up for swearing; as if I borrowed mine oaths of him, and might not spend them at my pleasure. 1 Lord. What got he by that? You have broke his pate with your bowl. 2 Lord. [Aside.] If his wit had been like him that broke it, it would have run all out. Clo. When a gentleman is disposed to swear, it is not for any standers-by to curtail his oaths, ha? 2 Lord. No, my lord; [Aside.] nor crop the ears of them. Clo. Whoreson dog!-I give him satisfaction? Would he had been one of my rank! 2 Lord. [Aside.] To have smelt like a fool. Clo. I am not vexed more at any thing in the earth.-A pox on't! I had rather not be so noble as I am: they dare not fight with me, because of the queen my mother. Every jack-slave hath his belly full of fighting, and I must go up and down, like a cock that no body can match. 2 Lord. [Aside.] You are cock and capon too; and you crow, cock, with your comb on. Clo. Sayest thou? 2 Lord. It is not fit, your lordship should undertake every companion that you give offence to. 9 Clo. No, I know that; but it is fit I should commit offence to my inferiors. 2 Lord. Ay; it is fit for your lordship only. Clo. Why, so I say. 1 Lord. Did you hear of a stranger, that's come to court to-night? Clo. A stranger, and I not know on't! 2 Lord. [Aside.] He's a strange fellow himself, and knows it not. 1 Lord. There's an Italian come; and, 'tis thought, one of Leonatus' friends. Clo. Leonatus! a banished rascal; and he's another, whatsoever he be. Who told you of this stranger? 1 Lord. One of your lordship's pages. Clo. Is it fit I went to look upon him? Is there no derogation in't? 1 Lord. You cannot derogate, my lord. 8 I GIVE him satisfaction?] First folio, gave: corrected by the second folio.Satisfaction for the breaking of his pate. 9 every COMPANION] i. e. Every fellow, as frequently before: see Vol. ii. p. 600 and 694; Vol. iv. p. 684; Vol. v. p. 358, &c. Clo. Not easily, I think. 2 Lord. [Aside.] You are a fool granted; therefore, your issues, being foolish, do not derogate. Clo. Come, I'll go see this Italian. day at bowls, I'll win to-night of him. 2 Lord. I'll attend your lordship. What I have lost to- [Exeunt CLOTEN and first Lord. That such a crafty devil as is his mother Of the divorce he'd make! The heavens hold firm [Exit. SCENE II. A Bed-chamber; in one part of it a trunk. IMOGEN reading in her bed; HELEN attending. Imo. Who's there? my woman, Helen? Hel. Imo. What hour is it? Hel. Please you, madam. Almost midnight, madam. Imo. I have read three hours, then. Mine eyes are weak; Fold down the leaf where I have left: to bed. Take not away the taper, leave it burning; I pr'ythee, call me. Sleep hath seiz'd me wholly. To your protection I commend me, gods! [Exit HELEN. [She sleeps. Enter IACHIMO from the trunk. Iach. The crickets sing, and man's o'er-labour'd sense Repairs itself by rest: our Tarquin thus Did softly press the rushes', ere he waken'd The chastity he wounded.-Cytherea, How bravely thou becom'st thy bed! fresh lily, But kiss; one kiss!-Rubies unparagon'd, How dearly they do't!-'Tis her breathing that [Taking off her bracelet 3. As slippery, as the Gordian knot was hard.- Did softly press the RUSHES,] It need hardly be repeated (see Vol. iii. p. 376, and Vol. v. p. 116) that apartments of old were usually strewed with rushes, instead of being carpeted. The stage also was frequently strewed with rushes: see Dekker's "Gull's Hornbook," 4to, 1609. 2 - I will write all down:] It seems by a marginal note in the corr. fo. 1632, that Iachimo actually "kissed Imogen" at the words "But kiss; one kiss ;" and that he took out his tables," and noted at the moment the particulars which he observed in the chamber, at the words "I will write all down." It may be doubted whether the poet intended that he should do so at the time; but we take it for granted that such was the course when the old annotator saw the play, and such may certainly have been the custom on our early stage. 3 Taking off her bracelet.] The old copies have no stage-directions, until the "clock strikes ;" and even for that relating to the removal of the bracelet we are indebted to Rowe. A mole cinque-spotted, like the crimson drops [Clock strikes. [Exit into the trunk. The Scene closes. Where Philomel gave up.] Shakespeare probably had the story of Tereus and Philomel from Golding's Ovid's Metam., first printed entire in 1567. 'It is also told by Gower in his Conf. Amantis, twice printed before the time of Shakespeare, and recently reprinted under the care of Dr. Pauli. It was narrated most at large, at a date shortly posterior to the death of Shakespeare, by Patrick Hannay, who published it, with other pieces, (some of which had appeared in 1619) in 8vo, 1622, under the title of "Philomela, the Nightingale." The volume also contains the tune to which it was to be sung, also by Hannay; but, inasmuch as the poem occupies 71 pages, it is not very likely that the music and words were often heard together. 5 May DARE the raven's eye:] "May bare the raven's eye" in the folio, 1623, where "bare" is, however, spelt beare. Perhaps the letter d was mistaken by the old printer, and thus "dare" might become bare or beare. "May dare the raven's eye must have reference to the practice of daring, or dazzling, the eyes of larks by pieces of looking-glass. On the other hand, the true reading of beare may be bleare, in the sense of "blear the eye," which was a very common expression in the time of Shakespeare: he has bleare thine eye" in "The Taming of the Shrew," Vol. ii. p. 519; and "bleared sights" in "Coriolanus," Vol. iv. p. 636. In H. Chettle's tragedy of " Hoffman" the Duchess ought to say, "this will bleare the eye Of the rude vulgar;" but, by the same misprint as in the passage before us, it stands "beare the eye' in the old copy. To "blear the raven's eye" would mean to render it dim, like that of any other night-bird by the brightness of the morning; but, having no authority for blear, we adopt "dare" from the corr. fo. 1632. 6 EXIT into the trunk. The Scene closes.] In the old copies we read merely Exit, and "into the trunk" is inserted in the corr. fo. 1632. We have added the words "The Scene closes," as was done by Malone; and it seems likely that the traverse-curtain, which sometimes separated the back from the front of the stage, was used on the occasion. Thus, what was left of the stage would form an antechamber to Imogen's bed-room. SCENE III. An Ante-Chamber adjoining IMOGEN's Apartment. Enter CLOTEN and Lords. 1 Lord. Your lordship is the most patient man in loss; the most coldest that ever turned up ace. Clo. It would make any man cold to lose. 1 Lord. But not every man patient, after the noble temper of your lordship. You are most hot, and furious, when you win. Clo. Winning will put any man into courage. If I could get this foolish Imogen, I should have gold enough. It's almost morning, is't not? 1 Lord. Day, my lord. Clo. I would this music would come. I am advised to give her music o' mornings; they say, it will penetrate. 80; Enter Musicians. Come on; tune: if you can penetrate her with your fingering, we'll try with tongue too: if none will do, let her remain; but I'll never give o'er. First, a very excellent good conceited thing; after, a wonderful sweet air, with admirable rich words to it,—and then-let her consider. SONG. Hark! hark! the lark at heaven's gate sings, And Phoebus 'gins arise, His steeds to water at those springs On chalic'd flowers that lies; And winking Mary-buds begin 7 With every thing that pretty Is,] So all the old copies, and not "pretty bin," as Sir T. Hanmer altered the text. In this kind of ballad-measure, it was not required that each line should have its rhyme; on the contrary, the more usual practice was the reverse. In his 29th Sonnet Shakespeare says— "Like to the lark, at break of day arising From sullen earth, sings hymns at heaven's gate." VOL. VI. U |