The Winter's Tale eBook

This eBook from the Gutenberg Project consists of approximately 141 pages of information about The Winter's Tale.

Leontes
                               Why, what need we
Commune with you of this, but rather follow
Our forceful instigation?  Our prerogative
Calls not your counsels; but our natural goodness
Imparts this; which, if you,—­or stupified
Or seeming so in skill,—­cannot or will not
Relish a truth, like us, inform yourselves
We need no more of your advice:  the matter,
The loss, the gain, the ord’ring on’t, is all
Properly ours.

Antigonus
               And I wish, my liege,
You had only in your silent judgment tried it,
Without more overture.

Leontes
                       How could that be? 
Either thou art most ignorant by age,
Or thou wert born a fool.  Camillo’s flight,
Added to their familiarity,—­
Which was as gross as ever touch’d conjecture,
That lack’d sight only, nought for approbation,
But only seeing, all other circumstances
Made up to th’ deed,—­doth push on this proceeding. 
Yet, for a greater confirmation,—­
For, in an act of this importance, ’twere
Most piteous to be wild,—­I have despatch’d in post
To sacred Delphos, to Apollo’s temple,
Cleomenes and Dion, whom you know
Of stuff’d sufficiency:  now, from the oracle
They will bring all, whose spiritual counsel had,
Shall stop or spur me.  Have I done well?

First lord
Well done, my lord,—­

Leontes
Though I am satisfied, and need no more
Than what I know, yet shall the oracle
Give rest to the minds of others such as he
Whose ignorant credulity will not
Come up to th’ truth:  so have we thought it good
From our free person she should be confin’d;
Lest that the treachery of the two fled hence
Be left her to perform.  Come, follow us;
We are to speak in public; for this business
Will raise us all.

Antigonus.
[Aside.] To laughter, as I take it,
If the good truth were known.

[Exeunt.]

Scene II.  The same.  The outer Room of a Prison.

[Enter Paulina and Attendants.]

Paulina
The keeper of the prison,—­call to him;
Let him have knowledge who I am.

[Exit an Attendant.]

Good lady! 
No court in Europe is too good for thee;
What dost thou then in prison?

[Re-enter Attendant, with the Keeper.]

Now, good sir,
You know me, do you not?

Keeper
                         For a worthy lady,
And one who much I honour.

Paulina
                           Pray you, then,
Conduct me to the queen.

Keeper
                         I may not, madam;
To the contrary I have express commandment.

Paulina
Here’s ado, to lock up honesty and honour from
The access of gentle visitors!—­Is’t lawful,
Pray you, to see her women? any of them? 
Emilia?

Copyrights
Project Gutenberg
The Winter's Tale from Project Gutenberg. Public domain.