By tafting of our wrath? how of defcent
As good as we?

Arv. In that he spake too far.
Cym. And thou shalt die for't.
Bel. We will die all three,

But I will prove, that two on's are as good
As I've giv❜n out of him. My fons, I muft,
For mine own part, unfold a dangerous speech,
Though, haply, well for you.

Arv. Your danger's ours.

Guid. And our good, his.

Bel. Have at it then, by leave:

Thou hadft,great king, a subject, who was call'd Belariu. Cym. What of him? a banish'd traitor.

Bel. He it is, that hath

'Affum'd this age; indeed, a banish'd man ; I know not how, a traitor.

Cym. Take him hence,

The whole world fhall not fave him.

Bel. Not too hot :

First, pay me for the nurfing of thy fons;

And let it be confiscate all, so foon

As I've receiv'd it.

Cym. Nurfing of my fons ?

Bel. I am too blunt, and faucy; here's my knee: Ere I arife, I will prefer my fons,

Then fpare not the old father.

Mighty Sir,

These two young gentlemen, that call me father,
And think they are my fons, are none of mine;
They are the iffue of your loins, my Liege,
And blood of your begetting.

Cym. How? my iffue?

Bel. So fure, as you your father's: I, old Morgan, Am that Belarius whom you fometime banish'd; Your pleasure was my near offence, my punishment Itself, and all my treafon: that I suffer'd, Was all the harm I did. These gentle Princes (For fuch and fo they are) these twenty years Have I train'd up; fuch arts they have, as I Could put into them. Sir, my breeding was,.

As

As your Grace knows. Their nurfe Euriphile,
Whom for the theft I wedded, ftole these children]
Upon my banishment: I mov'd her to't;
Having receiv'd the punishment before,
For that which I did then. Beaten for loyalty,
Excited me to treafon. Their dear lofs,
The more of you 'twas felt, the more it shap'd
Unto my end of stealing them. But, Sir,
Here are your fons again; and I must lose
Two of the fweet'ft companions in the world.
The benediction of thefe covering heav'ns
Fall on their heads like dew! for they are worthy
To in-lay heav'n with stars.

Cym. Thou weep'ft, and speak'st :

The fervice, that you three have done, is more Unlike, than this thou tell'ft. I lost my childrenIf these be they, I know not how to wish

A pair of worthier fons.

Bel. Be pleas'd a while

This gentleman, whom I call Paladour,

Moft worthy Prince, as yours, is true Guiderius:
This gentleman, my Cadwal, Arviragus,

Your younger princely fon; he, Sir, was lapt
In a moft curious mantle, wrought by th' hand
Of his Queen-mother, which, for more probation,
I can with eafe produce.

Cym. Guiderius had

Upon his neck a mole, a fanguine ftar ;
It was a mark of wonder.

Bel. This is he;

Who hath upon him ftill that nat'ral stamp :
It was wife Nature's end, in the donation,
To be his evidence now.

Cym. Oh, what am I

A mother to the birth of three! ne'er mother
Rejoic'd deliv'rance more; bleft may you be,
That, after this ftrange itarting from your orbs,
You may reign in them now! oh Imogen,
Thou alt lost by this a kingdom.

Imo. No, my Lord:

I've got two worlds by't. Oh, my gentle brothers,
Have we thus met? oh, never fay hereafter,
But I am trueft fpeaker. You call'd me brother,
When I was but your fifter: I, you brothers;
When ye were fo, indeed.

Cym. Did you e'er meet?

Arv. Ay, my good Lord.

Guid. And at first meeting lov'd;
Continued fo, until we thought he died.

Cor. By the Queen's dram she swallow'd.
Cym. O rare inftinct!

When shall I hear all through? this fierce abridgment
Hath to it circumftantial branches, which

Diftinction fhould be rich in.-Where? how liv'd you?
And when came you to serve our Roman captive ?
How parted with your brothers? how first met them ?
(58) Why fled you from the court? and whither ?-These,
And your three motives to the battle, with

I know not how much more, should be demanded;
And all the other by-dependances

From chance to chance: but not the time, nor place,-
Will ferve long interrogatories. See,

Pofthumus anchors upon Imogen ;

And she, like harmless lightning, throws her eye
On him, her brothers, me, her mafter; hitting
Each object with a joy. The counter-change
Is fev'rally in all. Let's quit this ground,
And smoke the temple with our facrifices.

Thou art my brother; fo we'll hold thee ever. [To Bel. (58) Why fled you from the court, and whether thefe ?] By a strange negligence, in all the editions, this paffage is ftark nonfenfe. One part of the mistake made is in the word, whether; and another, is in the falle pointing. It must be rectified thus ;

Why fled you from the court? and whither? Thefe, &c. The King is afking his daughter, how fhe has liv'd fince her elopement from the court; when the entered herself in Lucius's fervice; how fhe met with her brothers, or parted from them; why she fled from the court, and to what place: and having enumerated fo many particulars, he ftops fhort, and cries, "All thefe circumftances, and the motives of Belarius, Guiderius, and Arviragus to the battle, "together with a number more of occurrences by the bye, I want to be refolved in."

Imo. You are my father too, and did relieve me, To fee this gracious season !

Cym. All o'erjoy'd,

Save these in bonds:

let then be joyful too,

For they hall tafte our comfort.

Imo. My good mafter,

I will yet do you fervice.

Luc. Happy be you!

Cym. The forlorn foldier that fo nobly fought,
He would have well becom❜d this place, and grac'd
The thankings of a King.

Poft. "Tis I am, Sir,

The foldier, that did company these three,
In poor befeeming: 'twas a fitment for

The purpose I then follow'd. That I was he,
Speak, Tachimo, I had you down, and might
Have made your finish.

Iach. I am down again :

But now my heavy confcience finks my knee, [Kneels.
As then your force did. Take that life, 'befeech you,
Which I so often owe; but, your ring first;

And here the bracelet of the trueft Princess,
That ever fwore her faith.

Poft. Kneel not to me :

The power, that I have on you, is to spare you:
The malice tow'rds you, to forgive you. Live,
And deal with others better !

Cym. Nobly doom'd:

We'll learn our freeness of a fon-in-law;

Pardon's the word to all.

As

Arv. You help'd us, Sir,

you did mean, indeed, to be our brother; Joy'd are we, that you are.

Poft. Your fervant, Princes. Good my Lord of Rome, Call forth your Soothsayer. As I flept, methought, Great Jupiter, upon his eagle back'd,

Appear'd to me, with other fprightly shews

Of mine own kindred. When I wak'd, I found
This label on my bofom; whofe containing

Is fo from fenfe in hardness, that I can
P.

VOL. VII

Make

Make no collection of it. Let him fhew

His kill in the conftruction.

Luc. Philarmonus,

Sooth. Here, my good I ord.

Luc. Read, and declare the meaning.

WH

[Reads.]

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

Thou, Leonatus, art the lion's whelp;

The fit and apt conftruction of thy name,
Being Leonatus, 'doth import fo much:
The piece of tender air, thy virtuous daughter,
[To Cymbeline.
Which we call Mollis Aer; and Mollis Aer
We term it Mulier: which Mulier, I divine,
Is this most conftant wife; who, even now,
Answering the letter of the oracle,

Unknown to you, unfought, were clipt about
With this moft tender air.

Cym. This hath fome feeming.

Shoth. The lofty cedar, royal Cymbeline,
Perfonates thee; and thy lopt branches point
Thy two fons forth: who, by Belarius ftol'n,
For many years thought dead, are now reviv'd,
To the majestick cedar join'd; whofe iffue
Promises Britaine peace and plenty.

Cym. My peace we will begin, and, Caius Lucius,
Although the victor, we fubmit to Cæfar,
And to the Roman empire; promifing,

To pay our wonted tribute, from the which
We were diffuaded by our wicked Queen ;

On whom heav'n's justice (both on her, and hers)
Hath laid most heavy hand.

Sooth. The fingers of the powers above do tune
The harmony of this peace: the vision,