Arv. One sand another Bel. Peace, peace! see further; he eyes us not; Creatures may be alike: were't he, I am sure But we saw him dead. It is my mistress: Since she is living, let the time run on, [Cymbeline and Imogen come forward. Give answer to this boy, and do it freely; | And, not dispraising whom he prais'd (therein) He was as calm as virtue,) he began His mistress' picture; which by his tongue being And then a mind put in't, either our brags In suit the place of his bed, and win this ring Imo. My boon is, that this gentleman may render What's that to him? Cym. That diamond upon your finger, say, Iach. Thou'lt torture me to leave unspoken that How! me? lach. I am glad to be constrain'd to utter that which Torments me to conceal. By villany I got this ring; 'twas Leonatus' jewel: Most vilely; for my vantage, excellent; Whom thou didst banish; and (which more may But think her bond of chastity quite crack'd, grieve thee, Wilt thou hear more, my As it doth me,) a nobler sir ne'er liv'd I had rather thou should'st live while nature will, For beauty that made barren the swell'd boast Come to the matter. Iach. I stand on fire: All too soon I shall, I having ta'en the forfeit. Whereupon,- Ay, so thou dost, That all the abhorred things o'the earth amend, page, Cym. (2) Not only the temple of virtue, but virtue herself. The gods throw stones of sulphur on me, if That box I gave you was not thought by me A precious thing; I had it from the queen. Cym. New matter still? Imo. Cor. It poison'd me. O gods!I left out one thing which the queen confess'd, Which must approve thee honest: If Pisanio Have, said she, given his mistress that confection Which I gave him for a cordial, she is serv'd As I would serve a rat. Cym. Do their due functions.-Have you ta'en of it? There was our error. Gui. My boys, This is sure, Fidele. I would not thy good deeds should from my lips Gui. A most uncivil one: The wrongs he did me Cym. I am sorry for thee: By thine own tongue thou art condemn'd, and must Endure our law: Thou art dead. They were not born for bondage. Cym [To the Guard. Why, old soldier, Wilt thou undo the worth thou art unpaid for, By tasting of our wrath? How of descent As good as we? Årv. In that he spake too far. Cym. And thou shalt 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 sons, I must, For mine own part, unfold a dangerous speech, Though, haply, well for you. Arv. Ours. Gui. And our good his. Bel. Your danger is Have at it then. By leave;-Thou hadst, great king, a subject, whe Was call'd Belarius. Imo. Your blessing, sir. [Kneeling. Сут. A banish'd traitor. Bel. Though you did love this youth, I blame ye Bel. What of him? he is He it is, that hath Assum'd this age: indeed, a banish'd man; I know not how, a traitor. Cym. Take him hence; The whole world shall not save him. Bel. Not too hot: First pay me for the nursing of thy sons; Cym. How! my issue? Bel. So sure as you your father's. I, old Morgan, Am that Belarius whom you sometime banish'd: Your pleasure was my mere offence, my punishment Itself, and all my treason; that I suffer'd, Was all the harm I did. These gentle princes (For such, and so they are,) these twenty years Have I train'd up: those arts they have, as I Could put into them; my breeding was, sir, as Your highness knows. Their nurse, Euriphile, Whom for the theft I wedded, stole these children Upon my banishment: I mov'd her to't; Having receiv'd the punishment before, Save these in bonds; let them be joyful too, sir,For they shall taste our comfort. Imo. For that which I did then: Beaten for loyalty Cym. Why fled you from the court? and whither? These, And she, like harmless lightning, throws her eye I will yet do you service. Luc. My good master, Happy be you! Cym. The forlorn soldier that so nobly fought, He would have well becom'd this place, and grac'd The thankings of a king. Post. am, sir, The soldier that did company these three In poor beseeming; 'twas a fitment for I am down again: [Kneeling. But now my heavy conscience sinks my knee, As then your force did. Take that life, 'beseech you, Which I so often owe: but, your ring first; And here the bracelet of the truest princess, That ever swore her faith. Post. Kneel not to me : The power that I have on you, is to spare you; The malice towards you, to forgive you: Live, And deal with others better. Сут. Nobly doom'd: We'll learn our freeness of a son-in-law; Pardon's the word to all. Arv. You holp us, sir, As you did mean indeed to be our brother: Post. Your servant, princes.-Good my lord of Call forth your soothsayer: As I slept, methought, Of mine own kindred: when I wak'd, I found Read, and declare the meaning. Sooth. [Reads.] When as a lion's whelp shall, to himself unknown, without seeking, find, and be embraced by a piece of tender air: and when from a stately cedar shall be lopped branches, which, being dead many years, shall after revive, be jointed to the old stock, and freshly grow; then shall Posthumus end his miseries, Britain be fortunate, and flourish in peace and plenty. Thou, Leonatus, art the lion's whelp; The fit and apt construction of thy name, Being Leo-natus, doth import so much : The piece of tender air, thy virtuous daughter, [To Cymbeline. Which we call mollis aer; and mollis aer (3) Ghostly appearances. (4) Embraced. Сут. Well, My peace we will begin :-And, Caius Lucius, Although the victor, we submit to Cæsar, And to the Roman empire; promising To pay our wonted tribute, from the which We were dissuaded by our wicked queen; Whom heavens, in justice (both on her and hers,) Have laid most heavy hand. Sooth. The fingers of the powers above do tune The harmony of this peace. The vision Which I made known to Lucius, ere the stroke Of this yet scarce-cold battle, at this instant Is full accomplish'd: For the Roman eagle, From south to west on wing soaring aloft, Lessen'd herself, and in the beams o'the sun So vanish'd which foreshow'd our princely eagle, The imperial Cæsar, should again unite His favour with the radiant Cymbeline, Which shines here in the west. Сут. 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 Ronan and a British ensign wave Friendly together: So through Lud's town march: 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 hands were wash'd, with such a peace. [Exeunt. This play has many just sentiments, some natural dialogues, and some pleasing scenes, but they are obtained at the expense of much incongruity. To remark the folly of the fiction, the absurdity of the conduct, the confusion of the names and manners of different times, and the impossibility of the events in any system of life, were to waste criticism upon unresisting imbecility, upon faults too evident for detection, and too gross for aggravation. JOHNSON. SONG, SUNG BY GUIDERIUS AND ARVIRAGUS OVER FIDELE, SUPPOSED TO BE DEAD. BY MR. 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 his 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, 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. |