The Winter's Tale Part 9

FLORIZEL. No, he must not.

SHEPHERD. Let him, my son; he shall not need to grieve At knowing of thy choice.

FLORIZEL. Come, come, he must not.

Mark our contract.

POLIXENES. [Discovering himself] Mark your divorce, young sir, Whom son I dare not call; thou art too base To be acknowledg'd- thou a sceptre's heir, That thus affects a sheep-hook! Thou, old traitor, I am sorry that by hanging thee I can but Shorten thy life one week. And thou, fresh piece Of excellent witchcraft, who of force must know The royal fool thou cop'st with- SHEPHERD. O, my heart!

POLIXENES. I'll have thy beauty scratch'd with briers and made More homely than thy state. For thee, fond boy, If I may ever know thou dost but sigh That thou no more shalt see this knack- as never I mean thou shalt- we'll bar thee from succession; Not hold thee of our blood, no, not our kin, Farre than Deucalion off. Mark thou my words.

Follow us to the court. Thou churl, for this time, Though full of our displeasure, yet we free thee From the dead blow of it. And you, enchantment, Worthy enough a herdsman- yea, him too That makes himself, but for our honour therein, Unworthy thee- if ever henceforth thou These rural latches to his entrance open, Or hoop his body more with thy embraces, I will devise a death as cruel for thee As thou art tender to't. Exit PERDITA. Even here undone!

I was not much afeard; for once or twice I was about to speak and tell him plainly The self-same sun that s.h.i.+nes upon his court Hides not his visage from our cottage, but Looks on alike. [To FLORIZEL] Will't please you, sir, be gone?

I told you what would come of this. Beseech you, Of your own state take care. This dream of mine- Being now awake, I'll queen it no inch farther, But milk my ewes and weep.

CAMILLO. Why, how now, father!

Speak ere thou diest.

SHEPHERD. I cannot speak nor think, Nor dare to know that which I know. [To FLORIZEL] O sir, You have undone a man of fourscore-three That thought to fill his grave in quiet, yea, To die upon the bed my father died, To lie close by his honest bones; but now Some hangman must put on my shroud and lay me Where no priest shovels in dust. [To PERDITA] O cursed wretch, That knew'st this was the Prince, and wouldst adventure To mingle faith with him!- Undone, undone!

If I might die within this hour, I have liv'd To die when I desire. Exit FLORIZEL. Why look you so upon me?

I am but sorry, not afeard; delay'd, But nothing alt'red. What I was, I am: More straining on for plucking back; not following My leash unwillingly.

CAMILLO. Gracious, my lord, You know your father's temper. At this time He will allow no speech- which I do guess You do not purpose to him- and as hardly Will he endure your sight as yet, I fear; Then, till the fury of his Highness settle, Come not before him.

FLORIZEL. I not purpose it.

I think Camillo?

CAMILLO. Even he, my lord.

PERDITA. How often have I told you 'twould be thus!

How often said my dignity would last But till 'twere known!

FLORIZEL. It cannot fail but by The violation of my faith; and then Let nature crush the sides o' th' earth together And mar the seeds within! Lift up thy looks.

From my succession wipe me, father; I Am heir to my affection.

CAMILLO. Be advis'd.

FLORIZEL. I am- and by my fancy; if my reason Will thereto be obedient, I have reason; If not, my senses, better pleas'd with madness, Do bid it welcome.

CAMILLO. This is desperate, sir.

FLORIZEL. So call it; but it does fulfil my vow: I needs must think it honesty. Camillo, Not for Bohemia, nor the pomp that may Be thereat glean'd, for all the sun sees or The close earth wombs, or the profound seas hides In unknown fathoms, will I break my oath To this my fair belov'd. Therefore, I pray you, As you have ever been my father's honour'd friend, When he shall miss me- as, in faith, I mean not To see him any more- cast your good counsels Upon his pa.s.sion. Let myself and Fortune Tug for the time to come. This you may know, And so deliver: I am put to sea With her who here I cannot hold on sh.o.r.e.

And most opportune to her need I have A vessel rides fast by, but not prepar'd For this design. What course I mean to hold Shall nothing benefit your knowledge, nor Concern me the reporting.

CAMILLO. O my lord, I would your spirit were easier for advice.

Or stronger for your need.

FLORIZEL. Hark, Perdita. [Takes her aside]

[To CAMILLO] I'll hear you by and by.

CAMILLO. He's irremovable, Resolv'd for flight. Now were I happy if His going I could frame to serve my turn, Save him from danger, do him love and honour, Purchase the sight again of dear Sicilia And that unhappy king, my master, whom I so much thirst to see.

FLORIZEL. Now, good Camillo, I am so fraught with curious business that I leave out ceremony.

CAMILLO. Sir, I think You have heard of my poor services i' th' love That I have borne your father?

FLORIZEL. Very n.o.bly Have you deserv'd. It is my father's music To speak your deeds; not little of his care To have them recompens'd as thought on.

CAMILLO. Well, my lord, If you may please to think I love the King, And through him what's nearest to him, which is Your gracious self, embrace but my direction.

If your more ponderous and settled project May suffer alteration, on mine honour, I'll point you where you shall have such receiving As shall become your Highness; where you may Enjoy your mistress, from the whom, I see, There's no disjunction to be made but by, As heavens forfend! your ruin- marry her; And with my best endeavours in your absence Your discontenting father strive to qualify, And bring him up to liking.

FLORIZEL. How, Camillo, May this, almost a miracle, be done?

That I may call thee something more than man, And after that trust to thee.

CAMILLO. Have you thought on A place whereto you'll go?

FLORIZEL. Not any yet; But as th' unthought-on accident is guilty To what we wildly do, so we profess Ourselves to be the slaves of chance and flies Of every wind that blows.

CAMILLO. Then list to me.

This follows, if you will not change your purpose But undergo this flight: make for Sicilia, And there present yourself and your fair princess- For so, I see, she must be- fore Leontes.

She shall be habited as it becomes The partner of your bed. Methinks I see Leontes opening his free arms and weeping His welcomes forth; asks thee there 'Son, forgiveness!'

As 'twere i' th' father's person; kisses the hands Of your fresh princess; o'er and o'er divides him 'Twixt his unkindness and his kindness- th' one He chides to h.e.l.l, and bids the other grow Faster than thought or time.

FLORIZEL. Worthy Camillo, What colour for my visitation shall I Hold up before him?

CAMILLO. Sent by the King your father To greet him and to give him comforts. Sir, The manner of your bearing towards him, with What you as from your father shall deliver, Things known betwixt us three, I'll write you down; The which shall point you forth at every sitting What you must say, that he shall not perceive But that you have your father's bosom there And speak his very heart.

FLORIZEL. I am bound to you.

There is some sap in this.

CAMILLO. A course more promising Than a wild dedication of yourselves To unpath'd waters, undream'd sh.o.r.es, most certain To miseries enough; no hope to help you, But as you shake off one to take another; Nothing so certain as your anchors, who Do their best office if they can but stay you Where you'll be loath to be. Besides, you know Prosperity's the very bond of love, Whose fresh complexion and whose heart together Affliction alters.

PERDITA. One of these is true: I think affliction may subdue the cheek, But not take in the mind.

CAMILLO. Yea, say you so?

There shall not at your father's house these seven years Be born another such.

FLORIZEL. My good Camillo, She is as forward of her breeding as She is i' th' rear o' our birth.

CAMILLO. I cannot say 'tis pity She lacks instructions, for she seems a mistress To most that teach.

PERDITA. Your pardon, sir; for this I'll blush you thanks.

FLORIZEL. My prettiest Perdita!

But, O, the thorns we stand upon! Camillo- Preserver of my father, now of me; The medicine of our house- how shall we do?

We are not furnish'd like Bohemia's son; Nor shall appear in Sicilia.

CAMILLO. My lord, Fear none of this. I think you know my fortunes Do all lie there. It shall be so my care To have you royally appointed as if The scene you play were mine. For instance, sir, That you may know you shall not want- one word.

[They talk aside]

Re-enter AUTOLYCUS

AUTOLYCUS. Ha, ha! what a fool Honesty is! and Trust, his sworn brother, a very simple gentleman! I have sold all my trumpery; not a counterfeit stone, not a ribbon, gla.s.s, pomander, brooch, table-book, ballad, knife, tape, glove, shoe-tie, bracelet, horn-ring, to keep my pack from fasting. They throng who should buy first, as if my trinkets had been hallowed and brought a benediction to the buyer; by which means I saw whose purse was best in picture; and what I saw, to my good use I rememb'red. My clown, who wants but something to be a reasonable man, grew so in love with the wenches' song that he would not stir his pett.i.toes till he had both tune and words, which so drew the rest of the herd to me that all their other senses stuck in ears. You might have pinch'd a placket, it was senseless; 'twas nothing to geld a codpiece of a purse; I would have fil'd keys off that hung in chains. No hearing, no feeling, but my sir's song, and admiring the nothing of it. So that in this time of lethargy I pick'd and cut most of their festival purses; and had not the old man come in with whoobub against his daughter and the King's son and scar'd my choughs from the chaff, I had not left a purse alive in the whole army.

CAMILLO, FLORIZEL, and PERDITA come forward

CAMILLO. Nay, but my letters, by this means being there So soon as you arrive, shall clear that doubt.

FLORIZEL. And those that you'll procure from King Leontes?

CAMILLO. Shall satisfy your father.

PERDITA. Happy be you!

All that you speak shows fair.

CAMILLO. [seeing AUTOLYCUS] Who have we here?

We'll make an instrument of this; omit Nothing may give us aid.

AUTOLYCUS. [Aside] If they have overheard me now- why, hanging.

CAMILLO. How now, good fellow! Why shak'st thou so?

Fear not, man; here's no harm intended to thee.

AUTOLYCUS. I am a poor fellow, sir.

CAMILLO. Why, be so still; here's n.o.body will steal that from thee.

Yet for the outside of thy poverty we must make an exchange; therefore discase thee instantly- thou must think there's a necessity in't- and change garments with this gentleman. Though the pennyworth on his side be the worst, yet hold thee, there's some boot. [Giving money]

AUTOLYCUS. I am a poor fellow, sir. [Aside] I know ye well enough.

CAMILLO. Nay, prithee dispatch. The gentleman is half flay'd already.

AUTOLYCUS. Are you in earnest, sir? [Aside] I smell the trick on't.

FLORIZEL. Dispatch, I prithee.

AUTOLYCUS. Indeed, I have had earnest; but I cannot with conscience take it.

CAMILLO. Unbuckle, unbuckle.

FLORIZEL and AUTOLYCUS exchange garments

Fortunate mistress- let my prophecy Come home to ye!- you must retire yourself Into some covert; take your sweetheart's hat And pluck it o'er your brows, m.u.f.fle your face, Dismantle you, and, as you can, disliken The truth of your own seeming, that you may- For I do fear eyes over- to s.h.i.+pboard Get undescried.

PERDITA. I see the play so lies That I must bear a part.

CAMILLO. No remedy.

Have you done there?

FLORIZEL. Should I now meet my father, He would not call me son.

CAMILLO. Nay, you shall have no hat.

[Giving it to PERDITA]

Come, lady, come. Farewell, my friend.

AUTOLYCUS. Adieu, sir.

FLORIZEL. O Perdita, what have we twain forgot!