That run i' the clock's behalf :-But this is fool- A cell of ignorance; travelling abed; ery: Go, bid my woman feign a fickness; fay Pif. Madam, you're beft confider. Imo. I fee before me, man, nor here, nor here, Nor what enfues; but have a fog in them, That I cannot look through 3. Away, I pr'ythee; Do as I bid thee: There's no more to say ; Acceffible is none but Milford way. [Exeunt. Changes to a Foreft in Wales, with a Cave. Enter Belarius, Guiderius, and Arviragus. Bel. A goodly day not to keep houfe, with fuch Whofe roof's as low as ours! Stoop, boys: This gate Inftructs you how to adore the heavens; and bows you To morning's holy office: The gates of monarchs Are arch'd to high, that giants may jet through And keep their impious turbands 4 on, without Good morrow to the fun.-Hail, thou fair heaven!, We houfe i' the rock, yet ufe thee not fo hardly As prouder livers do. Guid. Hail, heaven! Arv. Hail, heaven! Bel. Now for our mountain fport: Up to yon hill, Your legs are young; I'll tread thefe flats. Confider, When you above perceive me like a crow, That it's place, which leflens, and fets off. And you may then revolve what tales I have told you, Of courts, of princes, of the tricks in war: This fervice is not fervice, fo being done, But being fo allow'd: To apprehend thus, Draws us a profit from all things we fee: And often, to our comfort, fhall we find The fharded 5 beetle in a fafer hold Than is the full-wing'd eagle. O, this life Is nobler, than attending for a check"; Richer, than doing nothing for a babe 7; Prouder, than rustling in unpaid-for filk: Such gain the cap of him, that makes them fine, Yet keeps his book uncrofs'd: no life to ours. Guid. Out of your proof you speak: we, poor unfledg'd, [know not Have never wing'd from view o' the neft; nor What air's from home. Haply, this life is best, If quiet life be beft; fweeter to you, That have a fharper known; well correfponding With your stiff age: but, unto us, it is A prifon for a debtor, that not dares Arv. What should we fpeak of, Bel. How you fpeak! Did you but know the city's ufuries, And felt them knowingly: the art o' the court, And hath as oft a flanderous epitaph, Bel. My fault being nothing (as I have told you Where I have liv'd at honeft freedom; pay'd I This fantastical expreffion means no more than fand in an hour-glafs, used to measure time 3 That is, 1 * A franklin is literally a freeholder, with a small eftate, neither villain nor vaffal. can fee neither one way nor other, before me nor behind me, but all the ways are covered with a impenetrable fog." 4 The idea of a giant was, among the readers of romances, who were amoit all the readers of thofe times, always confounded with that of a Saracen. 5 i. e. the betti whofe wings are enclofed within two dry hufks or fhards. Check may mean in this place a proof; but it rather feems to fignify command, controul. 7 Dr. Johnfon fufpe&ts, that the m reading of this paffage is as follows: "Richer than doing nothing for a brabe." Brabium badge of honour, or the enlign of an honour, or any thing worn as a mark of dignity. is found (he adds) in Holyoak's Dictionary, who terms it a reward; and that Cooper, in his 78 Jaurus, defines it to be a prize, or reward for any game. To overpafs his bound. The wod Thefe boys know little, they are fons to the king; And you fhall find me, wretched man, a thing up thus meanly I' the cave, wherein they bow, their thoughts do hit as Imogen reads. Thy mifirefs, Pifanio, bath play'd the firumpet in my bed; the tefiimonies subercof lie bleeding in me. I fpeak not out of weak furmifes; but from proof frong as my grief, and as certain as I expect my revenge. That part, thou, Pifanio, muft act for me, if thy faith be not tainted with the breach of hers. Let thine own bands take away her life: I shall give thee opportunity at Milford-Haven: fhe bath my letter for the purpose: Where, if thou fear to trike, and to make me certain it is done, thou art the pandar to her difhonour, and equally to me disloyal. Pif. What shall I need to draw my fword? the paper -No, 'tis flander; Out-venoms all the worms 3 of Nile; whofe breath Thou waft their nurse; they took thee for their To lie in watch there, and to think on him? SCENE The game up. [Exit. IV. Near Milford-Haven. Enter Pifanio and Imogen. To weep 'twixt clock and clock? if fleep charge Pif. Alas, good lady! Imo. I falfe? Thy confcience witnefs.-Lachimo, Thou didft accufe him of incontinency; Thou then look'dft like a villain; now, methinks, Ime. Thou told'ft me, when we came from Whofe mother was her painting 5, hath betray'd horfe, the place Was near at hand :-Ne'er long'd my mother fo Poor I am ftale, a garment out of fashion; [him: Pif. Good madam, hear me. From the inward of thee? One, but painted thus, But worn, a bait for ladies. hand! That drug-damn'd Italy 3 hath out-crafted him, May take off fome extremity, which to read Pif. Please you, read; Imo. True honeft men being heard, like falfe A little witnefs my obedience: Look! I draw the fword myfelf: take it; and hit 2 This is another allufion to Italian 1 i. e. Thus meanly brought up. Yet in this very cave, which is fo low that they muft bow or bend in entering it, yet are their thoughts fo exalted, &c. 4 Perfons of highett poilons. rank. 5 That is, Sume jay of Italy, made by art the creature, not of nature, but of painting. In this fenfe painting may be not improperly termed her mother. 3 Serpents and dragons by the old writers were called worms. Thy Thy mafter is not there; who was, indeed, Pif. Hence, vile inftrument! Imo. Why, I must die; And if I do not by thy hand, thou art No fervant of thy mafter's: Against felf-flaughter That cravens my weak hand. Come, here's my Something's afore 't :-Soft, foft; we'll no defonce; The fcriptures of the loyal Leonatus, Be ftomachers to my heart! Thus may poor fools Do feel the treafon fharply, yet the traitor And thou, Pofthumus, that diddeft fet up Pif. O gracious lady! Since I receiv'd command to do this bufinefs, Imo. Do 't, and to bed then. Pif. I'll wake mine eye-balls blind first. Did'st undertake it? Why haft thou abus'd Pif. But to win time Pif. I am moft glad You think of other place. The embassador,] Imo. O, for fuch means! Though peril to my modesty, not death on 't, Pif. Well, then here's the point: Imo. Nay, be brief: I fee into thy end, and am almoft 1 A hawk is faid to tire upon that which he pecks; from tirer, French. 2 The meaning is, « You mufi disguise that greatnefs, which, to appear hereafter in its proper form, cannot yet appear without great danger to self." 3 i. c. with opportunities of examining your affairs with your own eyes. Pif. First, make yourself but like one. If that his head have ear in mufic) doubtless, Imo. Thou art all the comfort The gods will diet me with. Pr'ythee, away: There's more to be confider'd; but we'll even Imo. Amen: I thank thee. S CE N E V. The Palace of Cymbeline. [Exeunt. Your valiant Britons have their wishes in it. Cym. Lucius hath wrote already to the emperor Queen. 'Tis not fleepy business; Cym. Our expectation that it should be thus, Queen. Royal fir, [Exit a Servant. Since the exile of Pofthumus, moit retir'd Re-enter the Servant. Her chambers are all lock'd; and there's no anfwer Enter Cymbeline, Queen, Cloten, Lucius, and Lords. Whereto conftrain'd by her infirmity, Will not endure his yoke; and for ourself To fhew lefs fovereignty than they, muft needs Luc. So, fir, I defire of you A conduct over land, to Milford-Haven.--- Cym. My lords, you are appointed for that office; Luc. Your hand, my lord. She fhould that duty leave unpaid to you, Cym. Her doors lock'd? [fear, Queen. Son, I fay, follow the king. [Exit. I have not feen thefe two days. Pifanio, thou that stand'ft fo for Pofthumus!——— Clot. Receive it friendly: but from this time, wing'd with fervour of her love, fhe's flown forth I wear it as your enemy. Luc. Sir, the event Is yet to name the winner: Fare you well. [lords, Cym. Leave not the worthy Lucius, good my 'Till he have croft the Severn-Happiness! [Excunt Lucius, &c. To her defir'd Pofthumus: Gone the is To death, or to dishonour; and my end have the placing of the British crown. Can make good ufe of either: She being down, I Re-enter Cloten. How now, my fon? Queen. He goes hence frowning: but it honours Clot. 'Tis certain, fhe is fled: That we have given him caufe. Clot. 'Tis all the better; [us, Go in, and cheer the king; he rages, none 1 i. e. we'll make our work even with our time; we'll do what time will allow. 2 i. e. I have inlifted and bound myself to it. Queen. All the better: May This night fore-stall him of the coming day! And that the hath all courtly parts more exquifite . The low Pofthumus, flanders fo her judgment, Enter Pifanio. Come hither: Ah, you precious pandar! Pif. O, good my lord! Glot. Where is thy lady? or, by Jupiter, Villain, I will not afk again. Clofe villain, From whofe fo many weights of baseness cannot Pif. Alas, my lord, Pif. I fhall, my lord. [Exie. Glot. Meet thee at Milford-Haven: forgot to afk him one thing; I'll remember't anon : -Even there, thou villain Pofthumus, will I kill thee.—I would, thefe garments were come. She faid upon a time, (the bitterness of it I now belch from my heart) that the held the very garment of Pofthumus in more refpect than my noble and natural perion, together with the adornment of my qualities. With that fuit upon my back, I will I ravifh her: First kill him, and in her eyes; there fhall the fee my valour, which will then be a torment to her contempt. He on the ground, my fpeech of infultment ended on his dead body, and when my luft hath dined, How can the be with him? when was the mifs'd? (which, as I fay, to vex her, I will execute in Clot. It is Potthumus' hand; I know't. Sirrah, if thou wouldit not be a villain, but do me true 1ervice; undergo thofe employments, wherein I fhould have caufe to use thec, with a ferious induftry,—that is, what villainy foe'er I bid thee do, to perform it, directly and truly, I would think thee an honest man: thou should't neither want my means for thy relief, nor my voice for thy preferment. Pf. Well, my good lord. the clothes that the fo prais'd) to the court I'll Re-enter Pifanio, with the clothes. Be thofe the garments Pil. Ay, my noble lord. Clot. How long ist fince the went to Milford- Pif. She can fcarce be there yet. Clot. Bring this apparel to my chamber; that Pif. Thou bid'it me to my lofs: for, true to Were to prove falfe, which I will never be, The Foreft and Cave. Enter Imogen, in boy's clothes. Imo. I fee, a man's life is a tedious one: That is, I muft either give him the paper freely, or perifh in my attempt to keep it. Foundations 1 |