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Enter CYMBELINE and Queen.

2 Lord. Here comes the king.

Clo. I am glad, I was up so late; for that's the reason I was up so early: He cannot choose but take this service I have done, fatherly.-Good mor row to your majesty, and to my gracious mother. Cym. Attend you here the door of our stern daughter?

Will she not forth?

Clo. I have assailed her with musick, but she vouchsafes no notice.

Cym. The exile of her minion is too new; She hath not yet forgot him: some more time Must wear the print of his remembrance out, And then she's yours.

Queen. You are most bound to the king; Who lets go by no vantages, that may Prefer you to his daughter: Frame yourself To orderly solicits; and be friended With aptness of the season: make denials Increase your services: so seem, as if You were inspir'd to do those duties which You tender to her; that you in all obey her, Save when command to your dismission tends, And therein you are senseless.

Clo.

Senseless? not so.

Enter a Messenger.

Mess. So like you, sir, ambassadors from Rome; The one is Caius Lucius.

Cym.

A worthy fellow,

Albeit he comes on angry purpose now;

8 To orderly solicits;] i. e. regular courtship, courtship after the established fashion.

But that's no fault of his: We must receive him
According to the honour of his sender;

And towards himself his goodness forespent on us
We must extend our notice. Our dear son,
When you have given good morning to your
mistress,

Attend the queen, and us; we shall have need
To employ you towards this Roman.-Come, our
queen.

[Exeunt CYM. Queen, Lords, and Mess. Clo. If she be up, I'll speak with her; if not, Let her lie still, and dream.-By your leave ho!— [Knocks.

I know her women are about her; What
If I do line one of their hands? 'Tis gold
Which buys admittance; oft it doth; yea, and makes
Diana's rangers false themselves,' yield up

Their deer to the stand of the stealer; and 'tis gold
Which makes the true man kill'd, and saves the

thief;

Nay, sometime, hangs both thief and true man:

What

Can it not do, and undo? I will make
One of her women lawyer to me; for
I yet not understand the case myself.
By your leave.

Enter a Lady.

Lady. Who's there, that knocks?

[Knocks.

Clo.

Lady.

A gentleman.

No more?

9 And towards himself his goodness forespent on us

Our

We must extend our notice.] That is, we must extend towards himself our notice of his goodness heretofore shown to us. author has many similar ellipses.

' — false themselves,] Perhaps, in this instance false is not an adjective, but a verb.

Clo. Yes, and a gentlewoman's son.

Lady.

That's more

Than some, whose tailors are as dear as yours,

Can justly boast of: What's your lordship's pleasure? Clo. Your lady's person: Is she ready?

Lady.

To keep her chamber.

Ay,

Clo. There's gold for you; sell me your good report.

Lady. How! my good name? or to report of you What I shall think is good?—The princess

Enter IMOGen.

Clo. Good-morrow, fairest sister: Your sweet

hand.

Imo. Good-morrow, sir: You lay out too much

pains

For purchasing but trouble: the thanks I give,
Is telling you that I am poor of thanks,
And scarce can spare them.

Clo.

Still, I swear, I love you. Imo. If you but said so, 'twere as deep with me: If you swear still, your recompense is still

That I regard it not.

Clo.

This is no answer.

Imo. But that you shall not say I yield, being

silent,

I would not speak. I pray you, spare me: i'faith, I shall unfold equal discourtesy

To your best kindness; one of your great knowing Should learn, being taught, forbearance.

Clo. To leave you in your madness, 'twere my sin: I will not.

Imo. Fools are not mad folks.

Clo.

Imo. As I am mad, I do:

Do you call me fool?

If you'll be patient, I'll no more be mad;
That cures us both. I am much sorry, sir,
You put me to forget a lady's manners,

By being so verbal:2 and learn now, for all,
That I, which know my heart, do here pronounce,
By the very truth of it, I care not for you;
And am so near the lack of charity,

(To accuse myself) I hate you: which I had rather You felt, than make't my boast.

Clo. You sin against Obedience, which you owe your father. For The contract3 you pretend with that base wretch, (One, bred of alms, and foster'd with cold dishes, With scraps o'the court,) it is no contract, none: And though it be allow'd in meaner parties, (Yet who, than he, more mean?) to knit their souls (On whom there is no more dependency But brats and beggary) in self-figur'd knot;* Yet you are curb'd from that enlargement by The consequence o'the crown; and must not soil The precious note of it with a base slave,

A hilding for a livery,' a squire's cloth,

A pantler, not so eminent.

Imo.

Profane fellow!

Wert thou the son of Jupiter, and no more,
But what thou art, besides, thou wert too base

so verbal:] is, so verbose, so full of talk.

3 The contract, &c.] Here Shakspeare has not preserved, with his common nicety, the uniformity of character. The speech of Cloten is rough and harsh, but certainly not the talk of one"Who can't take two from twenty, for his heart,

"And leave eighteen."

His argument is just and well enforced, and its prevalence is allowed throughout all civil nations: as for rudeness, he seems not to be much undermatched. JOHNSON.

— in self-figur'd knot;] A self-figured knot is a knot formed by yourself.

A hilding for a livery,] A low fellow, only fit to wear a livery, and serve as a lacquey.

To be his groom: thou wert dignified enough,
Even to the point of envy, if 'twere made
Comparative for your virtues, to be styl'd

6

The under-hangman of his kingdom; and hated
For being preferr'd so well.

Clo.

The south-fog rot him!

Imo. He never can meet more mischance, than

come

To be but nam'd of thee. His meanest garment,
That ever hath but clipp'd his body, is dearer,
In my respect, than all the hairs above thee,
Were they all made such men.-How now, Pisanio?

Enter PISANIO.

Clo. His garment? Now, the devil

Imo. To Dorothy my woman hie thee presently:Clo. His garment?

Imo.

I am sprighted with a fool;" Frighted, and anger'd worse:-Go, bid my woman Search for a jewel, that too casually

Hath left mine arm; it was thy master's: 'shrew me, If I would lose it for a revenue

Of any king's in Europe. I do think,

I saw't this morning: confident I am,

Last night 'twas on mine arm; I kiss'd it:
I hope, it be not gone, to tell my lord
That I kiss aught but he.

[blocks in formation]

Comparative for your virtues,] If it were considered as a compensation adequate to your virtues, to be styled, &c.

7 I am sprighted with a fool;] i. e. I am haunted by a fool, as by a spright.

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