So tender over his occafions, true,

So feat, fo nurfe-like; let his virtue join

With my request, which I'll make bold your HighCannot deny: he hath done no Briton harm, [nefs Though he hath ferved a Roman. Save him, Sir, And fpare no blood befide.

Cym. I've furely feen him; His favour is familiar to me.

Boy,

Thou haft looked thyself into my grace,

And art mine own. I know not why, nor wherefore,
To fay, "live, boy:" ne'er thank thy mafter, [live,
And ask of Cymbeline what boon thou wilt,
Fitting my bounty, and thy ftate, I'll give it :
Yea, though thou do demand a prisoner,
The nobleft ta'en.

Imo. I humbly thank your Highness..

Luc. I do not bid thee beg my life, good lad; And yet I know thou wilt.

Imo. No, no, ałack,

There's other work in hand;. I fee a thing.
Bitter to me, as death; your life, good master,
Muft fhuffle for itself..

Luc. The boy difdains me,

He leaves me, foorns me: briefly die their joys, That place them on the truth of girls and boys! Why ftands he fo perplexed?

Cym. What would't thou, boy?

I love thee more and more: think more and more, What's best to ask. Know't him thou look'st on?

fpeak,

Wilt have him live? is he thy kin? thy friend?:
Imo. He is a Roman; no more kin to me,
Than I to your Highness: who, being born your
Am fomething nearer.

[vaffal,

Cym. Wherefore eyeft him fo?

Imo. I'll tell you, Sir, in private, if you pleafe To give me hearing.

Cyn. Ay, with all my heart,

And lend my best attention. What's thy name? Imo. Fidele, Sir..

Cym. Thou art my good youth, my page; I'll be thy mafter: walk with me, fpeak freely. [Cymbel. and Imo. walk afide.

Bel. Is not this boy revived from death?
Arv. One fand another (56)

Not more resembles, than he th' fweet rofy lad,
Who died, and was Fidele. What think you?
Gaid. The fame dead thing alive.

Bel. Peace, peace, fce more; he eyes us not;
forbear,

:

Creatures may be alike were't he, I'm fure
He would have spoke t' us.

Guid. But we faw him dead.
Bel. Be filent: let's fee further..

Pif. 'Tis my mistress--

Since he is living, let the time run on,

[Afide

To good, or bad. [Cymb. and Imo. come forward.' Cym. Come, ftand thou by our fide..

Make thy demand aloud.- Sir, ftep you forth

[To Iachimo.

Give answer to this boy, and do it freely;.

(56) -One fand another

Not more refembles that sweet rofy youth,

Who died and was Fidele.]

A fight corruption has made stark nonfenfe of this paffage. One grain of fand certainly might refemble another; but it could never resemble a human form. I believe I have reftored the Poet's meaning; the verfe is none of the fmootheft; but, resembles must be pronounced as a diffyl lable.

Or, by our greatnefs and the grace of it,
Which is our honour, bitter torture shall

Winnow the truth from falfehood.-On; fpeak to him.

A

Imo. My boon is, that this gentleman may render Of whom he had this ring..

Poft. What's that to him?

Cym. That diamond upon your finger, fay,» How came it yours?

Fach. Thou'lt torture me to leave unspoken that, Which to be spoke would torture thee.

Cym. How? me?

Tach. I'm glad to be constrained to utter what Torments me to conceal. By villainy

I got this ring; 'twas Leonatus' jewel,

Whom thou didst banish: and (which more may : grieve thee,

As it doth me) a nobler Sir ne'er lived,

[Lord?

'Twixt fky and ground. Will you hear more, my Gym. All that belongs to this.

lach. That paragon, thy daughter,

For whom my heart drops blood, and my false spirits Quail to remember,---give me leave, I faint.

Gym. My daughter, what of her? renew thy trength;

I'd rather thou shouldt live, while nature will, Than die ere I hear more: ftrive, man, and speak. Iach. Upon a time, (unhappy was the clock That ftruck the hour;) it was in Rome, (accurfed The manfion where) 'twas at a feast, (oh, would Our viands had been poifoned! or at leaft,

Thofe which I heaved to head :) the good Poft-humus---

(What fhould I fay? he was too good to be Where ill men were; and was the best of all

Amongst the rareft of good ones)---fitting fadly,.
Hearing us praise our loves of Italy (57)
For beauty, that made barren the fwelled boast
Of him that best could fpeak; for ftature, laming
The thrine of Venus, or ftraight-pight Minerva,
Poftures beyond brief nature; for condition,
A fhop of all the qualities that man

Loves woman for; befides that hook of wiving,
Fairness, which ftrikes the eye----.

Gym. I ftand on fire.

Come to the matter.

Iach. All too foon I fhall,

Unless thou wouldft grieve quickly.---------This Pofthumus

(Moft like a noble Lord in love, and one
That had a royal lover) took his hint;

And, not difpraifing whom we praifed, (therein
He was as calm as virtue) he began

His miftrefs' picture; which by his tongue being made,

(57) Hearing us praise our loves of Italy

For beauty, that made barren the fwelled boaft.
Of him that beft could speak; for feature, laming
The fhrine of Venus, or jiraight-pight Minerva,
Poftures beyond brief nature;-

As plaufible as this reading may appear at firft view, I dare fay it is flightly corrupted. What! did they praise their miftreffes for beauty, and for feature too? The fymmetry of features is always one main part of beauty. Then why. fhould features be faid to lame a ftatue, or the postures of a well-built goddess? We muft certainly restore,

for fature laming

The fhrine of Venus, &c.

This agrees perfectly well with laming, ftraight-pight, and poliures; and fo the lady is praised for her beauty, her fhape, and her temper of mind.

And then a mind put in't, either our brags
Were cracked-of kitchen-trulls, or his defcription
Proved us unfpeaking fots.

Cym. Nay, nay, to the purpose.

lach. Your daughter's chastity;-there it begins :: He fpake of her, as Dian had hot dreams,

And the alone were cold; whereat, I, wretch !------
Made fcruple of his praife; and waged with him
Pieces of gold, 'gainst this which then he wore
Upon his honoured finger, to attain

In fuit the place of's bed, and win this ring
By hers and mine adultery. He, true Knight,.
No leffer of her honour confident

Than I did truly find her, ftakes this ring;
And would fo, had it been a carbuncle

Of Phoebus' wheel; and might fo fafely, had it
Been all the worth of's car. Away to Britain
Poft I in this defign: well may you, Sir,
Remember me at court, where I was taught
By your chafte daughter the wide difference
'Twixt amorous and villainous. Being thus quenched
Of hope, not longing, mine Italian brain.
'Gan in your duller Britain operate
Moft vilely for my vantage excellent;
And, to be brief, my practice fo prevailed.
That I returned with fimilar proof enough
To make the noble Leonatus mad,

By wounding his belief in her renown,
With tokens thus, and thus; averring notes
Of chamber-hanging, pictures, this her bracelet;
(Oh, cunning! how I got it) nay, fome marks
Of fecret on her perfon; that he could not
But think her bond of chastity quite cracked,
I having ta'en the forfeit; whereupon,
Methinks, I fee him now------