Winter's Tale — Act 2, Scene 3 · Shakespeare for Bharat

LEONTES

Nor night nor day no rest: it is but weaknessTo bear the matter thus; mere weakness. IfThe cause were not in being,--part o' the cause,She the adulteress; for the harlot kingIs quite beyond mine arm, out of the blankAnd level of my brain, plot-proof; but sheI can hook to me: say that she were gone,Given to the fire, a moiety of my restMight come to me again. Who's there?

First Servant

My lord?

LEONTES

How does the boy?

First Servant

He took good rest to-night;'Tis hoped his sickness is discharged.

LEONTES

To see his nobleness!Conceiving the dishonour of his mother,He straight declined, droop'd, took it deeply,Fasten'd and fix'd the shame on't in himself,Threw off his spirit, his appetite, his sleep,And downright languish'd. Leave me solely: go,See how he fares.

LEONTES

Fie, fie! no thought of him:The thought of my revenges that wayRecoil upon me: in himself too mighty,And in his parties, his alliance; let him beUntil a time may serve: for present vengeance,Take it on her. Camillo and PolixenesLaugh at me, make their pastime at my sorrow:They should not laugh if I could reach them, norShall she within my power.

First Lord

You must not enter.

PAULINA

Nay, rather, good my lords, be second to me:Fear you his tyrannous passion more, alas,Than the queen's life? a gracious innocent soul,More free than he is jealous.

ANTIGONUS

That's enough.

Second Servant

Madam, he hath not slept tonight; commandedNone should come at him.

PAULINA

Not so hot, good sir:I come to bring him sleep. 'Tis such as you,That creep like shadows by him and do sighAt each his needless heavings, such as youNourish the cause of his awaking: IDo come with words as medicinal as true,Honest as either, to purge him of that humourThat presses him from sleep.

LEONTES

What noise there, ho?

PAULINA

No noise, my lord; but needful conferenceAbout some gossips for your highness.

LEONTES

How!Away with that audacious lady! Antigonus,I charged thee that she should not come about me:I knew she would.

ANTIGONUS

I told her so, my lord,On your displeasure's peril and on mine,She should not visit you.

LEONTES

What, canst not rule her?

PAULINA

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

ANTIGONUS

La you now, you hear:When she will take the rein I let her run;But she'll not stumble.

PAULINA

Good my liege, I come;And, I beseech you, hear me, who professMyself your loyal servant, your physician,Your most obedient counsellor, yet that dareLess appear so in comforting your evils,Than such as most seem yours: I say, I comeFrom your good queen.

LEONTES

Good queen!

PAULINA

Good queen, my lord,Good queen; I say good queen;And would by combat make her good, so were IA man, the worst about you.

LEONTES

Force her hence.

PAULINA

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

LEONTES

Out!A mankind witch! Hence with her, out o' door:A most intelligencing bawd!

PAULINA

Not so:I am as ignorant in that as youIn so entitling me, and no less honestThan you are mad; which is enough, I'll warrant,As this world goes, to pass for honest.

LEONTES

Traitors!Will you not push her out? Give her the bastard.Thou dotard! thou art woman-tired, unroostedBy thy dame Partlet here. Take up the bastard;Take't up, I say; give't to thy crone.

PAULINA

For everUnvenerable be thy hands, if thouTakest up the princess by that forced basenessWhich he has put upon't!

LEONTES

He dreads his wife.

PAULINA

So I would you did; then 'twere past all doubtYou'ld call your children yours.

LEONTES

A nest of traitors!

ANTIGONUS

I am none, by this good light.

PAULINA

Nor I, nor anyBut one that's here, and that's himself, for heThe sacred honour of himself, his queen's,His hopeful son's, his babe's, betrays to slander,Whose sting is sharper than the sword's;and will not--For, as the case now stands, it is a curseHe cannot be compell'd to't--once removeThe root of his opinion, which is rottenAs ever oak or stone was sound.

LEONTES

A callatOf boundless tongue, who late hath beat her husbandAnd now baits me! This brat is none of mine;It is the issue of Polixenes:Hence with it, and together with the damCommit them to the fire!

PAULINA

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 matterAnd copy of the father, eye, nose, lip,The trick of's frown, his forehead, nay, the valley,The pretty dimples of his chin and cheek,His smiles,The very mould and frame of hand, nail, finger:And thou, good goddess Nature, which hast made itSo like to him that got it, if thou hastThe ordering of the mind too, 'mongst all coloursNo yellow in't, lest she suspect, as he does,Her children not her husband's!

LEONTES

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

ANTIGONUS

Hang all the husbandsThat cannot do that feat, you'll leave yourselfHardly one subject.

LEONTES

Once more, take her hence.

PAULINA

A most unworthy and unnatural lordCan do no more.

LEONTES

I'll ha' thee burnt.

PAULINA

I care not:It is an heretic that makes the fire,Not she which burns in't. I'll not call you tyrant;But this most cruel usage of your queen,Not able to produce more accusationThan your own weak-hinged fancy, something savoursOf tyranny and will ignoble make you,Yea, scandalous to the world.

LEONTES

On your allegiance,Out of the chamber with her! Were I a tyrant,Where were her life? she durst not call me so,If she did know me one. Away with her!

PAULINA

I pray you, do not push me; I'll be gone.Look to your babe, my lord; 'tis yours:Jove send herA better guiding spirit! What needs these hands?You, that are thus so tender o'er his follies,Will never do him good, not one of you.So, so: farewell; we are gone.

LEONTES

Thou, traitor, hast set on thy wife to this.My child? away with't! Even thou, that hastA heart so tender o'er it, take it henceAnd see it instantly consumed with fire;Even thou and none but thou. Take it up straight:Within this hour bring me word 'tis done,And by good testimony, or I'll seize thy life,With what thou else call'st thine. If thou refuseAnd wilt encounter with my wrath, say so;The bastard brains with these my proper handsShall I dash out. Go, take it to the fire;For thou set'st on thy wife.

ANTIGONUS

I did not, sir:These lords, my noble fellows, if they please,Can clear me in't.

Lords

We can: my royal liege,He is not guilty of her coming hither.

LEONTES

You're liars all.

First Lord

Beseech your highness, give us better credit:We have always truly served you, and beseech youSo to esteem of us, and on our knees we beg,As recompense of our dear servicesPast and to come, that you do change this purpose,Which being so horrible, so bloody, mustLead on to some foul issue: we all kneel.

LEONTES

I am a feather for each wind that blows:Shall I live on to see this bastard kneelAnd call me father? better burn it nowThan curse it then. But be it; let it live.It shall not neither. You, sir, come you hither;You that have been so tenderly officiousWith Lady Margery, your midwife there,To save this bastard's life,--for 'tis a bastard,So sure as this beard's grey,--what will you adventureTo save this brat's life?

ANTIGONUS

Any thing, my lord,That my ability may undergoAnd nobleness impose: at least thus much:I'll pawn the little blood which I have leftTo save the innocent: any thing possible.

LEONTES

It shall be possible. Swear by this swordThou wilt perform my bidding.

ANTIGONUS

I will, my lord.

LEONTES

Mark and perform it, see'st thou! for the failOf any point in't shall not only beDeath to thyself but to thy lewd-tongued wife,Whom for this time we pardon. We enjoin thee,As thou art liege-man to us, that thou carryThis female bastard hence and that thou bear itTo some remote and desert place quite outOf our dominions, and that there thou leave it,Without more mercy, to its own protectionAnd favour of the climate. As by strange fortuneIt came to us, I do in justice charge thee,On thy soul's peril and thy body's torture,That thou commend it strangely to some placeWhere chance may nurse or end it. Take it up.

ANTIGONUS

I swear to do this, though a present deathHad been more merciful. Come on, poor babe:Some powerful spirit instruct the kites and ravensTo be thy nurses! Wolves and bears, they sayCasting their savageness aside have doneLike offices of pity. Sir, be prosperousIn more than this deed does require! And blessingAgainst this cruelty fight on thy side,Poor thing, condemn'd to loss!

LEONTES

No, I'll not rearAnother's issue.

Servant

Please your highness, postsFrom those you sent to the oracle are comeAn hour since: Cleomenes and Dion,Being well arrived from Delphos, are both landed,Hasting to the court.

First Lord

So please you, sir, their speedHath been beyond account.

LEONTES

Twenty-three daysThey have been absent: 'tis good speed; foretellsThe great Apollo suddenly will haveThe truth of this appear. Prepare you, lords;Summon a session, that we may arraignOur most disloyal lady, for, as she hathBeen publicly accused, so shall she haveA just and open trial. While she livesMy heart will be a burthen to me. Leave me,And think upon my bidding.