Eehoves me to keep at utterance. I am perfect, (28) That the Pannonians and Dalmatians for

i. e. to the hazard of death. So, likewife, cewhere in our own Author;

But he has a merit

To choak it in the utterance.

je. in the extremest point.

Rather than fo, come Fate into the lift,
And challenge me to th' utterance.

Goriol

Macb

i. e. to the utmoft peril, death itfelf And our Author frequently gives us the fame image, with a variation in the expreffion.

-There I throw my gage,
To prove it on thee to th' extremeft point
Of mortal breathing.

For I will throw my glove to Death himself.

-will you, the knights

Shall to the edge of all extremity

Purfue each other, c..

Richard II

Treil. and Greffid.

Ibid.

Ibid

(28)

So be it, either to the uttermoft;
Or elfe a breath

-I am perfect

That the Pannonians and Dalmatians, for
Their liberties, are now in arms.]

This circumftance is again repeated afterwards by a Roman fenator in this act.

This is the tenour of the Emperor's writ;

That fince the common men are now in action

'Gainst the Pannonians and Dalmatians, &c. From this particularity we may precisely-fix the supposed date of this war on Britain, for the recovery of tribute in arrear to Rome; and, at one view, fee how our Author has jumbled facts against the known tenour of chronology, In the 10th year after the affaflination of Julius Cæfar, (Anno U. C. 749) Auguftus had a defign of making a des feent on Britain but was diverted from it by an inftirrection: of the Pannonians and Dalmatians, in order to shake off their fubjection to Rome. Now this period of time was co incident with the 3th year of Tenantius's reign, who was the father of Cymbeline: and Tenantius reigned nine years after this.

Again, we find, from the very opening of our play, that?

Their liberties are now in arms: a precedent Which, not to read, would shew the Britons cold So Cæfar fhall not find them..

Luc. Let proof speak.

If you

Clot. His Majefty bids you welcome. Make paftime with us a day or two, or longer. feek us afterwards on other terms, you fhall find us in our falt-water girdle; if you beat us out of it, it is yours: if you fall in the adventure, our crows fhall fare the better for you; and there's an end.

Luc. So, Sir.

Gym. I know your mafter's pleasure, and he mine: All the remain is welcome.

Enter PISANIO, reading a Letter.

[Exeunt

Pif. How of adultery? wherefore write you What monfters have accufed her? Leonatus! [not, Oh mafter, what a ftrange infection.

Is fallen into thy ear? what falfe Italian

(As pois'nous-tongued as handed) hath prevailed

Cymbeline had been at least 23 years on the throne: for it was 20 years fince his two fons were ftolen, and the elde of them then was at leaft three years old. Now the 23d of Cymbeline falls in with the 41d of Auguftus, the very year in which Chrift was born. So that our Author has confufedly blended facts at 32 years diftance from each other. Whether he was aware of, or neglected this difcor dance in time, it has contributed to another abfurdity. It is faid more than once in our play, "That the remembrance "of the Romans is yet fresh in the Britons' grief :" i. e. that they ftill felt the fmart of their overthrow. Now Ju lius Cæfar fubdued Britain eleven years before his affaffina tion, in the year of Rome 693. This war on Cymbeline cannot be before the 42d year of Auguftus: (U. Ć. 751) so that here is an interval of 53 years, a time fufficient to erafe the memory of the most dreadful enemy, especially in a people who are boafting of the strength they have acquired fince their defeat.

On thy too-ready hearing !---Disloyal? no,
She's punished for her truth; and undergoes,
More goddefs-like than wife-like, fuch affaults
As would take in fome virtue. Oh, my master!
Thy mind to her is now as low as were

Thy fortunes. How? that I should murder her
Upon the love and truth, and vows, which I
Have made to thy command!-I, her!--her blood F
If it be fo to do good fervice, never

Let me be counted ferviceable.----How look I,
That I should seem to lack humanity,

So much as this fact comes to?" Do't---the letter,

[Reading "That I have fent her, by her own command "Shall give thee opportunity."---Damned paper! Black as the ink that's on thee: senseless bauble! Art thou a foedarie for this act, and lookest So virgin-like without? Lo, here she comes. Enter IMOGEN.

I'm ignorant in what I am commanded.
Imo. How now, Pifanio?

Pif. Madam, here's a letter from my Lord.
Imo. Who! thy Lord? that is my Lord Leonatus.
Oh, learned, indeed, were that aftronomer,
That knew the stars as I his characters:

He'd lay the future open.-Yon good gods,
Let what is here contained relifh of love,

Of my Lord's health, of his content;-(yet not
That we two are afunder; let that grieve him!
Some griefs are medicinable; that is one of them, (29)

(29) Some griefs are medicinable, that is one of them,

For it doth phyfic love of his content,

All but in that]

Thus Mr Pope has wifely pointed this paffage in his Quarto edition of our Poet: by which it is demonftrable he did not understand it. If grief physics love of his content, then

For it doth phyfic love;)-of his content,

All but in that.-Good wax, thy leave.-Blefs'd be. You bees, that make these locks of counsel ! lovers, And men in dangerous bonds, pray not alike. Though forfeitures you caft in prifon, yet

You clafp young Cupid's tables: good news, gods!" [Reading.

"Juftice, and your father's wrath, fhould he "take me in his dominion, could not be fo cruel "to me; but you, oh the dearest of creatures, "would even renew me with your eyes. Take

notice that I am in Cambria, at Milford-Haven: "what your own love will out of this advise you, "follow. So he wishes you all happiness, that

remains loyal to his vow, and your increafing in.

« love;

"Leonatus Pofthumus."

Oh, for a horfe with wings! heareft thou, Pifanio? He is at Milford-Haven: read, and tell me.

How far 'tis thither.

If one of mean affairs May plod it in a week, why may not I Glide thither in a day? then, true Pifanio,

it purges his content away, which is by no means our Author's meaning All the editions have confounded the fenfe by a bad pointing: I have reformed the whole context; and will fubjoin a fhort paraphrafe by way of expla nation. Imogen, before he opens the letter, prays, that "the contents of it may fhew that her Lord still loves her; "that he is in health; and that he tates content.

66

Yet

(fays he, as it were correcting herfelf) let him not taste a full and abfolute content; let it give him some grief "that fate has divided him and me; for that's a grief which will be medicinable, will exercife and fupport his "love: but in every other circumftance let him enjoy con"tent at heart."I gave this explanation, and reformed. the pointing, in the Appendix to my Shakespeare Restored; and Mr Pope has vouchfafed to embrace my correction in his laf edition.

Who longest like me to fee thy Lord; who longeft, (Oh, let me 'bate) but not like me; yet longestBut in a fainter kind---oh, not like me;

For mine's beyond, beyond---Say, and fpeak thick;
Love's counsellor fhould fill the bores of hearing
To th' fmoth'ring of the fenfe---how far it is
To this fame bleffed Milford: and, by th' way,
Tell me how Wales was made so happy as
T' inherit such a haven. But, first of all,
How may we fteal from hence? and for the gap
That we fhall make in time, from our hence going
Till our return, t' excufe---but first, how
Why should excufe be born or ere begot?
We'll talk of that hereafter. Pr'ythee, speak,.
How many score of miles we may well ride
"Twixt hour and hour?

Pif. One score 'twixt fun and fun,

get

hence?

Madam, 's enough for you, and too much too.
Imo. Why, one that rode to's execution, man,
Could never go foflow; I've heard of riding wagers,.
Where horses have been niinbler than the fands
That run i' th' clock's behalf. But this is fool'ry...
Go, bid my woman feign a sickness; say

She'll home to her father; and provide me prefent
A riding fuit, no costlier than would fit
A Franklin's hufwife.

Pif Madam, you'd best confider.

Imo. I fee before me, man, nor here, nor here, (30)

*(30) I fee before me, man, nor bere, nor here,

Nor what enfues; but have a fog in them,
That I cannot look thorough.]

Where is the fubftantive, to which this relative plural them
can poffibly have any reference? There is none, and the
fenfe, as well as grammar, is defective. I have ventured
to restore, against the authority of the printed copies ;
-but have a fog in ken

That I cannot look through..

Imogen would fay, Don't talk of confidering, man; I nei