The Winter’s Tale

1 Enter Autolycus and a Gentleman.
2 AUTOLYCUS.
3 Beseech you, sir, were you present at this relation?
4 FIRST GENTLEMAN.
5 I was by at the opening of the fardel, heard the old shepherd deliver
6 the manner how he found it: whereupon, after a little amazedness, we
7 were all commanded out of the chamber; only this, methought I heard the
8 shepherd say he found the child.
9 AUTOLYCUS.
10 I would most gladly know the issue of it.
11 FIRST GENTLEMAN.
12 I make a broken delivery of the business; but the changes I perceived
13 in the king and Camillo were very notes of admiration. They seemed
14 almost, with staring on one another, to tear the cases of their eyes.
15 There was speech in their dumbness, language in their very gesture;
16 they looked as they had heard of a world ransomed, or one destroyed. A
17 notable passion of wonder appeared in them; but the wisest beholder,
18 that knew no more but seeing could not say if th’ importance were joy
19 or sorrow; but in the extremity of the one, it must needs be. Here
20 comes a gentleman that happily knows more.
21 Enter a Gentleman.
22 The news, Rogero?
23 SECOND GENTLEMAN.
24 Nothing but bonfires: the oracle is fulfilled: the king’s daughter is
25 found: such a deal of wonder is broken out within this hour that
26 ballad-makers cannot be able to express it. Here comes the Lady
27 Paulina’s steward: he can deliver you more.
28 Enter a third Gentleman.
29 How goes it now, sir? This news, which is called true, is so like an
30 old tale that the verity of it is in strong suspicion. Has the king
31 found his heir?
32 THIRD GENTLEMAN.
33 Most true, if ever truth were pregnant by circumstance. That which you
34 hear you’ll swear you see, there is such unity in the proofs. The
35 mantle of Queen Hermione’s, her jewel about the neck of it, the letters
36 of Antigonus found with it, which they know to be his character; the
37 majesty of the creature in resemblance of the mother, the affection of
38 nobleness which nature shows above her breeding, and many other
39 evidences proclaim her with all certainty to be the king’s daughter.
40 Did you see the meeting of the two kings?
41 SECOND GENTLEMAN.
42 No.
43 THIRD GENTLEMAN.
44 Then you have lost a sight which was to be seen, cannot be spoken of.
45 There might you have beheld one joy crown another, so and in such
46 manner that it seemed sorrow wept to take leave of them, for their joy
47 waded in tears. There was casting up of eyes, holding up of hands, with
48 countenance of such distraction that they were to be known by garment,
49 not by favour. Our king, being ready to leap out of himself for joy of
50 his found daughter, as if that joy were now become a loss, cries “O,
51 thy mother, thy mother!” then asks Bohemia forgiveness; then embraces
52 his son-in-law; then again worries he his daughter with clipping her;
53 now he thanks the old shepherd, which stands by like a weather-bitten
54 conduit of many kings’ reigns. I never heard of such another encounter,
55 which lames report to follow it, and undoes description to do it.
56 SECOND GENTLEMAN.
57 What, pray you, became of Antigonus, that carried hence the child?
58 THIRD GENTLEMAN.
59 Like an old tale still, which will have matter to rehearse, though
60 credit be asleep and not an ear open. He was torn to pieces with a
61 bear: this avouches the shepherd’s son, who has not only his innocence,
62 which seems much, to justify him, but a handkerchief and rings of his
63 that Paulina knows.
64 FIRST GENTLEMAN.
65 What became of his bark and his followers?
66 THIRD GENTLEMAN.
67 Wrecked the same instant of their master’s death, and in the view of
68 the shepherd: so that all the instruments which aided to expose the
69 child were even then lost when it was found. But O, the noble combat
70 that ’twixt joy and sorrow was fought in Paulina! She had one eye
71 declined for the loss of her husband, another elevated that the oracle
72 was fulfilled. She lifted the princess from the earth, and so locks her
73 in embracing, as if she would pin her to her heart, that she might no
74 more be in danger of losing.
75 FIRST GENTLEMAN.
76 The dignity of this act was worth the audience of kings and princes;
77 for by such was it acted.
78 THIRD GENTLEMAN.
79 One of the prettiest touches of all, and that which angled for mine
80 eyes (caught the water, though not the fish) was, when at the relation
81 of the queen’s death (with the manner how she came to it bravely
82 confessed and lamented by the king) how attentiveness wounded his
83 daughter; till, from one sign of dolour to another, she did, with an
84 “Alas,” I would fain say, bleed tears, for I am sure my heart wept
85 blood. Who was most marble there changed colour; some swooned, all
86 sorrowed: if all the world could have seen it, the woe had been
87 universal.
88 FIRST GENTLEMAN.
89 Are they returned to the court?
90 THIRD GENTLEMAN.
91 No: the princess hearing of her mother’s statue, which is in the
92 keeping of Paulina,—a piece many years in doing and now newly performed
93 by that rare Italian master, Julio Romano, who, had he himself
94 eternity, and could put breath into his work, would beguile Nature of
95 her custom, so perfectly he is her ape: he so near to Hermione hath
96 done Hermione that they say one would speak to her and stand in hope of
97 answer. Thither with all greediness of affection are they gone, and
98 there they intend to sup.
99 SECOND GENTLEMAN.
100 I thought she had some great matter there in hand; for she hath
101 privately twice or thrice a day, ever since the death of Hermione,
102 visited that removed house. Shall we thither, and with our company
103 piece the rejoicing?
104 FIRST GENTLEMAN.
105 Who would be thence that has the benefit of access? Every wink of an
106 eye some new grace will be born. Our absence makes us unthrifty to our
107 knowledge. Let’s along.
108 [_Exeunt Gentlemen._]
109 AUTOLYCUS.
110 Now, had I not the dash of my former life in me, would preferment drop
111 on my head. I brought the old man and his son aboard the prince; told
112 him I heard them talk of a fardel and I know not what. But he at that
113 time over-fond of the shepherd’s daughter (so he then took her to be),
114 who began to be much sea-sick, and himself little better, extremity of
115 weather continuing, this mystery remained undiscover’d. But ’tis all
116 one to me; for had I been the finder-out of this secret, it would not
117 have relish’d among my other discredits.
118 Enter Shepherd and Clown.
119 Here come those I have done good to against my will, and already
120 appearing in the blossoms of their fortune.
121 SHEPHERD.
122 Come, boy; I am past more children, but thy sons and daughters will be
123 all gentlemen born.
124 CLOWN.
125 You are well met, sir. You denied to fight with me this other day,
126 because I was no gentleman born. See you these clothes? Say you see
127 them not and think me still no gentleman born: you were best say these
128 robes are not gentlemen born. Give me the lie, do; and try whether I am
129 not now a gentleman born.
130 AUTOLYCUS.
131 I know you are now, sir, a gentleman born.
132 CLOWN.
133 Ay, and have been so any time these four hours.
134 SHEPHERD.
135 And so have I, boy!
136 CLOWN.
137 So you have: but I was a gentleman born before my father; for the
138 king’s son took me by the hand and called me brother; and then the two
139 kings called my father brother; and then the prince, my brother, and
140 the princess, my sister, called my father father; and so we wept; and
141 there was the first gentleman-like tears that ever we shed.
142 SHEPHERD.
143 We may live, son, to shed many more.
144 CLOWN.
145 Ay; or else ’twere hard luck, being in so preposterous estate as we
146 are.
147 AUTOLYCUS.
148 I humbly beseech you, sir, to pardon me all the faults I have committed
149 to your worship, and to give me your good report to the prince my
150 master.
151 SHEPHERD.
152 Prithee, son, do; for we must be gentle, now we are gentlemen.
153 CLOWN.
154 Thou wilt amend thy life?
155 AUTOLYCUS.
156 Ay, an it like your good worship.
157 CLOWN.
158 Give me thy hand: I will swear to the prince thou art as honest a true
159 fellow as any is in Bohemia.
160 SHEPHERD.
161 You may say it, but not swear it.
162 CLOWN.
163 Not swear it, now I am a gentleman? Let boors and franklins say it,
164 I’ll swear it.
165 SHEPHERD.
166 How if it be false, son?
167 CLOWN.
168 If it be ne’er so false, a true gentleman may swear it in the behalf of
169 his friend. And I’ll swear to the prince thou art a tall fellow of thy
170 hands and that thou wilt not be drunk; but I know thou art no tall
171 fellow of thy hands and that thou wilt be drunk: but I’ll swear it; and
172 I would thou wouldst be a tall fellow of thy hands.
173 AUTOLYCUS.
174 I will prove so, sir, to my power.
175 CLOWN.
176 Ay, by any means, prove a tall fellow: if I do not wonder how thou
177 dar’st venture to be drunk, not being a tall fellow, trust me not.
178 Hark! the kings and the princes, our kindred, are going to see the
179 queen’s picture. Come, follow us: we’ll be thy good masters.
180 [_Exeunt._]