for

IACH. Your hand; a covenant: We will have these things fet down by lawful counsel, and straight away Britain; left the bargain should catch cold, and starve: I will fetch my gold, and have our two wagers recorded. Post. Agreed. [Exeunt POSTHUMUS and IACHIMO. FRENCH. Will this hold, think you? PHI. Signior Iachimo will not from it.

follow 'em.

Pray, let us

[Exeunt.

SCENE VI. Britain. A Room in CrMBELINE'S Palace. Enter QUEEN, LADIES, and CORNELIUS.

QUEEN. Whiles yet the dew's on ground, gather thofe

Make hafte: Who has the note of them?

[flowers;

I LADY. I madam.

QUEEN. Defpatch..

[Exeunt LADIES.

Now, mafter doctor; have you brought thofe drugs? COR. Pleaseth your highnefs, ay: here they are, madam: [Prefenting a small box. But I beseech your grace, (without offence;

My confcience bids me afk ;) wherefore you have Commanded of me thefe moft poisonous compounds, Which are the movers of a languishing death;

But, though flow, deadly.

QUEEN. I do wonder, doctor,

Thou afk'ft me fuch a queftion: Have I not been
Thy pupil long? Haft thou not learn'd me how
To make perfumes? diftill? preserve? yea, fo,
That our great king himself doth woo me oft
For my confections? Having thus far proceeded,
(Unless thou think'ft me devilish,) is't not meet
That I did amplify my judgement in
Other conclufions? I will try the forces
Of these thy compounds on fuch creatures as

We count not worth the hanging, (but none human,) To try the vigour of them, and apply

Allayments to their act; and by them gather

Their feveral virtues, and effects.

COR. Your highness

Shall from this practice but make hard your heart:
Befides, the feeing thefe effects will be

Both noifome and infectious.

QUEEN. O, content thee.

Enter PISANIO.

Here comes a flattering rafcal; upon him
Will I first work: he's for his master,

And enemy to my fon,-How now, Pifanio ?—
fervice for this time is ended;

Doctor, your

Take your own way.

COR. I do fufpect you, madam;

[Afide.

But you fhall do no harm.

QUEEN. Hark thee, a word.

[Afide.

[TO PISANIO.

COR. [Afide.] I do not like her. She doth think, fhe has

Strange lingering poifons: I do know her fpirit,

And will not trust one of her malice with

A drug of fuch damn'd nature: Thofe, fhe has,
Will stupify and dull the fenfe a while:

Which firft, perchance, fhe'll prove on cats, and dogs;
Then afterwards up higher but there is
No danger in what show of death it makes,
More than the locking up the fpirits a time,
To be more fresh, reviving. She is fool'd
With a moft falfe effect; and I the truer,
So to be falfe with her.

QUEEN. No further fervice, doctor,

Until I fend for thee.

COR. I humbly take my leave.

[Exit.

QUEEN. Weeps she still, fay'st thou? Doft thou think,

in time

She will not quench; and let instructions enter
Where folly now poffeffes? Do thou work :
When thou shalt bring me word, fhe loves my fon,
I'll tell thee, on the instant, thou art then

As great as is thy master: greater; for
His fortunes all lie fpeechlefs, and his name
Is at laft gafp: Return he cannot, nor
Continue where he is: to shift his being,
Is to exchange one mifery with another;
And every day, that comes, comes to decay
A day's work in him: What shalt thou expect,
To be depender on a thing that leans?
Who cannot be new built; nor has no friends,

[The QUEEN drops a box: PISANIO takes it

So much as but to prop him?_Thou tak'st up
Thou know'st not what; but take it for thy labour:
It is a thing I made, which hath the king

Five times redeem'd from death: I do not know
What is more cordial :-Nay, I pry'thee, take it;
It is an earnest of a further good

That I mean to thee. Tell thy mistress how
The cafe stands with her; do't, as from thyself.
Think what a chance thou changest on; but think
Thou haft thy miftrefs ftill; to boot, my fon,
Who fhall take notice of thee: I'll move the king
To any shape of thy preferment, fuch

As thou❜lt defire; and then myself, I chiefly,
That fet thee on to this defert, am bound
To load thy merit richly. Call my women:

[knave;

Think on my words. [Exit PISA.]-A fly and conftant Not to be fhak'd: the agent for his master; !

And the remembrancer of her, to hold

The hand fast to her lord.—I have given him that,
Which, if he take, fhall quite unpeople her

Of leigers for her fweet; and which fhe, after,
Except fhe bend her humour, shall be affur'd
Re-enter PISAN10, and LADIES.

To tafte of too.

So, fo ;-well done, well done:

The violets, cowflips, and the primroses,

Bear to my closet :-Fare thee well, Pifanio;

Think on my words.

PIS. And fhall do:

[Exeunt QUEEN, and LADIES.

But when to my good lord I prove untrue,
I'll choke myself: there's all I'll do for

you.

SCENE VII. Another Room in the fame.

Enter IMOGEN.

IMO. A father cruel, and a step-dame falfe;

A foolish fuitor to a wedded lady,

[Exit.

That hath her husband banish'd ;-O, that husband!
My fupreme crown of grief! and those repeated
Vexations of it! Had I been thief-stolen,

As

my two brothers, happy! but most miserable
Is the defire that's glorious: Blessed be thofe,
How mean foe'er, that have their honeft wills,
Which feafons comfort.-Who may this be? Fie!
Enter PISAN10 and IACHIMO.

PIs. Madam, a noble gentleman of Rome;
Comes from my lord with letters.
IACH. Change you, madam ?
The worthy Leonatus is in safety,
And greets your highness dearly.
IMO. Thanks, good fir;
You are kindly welcome.

[Presents a letter.

VOL. V.

E e

IACH. All of her, that is out of door, most rich! [Afide.

If the be furnish'd with a mind fo rare,

She is alone the Arabian bird; and I
Have loft the wager. Boldness be my friend!
Arm me, audacity, from head to foot!
Or, like the Parthian, I fhall flying fight;

Rather, directly fly.

IMO. [Reads.]-He is one of the nobleft note, to whofe kindnesses I am most infinitely tied. Reflect upon him accordingly, as you value your trueft

So far I read aloud :

But even the very middle of my heart

LEONATUS.

Is warm'd by the reft, and takes it thankfully.—
You are as welcome, worthy fir, as I

Have words to bid you; and shall find it fo,
In all that I can do.

IACH. Thanks, faireft lady.

What! are men mad? Hath nature given them
To fee this vaulted arch, and the rich crop
Of fea and land, which can distinguish 'twixt
The fiery orbs above, and the twinn'd stones
Upon the number'd beach? and can we not
Partition make with fpectacles fo precious
"Twixt fair and foul?

IMO. What makes your admiration?
IACH. It cannot be i' the

eyes

eye; for apes and monkeys,

'Twixt two fuch fhes, would chatter this way, and

Contemn with mowes the other: Nor i'the judgement;
For idiots, in this cafe of favour, would
Be wifely definite: Nor i'the appetite;
Sluttery, to fuch neat excellence oppos'd,
Should make defire vomit emptiness,
Not 10 allur'd to feed.