Harding's Edition. CYMBELINE, A TRAGED Y, BY WILLIAM SHAKSPEARE. ACCURATELY PRINTED FROM THE TEXT OF Mr. STEEVENS's LAST EDITION. Drnamented with Plates. London: PUBLISHED BY E. HARDING, NO. 98, PALL-MALL; J. WRIGHT, PICCADILLY; G. SAEL, STRAND AND VERNOR AND HOOD, POULTRY. OBSERVATIONS. MR. Pope fuppofed the story of this play to have been borrowed from a novel of Boccace; but he was mistaken, as an imitation of it is found in an old story-book entitled Westward for Smelts. This imitation differs in as many particulars from the Italian novelist, as from Shakspeare, though they concur in some material parts of the fable. It was published in a quarto pamphlet 1603. This is the only copy of it which I have hitherto seen. There is a late entry of it in the books of the Stationers' Company, Jan. 1619, where it is faid to have been written by Kitt of Kingston. STEEVENS. The only part of the fable which can be pronounced with certainty to be drawn from the tale in Westward for Smelt, is, Imogen's wandering about after Pisanio has left her in the foreft; her being almost famished; and being taken, at a subsequent period, into the fervice of the Roman General as a page. The general scheme of Cymbeline is, in my opinion, formed on Boccace's novel (Day 2, Nov. 9.) and Shakspeare has taken a circumstance from it, that is not mentioned in the other tale. It appears from the preface to the old tranflation of the Decamerone, printed in 1620, that many of the novels had before received an English dress, and had been printed separately: "I know, most worthy jord, (fays the printer in his Epistle Dedicatory,) that many of them [the novels of Boccace] have long fince been published befare, as stolen from the original author, and yet not beautified with his sweet style and elocution of phrafe, neither favouring of his fingular moral applications." Cymbeline, I imagine, was written in the year 1605. The king from whom the play takes its title began his reign, according to Holinshed, in the 19th year of the reign of Augustus Cæfar; and the play commences in or about the twenty-fourth year of Cymbeline's reign, which was the forty-fecond year of the reign of Augustus, and the 16th of the Christian æra: notwithstanding which, Shakspeare has peopled Rome with modern Italians; Philario, Iachimo, &c. Cymbeline is faid to have reigned thirtyfive years, leaving at his death two fons, Guiderius and Arvira gus, MALONE. PERSONS REPRESENTED. CYMBELINE, King of Britain. CLOTEN, fon to the Queen by a former husband. LEONATUS POSTHUMUS, a gentleman, busband to Imogen. BELARIUS, a banished lord, disguised under the name of Morgan. GUIDERIUS, disguised under the names of Polydore and ARVIRAGUS, S Cadwal, fuppofed fons to Belarius. PHILARIO, friend to Posth Posthumus, } Italians. A French Gentleman, friend to Philario. PISANIO, fervant to Posthumus. CORNELIUS, a Physician. Two Gaolers. QUEEN, wife to Cymbeline. IMOGEN, daughter to Cymbeline by a former queen. Lords, Ladies, Roman Senators, Tribunes, Apparitions, a Soothfayer, a Dutch Gentleman, a Spanish Gentleman, Musicians, Officers, Captains, Soldiers, Messengers, and Other Attendants. SCENE, sometimes in Britain; fometimes in Italy. CYMBELINE. ACT I. SCENE I. Britain. The Garden behind Cymbeline's Palace. YO Enter two Gentlemen. 1 Gentleman. OU do not meet a man, but frowns: our bloods Still feem, as does the king's. 2 Gent. But what's the matter? 1 Gent. His daughter, and the heir of his kingdom, whom He purpos'd to his wife's sole fon, (a widow, Is outward forrow; though, I think, the king Be touch'd at very heart. 2 Gent. None but the king ? Gent. He, that hath lost her, too: so is the queen, That most defir'd the match: But not a courtier, Of the king's looks, hath a heart that is not Glad at the thing they scowl at. 2 Gent. And why fo? |