and, as I faid, there is no more fuch Cæfars: other of them may have crook'd nofes; but, to owe fuch ftrait arms, none.

Cym. Son, let your mother end.

Clot. We have yet many among us can gripe as hard as Caffibelan: I do not fay, I am one; but I have a hand. Why tribute? why fhould we pay tribute? If Cæfar can hide the fun from us with a blanket, or put the moon in his pocket, we will pay him tribute for light; elfe, fir, no more tribute, pray you now.

Cym. You must know,

'Till the injurious Roman did extort

This tribute from us, we were free: Cæfar's ambition,

4

(Which fwell'd fo much, that it did almoft ftretch
The fides o' the world) against all colour, here
Did put the yoke upon us; which to fhake off,
Becomes a warlike people, whom we reckon
Ourselves to be; we do. Say then to Cæfar,
Our ancestor was that Mulmutius, which

Ordain'd our laws; whofe ufe the fword of Cæfar
Hath too much mangled; whofe repair, and fran-

chife,

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 forry, Cymbeline,

That I am to pronounce Auguftus Cæfar

(Cefar, that hath more kings his fervants, than Thyfelf domeftic officers) thine enemy:

Receive it from me then :-War, and confusion,

4 against all colour,-] Without any pretence of right.

JOHNSON.

VOL. IX.

S

In

1

In Cæfar's name pronounce I 'gainst thee: look
For fury not to be refifted :-Thus defy'd,
I thank thee for myself.

Cym. Thou art welcome, Caius.

Thy Cæfar knighted me; my youth I spent
Much under him: of him I gather'd honour;
Which he, to feek of me again, perforce,
Behoves me keep at utterance. 7 I am perfect,
That the Pannonians and Dalmatians, for
Their liberties, are now in arms: a precedent
Which, not to read, would fhew the Britons cold:
So Cæfar fhall not find them.

Luc. Let proof speak.

Clot. His majefty bids you welcome. Make paftime with us a day, or two, or longer: If you seek us afterwards in other terms, you fhall find us in our

5 Thou art welcome, Caius.

Thy Cafar knighted me; my youth I spent

Much under him:

Some few hints for this part of the play are taken from Holinfhed:

Kymbeline, fays he, (as fome write) was brought up at Rome, and there was made knight by Auguftus Cæfar, under whom he ferved in the wars, and was in fuch favour with him, that he was at liberty to pay his tribute or not."

68

-Yet we find in the Roman writers, that after Julius Cæfar's death, when Auguftus had taken upon him the rule of the empire, the Britains refused to pay that tribute."

66

But whether the controverfy, which appeareth to fall forth betwixt the Britains and Auguftus, was occafioned by Kymbeline, I have not a vouch."

-Kymbeline reigned thirty-five years, leaving behind him two fons, Guiderius and Arviragus.' STEEVENS. -keep at utterance.- -] At utterance means to keep at the extremity of defiance. Combat à outrance is a defperate fight, that must conclude with the life of one of the combatants. in The Hiftory of Helyas Knight of the Swanne, bl. 1. no date : -Here is my gage to fuftaine it to the utteraunce, and befight it to the death." STEEVENS.

So

-I am perfect,] I am well informed. So, in Macbeth: -in your state of honour I am perfect." JOHNSON.

falt

falt-water girdle if you beat us out of it, it is yours; if you fall in the adventure, our crows fhall fare the better for you; and there's an end. Luc. So, fir.

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

SCENE II.

Another Room.

Enter Pifanio.

[Exeunt.

Pif. How! of adultery? Wherefore write you

not

$ What monsters her accufe?-Leonatus!

O, mafter! what a ftrange infection

Is fallen into thy ear? What falfe Italian
(As poisonous tongu'd, as handed) hath prevail'd
On thy too ready hearing?-Difloyal? No:
She's punifh'd for her truth; and undergoes,
More goddefs-like than wife-like, fuch affaults
As would take in fome virtue.-O my mater!

2

* Thy mind to her is now as low, as were

Thy

What monfters her accafe ?] Might we not fafely read:
What monster's her accufer ?

-What falfe Italian,

STEEVENS.

(As pois'nous tongu'd, as handed)-]

About Shakspeare's time the practice of poisoning was very common in Italy, and the fufpicion of Italian poifons yet more.

JOHNSON. -take in fome virtue.quer it. JOHNSON.

So, in Antony and Cleopatra:

VII.

-cut the Ionian feas,

And take in Toryne

-] To take in a town, is to con

See also Vol. IV. 415. Vol.

355 Vol. VIII. 133. 233. 255. STEEVENS.

2 Thy mind to her is now as low] That is; thy mind com

S2

pared

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 fo to do good fervice, never

Let me be counted ferviceable. How look I,
That I fhould feem to lack humanity,

So much as this fact comes to? Do't: The letter 3

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

Enter Imogen.

5.I am ignorant in what I am commanded. · Imo. How now, Pifanio?

Pif. Madam, here is a letter from my lord.
Imo. Who? thy lord? that is my lord? Leonatus?

pared to her's is now as low, as thy condition was, compared to her's. I believe the author wrote:

3

Thy mind to her's

Do't;-the letter

MALONE.

That I have fent her by her own command,

Shall give thee opportunity:

-]

One is tempted to think that Shakspeare did not give himself the trouble to compare the feveral parts of his play, after he had compofed it.- Thefe words are not found in the letter of Pofthumus to Pifanio, (which is afterwards given at length,) though the fubftance of them is contained in it. MALONE.

Art thou a feodary for this at?-] A feodary is one who holds his eftate under the tenure of fuit and service to a fuperior lord. HANMER.

Feodary is, I believe, here ufed for a confederate. It is, I think, used in the fame sense, in The Winter's Tale.

MALONE.

s I am ignorant in what I am commanded.] i, e. I am unpracsifed in the arts of murder. STEEVENS.

O, learn'd

'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 afunder, let that grieve him?!
(Some griefs are medicinable; that is one of them,
For it doth phyfic love)-of his content,

All but in that!-Good wax, thy leave :- Bleft be,
You bees, that make these locks of counfel! Lovers,
And men in dangerous bonds, pray not alike;
Though forfeiters you caft in prifon, yet
You clafp young Cupid's tables. Good news, gods!

[Reading.

Juftice, and your father's wrath, should be take me in bis dominion, could not be fo cruel to me, as you, O the dearest of creatures, would even renew me with

60, learn'd indeed were that aftronomer, &c.] This was a very natural thought. She muft needs be fuppofed, in her circum. stances, to be extremely folicitous about the future; and defirous of coming to it by the affiftance of that fuperftition.

WARBURTON.

-let that grieve him!] I should wish to read: Of my lord's health, of his content; yet no ; That we two are afunder, let that grieve him!

For it doth phyfic love)] keeps love in health and vigour. So in Macbeth:

TYRWHITT.

That is grief for abfence, JOHNSON.

The labour we delight in, phyfics pain. STEEVENS.

Bleft be

You bees, that make thefe locks of counfel! Lovers,
And men in dangerous bonds, pray not alike ;

Though forfeiters you caft in prifon, yet

You clafp young Cupid's tables.

-]

The meaning of this, which had been obfcured by printing forfeitures for forfeiters, is no more than that the bees are not bleft by the man who forfeiting a bond is fent to prifon, as they are by the lover for whom they perform the more pleasing office of fealing letters. STEEVENS.