He serv'd with glory and admir'd succe
So gain'd the sur-addition, Leonatus:
And had, besides this gentleman in question,
Two other sons, who in the wars o'the time

Died with their swords in hand; for which their father,

Then old and fond of issue, took such sorrow

That he quit being; and his gentle lady,

Big of this gentleman, our theme, deceas'd
As he was born. The king he takes the babe
To his protection; calls him Posthumus Leonatus ;
Breeds him, and makes him of his bedchamber;
Puts to him all the learnings that his time

Could make him the receiver of; which he took,
As we do air, fast as 'twas minister'd, and
In 's spring became a harvest; liv'd in court
(Which rare it is to do) most prais'd, most lov'd;'
A sample to the youngest; to the more mature,
A glass that feated them; and to the graver,
A child that guided dotards: to his mistress,
From whom he now is banish'd, - her own price

6

On the death of Lud, his younger brother, Cassibelan, took the throne, to the exclusion of the lineal heir. Cassibelan repulsed the Romans on their first invasion, but was vanquished on their second, and agreed to pay an annual tribute to Rome. After his death, his nephew Tenantius was established on the throne. Some authorities tell us that he quietly paid the tribute stipulated by his usurping uncle; others, that he refused it, and warred with the Romans; which latter account is the one taken for true by the Poet.

H.

5 This encomium," says Johnson, "is highly artful. To be at once in any great degree loved and praised is truly rare."

That is, their pattern or model; the glass whereby they trimmed up and accomplished themselves. In like manner, the Poet describes Hotspur as "the glass wherein the noble youth did dress themselves." No earlier instance of feat being used as a verb has been discovered. The adjective means neat, comely, well-fashioned.

H.

Proclaims how she esteem'd him and his virtue :
By her election may be truly read

What kind of man he is.

2 Gent.

Even out of your report.

I honour him,

But, pray you, tell me,

Is she sole child to th' king?

His only child.

1 Gent. He had two sons, (if this be worth your hearing, Mark it,) the eldest of them at three years old, I'the swathing clothes the other, from their nursery Were stolen; and to this hour no guess in knowl

edge

Which way they went.

2 Gent.

How long is this ago?

1 Gent. Some twenty years.

2 Gent. That a king's children should be so con

vey'd,

So slackly guarded, and the search so slow,

That could not trace them!

1 Gent.

Howsoe'er 'tis strange,

Or that the negligence may well be laugh'd at.
Yet is it true, sir.

2 Gent.

I do well believe you.

1 Gent. We must forbear: Here comes the gen

tleman,

The queen, and princess.

[Excunt.

SCENE II. The Same.

Enter the QUEEN, POSTHUMUS, and IMOGEN.

Queen. No, be assur'd, you shall not find me,

daughter,

After the slander of most step-mothers,

Evil-ey'd unto you: you're my prisoner, but

Your jailer shall deliver you the keys

That lock up your restraint. For you, Posthumus,
So soon as I can win th' offended king,

I will be known your advocate: marry, yet
The fire of rage is in him; and 'twere good
You lean'd unto his sentence, with what patience
Your wisdom may inform you.

Post.

I will from hence to-day.

Queen.

Please your highness,

You knew the peril :

I'll fetch a turn about the garden, pitying

The pangs of barr'd affections; though the king Hath charg'd you should not speak together [Exi Imo. 0,

Dissembling courtesy! How fine this tyrart

Can tickle where she wounds! - My deares

band,

I something fear my father's wrath; but nothing (Always reserv'd my holy duty) what

His rage can do on me. You must be gone;
And I shall here abide the hourly shot
Of angry eyes; not comforted to live,
But that there is this jewel in the world
That I may see again.

Post.
My queen! my mistress!
O, lady! weep no more, lest I give cause

To be suspected of more tenderness
Than doth become a man. I will remain
The loyal'st husband that did e'er plight troth:
My residence in Rome at one Philario's ;
Who to my father was a friend, to me

Known but by letter. Thither write, my queen,
And with mine eyes I'll drink the words you send,
Though ink be made of gall.

Queen.

Re-enter the QUEEN.

Be brief, I pray you:

If the king come, I shall incur I know not
How much of his displeasure.
move him

[Aside.] Yet I'll

To walk this way.
But he does buy my injuries to be friends;
Pays dear for my offences.'

I never do him wrong,

Post.

[Exit.

Should we be taking leave

Adieu !

As long a term as yet we have to live,

The lothness to depart would grow.

Imo. Nay, stay a little :

Were you but riding forth to air yourself,

Such parting were too petty. Look here, love:
This diamond was my mother's; take it, heart;
But keep it till you woo another wife,

You gentle gods, give me but this I have,

2

And cere up my embracements from a next
With bands of death! - Remain, remain thou here
[Putting on the Ring.
While sense can keep it on! And sweetest, fairest,

1 Meaning that the king is so infatuated with her, that the more she offends him, the more he lavishes kindnesses upon her, in order to purchase her good-will.

H.

2 Shakespeare calls the cere-cloths, in which the dead are wrapped, the bonds of death. There was no distinction in ancient orthography between seare, to dry, to wither, and seare, to dress or cover with wax. Cere-cloth is most frequently spelled seare-cloth.

There can be no

3 That is, while I have sensation to retain it. doubt that it refers to the ring, and it is equally obvious that thee would have been more proper. Whether this error is to be laid to the Poet's charge or to the printer's, it would not be easy to decide. Malone has shown that there are many passages in these plays of equally loose cor struction.

As I my poor self did exchange for you,
To your so infinite loss, so in our trifles
I still win of you: for my sake wear this;
It is a manacle of love; I'll place it

Upon this fairest prisoner.

Imo.

[Putting a Bracelet on her Arm. O, the gods!

When shall we see again?

Post.

Enter CYMBELINE and Lords.

Alack, the king!

Cym. Thou basest thing, avoid! hence, from my

sight!

If after this command thou fraught the court
With thy unworthiness, thou diest. Away!
Thou'rt Poison to my blood.

Post.

The gods protect you,

4

That should'st repair my youth, thou heap'st
A year's age on me."

Imo.

I beseech you, sir,

Harm not yourself with your vexation: I

4 To repair is to restore to the first state, to renew. 5 Several suggestions have been made for amending this ex pression, as being too tame for the place. Hanmer would read, "Thou heap'st many a year's age on me;" Johnson, -66 Thou heap'st years, ages, on me." To our mind, neither of these expressions is so strong as that in the text. For the king is supposed

to be in that advanced age when the adding of a year to one's life is a good deal. To make such a man say in such a case, "Thou heap'st years, ages, on me," is just what we should expect from one who knew not to distinguish strength from violence.

H.