Command into obedience; fear and niceness
(The handmaids of all women, or, more truly,
Woman its pretty self) into a waggish courage;
Ready in gibes, quick-answer'd, saucy, and
As quarrellous as the weasel 17: nay, you must
Forget that rarest treasure of your cheek,
Exposing it (but, O, the harder heart!
Alack no remedy!) to the greedy touch
Of common-kissing Titan 18! and forget
Your laboursome and dainty trims, wherein
You made great Juno angry.

Imo.

Nay, be brief: I see into thy end, and am almost

A man already.

Pis.

First, make yourself but like one,

Fore-thinking this, I have already fit

('Tis in my cloak-bag) doublet, hat, hose, all

That answer to them: Would you, in their serving,

And with what imitation you can borrow

From youth of such a season, 'fore noble Lucius
Present yourself, desire his service, tell him

17 So in King Henry IV. Part I.:—

'A weasel hath not such a deal of spleen

As you are toss'd with.'

This character of the weasel is not mentioned by naturalists. Weasels were formerly, it appears, kept in houses instead of cats, for the purpose of killing vermin. Phædrus notices this their feline office in the first and fourth fables of his fourth book. The poet no doubt speaks from observation; while a youth he would have frequent opportunities to ascertain their disposition. Perhaps this note requires the apology which Steevens has affixed to it:- Frivola hæc fortassis cuipiam et nimis levia esse videantur sed curiositas nihil recusat.'-Vopiscus in Vità Aureliani, c. x.

18 Thus in Othello :

The bawdy wind that kisses all it meets.'

So in Sidney's Arcadia, lib. iii. ‹ And beautiful might have been if they had not suffered greedy Phœbus over often and hard to kisse them.'

Wherein you are happy 19 (which you'll make him

know,

If that his head have ear in musick), doubtless, With joy he will embrace you; for he's honourable, And, doubling that, most holy. Your means abroad You have me 20, rich; and I will never fail

Beginning, nor supplyment.

Imo.

Thou art all the comfort The gods will diet me with 21. Pr'ythee, away: There's more to be consider'd; but we'll even 22 All that good time will give us : This attempt I am soldier to 23, and will abide it with A prince's courage. Away, I pr'ythee.

Pis. Well, madam, we must take a short farewell: Lest, being miss'd, I be suspected of

Your carriage from the court. My noble mistress,
Here is a box; I had it from the queen;
What's in't is precious; if you are sick at sea,
Or stomach-qualm'd at land, a dram of this
Will drive away distemper.-To some shade,
And fit you to your manhood:-May the gods
Direct you to the best!
Imo.

Amen: I thank thee.

19 i. e. wherein you are accomplished.

[Exeunt.

20 As for your subsistence abroad, you may rely on me." 21 Steevens has a note on this passage no less disgusting than absurd, making the pure Imogen allude to the spare regimen prescribed in some diseases. The interpretation was at once gross and erroneous. When Iago talks of dieting his revenge, he certainly does not mean putting it on a spare diet. This, and a note on a former passage of this play by Mr. Whalley, which could only have been the offspring of impure imaginations, were justly stigmatized and degraded by the late Mr. Boswell at the suggestion of Mr. Douce.

22 We'll make our work even with our time; we'll do what time will allow.

23 i. e. I am equal to, or have ability for it.

SCENE V. A Room in Cymbeline's Palace.

Enter CYMBELINE, Queen, CLOTEN, LUCIUS, and Lords.

Cym. Thus far; and so farewell.

Luc.

Thanks, royal sir.

My emperor hath wrote; I must from hence;
And am right sorry, that I must report ye
My master's enemy.

Cym.

Our subjects, sir,

Will not endure his yoke: and for ourself
To show less sovereignty than they, must needs
Appear unkinglike.

Luc.

So, sir, I desire of you

A conduct over land, to Milford Haven.-
Madam, all joy befall your grace, and you1!

Cym. My lords, you are appointed for that office; The due of honour in no point omit:

So, farewell, noble Lucius.

Luc.

Your hand, my lord. Clo. Receive it friendly: but from this time forth I wear it as your enemy.

Luc.

Sir, the event
Is yet to name the winner; Fare you well.

Cym. Leave not the worthy Lucius, good my lords, Till he have cross'd the Severn.-Happiness!

[Exeunt LUCIUS, and Lords. Queen. He goes hence frowning: but it honours us, That we have given him cause.

"Tis all the better;

Clo.
Your valiant Britons have their wishes in it.

Cym. Lucius hath wrote already to the emperor How it goes here. It fits us therefore, ripely,

1 We should apparently read his grace and you,' or ' your grace and yours.'

Our chariots and our horsemen be in readiness:
The powers that he already hath in Gallia

Will soon be drawn to head, from whence he moves
His war for Britain.

Queen.
'Tis not sleepy business;
But must be look'd to speedily, and strongly.

Cym. Our expectation that it would be thus,
Hath made us forward.. But, my gentle queen,
Where is our daughter? She hath not appear'd
Before the Roman, nor to us hath tender'd
The duty of the day: She looks us like
A thing more made of malice, than of duty:
We have noted it.-Call her before us; for
We have been too slight in sufferance.

Queen.

[Exit an Attendant. Royal sir, Since the exíle of Posthumus, most retir'd Hath her life been; the cure whereof, my lord, 'Tis time must do. 'Beseech your majesty, Forbear sharp speeches to her: she's a lady So tender of rebukes, that words are strokes, And strokes death to her.

Her chambers are all lock'd; and there's no answer That will be given to the loud'st of noise we make. Queen. My lord, when last I went to visit her, She pray'd me to excuse her keeping close; Whereto constrain'd by her infirmity,

She should that duty leave unpaid to you,

Which daily she was bound to proffer: this

She wish'd me to make known; but our great court Made me to blame in memory.

Cym.

Her doors lock'd?

Not seen of late? Grant, heavens, that which I

Fear 2

prove false!

Queen.

[Exit.

Son, I say, follow the king. Clo. That man of hers, Pisanio, her old servant, I have not seen these two days.

Queen.

Go, look after.

[Exit CLOTEN.

Pisanio, thou that stand'st so for Posthumus!-
He hath a drug of mine: I pray, his absence
Proceed by swallowing that; for he believes
It is a thing most precious. But for her,
Where is she gone? Haply, despair hath seized her;
Or, wing'd with fervour of her love, she's flown
To her desir'd Posthumus: "Gone she is
To death, or to dishonour; and my end

Can make good use of either: She being down,
I have the placing of the British crown.

Re-enter CLOTEN.

How now, my son?

Clo.

"Tis certain, she is fled;

Go in, and cheer the king; he rages; none
Dare come about him.

Queen.

All the better; May

This night forestall him of the coming day3!

[Exit Queen. Clo. I love, and hate her; for she's fair and royal; And that she hath all courtly parts more exquisite Than lady, ladies, woman*; from every one

2 Fear must be pronounced as a dissyllable to complete the

measure.

3 i. e. may his grief this night prevent him from ever seeing another day, by anticipated and premature destruction. Thus in Milton's Comus :

'Perhaps forestalling night prevented them.'

4 Than any lady, than all ladies, than all womankind. There is a similar passage in All's Well that Ends Well, Act iì. Sc. 3 :— To any count; to all counts; to what is man.'