CYMBELINE.

Cymbeline, King of Britain.

PERSONS REPRESENTED.

Two British Captains.
Pisanio, servant to Posthumus.

Cloten, son to the Queen by a former husband.
Leonatus Posthumus, a gentleman, husband to Cornelius, a physician.

Imogen.

Belarius, a banished lord, disguised under the name

of Morgan.

Guiderius, S sons to Cymbeline, disguised under the names of Polydore and Cadwal, supposed sons to Belarius.

Arviragus,

{

Philario, friend to Posthumus,

Iachimo, friend to Philario,

Italians.

A French Gentleman, friend to Philario.
Caius Lucius, general of the Roman Forces.

A Roman Captain.

Two Gentlemen.
Two Gaolers.

Queen, wife to Cymbeline.

Imogen, daughter to Cymbeline by a former queen.
Helen, woman to Imogen.

Lords, Ladies, Roman Senators, Tribunes, Appo
ritions, a Soothsayer, a Dutch Gentleman, a Spa
nish Gentleman, Musicians, Officers, Captain.
Soldiers, Messengers, and other Attendants.

SCENE, sometimes in Britain; sometimes in Italy.

ACT I.

As he was born. The king, he takes the babe
To his protection; calls him Posthumus;

SCENE L-Britain. The Garden behind Cymbe Breeds him, and makes him of his bed-chamber

line's Palace.

Enter Two Gentlemen.

Puts him to all the learnings that his time
Could make him the receiver of; which he took,
As we do air, fast as 'twas minister'd; and

1 Gent. You do not meet a man, but frowns our In his spring became a harvest: Liv'd in court, bloods No more obey the heavens, than our courtiers Still seem, as does the king's.

2 Gent.

But what's the matter?

1 Gent. His daughter, and the heir of his king
dom, whom

He purpos'd to his wife's sole son, (a widow,
That late he married,) hath referr'd herself
Unto a poor, but worthy, gentleman: She's wed-
Her husband banish'd; she imprison'd all [ded;
Is outward sorrow; though, I think, the king
Be touch'd at very heart.

2 Gent.

None but the king?

1 Gent. He, that hath lost her, too so is the

queen,
That most desir'd the match: But not a courtier,
Although they wear their faces to the bent
Of the king's looks, hath a heart that is not
Glad at the thing they scowl at.

2 Gent.

And why so ?

1 Gent. He that hath miss'd the princess, is a
thing

Too bad for bad report; and he that hath her,
(I mean, that married her, alack, good man!
And therefore banish'd,) is a creature such
As, to seek through the regions of the earth
For one his like, there would be something failing
In him that should compare. I do not think,
So fair an outward, and such stuff within,
Endows a man but he.

SCENE II.-The same.

Enter the Queen, Posthumus, and Imogen.
Queen. No, be assur'd, you shall not find me
After the slander of most step-mothers, (daughter
Evil-ey'd unto you: you are my prisoner, but
Your gaoter shall deliver you the keys
That lock up your restraint. For you, Posthumus,
So soon as I can win the offended king,

I will be known your advocate marry, yet
The fire of rage is in him; and 'twere good,
You lean'd unto his sentence, with what patience

Your wisdom may inform you.

Post.

Please your highness,

You know the peril :

I will from hence to-day.

Queen.

I'll fetch a turn about the garden, pitying

The pangs of barr'd affections; though the king
Hath charg'd you should not speak together.

[Brit Queen.

P13 JAN. 1880 BY JOHN CIMBERLAND 6, BRECKNOCK I LACE, CAMLEN NOW TOWN

Lord. So would I, till you had measured how he was then of a crescent note; expected to prove long a fool you were upon the ground. [Aside. so worthy, as since he hath been allowed the name Clo. And that she should love this fellow, and of: but I could then have looked on him without refuse me!

Lord. If it be a sin to make a true election, she is damned.

[Aside.

1 Lord. Sir, as I told you always, her beauty and her brain go not together: She's a good sign, but I have seen small reflection of her wit.

the help of admiration; though the catalogue of his endowments had been tabled by his side, and I to peruse him by items.

Phi. You speak of him when he was less furnished, than now he is, with that which makes him both without and within.

th

French. I have seen him in France: we had very [Aside. many there, could behold the sun with as firmeyes

2 Lord. She shines not upon fools, lest the reflection should hurt her.

Clo. Come, I'll to my chamber: 'Would there as he. had been some hurt done!

2 Lord. I wish not so; unless it had been the fall

of an ass, which is no great hurt.

Clo. You'll go with us?

1 Lord. I'll attend your lordship. Clo. Nay, come, let's go together. 8 Lord. Well, my lord.

Iach. This matter of marrying his king's daughter, (wherein he must be weighed rather by her [Aside. value, than his own,) words him, I doubt not, a great deal from the matter. French. And then his banishment

SCENE IV.-A Room in Cymbeline's. Palace.

Enter Imogen and Pisanio.

Iach. Ay, and the approbation of those, that weep [Exeunt. this lamentable divorce, under her colours, are won derfully to extend him; be it but to fortify her judgment, which else an easy battery might lay flat, for taking a beggar without more quality. But how comes it, he is to sojourn with you? How creeps acquaintance?

Imo. I would thou grew'st unto the shores o'the
haven,

And question'dst every sail: if he should write,
And I not have it, 'twere a paper lost,
As offer'd mercy is. What was the last

That he spake to thee?

Pis.

'Twas, His queen, his queen!

Imo. Then wav'd his handkerchief?
Pis.

Imo. Senseless linen!

And that was all ?
Pis.

And kiss'd it, madam. happier therein than in

No, madam; for so long

As he could make me with this eye or ear
Distinguish him from others, he did keep
The deck, with glove, or hat, or handkerchief,
Still waving, as the fits and stirs of his mind
Could best express how slow his soul sail'd on,
How swift his ship.

Imo.

Thou should'st have made him

As little as a crow, or less, ere left
To after-eye him.
Pis.

Madam, so I did.

Imo. I would have broke mine eye-strings; crack'd them, but

To look upon him; till the diminution

Of space had pointed him sharp as my needle:
Nay, follow'd him, till he had melted from
The smallness of a gnat to air; and then
Have turn'd mine eye, and wept. But, good
When shall we hear from him?

Pis.

With his next vantage.

[Pisanio,

Be assur'd, madam,

Imo. I did not take my leave of him, but had Most pretty things to say ere I could tell him, How I would think on him, at certain hours, Such thoughts, and such; or I could make him The shes of Italy should not betray

Mine interest, and his honour;

him,

[swear

or have charg'd

At the sixth hour of morn, at noon, at midnight,
To encounter me with orisons, for then

I am in heaven for him; or ere I could

Give him that parting kiss, which I had set
Betwixt two charming words, comes in my father,
And, like the tyrannous breathing of the north,

Shakes all our buds from growing.

Here comes the Briton: Let him be so entertained
as suits, with gentlemen of your
amongst you,
knowing, to a stranger of his quality.I beseech
you all, be better known to this gentleman; whom
I commend to you, as a noble friend of mine: How
worthy he is, I will leave to appear hereafter, ra
ther than story him in his own hearing.

French. Sir, we have known together in Or leans.

Post. Since when I have been debtor to you for courtesies, which I will be ever to pay, and yet pay still.

French. Sir, you o'er-rate my poor kindness: I was glad I did atone my countryman and you; it had been pity, you should have been put together with so mortal a purpose, as then each bore, upon importance of so slight and trivial a nature.

Post. By your pardon, sir, I was then a young traveller: rather shunned to go even with what I heard, than in my every action to be guided by others' experiences: but, upon my mended judg ment, (if I offend not to say it is mended,) my quarrel was not altogether slight.

French. 'Faith, yes, to be put to the arbitrement of swords; and by such two, that would, by all likelihood, have confounded one the other, or have fallen both.

Iach. Can we, with manners, ask what was the difference?

French. Safely, I think: 'twas a contention in publick, which may, without contradiction, suffer the report. It was much like an argument that fell out last night, where each of us fell in praise of our country mistresses: This gentleman at that time vouching (and upon warrant of bloody affir mation) his to be more fair, virtuous, wise, chaste, constant-qualified, and less attemptible, than any the rarest of our ladies in France.

Iach. That lady is not now living; or this gen

tleman's opinion, by this, worn out.

Post. Being so far provoked as I was in France, I would abate her nothing; though I profess myself her adorer, not her friend.

Iach. As tair, and as good, (a kind of hand-inhand comparison,) had been something too fair, and too good, for any lady in in Britany, Brit If she w went before others I have seen, as that diamond of yours out-lustres many I have beheld, I could not but lieve she excelled many but I have not seen the most precious diamond that is, nor you the lady.