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"You do not meet a man but frowns.
Our bloods no more obey the heavens
Then our courtiers:

Still seem, as do's the king's."

in several editions courtiers is sometimes printed as the itive case; sometimes is cut off from the verb reem by semicolon, and the king's is retained as the genitive case. This we have ventured to alter to king, as Tyrwhitt suggested. As we have punctuated the passage, we think it presents no difficulty. Blood is used by Shakspere for natural disposition, as in All's Well that Ends WellNow his important blood will nought deny That she'll demand."

The meaning of the passage then is--Yon do not meet a man but frowns: our bloods do not more obey the heavens than our courtiers still seem as the king seems. As is afterwards expressed

-they wear their faces to the bent
Of the king's looks."

1 Gent. His daughter, and the heir of his kingdom, whom

He purpos'd to his wife's sole son, (a widow,
That late he married,) hath referr'd herself
Unto a poor but worthy gentleman: She's
wedded;

Her husband banish'd; she imprison'd: all
Is outward sorrow; though, I think, the king
Be touch'd at very heart.

2 Gent,

None but the king?

1 Gent. He that hath lost her, too: so is the

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2 Gent.

What's his name, and birth?

1 Gent. I cannot delve him to the root: His father

Was call'd Sicilius, who did join his honour,
Against the Romans, with Cassibelan;
But had his titles by Tenantius, whom
He serv'd with glory and admir'd success:
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 Leo-
natus;

Breeds him, and makes him of his bed-chamber:
Puts to him all the learnings that his time
Could make him the receiver of; which he took,
As we do air, fast as 't was ministered,
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 th' more mature
A glass that feated them; and to the graver,

You carry your praise far.

Extend is here used in the same sense as in the fifth Scene of this Act: "His banishment, and the approbation of those that weep this lamentable divorce are wonderfully to extend him." The Gentleman says-I do extend him-appreciate his good qualities-but only within the real limits of what they are: Instead of unfolding his measure duly. I erush him together-compress his excellence. Malone thinks that the term extend is originally legal. An extent, according to Blackstone, is an order to the sheriff to appraise lands or goods to their full extended value. It is a well-known term in old Scotch law, meaning nearly the same as a census or valuation.

So the folio. The variorum editors rejected the second name, reading

To his protection; calls him Posthumus." To make a line of ten syllables-as if dramatic rhythm bad no irregularities-they have destroyed the sense. The name of Posthumus Leonatus was given to connect the child with the memory of his father and to mark the circumstance of his being born after his father's death.

a Puts to him is the original reading, which has been sometimes corrupted into puts him to.

• We arrange these two lines, as in the folio. Some modern editors read

"As we do air, fast as 't was minister'd, and

In his spring became a harvest."

f Feated. Johnson says, "a glass that formed them." But feat is used by Shakspere for nice, exact, with propriety-as in The Tempest

"And look how well my garments sit upon me
Aluch feater than beluru,"

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1 Gent. Some twenty years.

2 Gent. That a king's children should be so convey'd!

So slackly guarded! And the search so slow,
That could not trace them!

1 Gent.
Howsoe'er 't is strange,
Or that the negligence may well be laugh'd at,
Yet is it true, sir.

2 Gent.

I do well believe you.

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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 are my prisoner, but
Your gaoler shall deliver you the keys

That lock up your restraint. For you, Posthúmus,
So soon as I can win the offended king,
I will be known your advocate: marry, yet
The fire of rage is in him; and 't were 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 know the peril :— I'll fetch a turn about the garden, pitying The pangs of barr'd affections; though the king

and, consequently, the glass which feats the mature who look upon Posthumus, is "the mark and glass, copy and book," which renders their appearance and deportiment ae proper as his own.

a The most important person (with reference to this conversation) who was coming is Posthumus-"the gentleman." The editors, however, quietly drop him, reading"We must forbear: here comes the queen, and princess. What can justify such capricious alterations of the text?

Hath charg'd you should not speak together. [Exit QUEEN. Imo. O dissembling courtesy! Ilow fine this tyrant

Can tickle where she wounds! - My dearest husband,

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

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Post.

[Exit.

Should we be taking leave
As long a term as yet we have to live,
The loathness to depart would grow: Adieu!
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,
When Imogen is dead.

Post. How! how! another ?-
You gentle gods, give me but this I have,
And sear up my embracements from a next
With bonds of death!-Remain thou here

[Putting on the ring. While sense can keep it on! And sweetest,

fairest,

As I my poor self did exchange for you,
To your so infinite loss; so, in our trifies
I still win of you: For my sake wear this;

• This sentence is obscure; but the meaning of the Crafty Queen appears to be, that the kindness of her husband, even when she is doing him wrong, purchases Injuries as if they were benefits.

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Harm not yourself with your vexation; I

Am senseless of your wrath; a touch more rare Subdues all pangs, all fears.

8

Cym.
Past grace? obedience f
Imo. Past hope, and in despair; that way,

past grace.

Cym. That might'st have had the sole son of my queen!

Imo. O bless'd, that I might not! I chose an cagle,

And did avoid a puttock.b

Cym. Thou took'st a beggar; would'st have made my throne

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Clo. The villain would not stand me. 2 Lord. No; but he fled forward still, toward your face. [Aside. 1. Lord. Stand you! You have land enough of your own: but he added to your having; gave you some ground.

2 Lord. As many inches as you have oceans: Puppies! [Aside. Clo. I would they had not come between us. 2 Lord. So would I, till you had measured how long a fool you were upon the ground. [Aside. Clo. And that she should love this fellow, and refuse me!

2 Lord. If it be a sin to make a true election, she is damned. Aside.

1 Lord. Sir, as I told you always, her beauty and her brain go not together: She's a good sign, but I have seen small reflection of her wit. 2 Lord. She shines not upon fools, lest the reflection should hurt her. [Aside.

Clo. Come, I'll to my chamber: 'Would there had been some hurt done!

2 Lord. I wish not so; unless it had been the fall of an ass, which is no great hurt.

Clo. You'll go with us?

1 Lord. I'll attend your lordship. Cio. Nay, come, let's go together. 2 Lord. Well, my lord.

[Aside.

[Exeunt.

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