-How look I,

If it be fo to do good service, never
Let me be counted ferviceable.-
That I fhould feem to lack humanity,
So much as this fact comes to? Do't-

-the letter,

[Reading.

-Damn'd paper!

That I have fent her, by her own command

Shall give thee opportunity.

Black as the ink that's on thee: fenfelefs bauble!
Art thou a foedarie for this act, and look'st
So virgin-like without? Lo, here she comes.

Enter Imogen.

I'm ignorant in what I am commanded.

Imo. How now, Pifanio?

Pif. Madam, here is a letter from my Lord.
Imo. Who! thy Lord? that is my Lord Leonatus :
Oh, learn'd, indeed, were that aftronomer,
That knew the itars, as I his characters:

He'd lay the Future open.- -You good Gods,

Let what is here contain'd relish of love,

Of my
Lord's health, of his content ;- (yet not,
That we two are afunder; let that grieve him!
Some griefs are medicinable; that is one of them, (12)
For it doth phyfick love ;)-of his content,
All but in that.- -Good wax, thy leave,-

-Bleft be

You bees, that make thefe locks of counfel! Lovers,
And men in dang'rous bonds, pray not alike.
Though forfeitures you caft in prifon, yet

You clafp young Cupid's tables: good news, Gods!

(12) Some Griefs are medicinable, that is one of them, For it doth phyfick Love of his Content,

All but in that.]

Thus Mr. Pope has wifely pointed this Paffage in his Quarto Edition of our Poet: by which it is demonftrable, he did not understand it. If Grief phyficks Love of his Content, then it purges his Content away, which is by no means our Author's meaning. All the Editions have confounded the Senfe by a bad Pointing: I have reform'd the whole Context to Senfe, and Perfpicuity.

J

[Reading.

USTICE, and your father's wrath, fhould be take me in his Dominion, could not be fo cruel to me; but you, oh the dearest of creatures, would even renew me with your eyes. Take notice, that I am in Cambria, at Milford-Haven: what your own love will out of this advije you, follow. So, he wishes you all happiness, that remains loyal to his vow, and your increafing in love; Leonatus Pofthumus.

Oh, for a horse with wings! hear'ft thou, Pifanio?
He is at Milford-Haven: read, and tell me
How far 'tis thither. If one of mean affairs
May plod it in a week, why may not I
Glide thither in a day? then, true Pifanio,
Who long't like me to fee thy Lord; who long'ft,
(Oh, let me 'bate) but not like me; yet long'it,
But in a fainter kind-oh, not like me;
For mine's beyond, beyond-Say, and speak thick;
Love's counsellor fhould fill the bores of Hearing
To th' fmoth'ring of the Senfe-how far it is
To this fame bleffed Milford: and, by th' way,
Tell me how Wales was made fo happy, as
T' inherit fuch a haven. But, first of all,
How may we fteal from hence? and for the gap
That we fhall make in time, from our hence going
'Till our return, t'excufe- -but firft, how get hence?
Why fhould excufe be born, or ere begot?
We'll talk of that hereafter. Pr'ythee, speak,
How many score of miles may we well ride
'Twixt hour and hour?

Pif. One score 'twixt fun and fun,

Madam, 's enough for you: and too much too.

Imo. Why, one that rode to's execution, man, Could never go fo flow: I've heard of riding wagers, Where horses have been nimbler than the fands That run i'th' clock's behalf. But this is fool'ry. Go, bid my woman feign a fickness; fay,

She'll home t' her father; and provide me, prefent,

A riding

A riding fuit; no coftlier than would fit
A Franklin's housewife.

Pif. Madam, you'd beft confider.

Imo. I fee before me, man, nor here, nor here, (13) Nor what enfues, but have a fog in Ken,

That I cannot look thro'. Away, I pr'ythee,

Do as I bid thee; there's no more to fay;
Acceffible is none but Milford way.

[Exeunt.

SCENE changes to a Forest with a Cave, in

Bel.

Wales.

Enter Belarius, Guiderius, and Arviragus.

A

Goodly day! not to keep houfe, with fuch
Whofe roof's as low as ours: fee, boys! this
gate

* Inftructs you how t'adore the heav'ns; and bows you
To morning's holy office. Gates of monarchs
Are arch'd fo high, that Giants may jet through
And keep their impious Turbands on, without
Good morrow to the Sun. Hail, thou fair heav'n!
We houfe i'th' rock, yet ufe thee, not fo hardly
As prouder livers do.

Guid. Hail, heaven!

Arv. Hail, heav'n!

Bel. Now for our mountain fport, up to yond hill,

(13) I fee before me, Man, nor bere, nor here,

Nor what enfues; but have a Fog in them,

That I cannot look thro'.]

Where is the Subftantive, to which this Relative plural, them, can poffibly have any Reference? There is None; and the Senfe, as well as Grammar, is defective. I have ventur'd to restore, against the Authority of the printed Copies,

Imogen would fay, "Don't talk of confidering, Man; I neither fee "prefent Events, nor Confequences; but am in a Mift of For"tune, and refolv'd to proceed on the Project determin'd. In Ken, means, in profpect, within Sight, before my Eyes."

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Your

Your legs are young: I'll tread thefe flats. Confider,
When you, above, perceive me like a crow,
That it is place which leffens and sets off;
And you may then revolve what tales I told you,
Of Courts, of Princes, of the tricks in war;
'That service is not fervice, fo being done,
But being fo allow'd. To apprehend thus,
Draws us a profit from all things we fee:
And often, to our comfort, fhall we find
The fharded beetle in a safer hold,
Than is the full-wing'd eagle. Oh, this life
Is nobler than attending for a check;
Richer, than doing nothing for a bauble;
Prouder, than ruftling in unpaid-for filk:
Such gain the cap of him, that makes them fine,
Yet keeps his book uncrofs'd; no life to ours.

Guid. Out of your proof you speak; we, poor, unfledg'd,

Have never wing'd from view o'th' neft; nor know,
What air's from home. Haply, this life is beft,
If quiet life is beft; fweeter to you,

That have a sharper known: well correfponding
With your ftiff age; but unto us, it is
A cell of ign'rance; travelling a-bed;
A prison, for a debtor that not dares
To ftride a limit.

Arv. What should we speak of,

When we are old as you? when we shall hear
The rain and wind beat dark December? how,
In this our pinching Cave, fhall we difcourfe
The freezing hours away? We have seen nothing;
We're beafly; fubtle as the fox for prey,
Like warlike as the wolf, for what we eat :
Our valour is to chafe what flies; our cage
We make a choir, as doth the prison'd bird,
And fing our bondage freely.

Bel. How you fpeak!

Did you but know the city's ufuries,

And felt them knowingly; the art o'th' Court,
As hard to leave, as keep; whofe top to climb,

Is

Is certain falling; or fo flipp'ry, that

The fear's as bad as falling; the toil of war;
A pain, that only feems to feek out danger

I'th' naine of fame and honour; which dies i'th' fearch, And hath as oft a fland'rous epitaph,

As record of fair act; nay, many time,

Doth ill deferve, by doing well what's worse,
Muft curt'fy at the cenfure:Oh, boys, this ftory'
The world may read in me: my body's mark'd
With Roman fwords; and my Report was once
Firft with the beft of note. Cymbeline lov'd me;
And when a foldier was the theam, my name
Was not far off: then was I as a tree,
Whofe boughs did bend with fruit.

night,

A ftorm, or robbery, call it what you will,

But, in one

Shook down my mellow hangings, nay, my leaves;
And left me bare to weather,

Guid. Uncertain favour!

Bel. My fault being nothing, as I have told you oft,

But that two villains (whofe falfe oaths prevail'd
Before my perfect honour) fwore to Cymbeline,
I was confed'rate with the Romans: fo,

Follow'd my banishment; and, thefe twenty years,
This rock and these demeafnes have been my world;
Where I have liv'd at honeft freedom; pay'd

More pious debts to heaven, than in`all

The fore-end of my time.

tains!

-But, up to th' moun

This is not hunters' language; he, that ftrikes
The venifon firft, fhall be the Lord o'th' feaft;

To him the other two shall minister,

And we will fear no poifon, which attends

In place of greater State :

I'll meet you in the valleys.

[Exeunt Guid. and Arvir.

How hard it is to hide the fparks of nature!

Thefe boys know little, they are Sons to th' King;
Nor Cymbeline dreams, that they are alive.

L 5

They