The benediction of these covering heavens

Fall on their heads like dew! for they are worthy
To inlay heaven with stars.

Cym.
Thou weep'st, and speak'st.
The service that you three have done, is more
Unlike than this thou tell'st; I lost my children;
If these be they, I know not how to wish

A pair of worthier sons.

Bel.

Be pleas'd a while.-
This gentleman, whom I call Polydore,

Most worthy prince, as yours, is true Guiderius;
This gentleman, my Cadwal, Arvirágus,

Your younger princely son; he, sir, was lapp'd
In a most curious mantle, wrought by the hand
Of his queen mother, which, for more probation,
I can with ease produce.

Сут.

Guiderius had

Upon his neck a mole, a sanguine star;

It was a mark of wonder.

Bel.

This is he;

Who hath upon him still that natural stamp:
It was wise nature's end in the donation,

To be his evidence now.

O, what am I

Cym. A mother to the birth of three? Ne'er mother Rejoic'd deliverance more:-Bless'd may you be, That, after this strange starting from your orbs, You may reign in them now!-O Imogen,

Thou hast lost by this a kingdom.

Imo.

No, my lord;

I have got two worlds by't.-O my gentle brother,
Have we thus met? O never say hereafter,

But I am truest speaker: you call'd me brother,
When I was but your sister; I you brothers,

When you were so indeed.

Cym.

Did you e'er meet?

And at first meeting lov'd;

Arv. Ay, my good lord.
Gui.

Continued so, until we thought he died.

Cor. By the queen's dram she swallow'd.

Cym.

O rare instinct!

When shall I hear all through? This fierce* abridge

ment

Hath to it circumstantial branches, which

Distinction should be rich in t.-Where? how liv'd

you?

And when came you to serve our Roman captive? How parted with your brothers? how first met them? Why fled you from the court? and whither? These, And your three motives to the battle, with

I know not how much more, should be demanded; And all the other by-dependencies,

From chance to chance; but nor the time, nor place, Will serve our long intergatories. See,

Posthumus anchors upon Imogen ;

And she, like harmless lightning, throws her eye
On him, her brothers, me, her master; hitting
Each object with a joy; the counterchange
Is severally in all. Let's quit this ground,
And smoke the temple with our sacrifices.-
Thou art my brother; So we'll hold thee ever.

[To Belarius. Imo. You are my father too; and did relieve me, To see this gracious season.

Cym.

All o'erjoy'd,

Save these in bonds; let them be joyful too,

For they shall taste our comfort.

Imo.

I will yet do you service.

Luc.

My good master,

Happy be you!

Cym. The forlorn soldier that so nobly fought, He would have well becom'd this place, and grac'd The thankings of a king.

Post.

I am, sir,

The soldier that did company these three

In poor beseeming; 'twas a fitment for

* Vehement, rapid.

ti. e. Which ought to be rendered distinct by an ample narrative.

The purpose I then follow'd;-That I was he,
Speak, Iachimo; I had you down, and might
Have made you finish.

lach.

I am down again :

[Kneeling.

But now my heavy conscience sinks my knee,
As then your force did. Take that life, 'beseech you,'
Which I so often owe: but, your ring first;
And here the bracelet of the truest princess,
That ever swore her faith.

Post.

Kneel not to me:

The power that I have on you, is to spare you;
The malice towards you, to forgive you: Live,
And deal with others better.

Cym.

We'll learn our freeness of a son-in-law;

Pardon's the word to all.

Arv.

Nobly doom'd:

You holp us, sir,

As you did mean indeed to be our brother:

Joy'd are we, that you are.

Post. Your servant, princes.-Good my lord of Rome,

Call forth your soothsayer: As I slept, methought,
Great Jupiter, upon his eagle back,

Appear'd to me, with other spritely shows*
Of mine own kindred: when I wak'd, I found
This label on my bosom; whose containing
Is so from sense in hardness, that I can
Make no collection of it; let him show
His skill in the construction.

Luc.

Philarmonus,

Sooth. Here, my good lord. Luc. Read, and declare the meaning. Sooth. [Reads.] When as a lion's whelp shall, to himself unknown, without seeking find, and be embraced by a piece of tender air: and when from a stately cedar shall be lopped branches, which, being dead many years, shall after re

Ghostly appearances.

vive, be jointed to the old stock, and freshly grow; then shall Posthumus end his miseries, Britain be fortunate, and flourish in peace and plenty.

Thou, Leonatus, art the lion's whelp;

The fit and apt construction of thy name,
Being Leo-natus, doth import so much:
The piece of tender air, thy virtuous daughter,
[To Cymbeline.

Which we call mollis aer; and mollis aer
We term it mulier: which mulier I divine,
Is this most constant wife; who, even now,
Answering the letter of the oracle,

Unknown to you, unsought, were clipp'd about®
With this most tender air.

Cym.

This bath some seeming.
Sooth. The lofty cedar, royal Cymbeline,
Personates thee: and thy lopp'd branches point
Thy two sons forth: who, by Belarius stolen,
For many years thought dead, are now reviv'd,
To the majestick cedar join'd; whose issue
Promises Britain peace and plenty.

Сут.
Well,
My peace we will begin:-And, Caius Lucius,
Although the victor, we submit to Cæsar,
And to the Roman empire; promising
To pay our wonted tribute, from the which
We were dissuaded by our wicked queen;
Whom heavens, in justice (both on her and hers),
Have laid most heavy hand.

Sooth. The fingers of the powers above do tune
The harmony of this peace. The vision
Which I made known to Lucius, ere the stroke
Of this yet scarce-cold battle, at this instant
Is full accomplish'd: For the Roman eagle,
From south to west on wing soaring aloft,
Lessen'd herself, and in the beams o'the sun
So vanish'd: which foreshow'd our princely eagle,

Embraced.

The imperial Cæsar, should again unite
His favour with the radiant Cymbeline,
Which shines bere in the west.

Cym.

Laud we the gods;

And let our crooked smokes climb to their nostrils
From our bless'd altars! Publish we this peace
To all our subjects. Set we forward: Let
A Roman and a British ensign wave

Friendly together: so through Lud's town march:
And in the temple of great Jupiter

Our peace we'll ratify; seal it with feasts.-
Set on there:-Never was a war did cease,

Ere bloody hands were wash'd, with such a peace.
[Exeunt.

This play has many just sentiments, some natural dialogues, and some pleasing scenes, but they are obtained at the expense of much incongruity. To remark the folly of the fiction, the absurdity of the conduct, the confusion of the names and manners of different times, and the impossibility of the events in any system of life, were to waste criticism upon unresisting imbecility, upon faults too evident for detection, and too gross for aggravation.

JOHNSON.