Clot. If my fhirt were bloody, then to fhift itHave I hurt him?

2 Lord. No, faith: Not fo much as his patience.

[Afide. 1 Lord. Hurt him? his body's a paffable carkafs, if he be not hurt. It is a thorough-fare for fteel, if it be not hurt.

2 Lord. His fteel was in debt, it went o'th' backfide the town. [Afide.

Clot. The villain would not stand me.

2 Lord. No, but he fled forward still, toward your face. [Afide. 1 Lord. Stand you? you have land enough of your own; but he added to your Having, gave you fome ground.

2 Lord. As many inches as you have oceans, pup

pies!

[Afide. Clot. I would, they had not come between us. 2 Lord. So would I, 'till you had measur'd how long a fool you were upon the ground.

[Afide. Clat. And that the should love this fellow, and re fufe me!

2 Lord. If it be a fin to make a true election, she's damn'd. [Afide. 1 Lord. Sir, as I told you always, her beauty and her brain go not together. She's a good Sign, but I have feen fmall reflection of her wit.

2 Lord. She shines not upon fools, left the reflection fhould hurt her.

[Afide. Clot. Come, I'll to my chamber: 'would, there had been fome hurt done!

2 Lord. I wifh not fo; unless it had been the fall of an afs, which is no great hurt.

Clot. You'll go with us?

1 Lord. I'll attend your Lordship. Clot. Nay, come, let's go together. 2 Lard. Well, my Lord.

[Afide

[Exeunt.

SCENE

Imo.

SCE NE, Imogen's Apartments.

Enter Imogen, and Pifanio.

I Would, thou grew'ft unto the shores o'th' ha

ven,

And queftion'd'ft every fail: if he should write,
And I not have it, 'twere a paper loft

As offer'd mercy is. What was the last
That he spake with thee?

Pif. 'Twas," His Queen, his Queen!
Imo. Then wav'd his handkerchief?
Pif. And kiss'd it, Madam.

Imo. Senfelefs linnen, happier therein than I!
And that was all?

Pif. No, Madam; (3) for fo long

As he could make me with this eye, or ear,
Diftinguish him from others, he did keep
The deck, with glove, or hat, or handkerchief,
Still waving, as the fits and stirs of's mind
Could beft exprefs how flow his foul fail'd on,
How fwift his fhip.

Imo. Thou fhould'ft have made him

As little as a crow, or lefs, ere left

To after-eye him.

Pif. Madam, so I did.

Imo. I would have broke mine eye-ftrings; crackt

'em, but

To look upon him; 'till the diminution

As he could make me with his Eye or Ear

Diftinguish him from others,] But how could Posthumus make himself diftinguish'd by his Ear to Pifanio? By his Tongue he might, to the other's Ear: and this was certainly Shakespeare's Intention. We must therefore read, as Mr. War burton hinted to me;

As he could make me with this Eye, or Ear,
Diftinguish him from others.

The Expreffion is deixas, as the Greeks terme it: The
Party speaking points to the Party spoken of,

Of

Offpace had pointed him sharp as my needle;
Nay, follow'd him, till he had melted from
The fmallness of a gnat, to air; and then

Have turn'd mine eye, and wept.But, good Pifanio,

When shall we hear from him?

Pif. Be affur'd, Madam, With his next vantage.

Imo. I did not take my leave of him, but had Moft pretty things to fay: ere I could tell him, How I would think on him, at certain hours,

Such thoughts, and fuch; or, I could make him fwear, The She's of Italy fhould not betray

Mine intereft, and his honour; or have charg'd him,
At the fixth hour of morn, at noon, at midnight,
T'encounter me with Orifons; (for then

I am in heaven for him ;) or ere I could
Give him that parting kifs, which I had set
Betwixt two charming words, comes in my Father;
And, like the tyrannous breathing of the North,
Shakes all our buds from growing.

Enter a Lady.

Lady. The Queen, Madam,

Defires your Highness' company.

Imo. Thofe things I bid you do, get them dispatch'd.

I will attend the Queen.

Pif. Madam, I fall.

SCENE changes to Rome.

[Exeunt.

Enter Philario, Iachimo, and a French man.

lach. B

Elieve it, Sir, I have feen him in Britaine; he was then of a crefcent Note; expected to prove fo worthy, as fince he has been allowed the name of. But I could then have look'd on him, without the help of admiration; though the catalogue of his endowments had been tabled by his fide, and I to perufe him by Items.

Phil. You fpeak of him when he was lefs furnish'd, than now he is, with That which makes him both without and within.

French. I have feen him in France; we had very many there, could behold the fun with as firm eyes as he.

lach. This matter of marrying his King's Daughter, (wherein he must be weighed rather by her value, than his own) words him, I doubt not, a great deal from

the matter.

French. And then his banishment

lach. Ay, and the approbation of those, that weep this lamentable divorce under her colours, are wonderfully to extend him; be it but to fortifie her Judgment, which elfe an eafie battery might lay flat, for taking a beggar without more quality. But how comes it, he is to fojourn with you? how creeps acquain

tance?

Phil. His father and I were foldiers together, to whom I have been often bound for no less than my life.

Enter Pofthumus.

Here comes the Briton. Let him be fo entertained amongst you, as fuits with Gentlemen of your knowing, to a ftranger of his quality. I beseech you all, be better known to this Gentleman; whom I commend to you as a noble friend of mine. How worthy he is, I will leave to appear hereafter, rather than ftory him in his own hearing.

French. Sir, we have been known together in Orleans.

Poft. Since when I have been debtor to you for courtefies, which I will be ever to pay, and yet pay ftill.

French. Sir, you o'er-rate my poor kindness; I was glad I did atone my Countryman and you; it had been pity, you fhould have been put together with fo mortal a purpose, as then each bore, upon importance of so flight and trivial a nature.

Poft. By your pardon, Sir, I was then a young traveller; rather fhun'd to go even with what I heard, than in my every action to be guided by others' experiences; but upon my mended judgment, (if I offend not to fay, it is mended,) my quarrel was not altogether flight.

French. Faith, yes, to be put to the arbitrement of fwords; and by fuch two, that would by all likelihood have confounded one the other, or have faln both.

Iach. Can we with manners ask, what was the difference?

French. Safely, I think; 'twas a contention in publick, which may without contradiction fuffer the report. It was much like an argument that fell out last night, where each of us fell in praife of our Country miftreffes: This Gentleman at that time vouching, (and upon warrant of bloody affirmation,) his to be more fair, virtuous, wife, chait, conftant, qualified, and lefs attemptable than any the rareft of our ladies in France.

lach. That Lady is not now living; or this Gentleman's opinion, by this, worn out.

Poft. She holds her virtue still, and I my mind.

Iach. You muft not fo far prefer her, 'fore ours of Italy.

Poft. Being fo far provok'd, as I was in France, I would abate her nothing; tho' I profefs my felf her adorer, not her friend.

Iach. As fair, and as good, a kind of hand-in-hand comparison, had been fomething too fair and too good for any Lady in Britany. If he went before others I have seen, as that diamond of yours out-lufters many I have beheld, I could not believe, the excelled many; but I have not feen the moft precious diamond that is, nor you the Lady.

Poft. I prais'd her, as I rated her; fo do I
Iach. What do you efteem it at ?

my

ftone.

Poft. More than the world enjoys.