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SCENE III. An ante-chamber adjoining Imogen's

apartments.

Enter CLOTEN and Lords.

First Lord. Your lordship is the most patient man in loss, the most coldest that ever turned up

ace.

Clo. It would make any man cold to lose.

First Lord. But not every man patient after the noble temper of your lordship. You are most hot and furious when you win.

Clo. Winning will put any man into courage. If I could get this foolish Imogen, I should have gold enough. It's almost morning, is 't not?

First Lord. Day, my lord.

Clo. I would this music would come: I am advised to give her music o' mornings; they say it will penetrate.

Enter Musicians.

Come on; tune: if you can penetrate her with your fingering, so; we'll try with tongue too if none will do, let her remain; but I'll never give o'er. First, a very excellent good-conceited thing; after, a wonderful sweet air, with admirable rich words to it: and then let her consider.

SONG.

Hark, hark! the lark at heaven's gate sings,

And Phoebus 'gins arise,

His steeds to water at those springs

On chaliced flowers that lies;

23. those springs, the dew.

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And winking Mary-buds begin
ope their golden eyes:

To

With every thing that pretty is,
My lady sweet, arise:
Arise, arise.

Clo. So, get you gone. If this penetrate, I will consider your music the better: if it do not, it is a vice in her ears, which horse-hairs and calves'-guts, nor the voice of unpaved eunuch to boot, can never amend. [Exeunt Musicians. Sec. Lord. Here comes the king.

Clo. I am glad I was up so late; for that's the reason I was up so early: he cannot choose but take this service I have done fatherly.

Enter Cymbeline and Queen.

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Good morrow to your majesty and to my gracious 40 mother.

Cym. Attend you here the door of our stern daughter?

Will she not forth?

Clo. I have assailed her with musics, but she vouchsafes no notice.

Cym. The exile of her minion is too new; She hath not yet forgot him: some more time Must wear the print of his remembrance out,

And then she's yours.

Queen.

You are most bound to the king,

Who lets go by no vantages that may

25. Mary-buds, marigolds. 27. is. Hanmer unjustifiably substituted bin for the rhyme. 32. consider, reward.

33. vice. Rowe's emendation of Ff voyce.

33. horse-hairs and calves'guts, fiddle-bow and fiddlestrings.

34. unpaved, castrated.

50

44. musics (so all Ff), a Clotenism for 'pieces of music.' He has assailed her as yet with only one; but the plural gives a heightened impression of Imogen's obduracy.

46. minion, darling.

50. vantages, opportunities.

Prefer you to his daughter. Frame yourself
To orderly solicits, and be friended
With aptness of the season; make denials
Increase your services; so seem as if

You were inspired to do those duties which
You tender to her; that you in all obey her,
Save when command to your dismission tends,
And therein you are senseless.

Clo.

Senseless! not so.

Enter a Messenger.

Mess. So like you, sir, ambassadors from Rome; The one is Caius Lucius.

Cym.

A worthy fellow,

Albeit he comes on angry purpose now;
But that's no fault of his: we must receive him
According to the honour of his sender;

And towards himself, his goodness forespent on us,
We must extend our notice. Our dear son,
When you have given good morning to your
mistress,

Attend the queen and us; we shall have need
To employ you towards this Roman. Come, our
queen.
[Exeunt all but Cloten.
Clo. If she be up, I'll speak with her; if not,
Let her lie still and dream. [Knocks] By your
leave, ho!

:

I know her women are about her what
If I do line one of their hands?

51. Prefer, recommend.

52. solicits, F2,3,4; F1 solicity (a misprint), solicitations. Shakespeare does not use the word elsewhere; but there is no sufficient ground for adopting (with most modern edd.) Collier's soliciting.

'Tis gold

60

70

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Which buys admittance; oft it doth; yea, and

makes

Diana's rangers false themselves, yield up

Their deer to the stand o' the stealer; and 'tis gold
Which makes the true man kill'd and saves the

thief;

Nay, sometime hangs both thief and true man:
what

Can it not do and undo? I will make
One of her women lawyer to me, for
I yet not understand the case myself.
[Knocks] By your leave.

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Than some, whose tailors are as dear as yours, Can justly boast of. What's your lordship's

pleasure?

Clo. Your lady's person: is she ready?
Lady.

To keep her chamber.

Clo.

Ay,

There is gold for you;

Sell me your good report.

Lady. How! my good name? or to report of

you

What I shall think is good?—The princess!

74. Diana's rangers, nymphs vowed to chastity. Diana was the goddess at once of hunting and of chastity; the image is drawn from the first and applied to the second. Her 'rangers' are therefore primarily those who VOL. IV

161

8c

90

are placed in charge of her deer, i.e. of their chastity.

74. false themselves, perjure themselves.

75. stand, the station of the hunters in wait for the game.

M

Enter IMOGEN.

Clo. Good morrow, fairest: sister, your sweet

hand.

[Exit Lady.

Imo. Good morrow, sir.

You lay out too much

pains

For purchasing but trouble: the thanks I give
Is telling you that I am poor of thanks

And scarce can spare them.

Clo.

Still, I swear I love you.

Imo. If you but said so, 'twere as deep with me: If you swear still, your recompense is still

That I regard it not.

Clo.

This is no answer.

Imo. But that you shall not say I yield being silent,

I would not speak. I pray you, spare me: 'faith, I shall unfold equal discourtesy

To your best kindness: one of your great knowing Should learn, being taught, forbearance.

Clo. To leave you in your madness, 'twere my

sin :

I will not.

Imo. Fools are not mad folks.

Clo.

Do you call me fool?

Imo. As I am mad, I do: If you'll be patient, I'll no more be mad; That cures us both. I am much sorry, sir, You put me to forget a lady's manners, By being so verbal and learn now, for all, That I, which know my heart, do here pronounce, By the very truth of it, I care not for you,

102. knowing; cf. note to i. 4. 30.

106. Fools are not mad folks, i.e. you are in no danger of such 'madness' as mine. Warbur

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ton's suggestion cure for are (adopted by Theobald) is ingenious but not necessary.

III. By being so verbal, by his open protestations of love.

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