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Imo. Fidele, sir.

Cym. Thou art my good youth, my page;
I'll be thy master: Walk with me; speak freely.
[Cymbeline and Imogen walk aside.

Bel. Is not this boy reviv'd from death?
Aro. One sand another
Not more resembles: That sweet rosy lad,
Who dy'd, and was Fidele-What think you?
Guid. The same dead thing alive. [forbear;
Bel. Peace, peace! see further; he eyes us not;
Creatures may be alike; were 't he, I am surè
He would have spoke to us

- Guid. But we saw himn dead.
Bel. Be silent; let's see further.
Pisan. It is my mistress:

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Unless thou would'st grieve quickly-This Post-
(Most like a noble lord in love, and one

10 That had a royal lover) took his hint;
And, not dispraising whom he prais'd, (therein
He was as calm as virtue) he began

His mistress' picture; which by his tongue being
made,

[Aside. 15 And then a mind put in't, either our brags
Were crack'd of kitchen trulls, or his description
Prov'd us unspeaking sots.

Since she is living, let the time run on,
To good or bad. [Cym. and Imogen come forward.
Cym. Come, stand thou by our side;
Make thy demand aloud.-Sir, step you forth;
[To Iachimo. 20

Give answer to this boy, and do it freely;
Or, by our greatness, and the grace of it,
Which is our honour, bitter torture shall
Winnow the truth from falsehood.On, speak
to him.

[der

Imo. My boon is, that this gentleman may renOf whom he had this ring.

Post. What's that to him?

[Aside.

Cym. That diamond upon your finger, say, How came it yours?

Iach. Thou 'It torture me to leave unspoken that Which, to be spoke, would torture thee.

Cym. How! ine?

[which Iach. I am glad to be constrain'd to utter that Torments me to conceal. By villainy

I got this ring; 'twas Leonatus' jewel,
Whom thou didst banish; and (which more may
grieve thee,

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Cym. Nay, nay, to the purpose.

Tach. Your daughter's chastity-there it begins.
He spake of her, as Dian had hot dreams,
And she alone were cold: Whereat, I, wretch!
Made scruple of his praise; and wager'd with him
Pieces of gold, 'gainst this which then he wore
Upon his honour'd finger to attain

In suit the place of his bed, and win this ring
By hers and mine adultery; he, true knight,
No lesser of her honour confident

Than I did truly find her, stakes this ring;
And would so, had it been a carbuncle

30 Of Phoebus' wheel; and might so safely, had it
Been all the worth of his car. Away to Britain
Post I in this design: Well may you, sir,
Remember me at court, where I was taught,
Of your chaste daughter the wide difference
35Twixtamorousand villainous. Being thus quench'd
Of hope, not longing, mine Italian brain
Gan in your duller Britain operate
Most vilely, for my 'vantage, excellent;
And, to be brief, my practice so prevail'd,
That I return'd with simular proof enough
To make the noble Leonatus mad,
By wounding his belief in her renown
With tokens thus, and thus; averring notes
Of chamber-hanging, pictures, this, her bracelet,
(O, cunning, how I got it!) nay, some marks
Of secret on her person, that he could not
But think her bond of chastity quite crack'd,
I having ta'en the forfeit. Whereupon,-
Methinks I see him now,-

As it doth me) a nobler sir ne'er liv'd [my lord
"Twixt sky and ground. Wilt thou hear more, 40
Cym. All that belongs to this.

Iach. That paragon, thy daughter,- [spirits
For whom my heart drops blood, and my false
Quail to remember,-Give me leave; I faint.
Cym. My daughter! what of her? Renew thy 45
strength:

I had rather thou should'st live while nature will,
Than die e'er I hear more; strive, man, and speak.
Tach. Upon a time, (unhappy was the clock
That struck the hour!) it was in Rome, (accurs'
The mansion where!) 'twas at a feast, (O, 'would
Our viands had been poison'd! or, at least,
Those which I heav'd to head!) the good Post-
humus

(What should I say? he was too good, to be
Where ill men were; and was the best of all
Among the rar'st of good ones) sitting sadly,
Hearing us praise our loves of Italy
For beauty that made barren the swell'd boast

50

Post. Ay, so thou dost, [Coming forward.
Italian fiend !---Ah me, most credulous fool,
Egregious murderer, thief, any thing

That's due to all the villains past, in being,
To come!-0, give me cord or knife or poison,
55 Some upright justicer! Thou, king, send out
For tortures ingenious: it is I

That all the abhorred things o' the earth amend,
By being worse than they. I am Posthumus,
That kill'd thy daughter:-villain-like, I lie;

Of him that best could speak: for feature, laming 60 That caus'd a lesser villain than myself,

The shrine of Venus or straight-pight Minerva,

A sacrilegious thief, to do't:-the temple

To quail is to sink into dejection. 2 i. e. the ancient statues of Venus and Minerva, which ex ceeded, in beauty of exact proportion, any living bodies, the work of brief nature, i, e. of hasty unelaborate nature.

Of

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Of virtue was she; yea, and she herself 1.
Spit and throw stones, cast mire upon me, set
The dogs o' the street to bay me: every villain
Be call'd Posthumus Leonatus: and
Be villainy less than 'twas!-O Imogen!
My queen, my life, my wife! O Imogen,
Imogen, Imogen!

Imo. Peace, my lord; hear, hear

Post. Shall's have a play of this? thou scornful

page,

There lie thy part.

[Striking her, she falls.

Pisan. O, gentlemen, help

Mine, and your mistress,-Omy lord Posthumus!
You ne'er kill'd Imogen till now:-Help, help!-
Mine honour'd lady!

Cym. Does the world go round?

Post. How come these staggers 2 on me?
Pisan. Wake, my mistress!

Cym. If this be so, the gods do mean to strike me

To death with mortal joy.

Pisan. How fares my mistress?

Imo. O, get thee from my sight;

Thou gav'st me poison: dangerous fellow, hence!
Breathe not where princes are.

Cym. The tune of Imogen!

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[me, if 25

Pisan. Lady,the gods throw stones of sulphur on
That box I gave you was not thought by me
A precious thing; I had it from the queen.
Cym. New matter still?

Imo. It poison'd me.

Cor. O gods!

I left out one thing which the queen confess'd,

Which must approve thee honest: If Pisanio

Have, said she, given his mistress that confection
Which I gave him for cordial, she is serv'd

As I would serve a rat.

Cym. What's this, Cornelius?

Cor. The queen, sir, very oft importun'd me
To temper poisons for her; still pretending
The satisfaction of her knowledge, only
In killing creatures vile, as cats and dogs,
Of no esteem; I, dreading that her purpose
Was of more danger, did compound for her
A certain stuff, which being ta'en, would cease
The present power of life; but, in short time,
All offices of nature should again

Do their due functions.-Have you ta'en of it?
Imo. Most like I did, for I was dead.
Bel. My boys,

There was our error.

Guid. This is sure Fidele.

[you?

Imo. Why did you throw your wedded lady from Think that you are upon a rock; and now Throw me again.

Post. Hang there like fruit, my soul,

"Till the tree die!

Cym. How now, my flesh, my child?

What, mak'st thou me a dullard 3 in this act?

Wilt thou not speak to me?

Imo. Your blessing, sir.

Guid. Let me end the story:

I slew him there.

Cym. Marry, the gods forefend!

I would not thy good deeds should from my lips Pluck a hard sentence: pr'ythee, valiant youth, 30 Deny 't again.

Guid. I have spoke it, and I did it.

Cym. He was a prince.

[me

Guid. A most uncivil one: The wrongs he did
Were nothing prince-like; for he did provoke me
35 With language that would make me spurn the sea,
If it could so roar to me: I cut off's head;
And am right glad, he is not standing here.
To tell this tale of mine.

Cym. I am sorry for thee:

[must

40 By thine own tongue thou art condemn'd, and Endure our law: Thou art dead.

Imo. That headless man

I thought had been my lord.
Cym. Bind the offender,

45 And take him from our presence.

Bel. Stay, sir king:

This man is better than the man he slew,
As well descended as thyself; and hath
More of thee merited, than a band of Clotens
50 Had ever scar for.-Let his arms alone;
[To the Guard.

They were not born for bondage.
Cym. Why, old soldier,

Wilt thou undo the worth thou art unpaid for,
55 By tasting of our wrath? How of descent
As good as we?

Arv. In that he spake too far.
Cym. And thou shalt die for 't.
Bel. We will die all three:

[Kneeling. 60 But I will prove, that two of us are as good
As I have given out him.-My sons, I must,
For my own part, unfold a dangerous speech,

Bel. Though you did love this youth, I blame you not;

1i. e. Virtue herself. 2. This wild and delicious perturbation.-Staggers is the horse's apoplexy.

? A dullard in this place means a person stupidly unconcerned.

Though!

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Cym. How! my issue!

1

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A mother to the birth of three? Ne'er mother
Rejoic'd deliverance more:-Blest may you be,
That, after this strange starting from your orts,
10 You may reign in them now!-O Imogen,
Thou hast lost by this a kingdom.
Imo. No, my lord;

[thers,

I have got two worlds by 't.-O my gentle bro-
Have we thus met? O, never say hereafter,

15 But I am truest speaker: you call'd me brother,
When I was but your sister; I you brothers,
When you were so indeed.

201

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Bel. Sosure as you your father's. I, old Morgan,
Am that Belarius whom you sometime banish'd:
Your pleasure was my near offence, my punish-
Itself, and all my treason; that I suffer'd, [ment 30
Was all the harm I did. These gentle princes
(For such and so they are) these twenty years
Have I train'd up: those arts they have, as I
Could put into them; my breeding was, sir, as
Your highness knows. Their nurse, Euriphile,
Whom for the theft I wedded, stole these children
Upon my banishment: I mov'd her to't;
Having receiv'd the punishment before,
For that which I did then: Beaten for loyalty
Excited me to treason: Their dear loss,
The more of you 'twas felt, the more it shap'd
Unto my end of stealing them. But, gracious sir,
Here are your sons again; and I must lose.
Two of the sweet'st companions in the world:-
The benediction of these covering heavens
Fall on their heads like dew! for they are worthy
To inlay heaven with stars.

Cym. Thou weep'st and speak'st.
The service, that you three have done, is more

Cym. Did you e'er meet?

Arv. Ay, my good lord.

Guid. And at first meeting lov'd;
Continued so, until we thought he died.
Cor. By the queen's dram she swallow'd.
Cym. Ó rare instinct!

When shall I hear all through? This fierce 2
abridgement

Hath to it circumstantial branches, which
Distinction should be rich in.Where? how
liv'd you?

And when came you to serve our Roman captive?
How parted with your brothers? how first met

them?

Why fled you from the court? and whither? These,
And your three motives to the battle, with

know not how much more, should be demanded;
And all the other by-dependancies, [place,
From chance to chance; but nor the time, nor
Will serve our long intergatories. See,
Posthumus anchors upon Imogen;

And she, like harmless lightning, throws her eye,
40 On him, her brothers, me, her master; hitting
Each object with a joy: the counter-change
Is severally in all. Let's quit this ground,
And smoke the temple with our sacrifices.-
Thou art my brother; So we'll hold thee ever.
[To Belarius.
Imo. You are my father too; and did relieve me
To see this gracious season.

145

Unlike than this thou tell'st: I lost my children; 50
If these be they, I know not how to wish

A pair of worthier sons.

Bel. Be pleas'd a while.
This gentleman, whom I call Polydore,
Most worthy prince, as yours, is true Guiderius:
This gentleman, my Cadwal, Arviragus,

Your younger princely son; he, sir, was lap'd
In a most curious mantle, wrought by the hand
Of his queen mother, which, for more probation,
I can with ease produce.

Cym. Guiderius had

Upon his neck a mole, a sanguine star;

Cym. All o'er-joy'd,

Save these in bonds: let them be joyful too,
For they shall taste our comfort.

Imo. My good master,

I will yet do you service.

Luc. Happy be you!

Cym. The forlorn soldier, that so nobly fought,

55 He would have well becom❜d this place, and grac'd The thankings of a king.

Post. I am, sir,

The soldier that did company these three

In poor beseeming; 'twas a fitment for

60 The purpose I then follow'd:-That I was he, Speak, Tachimo; I had you down, and might Have made you finish,

! Meere is very properly proposed by Mr. Tyrwhitt Fierce is vehement, rapid.

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To pay our wonted tribute, from the which
We were dissuaded by our wicked queen;
On whom heaven's justice (both on her, and her's)
Hath lay'd most heavy hand.

Sooth. The fingers of the powers above do tune
The harmony of this peace. The vision
Which I made known to Lucius, ere the stroke
Of this yet scarce-cold battle, at this instant
Is full accomplished: For the Roman eagle,
10 From south to west on wing soaring aloft,
Lessen'd herself, and in the beams o' the sun
So vanish'd: which fore-shew'd,our princelyeagle,
The imperial Cæsar, should again unite
His favour with the radiant Cymbeline,
15 Which shines here in the west.

20

Cym. Laud we the gods;

And let our crooked smokes climb totheir nostrils
From our blest altars! Publish we this peace
To all our subjects. Set we forward: Let
A Roman and a British ensign wave
Friendly together: so thro' Lud's town march;
And in the temple of great Jupiter

Our peace we'll ratify; seal it with feasts.Set on there :-Never was a war did cease, 25 Ere bloody hands were wash'd, with such a peace. [Exeunt omnes.

30

a stately cedar shall be lopt branches, which, 35 "being dead many years, shall after revive, be

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joined to the old stock, and freshly grow; then "shall Posthumus end his miseries, Britain be "fortunate, and flourish in peace and plenty." Thou, Leonatus, art the lion's whelp; The fit and apt construction of thy name, Being Leo-natus, doth import so much; The piece of tender air thy virtuous daughter, [To Cymbeline.

Which we call mollis aer; and mollis aer
We term it mulier: which mulier, I divine, [now
Is this most constant wife; [To Post.] who, even
Answering the letter of the oracle,

Unknown to you, unsought, were clip'd about,
With this most tender air.

Cym. This hath some seeming.

Sooth. The lofty cedar, royal Cymbeline, Personates thee: and thy lopt branches point, Thy two sons forth: who, by Belarius stolen,

40

145

50

For many years thought dead, are now reviv'd, 55
To the majestic cedar join'd; whose issue
Promises Britain peace and plenty.

Cym. Well.

My peace we will begin :-And, Caius Lucius, Although the victor, we submit to Cæsar,

And to the Roman empire, promising

1

60

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1 Sprightly shews are ghostly appearances; but should be read spritely shews. ! A collection is a corollary, a consequence deduced from premises.

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Knights attending on the King, Officers, Messengers, Soldiers, and Attendants.

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Enter Kent, Gloster, and Edmund. Kent.T THOUGHT, the king had more affected 5 I the duke of Albany, than Cornwall.

Glo. It did always seem so to us: but now, in the division of the kingdom, it appears not which of the dukes he values most; for equalities are so weighed, that curiosity' in neither can make 10 choice of either's moiety.

Kent. Is not this your son, my lord? Glo. His breeding, sir, hath been at iny charge: I have so often blush'd to acknowledge him, that now I am braz'd to 't.

Kent. I cannot conceive you.

Glo. Sir, this young fellow's mother could: whereupon she grew round-womb'd; and had, indeed, sir, à son for her cradle, ere she had a husband for her bed. Do you smell a fault?

Kent. I cannot wish the fault undone, the issue of it being so proper.

15

Do you know this noble gentleman, Edinund? Edm. No, my lord.

Glo. My lord of Kent. Remember him here after as my honourable friend.

Edm. My services to your lordship.

[ter.

Kent. I must love you, and sue to know you betEdm. Sir, I shall study deserving. Glo. He hath been out nine years, and away he shall again:-The king is coming.

[Trumpets sound within. Enter Lear, Cornwall, Albany, Goneril, Regan, Cordelia, and Attendants.

Lear. Attend the lords of France and Burgundy, Gloster.

Glo.Ishall, myliege. [ExeuntGloster and Edmund. Lear. Mean time we shall express our darker ›

purpose.

The map there.-Know, that we have divided
In three our kingdom: and 'tis our fast intent
20 To shake all cares and business from our age;
Conferring them on younger strengths, while we
Unburthen'd crawl toward death. Our son of
Cornwall,

Glo. But I have, sir, a son by order of law, some years elder than this, who is yet no dearer in my account, though this kuave came somewhat 25 saucily into the world before he was sent for: yet was his mother fair; there was good sport at his making, and the whoreson must be acknowledged.

Curiosity is scrupulousness, or captiousness.

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2 The strict sense of the word moiety is half, one of two equal parts: but Shakspeare commonly uses it for any part or division. 3 Darker, for anore secret; not for indirect, oblique. * Constant is firm, deisrmined.

30

Great

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