Act IV · Scene II
Bohemia. The palace of POLIXENES.
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Enter POLIXENES and CAMILLO
POLIXENES
I pray thee, good Camillo, be no more importunate:'tis a sickness denying thee any thing; a death togrant this.
CAMILLO
It is fifteen years since I saw my country: thoughI have for the most part been aired abroad, Idesire to lay my bones there. Besides, the penitentking, my master, hath sent for me; to whose feelingsorrows I might be some allay, or I o'erween tothink so, which is another spur to my departure.
POLIXENES
As thou lovest me, Camillo, wipe not out the rest ofthy services by leaving me now: the need I have ofthee thine own goodness hath made; better not tohave had thee than thus to want thee: thou, havingmade me businesses which none without thee cansufficiently manage, must either stay to executethem thyself or take away with thee the veryservices thou hast done; which if I have not enoughconsidered, as too much I cannot, to be morethankful to thee shall be my study, and my profittherein the heaping friendships. Of that fatalcountry, Sicilia, prithee speak no more; whose verynaming punishes me with the remembrance of thatpenitent, as thou callest him, and reconciled king,my brother; whose loss of his most precious queenand children are even now to be afresh lamented.Say to me, when sawest thou the Prince Florizel, myson? Kings are no less unhappy, their issue notbeing gracious, than they are in losing them whenthey have approved their virtues.
CAMILLO
Sir, it is three days since I saw the prince. Whathis happier affairs may be, are to me unknown: but Ihave missingly noted, he is of late much retiredfrom court and is less frequent to his princelyexercises than formerly he hath appeared.
POLIXENES
I have considered so much, Camillo, and with somecare; so far that I have eyes under my service whichlook upon his removedness; from whom I have thisintelligence, that he is seldom from the house of amost homely shepherd; a man, they say, that fromvery nothing, and beyond the imagination of hisneighbours, is grown into an unspeakable estate.
CAMILLO
I have heard, sir, of such a man, who hath adaughter of most rare note: the report of her isextended more than can be thought to begin from such a cottage.
POLIXENES
That's likewise part of my intelligence; but, Ifear, the angle that plucks our son thither. Thoushalt accompany us to the place; where we will, notappearing what we are, have some question with theshepherd; from whose simplicity I think it notuneasy to get the cause of my son's resort thither.Prithee, be my present partner in this business, andlay aside the thoughts of Sicilia.
CAMILLO
I willingly obey your command.
POLIXENES
My best Camillo! We must disguise ourselves.
Exeunt