Speak, Iachimo; I had you down, and might
Have made you finish.

Iach. I am down again :

But now my heavy confcience finks my knee, [Kneels.
As then your force did. Take that life, 'befeech you,
Which I fo often owe: but, your ring firft;

And here the bracelet of the trueft princefs,
That ever fwore her faith.

Poft. Kneel not to me:

The power that I have on you, is to fpare you;
The malice towards you, to forgive you: live,
And deal with others better !

Cym. Nobly doom'd:

We'll learn our freeness of a fon-in-law;
Pardon's the word to all.

Arv. You holp us, Sir,

As you did mean, indeed, to be our brother;
Joy'd are we, that you are.

Poft. Yourfervant, princes.-Good my lord of Rom Call forth your foothfayer. As I flept, methought, Great Jupiter, upon his eagle back'd,

Appear'd to me, with other fprightly fhews
Of mine own kindred. When I wak'd, I found
This label on my bofom; whofe containing

Is fo from fenfe in hardness, that I can
Make no collection of it. Let him fhew
His fkill in the construction.

Luc. Philarmonus,

Sooth. Here, my good lord.

Luc. Read, and declare the meaning.

[Reads.]

WHEN as a lion's whelp fhall, to himself unknown, without feeking find, and be embrac'd by a piece of tender air; and when from a stately cedar fhall be lopt branches, which, being dead many years, fall after revive, be jointed to the old stock, and freshly grow; then fball Pofthumus end his miferies, Britain be fortunate, and flourish in peace and plenty.

VOL. IX.

U

Thou,

Thou, Leonatus, art the lion's whelp;
The fit and apt conftruction of thy name,
Being Leo-natus, doth import fo much.
The piece of tender air, thy virtuous daughter,
[To Cymbeline.
Which we call mollis aer; and mollis aer
We term it mulier: which mulier, I divine,
Is this most conftant wife; who, even now,
Answering the letter of the oracle,

Unknown to you, unfought, were clip'd about
With this most tender air.

Cym. This has fome feeming.

Sooth. The lofty cedar, royal Cymbeline, Perfonates thee: and thy lopt branches point Thy two fons forth; who, by Belarius ftolen, For many years thought dead, are now reviv'd, To the majestic cedar join'd; whofe iffue Promises Britain peace and plenty.

I

Cym. My peace we will begin: and, Caius Lucius, Although the victor, we fubmit to Cæfar,

And to the Roman empire; promifing

To pay our wonted tribute; from the which
We were diffuaded by our wicked queen;

On whom heaven's juftice, both on her and hers,
Hath laid moft heavy hand.

Sooth. The fingers of the powers above do tune
The harmony of this peace. The vifion,
Which I made known to Lucius ere the stroke
Of this yet scarce-cold battle, at this inftant
Is full accomplish'd. For the Roman eagle,
From South to Weft on wing foaring aloft,
Leffen'd herself, and in the beams o' the fun
So vanish'd: which fore-fhew'd our princely eagle,
The imperial Cæfar, fhould again unite

His favour with the radiant Cymbeline,

Which fhines here in the Welt.

Cym. Laud we the gods!

And let the crooked smokes climb to their noftrils
From our bleft altars! Publish we this

To all our fubjects. Set we forward: let
A Roman and a British enfign wave

peace

Friendly together: fo through Lud's town march,
And in the temple of great Jupiter

Our peace we'll ratify; feal it with feafts.-
Set on, there: never was a war did cease,
Ere bloody hands were wash'd, with fuch a peace.
[Exeunt omnes.

THIS play has many juft fentiments, fome natural dialogues, and fome pleafing scenes, but they are obtained at the expence of much incongruity. To remark the folly of the fiction, the abfurdity of the conduct, the confufion of the names, and manners of different times, and the impoffibility of the events in any fyftem of life, were to waste criticism upon unrefifting imbecility, upon faults too evident for detection, and too grofs for aggravation. JOHNSON.

A SONG, fung by Guiderius and Arviragus over Fidele, fuppofed to be dead.

By Mr. WILLIAM COLLINS.

I.

To fair Fidele's graffy tomb

Soft maids, and village binds fhall bring
Each op'ning fweet, of earliest bloom,
And rifle all the breathing Spring.

2.

No wailing ghost shall dare appear
To vex with fhrieks this quiet grove:

But fhepherd lads affemble here,
And melting virgins own their love.

U 2

3. Na

3.

No wither'd witch fhall here be seen,
No goblins lead their nightly crew:
The female Fays fhall haunt the green,
And drefs thy grave with pearly dew.

4.

The red-breast oft at ev'ning hours
Shall kindly lend his little aid,
With boary mofs, -and gather'd flowers,
To deck the ground where thou art laid.

5.

When bowling winds, and beating rain,
In tempefts shake the Sylvan cell:
Or midft the chace on ev'ry plain,
The tender thought on thee fhall dwell.

6.

Each lonely fcene fhall thee reftore;
For thee the tear be duly fhed:
Belov'd, till life could charm no more;
And mourn'd 'till pity's felf be dead.