Leon.
This sessions (to our great grief we pronounce)
Even pushes 'gainst our heart: The party tried,
The daughter of a king; our wife; and one,
Of us too much belov'd.—Let us be clear'd
Of being tyrannous, since we so openly
Proceed in justice; which shall have due course,
Even to the guilt, or the purgation.—
Produce the prisoner.

Offi.
It is his highness' pleasure, that the queen
Appear in person here in court.— [Exeunt Heralds.
Silence! [Hermione is brought in, Paulina and Ladies attending.

Leon.
Read the indictment.

Offi.

Hermione, queen to the worthy Leontes, king of Sicilia, thou art here accused and arraigned of high treason, with Polixenes, king of Bithynia; and conspiring with Camillo to take away the life of our sovereign lord the king, thy royal husband; the pretence^{1 note} whereof, being by circumstances partly laid open, thou, Hermione, contrary to the faith and allegiance of a true subject, didst counsel and aid them, for their better safety, to fly away by night.

Her.
Since what I am to say must be but that
Which contradicts my accusation; and
The testimony on my part, no other
But what comes from myself; it shall scarce boot me
To say, Not guilty: mine integrity^{2 note}
Being counted falsehood, shall, as I express it,
Be so receiv'd. But thus,—If powers divine
Behold our human actions (as they do),
I doubt not then, but innocence shall make
False accusation blush, and tyranny
Tremble at patience.—You, my lord, best know
(Who least will seem to do so,) my past life
Hath been as continent, as chaste, as true
As I am now unhappy; which^{3 note} is more
Than history can pattern, though devis'd,
And play'd, to take spectators: For behold me,—
A fellow of the royal bed, which owe
A moiety of the throne, a great king's daughter,
The mother to a hopeful prince, here standing,
To prate and talk for life and honour, 'fore
Who please to come and hear. For life, I prize it^{4 note}
As I weigh grief, which I would spare:^{5 note} for honour,
'Tis a derivative from me to mine,^{6 note}

With what encounter so uncurrent have
I stray'd t'appear thus:^{7 note}

if one jot beyond
The bound of honour; or, in act, or will,
That way inclining; harden'd be the hearts
Of all that hear me, and my near'st of kin
Cry, Fie upon my grave!

Leon.
I ne'er heard yet,
That any of these bolder vices wanted
Less impudence to gainsay what they did,
Than to perform it first.

Her.
That's true enough;
Though 'tis a saying, sir, not due to me.

Leon.
As you were past all shame,
(Those of your fact^{8 note} are so,) so past all truth:
Which to deny, concerns more than avails:^{9 note}
For as thy brat hath been cast out, like to itself,
No father owning it, (which is, indeed,
More criminal in thee, than it,) so thou
Shalt feel our justice; in whose easiest passage,
Look for no less than death.

Her.
Sir, spare your threats;
The bug, which you would fright me with, I seek.
To me can life be no commodity:
The crown and comfort of my life,^{10 note} your favour,
I do give lost; for I do feel it gone,
But know not how it went: My second joy,
And first fruits of our marriage, from his presence
I am barr'd, like one infectious:^{11 note} My third comfort,
Starr'd most unluckily, is from my breast
Haled out to murder: Myself on every post

Proclaim'd a wanton:—Lastly, hurried
Here to this place, i'the open air, before
I have got strength of limit.^{12 note} Now, my liege,
Tell me what blessings I have here alive,
That I should fear to die? Therefore, proceed.
But yet hear this; mistake me not:—No! life,
I prize it not a straw;—but for mine honour,
(Which I would free), if I shall be condemn'd
Upon surmises; all proofs sleeping else,
But what your jealousies awake; I tell you,
'Tis rigour, and not law.—Your honours all,
I do refer me to the oracle;
Apollo be my judge.(B)8Q0237

Leon.
Bring forth,
And in Apollo's name, his oracle.(C)8Q0238 [Exeunt Heralds. [Re-enter Heralds with Cleomenes, Dion, and a procession of Trumpeters, Guards, and Priests, bearing the Ark or Chest(D)8Q0239 in which the oracle has been conveyed from Delphi.

Offi.
You here shall swear upon this sword of justice,
That you, Cleomenes and Dion, have
Been both at Delphi; and from thence have brought
This seal'd-up oracle, by the hand deliver'd
Of great Apollo's priest; and that, since then,
You have not dar'd to break the holy seal,
Nor read the secrets in't.

Cleo. Dion.
All this we swear.

Leon.
Break up the seals and read.(E)8Q0240 [Cleomenes unlocks the chest, and hands the scroll to the Officer of the Court.

Offi. [reads.]

Hermione is chaste, Polixenes blameless, Camillo a true subject, Leontes a jealous tyrant, his innocent babe truly begotten; and the king shall live without an heir, if that, which is lost, be not found.

Lords.
Now blessed be the great Apollo!

Her.
Praised!

Leon.
Hast thou read truth?

Offi.
Ay, my lord; even so
As it is here set down.

Leon.
There is no truth at all i'the oracle:
The sessions shall proceed; this is mere falsehood. Enter First Attendant, hastily.

1st Att.
My lord the king, the king!

Leon.
What is the business?

1st Att.
O sir, I shall be hated to report it:
The prince, your son, with mere conceit and fear
Of the queen's speed,^{13 note} is gone.

Leon.
How! gone?

1st Att.
Is dead.

Leon.
Apollo's angry; and the heavens themselves
Do strike at my injustice.[Hermione faints.] How now there?

Paul.
This news is mortal to the queen:—Look down,
And see what death is doing.

Leon.
Take her hence:
Her heart is but o'ercharg'd; she will recover.—
I have too much believ'd mine own suspicion:—
'Beseech you, tenderly apply to her
Some remedies for life.— [Exeunt Paulina and Ladies, with Hermione.
Apollo, pardon
My great profaneness 'gainst thine oracle!—
I'll reconcile me to Polixenes;
New woo my queen; recall the good Camillo,
Whom I proclaim a man of truth, of mercy;
For, being transported by my jealousies
To bloody thoughts and to revenge, I chose
Camillo for the minister, to poison
My friend Polixenes:—He, most humane.
And fill'd with honour, to my kingly guest

Unclasp'd my practice; quit his fortunes here,
Which you knew great; and to the certain hazard
Of all incertainties himself commended,
No richer than his honour.—How he glisters
Thorough my rust! and how his piety
Does my deeds make the blacker! Re-enter Paulina.

Paul.
Woe! woe! woe the while!

Elder of the Council.
What fit is this, good lady?

Paul.
Thy tyranny
Together working with thy jealousies,—
O think what they have done,
And then run mad, indeed!—the queen, the queen,
The sweetest, dearest creature's dead; and vengeance for't
Not dropp'd down yet.

Elder.
The higher powers forbid!

Paul.
I say, she's dead;—I'll swear't: if word, nor oath,
Prevail not, go and see: if you can bring
Tincture, or lustre, in her lip, her eye,
Heat outwardly, or breath within, I'll serve you
As I would do the gods.—But, O thou tyrant!
Do not repent these things. A thousand knees
Ten thousand years together, naked, fasting,
Upon a barren mountain, and still winter
In storm perpetual, could not move the gods
To look that way thou wert.

Leon.
Go on, go on:
Thou canst not speak too much; I have deserv'd
All tongues to talk their bitterest.

Elder.
Say no more;
Howe'er the business goes, you have made fault
I'the boldness of your speech.

Paul.
I am sorry for't.
Alas, I have show'd too much
The rashness of a woman: he is touch'd
To the noble heart.—What's gone, and what's past help
Should be past grief; do not receive affliction
At my petition, I beseech you; rather
Let me be punish'd, that have 'minded you
Of what you should forget.—Now, good my liege,

Sir, royal sir, forgive a foolish woman:
Take your patience to you,
And I'll say nothing.^{14 note}

Leon.
Thou didst speak but well,
When most the truth; which I receive much better
Than to be pitied of thee. Pr'ythee, bring me
To the dead bodies of my queen, and son:
One grave shall be for both; upon them shall
The causes of their death appear, unto
Our shame perpetual. Once a day I'll visit
The chapel where they lie,(F)8Q0241 and tears, shed there,
Shall be my recreation: So long as
Nature will bear up with this exercise,
So long I daily vow to use it. Come,
And lead me to these sorrows. [Exeunt. END OF ACT THIRD

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