Dost seem so ignorant, we'll enforce it from thee
By a sharp torture.

Pis.

Sir, my life is

life is yours,

I humbly set it at your will: But, for my mistress,
I nothing know where she remains, why gone,
Nor when she purposes return. 'Beseech your high-

ness,

Hold me your loyal servant.

1 Lord.

Good my liege,

The day that she was missing, he was here:
I dare be bound he's true, and shall perform
All parts of his subjection loyally.

For Cloten,

There wants no diligence in seeking him,
And will, no doubt, be found.

Cym.

The time's troublesome:

[TO PISANIO.

We'll slip you for a season; but our jealousy

Does yet depend.

1 Lord.

So please your majesty, The Roman legions, all from Gallia drawn, Are landed on your coast; with a supply Of Roman gentlemen, by the senate sent. Cym. Now for the counsel of my son, and I am amaz'd with matter.7

1 Lord.

Good my liege,

Your preparation can affront no less
Than what you

ready:

hear of: come more, for more you're

The want is, but to put those powers in motion,
That long to move.

Сут.

I thank you: Let's withdraw:

And meet the time, as it seeks us. We fear not

7 I am amaz'd with matter.] i. e. confounded by a variety of business.

8

• Your preparation can affront, &c.] Your forces are able to face such an army as we hear the enemy will bring against us.

What can from Italy annoy us; but
We grieve at chances here.-Away.

Pis. I heard no letter from my master, since
I wrote him, Imogen was slain: 'Tis strange:
Nor hear I from my mistress, who did promise
To yield me often tidings: Neither know I
What is betid to Cloten; but remain

[Exeunt.

Perplex'd in all. The heavens still must work:
Wherein I am false, I am honest; not true, to be true.
These present wars shall find I love my country,
Even to the note o'the king, or I'll fall in them.
All other doubts, by time let them be clear'd:
Fortune brings in some boats, that are not steer'd.

Aro. What pleasure, sir, find we in life, to lock it

From action and adventure?

Gui.

Nay, what hope

Have we in hiding us? this way, the Romans

Must or for Britons slay us; or receive us

For barbarous and unnatural revolts1

During their use, and slay us after.

Bel.

Sons,

We'll higher to the mountains; there secure us.
To the king's party there's no going: newness
Of Cloten's death (we being not known, not muster'd
Among the bands) may drive us to a render

9

to the note o'the king,] I will so distinguish myself, the king shall remark my valour."

revolts-] i. e. revolters.

Where we have liv'd2; and so extort from us

That which we've done, whose answer would be death Drawn on with torture.

That when they hear the Roman horses neigh,
Behold their quarter'd fires, have both their eyes
And ears so cloy'd importantly as now,

That they will waste their time upon our note,
To know from whence we are.

Bel.

O, I am known

Of many in the army: many years,

Though Cloten then but young, you see, not wore him
From my remembrance. And, besides, the king
Hath not deserv'd my service, nor your loves;

Who find in my exíle the want of breeding,
The certainty of this hard life; aye hopeless
To have the courtesy your cradle promis'd,
But to be still hot summer's tanlings, and
The shrinking slaves of winter.

Gui.

Than be so,

Better to cease to be. Pray, sir, to the army:
I and my brother are not known; yourself,
So out of thought, and thereto so o'ergrown,
Cannot be question'd.

Arv.

By this sun that shines,

I'll thither: What thing is it, that I never

Did see man die? scarce ever look'd on blood,
But that of coward hares, hot goats, and venison?
Never bestrid a horse, save one, that had

a render

Where we have liv'd ;] An account of our place of abode. This dialogue is a just representation of the superfluous caution of an old

man.

3 — their quarter'd fires,] Quarter'd fires, probably means no more than fires in the respective quarters of the Roman army.

A rider like myself, who ne'er wore rowel
Nor iron on his heel? I am asham'd

To look upon the holy sun, to have
The benefit of his bless'd beams, remaining
So long a poor unknown.

Gui.

By heavens, I'll go :
If you will bless me, sir, and give me leave,
I'll take the better care; but if you will not,
The hazard therefore due fall on me, by
The hands of Romans!

So say I; Amen.

you set

Arv.
Bel. No reason I, since on your lives
So slight a valuation, should reserve
My crack'd one to more care.
If in your country wars you chance to die,

Have with you, boys:

That is my bed too, lads, and there I'll lie:

Lead, lead. The time seems long: their blood thinks

scorn,

Till it fly out, and show them princes born.

ACT V.

[Aside. [Exeunt.

SCENE I.-A Field between the British and Roman Camps.

Enter POSTHUMUS, with a bloody Handkerchief."

Post. Yea, bloody cloth, I'll keep thee; for I wish'd Thou should'st be colour'd thus. You married ones,

·bloody handkerchief.] The bloody token of Imogen's death, which Pisanio in the foregoing Act determined to send.

Yea, bloody cloth, &c.] This is a soliloquy of nature, uttered when the effervescence of a mind agitated and perturbed, spontaneously and inadvertently discharges itself in words. The speech throughout all its tenor, if the last conceit be excepted, seems to issue warm from the heart. He first condemns his own violence, then tries to disburden himself by imputing part of the crime to Pisanio; he next soothes his mind to an artificial and momentary tranquillity, by trying

If each of you would take this course, how many
Must murder wives much better than themselves,
For wrying but a little?-O, Pisanio!

you

Every good servant does not all commands;
No bond, but to do just ones. Gods! if
Should have ta'en vengeance on my faults, I never
Had liv'd to put on this: so had you saved

6

The noble Imogen to repent; and struck

Me, wretch, more worth your vengeance. But, alack,
You snatch some hence for little faults; that's love,
To have them fall no more: you some permit
To second ills with ills, each elder worse;
And make them dread it to the doers' thrift.7

But Imogen is your own: Do your best wills,

And make me bless'd to obey !—I am brought hither Among the Italian gentry, and to fight

Against my lady's kingdom: 'Tis enough

That, Britain, I have kill'd thy mistress; peace!

I'll give no wound to thee.

Therefore, good heavens, Hear patiently my purpose; I'll disrobe me Of these Italian weeds, and suit myself

to think that he has been only an instrument of the gods for the happiness of Imogen. He is now grown reasonable enough to determine, that having done so much evil, he will do no more; that he will not fight against the country which he has already injured; but as life is not longer supportable, he will die in a just cause, and die with the obscurity of a man who does not think himself worthy to be remembered. JOHNSON.

7 And make them dread it to the doers' thrift.] Of the various meanings assigned by the commentators, the following appears the most intelligible: "Some you snatch from hence for little faults; others you suffer to heap ills on ills, and afterwards make them dread their having done so, to the eternal welfare of the doers." The whole speech is in a religious strain. Thrift signifies a state of prosperity. It is not the commission of the crimes that is supposed to be for the doer's thrift, but his dreading them afterwards, and of course repenting, which ensures his salvation.