For even to vice

They are not conftant, but are changing ftill;
One vice, but of a minute old, for one

Not half fo old as that. I'll write against them,
Deteft them, curfe them:- -yet 'tis greater fkill,
In a true hate, to pray they have their will:
The very devils cannot plague them better.

[Exit.

ACT III. SCENE Í.

Cymbeline's palace.

Enter, in ftate, Cymbeline, Queen, Cloten, and Lords at one door; and at another Caius Lucius and Attendants.

NOW

CYMBELINE.

OW fay, what would Auguftus Cæfar with us?
Luc. When Julius Cæfar (whofe remembrance
yet

Lives in mens' eyes, and will to ears and tongues
Be theme, and hearing ever) was in this Britain,
And conquer'd it, Caffibelan, thine uncle,
(Famous in Cæfar's praifes, no whit less
Than in his feats deferving it) for him,
And his fucceffion, granted Rome a tribute,
Yearly three thoufand pounds; which by thee lately
Is left untender'd.

Queen. And, to kill the marvel,

Shall be fo ever.

Clot. There be many Cæfars,

Ere fuch 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 refume
We have again. Remember, Sir, my liege,
The kings your ancestors, together with

2

The

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

* With rocks unfcalable, and roaring waters; With fands, that will not bear your enemies' boats, But fuck them up to the top-maft.

conqueft

Of, came, and faw, and overcame.

2

A kind of

Cæfar made here; but made not here his brag With fhame, (The first that ever touch'd him) he was carried From off our coaft, twice beaten; and his fhipping, (Poor ignorant baubles!) on our terrible feas, Like egg-fhells mov'd upon their furges, crack'd As eafily 'gainft our rocks. For joy whereof, The fam'd Caffibelan, who was once at point (Oh, giglet fortune!) to mafter Cæfar's fword, Made Lud's town with rejoicing-fires bright, And Britons ftrut with courage.

Clot. Come, there's no more tribute to be paid. Our kingdom is ftronger than it was at that time; and, as I faid, there is no more fuch Cæfars: other of them may have crook'd nofes, but, to own fuch strait

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, Sir, no more tribute, pray you now.

• Cym. You must know

Till the injurious Roman did extort

With rocks unfcalable,] This reading is HANMER'S. The old editions have,

With oaks unfcalable,

JOHNSON.

2 (Poor ignorant baubles!)-] Ignorant, for of no use. WARB. Rather, unacquainted with the nature of our boisterous feas.

O 2

JOHNSON.

This

This tribute from us, we were free. Cæfar's ambition,
(Which fwell'd fo much, that it did almost stretch
The fides o' the world) 3 against all colour, here
Did put the yoke upon us; which to shake off,
Becomes a warlike people, which we reckon
Ourfelves 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 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 forry, Cymbeline,

That I am to pronounce Auguftus Cæfar
(Cæfar, that hath more kings his fervants, than
Thyfelf domestic officers) thine enemy.

Receive it from me then :-war and confufion
In Cæfar's name pronounce I 'gainst thee: look
For fury not to be refifted.Thus defy'd,
I thank thee for myself.

Cym. 4 Thou art welcome, Caius:

Thy Cæfar knighted me; my youth I spent
Much under him: of him I gather'd honour;

3

Which

against all colour, Without any pretence of

right. JOHNSON.

4 Thou art welcome, Caius:

Thy Cafar knighted me; my youth I spent

Much under him: -] Some few hints for this part of the

play, relating to Cymbeline, are taken from Holinfhead:

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." 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 refufed to pay that tribute."

86

Which he, to feek of me again, perforce
Behoves me 5 keep at utterance. 6 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 feek us afterwards on other terms, you fhall find us in our faltwater girdle: if you beat us out of it, it is yours; you fall in the adventure, our crows fhall fare the better for you; and there's an end.

if

Luc. So, Sir.

Cym. I know your mafter'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

I What monsters her accufe?

Leonatus!

Oh master! what a ftrange infection

But whether the controverfy, which appeareth to "fall forth betwixt the Britains and Augufus, was occalioned

46

by Kimbeline, I have not a vouch."

Kymbeline reigned thirty-five years, leaving behind him two fons, Guiderius and Arviragus."

S

STEEVENS.

keep at utterance.-] i. e. At extreme diftance. WARB. More properly, in a ftate of hoftile defiance, and deadly oppofition. JOHNSON.

I am perfect,] I am well informed. So, in Macbeth, in your state of honour I am perfect." JOHNS. 'What monsters her accufe?—] Might we not fafely road, What monster's her accufer ?- STEEVENS.

Is fallen into thy ear? 2 What falfe Italian
(As poisonous tongu'd as handed) hath prevail'd
On thy too ready hearing?-Difloyal? no,
She's punish'd for her truth; and undergoes
More goddefs-like, than wife-like, fuch affaults
As would 3 take in fome virtue. Oh, my mafter!
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 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,

That I have fent her, by her own command
Shall give thee opportunity.

[Reading,

-O damn'd paper!

Black as the ink that's on thee! fenfelefs bauble!

Art thou a feodary for this act, and look'st
So virgin-like without? Lo! here fhe comes,

Enter Imogen.

+ 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? 5 Oh, learn'd, indeed were that aftrologer,

2

What falfe Italian,

That

(As pois nous tongu'd as handed)-] About Shakespeare's time the practice of poifoning was very common in Italy, and the fufpicion of Italian poifens yet more common. JOHNSON. 3 - take in fome virtue. -] To take in a town, is to

conquer it. JOHNSON.

Father cheat, beguile. This expreffion is at prefent used only in burlefque language. STEEVENS.

I am ignorant in what I am commanded.] i. e. I am unpractifed in the arts of murder. STEEVENS.

$ Ob, learn'd, indeed, were that aftrologer, &c.] This was a very natural thought, She must needs be fuppofed, in her circumftances,