act 3 of the winter's tale by william shakespeare this is a librivox recording. all librivox recordings are in the publicdomain. for more information or to volunteer, pleasevisit librivox.org. act iii scene i. a sea port in sicilia. [enter cleomenes and dion.] cleomenes. the climate's delicate; the air most sweet;fertile the isle; the temple much surpassing
the common praise it bears. dion. i shall report,for most it caught me, the celestial habits,-- methinks i so should term them,--and the reverenceof the grave wearers. o, the sacrifice! how ceremonious, solemn, and unearthly,it was i' the offering! but of all, the burstand the ear-deaf'ning voice o' the oracle, kin to jove's thunder, so surprised my sensethat i was nothing. if the event o' the journeyprove as successful to the queen,--o, be't
so!--as it hath been to us rare, pleasant, speedy, the time is worth the use on't. great apolloturn all to th' best! these proclamations,so forcing faults upon hermione, i little like. the violent carriage of itwill clear or end the business: when the oracle,-- thus by apollo's great divine seal'd up,--shall the contents discover, something rare even then will rush to knowledge.--go,--freshhorses;-- and gracious be the issue!
[exeunt.] scene ii. the same. a court of justice [enter leontes, lords, and officers appear,properly seated.] leontes. this sessions,--to our great grief we pronounce,--even pushes 'gainst our heart;--the party tried,the daughter of a king, our wife; and one of us too much belov'd.
let us be clear'dof being tyrannous, since we so openly proceed in justice; which shall have due course,even to the guilt or the purgation.-- produce the prisoner. officer. it is his highness' pleasure that the queenappear in person here in court.-- crier. silence! [hermione, is brought in guarded; paulina,and ladies attending.] read the indictment.
[reads.] 'hermione, queen to the worthy leontes, kingof sicilia, thou art here accused and arraignedof high treason, in committing adultery with polixenes, kingof bohemia; and conspiring with camillo to take away the lifeof our sovereign lord the king, thy royal husband: the pretencewhereof being by circumstances partly laid open, thou, hermione,contrary to the faith and allegiance of true subject, didstcounsel and aid them, for their better safety, to fly away by night.'
hermione. since what i am to say must be but thatwhich contradicts my accusation, and the testimony on my part no otherbut what comes from myself, it shall scarce boot meto say 'not guilty': mine integrity, being counted falsehood, shall, as i expressit, be so receiv'd. but thus,--if powers divinebehold our human actions,--as they do,-- i doubt not, then, but innocence shall makefalse accusation blush, and tyranny tremble at patience.--you, my lord, best know,--who least will seem to do so,--my past life
hath been as continent, as chaste, as true,as i am now unhappy: which is more than history can pattern, though devis'dand play'd to take spectators; for behold me,--a fellow of the royal bed, which owe a moiety of the throne, a great king's daughter,the mother to a hopeful prince,--here standing to prate and talk for life and honour 'forewho please to come and hear. for life, i prize itas i weigh grief, which i would spare: for honour,'tis a derivative from me to mine, and only that i stand for. i appealto your own conscience, sir, before polixenes
came to your court, how i was in your grace,how merited to be so; since he came, with what encounter so uncurrent ihave strain'd t' appear thus: if one jot beyond the bound of honour, or in act or willthat way inclining, harden'd be the hearts of all that hear me, and my near'st of kincry fie upon my grave! i ne'er heard yetthat any of these bolder vices wanted less impudence to gainsay what they didthan to perform it first. that's true enough;though 'tis a saying, sir, not due to me. you will not own it. more than mistress ofwhich comes to me in name of fault, i must
notat all acknowledge. for polixenes,--with whom i am accus'd,--i do confess i lov'd him, as in honour he requir'd;with such a kind of love as might become a lady like me; with a love even such,so and no other, as yourself commanded: which not to have done, i think had been inme both disobedience and ingratitudeto you and toward your friend; whose love had spoke,ever since it could speak, from an infant, freely,that it was yours. now for conspiracy,i know not how it tastes; though it be dish'd
for me to try how: all i know of itis that camillo was an honest man; and why he left your court, the gods themselves,wotting no more than i, are ignorant. you knew of his departure, as you knowwhat you have underta'en to do in 's absence. sir,you speak a language that i understand not: my life stands in the level of your dreams,which i'll lay down. your actions are my dreams;you had a bastard by polixenes, and i but dream'd it:--as you were past allshame,-- those of your fact are so,--so past all truth:which to deny concerns more than avails; for asthy 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 passagelook for no less than death. 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 presencei 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 hatredthe child-bed privilege denied, which 'longs to women of all fashion; lastly, hurriedhere 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'dupon 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 requestis altogether just: therefore, bring forth, and in apollo's name, his oracle: [exeunt certain officers.] the emperor of russia was my father;o that he were alive, and here beholding his daughter's trial! that he did but seethe flatness of my misery; yet with eyes of pity, not revenge! [re-enter officers, with cleomenes and dion.]
you here shall swear upon this sword of justice,that you, cleomenes and dion, have been both at delphos, and from thence havebrought this seal'd-up oracle, by the hand deliver'dof 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. break up the seals and read. 'hermione is chaste; polixenes blameless;camillo a true subject; leontes a jealous tyrant;his innocent babe
truly begotten; and the king shall live withoutan heir, if that which is lost be not found.' lords. now blessed be the great apollo! praised! hast thou read truth? ay, my lord; even soas it is here set down. 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! what is the business? o sir, i shall be hated to report it:the prince your son, with mere conceit and fearof the queen's speed, is gone. how! gone? is dead. apollo's angry; and the heavens themselvesdo strike at my injustice. [hermione faints.]
how now there! paulina. this news is mortal to the queen:--look downand see what death is doing. 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, pardonmy 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 chosecamillo 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 andwith reward did threaten and encourage him,not doing it and being done: he, most humane, and fill'd with honour, to my kingly guestunclasp'd my practice; quit his fortunes here, which you knew great; and to the certain hazardof all incertainties himself commended, no richer than his honour:--how he glistersthorough my rust! and how his pietydoes my deeds make the blacker!
[re-enter paulina.] woe the while! o, cut my lace, lest my heart, cracking it,break too! what fit is this, good lady? what studied torments, tyrant, hast for me? what wheels? racks? fires? what flaying?
boilingin leads or oils? what old or newer torturemust i receive, whose every word deserves to taste of thy most worst? thy tyrannytogether working with thy jealousies,-- fancies too weak for boys, too green and idlefor 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 muchthou wouldst have poison'd good camillo's
honour,to have him kill a king; poor trespasses,-- more monstrous standing by: whereof i reckonthe casting forth to crows thy baby daughter, to be or none or little, though a devilwould have shed water out of fire ere done't; nor is't directly laid to thee, the deathof the young prince, whose honourable thoughts,-- thoughts high for one so tender,--cleft theheart that could conceive a gross and foolish sireblemish'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'tnot dropp'd down yet.
the higher powers forbid! i say she's dead: i'll swear't. if word nor oathprevail not, go and see: if you can bring tincture, or lustre, in her lip, her eye,heat outwardly or breath within, i'll serve youas i would do the gods.--but, o thou tyrant! do not repent these things; for they are heavierthan all thy woes can stir; therefore betake theeto nothing but despair. a thousand kneesten thousand years together, naked, fasting, upon a barren mountain, and still winterin storm perpetual, could not move the gods
to look that way thou wert. go on, go on:thou canst not speak too much; i have deserv'd all tongues to talk their bitterest! say no more:howe'er the business goes, you have made fault i' the boldness of your speech. 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 muchthe rashness of a woman: he is touch'd to th' noble heart--what's gone and what'spast help,
should be past grief: do not receive afflictionat my petition; i beseech you, rather let me be punish'd, that have minded youof 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. thou didst speak but well,when most the truth; which i receive much betterthan to be pitied of thee. pr'ythee, bring meto the dead bodies of my queen and son:
one grave shall be for both; upon them shallthe causes of their death appear, unto our shame perpetual. once a day i'll visitthe chapel where they lie; and tears shed thereshall be my recreation: so long as nature will bear up with this exercise, so longi daily vow to use it.--come, and lead me to these sorrows. scene iii. bohemia. a desert country near the sea.
[enter antigonus with the child, and a mariner.] antigonus. thou art perfect, then, our ship hath touch'dupon the deserts of bohemia? mariner. ay, my lord; and fearwe have landed in ill time: the skies look grimly,and threaten present blusters. in my conscience,the heavens with that we have in hand are angry,and frown upon 's.
their sacred wills be done!--go, get aboard;look to thy bark: i'll not be long before i call upon thee. make your best haste; and go nottoo far i' the land: 'tis like to be loud weather;besides, this place is famous for the creatures of prey that keep upon't. go thou away:i'll follow instantly. i am glad at heartto be so rid o' th' business. [exit.] come, poor babe:--i have heard (but not believ'd) the spirits
of the deadmay walk again: if such thing be, thy mother appear'd to me last night; for ne'er was dreamso like a waking. to me comes a creature,sometimes her head on one side, some another: i never saw a vessel of like sorrow,so fill'd and so becoming: in pure white robes, like very sanctity, she did approachmy cabin where i lay: thrice bow'd before me;and, gasping to begin some speech, her eyes became two spouts: the fury spent, anondid this break from her: 'good antigonus, since fate, against thy better disposition,hath made thy person for the thrower-out of my poor babe, according to thine oath,--places remote enough are in bohemia,
there weep, and leave it crying; and, forthe babe is counted lost for ever, perditai pr'ythee call't. for this ungentle business,put on thee by my lord, thou ne'er shalt see thy wife paulina more': so, with shrieks,she melted into air. affrighted much,i did in time collect myself; and thought this was so, and no slumber. dreams are toys;yet, for this once, yea, superstitiously, i will be squar'd by this. i do believehermione hath suffer'd death, and that
apollo would, this being indeed the issueof king polixenes, it should here be laid, either for life or death, upon the earthof its right father. blossom, speed thee well! [laying down the child.] there lie; and there thy character: therethese; [laying down a bundle.] which may if fortune please, both breed thee,pretty, and still rest thine.--the storm begins:--poorwretch, that for thy mother's fault art thus expos'dto loss and what may follow!--weep i cannot,
but my heart bleeds: and most accurs'd ami to be by oath enjoin'd to this.--farewell! the day frowns more and more:--thou'rt liketo have a lullaby too rough:--i never sawthe heavens so dim by day. a savage clamour!--well may i get aboard!--this is the chase: i am gone for ever. [exit, pursued by a bear.] [enter an old shepherd.] shepherd.
i would there were no age between ten andthree-and-twenty, or that youth would sleep out the rest; for thereis nothing in the between but getting wenches with child, wrongingthe ancientry, stealing, fighting.--hark you now! would any but these boiledbrains of nineteen and two-and-twenty hunt this weather? theyhave scared away two of my best sheep, which i fear the wolf willsooner find than the master: if anywhere i have them, 'tis bythe sea-side, browsing of ivy.--good luck,
an't be thy will! whathave we here? [taking up the child.] mercy on's, a bairn: a very pretty bairn! a boy or a child, iwonder? a pretty one; a very pretty one: sure, somescape: though i am not bookish, yet i can read waiting-gentlewomanin the scape. this has been some stair-work, some trunk-work,some behind-door-work; they were warmer that gotthis than the poor
thing is here. i'll take it up for pity: yet i'll tarry tillmy son comes; he hallaed but even now.--whoa,ho hoa! clown. [within.] hilloa, loa! what, art so near? if thou'lt see a thing to talk on when thouart dead and rotten, come hither. [enter clown.]
what ail'st thou, man? i have seen two such sights, by sea and byland!--but i am not to say it is a sea, for it is now thesky: betwixt the firmament and it, you cannot thrust a bodkin'spoint. why, boy, how is it? i would you did but see how it chafes, howit rages, how it takes up the shore! but that's not to the point. o, the mostpiteous cry of the poor souls! sometimes to
see 'em, and not tosee 'em; now the ship boring the moon with her mainmast, and anonswallowed with yest and froth, as you'd thrust a cork into ahogshead. and then for the land service,--to see howthe bear tore out his shoulder-bone; how he cried tome for help, and said his name was antigonus, a nobleman.--but tomake an end of the ship,--to see how the sea flap-dragon'd it:--butfirst, how the poor souls roared, and the sea mocked them;--andhow the poor gentleman roared, and the bear mocked him,--bothroaring louder
than the sea or weather. name of mercy! when was this, boy? now, now; i have not winked since i saw thesesights: the men are not yet cold under water, nor the bearhalf dined on the gentleman; he's at it now. would i had been by to have helped the oldman! i would you had been by the ship-side, tohave helped her: there your charity would have lacked footing. [aside.]
heavy matters, heavy matters! but look thee here, boy. now bless thyself: thou mettest with thingsdying, i with things new-born. here's a sight for thee; look thee, a bearing-clothfor a squire's child! look thee here; take up,take up, boy; open't. so, let's see:--it was told me i should berich by the fairies: this is some changeling:--open't. what's within, boy?
you're a made old man; if the sins of youryouth are forgiven you, you're well to live. gold! all gold! this is fairy-gold, boy, and 'twill proveso: up with it, keep it close: home, home, the next way! we are lucky, boy: and to beso still requires nothing but secrecy--let my sheep go:--come,good boy, the next way home. go you the next way with your findings. i'll go see if the bearbe gone from the gentleman, and how much he
hath eaten: theyare never curst but when they are hungry: if there be any of himleft, i'll bury it. that's a good deed. if thou mayest discern by that which is leftof him what he is, fetch me to the sight of him. marry, will i; and you shall help to put himi' the ground. 'tis a lucky day, boy; and we'll do good deedson't. end of act three
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