No, come and sit down; then go on.
MAMILLIUS
Dwelt by a churchyard: I will tell it softly;
Yond crickets shall not hear it.
Who lived by a churchyard: I shall whisper it;
it won't disturb those crickets outside.
HERMIONE
Come on, then,
And give't me in mine ear.
Enter LEONTES, with ANTIGONUS, Lords and others
Come on, then,
and whisper it to me.
LEONTES
Was he met there? his train? Camillo with him?
You saw him there? With his entourage? Camillo was with him?
First Lord
Behind the tuft of pines I met them; never
Saw I men scour so on their way: I eyed them
Even to their ships.
I saw them behind the stand of pines; I never
saw men in such a hurry: I watched them
all the way to their ships.
LEONTES
How blest am I
In my just censure, in my true opinion!
Alack, for lesser knowledge! how accursed
In being so blest! There may be in the cup
A spider steep'd, and one may drink, depart,
And yet partake no venom, for his knowledge
Is not infected: but if one present
The abhorr'd ingredient to his eye, make known
How he hath drunk, he cracks his gorge, his sides,
With violent hefts. I have drunk,
and seen the spider.
Camillo was his help in this, his pander:
There is a plot against my life, my crown;
All's true that is mistrusted: that false villain
Whom I employ'd was pre-employ'd by him:
He has discover'd my design, and I
Remain a pinch'd thing; yea, a very trick
For them to play at will. How came the posterns
So easily open?
How right I was
in my judgement, in my sentence!
I wish I knew less! How cursed I am
in being right! There might be a spider
soaked in the cup, and one can drink, leave,
and not be poisoned, for his mind
is not infected: but if someone shows
the horrible ingredient to him, lets him know
what he has drunk, he gags and his sides split
with violent heaves. I have drunk,
and seen the spider.
Camillo was his help in this, his pain.
There is a plot against my life, and my throne.
Everything I suspected is true. That false villain
I had in my service was already in his service.
He has revealed my plan, and I
remain tormented; just something
for them to play with. Why was it so easy
for them to get through the gates?
First Lord
By his great authority;
Which often hath no less prevail'd than so
On your command.
Because of his position;
he often had them opened in the same way
at your command.
LEONTES
I know't too well.
Give me the boy: I am glad you did not nurse him:
Though he does bear some signs of me, yet you
Have too much blood in him.
I'm all too aware of that.
Give me the boy: I'm glad you didn't breastfeed him:
although he does show some elements of me,
there is too much of your blood in him.
HERMIONE
What is this? sport?
What's this? A joke?
LEONTES
Bear the boy hence; he shall not come about her;
Away with him! and let her sport herself
With that she's big with; for 'tis Polixenes
Has made thee swell thus.
Carry the boy away; he will not be with her;
take him away! Let her play
with the one in her belly; for it is Polixenes
the put that one there.
HERMIONE
But I'ld say he had not,
And I'll be sworn you would believe my saying,
Howe'er you lean to the nayward.
But I shall say that he did not,
and I swear that you will believe me,
however much you tried to deny it.
LEONTES
You, my lords,
Look on her, mark her well; be but about
To say 'she is a goodly lady,' and
The justice of your hearts will thereto add
'Tis pity she's not honest, honourable:'
Praise her but for this her without-door form,
Which on my faith deserves high speech, and straight
The shrug, the hum or ha, these petty brands
That calumny doth use--O, I am out--
That mercy does, for calumny will sear
Virtue itself: these shrugs, these hums and ha's,
When you have said 'she's goodly,' come between
Ere you can say 'she's honest:' but be 't known,
From him that has most cause to grieve it should be,
She's an adulteress.
My lords,
take a good look at her; if you're about
to say, ‘there's a good lady,’ then
the justice in your hearts will add
‘it's a pity she's not honest and honourable:’
only praise her for her external appearance,
which I must say certainly does deserve praise,
and eschew the shrugging mumbles falsehood uses-
oh, I'm wrong - I should say that mercy uses,
for falsehood burns mercy itself - the shrugging mumbles,
when you have said, "she's beautiful," interpose,
before you can say, "she's honest"; but let it be known,
from the one who has most cause to regret that it's true:
she's an adulteress.
HERMIONE
Should a villain say so,
The most replenish'd villain in the world,
He were as much more villain: you, my lord,
Do but mistake.
If a villain should say so,
if he was the most complete villain in the world,
he would become even more of a villain: you, my lord,
are making a mistake.
LEONTES
You have mistook, my lady,
Polixenes for Leontes: O thou thing!
Which I'll not call a creature of thy place,
Lest barbarism, making me the precedent,
Should a like language use to all degrees
And mannerly distinguishment leave out
Betwixt the prince and beggar: I have said
She's an adulteress; I have said with whom:
More, she's a traitor and Camillo is
A federary with her, and one that knows
What she should shame to know herself
But with her most vile principal, that she's
A bed-swerver, even as bad as those
That vulgars give bold'st titles, ay, and privy
To this their late escape.
You have made the mistake, my lady,
mistaking Polixenes for Leontes: oh you!
I will not call someone of your rank by the name you deserve,
in case vulgarity, using me as a precedent,
should use the same sort of language to all ranks
and not make the appropriate distinction between
princes and beggars: I have said
that she's an adulteress; I have said with whom.
What's more, she is a traitor, and Camillo is
her accomplice, someone who knows
the facts which she would be ashamed to have known,
even if only by her foul associate–that she'
s
a bed hopper, just as bad as the ones
the common people give the worst names; yes,
and she was in on their recent escape.
HERMIONE
No, by my life,
Privy to none of this. How will this grieve you,
When you shall come to clearer knowledge, that
You thus have publish'd me! Gentle my lord,
You scarce can right me throughly then to say
You did mistake.
No, I swear,
I didn't know anything about this. How bad you'll feel,
when you know more about this, that you
have called me these names! My gentle lord,
it will hardly make up for it then to say
that you were mistaken.
LEONTES
No; if I mistake
In those foundations which I build upon,
The centre is not big enough to bear
A school-boy's top. Away with her! to prison!
He who shall speak for her is afar off guilty
But that he speaks.
No, if I'm mistaken
in the foundations I'm building upon,
the Earth is not big enough to support
a schoolboy's top. Take her away! To prison!
Anyone who tries to defend her is guilty
just for speaking.
HERMIONE
There's some ill planet reigns:
I must be patient till the heavens look
With an aspect more favourable. Good my lords,
I am not prone to weeping, as our sex
Commonly are; the want of which vain dew
Perchance shall dry your pities: but I have
That honourable grief lodged here which burns
Worse than tears drown: beseech you all, my lords,
With thoughts so qualified as your charities
Shall best instruct you, measure me; and so
The king's will be perform'd!
Some evil planet is ruling:
I must be patient until the stars
are more in my favour. My good lords,
I do not usually weep, as the rest of my sex
often do; the lack of that pointless moisture
might dry up your pity: but I have
an honourable grief in my heart which burns
worse than any tears: I beg you all, my lords,
soften your thoughts towards me as much
as much as your good instincts tell you, and judge me;
and so may the king's will be done!
LEONTES
Shall I be heard?
Will my orders be followed?
HERMIONE
Who is't that goes with me? Beseech your highness,
My women may be with me; for you see
My plight requires it. Do not weep, good fools;
There is no cause: when you shall know your mistress
Has deserved prison, then abound in tears
As I come out: this action I now go on
Is for my better grace. Adieu, my lord:
I never wish'd to see you sorry; now
I trust I shall. My women, come; you have leave.
Who is going to come with me? Please, your highness,
let my women come with me; you can see
my condition needs them. Don't weep, good fools;
there is no reason to: when you know that your mistress
deserved to go to prison, then be in floods of tears
when I come out: the thing that I suffer now
will end to my credit. Goodbye, my lord:
I never before wanted to see you apologise; now
I hope that I will. Come on, my women; you have permission.
LEONTES
Go, do our bidding; hence!
Exit HERMIONE, guarded; with Ladies
Go on, do as I order; get out!
First Lord
Beseech your highness, call the queen again.
Please, your highness, call the queen again.
ANTIGONUS
Be certain what you do, sir, lest your justice
Prove violence; in the which three great ones suffer,
Yourself, your queen, your son.
Be certain about what you're doing, sir, in case
your justice proves evil; if it does three great ones will suffer,
yourself, your queen, and your son.
First Lord
For her, my lord,
I dare my life lay down and will do't, sir,
Please you to accept it, that the queen is spotless
I' the eyes of heaven and to you; I mean,
In this which you accuse her.
I would lay my life down for her,
my lord, and I will do it;
please accept that the queen is innocent
in the eyes of heaven and your own; I mean,
innocent of what you accuse her.
ANTIGONUS
If it prove
She's otherwise, I'll keep my stables where
I lodge my wife; I'll go in couples with her;
Than when I feel and see her no farther trust her;
For every inch of woman in the world,
Ay, every dram of woman's flesh is false, if she be.
If it's proved
that she is not, I'll turn my wife's lodgings
into a stable; I'll go about with her tethered to me;
I will not trust her to go out of my sight;
for every part of every woman in the world,
every ounce of women's flesh, is false, if she is.
LEONTES
Hold your peaces.
Be quiet.
First Lord
Good my lord,--
My good lord–
ANTIGONUS
It is for you we speak, not for ourselves:
You are abused and by some putter-on
That will be damn'd for't; would I knew the villain,
I would land-damn him. Be she honour-flaw'd,
I have three daughters; the eldest is eleven
The second and the third, nine, and some five;
If this prove true, they'll pay for't:
by mine honour,
I'll geld 'em all; fourteen they shall not see,
To bring false generations: they are co-heirs;
And I had rather glib myself than they
Should not produce fair issue.
We are speaking for you, not for ourselves:
you have been tricked by some deceiver
who will be damned for it; I wish I knew who the villain is,
I would give him a good thrashing. If she is dishonourable,
I have three daughters; the oldest is eleven,
the second and third are nine and around five;
if this is true, they'll pay for it:
I swear,
I'd sterilise them all; they would not get to fourteen,
to breed bastards: they are my inheritors;
and I would rather castrate myself than see them
not produce legitimate heirs.
LEONTES
Cease; no more.
You smell this business with a sense as cold
As is a dead man's nose: but I do see't and feel't
As you feel doing thus; and see withal
The instruments that feel.
Stop; that's enough.
Your sense of smell in this business is as cold
as a dead man's nose: but I can see it and feel it
as you feel when I this; and I can feel
by touch as well.
ANTIGONUS
If it be so,
We need no grave to bury honesty:
There's not a grain of it the face to sweeten
Of the whole dungy earth.
If it is true,
we will not need a grave to bury honesty in:
there would not be a grain of it anywhere
to sweeten the dung
like face of earth.
LEONTES
What! lack I credit?
What! Do you disbelieve me?
First Lord
I had rather you did lack than I, my lord,
Upon this ground; and more it would content me
To have her honour true than your suspicion,
Be blamed for't how you might.
I would rather you were wrong than I, my lord,
in this business; and I would be happier
for her honour to be proved rather than your suspicion,
however badly that reflected on you.
LEONTES
Why, what need we
Commune with you of this, but rather follow
Our forceful instigation? Our prerogative
Calls not your counsels, but our natural goodness
Imparts this; which if you, or stupefied
Or seeming so in skill, cannot or will not
Relish a truth like us, inform yourselves
We need no more of your advice: the matter,
The loss, the gain, the ordering on't, is all
Properly ours.
Why, why should I
debate this with you, when I can carry on
with what I've started? My rights as king
do not require me to ask your advice, I only asked
out of my natural goodness; if you, made stupid
or pretending to have been, cannot or will not
see the truth like I can, then I can tell you
I don't need any more of your advice: this business,
the loss, the gain, and the management of it, is all
rightly down to me.
ANTIGONUS
And I wish, my liege,
You had only in your silent judgment tried it,
Without more overture.
And I wish, my lord,
you had thought it over yourself first,
without making it public.
LEONTES
How could that be?
Either thou art most ignorant by age,
Or thou wert born a fool. Camillo's flight,
The Complete Works of William Shakespeare In Plain and Simple English (Translated) Page 437