THE WINTER'S TALE. Sidney Lee

And, losel, thou art worthy to be hang’d

       That wilt not stay her tongue.

       ANTIGONUS

       Hang all the husbands

       That cannot do that feat, you’ll leave yourself

       Hardly one subject.

       LEONTES

       Once more, take her hence.

       PAULINA

       A most unworthy and unnatural lord

       Can do no more.

       LEONTES

       I’ll have thee burn’d.

       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 accusation

       Than your own weak-hing’d fancy,—something savours

       Of 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 her

       A 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.

       [Exit.]

       LEONTES

       Thou, traitor, hast set on thy wife to this.

       My child?—away with’t.—even thou, that hast

       A heart so tender o’er it, take it hence,

       And see it instantly consum’d 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 that thou else call’st thine. If thou refuse,

       And wilt encounter with my wrath, say so;

       The bastard-brains with these my proper hands

       Shall 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 serv’d you; and beseech

       So to esteem of us: and on our knees we beg,—

       As recompense of our dear services,

       Past and to come,—that you do change this purpose,

       Which, being so horrible, so bloody, must

       Lead 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 kneel

       And call me father? better burn it now,

       Than curse it then. But, be it; let it live:—

       It shall not neither.—[To ANTIGONUS.] You, sir, come you hither:

       You that have been so tenderly officious

       With 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 adventure

       To save this brat’s life?

       ANTIGONUS

       Anything, my lord,

       That my ability may undergo,

       And nobleness impose: at least, thus much;

       I’ll pawn the little blood which I have left

       To save the innocent:—anything possible.

       LEONTES

       It shall be possible. Swear by this sword

       Thou wilt perform my bidding.

       ANTIGONUS

       I will, my lord.

       LEONTES

       Mark, and perform it,—seest thou? for the fail

       Of any point in’t shall not only be

       Death to thyself, but to thy lewd-tongu’d wife,

       Whom for this time we pardon. We enjoin thee,

       As thou art liegeman to us, that thou carry

       This female bastard hence; and that thou bear it

       To some remote and desert place, quite out

       Of our dominions; and that there thou leave it,

       Without more mercy, to it own protection

       And favour of the climate. As by strange fortune

       It 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 place

       Where chance may nurse or end it. Take it up.

       ANTIGONUS

       I swear to do this, though a present death

       Had been more merciful.—Come on, poor babe:

       Some powerful spirit instruct the kites and ravens

       To be thy nurses! Wolves and bears, they say,

       Casting their savageness aside, have done

       Like offices of pity.—Sir, be prosperous

       In more than this deed does require!—and blessing,

       Against this cruelty, fight on thy side,

       Poor thing, condemn’d to loss!

       [Exit with the child.]

       LEONTES

       No, I’ll not rear

       Another’s issue.

       SECOND ATTENDANT

       Please your highness, posts

       From those you sent to the oracle are come

       An hour since: Cleomenes and Dion,

       Being well arriv’d from Delphos, are both landed,

       Hasting to the court.

       FIRST LORD

       So please you, sir, their speed

       Hath been beyond account.