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"Tis time; descend; be stone no more: approach,
Strike all that look upon with marvel. Come:
I'll fill your grave up: stir; nay, come away;
Bequeath to death your numbness, for from him
Dear life redeems you. You perceive, she stirs :
[HERMIONE comes down from the Pedestal.
Start not: her actions shall be holy, as,
You hear, my spell is lawful: do not shun her,
Until you see her die again; for then
You kill her double: Nay, present your hand:
When she was young, you woo'd her; now,
Is she become the suitor.

Leon.

in age,

O, she's warm! [Embracing her.

If this be magick, let it be an art

Lawful as eating.

Pol.

She embraces him.

Cam. She hangs about his neck;

If she pertain to life, let her speak too.

Pol. Ay, and make't manifest where she has liv'd, Or, how stol'n from the dead?

Paul.

That she is living,

Were it but told you, should be hooted at
Like an old tale; but it appears, she lives,
Though yet she speak not. Mark a little while.-
Please you to interpose, fair madam; kneel,
And pray your mother's blessing.-Turn, good lady;
Our Perdita is found.

[Presenting PER. who kneels to HER. You gods, look down, And from your sacred vials pour your graces

Her.

Upon my daughter's head!—Tell me, mine own, Where hast thou been preserv'd? where liv'd? how found

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Thy father's court? for thou shalt hear, that I,— Knowing by Paulina, that the oracle

Gave hope, thou wast in being,-have preserv'd
Myself to see the issue.

Paul.
Lest they desire, upon this push to trouble
Your joys with like relation. Go together,
You precious winners all; your exultation
Partake to every one. I, an old turtle,

There's time enough for that;

Will wing me to some wither'd bough: and there My mate, that's never to be found again, Lament till I am lost 9.

Leon.

O peace, Paulina;
Thou should'st a husband take by my consent,
As I by thine, a wife: this is a match,

And made between's by vows. Thou hast found mine;
But how, is to be question'd: for I saw her,
As I thought, dead; and have in vain, said many
A prayer upon her grave: I'll not seek far
(For him, I partly know his mind), to find thee
An honourable husband:-Come, Camillo,

And take her by the hand: whose 10 worth, and honesty,

11

Is11 richly noted; and here justified

By us, a pair of kings.-Let's from this place.

7 You who by this discovery have gained what you desired. 8 i. e. participate.

• Thus in Lodge's Rosalynde, 1592:—

'A turtle sat upon a leavelesse tree,
Mourning her absent pheere

With sad and sorry cheere:
And whilst her plumes she rents,
And for her love laments,' &c.

10 Whose relates to Camillo, though Paulina is the immediate antecedent. I have observed, in the loose construction of ancient phraseology, whose often used in this manner, where his would be more proper.

11. It is erroneously printed for is here in the late Variorum Shakspeare.

What!-Look upon 12 my brother :-both your par

dons,

That e'er I put between your holy looks
My ill suspicion. This your son-in-law,

And son unto the king (whom 13 heavens directing),
Is troth-plight to your daughter.-Good Paulina,
Lead us from hence; where we may leisurely
Each one demand, and answer to his part
Perform'd in this wide gap of time, since first
We were dissever'd: Hastily lead away. [Exeunt.

12 Look upon for look on. Thus in King Henry VI. Part III. Act ii. Sc. 3:

'And look upon, as if the tragedy,' &c.

13 Whom is here used where him would be now employed.

THIS play, as Dr. Warburton justly observes, is, with all its absurdities, very entertaining. The character of Autolycus is naturally conceived, and strongly represented. JOHNSON.

This is not only a frigid note of approbation, but is unjustly attributed to Warburton, whose opinion is conveyed in more enthusiastic terms. He must in justice be allowed to speak for himself. This play throughout is written in the very spirit of its author. And in telling this homely and simple, though agreeable, country tale,

"Our sweetest Shakspeare, Fancy's child,
Warbles his native wood-notes wild."

This was necessary to observe in mere justice to the play; as the meanness of the fable, and the extravagant conduct of it, had misled some of great name (i. e. Dryden and Pope) into a wrong judgment of its merit; which, as far as regards sentiment and character, is scarce inferior to any in the collection.'

ADDITIONAL NOTE.

I will just take occasion to observe here, that at page 39, line 10, of this play, Paulina says of Hermione, contrasting her with Leontes, that she is

a gracious innocent soul; More free, than he is jealous.'

Where the epithet free evidently means chaste, pure.

I regret

that this instance did not occur to me when I wrote the note on Twelfth Night, Vol. I. p. 332-3.

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Luciana. God, for thy mercy! they are loose again. Adriana. And come with naked swords; let's call more help, To have them bound again.

Officer.

Away! they'll kill us.

FROM THE CHISWICK PRESS.

1826.

ACT iv. Sc. 4.

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