Cam.

None rare, my lord.
Pol. The king hath on him such a countenance,
As he had lost some province, and a region,
Lor'd as he loves himself: even now I met him
With customary compliment; when he,
Wafting his eyes to the contrary, and falling
A lip of much contempt, speeds from me; and
So leaves me, to consider 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 say, 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
Myself thus alter'd with it.
Cam.

There is a sickness Which puts some of us in distemper; but I cannot name the disease; and it is caught Of

you that yet are well. Pol.

How! caught of me? Make me not sighted like the bąsilisk: I have look'd on thousands, who have sped the better By my regard, but kill'd none so. Camillo,-As you are certainly a gentleman; thereto Clerk-like, experienc'd, which no less adorns Our gentry, than our parents' noble names, In whose success we are gentle 49,- I beseech you, If you know aught which does behove my knowledge Thereof to be inform'd, imprison it not In ignorant concealment.

19 Success, for succession. Gentle, well born, was opposed to simple.

Sir,

Cam.

I
may

not answer.
Pol. A sickness caught of me, and yet I well!
I must be answer'd.—Dost thou hear, Camillo,
I conjure thee, by all the parts of man,
Which honour does acknowledge,—whereof the least
Is not this suit of mine,—that thou declare
What incidency thou dost 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.
Cam.

I'll tell

you; Since I am charg'd in honour, and by him That I think honourable: Therefore,mark my counsel; Which must be even as swiftly follow'd, as I mean to utter it; or both yourself and me Cry, lost, and so good-night. Pol.

On, good Camillo. Cam. I am appointed him to murder you 50. Pol. By whom, Camillo? Cam.

By the king. Pol.

For what? Cam. He thinks, nay,with all confidence he swears, As he had seen't, or been an instrument To vice 51

you have touch'd his queen Forbiddenly.

Pol. 0, then my best blood turn
To an infected jelly; and my name
Be yok'd with his, that did betray the best 52 !
Turn then

my

freshest reputation to 50 • I am appointed him to murder you,' I am the person appointed to murder you.

51 i. e. to screw or move you to it. A vice in Shakspeare's time meant any kind of winding screw. The vice of a clock was a common expression.

52 That is Judas. A clause in the sentence of excommunicated persons was : ‘let them have part with Judas that betrayed Christ.'

.

you to’t,—that

A savour, that

may strike the dullest nostril Where I arrive; and my approach be shunn'd, Nay, hated too, worse than the great’st infection That e'er was heard, or read! Cam.

Swear his thought over 53. By each particular star in heaven, and By all their influences, you may as well Forbid the sea for to obey the moon, As or, by oath, remove, or counsel, shake The fabrick of his folly; whose foundation Is pild upon his faith 54, and will continue The standing of his body. Pol.

How should this grow? Cam. I know not: but, I am sure, 'tis safer to Avoid what's grown, than question how 'tis born. If therefore

you
dare trust

my honesty,-
That lies enclosed in this trunk, which you
Shall bear along impawn'd,-away to-night.
Your followers I will whisper to the business;
And will, by twos, and threes, at several posterns,
Clear them o'the city: For myself, I'll put
My fortunes to your service, which are here
By this discovery lost. Be not uncertain :
For, by the honour of my parents, I
Have utter'd truth: which if you seek to prove,
I dare not stand by; nor shall you be safer
Than one condemn’d by the king's own mouth, thereon
His execution sworn.
Pol.

I do believe thee: I saw his heart in his face 55. Give me thy hand;

53 Swear his thought over.' The meaning apparently is 'overswear his thought by,' &c.

54 • Is pild upon his faith. This folly which is erected on the foundation of settled belief. 55 · I saw his heart in his face. In Macbeth we have :

"To find the mind's construction in the face.' VOL. IV.

D

Be pilot to me, and thy places shall
Still neighbour mine 56; My ships are ready, and
My people did expect my hence departure
Two days ago.—This jealousy
Is for a precious creature: as she's rare,
Must it be great; and, as his person's mighty,
Must it be violent; and as he does conceive,
He is dishonour'd by a man which ever
Profess’d to him, why, his revenges must
In that be made more bitter. Fear o'ershades me;
Good expedition be my friend, and comfort
The gracious queen, part of his theme, but nothing
Of his ill-ta'en suspicion 57! Come, Camillo;
I will respect thee as a father, if
Thou bear'st my life off hence: Let us avoid.

Cam. It is in mine authority, to command
The keys of all the posterns: Please your highness
To take the urgent hour: come, sir, away.

[Ereunt.

56 i. e. I will place thee in elevated rank always near to my own in dignity, or near my person.

57 Johnson might well say, 'I can make nothing of the following words:

and comfort
The gracious queen, part of his theme, but nothing

Of his ill-ta'en suspicion.' he suspected the line which connected them to the rest to have been lost. I have sometimes thought that we should read not noting instead of but nothing. Perhaps they will bear this construction : ‘Good expedition be my friend, and may my absence bring comfort to the gracious queen who is part of his theme, but who knows nothing of his unjust suspicion.'

ACT II.

SCENE I. The same.

Enter HERMIONE, MAMILLIUS, and Ladies.

Her. Take the boy to you: he so troubles me, 'Tis past enduring. 1 Lady.

Come, my gracious lord,
Shall I be your playfellow?
Mam.

No, I'll none of you. 1 Lady. Why, my sweet lord ?

Mam. You'll kiss me hard; and speak to me as if I were a baby still.—I love

you

better. 2 Lady. And why so, my lord ? Mam.

Not for because Your brows are blacker; yet black brows, they say, Become some women best; so that there be not Too much hair there, but in a semicircle, Or half-moon made with a pen. 2 Lady.

Who taught you this? Mam. I learn’d it out of women's faces.—Pray now What colour are your eye-brows? 1 Lady.

Blue, my lord. Mam. Nay, that's a mock: I have seen a lady's

nose

Hark ye:

That has been blue, but not her eye-brows.

2 Lady. The queen, your mother, rounds apace: we shall Present our services to a fine new prince, One of these days; and then you'd wanton with us, If we would have

you. 1 Lady.

She is spread of late Into a goodly bulk: Good time encounter her!