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May's for enough, and what he learns by this, Aside. prove his travel, not her danger.

Clo.

Humph!

Pis. I'll write to my lord, she 's dead. O Imogen, Safe may'st thou wander, safe return again! [Aside. Clo. Sirrah, is this letter true?

Pis.

Sir, as I think.

Clo. It is Posthumus' hand; I know 't.-Sirrah, if thou would'st not be a villain, but do me true service; undergo those employments, wherein I should have cause to use thee, with a serious industry,--that is, what villainy soc'er I bid thee do, to perform it, directly and truly, I would think.thee an honest man: thou shouldest neither want my means for thy relief, nor my voice for thy preferment.

Even to Augustus' throne. Or this, or perish. Then Pisanio giving the paper, says to himself:

She's far enough; &c. Johnson.

I own I am of a different opinion. Or this, or perish, properly belongs to Pisanio, who says to himself, as he gives the paper into the hands of Cloten, I must either give it him freely, or perish in my attempt to keep it: or else the words may be considered as a reply to Cloten's boast of following her to the throne of Augustus, and are added slily: You will either do what you say, or perish, which is the more probable of the two.-The subsequent remark, however, of Mr. Henley, has taught me diffidence in my attempt to justify the arrangement of the old copies. Steevens. I cannot but think Dr. Johnson in the right, from the account of this transaction Pisanio afterwards gave:

66

Lord Cloten,

"Upon my lady's missing, came to me,

"With his sword drawn; foam'd at the mouth, and swore "If I discovered not which way she was gone,

"It was my instant death: By accident,

"I had a feigned letter of my master's

"Then in my pocket, which directed him

"To seek her on the mountains near to Milford."

But if the words, Or this, or perish, belong to Pisanio, as the letter was feigned, they must have been spoken out, not aside.

Henley. Cloten knew not, till it was tendered, that Pisanio had such a letter as he now presents; there could therefore be no question concerning his giving it freely or with-holding it.

These words, in my opinion, relate to Pisanio's present conduct, and they mean, I think, "I must either practise this deceit apon. Cloten, or perish by his fury." Malone.

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Pis. Well, my good lord.

Clo. Wilt thou serve me? For since patiently and constantly thou hast stuck to the bare fortune of that beg gar Posthumus, thou canst not in the course of gratitude but be a diligent follower of mine. Wilt thou serve me?

Pis. Sir, I will.

Clo. Give me thy hand, here 's my purse. Hast any thy late master's garments in thy possession?

of

Pis. I have, my lord, at my lodging, the same suit he wore when he took leave of my lady and mistress.

Clo. The first service thou dost me, fetch that suit hither: let it be thy first service; go.

Pis. I shall, my lord.

[Exit. Clo. Meet thee at Milford-Haven:-I forgot to ask him one thing; I'll remember 't anon:-Even there, thou villain, Posthumus, will I kill thee.-I would, these garments were come. She said upon a time, (the bitterness of it I now belch from my heart) that she held the very garment of Posthumus in more respect than my noble and natural person, together with the adornment of my qualities. With that suit upon my back, will I ravish her: First kill him, and in her eyes; there shall she see my valour, which will then be a torment to her contempt. He on the ground, my speech of insultment ended on his dead body, and when my lust hath dined, (which, as I say, to vex her, I will execute in the clothes that she so praised,) to the court I'll knock her back, foot her home again. She hath despised me rejoicingly, and I'll be merry in my revenge.

Re-enter PISANIO, with the Clothes.

Be those the garments?

Pis. Ay, my noble lord.

Clo. How long is 't since she went to Milford-Haven? Pis. She can scarce be there yet.

Clo. Bring this apparel to my chamber; that is the second thing that I have commanded thee: the third is, that thou shalt be a voluntary mute to my design. Be but duteous, and true preferment shall tender itself to thee.--My revenge is now at Milford; 'Would I had wings to follow it!-Come, and be true. [Exit. Pis. Thou bidd'st me to my loss: for, true to thee, Were to prove false, which I will never be,

To him that is most true.--To Milford go,
And find not her whom thou pursu'st. Flow, flow,
You heavenly blessings, on her! This fool's speed
Be cross'd with slowness; labour be his meed! [Exit.
SCENE VI.

Before the Cave of Belarius.

Enter IMOGEN, in Boy's Clothes.

Imo. I see, a man's life is a tedious one:
I have tir'd myself; and for two nights together
Have made the ground my bed. I should be sick,
But that my resolution helps me.--Milford,
When from the mountain-top Pisanio show'd thee,
Thou wast within a ken: O Jove! I think,
Foundations fly the wretched: such, I mean,
Where they should be reliev'd. Two beggars told me,
I could not miss my way: Will poor folks lie,
That have afflictions on them; knowing 'tis

A punishment, or trial? Yes: no wonder,
When rich ones scarce tell true: To lapse in fulness
Is sorer, than to lie for need; and falsehood

Is worse in kings, than beggars.--My dear lord!
Thou art one o' the false ones: Now I think on thee,
My hunger's gone; but even before, I was
At point to sink for food.-But what is this?
Here is a path to it: 'Tis some savage hold:
I were best not call;6 I dare not call: yet famine,
Ere clean it o'erthrow nature, makes it valiant.
Plenty, and peace, breeds cowards; hardness ever
Of hardiness is mother.-Ho! who 's here?
If any thing that 's civil,' speak; if savage,

4 To him that is most true.] Pisanio, notwithstanding his master's letter, commanding the murder of Imogen, considers him as true, supposing, as he has already said to her, that Posthumus was abused by some villain, equally an enemy to them both.

Malone.

5 Is sorer,] Is a greater, or heavier crime. Johnson. • I were best not call;] Mr. Pope was so little acquainted with. the language of Shakspeare's age, that instead of this the origi nal reading, he substituted-Twere best not call. Malone.

7 If any thing that 's civil,] Civil, for human creature.

Warburton.

Take, or lend.--Ho!--No answer? then I 'll enter.
Best draw my sword and if mine enemy

But fear the sword like me, he 'll scarcely look on 't.
Such a foe, good heavens! [She goes into the Cave.
Enter BELARIUS, GUIDERIUS, and ARVIRAGUS.
Bel. You, Polydore, have prov'd best woodman,' and

8 If any thing that 's civil, speak; if savage,

Take, or lend.] I question whether, after the words, if savage, a line be not lost. I can offer nothing better than to read: Ho! who's here?

If any thing that 's civil, take or lend,
If savage, speak.

If you are civilised and peaceable, take a price for what I want, or lend it for a future recompense; if you are rough inhospitable inhabitants of the mountain, speak, that I may know my state.

Johnson.

It is by no means necessary to suppose that savage hold signifies the habitation of a beast. It may as well be used for the cave of a savage, or wild man, who, in the romances of the time, were represented as residing in the woods, like the famous Orson, Bremo in the play of Mucedorus, or the savage in the seventh canto of the fourth Book of Spenser's Fairy Queen, and the sixth B. c. 4. Steevens.

Steevens is right in supposing that the word savage does not mean, in this place, a wild beast, but a brutish man, and in that sense it is opposed to civil: in the former sense, the word human would have been opposed to it, not civil. So, in the next Act, Imogen says:

"Our courtiers say, all 's savage but at court." And in As you Like it, Orlando says:

"I thought that all things had been savage here."

M. Mason. The meaning, I think, is, If any one resides here that is accustomed to the modes of civil life, answer me; but if this be the habitation of a wild and uncultivated man, or of one banished from society, that will enter into no converse, let him at least silently furnish me with enough to support me, accepting a price for it, or giving it to me without a price, in consideration of future recompense. Dr. Johnson's interpretation of the words take, or lend, is supported by what Imogen says afterwards:

"Before I enter'd here, I call'd; and thought "To have begg'd, or bought, what I have took." but such licentious alterations as transferring words from one line to another, and transposing the words thus transferred, ought, in my apprehension, never to be admitted. Malone.

9 Best draw, my sword;] As elliptically, Milton, where the 2nd brother in Comus says:

"Best draw, and stand upon our guard." Steevens.

Are master of the feast: Cadwal, and I,
Will play the cook and servant; 'tis our match:
The sweat of industry would dry, and die,

But for the end it works to. Come; our stomachs
Will make what 's homely, savoury: Weariness
Can snore upon the flint, when restive sloth3
Finds the down pillow hard.-Now, peace be here,
Poor house, that keep'st thyself!

Gui.

I am throughly weary. Arv. I am weak with toil, yet strong in appetite. Gui. There is cold meat i' the cave; we 'll browze on

that,

Whilst what we have kill'd be cook'd.

Bel.

Stay; come not in: [Looking in.

But that it eats our victuals, I should think

Here were a fairy.

Gui.

What's the matter, sir?

Bel. By Jupiter, an angel! or, if not, An earthly paragon!4-Behold divineness No elder than a boy!

Enter IMOGEN.

Imo. Good masters, harm me not:

Before I enter'd here, I call'd; and thought

To have begg'd, or bought, what I have took: Good

troth,

I have stolen nought; nor would not, though I had found

1

·woodman,] A woodman, in its common acceptation (as in the present instance) signifies a hunter. For the particular and original meaning of the word, see Mr. Reed's note in Measure for Measure, Vol. III, p. 452, n. 3. Steevens.

So, in The Rape of Lucrece:

"He is no woodman that doth bend his bow
"Against a poor unseasonable doe." Malone.

2 'tis our match:] i. e. our compact. See p. 88, 1. 16.

3

Steevens.

when restive sloth -] Resty signified, mouldy, rank. See Minsheu, in v. The word is yet used in the North. Perhaps, however, it is here used in the same sense in which it is applied to a horse. Malone.

Restive, in the present instance, I believe, means unquiet, shifting its posture, like a restive horse, Steevens.

4 An earthly paragon!] The same phrase has already occurred in The Two Gentlemen of Verona:

"No; but she is an earthly paragon.”

Steevens.

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