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SYNOPSIS

By J. ELLIS BURDICK

ACT I

Posthumus, an English gentleman, marries Imogen, daughter of Cymbeline, king of Britain, without her father's consent. For this he is banished by the angry king. He goes to Rome and there meets an Italian named Iachimo, who wagers that he will dishonor Imogen. Posthumus accepts the wager, for he has implicit confidence in his wife. The Italian does not succeed in open overtures to Imogen and decides to use underhand methods to win his bet.

ACT II

He has himself carried secretly in a trunk to Imogen's bedroom, and while she sleeps he notes everything in the room and slips off her arm a bracelet which Posthumus gave her when he went away. By means of this bracelet and the description he is able to give of her room, Iachimo convinces the husband of his wife's unfaithful

ness.

ACT III

Posthumus sends a request to his friend, Pisanio, to slay Imogen, but he, instead of doing as Posthumus wishes and believing in the lady's innocence, persuades her to attire herself in male apparel and to go in search of her husband. As she is passing through Wales she stops for rest and refreshment at a cave in which lives Belarius, with two young men. This Belarius is a nobleman who had been unjustly banished by the king years before and in revenge had kidnapped the two little sons of the king. Although

these lads had grown up in ignorance of their identity and are also unaware of who their guest may be, they are strongly attracted to her and welcome her with great joy.

ACT IV

While Imogen is sleeping within the cave, her stepbrother Cloten arrives without in pursuit of her, and he is slain and beheaded in combat with one of the princes. Imogen's sleep is so deep that her companions believe her dead and lay her body and that of Cloten side by side in the woods, and lightly cover them with leaves and flowers. When Imogen awakes, she mistakes the body beside her for that of Posthumus. Grief-stricken, she takes service with a Roman general who is invading England.

ACT V

Iachimo and Posthumus have accompanied this army to Britain, but Posthumus leaves it to fight for the king, and in the disguise of a peasant does valiant service in the battle which follows the invasion. Belarius and the two princes also fight bravely for Cymbeline, and when the Romans are defeated, the king restores Belarius to favor. The latter restores to their father the long-missing princes. Both Imogen and Iachimo are among the prisoners taken by the English. The latter confesses his villainy and Imogen reveals her identity to her father. Posthumus is also forgiven and his wife restored to him.

CYMBELINE

ACT FIRST

SCENE I

Britain. The garden of Cymbeline's palace. Enter two Gentlemen.

First Gent. You do not meet a man but frowns: our bloods

No more obey the heavens than our courtiers

Still seem as does the king.

Sec. Gent.

But what's the matter?

First Gent. His daughter, and the heir of 's kingdom, whom

He purposed to his wife's sole son—a widow
That late he married-hath referr'd herself
Unto a poor but worthy gentleman: she's
wedded;

Her husband banish'd; she imprison'd: all
Is outward sorrow; though I think the king
Be touched at very heart.

Sec. Gent.

None but the king? 10

3. "does the king"; Tyrwhitt's conjecture; Ff., "do's the kings"; Hanmer, "do the king's."-I. G.

6. “referr❜d herself"; committed her destiny.-C. H. H.

First Gent. He that hath lost her too: so is the

queen,

That most desired 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.

Sec. Gent.

And why so? First 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 20
For one his like, there would be something fail-
ing

In him that should compare.

I do not think

So fair an outward and such stuff within

Endows a man but he.

Sec. Gent.

You speak him far.

First Gent. I do extend him, sir, within himself,

Crush him together rather than unfold

His measure duly.

Sec. Gent.

What's his name and birth?

First Gent. I cannot delve him to the root: his

father

Was call'd Sicilius, who did join his honor
Against the Romans with Cassibelan,
But had his titles by Tenantius, whom

22. “compare"; compare himself with him.-C. H. H.

30

27. "his measure duly"; the meaning is, my praise, however extreme it may appear, is less than the truth warrants: I rather stop short of his merits, than go the full length of them.-H. N. H.

31. "Tenantius" was the father of Cymbeline, and the son of Lud.

He served with glory and admired success,
So gain'd the sur-addition Leonatus:
And had, besides this gentleman in question,
Two other sons, who in the wars o' the time
Died with their swords in hand; for which their
father,

Then old and fond of issue, took such sorrow
That he quit being, and his gentle lady,
Big of this gentleman, our theme, deceased
As he was born. The king he takes the babe 40
To his protection, calls him Posthumus Leo-
natus,

Breeds him and makes him of his bed-chamber:
Puts to him 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 in's spring became a harvest: lived in

court

Which rare it is to do-most praised, most
loved:

A sample to the youngest, to the more mature
A glass that feated them, and to the graver

A child that guided dotards; to his mistress, 50 On the death of Lud, his younger brother, Cassibelan, took the throne, to the exclusion of the lineal heir. Cassibelan repulsed the Romans on their first invasion, but was vanquished on their second, and agreed to pay an annual tribute to Rome. After his death, his nephew Tenantius was established on the throne. Some authorities tell us that he quietly paid the tribute stipulated by his usurping uncle; others, that he refused it, and warred with the Romans; which latter account is the one taken for true by the Poet.-H. N. H.

47. "most praised, most loved"; "This encomium," says Johnson, "is highly artful. To be at once in any great degree loved and praised is truly rare."-H. N. H.

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