES, ANTIGONUS, Lords, and other
Attendants.

LEON. Nor night, nor day, no reft: It is but
weakness

To bear the matter thus; mere weakness, if
The cause were not in being;-part o'the cause,
She, the adultrefs;-for the harlot king
Is quite beyond mine arın, out of the blank
And level of my brain, plot-proof: but she
I can hook to me: Say, that fhe were gone,
Given to the fire, a moiety of my rest

4

Might come to me again.

1. ATTEN.

Who's there?

My lord? [advancing.

LEON. How does the boy?

1. ATTEN.

He took good reft to-night;

'Tis hop'd, his fickness is discharg❜d.

4

out of the blank

And level of my brain,] Beyond the aim of any attempt that I can make against him. Blank and level are terms of archery.

JOHNSON.

Blank and level, mean mark and aim; but they are terms of gunnery, bot of archery. DOUCE.

So, in King Henry VII:

I ftood i'th' level

LEON.

His nobleness!

To fee,

Conceiving the difhonour of his mother,
He straight declin'd, droop'd, took it deeply;
Faften'd and fix'd the fhame on't in himself;
Threw off his spirit, his appetite, his fleep,
And down-right languifh'd.-Leave me folely: 5
go,
See how he fares. Exit Attend.]-Fie, fie!
thought of him;-

6

no

The very thought of my revenges that way
Recoil upon me: in himself too mighty;
And in his parties, his alliance, — Let him be,
Until a time may ferve: for prefent vengeance,
Take it on her. Camillo and Polixenes
Laugh at me; make their pastime at my forrow:
They should not laugh, if I could reach them; nor
Shall fhe, within my power.

Enter PAULINA, with a Child.

1. LORD.

You must not enter.

PAUL. Nay, father, 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.

Leave me folely:] That is, leave me alone. M. MASON. 6 The very thought of my revenges that way

Recoil upon me in himself too mighty;

And in his parties, his alliance, So, in Doraftus and Fawnia: "Pandofto, although he felt that revenge was a fpur to warre, and that envy alwayes proffereth fteele, yet he faw Egifthus was not only of great puiflance and proweffe to with ftand him, but also had many kings of his alliance to ayd him, if need fhould ferve; for he mar ried the Emperor of Ruffia's daughter. " Our author, it is obferv. able, whether from forgetfulness or defign, has made this lady the wife (not of Egifthus, the Polixenes of this play, but) of Leontes.

MALONE.

ANT.

That's enough.

1. ATTEN. Madam, he hath not flept to-night;

commanded

None 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 needless heavings,-—such as you
Nourish the cause of his awaking: I

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

LEON.

What noise there, ho?

PAUL. No noife, my lord; but needful conference, About fome goffips for your highness.

LEON.

How?
Away with that audacious lady: Antigonus,
I charg'd thee, that she should not come about me;
I knew, fhe would.

ANT.

I told her fo, my lord,

On your displeasure's peril, and on mine,
She should not vifit you.

LEON.

:

What, canst not rule her?
PAUL. From all difhonefty, he can in this,
(Unless he take the courfe that you have done,
Commit me, for committing honour,) truft it,
He shall not rule me.

ANT.

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

PAUL.

Lo you now; you hear!

Good my liege, I come,

And, I beseech you, hear me, who profefs?

who profefs-] Old copy-profeffes. STEEVENS,

F 2

of Leon

MALON