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A Winter's Tale, Act 3, Scene 2. Shakespeare
Officer. You here shall swear upon this sword of justice,
That you, Cleomenes and Dion, have1345
Been both at Delphos, and from thence have brought
The seal'd-up oracle, by the hand deliver'd
Of great Apollo's priest; and that, since then,
You have not dared to break the holy seal
Nor read the secrets in't.1350
Cleomenes. [with Dion] All this we swear.
Leontes. Break up the seals and read.
Officer. [Reads]. Hermione is chaste;
Polixenes blameless; Camillo a true subject; Leontes
a jealous tyrant; his innocent babe truly begotten;1355
and the king shall live without an heir, if that
which is lost be not found.
Lords. Now blessed be the great Apollo!
Hermione. Praised!
Leontes. Hast thou read truth?1360
Officer. Ay, my lord; even so
As it is here set down.
Leontes. There is no truth at all i' the oracle:
The sessions shall proceed: this is mere falsehood.
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