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Cam.

None rare, my lord.
Pol. The king hath on him such a countenance,
As he had lost some province, and a region,
Lov'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.

and dare not

Do you know,

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 that yet are well.

Of

you

Pol.

How! caught of me? Make me not sighted like the basilisk:

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.

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

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.

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Sir, 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.

Pol.

By the king.

For what?

Cam. He thinks, nay, with all confidence he swears,

As he had seen't, or been an instrument

To vice 51 you to't,-that you have touch'd his
Forbiddenly.

Pol.

O, 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

queen

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. time meant any kind of winding screw. a common expression.

A vice in Shakspeare's
The vice of a clock was

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

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 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 pil'd upon his faith 54, and will continue The standing of his body.

Pol.

53

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

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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;

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

54 Is pil'd upon his faith.' This folly which is erected on the foundation of settled belief.

55I saw his heart in his face.' In Macbeth we have :

To find the mind's construction in the face.'

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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.

[Exeunt.

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.'

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Enter HERMIONE, MAMILLIUS, and Ladies.

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

1 Lady.

Come, my gracious lord,

No, I'll none of you.

Shall I be your playfellow?

Mam.

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?

Blue, my lord.

Mam. I learn'd it out of women's faces.-Pray now What colour are your eye-brows?

1 Lady.

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

nose

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

2 Lady. Hark ye: 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!

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