Cor. Pleaseth your highness, ay: here they are,

madam :

But I beseech your grace, without offence,

My conscience bids me ask-wherefore you have
Commanded of me these most poisonous compounds,
Which are the movers of a languishing death,
But, though slow, deadly.

Queen.
I wonder, doctor,
Thou ask'st me such a question. Have I not been
Thy pupil long? Hast thou not learn'd me how
To make perfumes? distil? preserve? yea, so
That our great king himself doth woo me oft
For my confections? Having thus far proceeded,—
Unless thou think'st me devilish-is't not meet
That I did amplify my judgement in

Other conclusions? I will try the forces

Of these thy compounds on such creatures as

We count not worth the hanging, but none human,
To try the vigour of them and apply

Allayments to their act, and by them gather

Their several virtues and effects.

Cor.

Your highness

Shall from this practice but make hard your heart:
Besides, the seeing these effects will be

5 [Presenting...] Malone. giving her some Papers. Capell.

6 I beseech...offence,-] In a parenthesis, Vaughan conj.

6, 7 without...ask-] Put in a parenthesis by Capell.

7 My...ask,-] In a parenthesis in Ff. ask-wherefore] ask wherefore Vaughan conj.

8-10 compounds,... death,... deadly.] Compounds,... death: ... deadly. Ff. compounds?......death;...... deadly.

Pope. compounds,...death;... dead-
ly! Capell. compounds...death?...
deadly. Johnson (1768).

10 But, though] But though Ff. And,
though or Though but Anon. conj.
wonder] do wonder Theobald.
doctor] doctor, that Keightley conj.
16 is 't] is it F4

20 human] Rowe. humane Ff.
21 try] test Hudson, 1881 (S. Walker
conj.). prove Vaughan conj.
22 by] from Eccles conj.

Both noisome and infectious.

Queen.

O, content thee.

Enter PISANIO.

[Aside] Here comes a flattering rascal; upon him

Will I first work: he's for his master,

And enemy to my son.

How now, Pisanio!

Doctor, your service for this time is ended;

Take your own way.

Cor.

[Aside] I do suspect you, madam ;

But you shall do no harm.

Queen.

[To Pisanio] Hark thee, a word.

30

Cor. [Aside] I do not like her. She doth think she has
Strange lingering poisons: I do know her spirit,
And will not trust one of her malice with

A drug of such damn'd nature. Those she has
Will stupefy and dull the sense awhile;

Which first, perchance, she'll prove on cats and dogs,
Then afterward up higher: but there is
No danger in what show of death it makes,
More than the locking up the spirits a time,
To be more fresh, reviving. She is fool'd
With a most false effect; and I the truer,
So to be false with her.

27 Enter Pisanio.] As in Ff. Transferred by Dyce to follow son, line 29. [Aside] Rowe.

28 work] let them work Capell.

28, 29 he's...And] he's, for his master, An Daniel conj.

28 for] factor for Hudson, 1881 (S.

Walker conj.).

28, 29 master, And enemy] master's sake
An enemy Pope. master, and Enemy
Keightley. master, and An enemy
Ingleby (Anon. conj.).

31 [Aside] Rowe.

35

35

40

32 [To Pisanio] Rowe. to Pis. draw-
ing him aside. Capell. Conferre
wth Pisanio. Collier MS.
thee, a] thee a FF3F4

33 [Aside] Marked first by Capell
Solus. Johnson.

36 Those] That Hanmer.

37 awhile] a-while F1. a while FF,Fr 41 a time] for a time quoted by Malone. 44 with her] om. Steevens conj.

Queen.

Until I send for thee.

Cor.

No further service, doctor,

I humbly take my leave. [Exit. 45 Queen. Weeps she still, say'st thou? Dost thou think

in time

She will not quench and let instructions enter
Where folly now possesses? Do thou work :
When thou shalt bring me word she loves my son,
I'll tell thee on the instant thou art then
As great as is thy master; greater, for
His fortunes all lie speechless, and his name
Is at last gasp: return he cannot, nor
Continue where he is: to shift his being
Is to exchange one misery with another,
And every day that comes comes to decay
A day's work in him. What shalt thou expect,
To be depender on a thing that leans,

Who cannot be new built, nor has no friends,

So much as but to prop him? [The Queen drops the box:

Pisanio takes it up.] Thou takest up

Thou know'st not what; but take it for thy labour:

It is a thing I made, which hath the king
Five times redeem'd from death: I do not know

60

45 for thee] om. Hanmer, ending the
previous line at service.
humbly] om. Hanmer.

46 Weeps...time] One line in Rowe.
Two in Ff.

47 quench] quinch Vaughan conj.

instructions] instruction Collier MS. 54 he] om. Capell (corrected in Errata). 58 on] of F,F. 58-60 leans,...him?] leans,......him? Knight. leanes?...him? Ff (leans? F3F4). leans?...him. Collier.

59 nor] and Pope.

60 [The Queen drops the box...] The Queen drops a box... Malone. Pisanio looking on the Viol. Rowe. drops some of the Papers. Capell. Pisanio takes up the Phial. Johnson. He takes a vial. Long MS. (She droppeth a packet) Collier MS. om.

Ff.

62 made] F. make F2F3F4.

63 redeem'd] redeemed Hanmer (1745).

What is more cordial: nay, I prithee, take it;
It is an earnest of a further good

That I mean to thee. Tell thy mistress how
The case stands with her; do 't as from thyself.
Think what a chance thou changest on; but think
Thou hast thy mistress still, to boot, my son,
Who shall take notice of thee: I'll move the king
To any shape of thy preferment, such

As thou 'lt desire; and then myself, I chiefly,
That set thee on to this desert, am bound
To load thy merit richly. Call my women:
Think on my words.

65

70

[Exit Pisanio.

A sly and constant knave;
Not to be shaked: the agent for his master;
And the remembrancer of her to hold

The hand-fast to her lord. I have given him that
Which, if he take, shall quite unpeople her
Of liegers for her sweet; and which she after,
Except she bend her humour, shall be assured
To taste of too.

Re-enter PISANIO with Ladies.

So, so; well done, well done:

64 prithee] prythee F1. prethee FF3F4.
(offer it to her) Collier MS.

65 further] Hanmer. farther Ff.
68 chance thou changest on] Ff. chunce
thou chancest on Rowe. change thou
chancest on Theobald. chance! thou
changest one Staunton conj. chance
thou hangest on Daniel conj. chase
thou changest on Staunton conj.
(Athen., 1873).

changest on; but] changest; oh but
Staunton conj. (Athen., 1873).

68, 69 think Thou] think;-Thou Theobald.

69 to] too F2F3.

75

80

70 thee: I'll move] thee, move Capell. 72 I chiefly] aye, chiefly Vaughan conj. 75 [Exit Pisanio.] Ff. (opposite line 74). sly] shy Capell conj.

78 hand-fast] F1 hand fast F.F3F4I have] I've Pope.

80 liegers] Hanmer. Leidgers Ff. ledgers Capell.

sweet] suite Collier MS.

which she after,] which, she after Fr 82 Re-enter...] Re-enter Pisanio, and Ladies. Capell. Enter Pisanio, and Ladies. Ff.

The violets, cowslips, and the primroses,
Bear to my closet. Fare thee well, Pisanio;
Think on my words.

[Exeunt Queen and Ladies.

And shall do:

85

Pis.
But when to my good lord I prove untrue,
I'll choke myself: there's all I'll do for you.

[Exit.

SCENE VI.

The same. Another room in the palace.

Enter IMOGEN alone.

Imo. A father cruel, and a step-dame false;

A foolish suitor to a wedded lady,

That hath her husband banish'd ;-O, that husband!
My supreme crown of grief! and those repeated
Vexations of it! Had I been thief-stol'n,

As my two brothers, happy! but most miserable
Is the desire that's glorious: blest be those,
How mean soe'er, that have their honest wills,

5

85 [Exeunt...] Theobald. Exit... Ff.

Ex... Rowe (ed. 2).

And shall do] I shall do so Han-
mer. Steevens suspects an omis-
sion here. Marry, and shall do or
Marry, and shall do so Vaughan
conj. (aside) Madam, I have and
shall do Ingleby conj. And shall
do, gracious madam Elze conj.
shall] so shall Keightley.
SCENE VI.] Dyce Scena Septima
Ff. SCENE VIII. Pope. ACT II.
SCENE I. Eccles & Collier MS.
The same...palace.] Another Room
in the same. Capell. Imogen's