Who needs must know of her departure, and
Dost seem so ignorant, we 'll enforce it from thee
By a sharp torture.

Pis.

Sir, my life is yours,

I humbly set it at your will: But, for my mistress,
I nothing know where she remains, why gone,
Nor when she purposes return. 'Beseech your highness,
Hold me your royal servant.

1 Lord.
Good my liege,
The day that she was missing, he was here:
I dare be bound he 's true, and shall perform
All parts of his subjection loyally.

For Cloten,

There wants no diligence in seeking him,
And will, no doubt, be found.

Cym.

The time 's troublesome;

We'll slip you for a season; but our jealousy [To Pis.
Does yet depend.1

1 Lord.
So please your majesty,
The Roman legions, all from Gallia drawn,
Are landed on your coast; with a supply
Of Roman gentlemen, by the senate sent.

Cym. Now for the counsel of my son, and queen!

9 And will,] I think it should be read-And he'll. Steevens. There are several other instances of the personal pronoun be. ing omitted in these plays, beside the present, particularly in King Henry VIII, nor is Shakspeare the only writer of that age that takes this liberty. So, in Stowe's Chronicle, p. 793, edit. 1631: " after that he tooke boat at Queen Hith, and so came to his house; where missing the afore named counsellors, fortified his house with full purpose to die in his own defence."

Again, in the Continuation of Hardyng's Chronicle, 1543: "Then when they heard that Henry was safe returned into Britagne, rejoyced not a little."

Again, in Anthony Wood's Diary, ad. ann. 1652: "One of these, a most handsome virgin,-kneel'd down to Thomas Wood, with tears and prayers to save her life and being strucken with a deep remorse, tooke her under his arme, went with her out of the church," &c.

See also King Lear, Act II, sc. iv, note on-"Having more man than wit about me, drew." Malone.

1 —our jealousy

Does yet depend] My suspicion is yet undetermined; if I do not condemn you, I likewise have not acquitted you. We now say, the cause is depending. Johnson.

Good my liege,

I am amaz'd with matter.2

1 Lord.

Your preparation can affront no less

Than what you hear of: come more, for more you 're

ready:

The want is, but to put those powers in motion,

That long to move.
Сут.
I thank you: Let 's withdraw;
And meet the time, as it seeks us. We fear not
What can from Italy annoy us; but
We grieve at chances here.-Away.

[Lxeunt.

Pis. I heard no letter from my master, since I wrote him, Imogen was slain: 'Tis strange: Nor hear I from my mistress, who did promise To yield me often tidings: Neither know I What is betid to Cloten; but remain

Perplex'd in all. The heavens still must work:

Wherein I am false, I am honest; not true, to be true.
These present wars shall find I love my country,
Even to the note o' the king, or I'll fall in them.
All other doubts, by time let them be clear'd:

Fortune brings in some boats, that are not steer'd. [Exit.

2 I am amaz'd with matter.] i. e. confounded by a variety of business. So, in King John:

"I am amaz'd, methinks, and lose my way,

"Among the thorns and dangers of this world." Steevens. 3 Your preparation can affront &c.] Your forces are able to face such an army as we hear the enemy will bring against us. Johnson. See p. 152, n. 2.

Malone.

4 I heard no letter -] I suppose we should read with Sir Thos. Hanmer:

Perhaps letter here means, not an epistle, but the elemental part of a syllable. This might have been a phrase in Shakspeare's time. We yet say-I have not heard a syllable from him. Malone.

5 •not true, to be true.] The uncommon roughness of this line persuades me that the words-to be, are an interpolation, which, to prevent an ellipsis, has destroyed the measure. Steevens. to the note o' the king,] I will so distinguish myself, the king shall remark my valour. Johnson.

6

VOL. XVI.

SCENE IV.

Before the Cave.

Enter BELARIUS, GUIDERIUS, and ARVIRAGUS.

Gui. The noise is round about us.

Bel.

Let us from it.

Arv. What pleasure, sir, find we' in life, to lock it From action and adventure?

Gui.

Nay, what hope

Have we in hiding us? this way, the Romans
Must or for Britons slay us; or receive us
For barbarous and unnatural revolts

During their use, and slay us after.

Bel.

Sons,

We'll higher to the mountains; there secure us.
To the king's party there 's no going: newness
Of Cloten's death (we being not known, not muster'd
Among the bands) may drive us to a render
Where we have liv'd; and so extort from us

That which we 've done, whose answer1 would be death`
Drawn on with torture.

8

9

· revolts —] i. e. revolters. So, in King John:

"Lead me to the revolts of England here." Steevens.

a render

Where we have liv'd;] An account of our place of abode. This dialogue is a just representation of the superfluous caution of an old man. Johnson.

Render is used in a similar sense in Timon of Athens, Act V: "And sends us forth to make their sorrow'd render."

So again, in this play:

"My boon is, that this gentleman may render,

"Of whom he had this ring." Malone.

1-

Steevens.

·whose answer -] The retaliation of the death of Cloten

would be death, &c. Johnson.

Behold their quarter'd fires,3 have both their eyes
And ears so cloy'd importantly as now,

That they will waste their time upon our note,
To know from whence we are.

Bel.

O, I am known

Of many in the army: many years,

Though Cloten then but young, you see, not wore him
From my remembrance. And, besides, the king
Hath not deserv'd my service, nor your loves;
Who find in my exile the want of breeding,
The certainty of this hard life; aye hopeless
To have the courtesy your cradle promis'd,
But to be still hot summer's tanlings, and
The shrinking slaves of winter.

Than be so,

Gui.
Better to cease to be. Pray, sir, to the army:
I and my brother are not known; yourself,
So out of thought, and thereto so o'ergrown,
Cannot be question'd.

Arv.
By this sun that shines,
I'll thither: What thing is it, that I never
Did see man die? scarce ever look'd on blood,
But that of coward hares, hot goats, and venison?"
Never bestrid a horse, save one, that had

A rider like myself, who ne'er wore rowel
Nor iron on his heel? I am asham'd

To look upon the holy sun, to have

The benefit of his bless'd beams, remaining
So long a poor unknown.

2

Gur.

By heavens, I 'll go:

-the Roman horses-] Old copy-their Roman. This is one of the many corruptions into which the transcriber was led by his ear. The correction was made by Mr. Rowe. Malone.

3

their quarter'd fires,] Their fires regularly disposed.

Johnson. Quarter'd fires, I believe, means no more than fires in the respective quarters of the Roman army. Steevens.

4 The certainty of this hard life;] That is, the certain consequence of this hard life. Malone.

5 o'ergrown,] Thus, Spenser:

66

o'ergrown with old decay,

"And hid in darkness, that none could behold.
"The hue thereof." Steevens.

If you will bless me, sir, and give me leave,
I'll take the better care; but if you will not,
The hazard therefore due fall on me, by

The hands of Romans!

Arv.

So say I; Amen.

Bel. No reason I, since on your lives you set
So slight a valuation, should reserve

My crack'd one to more care. Have with you, boys:
If in your country wars you chanc'd to die,

That is my bed too, lads, and there I'll lie:

Lead, lead. The time seems long; their blood thinks

scorn,

Till it fly out, and show them princes born.

[Aside. [Exeunt.

ACT V..... SCENE I.

A Field between the British and Roman Camps.

Enter POSTHUMUS, with a bloody Handkerchief."

Post. Yea, bloody cloth," I'll keep thee; for I wish'd Thou should'st be colour'd thus. You married ones, If each of you would take this course, how many Must murder wives much better than themselves, For wrying but a little?—O, Pisanio!

bloody handkerchief] The bloody token of Imogen's death, which Pisanio in the foregoing Act determined to send. Johnson.

Yea, bloody cloth, &c.] This is a soliloquy of nature, uttered when the effervescence of a mind agitated and perturbed, spontaneously and inadvertently discharges itself in words. The speech throughout all its tenor, if the last conceit be excepted, seems to issue warm from the heart. He first condemns his own violence; then tries to disburden himself, by imputing part of the crime to Pisanio; he next sooths his mind to an artificial and momentary tranquillity, by trying to think that he has been only an instrument of the gods for the happiness of Imogen. He is now grown reasonable enough to determine, that having done so much evil, he will do no more; that he will not fight against the country which he has already injured; but as life is not longer supportable, he will die in a just cause, and die with the obscurity of a man who does not think himself worthy to be remembered.

8

Fohnson. I wish'd-] The old copy reads-I am wish'd. Steevens. The correction was made by Mr. Pope. Malone.