lach. By the Gods it is one. If I bring you not fufficient teftimony that I have enjoy'd the deareft bodily part of your mistress, my ten thousand ducats are yours: so is your diamond too; if I come off, and leave her in fuch honour as you have trust in, the your jewel, this your jewel, and my gold are yours; provided, I have your commendation, for my more free entertainment.

Poft. I embrace these conditions ; let us have articles betwixt us; only, thus far you shall answer ; if you make your voyage upon her, and give me directly to understand you have prevaild, I am no further your enemy, she is not worth our debate. If the remain unseduc'd, you not making it appear otherwise ; for your ill opinion, and th’assault you have made to her chastity, you shall answer me with your fword.

lach. Your hand, a covenant; we will have thefe things set down by lawful counsel, and straight away for Britaine, left the bargain should catch cold, and starve. I will fetch my gold, and have our two wagers recorded. Poft. Agreed.

[Exeunt Pofth. and Iachimo. French. Will this hold, think you?

Phil. Signior Iachimo will not from it. Pray, let us follow 'em.

[Exeunt.

SCENE changes to Cymbeline's Palace in

Britaine.

Enter Queen, Ladies, and Cornelius with a Phial.

THILE yet the dew's on ground, gather

those flowers :
Make haste. Who has the note of them?

i Lady. I, Madam.
Queen. Dispatch.

[Exeunt Ladies. Now, master Doctor, you have brought those drugs? Cor. Pleaseth your Highness, ay; here they are,

Madam ; But I beseech your Grace, without offence, (My conscience bids me ask) wherefore you have Commanded of me these most pois nous compounds ? 4

Which

Which are the movers of a languishing death;
Bạt, though flow, deadly.

Queen. I do wonder, Doctor,
Thou ask'ft me fuch a question; have I not been
Thy pupil long? halt thou not learn'd me how
To make perfumes ? diftil ? preserve ? yea, fo,
That our great King himself doth woo me oft
For my confections ? having thus far proceeded,
(Unless thou think it me dev'lish,) is't not meet
That I did amplify my judgment in
Other conclusions. I will try the forces
Of these thy compounds on such creatures as
We count not worth the hanging, (but none human ;)
To try the vigour of them, and apply
Allayments to their act; and by them gather
Their fev'ral virtues and effects.

Cor. Your Highness
Shall from this practice but make hard your heart;
Besides, the feeing these effects will be
Both noisome and infectious,
Queen. O, content thee.

Enter Pifanio.
Here comes a flatt'ring rascal, upon him

[ Aside.
Will I first work; he's for his master's fake
An enemy to my son. How now, Pisanio?
Doctor, your service for this time is ended;
Take your own way.
Cor. I do suspect youi, Madam :

[Afide. shall do no harm. Queen. Hark thee, a word.

[T. Pifanio.
Cor. I do not like her. She doth think, she has
Strange ling'ring poisons; I do know her fpirit,
And will not truit one of her malice with

A drug of such damn’d nature. Those, she has,
Will ftupify and dull the sense a while ;
Wl.ich first, perchance, she'll prove on cats and dogs,
Then afterwards up higher; but there is
No danger in what shew of death it makes,
More than the locking up the spirits a time,

Το

But you

son,

To be more fresh, reviving. She is fool'd
With a most false effect; and I the truer,
So to be false with her.

Queen. No further service, Doctor, ,
Until I send for thee.
Cor. I humbly take my leave.

[Exit. Queen. Weeps she still, fay'lt thou ? dok thou think,

in time
She will not quench, and let instructions enter
Where folly now pofseffes? do thou work;
When thou shalt bring me word she loves my
I'll tell thee on the instant, thou art then
As great as is thy master; greater; for
His

fortunes all lie speechless, and his name Is at last gasp. Return he cannot, nor Continue

where he is : Thift his Being,
1; to exchange one misery with another;
And every day, that comes, comes to decay
A day's work in him.

What shalt thou expect,
To be depender on a thing that leans ?
Who cannot be new built, and has no friends,
So much as but to prop him ?- Thou tak’it up

[Pisanio looking on the Phia!.
Thou know'ít not what ; but take it for thy labour;
It is a thing I make, which hath the King
Five times redeem'd from death; I do not know
What is more cordial. Nay, I pr’ythee, take it;
It is an earnest of a farther Good
That I mean to thee. Tell thy mistress how
The case stands with her; do't, as from thyself:
(5) Think, what a change thou chancelt on; but
Thou hast thy mistress still; to boot, my son;

Who

think;

(5) Think what a chance thou chancest on; -] I hardly thirik, our Author would have exprefs'd himself thus badly, on no Necethty. Both the old Folio's read,

Think what a Chance thou changest on, But I suspect, there is ftill a fight Error made by the first Tran. fcriber. I imagine, the Poet wrote; VOL. VII.

к

Think

Who shall take notice of thee. I'll move the King
To any shape of thy preferment, such
As thou'lt desire; and then myself, I chiefly,
That set thee on to this desert, am bound
To load thy merit richly. Call my women

[Exit Pisa.

Think on my words A fly and constant knave,
Not to be shak'd; the agent for his master;
And the remembrancer of her, to hold
The hand fast to her Lord. I've giv'n him that,
Which, if he take, shall quite unpeople her
Of leidgers for her sweet; and which she, after,
Except the bend her humour, shall be assur'd
To taste of too.

Enter Pisanio, and Ladies.
So, so; well done, well done;
The violets, cowslips, and the primroses,
Bear to my closet ; fare thee well, Pisanio,
Think on my words. [Exeunt Queen and Ladies.

Pif. And shall do:
But when to my good Lord I prove untrue,
I'll choke myself; there's all I'll do for you. [Exit.

SCEN E changes to Imogen's Apartments.

Enter Imogen alone.
Imo. Father cruel, and a Stepdame false,

A to a
'That hath her husband banish'd. -O, that husband !
My fupreme crown of grief, and those repeated
Vexations of it-Had I been thief. ftoll'n,
As my two brothers, happy! but most miserable
Is the desire, that's glorious. B!ess'd be those,
How mean soe'er, that have their honest wills,

Think what a Change thou chanceft on, i. e. if you will fall into my Mcasures, do but think how you will chance to change your Fortines for the better, in the Consequences that will attend your Compliance.

Which seasons comfort. Who may this be ? fy!

Enter Pifanio, and Iachimo.

Pif. Madam, a noble Gentleman of Rome Comes from

my

Lord with letters. Iach. Change you, Madam ? The worthy Leonatus is in safety, And greets your Highness dearly.

Imo. Thanks, good Sir, You're kindly welcome.

Iach. All of her, that is out of door, moft rich! If she be furnish'd with a mind fo rare,

[Alide. She is alone th’ Arabian bird ; and I Have loit the wager.

Boldness be my friend!
Arm me, Audacity, from head to foot:
Or, like the Parthian, I fall flying fight,
Rather directly fly.

Imogen reads. He is one of the nobleft note, to whose kindnefjes I am most infinitely tied. Reflect upon him accordingly, as jou value your truft.

Leonatus.
So far I read aloud :
But ev'n the

very
middle of

my

heart
Is warm’d by th' rest, and takes it thankfully.
You are as welcome, worthy Sir, as I
Have words to bid you; and fall find it so,
In all that I can do.

Iach. Thanks, fairest Lady
What! are men mad? hath nature given them

eyes
To see this vaulted arch, and the rich crop
Of sea and land, which can distinguish 'twixt
The fiery orbs above, (6) and the twinn'd stones
Upon th’unnumber'd beach ? and can we not

Partition (6)

and the twinn'd Stones Upon the number'd Beach.] I have no Idea, in what Sense the Beach, or Shore, should be called number'd. I have ventured, against all the Copies, to substitute.

Upon

K 2