Iach. By the Gods, it is one. If I bring you not fufficient teftimony that I have enjoy'd the dearest bodily part of your mistress, my ten thousand ducats are yours: fo is your diamond too; if I come off, and leave her in fuch honour as you have truft in, fhe your jewel, this your jewel, and my gold are yours; provided, I have your commendation, for my more free entertainment.

Poft. I embrace these conditions; let us have articles betwixt us; only, thus far you fhall answer; if you make your voyage upon her, and give me directly to underftand you have prevail'd, I am no further your enemy, fhe is not worth our debate. If the remain unfeduc'd, you not making it appear otherwife; for your ill opinion, and th' affault you have made to her chastity, you shall anfwer me with your sword.

lach. Your hand, a covenant; we will have these things fet down by lawful counfel, and straight away for Britaine, left the bargain fhould catch cold, and starve. I will fetch my gold, and have our two wagers recorded. Peft. Agreed. [Exeunt Pofth. and Iachimo. French. Will this hold, think you? Phil. Signior lachimo will not from it.

Pray, let us follow 'em.

[Exeunt.

SCENE changes to Cymbeline's Palace in
Britaine.

Enter Queer, Ladies, and Cornelius with a Phial.

Queen.

7 HILE yet the dew's on ground, gather thofe flowers:

WHIL

Make hafte.Who has the note of them?

Lady. I, Madam.

Queer. Difpatch.

[Exeunt Ladies.

Now, mafter Doctor, have you brought those drugs? Cor. Pleafeth your Highness, ay; here they are, But befeech your Grace, without offence, [Madam; (My confcience bids me afk) wherefore you have Commanded of me thefe moft pois'nous compounds?

Which

Which are the movers of a languishing death;
But, though flow, deadly.
Queen. I do wonder, Doctor,

Thou ask'st me fuch a question; have I not been
Thy pupil long? haft thou not learn'd me how
To make perfumes ? diftil? preferve? yea, so,
That our great King himself doth woo me oft
For my confections having thus far proceeded,
(Unless thou think'ft me dev'lish) is't not meet,
That I did amplify my judgment 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 fev'ral virtues and effects.

Cer. Your Highness

Shall from this practice but make hard

Befides, the feeing these effects will be
Both noisome and infectious.

Queen. O, content thee.

Enter Pifanio.

Here comes a flatt'ring rafcal, upon him
Will I first work; he's for his master's fake
An enemy to my fon. How now, Pifanio?
Doctor, your fervice for this time is ended;
Take your own way.

Cor. I do fufpect you, Madam:

But you fhall do no harm.

Queen. Hark thee, a word.

[Afide.

Afide.

[To Pifanio.

Cor. I do not like her. She doth think, she has
Strange ling'ring poifons; I do know her spirit,
And will not truft one of her malice with

A drug of fuch damn'd nature. Those, she has,
Will ftupify 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 fhew of death it makes,
More than the locking up the fpirits a time,

Το

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 fhe ftill, fay'ft thou? doft thou think, in time

She will not quench, and let inftructions enter
Where folly now poffeffes? do thou work;
When thou shalt bring me word she loves my fon,
I'll tell thee on the instant, thou art then
As great as is thy mafter; greater; for
His fortunes all lie fpeechlefs, and his name
Is at last 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 fhalt thou expect,
To be depender on a thing that leans?

Who cannot be new built, and has no friends,
So much as but to prop him?-Thou tak'ft up

[Pifanio looking on the Phial.
Thou know'ft not what; but take it for thy labour;
It is a thing I make, which hath the King
Five times redeem'd from death; I do not know
What is more cordial. Nay, I pr'ythee, take it;
It is an earnest of a farther good

That I mean to thee. Tell thy mistress how The cafe ftands with her; do't, as from thyfelf: (8) Think, what a change thou chanceft on; but think;

(8) Think what a chance thou chanceft on,- -] I hardly think, our Author would have express'd himself thus badly, on no neceflity. Both the old folio's read,

Think what a chance thou changest on,

But I fufpect, there is still a flight error made by the first transcriber. I imagine, the Poet wrote;

Think what a change thou chanceft on,

i. e. if you will fall into my measures, do but think how chance to change your fortunes for the better, in the confequences that will attend your compliance.

you

will

Thou

Thou haft thy mistress ftill; to boot, my fon;
Who fhall take notice of thee. I'll move the King
To any shape of thy preferment, such

As thou'lt defire; and then myfelf, I chiefly,
That fet thee on to this defert, am bound
To load thy merit richly. Call my women-
-[Exit Pifa.
Think on my words. A fly and conftant knave,
Not to be fhak'd; the agent for his master;
And the remembrancer of her, to hold

The hand fast to her Lord.-I've giv'n him that,
Which, if he take, fhall quite unpeople her
Of leidgers for her fweet; and which the, after,
Except the bend her humour, fhall be affur'd
To tafte of too.

Enter Pifanio, and Ladies.

So, fo; well done, well done;

The violets, cowflips, and the primrofes,
Bear to my clofet; fare thee well, Pifanio,
Think on my words.

Pif. And hall 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.

Imo.

[Exita

SCENE changes to Imogen's Apartments.

A

Enter Imogen alone.

Father cruel, and a stepdame false,

A foolish fuitor to a wedded lady,

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

As my two brothers, happy (9) but most miferable
Is the defire, that's glorious. Blefs'd be thofe,

How

Is the defire, that's glorious.] Tho' this connects perfectly well both with what goes before, and what follows, yet it is obfcure enough to deferve a fhort comment. "Her hulband, fhe fays, proves her "fupream grief. She had been happy, had the been ftol'n as her "brothers were but now he is most miserable, as all thofe are, who

How mean foe'er, that have their honest wills,
Which feasons comfort. Who may this be? fy!

Enter Pifanio, and Iachimo.

Pis. Madam, a noble Gentleman of Rome
Comes from my Lord with letters.
lach. Change you, Madam?
The worthy Leonatus is in fafety,
And greets your Highnefs dearly.
Imo. Thanks, good Sir,

You're kindly welcome.

lach. All of her, that is out of door, most rich!

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

She is alone th' 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.

He is one of the

mft infinitely tied. value your truft.

Imogen reads.

[Afide.

nobleft note, to whofe kindnesses I am Reflect upon him accordingly, as you

So far I read aloud:

But even the very middle of my heart

Leonatus.

Is warm'd by th' reft, and takes it thankfully.-
You are as welcome, worthy Sir, as I

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

Iach. Thanks, faireft Lady

What! are men mad? hath nature given them eyes

"have a sense of worth and honour fuperiour to the vulgar: for this "occafions them infinite vexations, with the worthless and envious

part of mankind. Had the not had so refin'd a tafte, as to be only " contented with the fuperior merits of a Pofthumus; but could have "taken up with a Cloten; fhe might have escaped all these vexations. "This elegance of taste, that always difcovers an excellence, and "chufes it, the calls with the utmost stretch of the fublime, "defire that's glorious,"

the

Mr. Warburton.

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