Sicilia. A Chapel in Paulina's House.
 Enter LEONTES, POLIXENES, FLORIZEL, PERDITA, 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
	You have paid home; but that you have vouchsafed,
	With your crowned 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.

Leontes											O Paulina,
	We honour you with trouble. But we came
	To see the statue of our queen. Your gallery
	Have we passed through, not without much content
	In many singularities, but we saw not
	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 looked upon,
	Or hand of man hath done; therefore I keep it
	Lonely, apart. But here it is. Prepare
	To see the life as lively mocked as ever
	Still sleep mocked death. Behold, and say 'tis well.
							 [PAULINA draws a curtain, and discovers
									  HERMIONE 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!
	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
	So agd 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.

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 wooed her.
	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,
	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 fixed, 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 killed itself much sooner.

Polixenes										Dear my brother,
	Let him that was the cause of this have power
	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 showed 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 breathed, and that those veins
	Did verily bear blood?

Polixenes								Masterly done.
	The very life seems warm upon her lip.

Leontes	The fixure of her eye has motion in't,
	As we are mocked 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 stirred you; but
	I could afflict you further.

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 required
	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.
	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 wooed 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 lived,
	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.
	[To PERDITA.] Please you to interpose, fair madam; kneel,
	And pray your mother's blessing.
							[To HERMIONE.] 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 preserved? Where lived? 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 preserved
	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 everyone. I, an old turtle,
	Will wing me to some withered 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 questioned, 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.
	[To HERMIONE.]
	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
	Performed in this wide gap of time since first
	We were dissevered. Hastily lead away.
													[Exeunt.
