Who had not now been drooping here, if Seconds Had anfwer'd him.

2 Cap. Lay hands on him; a dog!

A leg of Rome fhall not return to tell

What crows have peck'd them here; he brags his fervice,

As if he were of note; bring him to th' King.

Enter Cymbeline, Belarius, Guiderius, Arviragus, Pifanio, and Roman captives. The captains prefent Pofthumus to Cymbeline, who delivers him over to a Goaler. After which, all go out.

Changes to a Prison.

Enter Pofthumus, and two goalers.

I Goal. OU fhall not now be ftoll'n, you've locks

So.

γου

upon you

graze, as you find pasture.

2 Goal. Ay, or ftomach.

[Exeunt Goalers.

Poft. Moft welcome, bondage; for thou art a way, I think, to liberty; yet am I better

Than one that's fick o' th' gout, fince he had rather Groan fo in perpetuity than be cur'd

By th' fure phyfician, death; who is the key

T'unbar thefe locks. My confcience! thou art fetter'd, More than my fhanks and wrifts; you good Gods, give me

The penitent inftrument to pick that bolt;

Then, free for ever. Is't enough, I'm forry?
So children temp'ral fathers do appeafe;

Gods are more full of

mercy. -Muft I repent ?
I cannot do it better than in gyves,
Defir'd, more than constrain'd; to fatisfy,
I d'off my freedom; 'tis the main part; take
No ftricter Render of me, than my all.

I know,

I know, you are more clement than vile men,
Who of their broken debtors take a third,
A fixth, a tenth, letting them thrive again
On their abatement; that's not my defire.
For Imogen's dear life, take mine; and though
'Tis not fo dear, yet 'tis a life; you coin'd it.
'Tween man and man, they weigh not every stamp
Though light, take pieces for the figure's fake;
You rather, mine being yours: and fo, great Powers,
If you will take this audit, take this life,
And cancel thofe old bonds. Oh Imogen!
I'll speak to thee in filence..

[He peeps. Solemn mufic: Enter, as in an apparition, Sicilius Leonatus, father to Pofthumus, an old man, attired liké a warrior; leading in his hand an ancient matron, his wife, and mother to Pofthumus, with mufic before them. Then, after other mufic, follow the two young Leonati. brothers to Pofthumus, with wounds as they died in the wars. They circle Pofthumus round, as he lies freeping.

Sici. No more, thou thunder-mafter, fhew
Thy fpite on mortal flies :

With Mars fall out, with Juno chide,

That thy Adulteries

Rates and revenges.

Hath my poor boy done aught but well,
Whofe face I never faw?

I dy'd, whilft in the womb he ftay'd,
Attending Nature's Law.

Whofe father, Jove! (as men report,
Thou orphans' father art ;)

Thou should't have been, and fhielded him
From his earth-vexing fmart.

Moth. Lucina lent not me her aid

But took me in my throes;

That from me my Pofthumus ript,
Came crying 'mongst his foes,

A thing of pity!

Sici.

Sici. Great Nature, like his ancestry,

Moulded the stuff so fair;

That he deferv'd the prafe o' th' world,

As great Sicilius' heir.

1 Bro. When once he was mature for man,
In Britaine where was he,
That could ftand up his parallel,

Or rival object be
In eye of Imogen, that beft

Could deem his dignity?

Moth. With marriage therefore was he mockt,
To be exil'd, and thrown

From Leonatus' feat, and caft
From her his deareft one?

Sweet Imogen !

Sici. Why did you fuffer Iachimo,
Slight thing of Italy,

To taint his noble heart and brain

With needlefs jealousy,

And to become the geek and fcorn
O' th' other's villainy?

2 Bro. For this, from ftiller feats we came,
Our parents, and us twain,
That, ftriking in our country's caufe,
Fell bravely and were flain;

Our fealty, and Tenantius' right,
With honour to maintain.

1 Bro. Like hardiment Pofthumus hath
To Cymbeline perform'd ;

Then, Jupiter, thou King of Gods,
Why haft throu thus adjourn'd

The graces for his merits due,

Being all to dolours turn'd?

Sici. Thy cryftal window ope; look out;

No longer exercise,

Upon a valiant race, thy harsh

And potent injuries.

Moth.

Moth. Since, Jupiter, our fon is good,

Take off his miferies.

Sici. Peep through thy marble mansion, help!
Or we poor ghofts will cry

To th' fhining fynod of the rest,
Against thy Deity.

2 Broth. Help, Jupiter, or we appeal,
And from thy justice fly.

Jupiter defcends in thunder and lightning, fitting upon an eagle; he throws a thunder bolt. The ghosts fall on

their knees.

Jupit. No more, you petty spirits of region low,
Offend our hearing; hufh!-how dare you, Ghosts,
Accufe the Thunderer, whofe bolt you know,
Sky-planted, batters all rebelling coafts?
Poor fhadows of Elyfium, hence and reft
Upon your never-withering banks of flowers.
Be not with mortal accidents opprest.

No care of yours it is: you know, 'tis ours.
Whom beft I love, I crofs; to make my gift,
The more delay'd, delighted.

Be content,
Your low-laid fon our godhead will uplift:
His comforts thrive, his trials well are fpent;
Our Jovial far reign'd at his birth, and in

Our temple was he married: rife, and fade!
He fhall be lord of lady Imogen,

And happier much by his affliction made. This tablet lay upon his breaft, wherein

[Jupiter drops a tablet. Our pleasure his full fortune doth confine; And fo, away;-no farther with your din Exprefs impatience, left you flir up mine; Mount, eagle, to my palace cryftalline. [Afcends. Sici. He came in thunder, his coeleftial breath Was fulphurous to fmell; the holy eagle Stoop'd, as to foot us; his afcenfion is

More fweet than our bleft fields; his royal bird

Prunes

Prunes the immortal wing, and cloys his beak,
As when his God is pleas'd.

All. Thanks, Jupiter !

Sici. The marble pavement clofes, he is enter'd His radiant roof: away, and to be bleft

Let us with care perform his great beheft.

[Vanish. Poft. [waking.] Sleep, thou haft been a grandfire, and begot

A father to me: and thou haft created

But, oh fcorn!

A mother and two brothers.
Gone-they went hence so soon as they were born;
And fo I am awake-Poor wretches, that depend
On Greatness' favour, dream as I have done;
Wake, and find nothing.-But, alas. I fwerve:
Many dream not to find, neither deserve;
And yet are fleep'd in favours; fo am I

That have this golden chance, and know not why:
What fairies haunt this ground? a book' oh rare one!
Be not, as in our fangled world, a garment
Nobler than that it covers. Let thy effects
So follow, to be most unlike our Courtiers;
As good as promise.

[Reads.]

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

'Tis ftill a dream; or elfe fuch ftuff, as mad men Tongue, and brain not-do either both, or nothingOr fenfelef's fpeaking, or a fpeaking fuch

As fenfe cannot untie. But what it is,
The action of my life is like it, which I'll keep
If but for fympathy.

Enter