That, ftriking in our country's cause,
Fell bravely and were flain;
Our fealty, and Tenantius' right,
With honour to maintain.

1 Bro. Like hardiment Pofthumus hath
To Cymbeline perform'd;
Then, Jupiter, thou King of Gods,
Why haft thou thus adjourn'd

The graces for his merits due,

Being all to dolours turn'd?

Sici. Thy crystal window ope; look out;
No longer exercise,

Upon a valiant race, thy harsh

And potent injuries.

Moth. Since, Jupiter, our fon is good,
Take off his miferies.

Sici. Peep through thy marble mansion, help!
Or we poor ghofts will cry

To th' fhining fynod of the reft,

Against thy Deity.

2 Breth. Help, Jupiter, or we appeal, And from thy justice flie.

Jupiter defcends in thunder and lightning, fitting upon an eagle he throws a thunder-bolt. The ghosts fall on their knees.

Jupit. No more, you petty fpirits of region low,
Offend our hearing; hufh!-how dare you, Ghofts,
Accufe the Thunderer, whofe bolt you know,
Sky-planted, batters all rebelling coafts?
Poor fhadows of Elyfium, hence and reft
Upon your never-withering banks of flowers.
Be not with mortal accidents oppreft,

No care of yours it is: you know, 'tis ours.
Whom beft I love, I crofs; to make my gift,
The more delay'd, delighted. Be content,
Your low-laid fon our godhead will uplift:
His comforts thrive, his tryals well are spent ;
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Our

Our Jovial ftar reign'd at his birth, and in
Our temple was he married: rife, and fade!
He fhall be lord of lady Imogen,

And happier much by his affliction made.
This tablet lay upon his breaft, wherein

[Jupiter drops a tablet.
Our pleasure his full fortune doth confine;
And fo, away;-no farther with your din
Exprefs impatience, left you ftir up mine;
Mount, eagle, to my palace cryftalline. [Afcends.
Sici. He came in thunder, his coeleftial breath
Was fulphurous to fmell; the holy eagle
Stoop'd, as to foot us; his afcenfion is

More sweet than our bleft fields; his royal bird
Prunes the immortal wing, and cloys his beak,
As when his God is pleas'd.

All. Thanks, Jupiter!

Sici. The marble pavement closes, he is enter'd His radiant roof: away, and to be bleft

Let us with care perform his great beheft.

[Vanish. Poft. [waking.] Sleep, thou haft been a grandfire, and begot

A father to me: and thou haft created

A mother and two brothers, But, oh fcorn!
Gone-they went hence fo foon as they were born;
And so I am awake-Poor wretches, that depend
On Greatness' favour, dream as I have done;
Wake, and find nothing.-But, alas, I fwerve:
Many dream not to find, neither deserve;
And yet are steep'd in favours; fo am I

That have this golden chance, and know not why:
What fairies haunt this ground? a book! oh rare one!
Be not, as in our fangled world, a garment
Nobler than that it covers. Let thy effects
So follow, to be most unlike our Courtiers;
As good as promise.

Reads.

[Reads.]

WHEN as the lion's whelp fhall, to himself unknown, without feeking find, and be embrac'd by a piece of tender air; and when from a stately cedar fhall be lopt branches, which, being dead many years, shall after revive, be jointed to the old stock, and freshly grow, then fball Pofthumus end his miferies, Britaine be fortunate, and flourish in peace and plenty.

8 'Tis ftill a dream; or elfe fuch ftuff, as madmen Tongue, and brain not-do either both, or nothingOr fenfeless speaking, or a fpeaking fuch

As fenfe cannot untie. But what it is,

The action of my life is like it, which I'll keep
If but for fympathy.

Enter Goaler.

Goal. Come, Sir, are you ready for death? Poft. Over-roafted rather: ready long ago. Goal. Hanging is the word, Sir; if you be ready for that, you are well cookt.

Poft. So if it prove a good repaft to the fpectators, the dish pays the fhot.

Goal. A heavy reckoning for you, Sir; but the comfort is, you shall be call'd to no more payments, fear no more tavern bills, which are often the sadness of parting, as the procuring of mirth; you come in faint for want of meat, depart reeling with too much drink forry that you have paid too much, and sorry that you

8 'Tis fill a dream; or elfe fuch fluff, as madmen Tongue, and brain not-do either both, or nothing. Or fenfelefs fpeaking, or a speaking fuch

As fenfe cannot untie.] The obfcurity of this paffage arifes from part of it being spoke of the prophefy, and part to it. This writing on the Tablet (fays he) is ftill a dream, or else the raving of madness. Do thou, O Tablet, either both, or nothing; either let thy words and fenfe go together, or be thy bofom a rafa tabula. As the words now ftand they are nonsense, or at leaft involve in them a fenfe which I cannot divelope.

are paid too much; purse and brain, both empty, the brain the heavier, for being too light; the purfe too light being drawn of heavinefs. Oh, of this contradiction you fhall now be quit: oh, the charity of a penny cord, it fums up thousands in a trice; you have no true debtor, and creditor, but it; of what's paft, is, and to come, the discharge; your neck, Sir, is pen, book, and counters; fo the acquittance follows. Pft. I am merrier to die, than thou art to live.

Goal. Indeed, Sir, he that fleeps, feels not the tooth ache but a man that were to fleep your sleep, and a hangman to help him to bed, I think, he would change places with his officer: for look you, Sir, you know not which way you fhall go.

Poft. Yes, indeed, do I, fellow.

Goal. Your death has eyes in's head then; I have not feen him so pictur'd: you muft either be directed by fome that take upon them to know; or to take upon your self that, which, I am fure, you do not know; cr lump the after-enquiry on your own peril; and how you fhall fpeed in your journey's-end, I think, you'll never return to tell one.

Pft. I tell thee, fellow, there are none want eyes, to direct them the way I am going, but such as wink, and will not use them.

Goal. What an infinite mock is this, that a man fhould have the beft ufe of eyes, to fee the way of blindness! I am fure, hanging's the way of winking. Enter a Meffenger.

Mef. Knock off his manacles, bring your prifoner to the King.

Poft. Thou bring'ft good news; I am called to be made free.

Goal. I'll be hang'd then.

Poft. Thou shalt be then freer than a goaler; no bolts for the dead. [Exeunt Pofthumus and Messenger.

Goal.

Goal. Unless a man would marry a gallows, and beget young gibbets, I never faw one fo prone. Yet, on my conscience, there are verier knaves defire to live, for all he be a Roman: and there be fome of them too, that die against their wills; fo fhould I, if I were one. I would, we were all of one mind, and one mind good; O, there were defolation of goalers and gallowfes; I fpeak against my prefent profit, but my wifh hath a preferment in't. [Exit.

Enter Cymbeline, Belarius, Guiderius, Arviragus, Pifanio, and lords.

Cym.TAND by my fide, you, whom the Gods

Cym. S have made

Prefervers of my Throne. Wo is my heart,
That the poor Soldier, that fo richly fought,
(Whose rags fham'd gilded arms; whofe naked breaft
Stept before fhields of proof,) cannot be found:
He shall be happy that can find him, if

Our grace can make him fo.

Bel. 9 I never faw

Such noble fury in fo poor a thing:

Such precious deeds in one that promis'd nought
But begg'ry and poor Luck.

9 1 never faw

Such noble fury in fo poor a thing;

Such precious deeds in one that promis'd nought

But begg'ry and poor Looks.] But how can it be faid, that one, whofe poor Looks promife beggary, promised poor Looks too? it was not the poor look which was promised: that was visible. We must read,

But begg'ry and poor Luck.

This fets the matter right, and makes Belarius speak sense and to the purpose. For there was the extraordinary thing; he promis'd nothing but poor Luck, and yet perform'd all these wonders.

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Cym.