LEON.

Make't thy question, and go rot! 4 Doft think, I am fo muddy, so unfettled, To appoint myself in this vexation? fully The purity and whiteness of my fheets,

Which to preserve, is fleep; which being spotted,

to the grave with it, Question, in our author, very often has this meaning. So, in Meafure for Measure: " But in the lofs of queftion;' i. e. in converfation that is thrown away. Again, in Hamlet: queftionable fhape" is a form propitious to converfation. Again, in As you like it: " an unquestionable spirit" is a spirit unwilling to

be converfed with. STEEVENS.

I think Steevens right in reftoring the old reading, but mistaken in his interpretation of it. Camillo is about to exprefs his affection for Leontes, but the impatience of the latter will not fuffer him to proceed. He takes no notice of that part of Camillo's fpeech, but replies to that which gave him offence-the doubts he had expreffed of the Queen's misconduct; and fays-" Make that thy queftion and go rot." Nothing can be more natural than this interruption. M. MASON.

The commentators have differed much in explaining this paffage, and fome have wished to transfer the words-" I have lov'd thee,' from Camillo to Leontes, Perhaps the words "being honourable" fhould be placed in a parenthesis, and the full point that has been put in all the editions after the latter of these words, ought to be omitted. The fenfe will then be: Having ever had the highest reSpect for you, and thought you fo eftimable and honourable a character, fo worthy of the love of my mistress, I cannot believe that she has played you falfe, has difbonoured you. However, the text is very intelligible as now regulated. Camillo is going to give the king inftances of his love, and is interrupted. I fee no fufficient reafon for tranfferring the words, I have lov'd thee, from Camillo to Leontes. In the original copy there is a comma at the end of Camillo's fpeech, to denote an abrupt fpeech. MALONE.

4 Make't thy queftion, and go rot! &c.] This refers to what Camillo has just faid, relative to the queen's chastity:

I cannot

Believe this crack to be in my dread mistress-,

Not believe it, replies Leontes; make that (i. e. Hermione's difloyalty, which is fo clear a point,) a fubject of debate or difcuffion, and go rot! Doft thou think, I am fuch a fool as to torment myself, and to bring difgrace on me and my children, without fufficient grounds? MALONE.

Is goads, thorns, nettles, tails of wafps?
Give fcandal to the blood o'the prince my fon,
Who, I do think, is mine, and love as mine
Without ripe moving to't? Would I do this?
Could man fo blench??

Сам.

;

I must believe you, fir;

I do; and will fetch off Bohemia for't:

Provided, that when he's remov'd, your highness Will take again your queen, as yours at first; Even for your fon's fake; and, thereby, for fealing The injury of tongues, in courts and kingdoms Known and allied to yours.

LEON.

Thou doft advise me,

Even fo as I mine own courfe have fet down:
I'll give no blemish to her honour, none.

CAM. My lord,

Go then; and with a countenance as clear

As friendship wears at feafts, keep with Bohemia, And with your queen: I am his cupbearer;

If from me he have wholfome beverage,

Account me not your fervant.

LEON.

This is all:

Do't, and thou haft the one half of my heart;
Do't not, thou fplit'ft thine own.

CAM

I'll do't, my lord.

Is gonds, &c.] Somewhat neceffary to the meafure is omitted in this line. Perhaps we should read, with Sir T. Hanmer : "Is goads and thorns, nettles and tails of wafps."

STEEVENS,

Could man fo blench?] To blench is to start off, to shrink. So, in Hamlet:

66

if he but blench,

"I know my course."

Leontes means-could any man fo ftart or fly off from propriety of behaviour? STIEVENS,

LEON. I will feem friendly, as thou haft advis'd me,

[Exit.

CAM. O miferable lady!-But, for me, What cafe ftand I in? I muft be the poifoner Of good Polixenes: and my ground to do't Is the obedience to a mafter; one,

8

Who, in rebellion with himself, will have
All that are his, fo too.-To do this deed,
Promotion follows: If I could find example
Of thousands, that had ftruck anointed kings,
And flourish'd after, I'd not do't: but fince
Nor brafs, nor ftone, nor parchment, bears not one,
Let villainy itself forfwear't. I must

Forfake the court: to do't, or no, is certain
To me a break-neck. Happy ftar, reign now!
Here comes Bohemia.

POL.

Enter POLIXENES.

This is ftrange! methinks,

My favour here begins to warp. Not speak?

Good-day, Camillo.

CAM.

POL. What is the news i'the court?

CAM.

Hail, most royal fir!

None rare, my lord.

POL. The king hath on him fuch a countenance, As he had loft fome province, and a region, Lov'd as he loves himself: even now I met him With customary compliment; when he,

If I could find example, &c.] An allufion to the death of the queen of Scots. The play therefore was written in king James's time. BLACKSTONE,

8

Wafting his eyes to the contrary, and falling
A lip of much contempt, fpeeds from me; and
So leaves me, to confider what is breeding,
That changes thus his manners,

CAM. I dare not know, my lord.

POL. How! dare not? do not. Do you know, and dare not

Be intelligent to me?? 'Tis thereabouts;

For, to yourself, what you do know, you must; And cannot fay, you dare not. Good Camillo, Your chang'd complexions are to me a mirror, Which shows me mine chang'd too: for I must be A party in this alteration, finding

Myfelf thus alter'd with it.

CAM.

There is a fickness

Which puts some of us in diftemper; but
I cannot name the disease; and it is caught
Of you, that yet are well.

POL.

How! caught of me? Make me not fighted like the bafilifk:

I have look'd on thousands, who have sped the better
By my regard, but kill'd none fo. Camillo,-
As you are certainly a gentleman; thereto
Clerklike, experienc'd, which no lefs adorns

when he,

Wafting his eyes to the contrary, and falling

A lip of much contempt, Speeds from me;] This is a ftroke of nature worthy of Shakspeare. Leontes had but a moment before affured Camillo that he would feem friendly to Polixenes, according to his advice; but on meeting him, his jealoufy gets the better of his refolution, and he finds it impoffible to reftrain his hatred. M. MASON.

Do you know, and dare not

Be intelligent to me?] i. e. do you know, and dare not confess to me that you know? TYRWHITT.

Our gentry, than our parents' noble names,
In whofe fuccefs we are gentle,-I befeech you,
If you know aught which does behove my know-
ledge

Thereof to be inform'd, imprison it not

In ignorant concealment.

CAM.

I may not answer.

POL. A ficknefs caught of me, and yet I well! I must be anfwer'd.-Doft thou hear, Camillo, I conjure thee, by all the parts of man,

Which honour does acknowledge,-whereof the leaft

Is not this fuit of mine,-that thou declare
What incidency thou doft guess of harm

Is creeping toward me; how far off, how near;
Which way to be prevented, if to be;

If not, how best to bear it.

Сам.

Sir, I'll tell you;

Since I am charg'd in honour, and by him
That I think honourable: Therefore, mark my

counfel;

Which must be even as fwiftly follow'd, as
I mean to utter it; or both yourself and me
Cry, loft, and fo good-night.

2 In whofe fuccefs we are gentle,] I know not whether fuccefs here does not mean fucceffion. JOHNSON.

Gentle in the text is evidently opposed to fimple; alluding to the distinction between the gentry and yeomanry. So, in The Infatiate Countess, 1613:

"And make thee gentle being born a beggar."

In whofe fuccefs we are gentle, may, indeed, mean in confequence of whofe fuccefs in life, &c. STEEVENS.

Succefs feems clearly to have been used for fucceffion by Shakspeare, in this, as in other inftances. HENLEY.

I think Dr. Johnson's explanation of fuccefs the true one.-So, in Titus Andronicus:

"Plead my fucceffive title with your fwords." MALONE.