Page 287 - Shakespeare - Vol. 3

As woman’s love.

Enter [the Player] King and Queen.

PLAYER KING
Full thirty times hath Phoebus’ cart gone round [150]
Neptune’s salt wash and Tellus’ orbed ground,
And thirty dozen moons with borrow’d sheen

About the world have times twelve thirties been
Since love our hearts and Hymen did our hands
Unite commutual in most sacred bands. [155]

PLAYER QUEEN
So many journeys may the sun and moon
Make us again count o’er ere love be done.

But woe is me, you are so sick of late,
So far from cheer and from your former state,
That I distrust you. Yet though I distrust, [160]

Discomfort you, my lord, it nothing must;
For women’s fear and love hold quantity,
In neither aught, or in extremity.
Now what my love is, proof hath made you know,
And as my love is siz’d, my fear is so. [165]

Where love is great, the littlest doubts are fear;
Where little fears grow great, great love grows there.

PLAYER KING
Faith, I must leave thee, love, and shortly too:
My operant powers their functions leave to do;

And thou shalt live in this fair world behind, [170]
Honour’d, belov’d; and haply one as kind
For husband shalt thou −

PLAYER QUEEN
O confound the rest.
Such love must needs be treason in my breast.

In second husband let me be accurst;
None wed the second but who kill’d the first. [175]