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Tales of Shakespeare by Mary Lamb;Charles Lamb
page 42 of 320 (13%)
Polixenes: 'I pray you, mark our contract.'

'Mark your divorce, young sir,' said the king, discovering himself.
Polixenes then reproached his son for daring to contract himself to
this low-born maiden, calling Perdita 'shepherd's brat, sheep-hook,'
and other disrespectful names; and threatening, if ever she suffered
his son to see her again, he would put her, and the old shepherd her
father, to a cruel death.

The king then left them in great wrath, and ordered Camillo to follow
him with prince Florizel.

When the king had departed, Perdita, whose royal nature was roused
by Polixenes' reproaches, said: 'Though we are all undone, I was not
much afraid; and once or twice I was about to speak, and tell him
plainly that the selfsame sun which shines upon his palace, hides not
his face from our cottage, but looks on both alike.' Then sorrowfully
she said: 'But now I am awakened from this dream, I will queen it no
further. Leave me, sir; I will go milk my ewes and weep.'

The kind-hearted Camillo was charmed with the spirit and propriety
of Perdita's behaviour; and perceiving that the young prince was too
deeply in love to give up his mistress at the command of his royal
father, he thought of a way to befriend the lovers, and at the same
time to execute a favourite scheme he had in his mind.

Camillo had long known that Leontes, the king of Sicily, was become
a true penitent; and though Camillo was now the favoured friend of
king Polixenes, he could not help wishing once more to see his late
royal master and his native home. He therefore proposed to Florizel
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