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Luc.

Happy be you!

Cym. The forlorn soldier, that so nobly fought, He would have well become this place', and grac'd The thankings of a king.

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The soldier that did company these three
In poor beseeming: 'twas a fitment for
The purpose I then follow'd.-That I was he,
Speak, Iachimo: I had you down, and might
Have made you finish.

Iach.

I am down again;

[Kneeling.

But now my heavy conscience sinks my knee,
As then your force did. Take that life, beseech you,
Which I so often owe; but your ring first,

And here the bracelet of the truest princess,
That ever swore her faith.

Post.

Kneel not to me:

The power that I have on you is to spare you;
The malice towards you to forgive you. Live,
And deal with others better.

Cym.

We'll learn our freeness of a son-in-law:

Pardon's the word to all.

Arv.

Nobly doom'd.

You holp us, sir,

As you did mean indeed to be our brother;

Joy'd are we, that you are.

Post. Your servant, princes. Good my lord of

Rome,

Call forth your soothsayer. As I slept, methought,

Great Jupiter, upon his eagle back'd3,

Appear'd to me, with other spritely shows

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2 He would have well BECOME this place,] In the folio, 1623, "become is printed becom❜d, probably a mere error of the press; but it has been adopted by Malone, and by modern editors who have followed his text.

3

upon his eagle BACK'D] So all the folios; but modern editors strangely prefer" upon his eagle back:" if they thought fit to make this change in the text, they ought to have printed "upon his eagle's back."

Of mine own kindred: when I wak'd, I found
This label on my bosom; whose containing
Is so from sense in hardness, that I can
Make no collection of it: let him show

His skill in the construction.

Luc.

Philarmonus!

[Coming forward.

4

Sooth. Here, my good lord. Luc. Read, and declare the meaning. Sooth. [Reads.] "When as a lion's whelp shall, to himself unknown, without seeking find, and be embraced by a piece of tender air; and when from a stately cedar shall be lopped branches, which being dead many years shall after revive, be jointed to the old stock, and freshly grow, then shall Posthumus end his miseries, Britain be fortunate, and flourish in peace and plenty."

Thou, Leonatus, art the lion's whelp;

The fit and apt construction of thy name,
Being Leo-natus, doth import so much.
The piece of tender air, thy virtuous daughter,

[To CYMBELINE.

Which we call mollis aer; and mollis aer
We term it mulier: which mulier, 1 divine,
Is this most constant wife; who, even now,
Answering the letter of the oracle,

Unknown to you, unsought, were clipp'd about
With this most tender air.

Cym.

This hath some seeming.
Sooth. The lofty cedar, royal Cymbeline,
Personates thee; and thy lopp'd branches point
Thy two sons forth; who, by Belarius stolen,
For many years thought dead, are now reviv'd,

4 When as a lion's whelp-] "It is not easy to conjecture," says Coleridge, (Lit. Rem. vol. ii. p. 128) “why Shakespeare should have introduced this ludicrous scroll, which answers no one purpose, either propulsive or explicatory, unless as a joke on etymology." It is very possible that the scroll and the vision were parts of an older play.

To the majestic cedar join'd, whose issue
Promises Britain peace and plenty.

Well,

Cym.
My poace we will begin.-And, Caius Lucius,
Although the victor, we submit to Cæsar,
And to the Roman empire; promising
To pay our wonted tribute, from the which
We were dissuaded by our wicked queen;
Whom heavens, in justice, both on her and hers,
Have laid most heavy hand.

Sooth. The fingers of the powers above do tune
The harmony of this peace. The vision,
Which I made known to Lucius ere the stroke
Of this yet' scarce-cold battle, at this instant
Is full accomplish'd; for the Roman eagle,
From south to west on wing soaring aloft,
Lessen'd herself, and in the beams o' the sun.
So vanish'd: which foreshow'd our princely eagle,
Th' imperial Cæsar, should again unite
His favour with the radiant Cymbeline,
Which shines here in the west.

Cym.

Laud we the gods;

And let our crooked smokes climb to their nostrils
From our bless'd altars. Publish we this peace

To all our subjects. Set we forward. Let
A Roman and a British ensign wave

Friendly together; so through Lud's town march,
And in the temple of great Jupiter

Our peace we'll ratify; seal it with feasts.-
Set on there.-Never was a war did cease,

Ere bloody hands were wash'd, with such a peace.

[Exeunt.

Of this yet-] The folio, 1623, accidentally inverts these words, "Of yet this." The correction was made in the folio, 1664.

PERICLES.

"The late, And much admired Play, called Pericles, Prince of Tyre. With the true Relation of the whole Historie, aduentures, and fortunes of the said Prince: As also, The no lesse strange, and worthy accidents, in the Birth and Life, of his Daughter Mariana. As it hath been diuers and sundry times acted by his Maiesties Seruants, at the Globe on the Banck-side. By William Shakespeare. Imprinted at London for Henry Gosson, and are to be sold at the signe of the Sunne in Pater-noster row, &c. 1609." 4to. 35 leaves.

"The late, And much admired Play, called Pericles, Prince of Tyre. With the true Relation of the whole History, aduentures, and fortunes of the saide Prince. Written by W. Shakespeare. Printed for T. P. 1619." 4to. 34 leaves.

"The late, And much admired Play, called Pericles, Prince of Tyre. With the true Relation of the whole History, aduentures, and fortunes of the sayd Prince: Written by Will. Shakespeare: London, Printed by I. N. for R. B. and are to be sould at his shop in Cheapside, at the signe of the Bible. 1630." 4to. 34 leaves.

In the folio of 1664, the following is the heading of the page on which the play begins: "The much admired Play, called, Pericles, Prince of Tyre. With the true Relation of the whole History, Adventures, and Fortunes of the said Prince. Written by W. Shakespeare, and published in his life time." It occupies twenty-pages; viz. from p. 1 to p. 20, inclusive, a new pagination of the volume commencing with "Pericles." It is there divided into Acts, but irregularly, and the Scenes are not marked.

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