So aged as this seems.

POLIXENES. O, not by much!
PAULINA. So much the more our carver's excellence,

Which lets go by some sixteen years and makes her
As she liv'd now.

LEONTES. As now she might have done,
So much to my good comfort as it is

Now piercing to my soul. O, thus she stood,
Even with such life of majesty- warm life,

As now it coldly stands- when first I woo'd her!
I am asham'd. Does not the stone rebuke me

For being more stone than it? O royal piece,
There's magic in thy majesty, which has

My evils conjur'd to remembrance, and
From thy admiring daughter took the spirits,

Standing like stone with thee!
PERDITA. And give me leave,

And do not say 'tis superstition that
I kneel, and then implore her blessing. Lady,

Dear queen, that ended when I but began,
Give me that hand of yours to kiss.

PAULINA. O, patience!
The statue is but newly fix'd, the colour's

Not dry.
CAMILLO. My lord, your sorrow was too sore laid on,

Which sixteen winters cannot blow away,
So many summers dry. Scarce any joy

Did ever so long live; no sorrow
But kill'd itself much sooner.

POLIXENES. Dear my brother,
Let him that was the cause of this have pow'r

To take off so much grief from you as he
Will piece up in himself.

PAULINA. Indeed, my lord,
If I had thought the sight of my poor image

Would thus have wrought you- for the stone is mine-
I'd not have show'd it.

LEONTES. Do not draw the curtain.
PAULINA. No longer shall you gaze on't, lest your fancy

May think anon it moves.
LEONTES. Let be, let be.

Would I were dead, but that methinks already-
What was he that did make it? See, my lord,

Would you not deem it breath'd, and that those veins
Did verily bear blood?

POLIXENES. Masterly done!
The very life seems warm upon her lip.

LEONTES. The fixture of her eye has motion in't,
As we are mock'd with art.

PAULINA. I'll draw the curtain.
My lord's almost so far transported that

He'll think anon it lives.
LEONTES. O sweet Paulina,

Make me to think so twenty years together!
No settled senses of the world can match

The pleasure of that madness. Let 't alone.
PAULINA. I am sorry, sir, I have thus far stirr'd you; but

I could afflict you farther.
LEONTES. Do, Paulina;

For this affliction has a taste as sweet
As any cordial comfort. Still, methinks,

There is an air comes from her. What fine chisel
Could ever yet cut breath? Let no man mock me,

For I will kiss her.
PAULINA. Good my lord, forbear.

The ruddiness upon her lip is wet;
You'll mar it if you kiss it; stain your own

With oily painting. Shall I draw the curtain?
LEONTES. No, not these twenty years.

PERDITA. So long could I
Stand by, a looker-on.

PAULINA. Either forbear,
Quit presently the chapel, or resolve you

For more amazement. If you can behold it,
I'll make the statue move indeed, descend,

And take you by the hand, but then you'll think-
Which I protest against- I am assisted

By wicked powers.
LEONTES. What you can make her do

I am content to look on; what to speak
I am content to hear; for 'tis as easy

To make her speak as move.
PAULINA. It is requir'd

You do awake your faith. Then all stand still;
Or those that think it is unlawful business

I am about, let them depart.
LEONTES. Proceed.

No foot shall stir.
PAULINA. Music, awake her: strike. [Music]

'Tis time; descend; be stone no more; approach;
Strike all that look upon with marvel. Come;

I'll fill your grave up. Stir; nay, come away.
Bequeath to death your numbness, for from him

Dear life redeems you. You perceive she stirs.
[HERMIONE comes down from the pedestal]

Start not; her actions shall be holy as
You hear my spell is lawful. Do not shun her

Until you see her die again; for then
You kill her double. Nay, present your hand.

When she was young you woo'd her; now in age
Is she become the suitor?

LEONTES. O, she's warm!
If this be magic, let it be an art

Lawful as eating.
POLIXENES. She embraces him.

CAMILLO. She hangs about his neck.
If she pertain to life, let her speak too.

POLIXENES. Ay, and make it manifest where she has liv'd,
Or how stol'n from the dead.

PAULINA. That she is living,
Were it but told you, should be hooted at

Like an old tale; but it appears she lives
Though yet she speak not. Mark a little while.

Please you to interpose, fair madam. Kneel,
And pray your mother's blessing. Turn, good lady;

Our Perdita is found.
HERMIONE. You gods, look down,

And from your sacred vials pour your graces
Upon my daughter's head! Tell me, mine own,

Where hast thou been preserv'd? Where liv'd? How found
Thy father's court? For thou shalt hear that I,

Knowing by Paulina that the oracle
Gave hope thou wast in being, have preserv'd

Myself to see the issue.
PAULINA. There's time enough for that,

Lest they desire upon this push to trouble
Your joys with like relation. Go together,

You precious winners all; your exultation
Partake to every one. I, an old turtle,

Will wing me to some wither'd bough, and there
My mate, that's never to be found again,

Lament till I am lost.
LEONTES. O peace, Paulina!

Thou shouldst a husband take by my consent,
As I by thine a wife. This is a match,

And made between's by vows. Thou hast found mine;
But how, is to be question'd; for I saw her,

As I thought, dead; and have, in vain, said many
A prayer upon her grave. I'll not seek far-

For him, I partly know his mind- to find thee
An honourable husband. Come, Camillo,

And take her by the hand whose worth and honesty
Is richly noted, and here justified

By us, a pair of kings. Let's from this place.
What! look upon my brother. Both your pardons,

That e'er I put between your holy looks
My ill suspicion. This your son-in-law,

And son unto the King, whom heavens directing,
Is troth-plight to your daughter. Good Paulina,

Lead us from hence where we may leisurely
Each one demand and answer to his part

Perform'd in this wide gap of time since first
We were dissever'd. Hastily lead away. Exeunt

-THE END-
.

• coldly [´kəuldli] ad.冷淡地 (初中英语单词)
• majesty [´mædʒisti] n.壮丽；崇高；尊严 (初中英语单词)
• blessing [´blesiŋ] n.祝福 (初中英语单词)
• statue [´stætʃu:] n.塑像，雕像 (初中英语单词)
• scarce [skeəs, skers] a.缺乏的；稀有的 (初中英语单词)
• wrought [rɔ:t] work 的过去式(分词) (初中英语单词)
• breath [breθ] n.呼吸；气息 (初中英语单词)
• painting [´peintiŋ] n.绘画；(油)画；着色 (初中英语单词)
• presently [´prezəntli] ad.不久；目前 (初中英语单词)
• chapel [´tʃæpəl] n.小教堂 (初中英语单词)
• resolve [ri´zɔlv] v.决心 n.决心；刚毅 (初中英语单词)
• amazement [ə´meizmənt] n.惊愕；惊奇 (初中英语单词)
• wicked [´wikid] a.邪恶的；不道德的 (初中英语单词)
• descend [di´send] v.下来，下降 (初中英语单词)
• marvel [´mɑ:vəl] n.令人惊异的事；奇迹 (初中英语单词)
• perceive [pə´si:v] vt.察觉；看出；领悟 (初中英语单词)
• sacred [´seikrid] a.神圣的；庄严的 (初中英语单词)
• partly [´pɑ:tli] ad.部分地；不完全地 (初中英语单词)
• honourable [´ɔnərəbəl] a.荣誉的；正直的 (初中英语单词)
• suspicion [sə´spiʃən] n.怀(猜)疑；嫌疑 (初中英语单词)
• hastily [´heistili] ad.急速地；草率地 (初中英语单词)
• rebuke [ri´bju:k] vt.&n.指责；训斥 (高中英语单词)
• remembrance [ri´membrəns] n.记忆(力)；回忆 (高中英语单词)
• superstition [,su:pə´stiʃən, ,sju:-] n.迷信(行为) (高中英语单词)
• implore [im´plɔ:] vt.乞求，恳求 (高中英语单词)
• methinks [mi´θiŋks] vi.据我看来 (高中英语单词)
• motion [´məuʃən] n.手势 vt.打手势 (高中英语单词)
• madness [´mædnis] n.疯狂；狂热 (高中英语单词)
• cordial [´kɔ:diəl] a.热忱的；亲切的 (高中英语单词)
• manifest [´mænifest] a.明显的 v.表明 (高中英语单词)
• verily [´verili] ad.真实的；肯定地 (英语四级单词)
• fixture [´fikstʃə] n.设备；竞赛项目 (英语四级单词)
• afflict [ə´flikt] vt.使痛苦；折磨 (英语四级单词)
• lawful [´lɔ:fəl] a.合法的，守法的 (英语四级单词)
• interpose [,intə´pəuz] v.插入；调解；干预 (英语四级单词)
• richly [´ritʃli] ad.富裕地；浓厚地 (英语四级单词)
• piercing [´piəsiŋ] a.刺(贯)穿的；尖刻的 (英语六级单词)
• affliction [ə´flikʃən] n.痛苦，苦恼；折磨 (英语六级单词)
• numbness [´nʌmnis] n.麻木；愚蠢 (英语六级单词)
• pertain [pə´tein] vi.附属，属于；关于 (英语六级单词)