Iach. By the Gods it is one. If I bring you not fufficient teftimony that I have enjoy'd the dearest bodily part of your mistress, my ten thousand ducats are yours: fo is your diamond too; if I come off, and leave her in fuch honour as you have trust in, fhe 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 underftand you have prevail'd, I am no further your enemy, fhe is not worth our debate. If the remain unfeduc'd, you not making it appear otherwife; for your ill opinion, and th' affault you have made to her chastity, you shall anfwer me with your fword.

Iach. Your hand, a covenant; we will have thefe things fet down by lawful counfel, and straight away for Britaine, left the bargain fhould 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.

Queen. WHILE yet the dew's on ground, gather

flowers :

Make hafte.. - Who has the note of them?

1 Lady. I, Madam.

Queen. Dispatch.

[Exeunt Ladies.

Now, mafter Doctor, you have brought thofe drugs?

Cor. Pleaseth your Highness, ay; here they are,

Madam ;

But I beseech your Grace, without offence,

(My confcience bids me afk) wherefore you have Commanded of me these most pois'nous compounds?

4

Which

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

Queen. I do wonder, Doctor,

Thou afk'ft me fuch a question; have I not been
Thy pupil long? haft thou not learn'd me how
To make perfumes ? diftil? preferve? yea, fo,
That our great King himself doth woo me oft
For my confections? having thus far proceeded,
(Unless thou think'st me dev'lish,) is't not meet
That I did amplify my judgment in
Other conclufions? I will try the forces
Of these thy compounds on fuch 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

Befides, the feeing these effects will be
Both noifome and infectious.

Queen. O, content thee.

Enter Pifanio.

Here comes a flatt'ring rafcal, upon him
Will I first work; he's for his master's fake
An enemy to my fon. How now, Pifanio?
Doctor, your fervice for this time is ended;
Take your own way.

Cor. I do fufpect you, Madam:

But you fhall do no harm.

Queen. Hark thee, a word.

[Afide.

[Afide.

[To Pifanio.

Cor. I do not like her. She doth think, the has

Strange ling'ring poifons; I do know her fpirit,

And will not truit one of her malice with

A drug of fuch damn'd nature. Thofe, he has,
Will ftupify and dull the fenfe a while;

Which firft, perchance, fhe'll prove on cats and dogs,
Then afterwards up higher; but there is
No danger in what thew of death it makes,
More than the locking up the spirits a time,

Το

To be more fresh, reviving. She is fool'd
With a moft falfe effect; and I the truer,

So to be falfe with her.

Queen. No further fervice, Doctor,

Until I fend for thee.

Cor. I humbly take my leave.

[Exit.

Queen. Weeps the ftill, fay't thou? doft thou think,

in time

She will not quench, and let instructions enter

Where folly now poffeffes? do thou work;
When thou shalt bring me word she loves my son,
I'll tell thee on the instant, thou art then
As great as is thy mafter; greater; for
His fortunes all lie fpeechlefs, and his name
Is at laft gafp. Return he cannot, nor
Continue where he is: to fhift his Being,
Is to exchange one mifery with another;
And every day, that comes, comes to decay
A day's work in him. What fhalt 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

[Pifanio looking on the Phia!.
Thou know'it 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 earneft of a farther Good

That I mean to thee. Tell thy mistress how
The cafe ftands with her; do't, as from thyself:

(5) Think, what a change thou chanceft on; but

think;

Thou haft thy miftrefs ftill; to boot, my fon;

Who

(5) Think what a Chance thou chanceft on;] I hardly think, our Author would have exprefs'd himself thus badly, on no Neceifity. Both the old Folio's read,

Think what a Chance thou changest on,

But I fufpect, there is ftill a flight Error made by the first Tranfcriber. I imagine, the Poet wrote;

VOL. VII.

K

Think

Who fhall take notice of thee. I'll move the King
To any shape of thy preferment, fuch
As thou'lt defire; and then myself, I chiefly,
That fet thee on to this defert, am bound
To load thy merit richly. Call my women-

[Exit Pifa.
Think on my words- A fly and conftant 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, fhall quite unpeople her
Of leidgers for her sweet; and which she, after,
Except the bend her humour, fhall be affur'd
To tafte of too.

Enter Pifanio, and Ladies.

So, fo; well done, well done;

The violets, cowflips, and the primroses,
Bear to my closet; fare thee well, Pifanio,
Think on my words.

Pif. And fhall do:

[Exeunt Queen and Ladies.

But when to my good Lord I prove untrue,
I'll choke myself; there's all I'll do for you.

[Exit.

SCENE changes to Imogen's Apartments.

Imo.

A

Enter Imogen alone.

Father cruel, and a Stepdame false, A foolish fuitor to a wedded lady, That hath her husband banifh'd- -O, that hufband! My fupreme crown of grief, and thofe repeated Vexations of it-Had I been thief. ftoll'n, As my two brothers, happy! but most miserable Is the defire, that's glorious. Bless'd be those, How mean foe'er, that have their honest wills,

Think what a Change thou chanceft on,

i. e. if you will fall into my Meafures, do but think how you will chance to change your Fortunes for the better, in the Confequences that will attend your Compliance.

Which feafons comfort. Who may

this be? fy!

Enter Pifanio, and Iachimo.

Pis. Madam, a noble Gentleman of Rome

Comes from my Lord with letters.

Iach. Change you, Madam?

The worthy Leonatus is in fafety,
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 the be furnish'd with a mind fo rare,

She is alone th' Arabian bird; and I

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

[Afide.

noblest note, to whofe kindnefjes I am Reflect upon him accordingly, as you

But ev'n the very middle of my heart

Leonatus.

Is warm'd by th' reft, and takes it thankfully.

You are as welcome, worthy Sir, as I

Have words to bid you; and shall find it so,
In all that I can do.

Iach. Thanks, fairest Lady

What! are men mad? hath nature given them eyes
To fee this vaulted arch, and the rich crop
Of fea 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

(6)

and the twinn'd Stones

Partition.

Upon the number'd Beach.] I have no Idea, in what Senfe the Beach, or Shore, fhould be called number'd. I have ventured, against all the Copies, to fubftitute.

K 2

Upon