The Complete Works of William Shakespeare - Israel Gollancz William Shakespeare [1633]
by Fortune: shall the seas be thy harbour, and the hard boat thy cradle? Shall thy tender mouth insteede of sweete kisses, be nipped with bitter stormes? Shalt thou haue the whistling windes for thy Lullabie, and the salt sea fome in steede of sweete milke? Alas, what destinies would assigne such hard hap? What father would be so cruell? Or what Gods will not reuenge such rigor? Let me kisse thy lips (sweet infant) and wet thy tender cheekes with my teares, and put this chaine about thy little necke, that if fortune saue thee, it may helpe to succour thee. Thus, since thou must goe to surge in the gastful seas, with a sorrowfull kisse I bid thee farewell, and I pray the Gods thou mayst farewell. Such, and so great was her griefe, that her vitall spirits being suppressed with sorow, she fell downe againe in a traunce, hauing her sences so sotted with care, that after she was reuiued, yet she lost her memorie, and lay for a great time without moouing as one in a traunce. The gard left her in this perplexitie, and carried the child to the King, who quite deuoyde of pity, commanded that without delay it should be put into the boate, hauing neither saile nor other to guide it, and so to be carried into the midst of the sea, and there left to the winde and waue as the destinies please to appoint. The very shipmen seeing the sweete countenance of the yong babe, began to accuse the King of rigor, and to pity the childs hard fortune: but feare constrained them to that which their nature did abhorre: so that they placed it in one of the ends of the boat, and with a few green bows made a homely cabin to shrowd it as they could from wind and weather: hauing thus trimmed the boat they tied it to a ship, and so haled it into the maine sea, and then cut insunder the corde, which they had no sooner done, but there arose a mighty tempest, which tossed the little boat so vehemently in the waues, that the ship men thought it could not long continue without sinking, yea the storme grew so great, that with much labour and perill they got to the shoare. But leaving the child to her fortunes. Againe to Pandosto, who not yet glutted with sufficient reuenge, deuised which way he should best increase his wives calamitie. But first assembling his Nobles and Counsellours, hee called her for the more reproch into open Court, where it was obiected against her, that she had committed adulterie with Egistus, and conspired with Franion to poyson Pandosto her husband, but their pretence being partely spied, she counselled them to flie away by night for their better safetie. Bellaria, who standing like a prisoner at the bar, feeling in herselfe a cleare conscience to withstand her false accusers: seeing that no lesse than death could pacifie her husbands wrath, waxed bold, and desired that she might haue lawe and lustice, for mercy she neither craued nor hoped, and that those periured wretches, which had falsly accused her to the king, might be brought before her face, to giue in evidence. Pandosto, whose rage and iealousie was such, no reason, nor equitie could appease, tolde her, that for her accusers they, were of such credit, as their wordes were sufficient witnes, and that the sodaine and secret flight of Egistus and Franion confirmed that which they had confessed: and as for her, it was her part to deny such a monstrous crime, and to be impudent in forswearing the fact, since she had past al shame in committing the fault: but her stale countenance should stand for no coyne, for as the bastard which she bare was serued, so she should with some cruel death be requited. Bellaria no whit dismaied with this rough reply, tolde her husband Pandosto that he spake vpon choler, and not conscience: for her vertuous life had bin ever such, as no spot of suspition could ever stain. And if she had borne a frendly countenance to Egistus, it was in respect he was his friend, and not for any lusting affection: therefore if she were condemned without any further proofe, it was rigour, and not law. The noblemen which sate in iudgment, said that Bellaria spake reason,