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 must,
For mine own part, unfold a dangerous speech,
Though, haply, well for you.

ARV.

Your danger is

Ours.

GUI. And our good his.

BEL.

Have at it then.

By leave-Thou hadft, great king, a fubject, who Was call'd Belarius.

What of him? he is

Crm.
A banifh'd traitor.
BEL.
Affum'd this age:
I know not how, a traitor.

CYM.
Take him hence;
The whole world fhall not fave him.

He it is, that hath indeed, a banish'd man;

BEL.

First pay me for the nurfing of thy fons;
And let it be confifcate all, fo foon
As I have receiv'd it.

Not too hot:

Affum'd this, age:] I believe is the fame as reached or attained this age. STEEVENS.

As there is no reason to imagine that Belarius had affumed the appearance of being older than he really was, I fufpect that inftead of age, we should read gage; fo that he may be understood to refer to the engagement, which he had entered into, a few lines before, in these words:

"We will die all three :

"But I will prove two of us are as good
"As I have given out him." TYRWHITT.

Affum'd this age, has a reference to the different appearance which Belarius now makes, in comparison with that when Cymbeline laft faw him. HENLEY.

Сум.

Nurfing of my

fons? BEL. I am too blunt, and faucy: Here's my knee;

Ere I arife, I will prefer my fons ;

Then, fpare 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.

Crm.

How! my iffue? BEL. So fure as you your father's. I, old Morgan, Am that Belarius whom you fometime banish'd: Your pleasure was my mere offence, my punish

ment

Itself, and all my treafon; that I fuffer'd,
Was all the liarm I did. Thefe gentle princes
(For fuch, and fo they are,) these twenty years
Have I train'd up: thofe arts they have, as I
Could put into them; my breeding was, fir, as

7 Your pleasure was my mere offence, &c.] [Modern editors wear.] I think this paffage may better be read thus:

Your pleasure was my dear offence, my punishment
Ifelf, was all my treafon; that I fuffer'd,

Was all the harm I did.

The offence which coft me fo dear was only your caprice. My fufferings have been all my crime. JOHNSON.

The reading of the old copies, thongh corrupt, is generally nearer to the truth than that of the later editions, which, for the most part, adopt the orthography of their respective ages. Dr. Johnfon would read-dear offence. In the folio it is neere; which plainly points out to us the true reading-meere, as the word was then fpelt. TYRWHITT.

My crime, my punishment, and all the treafon that I committed, originated in, and were founded on, your caprice only. MALONE.

I have adopted Mr. Tyrwhitt's very judicious emendation; which is alfo commended by Mr. Malone. STEEVENS,

Your highnefs knows. Their nurfe, Euriphile,
Whom for the theft I wedded, ftole thefe children
Upon my banishment: I mov'd her to't;
Having receiv'd the punishment before,
For that which I did then: Beaten for loyalty
Excited me to treafon : Their dear lofs,
The more of you 'twas felt, the more it fhap'd
Unto my end of ftealing them. But, gracious, fir,
Here are your fons again; and I must lofe
Two of the fweet'ft companions in the world:-
The benediction of thefe covering heavens
Fall on their heads like dew! for they are worthy
To inlay heaven with ftars.8

Crm. Thou weep'ft, and speak'st. The fervice, that you three have done, is more Unlike than this thou tell'ft: I loft my children; If these be they, I know not how to wish A pair of worthier fons.

BEL. Be pleas'd a while.This gentleman, whom I call Polydore, Moft worthy prince, as yours, is true, Guiderius: This gentleman, my Cadwal, Arvirágus, Your younger princely fon; he, fir, was lapp'd In a moft curious mantle, wrought by the hand Of his queen mother, which, for more probation,

-

• To inlay heaven with ftars.] So, in Romeo and Juliet: "Take him and cut him into little stars,

"And he will make the face of heaven fo fine," &c. STEEVENS

Thou weep ft, and speakft.] "Thy tears give teftimony to the fincerity of thy relation; and I have the lefs reafon to be incredulous, because the actions which you have done within my knowledge are more incredible than the story which you relate." The King reafons very justly. JOHNSON.

VOL. XVIII.

Tt

I can with ease produce.

CYM. Guiderius had Upon his neck a mole, a fanguine star; It was a mark of wonder.

BEL
This is he;
Who hath upon him ftill that natural stamp:
It was wife nature's end in the donation,
To be his evidence now.

Сум. O, what am I A mother to the birth of three? Ne'er mother Rejoic'd deliverance more:-Blefs'd may you be, That, after this ftrange starting from your orbs, You may reign in them now!-O Imogen, Thou haft loft by this a kingdom.

IMO.

No, my lord; I have got two worlds by't.-O my gentle brother, Have we thus met? O never fay hereafter, But I am trueft fpeaker: you call'd me brother, When I was but your fifter; I you brothers, When you were fo indeed.*

Did you e'er meet?

CYM.
ARV. Ay, my good lord.

may you be,] The old copy reads-pray you be. STEEVENS.

The correction was made by Mr. Rowe. MALONE.
When you were fo indeed.] The folio gives :
When we were so, indeed.

If this be right, we must read:

Imo. I, you brothers.

Arv. When we were fo, indeed. JOHNSON.

The emendation which has been adopted, was made by Mr. Rowe. I am not fure that it is neceffary. Shakspeare in his licentious manner might have meant," when we did really ftand in the relation of brother and fifter to each other."

MALONE.

And at first meeting lov'd;

GUI.
Continued fo, until we thought he died.
COR. By the queen's dram fhe fwallow'd.
Crm.

O rare instinct! When fhall I hear all through? This fierce abridge

ment 3

Hath to it circumftantial branches, which Diftinction fhould be rich in.4-Where? how liv'd you?

And when came you to ferve our Roman captive? How parted with your brothers? how first met

them?

Why fled you from the court? and whither ?5 Thefe, And your three motives to the battle, with

I know not how much more, fhould be demanded; And all the other by-dependancies.

From chance to chance; but nor the time, nor

place,

3 fierce abridgement-] Fierce, is vehement, rapid.

JOHNSON.

So, in Timon of Athens:

"O, the fierce wretchedness that glory brings!"

STEEVENS.

See alfo Vol. VII. p. 206, n. 6. MALONE.

which

Diftinction fhould be rich in.] i. e. which ought to be rendered distinct by a liberal amplitude of narrative. STEEVENS. and whither?] Old copy-whether. The correction was made by Mr. Theobald, who likewife reformed the pointing. MALONE.

S

6 And your three motives to the battle,] That is, though ftrangely expreffed, the motives of you three for engaging in the battle. So, in Romeo and Juliet, "both our remedies," means the remedy for us both. M. MASON.

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