A mother, and two brothers: But (O scorn!) rare one! Be not, as is our fangled world, a garment [Reads.] Gaol. Your death has eyes in's head then; I have not seen him so pictur'd: you must either be directed by some that take upon them to know; or take upon yourself that, which I am sure you 5 do not know; or jump the after-enquiry on your own peril: and how you shall speed in your journey's end, I think, you'll never return to tell one. Post. I tell thee, fellow, there are none want 10 eyes, to direct them the way I am going, but such as wink, and will not use them. Gaol. What an infinite mock is this, that a man should have the best use of eyes, to see the way of blindness! I am sure, hanging's the way 15 of winking. Enter a Messenger. "When as a lion's whelp shall, to himself un"known, without seeking find, and be embrac'd by a piece of tender air; and when from a "stately cedar shall be lopt branches, which, be"ing dead many years, shall after revive, be joint-20 "ed to the old stock, and freshly grow; then "shall Posthumus end his miseries, Britain be "fortunate, and flourish in peace and plenty." 'Tis still a dream; or else such stuff as madmen Tongue, and brain not: either both, or nothing:. 25 Or senseless speaking, or a speaking such As sense cannot untie'. Be what it is, The action of my life is like it, which I'll keep if but for sympathy. Re-enter Gaolers. Gaol. Come, sir, are you ready for death? Post. Over-roasted rather: ready long ago. Gaol, Hanging is the word, sír; if you be ready for that, you are well cook'd. Mes. Knock off his manacles; bring your prisoner to the king. Post. Thou bring'st good news; I am call'd to be made free. Gaol. I'll be hang'd then. Post. Thou shalt be then freer than a gaoler; no boltsfor the dead.[Exeunt Posthumus & Messenger. Guol. Unless a man would marry a gallows, and beget young gibbets, I never saw one so prone. Yet, on my conscience, there are verier knaves desire to live, for all he be a Roman: and there be some of them too, that die against their wills; so should I, if I were one. I would we 30 were all of one mind, and one mind good; O, there were desolation of gaolers, and gallowses! I speak against my present profit; but my wish hath a preferment in 't. [Exit. Post. So, if I prove a good repast to the spec-35 tators, the dish pays the shot. Gaol. A heavy reckoning for you, sir: But the comfortis, you shall be call'dto no more payments, fear no more tavern bills; which are often the sadness of parting, as the procuring of mirth: you 40 come in faint for want of meat, depart reeling with too much drink; sorry that you have paid too much, and sorry that you are paid too much; purse and brain both empty: the brain the heavier, for being too light; the purse too light, be- 45 ing drawn' of heaviness: O! of this contradiction you shall be now quit.-O, the charity of a penny cord! it sums up thousands in a trice: you have no true debitor and creditor but it; of what's past, is, and to come, the discharge:Your neck, sir, is pen, book, and counters; so the acquittance follows. 50 Post. I am merrier to die, than thou art to live. Gaol. Indeed, sir, he that sleeps feels not the tooth-ache: But a man that were to sleep your 55 sleep, and a hangman to help him to bed, I think, he would change places with his officer: for, look you, sir, you know not which way you shall go. Post. Yes, indeed, do I, fellow. 1 SCENE V. Enter Cymbeline, Belurius, Guiderius, Arviragus, Cym. Stand by my side, you, whom the gods Preservers of my throne. Woe is my heart, breast The meaning, according to Dr. Johnson, is this: "This is a dream or madness, or both,—or nothing but whether it be a speech without consciousness, as in a dream, or a speech unintelligible, as in madness, be it as it is, it is like my course of life." i. e. sorry that you have paid too much out of your pocket, and sorry that you are paid or subdued, too much by the liquor. Drawn is embowell'd, exenterated. Debitor and creditor for an accounting book, That is, venture at it without thought. • i. e. forward. 3 Bel. Bel. Sir, In Cambria are we born, and gentlenen : Cym. Bow your knees: Arise my knights o' the battle; I create you Enter Cornelius, and Ladies. There's business in these faces :-Why so sadly Cor. Hail, great king! To sour your happiness, I must report Cym. Whom worse than a physician Cor. With horror, madly dying, like her life ; Cym. Pr'ythee, say. Cor. First,she confess'd she never lov'dyou;only Affected greatness got by you, not you: Married your royalty; was wife to your place; Abhorr'd your person. Cym. She alone knew this : And, but she spoke it dying, I would not [lovel Cor. Your daughter, whom she bore in hand to With such integrity, she did confess Was as a scorpion to her sight; whose life, Cym. O most delicate fiend! Who is 't can read a woman ?-Is there more? she had She did confess, And prove it in thy feeling. Heaven mend all! Thou com'st not, Caius, now for tribute; that [ter That their good souls may be appeas'd with slaughOf you their captives, which ourself have granted: 10 So think of your estate. Luc. Consider, sir, the chance of war: the day 15 Our prisoners with the sword. But since the gods 20 25 So feat, so nurse-like: let his virtue join Cannot deny; he hath done no Briton harm, Though he have serv'd a Roman: save him, sir, 30 And spare no blood beside. Cym. I have surely seen him: His favour is familiar to me :-Boy, 40 For you a mortal mineral; which, being took, But failing of her end by his strange absence, Cym. Heard you all this, her women? Were not in fault, for she was beautiful; 50 Imo. I humbly thank your highness. Luc. I do not bid thee beg my life, good lad; And yet I know, thou wilt. Imo. No, no; alack, There's another work in hand: I see a thing Luc. The boy disdains me, He leaves me, scorns me: Briefly die their joys, Cym. What would'st thou, boy? I love thee more and more; think more and more speak, 55 Wilt have him live? Is he thy kin? thy friend? Mine ears, that heard her flattery; nor my heart, To have mistrusted her: yet, O my daughter! i. e. so ready; so dexterous in waiting, [vassal, Cym. Wherefore ey'st him so? Cym. Ay, with all my heart, And lend my best attention. What's thy name? i. e. his countenance. İmo. Fidele, sir. Cym. Thou art my good youth, my page; Bel. Is not this boy reviv'd from death? Guid. But we saw him dead. [Aside. Unless thou would'st grieve quickly-This Post- 10 That had a royal lover) took his hint; His mistress' picture; which by his tongue being 15 And then a mind put in't, either our brags Since she is living, let the time run on, Give answer to this boy, and do it freely; [der 25 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, Iach. Thou 'It torture me to leave unspoken that [which Tach. I am glad to be constrain'd to utter that I got this ring; 'twas Leonatus' jewel, As it doth me) a nobler sir ne'er liv'd [my lord Cym. Nay, nay, to the purpose. Tach. Your daughter's chastity-there it begins. In suit the place of his bed, and win this ring Than I did truly find her, stakes this ring; 30 Of Phoebus' wheel; and might so safely, had it 35 40 Jach. That paragon, thy daughter,- [spirits I had rather thou should'st live while nature will, (What should I say? he was too good, to be Most vilely, for my 'vantage, excellent; By wounding his belief in her renown Post. Ay, so thou dost, [Coming forward. That's due to all the villains past, in being, That all the abhorred things o' the earth amend, 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 exceeded, in beauty of exact proportion, any living bodies, the work of brief nature, i. e. of hasty unelaborate nature. Of Imo. It poison'd me. Cor. O gods! I left out one thing which the queen confess'd, Cym. What's this, Cornelius? Cor. The queen, sir, very oft importun'd me Do their due functions.-Have you ta'en of it? 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' 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 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, They were not born for bondage. Wilt thou undo the worth thou art unpaid for, Ary. In that he spake too far. [Kneeling. 60 But I will prove, that two of us are as good Bel. Though you did love this youth, I blame you not; 1i. e. Virtue herself. ? This wild and delirious perturbation.-Staggers is the horse's apoplexy. 3A dullard in this place means a person stupidly unconcerned. Though Cym. Nursing of my sons? A mother to the birth of three? Ne'er mother Imo. No, my lord; [thers, I have got two worlds by 't.-O my gentle bro- 15 But I am truest speaker: you call'd me brother, [knee; 20 Bel. I am too blunt and saucy: Here's my Ere I arise, I will prefer my sons; Then, spare not the old father. Mighty sir, These two young gentlemen, that call me father, Cym. How! my issue! 25 Bel. So sure as you your father's. I, old Morgan, Two of the sweet'st companions in the world:- Cym. Thou weep'st and speak'st. The service, that you three have done, is more 35 Cym. Did you e'er meet? Aro. Ay, my good lord. Guid. And at first meeting lov'd; Continued so, until we thought he died. When shall I hear all through? This fierce 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? Why fled you from the court? and whither? These, know not how much more, should be demanded; And she, like harmless lightning, throws her eye, 45 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, Cym. Guiderius had Upon his neck a mole, a sanguine star; 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. 1 Meere is very properly proposed by Mr Tyrwhitt. ? Fierce is vehement, rapid. Iach, |