of prey which live here.
ANTIGONUS
Go thou away:
I'll follow instantly.
You go away:
I'll be right behind you.
Mariner
I am glad at heart
To be so rid o' the business.
Exit
Nothing makes me happier
than to leave this business.
ANTIGONUS
Come, poor babe:
I have heard, but not believed,
the spirits o' the dead
May walk again: if such thing be, thy mother
Appear'd to me last night, for ne'er was dream
So 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 approach
My cabin where I lay; thrice bow'd before me,
And gasping to begin some speech, her eyes
Became two spouts: the fury spent, anon
Did 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, for the babe
Is counted lost for ever, Perdita,
I prithee, call't. For this ungentle business
Put on thee by my lord, thou ne'er shalt see
Thy wife Paulina more.' And 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 squared by this. I do believe
Hermione hath suffer'd death, and that
Apollo would, this being indeed the issue
Of King Polixenes, it should here be laid,
Either for life or death, upon the earth
Of its right father. Blossom, speed thee well!
There lie, and there thy character: there these;
Which may, if fortune please, both breed thee, pretty,
And still rest thine. The storm begins; poor wretch,
That for thy mother's fault art thus exposed
To loss and what may follow! Weep I cannot,
But my heart bleeds; and most accursed am I
To be by oath enjoin'd to this. Farewell!
The day frowns more and more: thou'rt like to have
A lullaby too rough: I never saw
The 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 a Shepherd
Come on, poor baby:
I have heard, though not believed, that the spirits of the dead
can walk again: if this is true, your mother
appeared to me last night; I never had a dream
that seemed so real. A creature came to me,
sometimes with her head on one side, sometimes on another;
I never saw such a sad sight,
so pure and so beautiful: in pure white robes,
like something sacred, she approached
my cabin where I lay: bowed before me three times,
and, trying to get breath for a speech, her eyes
became two fountains; when that had passed, eventually
she said this: ‘Good Antigonus,
since fate, against your better judgement,
has made you the person who will exile
my poor baby, according your oath,
there are enough remote places in Bohemia;
cry there, and leave it crying: and as
the baby is lost forever, I beg you to name it
Perdita. Because of this horrible business,
which my husband forced on you, you shall never see
your wife Paulina again.’ And so, screaming,
she vanished into thin air. Very frightened,
I eventually pulled myself together, and thought
that this was reality, not sleep. Dreams can deceive
but this once, superstitiously,
I will follow their direction. I do believe
that Hermione has died; and that
Apollo orders, as this is indeed the child
of King Polixenes, that it should be placed here,
either to live or die, in the land
of its real father. Little one, good luck!
There you lie, and there is a written account of you: here are things,
which may, with luck, pay for your upbringing, pretty one,
and still have some left over for you. The storm is beginning: poor wretch,
you are exposed like this due to your mother's sin,
risking destruction and whatever else may come! I cannot weep,
but my heart bleeds; it is terrible
that my oath forces me to do this. Farewell!
The day is getting blacker: it seems you will have
a rough lullaby: I never saw
such dark skies in the day. A wild racket!
I must get back on board! Here comes the hunt:
I'm leaving for good!
Shepherd
I would there were no age between sixteen and
three-and-twenty, or that youth would sleep out the
rest; for there is nothing in the between but
getting wenches with child, wronging the ancientry,
stealing, fighting--Hark you now! Would any but
these boiled brains of nineteen and two-and-twenty
hunt this weather? They have scared away two of my
best sheep, which I fear the wolf will sooner find
than the master: if any where I have them, 'tis by
the seaside, browsing of ivy. Good luck, an't be thy
will what have we here! Mercy on 's, a barne a very
pretty barne! A boy or a child, I wonder? A
pretty one; a very pretty one: sure, some 'scape:
though I am not bookish, yet I can read
waiting-gentlewoman in the 'scape. This has been
some stair-work, some trunk-work, some
behind-door-work: they were warmer that got this
than the poor thing is here. I'll take it up for
pity: yet I'll tarry till my son come; he hallooed
but even now. Whoa, ho, hoa!
Enter Clown
I wish that there was nothing between the age of ten and twenty-
three, or that young people would sleep through that period;
for they do nothing in that time but get
girls pregnant, insult their elders, steal, fight–
listen to this! Would anyone but these
lunatics of nineteen and twenty-two hunt
in this weather? They have scared away two of my best
sheep, which I fear the wolf will find before the master does:
if I'll find them anywhere it will be by the seashore,
grazing on ivy. [Seeing the baby] Good heavens, what
are you doing, what have we here? Mercy me, a baby!
A very pretty baby! A boy or girl, I wonder?
A pretty one; a very pretty one. Somebody's been in trouble:
although I am not educated, I can see when a lady
in waiting has got into trouble. Somebody's been going up the back stairs,
hiding in trunks, hiding behind doors:
when they conceived this they were a good deal warmer than the
poor thing is here. I'll take it in out of pity: but I'll wait until
my son comes; he called just now. Hello, hello, hello!
Clown
Hilloa, loa!
Helloalo!
Shepherd<
br />
What, art so near? If thou'lt see a thing to talk
on when thou art dead and rotten, come hither. What
ailest thou, man?
What, you're so close? If you'd like to see a thing
you'll talk about the rest of your life, come here. What
is wrong with you, man?
Clown
I have seen two such sights, by sea and by land!
but I am not to say it is a sea, for it is now the
sky: betwixt the firmament and it you cannot thrust
a bodkin's point.
I have seen two incredible sights, on the sea and land!
But I can't really say it's the sea, because it's now the sky:
you can't see a jot of difference between the two.
Shepherd
Why, boy, how is it?
Well, boy, what is it?
Clown
I would you did but see how it chafes, how it rages,
how it takes up the shore! but that's not the
point. O, the most piteous cry of the poor souls!
sometimes to see 'em, and not to see 'em; now the
ship boring the moon with her main-mast, and anon
swallowed with yest and froth, as you'ld thrust a
cork into a hogshead. And then for the
land-service, to see how the bear tore out his
shoulder-bone; how he cried to me for help and said
his name was Antigonus, a nobleman. But to make an
end of the ship, to see how the sea flap-dragoned
it: but, first, how the poor souls roared, and the
sea mocked them; and how the poor gentleman roared
and the bear mocked him, both roaring louder than
the sea or weather.
I wish you could see how it boils, how it rages,
how it smashes on the shore! But that's not the
point. Oh, the awful cry of the poor souls!
Sometimes I saw them, sometimes I didn't; one minute
the ship seemed to be jabbing at the moon with her mast, and then
the next swallowed in froth and bubbles, like a
cork in a beer barrel. And as for what happened
on land, I saw
the bear tear out his shoulder bone, and he cried
to me for help and said his name was Antigonus, a
nobleman. But I must finish telling you about the ship, about how
the sea swallowed it: but first, how the poor souls
roared, and the sea mockingly copied them, and the poor
gentleman roared, and the bear mockingly copied him,
both of them roaring louder than the sea or the weather.
Shepherd
Name of mercy, when was this, boy?
Good heavens, when was this, boy?
Clown
Now, now: I have not winked since I saw these
sights: the men are not yet cold under water, nor
the bear half dined on the gentleman: he's at it
now.
Just now: just a blink of an eye ago:
the men are not yet cold under the water, nor
has the bear finished half the gentleman: he's eating
now.
Shepherd
Would I had been by, to have helped the old man!
I wish I had been there, to help the old man!
Clown
I would you had been by the ship side, to have
helped her: there your charity would have lacked footing.
I wish you'd been by the ship, to have
saved her: but your bravery would have been sunk.
Shepherd
Heavy matters! heavy matters! but look thee here,
boy. Now bless thyself: thou mettest with things
dying, I with things newborn. Here's a sight for
thee; look thee, a bearing-cloth for a squire's
child! look thee here; take up, take up, boy;
open't. So, let's see: it was told me I should be
rich by the fairies. This is some changeling:
open't. What's within, boy?
Great matters! Great matters! But you look here,
boy. Now bless yourself: you have seen things
dying, I have found something newborn. Here's a site for
you; look at that, a quality baptismal robe!
Look here; pick it up, pick it up, boy;
open it. So, let's see: the fairies once told me
that I would be rich. This is a changeling:
open it up. What's inside, boy?
Clown
You're a made old man: if the sins of your youth
are forgiven you, you're well to live. Gold! all gold!
You're made for life old man: if the sins of your youth
don't catch up with you, you will have a great life. Gold! All gold!
Shepherd
This is fairy gold, boy, and 'twill prove so: up
with't, keep it close: home, home, the next way.
We are lucky, boy; and to be so still requires
nothing but secrecy. Let my sheep go: come, good
boy, the next way home.
This is fairy gold, boy, you shall see: pick it up,
hold it tight: home, home, the quickest way.
We are lucky, boy; to keep our luck we need do nothing
but keep this secret. Forget about the sheep: come,
good boy, let's take the quickest way home.
Clown
Go you the next way with your findings. I'll go see
if the bear be gone from the gentleman and how much
he hath eaten: they are never curst but when they
are hungry: if there be any of him left, I'll bury
it.
You go the quickest way with your discoveries. I'll go and see
if the bear has left the gentleman yet and how much
he has eaten: they are only ever vicious when they
are hungry: if there is any of him left, I'll bury
it.
Shepherd
That's a good deed. If thou mayest discern by that
which is left of him what he is, fetch me to the
sight of him.
That will be a good deed. If there's enough of him left
to tell who he is, call me to see him.
Clown
Marry, will I; and you shall help to put him i' the ground.
Yes, I will; you can help me to bury him.
Shepherd
'Tis a lucky day, boy, and we'll do good deeds on't.
Exeunt
This is our lucky day, boy, and we should do good deeds.
SCENE I. Enter Time, the Chorus
Time
I, that please some, try all, both joy and terror
Of good and bad, that makes and unfolds error,
Now take upon me, in the name of Time,
To use my wings. Impute it not a crime
To me or my swift passage, that I slide
O'er sixteen years and leave the growth untried
Of that wide gap, since it is in my power
To o'erthrow law and in one self-born hour
To plant and o'erwhelm custom. Let me pass
The same I am, ere ancient'st order was
Or what is now received: I witness to
The times that brought them in; so shall I do
To the freshest things now reigning and make stale
The glistering of this present, as my tale
Now seems to it. Your patience this allowing,
I turn my glass and give my scene such growing
As you had slept between: Leontes leaving,
The effects of his fond jealousies so grieving
That he shuts up himself, imagine me,
Gentle spectators, that I now may be
In fair Bohemia, and remember well,
I mentioned a son o' the king's, which Florizel
I now name to you; and
with speed so pace
To speak of Perdita, now grown in grace
Equal with wondering: what of her ensues
I list not prophecy; but let Time's news
Be known when 'tis brought forth.
A shepherd's daughter,
And what to her adheres, which follows after,
Is the argument of Time. Of this allow,
If ever you have spent time worse ere now;
If never, yet that Time himself doth say
He wishes earnestly you never may.
Exit
I please some, and test all: both joy and terror,
good and bad, errors committed and undone,
I will now take on, in the name of time,
and spread my wings. Do not be cross
with me, or my swift journey, if I slide
over sixteen years, and do not try to show
what happened in that time, because it is within my power
to overthrow the law, and in one hour I've made
I can create and demolish customs. Let me go,
I am the same as I was before the world began
as in these modern times. I have seen
the times when they began; and I shall see
the things of this very moment
grow old, as my tale now does.
If you will allow this,
I turn the glass over, and let the scene change
as if you had slept through the interim: abandoning Leontes,
who is so upset at the results of his foolish jealousy
that he has shut himself away, imagine,
sweet audience, that I'm now
in fair Bohemia, and remember
that a son of the king's was mentioned earlier, whom
I can now tell you is called Florizel; now let's rush on
to talk of Perdita, who has now developed a loveliness
which equals the admiration it causes. What happens to her
I shan't tell you; let the news of time
be seen when it happens. A shepherd's daughter,
and what happens to her, which is what is following,
is what Time wants to show you. Allow this, whether
or not you have ever spent time less agreeably,
Time only wishes with all his heart that you never will.
The Complete Works of William Shakespeare In Plain and Simple English (Translated) Page 442