More than the locking up the fpirits a time,
To be more fresh, reviving. She is fool'd
With a moft falfe effect; and I the truer,
So to be falfe with her.

Queen. No further fervice, Doctor,

Until I fend for thee,

Cor. I humbly take my leave..

[Exit.

Queen. Weeps the ftill, fay'ft thou? doft thou think, in time

She will not quench, and let inftructions enter
Where folly now poffeffes? do thou work;
When thou shalt bring me word she loves my son,
I'll tell thee on the inftant, thou art then
As great as is thy mafter; greater; for
His fortunes all lie fpeechlels, and his name
Is at laft gafp. Return he cannot, nor
Continue where he is: to fhift his being,
Is to exchange one mifery with another;
And every day, that comes, comes to decay
A day's work in him. What fhalt thou expect,
To be depender on a thing that leans?
Who cannot be new built, and has no friends,
So much as but to prop him?-Thou tak'ft up

[Pifanio takes up the Phial. Thou know'st not what; but take it for thy labour; It is a thing I make, which hath the King

Five times redeeem'd from death; I do not know
What is more cordial. Nay, I pr'ythee, take it;
It is an earneft of a further Good

That I mean to thee. Tell thy mistress how
The cafe ftands with her; do 't, as from thyfelf:
Think, what a change thou chanceft on; but think;-
Thou haft thy miftrefs ftill; to boot, my fon;
Who fhall take notice of thee. I'll move the King

6 —to shift his being,] To change his abode.

7

-that leans?] That inclines towards its fall.

Το

To any fhape of thy preferment, fuch
As thou'lt defire; and then myself, I chiefly,
That fet thee on to this defert, am.bound
To load thy merit richly. Call my women-

[Exit Pifanio.
Think on my words-A fly and constant knave,
Not to be shak'd; the agent for his master;
And the remembrancer of her, to hold

The hand fast to her Lord.-I've given him that,
Which, if he take, fhall quite unpeople her
s Of leigers for her fweet; and which fhe, after,
Except the bend her humour, fhall be affur'd
To taste of too.

Enter Pifanio, and Ladies.

So, fo; well done, well done.

The violets, cowflips, and the primroses,
Bear to my closet. Fare thee well, Pifanio,

Think on my words.

Pif. And fhall do:

[Exeunt Queen and Ladies.

But when to my good Lord I prove untrue,

I'll choke myself; there's all I'll do for you. [Exit.

Imo.

A

Changes to Imogen's Apartments.

Enter Imogen alone.

Father cruel, and a Stepdame false, A foolish fuitor to a wedded lady, That hath her husband banish'd-O, that husband! My fupreme crown of grief, and those repeated

8

Of leigers for her fweet;-] A leiger ambaffador, is one that

refides at a foreign court, to promote his mafter's intereft.

Vexations

Vexations of it-Had I been thief-ftoll'n,

As my two brothers, happy! but most miferable Is the defire, that's glorious. Bless'd be those, How mean foe'er, that have their honeft wills, Which feafons comfort. Who may this be? fy!

Enter Pifanio, and Iachimo..

Pif. Madam, a noble Gentleman of Rome
Comes from my Lord with letters.
lach. Change you, Madam?
The worthy Leonatus is in fafety,
And greets your Highness dearly.

Imo. Thanks, good Sir,

You're kindly welcome.

[Gives a Letter,

Iach. All of her, that is out of door, most rich! If the be furnish'd with a mind fo rare,

9but most miferable Is the defire, that's glorious.-T Her husband, fhe fays, proves her fupreme grief. She had been happy had the been ftoln as her brothers were, but now the is miferable, as all thofe are who have a sense of worth and honour fuperior to the vulgar, which occafions them infinite vexations from the envious and worthlefs part of mankind. Had she not so refined a taste as to be content only with the fuperior merit of Pofibumus, but could have taken up with Cloten, fhe might have escaped thefe perfecutions. This elegance of tafte, which always difcovers an excellence and chufes it, the calls with great fublimity of expreffion, The defire that's glorious; which the Oxford Editor not understanding alters to, The degree that's glorious.

WARB.

[Afide.

Blefi'd be thofe How mean foe'er, that have their honeft wills,

Which feafons comfort.-] The laft words are equivocal; but the meaning is this. Who are beholden only to the feafons for their fupport and nourishments; fo that, if those be kindly, fuch have no more to care for or defire. WARBURTON.

I am willing to comply with any meaning that can be extorted from the present text, rather than change it, yet will propofe, but with great diffidence, a flight alteration:

-Bliss'd be thefe,

How mean foe'er, that have their boneft wills, With reafon's comfort. Who gratify their innocent withcs with reafonable enjoyments.

She

She is alone th' Arabian bird; and I

Have loft the wager. Boldnefs be my friend!
Arm me, Audacity, from head to foot:

Or, like the Parthian, I fhall flying fight,
Rather directly fly.

Imogen reads.

He is one of the nobleft note, to whofe kindnesses I am

Reflect upon him accordingly, as you

But ev❜n the very middle of my heart

Is warm'd by th' reft, and takes it thankfully.
- -You are as welcome, worthy Sir, as I
Have words to bid you; and fhall find it fo,
In all that I can do.

Iach. Thanks, faireft Lady.

What! are men mad? hath nature given them

To fee this vaulted arch, and the rich
2 cope
Of fea and land, which can diftinguish 'twixt
The fiery orbs above, and the twinn'd ftones
Upon the number'd beach? and can we not

1

Partition make with fpectacles fo precious 'Twixt fair and foul?

Imo. What makes your admiration?

Iach. It cannot be i' th' eye; for apes and monkeys,
'Twixt two fuch fhe's, would chatter this way, and
Contemn with mowes the other: Nor i' th' judgment,
For Ideots, in this cafe of favour, would
Be wifely definite: Nor i' th' appetite :
Sluit'ry, to fuch neat excellence oppos'd,
+ Should make defire vomit emptiness,
Not fo allur'd to feed.

Imo. What is the matter, trow?
Iach. The cloyed will,

That fatiate, yet unfatisfy'd defire,

That tub, both fill'd and running; ravening firft
The lamb, longs after for the garbage

Imo. What,

Dear Sir, thus raps you? are you well?

Iach. Thanks, Madam, well-Befeech you, Sir,

[To Pifanio.

Defire my man's abode, where I did leave him;
He's ftrange, and peevish.

I know not well how to regufate this paffage. Number'd is perhaps numerous. Tvinn'd ftones, I do not understand. Twinn'd fbells, or pairs of shells, are very common. For winn'd, we might read, twin'd; that is, tau fled, conwolved: But this fenfe is more applicable to fhells than to stones.

4 Should make defire vomit emptinefi,

Not fo allur'd to feed.] i. e. that appetite, which is not allured to feed on fuch excellence, can have no itomach at all; but, though empty, mult naufeate every thing. WARBURTON. I explain this paffage in a fenfe almoft contrary. Iachimo, in this

counterfeited rapture, has fhewn how the eyes and the judgment would determine in favour of Imogen, comparing her with the prefent mitrels of Pofthumus, and proceeds to fay, that appetite too would give the fame fuffrage. Defire, fays he, when it approach'd fluttery, and confidered it in comparison with such neat excellence, would not only be not fo aliur'd to feed, but, feized with a fit of loathing, would vomit emptiness, would feel the convulfions of difguft, though, being unfed, it had nothing to eject.

5 He's firange and peevish.] He's a foreigner, and easily fretted.