Ere such another Julius. Britain is

A world by itself; and we will nothing pay,

For wearing our own noses.

Queen.

That opportunity,

Which then they had to take from us, to resume
We have again.-Remember, sir, my liege,
The kings your ancestors, together with

The natural bravery of your isle; which stands
As Neptune's park, ribbed and paled in

With rocks unscaleable, and roaring waters;

With sands, that will not bear your enemies' boats,
But suck them up to the top-mast. A kind of con-

quest

Cæsar made here; but made not here his brag

Of" came," and "saw," and "overcame :" with shame (The first that ever touch'd him) he was carried From off our coast, twice beaten; and his shipping, (Poor ignorant baubles!) on our terrible seas, Like egg-shells mov'd upon their surges, crack'd As easily 'gainst our rocks. For joy whereof The fam'd Cassibelan, who was once at point (0, giglot fortune!) to master Cæsar's sword, Made Lud's town with rejoicing fires bright, And Britons strut with courage.

Clo. Come, there's no more tribute to be paid. Our kingdom is stronger than it was at that time; and, as I said, there is no more such Cæsars: other of them may have crooked noses; but, to owe such straight arms, none.

3 With ROCKS unscaleable,] The epithet shows that the old reading of oaks, for "rocks" is a misprint. Sir Thomas Haumer made the change.

Cym. Son, let your mother end.

Clo. We have yet many among us can gripe as hard as Cassibelan: I do not say, I am one; but I have a hand. Why tribute? why should we pay tribute? If Cæsar can hide the sun from us with a blanket, or put the moon in his pocket, we will pay him tribute for light; else, sir, no more tribute, pray you now. Cym. You must know,

Till the injurious Romans did extort

This tribute from us, we were free: Cæsar's ambition,
(Which swell'd so much, that it did almost stretch
The sides o' the world) against all colour, here
Did put the yoke upon us; which to shake off,
Becomes a warlike people, whom we reckon
Ourselves to be. We do say, then, to Cæsar,
Our ancestor was that Mulmutius, which

Ordain'd our laws; whose use the sword of Cæsar
Hath too much mangled; whose repair, and franchise,
Shall, by the power we hold, be our good deed,
Though Rome be therefore angry. Mulmutius made
our laws,

Who was the first of Britain which did put
His brows within a golden crown, and call'd
Himself a king.

Luc.

I am sorry, Cymbeline,
That I am to pronounce Augustus Cæsar
(Cæsar, that hath more kings his servants, than
Thyself domestic officers) thine enemy.
Receive it from me, then.-War, and confusion,
In Cæsar's name pronounce I 'gainst thee: look
For fury not to be resisted.

I thank thee for myself.

Thus defied,

Cym.
Thou art welcome, Caius.
Thy Cæsar knighted me; my youth I spent
Much under him; of him I gather'd honour;
Which he, to seek of me again, perforce,

I am perfect,

Behoves me keep at utterance*.

That the Pannonians and Dalmatians, for

Their liberties, are now in arms; a precedent

Which not to read would show the Britons cold:
So Cæsar shall not find them.

Let proof speak.

Luc. Clo. His majesty bids you welcome. Make pastime with us a day or two, or longer: if you seek us afterwards in other terms, you shall find us in our salt-water girdle: if you beat us out of it, it is yours. If you fall in the adventure, our crows shall fare the better for you; and there's an end.

Luc. So, sir.

Cym. I know your master's pleasure, and he mine: All the remain is, welcome.

[Exeunt.

SCENE II.

Another Room in the Same.

Enter PISANIO.

Pis. How! of adultery? Wherefore write you not What monsters her accuse 5?-Leonatus!

O, master! what a strange infection

Is fallen into thy ear! What false Italian

(As poisonous tongued, as handed) hath prevail'd On thy too ready hearing?-Disloyal? No: She's punish'd for her truth; and undergoes,

4 keep AT UTTERANCE.] i. e. to keep at the extremity of defiance. Combat à outrance (says Steevens) is a fight, that must conclude with the life of one of the combatants. So, in " Macbeth," Vol. vii. p. 136 :—

"Rather than so, come, fate, into the list,

And champion me to the utterance."

5 What monsters her accuse ?] So every old copy: every modern edition, "What monster's her accuser?" Surely no variation from the ancient text is required.

More goddess-like than wife-like, such assaults
As would take in some virtue'.-O, my master!
Thy mind to her is now as low, as were

Thy fortunes. How! that I should murder her?
Upon the love, and truth, and vows, which I
Have made to thy command?-I, her?-her blood?
If it be so to do good service, never

Let me be counted serviceable. How look I,
That I should seem to lack humanity,

So much as this fact comes to? "Do't. The letter

[Reading.

That I have sent her, by her own command
Shall give thee opportunity:"-O damn'd paper!
Black as the ink that's on thee. Senseless bauble,
Art thou a feodary for this act', and look'st
So virgin-like without? Lo! here she comes.

Enter IMOGEN.

I am ignorant in what I am commanded.

Imo. How now, Pisanio!

Pis. Madam, here is a letter from my lord.
Imo. Who? thy lord? that is my lord: Leonatus.
O! learn'd indeed were that astronomer,

That knew the stars, as I his characters;
He'd lay the future open.-You good gods,
Let what is here contain'd relish of love,
Of my lord's health, of his content,—yet not,
That we two are asunder,-let that grieve him:
Some griefs are medicinable; that is one of them,
For it doth physic love;-of his content,

All but in that!-Good wax, thy leave.-Bless'd be,
You bees, that make these locks of counsel! Lovers,

6 As would TAKE IN some virtue.] The phrase "to take in," which is equivalent to conquer, we have already had in this Vol. p. 70.

7 Art thou a FEODARY for this act,] "Feodary" occurs in Vol. ii. p. 45, and federary," (probably misprinted for "feodary") in Vol. iii. p. 454: in both instances, as here, it means a confederate or accomplice.

And men in dangerous bonds, pray not alike:
Though forfeiters you cast in prison, yet
You clasp young Cupid's tables.-Good news, gods!
[Reads.

"Justice, and your father's wrath, should he take me in his dominion, could not be so cruel to me, as you, O the dearest of creatures, would even renew me with your eyes. Take notice, that I am in Cambria, at Milford-Haven: what your own love will out of this advise you follow. So, he wishes you all happiness, that remains loyal to his vow, and your, increasing in love,

"LEONATUS POSTHUMUS."

O, for a horse with wings!-Hear'st thou, Pisanio?
He is at Milford-Haven: read, and tell me
How far 'tis thither. If one of mean affairs

May plod it in a week, why may not I

Glide thither in a day?—Then, true Pisanio,

(Who long'st, like me, to see thy lord; who long'st,— O, let me 'bate!-but not like me;-yet long'st,But in a fainter kind:-O! not like me,

For mine's beyond beyond) say, and speak thick',
(Love's counsellor should fill the bores of hearing,
To the smothering of the sense) how far it is
To this same blessed Milford: and, by the way,
Tell me how Wales was made so happy, as
Tinherit such a haven: but, first of all,
How we may steal from hence; and, for the gap
That we shall make in time, from our hence-going,

8 would even renew me with your eyes.] It has been usual to vary from the old copies, by reading, "would not even renew me;" but this change, as Mr. Amyot remarks, hardly seems required, the apparent sense being, that Justice and the wrath of Cymbeline could not do Posthumus any cruelty, but such as might be remedied by the eyes of Imogen.

9

p. 68.

say, and speak THICK,] i. e. rapidly. See Vol. iv. p. 377; and Vol. vi.