Known but by letter; thither write, my Queen, And with mine eyes I'll drink the words you fend, Though ink be made of gall.

Re-enter Queen.

Queen. Be brief, I pray you;

If the King come, I fhall incur I know not

How much of his displeasure-yet I'll move him

To walk this way; I never do him wrong,

But he does buy my injuries: to be friends,
Pays dear for my offences.

Poft. Should we be taking leave,

As long a term as yet we have to live,

The lothness to depart would grow :-adieu!
Imo. Nay, ftay a little-

Were you but riding forth to air your self,

[Afide.

[Exit,

Such Parting were too petty. Look here, Love,
This diamond was my mother's; take it, heart,
But keep it till you woo another wife,
When Imogen is dead.

Poft. How, how, another!

You gentle Gods, give me but this I have,
And fear up my embracements from a next

With bonds of death. Remain, remain thou here,

[Putting on the ring.

While fenfe can keep thee on! and Sweeteft, Faireft,
As I my poor felf did exchange for you,

To your fo infinite lofs; fo, in our trifles
I ftill win of you. For my fake, wear this;
It is a manacle of love, I'll place it

[Putting a bracelet on her arm.

Upon this fairest pris'ner.
Imo. O, the Gods!

When fhall we fee again?

SCENE

S CEN E III.

Enter Cymbeline, and Lords.

Poft. Alack, the King!

Cym. Thou baseft Thing, avoid; hence, from my fight:

If, after this Command, thou fraught the Court
With thy unworthiness, thou dy't. Away!
Thou'rt poifon to my blood.

Poft. The Gods protect you,

And bless the good remainders of the Court!

I'm gone.

Imo. There cannot be a pinch in death More fharp than this is.

Cym. O difloyal thing,

That should'ft repair my youth, thou heap'ft

A yare age on me.

Imo. I beseech you, Sir,

Harm not your felf with your Vexation;

I'm fenfelefs of your wrath;

[Exit.

a touch more rare

Subdues all pangs, all fears.
Cym. Paft grace? obedience?

4 O difloyal thing,

Thou should't repair my youth, thou heap'f

A Year's age on me.] The King lov'd his daughter, and was much vex'd and difappointed at her having married against his confent. But, furely, his forrow was not very extreme, if the effects of it only added one year to his age; we must correct, A yare age on me.

i. e. a fudden, precipitate, old age. For the word fignifies not only nimble, dextrous, as it is many times employ'd in our author but likewife, as SKINNER expounds it, fervidus, promptus, præceps, impatiens. But the Oxford Editor amends it thus,

Thon beapeft many

A year's age on me.

5 —a touch more rare] More ftrcng, forcible; alluding to the Atroke of lightening.

Imo.

Imo. Paft hope, and in despair; that way, paft grace.

Cym. Thou might'st have had the fole fon of my Queen.

Imo. O, bleft, that I might not! I chose an eagle, And did avoid a puttock.

Cym. Thou took'st a beggar; would'st have made my Throne

A Seat for Baseness.

Imo. No, I rather added A luftre to it.

Cym. O thou vile one!
Imo. Sir,

It is your fault, that I have lov'd Posthumus :
You bred him as my play-fellow; and he is
A man, worth any woman; over-buys me
Almoft the fum he pays.

Cym. What!-art thou mad?

Imo. Almoft, Sir; heav'n restore me! 'would I

were

A neat-herd's daughter, and my Leonatus

Our neighbour-fhepherd's fon!

Enter Queen.

Cym. Thou foolish Thing;

They were again together, you have done

[To the Queen.

Not after our Command. Away with her,

And pen her up.

Queen. Befeech you patience; peace,

Dear lady daughter, peace. Sweet Sovereign,

Leave us t'our felves, and make your felf fome comfort

Out of your belt advice.

Cym. Nay, let her languish

A drop of blood a-day; and, being aged,

Die of this folly.

[Exit.

Enter

Enter Pifanio.

Queen. Fie, you must give way:

Here is your fervant. How now, Sir? what news?
Pif. My lord your fon drew on my master.
Queen. Hah!

No harm, I truft, is done?

Pif. There might have been,

But that my mafter rather play'd, than fought,
And had no help of anger: they were parted
By gentlemen at hand.

Queen. I'm very glad on't.

Imo. Your fon's my father's friend, he takes his part. To draw upon an exile: O brave Sir!

I would they were in Africk both together,
Myfelf by with a needle, that I might prick
The goer-back. Why came you from your mafter?
Pif. On his command; he would not suffer me
To bring him to the haven: left these notes
Of what commands I fhould be subject to,
When't pleas'd you to employ me.

Queen. This hath been

Your faithful fervant: I dare lay mine honour,
He will remain fo.

Pif. I humbly thank your Highness.

Queen. Pray, walk a while.

Imo. About fome half hour hence, pray you, speak

with me;

You shall, at least, go fee my Lord aboard.

From this time leave me.

S

[Exeunt.

CENE IV.

Enter Cloten, and two Lords.

1 Lord. Sir, I would advise you to shift a shirt; the violence of action hath made you reek as a facrifice. Where air comes out, air comes in: there's none abroad fo wholfom as That you vent.

Clot.

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.

Clot. The villain would not ftand me.

[Afide.

2* Lord. No, but he fled forward ftill, towards 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.

Clot. And that she should love this fellow, and refufe 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 Shine, but I have seen small reflection of her wit.

2 Lord. She fhines 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.

[Afide.

6 She's a good fign.] If fign be the true reading, the poet means by it conftellation, and by reflection is meant influence. But I rather think, from the answer, that he wrote fine, So in his Venus and Adonis,

As if, from thence, they borrowed all their fhine.

Clot.