The Winter's Tale by William Shakespeare (book club suggestions txt) 📖

it be dish'd For me to try how: all I know of it Is that Camillo was an honest man; And why he left your court, the gods themselves, Wotting no more than I, are ignorant.

LEONTES. You knew of his departure, as you know What you have underta'en to do in 's absence.

HERMIONE. Sir, You speak a language that I understand not: My life stands in the level of your dreams, Which I'll lay down.

LEONTES.
Your actions are my dreams; You had a bastard by Polixenes, And I but dream'd it: - as you were past all shame, - Those of your fact are so, - so past all truth: Which to deny concerns more than avails; for as Thy brat hath been cast out, like to itself, No father owning it, - which is, indeed, More criminal in thee than it, - so thou Shalt feel our justice; in whose easiest passage Look for no less than death.

HERMIONE.
Sir, spare your threats: The bug which you would fright me with, I seek. To me can life be no commodity: The crown and comfort of my life, your favour, I do give lost; for I do feel it gone, But know not how it went: my second joy, And first-fruits of my body, from his presence I am barr'd, like one infectious: my third comfort, Starr'd most unluckily, is from my breast, - The innocent milk in its most innocent mouth, - Hal'd out to murder: myself on every post Proclaim'd a strumpet; with immodest hatred The child-bed privilege denied, which 'longs To women of all fashion; lastly, hurried Here to this place, i' the open air, before I have got strength of limit. Now, my liege, Tell me what blessings I have here alive, That I should fear to die. Therefore proceed. But yet hear this; mistake me not; - no life, - I prize it not a straw, - but for mine honour (Which I would free), if I shall be condemn'd Upon surmises - all proofs sleeping else, But what your jealousies awake - I tell you 'Tis rigour, and not law. - Your honours all, I do refer me to the oracle: Apollo be my judge!

FIRST LORD.
This your request Is altogether just: therefore, bring forth, And in Apollo's name, his oracle:

[Exeunt certain Officers.]

HERMIONE. The Emperor of Russia was my father; O that he were alive, and here beholding His daughter's trial! that he did but see The flatness of my misery; yet with eyes Of pity, not revenge!

[Re-enter OFFICERS, with CLEOMENES and DION.]

OFFICER. You here shall swear upon this sword of justice, That you, Cleomenes and Dion, have Been both at Delphos, and from thence have brought This seal'd-up oracle, by the hand deliver'd Of great Apollo's priest; and that since then, You have not dar'd to break the holy seal, Nor read the secrets in't.

CLEOMENES, DION.
All this we swear.

LEONTES. Break up the seals and read.

OFFICER. [Reads.] 'Hermione is chaste; Polixenes blameless; Camillo a true subject; Leontes a jealous tyrant; his innocent babe truly begotten; and the king shall live without an heir, if that which is lost be not found.'

LORDS. Now blessed be the great Apollo!

HERMIONE.
Praised!

LEONTES. Hast thou read truth?

OFFICER.
Ay, my lord; even so As it is here set down.

LEONTES. There is no truth at all i' the oracle: The sessions shall proceed: this is mere falsehood!

[Enter a Servant hastily.]

SERVANT. My lord the king, the king!

LEONTES.
What is the business?

SERVANT. O sir, I shall be hated to report it: The prince your son, with mere conceit and fear Of the queen's speed, is gone.

LEONTES.
How! gone?

SERVANT.
Is dead.

LEONTES. Apollo's angry; and the heavens themselves Do strike at my injustice.

[HERMIONE faints.]

How now there!

PAULINA. This news is mortal to the queen: - Look down And see what death is doing.

LEONTES.
Take her hence: Her heart is but o'ercharg'd; she will recover. - I have too much believ'd mine own suspicion: - Beseech you tenderly apply to her Some remedies for life. -

[Exeunt PAULINA and Ladies with HERMIONE.]

Apollo, pardon My great profaneness 'gainst thine oracle! - I'll reconcile me to Polixenes; New woo my queen; recall the good Camillo - Whom I proclaim a man of truth, of mercy; For, being transported by my jealousies To bloody thoughts and to revenge, I chose Camillo for the minister to poison My friend Polixenes: which had been done, But that the good mind of Camillo tardied My swift command, though I with death and with Reward did threaten and encourage him, Not doing it and being done: he, most humane, And fill'd with honour, to my kingly guest Unclasp'd my practice; quit his fortunes here, Which you knew great; and to the certain hazard Of all incertainties himself commended, No richer than his honour: - how he glisters Thorough my rust! And how his piety Does my deeds make the blacker!

[Re-enter PAULINA.]

PAULINA.
Woe the while! O, cut my lace, lest my heart, cracking it, Break too!

FIRST LORD. What fit is this, good lady?

PAULINA. What studied torments, tyrant, hast for me? What wheels? racks? fires? what flaying? boiling In leads or oils? what old or newer torture Must I receive, whose every word deserves To taste of thy most worst? Thy tyranny Together working with thy jealousies, - Fancies too weak for boys, too green and idle For girls of nine, - O, think what they have done, And then run mad indeed, - stark mad! for all Thy by-gone fooleries were but spices of it. That thou betray'dst Polixenes, 'twas nothing; That did but show thee, of a fool, inconstant, And damnable ingrateful; nor was't much Thou wouldst have poison'd good Camillo's honour, To have him kill a king; poor trespasses, - More monstrous standing by: whereof I reckon The casting forth to crows thy baby daughter, To be or none or little, though a devil Would have shed water out of fire ere done't; Nor is't directly laid to thee, the death Of the young prince, whose honourable thoughts, - Thoughts high for one so tender, - cleft the heart That could conceive a gross and foolish sire Blemish'd his gracious dam: this is not, - no, Laid to thy answer: but the last, - O lords, When I have said, cry Woe! - the queen, the queen, The sweetest, dearest creature's dead; and vengeance for't Not dropp'd down yet.

FIRST LORD.
The higher powers forbid!

PAULINA. I say she's dead: I'll swear't. If word nor oath Prevail not, go and see: if you can bring Tincture, or lustre, in her lip, her eye, Heat outwardly or breath within, I'll serve you As I would do the gods. - But, O thou tyrant! Do not repent these things; for they are heavier Than all thy woes can stir; therefore betake thee To nothing but despair. A thousand knees Ten thousand years together, naked, fasting, Upon a barren mountain, and still winter In storm perpetual, could not move the gods To look that way thou wert.

LEONTES.
Go on, go on: Thou canst not speak too much; I have deserv'd All tongues to talk their bitterest!

FIRST LORD.
Say no more: Howe'er the business goes, you have made fault I' the boldness of your speech.

PAULINA.
I am sorry for't: All faults I make, when I shall come to know them, I do repent. Alas, I have show'd too much The rashness of a woman: he is touch'd To th' noble heart - What's gone and what's past help, Should be past grief: do not receive affliction At my petition; I beseech you, rather Let me be punish'd, that have minded you Of what you should forget. Now, good my liege, Sir, royal sir, forgive a foolish woman: The love I bore your queen, - lo, fool again! - I'll speak of her no more, nor of your children; I'll not remember you of my own lord, Who is lost too: take your patience to you, And I'll say nothing.

LEONTES.
Thou didst speak but well, When most the truth; which I receive much better Than to be pitied of thee. Pr'ythee, bring me To the dead bodies of my queen and son: One grave shall be for both; upon them shall The causes of their death appear, unto Our shame perpetual. Once a day I'll visit The chapel where they lie; and tears shed there Shall be my recreation: so long as nature Will bear up with this exercise, so long I daily vow