Page 758 - Shakespeare - Vol. 4
P. 758
As friendship wears at feasts, keep with Bohemia,
And with your queen. I am his cupbearer: [345]
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 splitt’st thine own.
CAMILLO
I’ll do’t, my lord.
LEONTES
I will seem friendly, as thou hast advis’d me. [350]
Exit.
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 [355]
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’d not do ’t: but since
Nor brass, nor stone, nor parchment bears not one, [360]
Let villainy itself forswear’t. I must
Forsake the court: to do’t, or no, is certain
To me a break-neck. Happy star reign now!
Here comes Bohemia.
Enter Polixenes.
POLIXENES
This is strange: methinks
My favour here begins to warp. Not speak? [365]
