Page images
PDF
EPUB
[blocks in formation]

This is the man.

Cleo. Avoid, and leave him. [Exit Guard. Hast thou the pretty worm2 of Nilus there, That kills and pains not?

Clown. Truly I have him: but I would not be the party that should desire you to touch him, for his biting is immortal; those, that do die of it, do seldom or never recover.

Cleo. Remember'st thou any that have died on't? Clown. Very many, men and women too. I heard of one of them no longer than yesterday: a very honest woman, but something given to lie; as a woman should not do, but in the way of honesty: how she died of the biting of it, what pain she felt, -Truly, she makes a very good report o'the worm: But he that will believe all that they say, shall never be saved by half that they do: But this is most fallible, the worm's an odd worm.

Cleo. Get thee hence; farewell.

Clown. I wish you all joy of the worm. Cleo. Farewell. [Clown sets down the basket. Clown. You must think this, look you, that the worm will do his kind.3

[blocks in formation]

Re-enter Iras, with a robe, crown, &c. Cleo. Give me my robe, put on my crown; I have Immortal longings in me: Now no more The juice of Egypt's grape shall moist this lip:Yare, yare, good Iras; quick.-Methinks, I hear Antony call; see him rouse himself To praise my noble act; I hear him mock The luck of Cæsar, which the gods give men To excuse their after wrath: Husband, I come; Now to that name my courage prove my title! I am fire, and air; my other elements I give to baser life.-So, have you done? Come then, and take the last warmth of my lips. Farewell, kind Charmian ;-Iras, long farewell. [Kisses them. Iras falls and dies. Have I the aspic in my lips? Dost fall? If thou and nature can so gently part, The stroke of death is as a lover's pinch, Which hurts, and is desir'd. Dost thou lie still? If thus thou vanishest, thou tell'st the world It is not worth leave-taking.

[blocks in formation]

Char. Dissolve, thick cloud, and rain; that I may say,

The gods themselves do weep!
Cleo.

This proves me base:
If she first meet the curled Antony,
He'll make demand of her; and spend that kiss,
Which is my heaven to have. Come, mortal wretch,

With thy sharp teeth this knot intrinsicate
[To the asp, which she applies to her breast.
Of life at once untie: poor venomous fool,
Be angry, and despatch. O, could'st thou speak!
That I might hear thee call great Cæsar, ass
Unpolicied !5

Char. O eastern star!
Cleo.
Peace, peace!
Dost thou not see my baby at my breast,
That sucks the nurse asleep?
Char.
O, break! O, break!
Cleo. As sweet as balm, as soft as air, as
gentle,-

O Antony-Nay, I will take thee too :

[Applying another asp to her arm. What should I stay- Falls on a bed, and dies. Char. In this wild world?-So, fare thee well.Now boast thee, death! in thy possession lies A lass unparallel'd.-Downy windows, close; And golden Phoebus never be beheld Of eyes again so royal! Your crown's awry; I'll mend it, and then play.

Enter the Guard, rushing in.

1 Guard. Where is the queen? Char.

1 Guard. Cæsar hath sentChar.

Speak softly, wake her not. Too slow a messenger. [Applies the asp.

O, come; apace, despatch: I partly feel thee. 1 Guard. Approach, ho! All's not well: Cæsar's beguil'd.

2 Guard. There's Dolabella sent from Cæsar;call him.

1 Guard. What work is here?-Charmian, is

[blocks in formation]

Bravest at the last : She levell'd at our purposes, and, being royal, Took her own way.-The manner of their deaths? I do not see them bleed. Dol.

Who was last with them? 1 Guard. A simple countryman, that brought her figs; This was his basket. Cæs.

1 Guard.

Poison'd then.

O Cæsar, This Charmian liv'd but now; she stood, and spake:

I found her tri.nming up the diadem

(4) Make haste.

(5) Unpolitic, to leave me to myself.

On her dead mistress; tremblingly she stood,
And on the sudden dropp'd.

Cæs.

In solemn show, attend this funeral ;
And then to Rome.-Come, Dolabella, see

O noble weakness!-High order in this great solemnity.

If they had swallow'd poison, 'twould appear
By external swelling: but she looks like sleep,
As she would catch another Antony

In her strong toil of grace.

Dol.
Here, on her breast,
There is a vent of blood, and something blown:
The like is on her arm.

1 Guard. This is an aspic's trail: and these

leaves

Have slime upon them, such as the aspic leaves
Upon the caves of Nile.

Cæs.

Most probable,
That so she died; for her physician tells me,
She hath pursu'd conclusions2 infinite
Of easy ways to die.-Take up her bed;
And bear her women from the monument :-
She shall be buried by her Antony:
No grave upon the earth shall clip3 in it
A pair so famous. High events as these
Strike those that make them: and their story is
No less in pity, than his glory, which
Brought them to be lamented. Our army shall,

(1) Graceful appearance.
(2) Tried experiments.

(3) Enfold.

[Exeunt.

This play keeps curiosity always busy, and the passions always interested. The continual hurry of the action, the variety of incidents, and the quick fig-succession of one personage to another, call the mind forward without intermission, from the first act to the last. But the power of delighting is derived principally from the frequent changes of the scene; for, except the feminine arts, some of which are too low, which distinguish Cleopatra, no character is very strongly discriminated. Upton, who did not easily miss what he desired to find, has discovered that the language of Antony is, with great skill and learning, made pompous and superb, according to his real practice. But I think his diction not distinguishable from that of others: the most tumid speech in the play is that which Cæsar makes to Octavia.

The events, of which the principal are described according to history, are produced without any art of connection or care of disposition.

JOHNSON.

CYMBELINE.

PERSONS REPRESENTED.

Cymbeline, king of Britain.
Cloten, son to the queen by a former husband.
Leonatus Posthumus, a gentleman, husband to
Imogen.

Belarius, a banished lord, disguised under the
name of Morgan.
Guiderius,sons to Cymbeline, disguised under
the names of Polydore and Cad-
Arviragus,wal, supposed sons to Belarius.
Philario, friend to Posthumus,
Italians.
Jachimo, friend to Philario,

A French Gentleman, friend to Philario.
Caius Lucius, general of the Roman forces.
A Roman Captain. Two British Captains.
Pisanio, servant to Posthumus.

Cornelius, a physician.
Two Gentlemen.
Two Gaolers.

Queen, wife to Cymbeline.

Imogen, daughter to Cymbeline by a former queen.
Helen, woman to Imogen.

Lords, Ladies, Roman Senators, Tribunes, Appa
ritions, a Soothsayer, a Dutch Gentleman, a
Spanish Gentleman, Musicians, Officers, Cap-
tains, Soldiers, Messengers, and other Attend-

ants.

Scene, sometimes in Britain; sometimes in Italy.

ACT I.

SCENE I-Britain. The garden behind Cymbeline's palace. Enter Two Gentlemen.

1 Gentleman.

His measure duly.3
2 Gent.

What's his name, and birth?
1 Gent. I cannot delve him to the root: His father
Was call'd Sicilius, who did join his honour,
Against the Romans, with Cassibelan;
But had his titles by Tenantius,4 whom
He serv'd with glory and admir'd success :

You do not meet a man, but frowns: our bloods! So gain'd the sur-addition, Leonatus:

No more obey the heavens, than our courtiers;
Still seem, as does the king's.

2 Gent.
But what's the matter?
1 Gent. His daughter, and the heir of his king-
dom, whom

He purpos'd to his wife's sole son (a widow,
That late he married,) hath referr'd herself
Unto a poor but worthy gentleman: She's wedded;
Her husband banish'd; she imprison'd: all
Is outward sorrow; though, I think, the king
Be touch'd at very heart.

2 Gent.
None but the king?
1 Gent. He, that hath lost her, too: so is the

queen,

That most desir'd the match: But not a courtier,
Although they wear their faces to the bent
Of the king's looks, hath a heart that is not
Glad at the thing they scowl at.
2 Gent.

And why so?
1 Gent. He that hath miss'd the princess, is a thing
Too bad for bad report: And he that hath her,
(I mean, that married her,-alack, good man!-
And therefore banish'd) is a creature such
As, to seek through the regions of the earth
For one his like, there would be something failing
In him that should compare. I do not think
So fair an outward, and such stuff within,
Endows a man but he.

[blocks in formation]
[ocr errors]

And had, besides this gentleman in question,

Two other sons, who, in the wars o'the time,
Died with their swords in hand; for which their
father

(Then old and fond of issue,) took such sorrow,
That he quit being; and his gentle lady,
Big of this gentleman, our theme, deceas'd
As he was born. The king, he takes the babe
To his protection; calls him Posthumus;
Breeds him, and makes him of his bed-chamber
Puts him to all the learnings that his time
Could make him the receiver of; which he took,
As we do air, fast as 'twas minister'd; and
In his spring became a harvest: Liv'd in court,
(Which rare it is to do,) most prais'd, most lov'd:
A sample to the youngest; to the more mature,
A glass that feateds them; and to the graver,
A child that guided dotards: to his mistress,
For whom he now is banish'd,-her own price
Proclaims how she esteem'd him and his virtue;
By her election may be truly read,
What kind of man he is.

I honour him
But, 'pray you, tell me,

2 Gent.
Even out of your report.
Is she sole child to the king?

1 Gent.

His only child.

[blocks in formation]
[graphic][subsumed][subsumed][subsumed][subsumed][subsumed][subsumed][subsumed][subsumed][subsumed][subsumed][subsumed][subsumed][subsumed][subsumed][subsumed][subsumed][subsumed][subsumed][subsumed][subsumed][subsumed][subsumed][subsumed][subsumed][subsumed][subsumed][subsumed][subsumed][subsumed][subsumed][subsumed][subsumed][subsumed][subsumed][subsumed][subsumed][subsumed][subsumed][subsumed][subsumed][subsumed][subsumed][subsumed][merged small][merged small][subsumed][subsumed][merged small]
« PreviousContinue »