O worthiness of nature, breed of greatness! a
I'm not their father, yet who this fhould be
Doth miracle it felf; lov'd before me! -
'Tis the ninth hour o'th' morn.

Arv. Brother, farewel.

Imo. I wish ye fport.

Arv. Your health-fo please you, Sir.

Imo. These are kind creatures. Gods, what lies I've heard! Our Courtiers fay, all's favage, but at Court:b

I am fick ftill, heart-fick

I'll now tafte of thy drug.

Guid. I could not ftir him;

Pifanio,

[Drinks out of the vial.

He said that he was gentle, but unfortunate;
Dishonestly afflicted, but yet honest.

Arv. Thus did he answer me; yet faid, hereafter

I might know more.

Bel. To th' field, to th' field!

We'll leave you for this time; go in, and reft.

Arv. We'll not be long away.

Bel. Pray be not fick,

For you must be our housewife.

Imo. Well or ill,

I am bound to you.

Bel. 'And fo fhalt be ever.

[Exit Imogen.

This youth, howe'er distress'd, appears to have had

Good ancestors.

Arv. How angel-like he fings!

Guid. But his neat cookery!

Arv. He cut our roots in characters,

(a) breed of greatnefs!

M 4

Cowards father cowards, and base things fire the base:
Nature hath meal and bran; contempt and grace.
I'm not, &c.

(b) but at Court:

Experience, oh how thou disprov'st report.

Th' imperious feas breed monsters; for the dish,
Poor tributary rivers, as fweet fish ;

I am fick ftill, &..

5 And fhalt

And

And fauc'd our broth, as Juno had been sick,

And he her dieter.

Arv. Nobly he yokes

A fmiling with a figh.

a

Guid. Yes, I do note,

That grief and patience rooted in him both,
Mingle their fpurs together.

Arv. Grow, patience!

And let the stinking elder, grief, untwine
His perifhing root 7 'from thy increafing vine!
Bel. It is great morning.

Come away who's there?

Clot. I cannot find thofe runagates: that villain Hath mock'd me. I am faint.

Bel. Thofe runagates!

Means he not us? I partly know him; 'tis
Cloten, the fon o'th' Queen; I fear fome ambush
I faw him not these many years, and yet

I know 'tis he: we are held as out-laws; hence.

. Guid. He is but one; you and my brother fearch What companies are near: pray you, away;

Let me alone with him. [Exeunt Bellarius and Arviragus. Clot. Soft! what are you

That fly me thus? fome villain-mountaineers

I've heard of fuch.

Guid. A thing

What flave art thou?

More flavish did I ne'er, than answering

A flave without a knock.

Clot. Thou art a robber,

A law-breaker, a villain; yield thee, thief.

Guid. To whom? to thee? what art thou? have not I An arm as big as thine? a heart as big?

Thy words I grant are bigger: for I wear not

My dagger in my mouth. Say what thou art
Why I fhould yield to thee.

Clot. Thou villain base,
Know'ft me not by my cloaths?

Guid. No, nor thy tailor,

Who is thy grandfather; he made thofe cloaths,
Which, as it feems, make thee.

Clot. Thou precious varlet!

My tailor made them not.

Guid. Hence then, and thank

The man that gave them thee. Thou art fome fool,
I'm loth to beat thee.

Clot. Thou injurious thief,

Hear but my name, and tremble.

Guid. What's thy name?

Clot. Cloten, thou villain.

Guid. Cloten then, double villain, be thy name,

I cannot tremble at it; were it toad,

Adder, or spider, it would move me fooner.
Clot. 9 'Then to thy further fear,

Nay, to thy meer confufion, thou shalt know

I'm fon to th' Queen.

Guid. I'm forry for't; not feeming

So worthy as thy birth.

Clot. Art not afraid?

Guid. Thofe that I rev'rence, those I fear, the wife :

At fools I laugh, not fear them.

Clot. Die the death!

When I have flain thee with my proper hand,

I'll follow thofe that even now fled hence,

And on the gates of Lud's town fet your heads;

Yield, mountaineer.

[Fight and Exeunt. SCENE

8 Adder, fpider, 9 To thy 1 Yield, ruftick mountaineer.

Enter Bellarius and Arviragus.

Bel. No company's abroad.

Arv. None in the world; you did mistake him fure. Bel. I cannot tell: long is it fince I faw him, But time hath nothing blurr'd thofe lines of favour, Which then he wore; the fnatches in his voice, And burst of speaking, were as his: I'm abfolute 'Twas very Cloten.

Arv. In this place we left them;

I wish my brother make good time with him,
You fay he is so fell.

Bel. Being scarce made up,

I mean, to man, he had not apprehenfion
Of daring terrors; for defect of judgment
Is oft the cure of fear. But fee thy brother.

Enter Guiderius, with Cloten's head.

Guid. This Cloten was a fool, an empty purse, There was no mony in't; not Hercules

Could have knock'd out his brains, for he had none: Yet I not doing this, the fool had born

My head, as I do his.

Bel. What haft thou done?

Guid. I'm perfect what; cut off one Cloten's head, Son to the Queen, after his own report,

Who call'd me traitor, mountaineer, and fwore

With his own fingle hand he'd take us in,

Difplace our heads, where, thanks to th' Gods, they grow, And fet them on Lud's town.

Bel. We're all undone!

Guid. Why, worthy father, what have we to lofe, But what he fwore to take, our lives? the law Protects not us; then why fhould we be tender, To let an arrogant piece of flesh threat us?

2 roaring

3 caufe ... old edit, Warb. emend.

Play

Play judge, and executioner, all himself?

For we do fear no law.

Discover you abroad?

Bel. No fingle foul

What company

Can we fet eye on; but in all fafe reafon
He must have fome attendants.

Though his 'humour Was nothing but mutation, ay and that

From one bad thing to worfe; yet not his frenzy,
Nor abfolute madnefs, could fo far have rav'd,
To bring him here alone; although perhaps
It may be heard at Court, that fuch as we
Cave here, haunt here, are out-laws, and in time
May make fome ftronger head: the which he hearing,
(As it is like him,) might break out, and fwear
He'd fetch us in; yet is't not probable

To come alone, nor he fo undertaking,

Nor they fo fuffering; then on good ground we fear, If we do fear this body hath a tail

More perilous than the head.

Arv. Let ordinance

Come, as the Gods forefay it: how foe'er

My brother hath done well,

Bel. I had no mind

To hunt this day: the boy Fidele's sickness

Did make my way long forth.

Guid. With his own fword,.

Which he did wave against my throat, I've ta'en
His head from him: I'll throw't into the creek
Behind our rock; and let it to the fea,

And tell the fishes, he's the Queen's fon Cloten.

That's all I reck.

Bel. I fear 'twill be reveng'd:

[Exit.

Would, Paladour, thou hadst not done't! though valour

Becomes thee well enough.

Arv. Would I had done't,

So the revenge alone purfu'd me! Paladour,

I love thee brotherly, but envy much

4 honour... old edit. Theob, emend.

Thou'st