5

Pif. I'll wake mine eye-balls blind first.
Imo. Wherefore then

Did'st undertake it? Why haft thou abus'd
So many miles, with a pretence? this place?
Mine action, and thine own? our horfes' labour?
The time inviting thee? the perturb'd court,
For my being abfent; whereunto I never
Purpose return? Why haft thou gone fo far,
To be unbent, when thou haft ta'en thy stand,
The elected deer before thee?

Pif. But to win time

To lofe fo bad employment: in the which
I have confider'd of a courfe; Good lady,
Hear me with patience.

Imo. Talk thy tongue weary; fpeak:

I have heard, I am a ftrumpet; and mine ear,
Therein falfe ftruck, can take no greater wound,
Nor tent to bottom that. But speak,

Pif. Then, madam,

I thought you would not back again,

Imo. Most like;

Bringing me here to kill me,

s I'll wake mine eye-balls first.

Imo. Wherefore then] This is the old reading. The mo dern editions for wake read break, and fupply the deficient fyllable by Ab, wherefore. I read:

Ill wake mine eye-balls out firft, or, blind firft. JoHNSON. Dr. Johnson's conjecture may receive fupport from the following paffage in The Bugbears, a MS. comedy more ancient than the play before us :

-I doubte

"Leaft for lacke of my flepe I fhall watche my eyes oute." Again, in The Revenger's Tragedy, 1608:

A piteous tragedy! able to wake "An old man's eyes blood-fhot.

In The Roaring Girl, 1611: "I'll ride to Oxford, and watch out mine eyes, but I'll hear the brazen head fpeak.”

STEEVENS.

• To be unbent,—] To have thy bow unbent, alluding to

ว hunter. JOHNSON,

Pif. Not fo, neither:

But if I were as wife as honeft, then

My purpose would prove well. It cannot be,
But that my master is abus'd:

Some villain, ay, and fingular in his art,
Hath done you both this curfed injury.
Imo. Some Roman courtezan.

Pif. No, on my life.

I'll give but notice you are dead, and fend him
Some bloody fign of it; for 'tis commanded

I should do fo: You fhall be mifs'd at court,
And that will well confirm it.

Imo. Why, good fellow,

What shall I do the while? Where bide? How live? Or in my life what comfort, when I am

Dead to my husband?

Pif. If you'll back to the court,

Imo. No court, no father; nor no more ado

With that harsh, noble, fimple, nothing;

That Cloten, whofe love-fuit hath been to me
As fearful as a fiege.

Pif. If not at court,

Then not in Britain muft you bide.

Imo: Where then?

Hath Britain all the fun that fhines? Day, night,
Are they not but in Britain? I' the world's volume
Our Britain feems as of it, but not in it;

In a great pool, a fwan's neft: Pr'ythee, think
There's livers out of Britain.

Pif. I am moft glad

You think of other place. The embaffador,
Lucius the Roman, comes to Milford-Haven
To-morrow: Now, if you could wear a mind

Dark

7 Now, if you could wear a mind Dark as your fortune is ;] What had the darkness of her mind to do with the concealment of perfon, which is here ad

Dark as your fortune is; and but disguise
That, which, to appear itself, must not yet be,
But by felf-danger; you fhould tread a courfe
Pretty, and full of view: yea, haply, near
The refidence of Pofthumus; fo nigh, at least,
That though his actions were not visible, yet
Report should render him hourly to your ear,
As truly as he moves.

Ime. O, for fuch means!

Though peril to my modefty, not death on't, I would adventure.

Pif. Well, then here's the point:

You must forget to be a woman; change
Command into obedience; fear, and nicenefs,
(The handmaids of all women, or, more truly,
Woman its pretty felf) into a waggish courage;
Ready in gybes, quick-anfwer'd, faucy, and
As quarrellous as the weazel: 'nay, you must

Forget

vis'd? On the contrary, her mind was to continue unchang'd, in order to fupport her change of fortune. Shakspeare wrote:

Now, if you could wear a mein.

Or, according to the French orthography, from whence I prefume arofe the corruption :

WARBURTON.

-Now, if you could wear a mine. To wear a dark mind, is to carry a mind impenetrable to the fearch of others. Darkness, applied to the mind, is fecrecy, applied to the fortune, is obfcurity. The next lines are obfcure. You must, fays Pifanio, difguife that greatnefs, which, to appear hereafter in its proper form, cannot yet appear without great danger to itself. JOHNSON.

• full of view:] With opportunities of examining your affairs with your own eyes. JOHNSON.

Though peril to my modefty,

-] I read:

Through peril

I would for fuch means adventure through peril of modefty; I would risque every thing but real dishonour. JOHNSON.

nay, you must

Forget that rareft treasure of your cheek;

Expofing it (but, oh, the harder heart!

Alack, no remedy) I think it very natural to reflect in this

T 4

diftrefs

Forget that rareft treasure of your cheek,
Expofing it (but, O, the harder heart!
Alack, no remedy) to the greedy touch
Of common-kiffing Titan; and forget
Your labourfome and dainty trims, wherein
You made great Juno angry.

Imo. Nay, be brief:

I fee into thy end, and am almost
A man already.

Pif. First, make yourself but like one.
Fore-thinking this, I have already fit,

('Tis in my cloak-bag) doublet, hat, hofe, all That anfwer to them: Would you in their ferving, And with what imitation you can borrow From youth of fuch a feafon, 'fore noble Lucius Prefent yourself, defire his fervice, tell him Wherein you are happy, ( which you'll make him know,

If that his head have ear in mufic) doubtless,

With joy he will embrace you; for he's honourable,
And, doubling that, moft holy. Your means abroad
You have me, rich; and I will never fail
Beginning, nor fupplyment.

Imo. Thou art all the comfort

The gods will diet me with. Pr'ythee, away:
There's more to be confider'd; but we'll even

diftrefs on the cruelty of Pofthumus. Dr. Warburton propofes to read:

the harder hap!·
-which you'll make him know,]

ing. The common books have it :

JOHNSON.

This is Hanmer's read

which will make him know.

Mr. Theobald, in one of his long notes, endeavours to prove, that it fhould be:

which will make him fo.

He is followed by Dr. Warburton. JOHNSON.

3

we'll even

All that good time will give us :- -] We'll make our work even with our time; we'll do what time will allow.

JOHNSON.

All

All that good time will give us: This attempt
I am soldier to, and will abide it with

A prince's courage. Away, I pr'ythee.

Pif. Well, madam, we muft take a fhort farewel;" Left, being mifs'd, I be fufpected of

Your carriage from the court. My noble mistress,
Here is a box; I had it from the queen;
What's in't is precious: if you are fick at fea,
Or ftomach-qualm'd at land, a dram of this
Will drive away diftemper. To some shade,
And fit you to your manhood:-May the gods
Direct you to the best!

Imo. Amen: I thank thee.

SCENE V.

The palace of Cymbeline.

[Exeunt.

Enter Cymbeline, Queen, Cloten, Lucius, and Lords.

Cym. Thus far; and fo farewell.

Luc. Thanks, royal fir.

My emperor hath wrote: I must from hence;

And am right forry, that I must report ye

My master's enemy.

Cym. Our fubjects, fir,

Will not endure his yoke; and for ourself

To fhew less fovereignty than they, must needs
Appear unkinglike.

Luc. So, fir, I defire of you

A conduct over land, to Milford-Haven.

Madam, all joy befal your grace, and you!

Cym. My lords, you are appointed for that office; The due of honour in no point omit:-

So, farewel, noble Lucius.

Luc. Your hand, my lord,

to it.

This attempt

I am foldier to,j i, e. I have inlifted and bound myself
WARBURTON.

Clot.