To make perfumes? distil? preserve? yea, so,
That our great king himself doth woo me oft
For my confections? Having thus far proceeded,
(Unless thou think'st me devilish,) is't not meet
That I did amplify my judgment in

Other conclusions?! I will try the forces

Of these thy compounds on such creatures as
We count not worth the hanging, (but none human,)
To try the vigor of them, and apply .

Allayments to their act; and by them gather

Their several virtues, and effects.

Your highness,

Cor.
Shall from this practice but make hard
Besides, the seeing these effects will be
Both noisome and infectious.

your heart.

Queen.

O, content thee.—

Enter PISANIO.

Here comes a flattering rascal; upon him [Aside. Will I first work; he's for his master,

And enemy to my son.-How now, Pisanio?

Doctor, your service for this time is ended;

Hark thee, a word.—
[TO PISANIO.

Cor. [Aside.] I do not like her. She doth think

she has

Strange, lingering poisons; I do know her spirit,
And will not trust one of her malice with

A drug of such damned nature. Those she has,
Will stupefy and dull the sense awhile;

Which first, perchance, she'll prove on cats, and dogs;
Then afterward up higher; but there is
No danger in what show of death it makes,
More than the locking up the spirits a time,

To be more fresh, reviving. She is fooled
With a most false effect; and I the truer,

So to be false with her.

Queen.

Until I send for thee.

Cor.

No further service, doctor,

I humbly take my leave.

[Exit.

Queen. Weeps she still, say'st thou? Dost thou think, in time

She will not quench; and let instructions enter
Where folly now possesses? Do thou work;
When thou shalt bring me word she loves my son,
I'll tell thee, on the instant, thou art then
As great as is thy master; greater; for
His fortunes all lie speechless, and his name
Is at last gasp.
Return he cannot, nor

Continue where he is; to shift his being,
Is to exchange one misery with another;
And every day that comes, comes to decay
A day's work in him. What shalt thou expect,
To be depender on a thing that leans? 3
Who cannot be new-built; nor has no friends,

3

[The Queen drops a box; PISANIO takes it up.
So much as but to prop him?-Thou tak'st up
Thou know'st not what; but take it for thy labor.
It is a thing I made, which hath the king
Five times redeemed from death; I do not know
What is more cordial :-Nay, I pr'ythee, take it;
It is an earnest of a further good

That I mean to thee. Tell thy mistress how
The case stands with her; do't, as from thyself.
Think what a chance thou changest on ; but think
Thou hast thy mistress still; to boot, my son,

1 i. e. grow cool.

3 That inclines towards its fall.

4

2 To change his abode.

4 "Think with what a fair prospect of mending your fortunes you now change your present service." It has been proposed to read :

and,

"Think what a chance thou chancest on;"

"Think what a change thou chancest on."

But there seems to be no necessity for alteration.

Who shall take notice of thee. I'll move the king
To any shape of thy preferment, such
As thou❜lt desire; and then myself, I chiefly,
That set thee on to this desert, am bound
To load thy merit richly. Call my women;
Think on my words. [Exit PISA.]—A sly and con-
stant knave;

Not to be shaked; the agent for his master;
And the remembrancer of her, to hold

The hand fast to her lord.-I have given him that,
Which, if he take, shall quite unpeople her

Of liegers1 for her sweet; and which she, after,
Except she bend her humor, shall be assured

Re-enter PISANIO and Ladies.

To taste of too. So, so ;-well done, well done.
The violets, cowslips, and the primroses,

Bear to my closet.-Fare thee well, Pisanio;

Think on my words. [Exeunt Queen and Ladies. And shall do; 2

Pis.

But when to my good lord I prove untrue,

I'll choke myself; there's all I'll do for you.

[Exit.

SCENE VII. Another Room in the same.

Enter IMOGEN.

Imo. A father cruel, and a step-dame false; A foolish suitor to a wedded lady,

That hath her husband banished;-O, that husband! My supreme crown of grief! and those repeated Vexations of it! Had I been thief-stolen,

As my two brothers, happy! but most miserable

1 A lieger ambassador is one that resides in a foreign court to promote his master's interest.

2 Some words, which rendered this sentence less abrupt, and perfected the metre of it, appear to have been omitted in the old copies.

Is the desire that's glorious.1 Blessed be those,
How mean soe'er, that have their honest wills,
Which seasons comfort.-Who may this be? Fie!

Enter PISANIO and IACHIMO.

Pis. Madam, a noble gentleman of Rome, Comes from my lord with letters.

Iach.

Change you, madam?

The worthy Leonatus is in safety,
And greets your highness dearly.

Imo.

You are kindly welcome.

[Presents a letter. Thanks, good sir;

Iach. All of her, that is out of door, most rich!

If she be furnished with a mind so rare,

She is alone the Arabian bird; and I

Have lost the wager. Boldness, be my friend!
Arm me, audacity, from head to foot!

Or, like the Parthian, I shall flying fight;
Rather, directly fly.

[Aside.

Imo. [Reads.] He is one of the noblest note, to whose kindnesses I am most infinitely tied. Reflect upon him accordingly, as you value

So far I read aloud;

your truest 2

But even the very middle of my heart

LEONATUS.

Is warmed by the rest, 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.

Iach.

What! are men mad?

Thanks, fairest lady.—

Hath nature given them eyes To see this vaulted arch, and the rich crop

1 Imogen's sentiment appears to be, "Had I been stolen by thieves in my infancy, I had been happy. But how pregnant with misery is that station which is called glorious, and so much desired."

2 The old copy reads, trust. The emendation was suggested by Mason; is defended by Steevens; and opposed by Malone.

Of sea and land, which can distinguish 'twixt
The fiery orbs above, and the twinned stones
Upon the numbered beach?1 and can we not
Partition make with spectacles so precious
'Twixt fair and foul?

Imo.

What makes your admiration? Iach. It cannot be i'the eye; for apes and monkeys 'Twixt two such shes, would chatter this way, and Contemn with mows the other: nor i'the judgment; For idiots, in this case of favor, would

2

Be wisely definite nor i'the appetite;
Sluttery, to such neat excellence opposed,
Should make desire vomit emptiness,
Not so allured to feed.3

Imo. What is the matter, trow?
Iach.

(That satiate yet unsatisfied desire,

The cloyed will,

That tub both filled and running,) ravening first
The lamb, longs after for the garbage.

Imo.

Thus raps you? Are you well?

What, dear sir,

[TO PISANIO.

Iach. Thanks, madam; well.-'Beseech you, sir,

desire

My man's abode where I did leave him: he

Is strange and peevish.*

Pis.

To give him welcome.

I was going, sir,

[Exit PISANIO.

Imo. Continues well my lord? His health, beseech

you?

Iach. Well, madam.

1 We must either believe that the Poet, by "numbered beach," means "numerous beach," or else that he wrote "th' unnumbered beach;" which, indeed, seems most probable.

2 To mow or moe, is to make mouths.

3 Iachimo has shown how the eyes and the judgment would determine in favor of Imogen; comparing her with the supposititious present mistress of Posthumus, he proceeds to say, that appetite too would give the same suffrage. Desire (says he) when it approached sluttery, and considered it in comparison with such neat excellence, would not only be not so allured to feed, but, seized with a fit of loathing, would vomit emptiness, would feel the convulsions of disgust, though, being unfed, it had no object. 4 i. e. he is a foreigner, and foolish, or silly.