more What's best to ask. Know'st him thou look'st on? speak, Wilt have him live? Is he thy kin? thy friend? Cym. Wherefore ey'st him so ? Imo. I'll tell you, Sir, in private, if you please To give me hearing. Cym. Ay, with all my heart, And lend my best attention. What's thy name? Imo. Fidele, Sir. Cym. Thou art my good youth, my page; I'll be thy master: Walk with me; speak freely. [CYMBELINE and IMOGEN converse apart. Bel. Is not this boy reviv'd from death? Not more resembles: That sweet rosy lad, Bel. Peace, peace! see further; he eyes us not; forbear; Creatures may be alike: were't he, I am sure He would have spoke to us. Gui. But we saw him dead. Bel. Be silent; let's see further. Pis. It is my mistress: Since she is living, let the time run on, [Aside. [CYMBELINE and IMOGEN come forward. Cym. Come, stand thou by our side: Make thy demand aloud.-Sir, [To IACH.] step you forth; Give answer to this boy, and do it freely; Imo. My boon is, that this gentleman Of whom he had this ring. Post. What's that to him? may [Aside. Cym. That diamond upon your finger, say, How came it yours? Iach. Thou'lt torture me to leave unspoken that Which, to be spoke, would torture thee. Cym. How! me? The mansion where! ('twas at a feast, (O 'would húmus, (What should I say? he was too good to be Where ill men were; and was the best of all Amongst the rar'st of good ones,) sitting sadly, Hearing us praise our loves of Italy For beauty that made barren the swell'd boast Fairness which strikes the eye :-- Iach. All too soon I shall, Unless thou would'st grieve quickly.-This Post húmus, Most like a noble lord in love, and one And then a mind put in't, either our brags Cym. Nay, nay, to the purpose. luch. Your daughter's chastity-there it be him Pieces of gold, 'gainst this which then he wore In suit the place of his bed, and win this ring Post I in this design: Well may you, Sir, By wounding his belief in her renown Iach. I am glad to be constrain'd to utter that of chamber-hanging, pictures, this her brace which Torments me to conceal. By villany I got this ring; 'twas Leonatus' jewel: Jet, (0 cunning, how I got it!) nay, some marks Of secret on her person, that he could not Whom thou didst banish; and (which more may But think her bond of chastity quite crack'd, grieve thee, As it doth me,) a nobler Sir ne'er liv'd Cym. All that belongs to this. For whom my heart drops blood, and my false Quail to remember,-Give me leave; I faint. Than die ere I hear more strive man, and Iach. Upon a time, (unhappy was the clock That struck the hour!) it was in Rome, (accurs'd • Sink into dejection. I having ta'en the forfeit. Whereupon,- Post, Ay, so thou dost, [Coming forward. I left out one thing which the queen confess'd, Which must approve thee honest: If Pisanio Have, said she, given his mistress that confec tion Which I gave him for a cordial, she is serv'd As I would serve a rat. Cym. What's this, Cornelius? Cor. The queen, Sir, very oft impórtun'd me The 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 My lady's honour: what became of him, further know not. Gui. Let me end the story : I slew him there. Cym. Marry, the gods forfend! • I would not thy good deeds should from my lips Pluck a hard sentence: pr'ythee, valiant youth, Deny't again. Gui. I have spoke it, and I did it. Cym. He was a prince. Gui. A most uncivil one: The wrongs he did me Were nothing prince-like; for he did provoke me With language that would make me spurn the sea, If it could roar so to me: I cut off's head; Cym. I am sorry for thee: By thine own tongue thou art condemn'd, and must Endure our law: Thou art dead. Imo. That headless man I thought had been my lord. And take him from our presence. Bel. Stay, Sir king: This man is better than the man he slew, [To the Guards. Arv. In that he spake too far. But I will prove that two of us are as good Arv. Your danger is Our's. Gui. And our good his. [Embracing him. Cym. How now, my flesh, my child? What, mak'st thou me a duliard in this act? Wilt thou not speak to me? Imo. Your blessing, Sir. [Kneeling. Now fear is from me, I'll speak truth. Lord Cloten, Upon my lady's inissing, came to me A banish'd traitor. Bel. He it is, that hath Assum'd this age: indeed, a banish'd man; I know not how, a traitor. Cym. Take him bence; The whole world shall not save him. Bel. Not too hot : First pay me for the nursing of thy sons; Cym. Nursing of my sons? Bel. I am too blunt and saucy: Here's my knee; Ere I arise I will prefer my sons; Then, spare not the old father. Mighty Sir, These two young gentlemen, that call me fa ther, And think they are my sons, are none of mine ; With his sword drawn; foam'd at the mouth, And blood of your begetting. and swore, • Mix, compound. Cym. How! my issue? • Forbid. Bel. So sure as you your father's. 1, old Why fled you from the court? and whither ? Morgan, These, Am that Belarius whom you sometime banish'd: And your three motives to the battle, with Your pleasure was my mere offence, my pun-I know not how much more, should be demanded; ishment tself, and all my treason; that I suffer'd, Have I train'd up: those arts they have, as I as Your highness knows. Their nurse, Euriphile, Upon my banishment; I mov'd her to't; For that which I did then: Beaten for loyalty Here are your sons again; and I must lose Fall on their heads like dew! for they are To inlay heaven with stars. Cym. Thou weep'st, and speak'st. The service, that you three have done, is more Unlike than this thou tell'st: I lost my children: 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, And all the other by-dependancies. From chance to chance; but nor the time, nor Will serve our long intergatories. See, And she like harmless lightning, throws her eye Imo. You are my father too: and did re- To see this gracious season. Save these in bonds: let them be joyful too, Imo. My good master, Luc. Happy be you! [Kneeling. Cym. The forlorn soldier, that so nobly fought, He would have well becom'd this place, aud 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 The purpose I then follow'd ;-That I was he, Most worthy prince, as your's, is true, Gui-I will yet do you service. derius; That after this strange starting from your orbs, I have got two worlds by't.-O my gentle Have we thus met? O never say hereafter, Cym. Did you e'er meet? Arv. Ay, my good lord. Gui. And at first meeting lov'd; Continued so, until we thought he died. Cor. By the queen's dram she swallow'd. When shall I hear all through This fierce Hath to it circumstantial branches, which And when came you to serve our Roman Vehement, rapid. met lach. I am down again: But now my heavy conscience sinks my knee, Which I so often owe: but, your ring first: That ever swore her faith. Post. Kneel not to me : The power that I have on you, is to spare yon, Cym. Nobly doom'd: We'll learn our freeness of a son-in-law; Arv. You holp us, Sir, As you did mean indeed to be our brother; Post. Your servant, princes.-Good my lord Call forth your soothsayer: As I slept, me- Great Jupiter, upon his eagle back, Luc. Philarmonus, Sooth. Here, my good lord. Luc. Read: and declare the meaning. cap-Thou, Leonatus, art the lion's whelp', 1. Which ought to be rendered distinct in an ample narrative. • Ghostly appearances. We term it mulier : which mulier, I divine, Unknown to you, unsought, were clipp'd about Cym. This hath some seeming. Sooth. The lofty cedar, royal Cymbeline, Personates thee: and thy lopp'd branches point Thy two sons forth: who, by Belarius stolen, For many years thought dead, are now reviv'd, To the majestic cedar join'd; whose issue Promises Britain peace and plenty. Cym. Well, By peace we will begin :-And, Caius Lucius, Have laid most heavy hand. Sooth. The fingers of the powers above do tune The harmony of this peace. The vision The imperial Cesar, should again unite Cym. Laud we the gods; And let our crooked smokes climb to their nostrils From our bless'd altars! Publish we this peace To all our subjects. Set we forward: Let A Roman and a British ensign wave • Rise. 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, Ere bloody hauds were wash'd, with such a peace. [Exeunt A SONG, Sung by Guiderius and Arviragus over Fidele, supposed to be dead. BY WILLIAM COLLINS. To fair Fidele's grassy tomb, Soft maids and village hinds shall bring Each opening sweet, of earliest bloom, And rifle all the breathing spring. No wailing ghost shall dare appear To vex with shrieks this quiet grove; But shepherd lads assemble here, And melting virgins own their love. No wither'd witch shall here be seen, No goblins lead their nightly crew: The female fays shall haunt the green, And dress thy grave with pearly dew. The red-breast oft at evening hours Shall kindly lend his little aid, With hoary moss, and gather'd flowers, To deck the ground where thou art laid. When howling winds and beating rain. In tempests shake the sylvan cell: Or midst the chase on every plain, The tender thought on thee shall dwell. Each lonely scene shall thee restore; For thee the tear be duly shed: Belov'd, till life could charm no more ; And mourn'd, till pity's self be dead. |