This bloody man, the care on't.-I hope, I dream;
For, fo, I thought I was a cave-keeper,
And cook to honeft creatures: but 'tis not fo;
'Twas but a bolt of nothing, fhot at nothing,
Which the brain makes of fames. Our very eyes
Are fometimes like our judgments, blind. Good
faith,

I tremble still with fear: But if there be
Yet left in heaven as fmall a drop of pity
As a wren's eye, fear'd gods, a part of it!
The dream's here ftill: even when I wake, it is
Without me, as within me; not imagin'd, felt.
A headless man!--The garments of Posthumus!
I know the shape of his leg: this is his hand;
His foot Mercurial; his Martial thigh;
The brawns of klercules: but his jovial
Murder in heaven ?-How?-'Tis gone.--Pifanio,
All curfes madded Hecuba gave the Greeks,
And mine to boot, be darted on thee! Thou,
Confpir'd with that irregulous devil, Cloten,
Haft here cut off my lord.-To write, and read,
Be henceforth treacherous !—Damn'd Pifanio

face

A very valiant Briton, and a good,

Hath with his forged letters,--damn'd Pifanio-Nothing to be were better. This was my master,
From this most bravest vessel of the world
Struck the main-top!-O, Pofthumus! alas,
Where is thy head? where's that? Ay me!
where's that?

Pifanio might have kill'd thee at the heart, [nio?
And left this head on.-How should this be? Pifa-
'Tis he, and Cloten: malice and lucre in them
Have lay'd this woe here. O, 'tis pregnant,
pregnant!
[cious
The drug he gave me, which, he faid, was pre-
And cordial to me, have I not found it
Murd'rous to the fenfes ? That confirms it home:
This is Pifanio's deed, and Cloten's: 0 !-
Give colour to my pale cheek with thy blood,
That we the horrider may feem to thofe
Which chance to find us: O, my lord! my lord!

Enter Lucius, Captains, &c. and a Soothsayer.
Cap. To them, the legions garrifon'd in Gallia,
After your will, have crofs'd the fea; attending
You here at Milford-Haven, with your thips:
They are in readiness.

Luc. But what from Rome?

Cap. The fenate hath stirr'd up the confiners, And gentlemen of Italy; moft willing fpirits, That promife noble service; and they come Under the conduct of bold lachimo,

Syenna's brother.

Luc. When expect you them?

Cap. With the next benefit o' the wind.
Luc. This forwardness

(numbers

Makes our hopes fair. Command our prefent

That here by mountaineers lics flain :-Alas!
There are no more fuch mafters: I may wander
From east to occident, cry out for fervice,
Try many, all good, ferve truly, never
Find fuch another master.

Luc. 'Lack, good youth!

his grave,

And on it faid a century of prayers,

Such as I can, twice o'er, I'll weep, and figh;
And, leaving fo his fervice, follow you,
So please you entertain me.

Pe mufter'd; bid the captains look to't.--Now, fir, Luc. Ay, good youth;

What have you dream'd, of late, of this war's pur-And rather father thee, than mafter thee.pole?

[vision:

Sob. Laft night the very gods 3 fhew'd me a (I faft, and pray'd, for their intelligence) Thus :I faw Jove's bird, the Roman cagle, wing'd

My friends,

The boy hath taught us manly duties: Let us
Find out the prettiest daizy'd plot we can,
And make him with our pikes and partizans

2 i. e. lawless, licentious.

• Forial face Significs in this place, fuch a face as belongs to Jove. 3 i. c. the gods thiemitives. + i. c. made, or did it. 5 Meaning her fingers.

A grave

A grave: Come, arm him 1.—Boy, he is preferr❜d | Perplex'd in all. The heavens still must work: By thee to us; and he shall be interr'd,

Some falls are means the happier to arite. [Exeunt.Thefe prefent wars fhall find I love my country,

Cym. Now for the counfel of my fon, and Though Cloten then but young, you fee, not wore

Better to cease to be. Pray, fir, to the army:
I and my brother are not known; yourself,
So out of thought, and thereto fo o'er-grown,
Cannot be queftion'd.

Ar. By this fun that shines,

I'll thither: What thing is it, that I never
Did fee man die? fcarce ever look'd on blood,
But that of coward hares, hot goats, and veniton ?
Never beftrid a horfe, fave one, that had

1 i. e take him up in your arms. 2 That is, My fufpicion is yet undetermined. founded with variety of bufine fs. 4 i. e. can face no lefs, &c. si.. obfervation. means an account. 7 i. c. The retaliation of the death of Cloten would be death, &c. fires regularly difpofed.

Na 4

ACT

Enter Lucius, Lacbimo, and the Roman Army at one Door; and the British Army at another; Leonatus Pofthumus following it like a poor Soldier. They march over, and go out. Then enter again in With dead men, hurt behind, and cowards living Skirmish Fachimo and Pothumus: be vanquisheth To die with lengthen'd shame. and dfarmen Iachimo, and then leaves bim.

1 i. e. to incite, to inftigate. 2 i. e. Where corruptions are, they grow with years, and the oldeft finner is the greatest. You, Gods, permit fome to proceed in iniquity, and the older fuch are, the more their crime. 31. c. according to Mr. Steevens, to make them persevere in the commiffion of dreadful actions. 4 Carle is ufed by our old writers in oppofition to a gentleman. Carlet is a word of the fame fignification, and occurs in our author's As you like it. Which

Which gave advantage to an ancient foldier,-
An honeft one, I warrant; who deferv'd
So long a breeding, as his white beard came to,
In doing this for his country;-athwart the lane,
He, with two ftriplings, (lads more like to run
The country bafe, than to commit fuch flaughter;
With faces fit for masks, or rather fairer
Than those for prefervation cas'd, or shame2)
Made good the paffage; cry'd to those that fled,
Our Britain's barts die flying, not our men:
To darkness fleet, fouls that fly backwards! Stand;
Or we are Romans, and will give you that
Like beafts, which you fhun beaftly; and may fave,
But to look back in frown: ftand, ftand.-These three,
Three thousand confident, in act as many,
(For three performers are the file, when all
The reft do nothing) with this word, ftand, ftand,
Accommodated by the place, more charming
With their own nobleness, (which could have turn'd
A diftaff to a lance) gilded pale looks, [coward
Part, fhame, part, fpirit renew'd; that fome, turn'd
But by example (O, a fin in war,

And yet died too? I, in mine own woe charm'd 4,
Could not find death, where I did hear him groan;
Nor feel him, where he ftruck: Being an ugly
monster,

'Tis ftrange, he hides him in fresh cups, foft beds,
Sweet words; or hath more minifters than we
That draw his knives i' the war.-Well, I will
find him:

For, being now a favourer to the Roman,
No more a Briton, I have refum'd again
The part I came in: Fight I will no more,
But yield me to the verieft hind, that fhall
Once touch my shoulder. Great the flaughter is
Here made by the Roman; great the answer 5 be
Britons must take: For me, my ranfom's death;
On either fide I come to fpend my breath;
Which neither here I'll keep, nor bear again,
But end it by fome means for Imogen.

Enter two British Captains, and Soldiers.
1 Cap. Great Jupiter be prais'd! Lucius is taken:
'Tis thought, the old man and his fons were angels.
2 Cap. There was a fourth man, in a filly habit,
That gave the affront 7 with them,

1 Cap. So 'tis reported;

[there?

But none of them can be found.-Stand! Who's
Poft. A Roman;

Who had not now been drooping here, if feconds
Had anfwer'd him.

2 Cap. Lay hands on him; A dog!

Damn'd in the first beginners!) 'gan to look
The way that they did, and to grin like lions
Upon the pikes o' the hunters. Then began
A ftop i' the chafer, a retire; anon,
A rout, confufion thick: Forthwith, they fly
Chickens, the way which they stoop'deagles; flaves,
The ftrides they victors made: And now our cow-
(Like fragments in hard voyages, became [ards, A leg of Rome shall not return to tell [his fervice
The life o' the need) having found the back-door What crows have peck'd them here: He brags
[wound! As if he were of note: bring him to the king.
Enter Cymbeline, Belarius, Guiderius, Arviragus,
Pifanio, and Roman captives. The Captains pre-
fent Pofthumus to Cymbeline, who delivers him over
to a Gaoler: after subich, all go out.
SCENE
A Prifon.

open

Of the unguarded hearts, heavens, how they
Some, flain before; fome, dying; fome, their friends
O'er-borne i' the former wave: ten, chac'd by one,
Are now each one the flaughter-man of twenty:
Thofe, that would die or ere refift, are grown
The mortal bugs 3 o' the field.

Lord. This was ftrange chance :

A narrow lane! an old man, and two boys!
Poft. Nay, do not wonder at it: You are made
Rather to wonder at the things you hear,
Than to work any. Will you rhime upon 't,
And vent it for a mockery? Here is one :
Two boys, an old man twice a boy, a lane,
Prefer'd the Britons, was the Romans' bane.
Lord. Nay, be not angry, fir.
Pof. 'Lack, to what end?

Who dares not stand his foe, I'll be his friend:
For if he'll do, as he is made to do,

I know, he'll quickly fly my friendship too.
You have put me into rhime.

Lord. Farewel; you are angry.

[Exit.

Paft. Still going?-This is a lord! O noble
mifery!

IV.

Enter Poflbumus, and two Gaolers.

1 Gaol. You fhall not now be stolen, you have locks upon you3 ;

So, graze, as you find pasture.

2 Gual. Ay, or a stomach. [Exeunt Gaolers.
Poft. Moft welcome, bondage! for thou art a way,
I think, to liberty: Yet am I better
Than one that's fick o' the gout; fince he had rather
Groan fo in perpetuity, than be cur'd

fetter'd

By the fure physician, death; who is the key
To unbar thefe locks. My confcience! thou art
[give me
More than my thanks, and wrists: You good gods,
The penitent inftrument, to pick that bolt,
Then, free for ever! Is 't enough, I am sorry?
So children temporal fathers do appease;
Gods are more full of mercy. Muit I repent?
I cannot do it better than in gyves,

To be the field, and afk, what news, of me!
To-day, how many would have given their honoursDefir'd, more than conftrain'd: to fatisfy,
To have fav'd their carcaffes? took heel to do 't, If of my freedom 'tis the main part, take

This alludes to a reftic game called prifon-bars, vulgarly prifon-base.

2 Shame for modefty.

3 i. e. terrors.
4 Alluding to the cominon fuperftition of charms being powerful enough to keep
men unhurt in battle. It was derived from our Saxon ancestors, and fo is common to us with the
Germans, who are above all other people given to this fuperftition; which made Erasmus, where,
in his Marie Encomium, he gives to each nation its proper characteristic, fay, "Germani corporum
proceritate & magiæ cognitione fibi placent." 5 Anfwer, as once in this play before, means
retaliation. 6 Silly is fimple or ruftic. 7 That is, that turned their faces to the enemy.

8 This

wit of the gaoler alludes to the custom of putting a lock on a horfe's leg, when he is turned to paiture. No

No ftricter render of me, than my all1.
I know, you are more clement than vile men,
Who of their broken debtors take a third,
A fixth, a tenth, letting them thrive again
On their abatement; that's not my defire :
For Imogen's dear life, take mine; and though
'Tis not fo dear, yet 'tis a life; you coin'd it:
"Tween man and man, they weigh not every stamp;
Though light, take pieces for the figure's fake;
You rather mine, being yours: And fo, great powers,
If you will take this audit, take this life,
And cancel thefe cold bonds. O Imogen!
I'll speak to thee in filence.

[He fleeps.

Solemn mufick. Enter, as in an apparition, Sicilius
Leanatus, father to Poplumus, an old man, at-
tired like a warrior; leading in his band an an-
cient matron, bis wife, and mother to Pofthumus,
with mufick before them. Then, after other mu-
fick, follow the two young Leonati, brothers to
Poflhumus, with wounds as they died in the wars.
They circle Poftbunus round, as be lies fleeping.
Sici. No more, thou thunder-master, shew
Thy fpite on mortal flies:
With Mars fall out, with Juno chide,
That thy adulteries
Rates, and revenges.

Hath my poor boy done ought but well,
Whofe face I never faw?

I dy'd, whilft in the womb he stay'd,
Attending Nature's law.

Whofe father then (as men report

Thou orphan's father art)

Thou fhould't have been, and shielded him

From this earth-vexing fmart.

Moth. Lucina lent not me her aid,

But took me in my throes;

That from me was Pofthumus ript,
Came crying 'mongit his foes,

A thing of pity!

Sici. Great nature, like his ancestry,

Moulded the ftuff fo fair,

That he deferv'd the praife o' the world,

As great Sicilius' heir.

1 Bro. When once he was mature for man,

In Britain where was he

That could ftand up his parallel;

Or fruitful object be

In eye of Imogen, that beft

Could deem his dignity?

2 Bro. From this, from ftiller feats we came,
Our parents, and us twain,
That, ftriking in our country's cause,
Fell bravely, and were flain;
Our fealty, and Tenantius' right,
With honour to maintain.

1 Bro. Like hardiment Pofthumus hath
To Cymbeline perform'd :
Then, Jupiter, thou king of gods,
Why haft thou thus adjourn'd
The graces for his merits due;

Being all to dolours turn'd?
Sici. Thy chryftal window ope; look out;
No longer exercise,

Upon a valiant race, thy harsh

To

And potent injuries:

Moth. Since, Jupiter, our fon is good,

Take off his miferies.

Siri. Peep through thy marble mansion; help!
Or we poor ghotts will cry

the fhining fynod of the rest,

Against thy deity.

Accufe the thunderer, whofe bolt you know,
Sky-planted, batters all rebelling coafts?
Poor thadows of Elyfium, hence; and reft
Upon your never-withering banks of flowers:
Be not with mortal accidents oppreft;

No care of yours it is; you know, 'tis ours.
Whom beft I love, I crofs: to make my gift,
The more delay'd, delighted. Be content;
Your low-laid fon our godhead will uplift;

His comforts thrive, his trials well are ípent. Our Jovial ftar reign'd at his birth, and in

Our temple was he married.-Rife, and fade !——
He fhall be lord of lady Imogen,

And happier much by his affliction made.
This tablet lay upon his breaft; wherein
Our pleasure his full fortune doth confine;
And fo, away: no farther with your din

Exprefs impatience, left you stir up mine.—
Mount, eagle, to my palace chryftalline. [dends.
Sici. He came in thunder; his celeftial breath
Was fulphurous to fmell: the holy eagle

Meth. With marriage wherefore was he mock'd, Stoop'd, as to foot us; his afcenfion is

To be exil'd, and thrown

From Leonati' feat, and caft

From her his deareft one, Sweet Imogen?

Sici. Why did you fuffer Iachimo,

Slight thing of Italy,

To taint his nobler heart and brain
With needlefs jealousy ;
And to beadnie the geck and fcorn
O'the other's villainy?

Meaning, his life, if it is the main part, the
i. e. of his freedom from future punithment.
his feathers from fuperfluities. 3 i. c. clues.
hawks and cits.