Page:Stories from Old English Poetry-1899.djvu/182

160 away from her; and cherishing those suspicions, all that was good in him was turned to gall and bitterness, and his heart was torn by jealousy and rage.

In this state of feeling he left the company of his friend and Hermione, and sought out Camillo,one of his nobles,whom he had appointed chief cup-bearer to Polixenes while he was his guest. Camillo was a man of probity and honor, very discreet and wise in judgment,the very antipodes of the easily moved and tumultuous Leontes. ‘To him the king unfolded his suspicions, and while he listened, dumb with grief and wonder, he desired him to poison the wine of Polixenes, that he might die of his first draught.

Camillo knew the king well enough to know that it was useless to stem the current of his madness, and he contented himself with asking him to dissemble his feelings for a short time, and promised him to undertake the murder of the king of Bohemia. ‘Then Leontes left him, a little calmed and satisfied.

Camillo felt a momentary struggle between his loyalty to the king his master and his sense of honor and humanity. On the one side was his personal safety, his ambition, all the motives that selfishness could urge; on the other hand, if he yielded to humanity, and spared Polixenes