a

my lord ?

Or by our greatness, and the grace of it,

And then a mind put in't, either our brags Which is our honour, bitter torture shall

Were cracked of kitchen trulls, or his description Winnow the truth from falsehood.-On; speak Proved us unspeaking sots. to him.

Cym. Nay, nay, to the purpose. Imo. My boon is, that this gentleman may render Iach. Your daughter's chastity-there it begins! Of whom he had this ring.

He spake of her as Dian had hot dreams, Post. What's that to him? [Aside. And she alone were cold: whereat, I, wretch!

Cym. That diamond upon your finger, say Made scruple of his praise; and wagered with him How came it yours?

Pieces of gold, 'gainst this, which then he wore Iach. Thou 'lt torture me to leave unspoken that Upon his honoured finger, to attain Which, to be spoke, would torture thee.

In suit the place of his bed, and win this ring Сут. How! me?

By hers and mine adultery : he, true knight, lach. I am glad to be constrained to utter that No lesser of her honour confident which

Than I did truly find her, stakes this ring; Torments me to conceal. By villany

And would so had it been a carbuncle I got this ring: 't was Leonatus' jewel;

Of Phæbus' wheel; and might so safely, had it Whom thou didst banish ; and (which more may Been all the worth of his car. Away to Britain grieve thee,

Post I in this design: well may you, sir, As it doth me) a nobler sir ne'er lived

Remember me at court, where I was taught 'Twixt sky and ground. Wilt thou hear more, Of your chaste daughter the wide difference

’T wixt amorous and villanous. Being thus Cym. All that belongs to this.

quenched Iach. That paragon, thy daughter, Of hope, not longing, mine Italian brain For whom my heart drops blood, and my false spirits 'Gan your duller Britain operate Quail to remember,-Give me leave; I faint. Most vilely! for my vantage, excellent; Cym. My daughter! what of her ? Renew thy And, to be brief, my practice so prevailed, strength:

That I returned with simular proof enough I had rather thou shouldst live while nature will, To make the noble Leonatus mad, Than die ere I hear more: strive, man, and speak. By wounding his belief in her renown

Iach. Upon a time (unhappy was the clock With tokens, thus and thus; averring notes That struck the hour !)—it was in Rome (accursed Of chamber-hanging, pictures, this her bracelet The mansion where!)—'t was at a feast (O 'would (0, cunning, how I got it!), nay, some marks Our viands had been poisoned ! or, at least, Of secret on her person, that he could not Those which I heaved to head !)-the good Post- But think her bond of chastity quite cracked, humus

I having ta'en the forfeit. Whereupon,-
(What should I say? he was too good to be Methinks I see him now,-
Where ill men were; and was the best of all Post. Ay, so thou dost,
Amongst the rar'st of good ones), sitting sadly,

Coming forward. Hearing us praise our loves of Italy

Italian fiend !-Ah me, most credulous fool, For beauty that made barren the swelled boast Egregious murderer, thief, anything Of him that best could speak: for feature, laming That's due to all the villains past, in being, The shrine of Venus, or straight-pight Minerva, To come! O, give me cord, or knife, or poison, Postures beyond brief nature; for condition, Some upright justicer! Thou, king, send out A shop of all the qualities that man

For torturers ingenious : it is I Loves woman for; besides, that hook of wiving, That all the abhorréd things o'the earth amend, Fairness, which strikes the

eye:

By being worse than they. I am Posthumus, Сут. I stand on fire :

That killed thy daughter :-villain-like, I lie ; Come to the matter.

That caused a lesser villain than myself, lach. All too soon I shall,

A sacrilegious thief, to do't:—the temple Unless thou wouldst grieve quickly.—This Post- Of virtue was she; yea, and she herself. humus

Spit and throw stones, cast mire upon me, set (Most like a noble lord in love, and one

The dogs o' the street to bay me: every villain That had a royal lover) took his hint;

Be called Posthumus Leonatus; and
And, not dispraising whom we praised (therein Be villany less than 't was!—O Imogen!
He was as calm as virtue), he began

My queen, my life, my wife! O Imogen
His mistress' picture; which by his tongue being Imogen, Imogen!
made,

Imo. Peace, my lord; hear, hear!

Post. Shall 's have a play of this ? Thou Which must approve thee honest : “ If Pisanio scornful page,

Have," said she, "given his mistress that confection There lie thy part. [Striking her: she falls. Which I gave him for cordial, she is served Pisa. O, gentlemen, help

As I would serve a rat." Mine and your mistress, O, my lord Posthumus! Сут. What's this, Cornelius? You ne'er killed Imogen till now.-Help, help! Cor. The queen, sir, very oft importuned me Mine honoured lady!

To temper poisons for her; still pretending Cym. Does the world go round? The satisfaction of her knowledge only Post. How come these staggers on me? In killing creatures vile, as cats and dogs Pisa. Wake, my mistress !

Of no esteem: I, dreading that her purpose Cym. If this be so, the gods do mcan to strike me Was of more danger, did compound for her To death with mortal joy.

A certain stuff, which, being ta'en, would cease Pisa. How fares my mistress !

The present power of life; but, in short time, Imo. O, get thee from my sight;

All offices of nature should again Thou gav'st me poison : dangerous fellow, hence! Do their due functions.—Have you ta'en of it? Breathe not where princes are.

Imo. Most like I did, for I was dead. Cym. The tune of Imogen!

Bel. My boys, Pisa. Lady,

There was our error. The gods throw stones of sulphur on me, if

Gui. This is, sure, Fidele. That box I gave you was not thought by me Imo. Why did you throw your wedded lady A precious thing. I had it from the queen.

from you? Cym. New matter still !

Think that you are upon a rock; and now Imo. It poisoned me.

Throw me again. [Embracing Posthumus. Cor. O gods !

Post. Hang there like fruit, my soul, I left out one thing which the queen confessed, Till the tree die!

Fall on their heads like dew! for they are worthy And she, like harmless lightning, throws her eye To inlay heaven with stars.

On him, her brothers, me, her master; hitting Сут. Thou weep'st and speak'st, Each object with a joy; the counterchange The service that you three have done, is more Is severally in all. Let's quit this ground, Unlike than this thou teliest. I lost my children : And smoke the temple with our sacrifices.If these be they, I know not how to wish

Thou art my brother; so we 'll hold thee ever. A pair of worthier sons.

[To Belarius. Bel. Be pleased a while.

Imo. You are my father too; and did relieve me, This gentleman, whom I call Polydore,

To see this gracious season. Most worthy prince, as yours, is true Guiderius : Cym.

All o'erjoyed, This gentleman, my Cadwal, Arviragus,

Save these in bonds : let them be joyful too, Your younger princely son; he sir, was lapped For they shail taste our comfort. In a most curious mantle, wrought by the hand Imo. My good master, Of his queen mother, which, for more probation, I will yet do you service. I can with ease produce.

Luc. Happy be you! Cym. Guiderius had

Cym. The forlorn soldier that so nobly fought, Upon his neck a mole, a sanguine star;

He would have well becomed this place, aud graced It was a mark of wonder.

The thankings of a king.
Bel. This is he;

Post. I am, sir,
Who hath upon him still that natural stamp The soldier that did company these three,
It was wise nature's end in the donation,

In poor beseeming; 't was a fitment for
To be his evidence now.

The
purpose

I then followed.-That I was he, Cym. O, what, am I

Speak, Iachimo; I had you down, and might A mother to the birth of three? Ne'er mother Have made you finish. Rejoiced deliverance more !— Blessed may you be, Iach. I am down again;

[Kneeling. That, after this strange starting from your orbs, But now my heavy conscience sinks my knee, You may reign in them now!-O Imogen, As then your force did. Take that life, 'beseech you, Thou hast lost by this a kingdom.

Which I so often owe: but your ring first; Imo. No, my lord;

And here the bracelet of the truest princess I have got two worlds by 't.-0, my gentle That ever swore her faith. brothers,

Post. Kneel not to me: Have we thus met? O, never say hereafter The power that I have on you, is to spare you; But I am truest speaker: you called me brother, The malice towards you, to forgive you: live, When I was but your sister; I you brothers, And deal with others better. When you were so indeed.

Сут, Nobly doomed: Сут. Did you e'er meet?

We'll learn our freeness of a son-in-law: Arv. Ay, my good lord.

Pardon 's the word to all. Gui. And at first meeting loved ;

Arv. You holp us, sir,
Continued so, until we thought he died.

As you did mean indeed to be our brother;
Cor. By the queen's dram she swallowed. Joyed are we that you are.
Cym. 0, rare instinct !

Post. Your servant, princes.—Good my lord of When shall I hear all through? This fierce

Rome, abridgment

Call forth your soothsayer. As I slept, methought Hath to it circumstantial branches, which Great Jupiter, upon his eagle back, Distinction should be rich in.-Where? how Appeared to me, with other sprightly shows lived you?

Of mine own kindred: when I waked, I found
And when came you to serve our Roman captive? | This label on my bosom; whose containing
How parted with your brothers ? how first met Is so from sense in hardness, that I can
them?

Make no collection of it: let him shew
Whyfled you from the court; and whither? These, His skill in the construction.
And
your three motives to the battle, with

Luc. Philarmonus,--
I know not how much more, should be demanded; Sooth. Here, my good lord.
And all the other by-dependencies,

Luc. Read, and declare the meaning. From chance to chance; but nor the time, nor place,

Soothsayer reads. Will serve our long inter’gatories. See,

“When as a lion's whelp shall, to himself unPosthumus anchors upon Imogen ;

known, without seeking, find, and be embraced bvs