Who shall 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 fhak'd; the agent for his master;
And the remembrancer of her, to hold

The hand faft to her Lord. I've giv'n him That,
Which, if he take, fhall quite unpeople her

Of leidgers for her fweet; and which fhe, after,
Except the bend her humour, shall 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.

[Exit.

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

SCENE changes to Imogen's Apartments.

Imo. A

Enter Imogen alone.

Father cruel, and a Stepdame falfe,

A foolish fuitor to a wedded lady,

That hath her husband banish'd

-O, that husband!

My fupream crown of grief, and those repeated
Vexations of it- Had I been thief ftoln,
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 honeft wills,

Think what a Change thou chanceft on,

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

Which feasons comfort. Who may this be? fie!

Enter Pifanio, and Iachimo.

Pif. Madam, a noble Gentleman of Rome Comes from my Lord with letters.

lach. 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.

Imogen reads.

[Afide:

He is one of the nobleft note, to whofe kindnesses I am most infinitely tyed. Reflect upon him accordingly, as you value your truft.

So far I read aloud:

But even 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.

lach. Thanks, faireft 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 Sense the Beach, or Shore, fhould be call'd number'd. I have venwur'd, against all the Copies, to substitute

K 2

:

Upon

Partition make with fpectacles fo precious "Twixt fair and foul?

Imo. What makes your admiration ?

Iach. It cannot be i'th' eye; (for apes and monkeys, "Twixt two such she's, would chatter this way, and Contemn with mowes the other :) Nor i'th' judgment; (For Ideots, in this cafe of favour, would Be wifely definite :) Nor i'th' appetite: (Slutt'ry, to fuch neat excellence oppos'd, Should make defire vomit emptiness, Not fo allur'd to feed.)

Imo. What is the matter, trow?
lach. The cloyed will,

That fatiate, yet unfatisfy'd defire,. (that tub,
Both fill'd and running;) ravening firft the lamb,
Longs after for the garbage-

Imo. What, dear Sir,

Thus raps you? are you well?

Iach. Thanks, Madam, well-Befeech you, Sir,

[To Pifanio.

Defire my man's abode, where I did leave him ;

He's ftrange, and peevish.

Pif, I was going, Sir,

To give him welcome.

Imo. Continues well my Lord

His health, 'beseech you?

lach. Well, Madam.

Imo. Is he difpos'd to mirth? I hope, he is.
Iach Exceeding pleasant; none a ftranger there
So merry, and fo gamefome; he is call'd
The Britaine Reveller.,

Upon th'unnumber'd Beach.

i. e. the infinite, extenfive Beach, if we are to understand the Epithet as coupled to That Word. But, I rather think, the Poet intended an Hypallage, like That in the Beginning of Ovid's Metamorphofes:

(In nova fert Animus mutatas dicere formas
Corpora,)

And then we are to understand the Passage thus; and the infinitt
Number of twinn'd Stones upon the Beach.

Imo. When he was here,

He did incline to fadness, and oft times
Not knowing why.

lach. I never faw him fad.

There is a Frenchman his companion, one,

An eminent Monfieur, that, it feems, much loves
A Gallian girl at home. He furnaces

The thick fighs from him; whiles the jolly Briton,
(Your Lord, I mean,) laughes from's free lungs, cries
Oh!-

Can my
By hiftory, report, or his own proof,

fides hold, to think, that man, who knows

What woman is, yea, what fhe cannot chufe
But muft be, will his free hours languish out
For affur'd bondage?

Imo. Will my Lord fay fo?

Jach. Ay, Madam, with his eyes in flood with laughter. It is a recreation to be by,

And hear him mock the Frenchman: but heav'n knows, Some men are much to blame.

Ime. Not he, I hope.

lach. Not he.

might

But yet heav'n's bounty tow'rds him

Be us'd more thankfully. In himself, 'tis much;
In you, whom I count his, beyond all talents;
Whilft I am bound to wonder, I am bound

You look on me; what wreck difcern you i» ---

Deferves your pity?

Iach. Lamentable! what

To hide me from

t

radiant fun, and foface

I'th' dungeon by a snuff?

Imo. I pray you, Sir,

Deliver with more openness your answers
Το my demands. Why do you pity me

Fach. That others do,

I was about to fay, enjoy your

-but

It is an office of the Gods to venge it,
Not mine to speak on't.

Imo. You do feem to know

Something of me, or what concerns me; pray you,
(Since doubting things go ill, often hurts more
Than to be fure they do; for certainties
Or are paft remedies, or timely knowing,
The remedy then born;) discover to me
What both you fpur and stop.

lach. Had I this cheek

To bath my lips upon; this hand, whofe touch,
Whofe ev'ry touch would force the feeler's foul
To th' oath of loyalty; this object, which
Takes pris'ner the wild motion of mine eye,
Fixing it only here; should I, (damn'd then,)
Slaver with lips, as common as the stairs
That mount the Capitol; join gripes with hands
Made hard with hourly falfhood, as with labour;
Then glad myself by peeping in an eye,
Bafe and unluftrous as the fmoaky light
That's fed with ftinking tallow; it were fit,
That all the plagues of hell fhould at one time
Encounter fuch revolt.

Inclin'd to this intelligence, pronounce

The beggary of his change; but 'tis your graces,
That from my mutest conscience, to my tongue,
Charms this report out.

Imo. Let me hear no more.

Iach. O dearest foul! your caufe doth strike my heart With pity, that doth make me fick. A Lady

So fair, and faften'd to an empery,

Would make the great'ft King double! to be partner'd

With tomboys, hir'd with that self-exhibition

Which your own coffers yield!-with difeas'd ventures, That play with all infirmities for gold,

Which rottennefs lends nature! fuch boyl'd stuff,

As well might poifon Poifon! Be reveng'd;

Or