Cleo. You tempt him ouer-much

Paul. Vnlesse another, As like Hermione, as is her Picture, Affront his eye

Cleo. Good Madame, I haue done

Paul. Yet if my Lord will marry: if you will, Sir; No remedie but you will: Giue me the Office To chuse you a Queene: she shall not be so young As was your former, but she shall be such As (walk'd your first Queenes Ghost) it should take ioy To see her in your armes

Leo. My true Paulina, We shall not marry, till thou bidst vs

Paul. That Shall be when your first Queene's againe in breath: Neuer till then. Enter a Seruant.

Ser. One that giues out himselfe Prince Florizell, Sonne of Polixenes, with his Princesse (she The fairest I haue yet beheld) desires accesse To your high presence

Leo. What with him? he comes not Like to his Fathers Greatnesse: his approach (So out of circumstance, and suddaine) tells vs, 'Tis not a Visitation fram'd, but forc'd By need, and accident. What Trayne? Ser. But few, And those but meane

Leo. His Princesse (say you) with him? Ser. I: the most peerelesse peece of Earth, I thinke, That ere the Sunne shone bright on

Paul. Oh Hermione, As euery present Time doth boast it selfe Aboue a better, gone; so must thy Graue Giue way to what's seene now. Sir, you your selfe Haue said, and writ so; but your writing now Is colder then that Theame: she had not beene, Nor was not to be equall'd, thus your Verse Flow'd with her Beautie once; 'tis shrewdly ebb'd, To say you haue seene a better

Ser. Pardon, Madame: The one, I haue almost forgot (your pardon:) The other, when she ha's obtayn'd your Eye, Will haue your Tongue too. This is a Creature, Would she begin a Sect, might quench the zeale Of all Professors else; make Proselytes Of who she but bid follow

Paul. How? not women? Ser. Women will loue her, that she is a Woman More worth then any Man: Men, that she is The rarest of all Women

Leo. Goe Cleomines, Your selfe (assisted with your honor'd Friends) Bring them to our embracement. Still 'tis strange, He thus should steale vpon vs. Enter

Paul. Had our Prince (Iewell of Children) seene this houre, he had payr'd Well with this Lord; there was not full a moneth Betweene their births

Leo. 'Prethee no more; cease: thou know'st He dyes to me againe, when talk'd-of: sure When I shall see this Gentleman, thy speeches Will bring me to consider that, which may Vnfurnish me of Reason. They are come. Enter Florizell, Perdita, Cleomines, and others.

Your Mother was most true to Wedlock, Prince, For she did print your Royall Father off, Conceiuing you. Were I but twentie one, Your Fathers Image is so hit in you, (His very ayre) that I should call you Brother, As I did him, and speake of something wildly By vs perform'd before. Most dearely welcome, And your faire Princesse (Goddesse) oh: alas, I lost a couple, that 'twixt Heauen and Earth Might thus haue stood, begetting wonder, as You (gracious Couple) doe: and then I lost (All mine owne Folly) the Societie, Amitie too of your braue Father, whom (Though bearing Miserie) I desire my life Once more to looke on him

Flo. By his command Haue I here touch'd Sicilia, and from him Giue you all greetings, that a King (at friend) Can send his Brother: and but Infirmitie (Which waits vpon worne times) hath something seiz'd His wish'd Abilitie, he had himselfe The Lands and Waters, 'twixt your Throne and his, Measur'd, to looke vpon you; whom he loues (He bad me say so) more then all the Scepters, And those that beare them, liuing

William Shakespeare
Classic Literature Library

All Pages of This Book