(O, cunning, how I got it!) nay, fome marks
Of fecret on her perfon, that he could not
But think her bond of chastity quite crack'd,
I having ta'en the forfeit. Whereupon,-
Methinks, I fee him now,-

Posr. Ay, fo thou doft,

[Coming forward.

Italian fiend!Ah me, moft credulous fool,
Egregious murderer, thief, any thing

That's due to all the villain's past, in being,

To come !—O, give me cord, or knife, or poison,
Some upright jufticer! Thou, king, send out
For torturers ingenious: It is I

That all the abhorred things o'the earth amend,
By being worse than they. I am Pofthumus,
That kill'd thy daughter :-villain-like, I lie;
That caus'd a leffer villain than myself,
A facrilegious thief, to do't the temple
Of virtue was fhe; yea, and fhe herself.
Spit, and throw ftones, caft mire upon me, fet
The dogs o'the street to bay me: every villain
Be call'd, Pofthumus Leonatus; and

Bé villainy less than 'twas!-O Imogen !
My queen, my life, my wife! O Imogen,
Imogen, Imogen !

IмO. Peace, my lord; hear, hear

POST. Shall's have a play of this? Thou fcornful page,

There lie thy part.

PIS. O, gentlemen, help, help

[Striking her: fhe falls.

Mine, and your mistress :-O, my lord Pofthumus!
You ne'er kill'd Imogen till now :-Help, help!—
Mine honour'd lady!

Crм. Does the world go round?

POST. How come thefe ftaggers on me?

PIS. Wake, my mistress!

Crм. If this be fo, the gods do mean to ftrike ma To death with mortal joy.

PIS. How fares my mistress?

IMO. O, get thee from my fight;

:

Thou gav'ft me poifon dangerous fellow, hence! Breathe not where princes are.

Crм. The tune of Imogen!

PIS. Lady,

The gods throw ftones of fulphur on me, if
That box I gave you was not thought by me
A precious thing; I had it from the

Crм. New matter ftill?

IMO. It poifon'd me.

COR. O Gods!____

queen.

I left out one thing which the queen confefs'd,
Which must approve thee honeft: If Pifanio
Have, said she, given his mistress that confection
Which I gave him for cordial, she is serv'd
As I would ferve a rat.

Crм. What's this, Cornelius?

COR. The queen, fir, very oft impórtun'd me
To temper poifons for her; ftill pretending
The fatisfaction 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 ftuff, which, being ta'en, would cease
The prefent power of life; but, in fhort time,
All offices of nature should again

Do their due functions.-Have you ta'en of it?
IMO. Moft like I did, for I was dead.
BEL. My boys,

There was our error.

GUI. This is fure, Fidele.

IMO. Why did you throw

your

wedded lady from you?

[Embracing him.

Think, that you are upon a rock; and now

Throw me again.

POST. Hang there like fruit, my foul,

Till the tree die!

Crм. How now, my flesh, my child?

What, mak'ft thou me a dullard in this act?

Wilt thou not speak to me?

IMO. Your bleffing, fir.

[Kneeling.

BEL. Though you did love this youth, I blame ye not;

You had a motive for't. [To GUIDERIUS and ARVIRAGUS.

Crм. My tears, that fall,

Prove holy water on thee! Imogen,

Thy mother's dead.

IMO. I am forry for't, my lord.

Crм. O, fhe was naught; and 'long of her it was, That we meet here fo ftrangely: But her fon

Is gone, we know not how, nor where.

PIs. My lord,

Now fear is from me, I'll fpeak troth. Lord Cloten,

Upon my lady's miffing, came to me

With his fword drawn; foam'd at the mouth, and swore, If I difcover'd not which way she was gone,

It was my inftant death: By accident,

I had a feigned letter of my master's
Then in my pocket; which directed him

;

To feek her on the mountains near to Milford
Where, in a frenzy, in my mafter's garments,
Which he inforc'd from me, away he posts
With unchafte purpose, and with oath to violate
My lady's honour: what became of him,

I further know not.

GUI. Let me end the story:

I flew him there.

Crм. Marry, the gods forefend!

I would not thy good deeds fhould from my lips
Pluck a hard fentence: pr'ythee, valiant youth,
Deny't again.

GUI. I have spoke it, and I did it.

Crм. 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 fo roar to me: I cut off's head; And am right glad, he is not standing here To tell this tale of mine.

Crм. I am forry 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.

Crм. Bind the offender,

And take him from our prefence.

BEL. Stay, fir king:

This man is better than the man he flew,

As well defcended as thyfelf; and hath

More of thee merited, than a band of Clotens

Had ever fcar for.-Let his arms alone; [To the Guard.

They were not born for bondage.

Crм. Why, old foldier,

Wilt thou undo the worth thou art unpaid for,

By tafting of our wrath? How of defcent

As good as we ?

ARV. In that he spake too far.

Crм. And thou fhalt die for't.

BEL. We will die all three :

But I will prove, that two of us are as good
As I have given out him.-My fons, I muft,
For mine own part, unfold a dangerous fpeech,
Though, haply, well for
you.

ARV. Your danger is

Ours.

GUI. And our good is his.

BEL. Have at it then.

By leave; Thou hadft, great king, a subject, who Was call'd Belarius.

Crм. What of him? he is

A banish'd traitor.

BEL. He it is, that hath

Affum'd this age: indeed, a banish'd man;

I know not how, a traitor.

Crм. Take him hence;

The whole world fhall not fave him.

BEL. Not too hot :

First pay me for the nurfing of thy fons;

And let it be confifcate all, fo foon

As I have receiv'd it.

Crм. Nurfing of my fons?

BEL. I am too blunt, and faucy: Here's my knee; Ere I rife, I will prefer my fons;

Then, spare not the old father. Mighty fir,
These two young gentlemen, that call me father,
And think they are my fons, are none of mine;
They are the iffue of your loins, my liege,

And blood of your begetting.

Crм. How! my issue?

BEL. So fure as you your father's. I, old Morgan,