Clown. 
Ay, and have been so any time these four hours.

Shepherd. 
And so have I, boy!

Clown.  So you have:—­but I was a gentleman born before my father; for the king’s son took me by the hand and called me brother; and then the two kings called my father brother; and then the prince, my brother, and the princess, my sister, called my father father; and so we wept; and there was the first gentleman-like tears that ever we shed.

Shepherd. 
We may live, son, to shed many more.

Clown. 
Ay; or else ’twere hard luck, being in so preposterous estate as
we are.

Autolycus.  I humbly beseech you, sir, to pardon me all the faults I have committed to your worship, and to give me your good report to the prince my master.

Shepherd. 
Pr’ythee, son, do; for we must be gentle, now we are gentlemen.

Clown. 
Thou wilt amend thy life?

Autolycus. 
Ay, an it like your good worship.

Clown. 
Give me thy hand:  I will swear to the prince thou art as honest
a true fellow as any is in Bohemia.

Shepherd. 
You may say it, but not swear it.

Clown. 
Not swear it, now I am a gentleman?  Let boors and franklins say
it, I’ll swear it.

Shepherd. 
How if it be false, son?

Clown.  If it be ne’er so false, a true gentleman may swear it in the behalf of his friend.—­And I’ll swear to the prince thou art a tall fellow of thy hands and that thou wilt not be drunk; but I know thou art no tall fellow of thy hands and that thou wilt be drunk:  but I’ll swear it; and I would thou wouldst be a tall fellow of thy hands.

Autolycus. 
I will prove so, sir, to my power.

Clown.  Ay, by any means, prove a tall fellow:  if I do not wonder how thou darest venture to be drunk, not being a tall fellow, trust me not.—­Hark! the kings and the princes, our kindred, are going to see the queen’s picture.  Come, follow us:  we’ll be thy good masters.

[Exeunt.]

Scene III.  The same.  A Room in PAULINA’s house.

[Enter Leontes, Polixenes, Florizel, Perdita, Camillo, Paulina, Lords and Attendants.]

Leontes. 
O grave and good Paulina, the great comfort
That I have had of thee!

Paulina. 
                         What, sovereign sir,
I did not well, I meant well.  All my services
You have paid home:  but that you have vouchsaf’d,
With your crown’d brother and these your contracted
Heirs of your kingdoms, my poor house to visit,
It is a surplus of your grace which never
My life may last to answer.

Leontes. 
                            O Paulina,
We honour you with trouble:—­but we came
To see the statue of our queen:  your gallery
Have we pass’d through, not without much content
In many singularities; but we saw not
That which my daughter came to look upon,
The statue of her mother.