Pis. But to win time To lose so bad employment: in the which Imo. Pis. I thought you would not back again. Bringing me here to kill me. Pis. Then, madam, Most like; Not so, neither: But if I were as wise as honest, then My purpose would prove well. It cannot be, Some villain, ay, and singular in his art, Imo. Some Roman courtezan. Pis. No, on my life. I'll give but notice you are dead, and send him I should do so: You shall be miss'd at court, Imo. Why, good fellow, What shall I do the while? Where bide? How live? Or in my life what comfort, when I am Dead to my husband? Pis. If you'll back to the court,Imo. No court, no father; nor no more ado With that harsh, noble, simple, nothing13: That Cloten, whose love-suit hath been to me Pis. If not at court, Then not in Britain must you bide. 13 This line requires some word of two syllables to complete the measure. Steevens proposed to read : With that harsh, noble, simple, nothing, Cloten ; That Cloten,' &c. Imo. Where then? Hath Britain all the sun that shines14? Day, night, Are they not but in Britain ? l'the world's volume Our Britain seems as of it, but not in it; In a great pool, a swan's nest: Pr'ythee, think Pis. Imo. Pis. Well then, here's the point: You must forget to be a woman; change 14 The poet may have had in his mind a passage in Lyly's Euphues, which he has imitated in King Richard II. See it in a note on that play, vol. v. p. 26. 15 To wear a dark mind is to carry a mind impenetrable to the search of others. Darkness, applied to the mind, is secrecy; applied to the fortune, is obscurity. The next lines are obscure. You must (says Pisanio) disguise that greatness which, to appear hereafter in its proper form, cannot yet appear without great danger to itself.' 16 Full of view appears to mean of ample prospect, affording a complete view of circumstances which it is your interest to know. Thus in Pericles, Full of face' appears to signify amply beautiful and Duncan assures Banquo that he will labour to make him full of growing,' i. e. of ample growth.' VOL. IX. 4 As quarrellous as the weasel17: nay, you must Imo. Nay, be brief: I see into thy end, and am almost A man already. Pis. First, make yourself but like one,. Fore-thinking this, I have already fit ('Tis in my cloak-bag) doublet, hat, hose, all That answer to them: Would you, in their serving, And with what imitation you can borrow . From youth of such a season, 'fore noble Lucius Present yourself, desire his service, tell him Wherein you are happy 19 (which you'll make him know, If that his head have ear in music), doubtless, With joy he will embrace you; for he's honourable, And, doubling that, most holy. Your means abroad You have me2o, rich; and I will never fail Beginning, nor supplyment. Imo. Thou art all the comfort 17 So in King Henry IV. Part 1.: A weasel hath not such a deal of spleen This character of the weasel is not mentioned by naturalists. no doubt speaks from observation; while a youth he would have frequent opportunities to ascertain their disposition. Perhaps this note requires the apology which Steevens has affixed to it:Frivola hæc fortassis cuipiam et nimis levia esse videantur sed curiositas nihil recusat.'-Vopiscus in Vita Aureliani, c. x. 18 Thus in Othello: The bawdy wind that kisses all it meets." So in Sidney's Arcadia, lib. iii. And beautiful might have been if they had not suffered greedy Phœbus over often and hard to kisse them.' 19 i. e. wherein you are accomplished. 20 As for your subsistence abroad, you may rely on me.' The gods will diet me with21. Pr'ythee, away: Pis. Well, madam, we must take a short farewell: Lest, being miss'd, I be suspected of Your carriage from the court. My noble mistress, Imo. Amen: I thank thee. [Exeunt SCENE V. A Room in Cymbeline's Palace. Enter CYMBELINE, Queen, CLOTEN, LUCIUS, and Lords. Cym. Thus far; and so farewell. Luc. Thanks, royal sir. My emperor hath wrote; I must from hence; And am right sorry, that I must report ye My master's enemy. Cym. Our subjects, sir, Will not endure his yoke: and for ourself 21 Steevens has a note on this passage no less disgusting than absurd, making the pure Imogen allude to the spare regimen prescribed in some diseases. The interpretation was at once gross and erroneous. When lago talks of dieting his revenge, he certainly does not mean putting it on a spare diet. This, and a note on a former passage of this play by Mr. Whalley, which could only have been the offspring of impure imaginations, were justly stigmatized and degraded by the late Mr. Boswell at the suggestion of Mr. Douce. 22 We'll make our work even with our time; we'll do what time will allow. 23 i. e. I am equal to, or have ability for it. To show less sovereignty than they, must needs Luc. So, sir, I desire of you A conduct over land, to Milford Haven.— So, farewell, noble Lucius. Luc. Your hand, my lord. Clo. Receive it friendly: but from this time forth I wear it as your enemy. Sir, the event Luc. Cym. Leave not the worthy Lucius, good my lords, Till he have cross'd the Severn.-Happiness! [Exeunt LUCIUS, and Lords. Queen. He goes hence frowning: but it honours us, That we have given him cause. Clo. "Tis all the better; Your valiant Britons have their wishes in it. Cym. Lucius hath wrote already to the emperor How it goes here. It fits us therefore, ripely, Our chariots and our horsemen be in readiness: The powers that he already hath in Gallia Will soon be drawn to head, from whence he moves Queen. [Exit an Attendant. 1 We should apparently read 'his grace and you,' or 'your grace and yours.` |