Scœna Secunda.
[Act 5, Scene 2]
Enter Autolicus, and a
Gentleman.
Aut.
Beseech you (Sir) were you present at this Re
[2965]
lation?
Gent. 1.
I was by at the opening of the Farthell, heard
the old Shepheard
deliuer the manner how he found it:
Whereupon (after a little
amazednesse) we were all com
manded out of the Chamber: onely
this (me thought) I
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heard the Shepheard say, he found the Child.
Aut.
I would most gladly know the issue of it.
Gent. 1.
I make a broken deliuerie of the Businesse;
but the changes I perceiued
in the King, and
Camillo, were
very Notes of
admiration: they seem’d almost, with sta
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ring on one another, to
teare the Cases of their Eyes.
There was speech in their dumbnesse,
Language in their
very gesture: they look’d as they had heard of a
World
ransom’d, or one destroyed: a notable passion of
Won
der appeared in them: but the wisest beholder, that knew
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no more but seeing, could not say, if th’importance were
Ioy, or
Sorrow; but in the extremitie of the one, it must
needs be.
Enter another Gentleman.
Here comes a Gentleman, that happily knowes more:
The Newes,
Rogero.
Gent. 2.
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Nothing but Bon‑fires: the Oracle is fulfill’d:
the Kings Daughter
is found: such a deale of wonder is
broken out within this houre, that
Ballad‑makers cannot
be able to expresse it.
Enter another Gentleman.
Here comes the
Lady Paulina’s Steward, hee can
deliuer
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you more. How goes it now (Sir.) This Newes (which
is
call’d true) is so like an old Tale, that the veritie of it is
in
strong suspition: Ha’s the King found his Heire?
Gent. 3.
Most true, if euer Truth were pregnant by
Circumstance: That which you
heare, you’le sweare
[2995]
you see, there is such vnitie in the proofes. The
Mantle
of Queene
Hermiones: her Iewell about the
Neck of it:
the Letters of
Antigonus found with
it, which they know
to be his Character: the Maiestie of the Creature,
in re
semblance of the Mother: the Affection of Noblenesse,
[3000]
which Nature shewes aboue her Breeding, and many o
ther
Euidences, proclayme her, with all certaintie, to be
the Kings
Daughter. Did you see the meeting of the
two Kings?
Gent. 2.
No.
Gent. 3.
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Then haue you lost a Sight which was to bee
seene, cannot bee spoken
of. There might you haue be
held one Ioy crowne another, so and
in such manner, that
it seem’d Sorrow wept to take leaue of them: for
their
Ioy waded in teares. There was casting vp of Eyes,
hol
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ding vp of Hands, with Countenance of such distraction,
that they were to be knowne by Garment, not by Fauor.
Our King being ready to leape out of himselfe, for ioy of
his
found Daughter; as if that Ioy were now become a
Losse, cryes, Oh, thy
Mother, thy Mother: then askes
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Bohemia forgiuenesse, then embraces his
Sonne‑in‑Law:
then againe worryes he his Daughter, with
clipping her.
Now he thanks the old Shepheard (which stands by, like
a Weather‑bitten Conduit, of many Kings Reignes.) I
neuer
heard of such another Encounter; which lames Re
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port to follow
it, and vndo’s description to doe it.
Gent. 2.
What, 'pray you, became of
Antigonus, that
carryed hence the Child?
Gent. 3.
Like an old Tale still, which will haue matter
to rehearse, though
Credit be asleepe, and not an eare o
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pen; he was torne to pieces
with a Beare: This auouches
the Shepheards Sonne; who ha’s not onely
his Innocence
(which seemes much) to iustifie him, but a
Hand‑kerchief
and Rings of his, that
Paulina knows.
Gent. 1.
What became of his Barke, and his Fol
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lowers?
Gent. 3.
Wrackt the same instant of their Masters
death, and in the view of the
Shepheard: so that all the
Instruments which ayded to expose the Child,
were euen
then lost, when it was found. But oh the Noble Combat,
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that 'twixt Ioy and Sorrow was fought in
Paulina. Shee
had one Eye declin’d for the losse of her Husband,
ano
ther eleuated, that the Oracle was fulfill’d: Shee lifted the
Princesse from the Earth, and so locks her in embracing,
as if
shee would pin her to her heart, that shee might no
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more be in danger
of loosing.
Gent. 1.
The Dignitie of this Act was worth the au
dience of Kings and
Princes, for by such was it acted.
Gent. 3.
One of the prettyest touches of all, and that
which angl’d for mine
Eyes (caught the Water, though
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not the Fish) was, when at the Relation
of the Queenes
death (with the manner how shee came to’t, brauely
con
fess’d, and lamented by the King) how attentiuenesse
wounded his Daughter, till (from one signe of dolour to
another)
shee did (with an
Alas) I would faine say, bleed
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Teares; for I am sure, my heart wept blood. Who was
most Marble,
there changed colour: some swownded, all
sorrowed: if all the World
could haue seen’t, the Woe
had beene vniuersall.
Gent. 1.
Are they returned to the Court?
Gent. 3.
[3055]
No: The Princesse hearing of her Mothers
Statue (which is in the
keeping of
Paulina) a Peece many
yeeres in
doing, and now newly perform’d, by that rare
Italian Master,
Iulio Romano, who (had he himselfe
Eter
nitie, and could put Breath into his Worke) would
be
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guile Nature of her Custome, so perfectly he is her Ape:
He so neere to
Hermione, hath done
Hermione, that they
say one would speake to her,
and stand in hope of answer.
Thither (with all greedinesse of
affection) are they gone,
and there they intend to Sup.
Gent. 2.
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I thought she had some great matter there in
hand, for shee hath
priuately, twice or thrice a day, euer
since the death of
Hermione, visited that remoued House.
Shall wee
thither, and with our companie peece the Re
ioycing?
Gent. 1.
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Who would be thence, that ha’s the benefit
of Accesse? euery winke of an
Eye, some new Grace
will be borne: our Absence makes vs vnthriftie to
our
Knowledge. Let’s along.
Exit.
Aut.
Now (had I not the dash of my former life in
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me) would Preferment drop
on my head. I brought the
old man and his Sonne aboord the Prince; told
him, I
heard them talke of a Farthell, and I know not what: but
he at that time ouer‑fond of the Shepheards Daughter (so
he
then tooke her to be) who began to be much Sea‑sick,
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and
himselfe little better, extremitie of Weather conti
nuing, this
Mysterie remained vndiscouer’d. But 'tis all
one to me: for had I beene
the finder‑out of this Secret,
it would not haue rellish’d among
my other discredits.
Enter Shepheard and Clowne.
Here come those I haue done good to against my will,
[3085]
and alreadie
appearing in the blossomes of their For
tune.
Shep.
Come Boy, I am past moe Children: but thy
Sonnes and Daughters will be
all Gentlemen borne.
Clow.
You are well met (Sir:) you deny’d to fight
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with mee this other day,
because I was no Gentleman
borne. See you these Clothes? say you see
them not,
and thinke me still no Gentleman borne: You were best
say these Robes are not Gentlemen borne. Giue me the
Lye: doe: and
try whether I am not now a Gentleman
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borne.
Aut.
I know you are now (Sir) a Gentleman borne.
Clow.
I, and haue been so any time these foure hours.
Shep.
And so haue I, Boy.
Clow.
So you haue: but I was a Gentleman borne be
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fore my Father: for
the Kings Sonne tooke me by the
hand, and call’d mee Brother: and then
the two Kings
call’d my Father Brother: and then the Prince (my
Bro
ther) and the Princesse (my Sister) call’d my Father,
Father;
and so wee wept: and there was the first Gentleman‑like
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teares that euer we shed.
Shep.
We may liue (Sonne) to shed many more.
Clow.
I: or else 'twere hard luck, being in so preposte
rous estate as
we are.
Aut.
I humbly beseech you (Sir) to pardon me all the
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faults I haue committed
to your Worship, and to giue
me your good report to the Prince my
Master.
Shep.
'Prethee Sonne doe: for we must be gentle, now
we are Gentlemen.
Clow.
Thou wilt amend thy life?
Aut.
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I, and it like your good Worship.
Clow.
Giue me thy hand: I will sweare to the Prince,
thou art as honest a
true Fellow as any is in
Bohemia.
Shep.
You may say it, but not sweare it.
Clow.
Not sweare it, now I am a Gentleman? Let
[3120]
Boores and Francklins say it,
Ile sweare it.
Shep.
How if it be false (Sonne?)
Clow.
If it be ne’re so false, a true Gentleman may
sweare it, in the behalfe
of his Friend: And Ile sweare to
the Prince, thou art a tall Fellow of
thy hands, and that
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thou wilt not be drunke: but I know thou art no
tall Fel
low of thy hands, and that thou wilt be drunke: but Ile
sweare it, and I would thou would’st be a tall Fellow of
thy
hands.
Aut.
I will proue so (Sir) to my power.
Clow.
[3130]
I, by any meanes proue a tall Fellow: if I do not
wonder, how thou
dar’st venture to be drunke, not being
a tall Fellow, trust me not.
Harke, the Kings and Prin
ces (our Kindred) are going to see the
Queenes Picture.
Come, follow vs: wee’le be thy good Masters.
Exeunt.
