William Shakespeare - The Winter’s Tale

With stronger blood, we should have answer’d heaven

Boldly ‘Not guilty’, the imposition clear’d

Hereditary ours.

Hermione

By this we gather

You have tripp’d since.

Polixenes

Temptations have since then been born to ’s, for

In those unfledg’d days was my wife a girl;

Your precious self had then not cross’d the eyes

Of my young playfellow.

Hermione

Grace to boot!

Your queen and I are devils. Yet, go on;

Th’ offences we have made you do we’ll answer,

If you first sinn’d with us, and that with us

You did continue fault, and that you slipp’d not

With any but with us.

Leontes

Hermione

He’ll stay, my lord.

Leontes

At my request he would not.

Hermione, my dearest, thou never spok’st

To better purpose.

Hermione

Never?

Leontes

Never but once.

Hermione

What! Have I twice said well? When was’t before?

As fat as tame things. One good deed dying tongueless

Slaughters a thousand waiting upon that.

Our praises are our wages; you may ride’s

With one soft kiss a thousand furlongs ere

My last good deed was to entreat his stay;

What was my first? It has an elder sister,

Or I mistake you. O, would her name were Grace!

But once before I spoke to th’ purpose – When?

Leontes

Why, that was when

Three crabbed months had sour’d themselves to death,

Ere I could make thee open thy white hand

And clap thyself my love; then didst thou utter

‘I am yours for ever’.

Hermione

Why, lo you now, I have spoke to th’ purpose twice:

The one for ever earn’d a royal husband;

Th’ other for some while a friend.

[Giving her hand to POLIXENES .]

Leontes

[Aside] Too hot, too hot!

To mingle friendship far is mingling bloods.

But not for joy, not joy. This entertainment

May a free face put on; derive a liberty

From heartiness, from bounty, fertile bosom,

And well become the agent. ’T may, I grant;

As now they are, and making practis’d smiles

As in a looking-glass; and then to sigh, as ’twere

The mort o’ th’ deer. O, that is entertainment

My bosom likes not, nor my brows! Mamillius,

Art thou my boy?

Mamillius

Ay, my good lord.

Leontes

Why, that’s my bawcock. What! hast smutch’d thy nose?

They say it is a copy out of mine. Come, Captain,

We must be neat – not neat, but cleanly, Captain.

And yet the steer, the heifer, and the calf,

Upon his palm? – How now, you wanton calf,

Art thou my calf?

Mamillius

Yes, if you will, my lord.

Leontes

Thou want’st a rough pash and the shoots that I have,

To be full like me; yet they say we are

That will say any thing. But were they false

As o’er-dy’d blacks, as wind, as waters – false

As dice are to be wish’d by one that fixes

No bourn ’twixt his and mine; yet were it true

Look on me with your welkin eye. Sweet villain!

Most dear’st! my collop! Can thy dam? – may’t be?

Affection! thy intention stabs the centre.

Thou dost make possible things not so held,

With what’s unreal thou coactive art,

And fellow’st nothing. Then ’tis very credent

Thou mayst co-join with something; and thou dost –

And that beyond commission; and I find it,

And hard’ning of my brows.

Polixenes

What means Sicilia?

Hermione

He something seems unsettled.

Polixenes

How, my lord!

What cheer? How is’t with you, best brother?

Hermione

You look

As if you held a brow of much distraction.

Are you mov’d, my lord?

Leontes

How sometimes nature will betray its folly,

Its tenderness, and make itself a pastime

To harder bosoms! Looking on the lines

Of my boy’s face, me thoughts I did recoil

In my green velvet coat; my dagger muzzl’d,

Lest it should bite its master and so prove,

As ornaments oft do, too dangerous.

How like, methought, I then was to this kernel,

Will you take eggs for money?

Mamillius

No, my lord, I’ll fight.

Leontes

You will? Why, happy man be’s dole! My brother,

Are you so fond of your young prince as we

Do seem to be of ours?

Polixenes

He’s all my exercise, my mirth, my matter;

Now my sworn friend, and then mine enemy;

My parasite, my soldier, statesman, all.

He makes a July’s day short as December,

Thoughts that would thick my blood.

Leontes

So stands this squire

Offic’d with me. We two will walk, my lord,

And leave you to your graver steps. Hermione,

How thou lov’st us show in our brother’s welcome;

Next to thyself and my young rover, he’s

Apparent to my heart.

Hermione

If you would seek us,

We are yours i’ th’ garden. Shall’s attend you there?

Leontes

To your own bents dispose you; you’ll be found,

Though you perceive me not how I give line.

Go to, go to!

How she holds up the neb, the bill to him!

And arms her with the boldness of a wife

To her allowing husband!

[Exeunt POLIXENES , HERMIONE , and Attendants.]

Inch-thick, knee-deep, o’er head and ears a fork’d one!

Go, play, boy, play; thy mother plays, and I

Play too; but so disgrac’d a part, whose issue

Will hiss me to my grave. Contempt and clamour

Or I am much deceiv’d, cuckolds ere now;