not, and think me still no gentleman born: you were best say, these robes are not gentleman born. Give me the lie; do; and try whether I am not now a gentleman born.

Aut. I know, you are now, sir, a gentleman born. Clo. Ay, and have been so any time these four hours.

Shep. And so have I, boy.

Clo. So you have:-but I was a gentleman born before my father: for the king's son took me by the hand, and called me, brother; and then the two kings called my father, brother; and then the prince, my brother, and the princess, my sister, called my father, father; and so we wept: and there was the first gentlemanlike tears that ever we shed. Shep. We may live, son, to shed many more. Clo. Ay; or else 'twere hard luck, being in so preposterous estate as we are.

Aut. I humbly beseech you, sir, to pardon me all the faults I have committed to your worship, and to give me your good report to the prince my

master.

Shep. 'Pr'ythee, son, do; for we must be gentle, now we are gentlemen.

Clo. Thou wilt amend thy life?

Aut. Ay, an it like your good worship.

Clo. Give me thy hand: I will swear to the prince, thou art as honest a true fellow as any is in Bohemia. Shep. You may say it, but not swear it.

Clo. Not swear it, now I am a gentleman? Let boors and franklins9 say it, I'll swear it. Shep. How if it be false, son?

Clo. If it be ne'er so false, a true gentleman may swear it, in the behalf of his friend:- And I'll swear to the prince, thou art a tall10 fellow of

9 i. e. Yeomen.

10 i. e. a bold, courageous fellow. See note on The Merry Wives of Windsor, Act i. Sc. 5. Autolycus chooses to understand the phrase in one of its senses, which was that of nimble-handed, working with his hands, a fellow skilful in thievery.

thy hands, and that thou wilt not be drunk; but I know, thou art no tall fellow of thy hands, and that thou wilt be drunk; but I'll swear it: and I would, thou would'st be a tall fellow of thy hands. Aut. I will prove so, sir, to my power.

Clo. Ay, by any means prove a tall fellow: If I do not wonder, how thou darest venture to be drunk, not being a tall fellow, trust me not.Hark! the kings and the princes, our kindred, are going to see the queen's picture. Come, follow us: we'll be thy good masters11. [Exeunt.

SCENE III.

The same. A Room in Paulina's House.

Enter LEONTES, POLIXENES, FLORIZEL, PERDITA, CAMILLO, PAULINA, Lords, and Attendants.

Leon. O grave and good Paulina, the great com

fort

That I have had of thee!

Paul.
What, sovereign sir,
I did not well, I meant well: All my services,
You have paid home: but that you have vouchsaf'd
With your crown'd brother, and these your con-
tracted

Heirs of your kingdoms, my poor house to visit,
It is a surplus of your grace, which never
My life may last to answer.

Leon.

O Paulina,

We honour you with trouble: But we came
To see the statue of our queen: your gallery
Have we pass'd through, not without much content
In many singularities; but we saw not

That which my daughter came to look upon,
The statue of her mother.

Paul.

As she liv'd peerless,

11 Good masters. It was a common petitionary phrase to ask a superior to be good lord or good master to the supplicant.

So her dead likeness, I do well believe,
Excels whatever yet you look'd upon,

Or hand of man hath done; therefore I keep it
Lonely1, apart: But here it is: prepare

To see the life as lively mock'd, as ever
Still sleep mock'd death: behold; and say, 'tis well.
[PAUL. undraws a Curtain and discovers a Statue.
I like your silence, it the more shows off
Your wonder: But yet speak;-first, you, my liege,
Comes it not something near?
Leon.
Her natural posture!-
Chide me, dear stone; that I may say, indeed,
Thou art Hermione: or, rather, thou art she,
In thy not chiding; for she was as tender
As infancy and grace.-But yet, Paulina,
Hermione was not so much wrinkled, nothing
So aged, as this seems.

Pol.

O, not by much.

Paul. So much the more our carver's excellence: Which lets go by some sixteen years, and makes her As she liv'd now.

Leon.

As now she might have done, So much to my good comfort, as it is

Now piercing to my soul. O, thus she stood
Even with such life of majesty (warm life,
As now it coldly stands), when first I woo'd her?
I am asham'd: Does not the stone rebuke me,
For being more stone than it?-0, royal piece,
There's magic in thy majesty; which has
My evils conjured to remembrance; and
From thy admiring daughter took the spirits,
Standing like stone with thee!

Per.

And give me leave! And do not say, 'tis superstition, that

I kneel, and then implore her blessing.-Lady, Dear queen, that ended when I but began, Give me that hand of yours, to kiss.

The old copy reads louely.

Paul.

O, patience;

The statue is but newly fix'd, the colour's
Not dry.

Cam. My lord, your sorrow was too sore laid on; Which sixteen winters cannot blow away,

So many summers, dry: scarce any joy

Did ever so long live; no sorrow,

But kill'd itself much sooner.

Pol. Dear my brother, Let him, that was the cause of this, have power To take off so much grief from you, as he Will piece up in himself.

Paul. Indeed, my lord, If I had thought, the sight of my poor image Would thus have wrought you (for the stone is mine),

I'd not have show'd it3.

Leon.

Do not draw the curtain. Paul. No longer shall you gaze on't; lest your

fancy

May think anon, it moves.

Leon. Let be, let be. 'Would, I were dead, but that, methinks, already4_ What was he, that did make it ?-See, my lord, Would you not deem, it breath'd? and that those veins Did verily bear blood?

Pol.

Masterly done: The very life seems warm upon her lip. Leon. The fixture of her eye has motion in't3, As we are mock'd with art6.

I'll draw the curtain;

Paul.
My lord's almost so far transported, that
He'll think anon it lives.

2 Worked, agitated.

3 The folio reads 'It'd not have show'd it.' In the late edition of Malone's Shakspeare it stands, 'I'll not have show'd it.' But surely this is erroneous.

The sentence if completed would probably have been, but that, methinks, already I converse with the dead.'-His passion made him break off.

5 i. e. Though her eye be fixed, it seems to have motion in it. 6 As for as if. With has the force of by.

Leon.

O sweet Paulina,

Make me to think so twenty years together;
No settled senses of the world can match
The pleasure of that madness. Let't alone.
Paul. I am sorry, sir, I have thus far stirr'd you: but
I could afflict you further.

Leon.
Do, Paulina;
For this affliction has a taste as sweet

As any cordial comfort.-Still, methinks,

There is an air comes from her: What fine chisel Could ever yet cut breath? Let no man mock me, For I will kiss her.

Paul.

Good my lord, forbear:
The ruddiness upon her lip is wet;

You'll mar it, if you kiss it; stain your own
With oily painting: Shall I draw the curtain?
Leon. No, not these twenty years.

Per.

Stand by, a looker on.
Paul.

So long could I

Either forbear,

Quit presently the chapel; or resolve you
For more amazement: If you can behold it,
I'll make the statue move indeed; descend,
And take you by the hand; but then you'll think
(Which I protest against), I am assisted
By wicked powers.

Leon.
What you can make her do,
I am content to look on: what to speak,
I am content to hear; for 'tis as easy

To make her speak, as move.

Paul.

It is requir'd, You do awake your faith: Then, all stand still; Or those, that think it is unlawful business

I am about, let them depart.

Leon.

No foot shall stir.

Paul.

Proceed;

Music; awake her: strike.

[Music.

'Tis time; descend; be stone no more: approach, Strike all that look upon with marvel. Come: