As he had lost some province, and a region
Loved as he loves himself: even now I met him
With customary compliment; when he,

Wafting his eyes to th' contrary, and falling

A lip of much contempt, speeds from me; and
So leaves me to consider. What is breeding,
That changes thus his manners?

Cam. I dare not know, my lord.

Polix. How! dare not! do not? Do you know, and

dare not

Be intelligent to me! 'Tis thereabouts; 50
For, to yourself, what you do know, you must,
And cannot say you dare not. Good Camillo,
Your changed complexions are to me a mirror,
Which shows me mine changed too; for I must be
A party in this alteration, finding

Myself thus alter'd with't.

Cam.

There is a sickness

Which puts some of us in distemper; but

I cannot name the disease; and it is caught
Of you that yet are well.

Polix.

How! caught of me!

Make me not sighted like the basilisk: 51

I've look'd on thousands, who have sped the better
By my regard, but kill'd none so. Camillo,
As you are certainly a gentleman; thereto
Clerk-like, experienced, which no less adorns
Our gentry than our parents' noble names,

50 "Such, or something such, is the true interpretation of your language." -"Be intelligent" here means give intelligence.

51 Shakespeare has many allusions to this old fabulous serpent, which was said to have the power of killing by its look, or of darting deadly venom from its eyes. Cockatrice was another name of the beast. See vol. v. page

207, note 15.

In whose success we're gentle,52

I beseech you,

If you know aught which does behove my knowledge
Thereof to be inform'd, imprison't not

In ignorant concealment.

Cam.

I may not answer.

Polix. A sickness caught of me, and yet I well!
I must be answer'd. Dost thou hear, Camillo ?

I conjure 53 thee, by all the parts of man
Which honour does acknowledge,

whereof the least

Is not this suit of mine,54 - that thou declare
What incidency thou dost guess of harm
Is creeping toward me; how far off, how near;
Which way to be prevented, if to be;

If not, how best to bear it.

Cam.

Sir, I'll tell you;

Since I am charged in honour, and by him

That I think honourable: therefore mark my counsel,
Which must be even as swiftly follow'd as

I mean to utter it, or both yourself and me

Cry lost, and so good night!

Polix.

On, good Camillo.

Cam. I am appointed him 55 to murder you.

52"In whose succession, or by succession from whom, we are well-born, or inherit our nobility of rank." So both success and gentle were often used; the latter being opposed to simple, or low-born. — Clerk-like is learned or scholarly; scholar being the proper meaning of clerk.

53 In Shakespeare's time, conjure, in the sense of earnestly request, was pronounced with the accent on the first or the second syllable, indifferently; the two ways of pronunciation not having become appropriated to the different senses of the word.

54 Some obscurity again. Whereof refers to parts; parts means duties, claims, or rights; and the order of the words according to the sense is, "whereof this suit of mine is not the least"; that is, not the least of all the claims of man which honour does acknowledge. - Incidency is contingency or likelihood; what is likely to happen or befall.

55 Am appointed the one, or the man, apparently.

Polix. By whom, Camillo?

Cam.

Polix.

By the King.

For what?

Cam. He thinks, nay, with all confidence he swears,
As he had seen't, or been an instrument

To vice 56 you to't, that you have touch'd his Queen
Forbiddenly.

Polix.

O, then my best blood turn

To an infected jelly, and my name

Be yoked with his 57 that did betray the Best!
Turn then my freshest reputation to

A savour that may strike the dullest nostril
Where I arrive, and my approach be shunn'd,
Nay, hated too, worse than the great'st infection
That e'er was heard or read!

Swear this thought over

Cam.
By each particular star in heaven and
By all their influences, you may as well
Forbid the sea for to obey the Moon,
As or by oath remove, or counsel shake,
The fabric of his folly; whose foundation
Is piled upon his faith, and will continue
The standing of his body.

56 Vice is commonly explained as meaning to force; the word being used of any engine worked by a screw. This explanation is certainly countenanced by a passage in Twelfth Night, v. 1: Since you to non-regardance cast my faith, and that I partly know the instrument that screws me from my true place in your favour," &c. Another explanation may be, that vice is here used in the sense of to tempt, to corrupt, to vitiate. Mr. Joseph Crosby thinks it may be " that the Poet here purposely employed the word vice as possessing a double propriety, implying not only as though he had been an instrument to urge you to it,' but 'had been a vicious instrument, viciously to screw you up, or impel you along, to the commission of this crime.'

"

57 Judas. A clause in the sentence of excommunicated persons was, "let them have part with Judas that betrayed Christ."

Polix.

How should this grow?

Cam. I know not: but I'm sure 'tis safer to
Avoid what's grown than question how 'tis born.
If, therefore, you dare trust my honesty,
That lies enclosed in this trunk, which you
Shall bear along impawn'd, - away to-night!
Your followers I will whisper to the business;
And will, by twos and threes, at several posterns,
Clear them o' the city for myself, I'll put
My fortunes to your service, which are here
By this discovery lost. Be not uncertain;
For, by the honour of my parents, I

Have utter'd truth: which if you seek to prove,

I dare not stand by; nor shall you be safer

Than one condemn'd by th' King's own mouth, thereon
His execution sworn.

I saw his heart in's face. Give me thy hand:
Be pilot to me, and thy places 58 shall

Still neighbour mine. My ships are ready, and
My people did expect my hence-departure
Two days ago. This jealousy of his

Is for a precious creature as she's rare,
Must it be great; and, as his person's mighty,
Must it be violent; and as he does conceive
He is dishonour'd by a man which ever
Profess'd to him, why, his revenges must

In that be made more bitter. Fear o'ershades me:
Good expedition be my friend, and nothing

The gracious Queen, Part of his theme, discomfort

Of his ill-ta'en suspicion !59 Come, Camillo ;

58 Places clearly means offices or honours. Polixenes means that Camillo shall be placed near him, or in the highest offices under him.

59 The meaning seems to be." May a speedy departure befriend me, and

I will respect thee as a father, if

Thou bear'st my life off hence : let us avoid.
Cam. It is in mine authority to command

The keys of all the posterns: please your Highness
To take the urgent hour: come, sir, away.

[Exeunt.

ACT II.

SCENE I.-Sicilia. A Room in the Palace.

Enter HERMIONE, MAMILLIUS, and Ladies.

Herm. Take the boy to you: he so troubles me, 'Tis past enduring.

1 Lady.

Come, my gracious lord,

No, I'll none of you.

Shall I be your playfellow?

Mam.

I Lady. Why, my sweet lord?

Mam. You'll kiss me hard, and speak to me as if

I were a baby still. - I love you better.

2 Lady. And why so, my lord?

Mam.

Not for because

Your brows are blacker; yet black brows, they say,

Become some women best, so that there be not

Too much hair there, but in a semicircle,

Or a half-moon made with a pen.

nowise discomfort the Queen in respect of his groundless suspicion!" Polixenes is apprehensive, as he well may be, that his flight will confirm the jealousy of Leontes, and so add to the sufferings of the Queen. And such is indeed the effect of the "good expedition " that rescues him from danger. Shakespeare often uses nothing simply as a strong negative, equivalent to nowise or not at all. He also repeatedly uses of with the force of in respect of. See Critical Notes.