Act V, Scene 3

A chapel in PAULINA’S house.

[Enter LEONTES, POLIXENES, FLORIZEL, PERDITA,] [p]CAMILLO, PAULINA, Lords, and Attendants]

• Leontes. O grave and good Paulina, the great comfort
  That I have had of thee!

• Paulina. What, sovereign sir,
  I did not well I meant well. All my services 3290
  You have paid home: but that you have vouchsafed,
  With your crown'd brother and these your contracted
  Heirs of your kingdoms, my poor house to visit,
  It is a surplus of your grace, which never
  My life may last to answer. 3295

• Leontes. O Paulina,
  We honour you with trouble: but we came
  To see the statue of our queen: your gallery
  Have we pass'd through, not without much content
  In many singularities; but we saw not 3300
  That which my daughter came to look upon,
  The statue of her mother.

• Paulina. As she lived peerless,
  So her dead likeness, I do well believe,
  Excels whatever yet you look'd upon 3305
  Or hand of man hath done; therefore I keep it
  Lonely, apart. But here it is: prepare
  To see the life as lively mock'd as ever
  Still sleep mock'd death: behold, and say 'tis well.
  [PAULINA draws a curtain, and discovers HERMIONE] 3310
  standing like a statue]
  I like your silence, it the more shows off
  Your wonder: but yet speak; first, you, my liege,
  Comes it not something near?

• Leontes. Her natural posture! 3315
  Chide me, dear stone, that I may say indeed
  Thou art Hermione; or rather, thou art she
  In thy not chiding, for she was as tender
  As infancy and grace. But yet, Paulina,
  Hermione was not so much wrinkled, nothing 3320
  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 lived now. 3325

• 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! 3330
  I am ashamed: 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 conjured to remembrance and
  From thy admiring daughter took the spirits, 3335
  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, 3340
  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, 3345
  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 power 3350
  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— 3355
  I'ld 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. 3360
  Would I were dead, but that, methinks, already—
  What was he that did make it? See, my lord,
  Would you not deem it breathed? and that those veins
  Did verily bear blood?

• Polixenes. Masterly done: 3365
  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 3370
  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. 3375

• 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, 3380
  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; 3385
  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. 3390

• 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— 3395
  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 3400
  To make her speak as move.

• Paulina. It is required
  You do awake your faith. Then all stand still;
  On: those that think it is unlawful business
  I am about, let them depart. 3405

• Leontes. Proceed:
  No foot shall stir.

• Paulina. Music, awake her; strike!
  [Music]
  'Tis time; descend; be stone no more; approach; 3410
  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] 3415
  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 3420
  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. 3425

• Camillo. She hangs about his neck:
  If she pertain to life let her speak too.

• Polixenes. Ay, and make't manifest where she has lived,
  Or how stolen from the dead.

• Paulina. That she is living, 3430
  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; 3435
  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 preserved? where lived? how found 3440
  Thy father's court? for thou shalt hear that I,
  Knowing by Paulina that the oracle
  Gave hope thou wast in being, have preserved
  Myself to see the issue.

• Paulina. There's time enough for that; 3445
  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 3450
  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, 3455
  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 3460
  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, 3465
  That e'er I put between your holy looks
  My ill suspicion. This is your son-in-law,
  And son unto the king, who, heavens directing,
  Is troth-plight to your daughter. Good Paulina,
  Lead us from hence, where we may leisurely 3470
  Each one demand an answer to his part
  Perform'd in this wide gap of time since first
  We were dissever'd: hastily lead away.

[Exeunt]