Leo. Stay your thanks awhile; I am question'd by my fears, of what may chance, Leo. We are tougher, brother, Pol. No longer stay Leo. One seven-night longer. Pol. Very sooth, to-morrow. Leo. We'll part the time between's then and in that I'll no gain-saying. Pol. Press me not, 'beseech you, so; There is no tongue that moves, none, none i'th' world, Do even drag me homeward: which to hinder, Leo. Tongue-tied, our queen? speak you. Her. I had thought, sir, to have held my peace, until The by-gone day proclaim'd; say this to him, Leo. Well said, Hermione. Her. To tell, he longs to see his son, were strong: But let him say so then, and let him go; But let him swear so, and he shall not stay, [TO POLIXENES The borrow of a week. When at Bohemia Nipping winds. HOLT WHITE. We had satisfactory accounts yesterday of the state of Bohemia. JOHNSON 2 To let him there a month, behind the gest What lady she her lord."--You'll stay? Pol. No, madam. Her. Nay, but you will? Pol. I may not, verily Her. Verily! You put me off with limber vows: But I, Though you would seek t' unsphere the stars with oaths, You shall not go; a lady's verily is Not like a guest; so you shall pay your fees, When you depart, and save your thanks. How say you? My prisoner? or my guest? by your dread verily, One of them you shall be. Pol. Your guest then, madam: To be your prisoner, should import offending; Than you to punish. Of Her. Not your gaoler then, But your kind hostess. Come, I'll question you Pol. We were, fair queen, Two lads, that thought there was no more behind, And to be boy eternal. Her. Was not my lord the verier wag o' th' two? Pol. We were as twinn'd lambs, that did frisk i'th 'sun, And bleat the one at th' other: what we chang'd, Was innocence for innocence; we knew not And our weak spirits ne'er been higher rear'd [7] In the time of royal progresses the king's stages, as we may see by the journals of them in the herald's office, were called his gests; from the old French word giste diversorium. WARBURTON. Gests, or rather gists, from the French giste, (which signifies both a bed, and a lodging place,) were the names of the houses or towns where the King or Prince intended to lie every night during his progress. MALONE. [8] A jar is, I believe, a single repetition of the noise made by the pendulum of a clock; what children call the ticking of it. STEEVENS. [9] This diminutive of lord is often used by Chaucer. STEEVENS. With stronger blood, we should have answer'd heaven Boldly, Not guilty; the imposition clear'd, Hereditary ours.' Her. By this we gather, You have tripp'd since. Pol. O my most sacred lady, Temptations have since then been born to us: for Her. Grace to boot! Of this make no conclusion; lest you say, Leo. Is he won yet? Her. He'll stay, my lord. Leo. At my request, he would not. Hermione, my dearest, thou never spok❜st To better purpose. Her. Never? Leo. Never, but once. Her. What? have I twice said well? when was't before? I pr'ythee, tell me : Cram us with praise, and make us Our praises are our wages: You may ride us, With spur we heat an acre. But to the goal ;— My last good was, to entreat his stay; What was my first? it has an elder sister, Or I mistake you: O, would her name were Grace ! Nay, let me have't; I long. Leo. Why, that was when Three crabbed months had sour'd themselves to death, Ere I could make thee open thy white hand, [1] That is, setting aside originat sin; bating the imposition from the offence of our first parents, we might have boldly protested our innocence to Heaven. WARBURTON And clap thyself my love; then didst thou utter, I am yours for ever. Her. It is Grace, indeed.— Why, lo you now, I have spoke to the purpose twice: The one for ever earn'd a royal husband; The other, for some while a friend. [Giving her hand to POLIXENES. Leo. Too hot, too hot: Mam. Ay, my good lord. Leo. I'fecks ?* [Aside. Why, that's my bawcock. What, hast smutch'd thy nose? And yet the steer, the heifer, and the calf, Are all call'd, neat.—Still virginalling [Observing POLIX. and HERMI. Upon his palm ?-How now, you wanton calf? Art thou my calf? Mam. Yes, if you will, my lord. [2] She opened her hand, to clap the palm of it into his, as people do when they confirm a bargain. Hence the phrase-to clap up a bargain, i. e. make one with no other ceremony than the junction of hands. This was a regular part of the ceremony of troth-plighting, to which Shakespeare often alludes. MALONE. [3] A lesson upon the horn at the death of the deer. THEOBALD. [4] A supposed corruption of-in faith. Our present vulgar pronounce it--fegs STEEVENS [5] Perhaps from beau and coq. It is still said in vulgar language that such a one is a jolly cock, a cock of the game. STEEVENS. [6] Still playing with her fingers, as a girl playing on the virginals. JOHNSON. A virginal, as I am informed is a very small kind of spinnet. Queen Elizabeth's virginal-book is yet in being, and many of the lessons in it have proved so difficult as to baffle our most expert players on the harpsichord. STEEVENS. A virginal was strung like a spinnet, and shaped like a piano forte. MALONE. Leo. Thou want'st a rough pash, and the shoots that I have," To be full like me :-yet, they say, we are Thou dost make possible, things not so held,* And fellow'st nothing: Then, 'tis very credent, And hardening of my brows. Pol. What means Sicilia ? Her. He something seems unsettled. What cheer? how is't with you, best brother? Her. You look, As if you held a brow of much distraction: Leo. No, in good earnest.— How sometimes nature will betray its folly, [7] Thou want'st a rough pash, and the shoots that I have, in connexion with the context, signifies-to make thee a calf thou must have the tuft on thy forehead and the young horns that shoot up in it, as I have. HENLEY. I have lately learned that pash in Scotland signifies a head. Many words, that are now only used in that country, were perhaps once common to the whole island of Great Britain, or at least to the northern part of England. MALONE. [8] It is common with tradesmen, to die their faded or damaged stuff's black. O'er-died blacks may mean those which have received a die over their former colour. STEEVENS. [9] Blue-eye; an eye of the same colour with the welkin, or sky. JOHNSON. [1] Intention, in this passage, means eagerness of attention. M. MASON. [21 i. e. thou dost make those things possible, which are conceived to be impossible. JOHNSON. [3] Credent-i e. credible. STEEVENS. |