CYMBELINE.

Imo. You are my father too, and did relieve me,
To see this gracious season.

All o'erjoy'd

Cym.
Save in these bonds; let them be joyful too,
For they shall taste our comfort.

Imo.

I will yet do you service.

Luc.

My good master,

Happy be you!

[ACT V.

400

Cym. The forlorn soldier, that so nobly fought, He would have well becomed this place, and graced The thankings of a king.

Post.

I am, sir,

The soldier that did company these three

In poor beseeming; 'twas a fitment for

The purpose I then follow'd. That I was he,
Speak, Iachimo: I had you down and might
Have made you finish.

Iach. [Kneeling] I am down again:

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.

Cym.

We'll learn our freeness of a son-in-law;

Pardon's the word to all.

Art.

Nobly doom'd!'

You holp us, sir,

As you aid mean indeed to be our brother;

Joy'd are we that you are.

Post. Your servant, princess.

410

420

Good my lord of Rome,

Call forth your soothsayer: as I slept, methought

Great Jupiter, upon his eagle back'd,

Appear'd to me, with other spritely shows

Of mine own kindred: when I waked, I found
This label on my bosom; whose containing
Is so from sense in hardness, that I can
Make no collection of it: let him show
His skill in the construction.

Luc.

Sooth. Here, my good lord.
Luc.

Sooth. [Reads]

Philarmonus!

430

Read, and declare the meaning. "When as a lion's whelp shall, to him

self 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.

[To Cymbeline] The piece of tender air, thy virtuous daughter,

Which we call "mollis aer;" and "mollis aer"

We term it "mulier:" which "mulier" I divine
Is this most constant wife; who, even now,
Answering the letter of the oracle,

Unknown to you, unsought, were clipp'd about
With this most tender air.

Cym.

This hath some seeming.
Sooth. The lofty cedar, royal Cymbeline,
Personates thee: and thy lopp'd branches point
Thy two sons forth; who, by Belarius stol'n,
For many years thought dead, are now revived,
To the majestic cedar join'd, whose issue
Promises Britain peace and plenty.

Well;

Cym.
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.

Cym.

Laud we the gods;

And let our crooked smokes climb to their nostrils
From our blest altars. Publish we this peace

450

460

470

To all our subjects. Set we forward: let

A Roman and a British ensign wave

480

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.

Enter GOWER.

Before the palace of Antioch.

To sing a song that old was sung,
From ashes ancient Gower is come;
Assuming man's infirmities,

To glad your ear, and please your eyes.
It hath been sung at festivals,

On ember-eves and holy-ales;

And lords and ladies in their lives

Have read it for restoratives:

The purchase is to make men glorious;

Et bonum quo antiquius, eo melius.

If you, born in these latter times,

When wit's more ripe, accept my rhymes,
And that to hear an old man sing
May to your wishes pleasure bring,

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I life would wish, and that I might
Waste it for you, like taper-light.

This Antioch, then, Antiochus the Great
Built up, this city, for his chiefest seat;
The fairest in all Syria,

I tell you what mine authors say:
This king unto him took a fere,
Who died and left a female heir,
So buxom, blithe, and full of face,
As heaven had lent her all his grace;
With whom the father liking took,
And her to incest did provoke:

Bad child; worse father! to entice his own
To evil should be done by none:
But custom what they did begin
Was with long use account no sin.
The beauty of this sinful dame
Made many princes thither frame,
To seek her as a bed-fellow,
In marriage-pleasures play-fellow:
Which to prevent he made a law,
To keep her still, and men in awe,
That whoso ask'd her for his wife,
His riddle told not, lost his life:
So for her many a wight did die,
As yon grim looks do testify.

What now ensues, to the judgement of your eye
I give, my cause who best can justify.

[Exit.

SCENE I. Antioch. A room in the palace.

Enter ANTIOCHUS, PRINCE PERICLES, and followers. Ant. Young prince of Tyre, you have at large received The danger of the task you undertake.

Per. I have, Antiochus, and, with a soul Embolden'd with the glory of her praise, Think death no hazard in this enterprise.

Ant. Bring in our daughter, clothed like a bride, For the embracements even of Jove himself;

At whose conception, till Lucina reign'd,

Nature this dowry gave, to glad her presence,
The senate-house of planets all did sit,

To knit in her their best perfections.

Music. Enter the Daughter of Antiochus.
Per. See where she comes, apparell'd like the spring,
Craces her subjects, and her thoughts the king

10