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Say it be, 'tis true. |
CAMILLO: |
No, no, my lord. |
LEONTES: |
It is; you lie, you lie: |
I say thou liest, Camillo, and I hate thee, |
Pronounce thee a gross lout, a mindless slave, |
Or else a hovering temporizer, that |
Canst with thine eyes at once see good and evil, |
Inclining to them both: were my wife's liver |
Infected as her life, she would not live |
The running of one glass. |
CAMILLO: |
Who does infect her? |
LEONTES: |
Why, he that wears her like a medal, hanging |
About his neck, Bohemia: who, if I |
Had servants true about me, that bare eyes |
To see alike mine honour as their profits, |
Their own particular thrifts, they would do that |
Which should undo more doing: ay, and thou, |
His cupbearer,--whom I from meaner form |
Have benched and reared to worship, who mayst see |
Plainly as heaven sees earth and earth sees heaven, |
How I am galled,--mightst bespice a cup, |
To give mine enemy a lasting wink; |
Which draught to me were cordial. |
CAMILLO: |
Sir, my lord, |
I could do this, and that with no rash potion, |
But with a lingering dram that should not work |
Maliciously like poison: but I cannot |
Believe this crack to be in my dread mistress, |
So sovereignly being honourable. |
I have loved thee,-- |
LEONTES: |
Make that thy question, and go rot! |
Dost think I am so muddy, so unsettled, |
To appoint myself in this vexation, sully |
The purity and whiteness of my sheets, |
Which to preserve is sleep, which being spotted |
Is goads, thorns, nettles, tails of wasps, |
Give scandal to the blood o' the prince my son, |
Who I do think is mine and love as mine, |
Without ripe moving to't? Would I do this? |
Could man so blench? |
CAMILLO: |
I must believe you, sir: |
I do; and will fetch off Bohemia for't; |
Provided that, when he's removed, your highness |
Will take again your queen as yours at first, |
Even for your son's sake; and thereby for sealing |
The injury of tongues in courts and kingdoms |
Known and allied to yours. |
LEONTES: |
Thou dost advise me |
Even so as I mine own course have set down: |
I'll give no blemish to her honour, none. |
CAMILLO: |
My lord, |
Go then; and with a countenance as clear |
As friendship wears at feasts, keep with Bohemia |
And with your queen. I am his cupbearer: |
If from me he have wholesome beverage, |
Account me not your servant. |
LEONTES: |
This is all: |
Do't and thou hast the one half of my heart; |
Do't not, thou split'st thine own. |
CAMILLO: |
I'll do't, my lord. |
LEONTES: |
I will seem friendly, as thou hast advised me. |
CAMILLO: |
O miserable lady! But, for me, |
What case stand I in? I must be the poisoner |
Of good Polixenes; and my ground to do't |
Is the obedience to a master, one |
Who in rebellion with himself will have |
All that are his so too. To do this deed, |
Promotion follows. If I could find example |
Of thousands that had struck anointed kings |
And flourish'd after, I'ld not do't; but since |
Nor brass nor stone nor parchment bears not one, |
Let villany itself forswear't. I must |
Forsake the court: to do't, or no, is certain |
To me a break-neck. Happy star, reign now! |
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