The action of my life is like it, which Enter Gaoler. Gaol. Come, Sir, are you ready for death? Poft. Over-roafted rather: ready long ago. Gaol. Hanging is the word, Sir; if you be ready For that, you are well cook'd. Poft. So, if I prove a good repast to the spectators, the difh pays the fhot. Gaol. A heavy reckoning for you, Sir: but the comfort is, you fhall be call'd to no more payments, fear no more tavern bills; which are often the fadnefs of parting, as the procuring of mirth: you come in faint for want of meat, depart reeling with too much drink; forry that you have paid too much, and forry that you are paid too much; purfe and brain, both arifes from part of it being spoke of the prophefy, and part to it. This writing on the tablet (fays he) is till a dream, or elfe the raving of madnefs. Do thou, O tablet, either both, or nothing; either let thy words and fenfe go together, or be thy bofom a rafa tabula. As the words now ftand they are nonfenfe, or at least involve in them a fenfe which I cannot develope. WARBURTON. The meaning, which is too thin to be eafily caught, I take to be this: This is a dream or madness, or both-or nothing but whether it be a speech without confcioufnefs, as in a dream, or a speech unintelligible, as in madness, be it as it is, it is like my courfe of life. We might perhaps read, Whether both, or nothing JOHNSON. 8 and forry that you are paid too much;- Tavern bills, fays the gaoler, are the fadness of parting, as the procuring of mirth-you depart reeling with too much drink; forry that you have paid too much, and-what? forry that you are paid too much. Where is the oppofition? I read, dnd merry that you are paid fo much. I take the fecond paid to be paid, for appaid, filled, fatiated. JoHNSON. forry that you have paid too much, and ferry that you are paid too much;] i. e. forry that you have paid too much out of your pocket, and forry that you are jubdued too much by the liquor. So Falstaff, 66 feven of the eleven I pay'd." STEEVENS. empty; empty; the brain the heavier, for being too light: the purfe too light, being drawn of heavinefs. Oh, of this contradiction you fhall now be quit: oh, the charity of a penny cord! it fums up thoufands in a trice; you have no true 9 debtor and creditor but it; of what's paft, is, and to come, the discharge your neck, Sir, is pen, book, and counters; fo the acquittance follows. Poft. I am merrier to die, than thou art to live. Gaol. Indeed, Sir, he that fleeps, feels not the tooth-ach: but a man that were to fleep your sleep, and a hangman to help him to bed, I think, he would change places with his officer: for look you, Sir, you know not which way you fhall go. Poft. Yes, indeed, do I, fellow. Gaol. Your death has eyes in's head then; I have not feen him fo pictur'd. You must either be directed by fome that take upon them to know; or take upon yourfelf that, which, I am fure, you do not know; or jump the after-enquiry on your own peril: and how you fhall fpeed in your journey's end, I think, you'll never return to tell one. Poft. I tell thee, fellow, there are none want eyes to direct them the way I am going, but fuch as wink, and will not use them. Gaol. What an infinite mock is this, that a man fhould have the beft ufe of eyes, to fee thee way of blindness! I am fure, hanging's the way of winking. Enter a Meffenger. Mef. Knock off his manacles. Bring your prisoner to the king. 9 debtor and creditor -jump the after-enquiry-] That is, venture at it -] For an accounting book. JOHNSON. without thought. So Macbeth, "We'd jump the life to come." JOHNSON. Poft. Poft. Thou bring'ft good news; I am called to be made free. Gaol. I'll be hang'd then. 2 Poft. Thou shalt be then freer than a gaoler; no bolts for the dead. [Exeunt Pofthumus and Messenger. Gaol. Unlefs a man would marry a gallows, and beget young gibbets, I never faw one fo prone. Yet, on my confcience, there are verier knaves defire to live, for all he be a Roman: and there be fome of them too that die against their wills; fo fhould I, if I were one. I would we were all of one mind, and one mind good; O, there were defolation of gaolers and gallowfes! I fpeak against my prefent profit; but my wish hath a preferment in't. [Exit. SCENE V. Enter Cymbeline, Belarius, Guiderius, Arviragus, Pifanio, and Lords. Cym. Stand by my fide, you, whom the gods have made Prefervers of my throne. Woe is my heart, That the poor foldier, that fo richly fought, Whofe rags fham'd gilded arms, whofe naked breast Stept before targes of proof, cannot be found; He shall be happy that can find him, if Our grace can make him fo. Bel. I never faw Such noble fury in fo poor a thing: 2 I never faw one so prone.—] i. e. forward. In this fenfe the word is ufed in Wilfride Holme's poem, entitled The Fall and evil Succefs of Rebellion, &c. 1537. "Thus lay they in Doncafter, with curtal and ferpentine, "With bombard and bafilifk, with men prone and vigor "ous." STEEVENS. Such I Such precious deeds in ' one that promis'd nought Pif. He hath been fearch'd among the dead and living, But no trace of him. Cym. To my grief, I am The heir of his reward; which I will add [To Belarius, Guiderius, and Arviragus. By whom, I grant, fhe lives. 'Tis now the time To ask of whence you are:-Report it. Bel. Sir, In Cambria are we born, and gentlemen : Cym. Bow your knees. [They kneel Arife my knights o' the battle; I create you Enter Cornelius and Ladies. There's business in thefe faces :-Why fo fadly one that promis'd nought But beggary and poor looks.] But how can it be said, that one, whofe poor looks promife beggary, promifed poor looks too? It was not the poor look which was promised; that was visible. We must read, But beggary and poor luck. This fets the matter right, and makes Belarius fpeak sense and to the purpofe. For there was the extraordinary thing; he promifed nothing but poor luck, and yet performed all these wonders. WARBURTON. To promise nothing but poor looks, may be, to give no promife of courageous behaviour. JOHNSON. To four your happiness, I muft report Cym. Whom worfe than a phyfician Would this report become? But I confider, Cor. With horror, madly dying; like her life; Cym. Pr'ythee, fay. Cor. Firft, fhe confefs'd, fhe never lov'd you; only Affected greatnefs got by you, not you: Married your royalty; was wife to your place; Cym. She alone knew this : And, but the spoke it dying, I would not Believe her lips in opening it. Proceed. Cor. Your daughter, whom fhe bore in hand to love With fuch integrity, fhe did confefs, Was as a fcorpion to her fight; whofe life, Ta'en off by poifon. Cym. O moft delicate fiend! Who is't can read a woman? Cor. More, Sir, and worfe. had Is there more? She did confefs, fhe For you a mortal mineral; which, being took, VOL. IX. Τ Of |