Italian fiend!-Ah me, most credulous fool,
Egregious murderer, thief, any thing
That's due to all the villains past, in being,

To come!-0, give me cord, or knife, or poison,
Some upright jufticer! Thou, king, send out
For tortures ingenious: it is I

That all the abhorred things o'the earth amend,
By being worse than they. I am Pofthumus,
That kill'd thy daughter :-villain-like, I lie;
That caus'd a leffer villain than myself,
A facrilegious thief, to do't :-the temple
Of virtue was she; yea, and fhe herself.
Spit, and throw ftones, caft mire upon me, fet
The dogs o'the street to bay me: every villain
Be call'd, Pofthumus Leonatus; and
Be villainy less than 'twas!-O Imogen!
My queen, my life, my wife! O Imogen,
Imogen, Imogen !

Imo.

Peace, my lord; hear, hear

Poft. Shall's have a play of this? Thou scornful page, There lie thy part.

Pif.

[Striking her: he falls.

O, Gentlemen, help, help

Mine, and your mistress :—O, my lord Pofthumus!
You ne'er kill'd Imogen till now :-Help, help !—
Mine honour'd lady!

Cym.

Does the world go round?

Wake, my mistress !

Poft. How come these staggers on me?

Pif.

Cym. If this be fo, the gods do mean to strike me

To death with mortal joy.

Pif.

How fares my mistress?

Imo. O, get thee from my sight;

Thou gav'ft me poifon dangerous fellow, hence!

Breathe not where princes are.

Cym.

Cym.

Pif. Lady,

The tune of Imogen!

The gods throw ftones of fulphur on me, if
That box I gave you was not thought by me
A precious thing; I had it from the queen.
Cym. New matter still?

Imo.

Cor.

It poifon'd me.

O Gods!

I left out one thing which the queen confefs'd,
Which must approve thee honeft: If Pifanio
Have, faid the, given his mistress that confection
Which I gave him for cordial, she is serv'd .
As I would ferve a rat.

Cym.

What's this, Cornelius ?
Cor. The queen, fir, very oft impórtun'd me
To temper poisons for her; ftill pretending
The fatisfaction of her knowledge, only
In killing creatures vile, as cats and dogs,
Of no esteem: I, dreading that her purpose
Was of more danger, did compound for her
A certain stuff, which, being ta'en, would cease
The present power of life; but, in short time,
All offices of nature should again

Do their due functions.-Have you ta'en of it?
Imo. Moft like I did, for I was dead.

Bel.

There was our error.

Gui.

My boys,

This is fure, Fidele.

Imo. Why did you throw your wedded lady from you? Think, that you are upon a rock; and now

Throw me again.

[Embracing him. Poft. Hang there like fruit, my foul, till the tree die. How now, my flesh, my child?

Cym.
What, mak'ft thou me a dullard in this act?

Wilt thou not speak to me?

Imo.

Your bleffing, fir. [Kneeling.

Bel. Though you did love this youth, I blame ye not;

Cym. O, fhe was naught; and 'long of her it was, That we meet here so strangely: But her fon

Is gone, we know not how, nor where.

Pif.
My lord,
Now fear is from me, I'll speak troth. Lord Cloten,
Upon my lady's miffing, came to me

With his fword drawn; foam'd at the mouth, and fwore,

If I difcover'd not which way fhe was gone,

It was my inftant death: By accident,

I had a feigned letter of my master's

Then in my pocket; which directed him
To feek her on the mountains near to Milford;
Where, in a frenzy, in my master's garments,
Which he inforc d from me, away he pofts
With unchafte purpose, and with oath to violate
My lady's honour: what became of him,

I would not thy good deeds should from my lips
Pluck a hard fentence: pr'ythee, valiant youth,
Deny't again.

Gui.

I have spoke it, and I did it.

Cym. He was a prince.

Gui. A most uncivil one: The wrongs he did me

Were

Were nothing prince-like; for he did provoke me
With language that would make me spurn the sea,
If it could fo roar to me: I cut off's head;
And am right glad, he is not standing here
To tell this tale of mine.

Cym.

I am forry for thee:

By thine own tongue thou art condemn'd, and must
Endure our law: Thou art dead.

This man is better than the man he flew,

As well defcended as thyself; and hath

More of thee merited, than a band of Clotens

Had ever scar for.-Let his arms alone; [To the Guard.

They were not born for bondage.

Cym.
Why, old foldier,
Wilt thou undo the worth thou art unpaid for,
By tafting of our wrath? How of defcent

As good as we?

Aro.

In that he fpake too far.

We will die all three :

Cym. And thou shalt die for't.
Bel.
But I will prove, that two of us are as good
As I have given out him.-My fons, I must,
For mine own part, unfold a dangerous fpeech,
Though, haply, well for you.

Arv.

Ours.

Gui. And our good is his.
Bel.

Your danger is

Have at it then.

By leave ;-Thou hadft, great king, a subject, who

Affum'd this age: indeed,-a banish'd man ;

I know not how, a traitor.

Cym.

Take him hence;

Not too hot :

The whole world shall not fave him.

Bel.

First pay me me for the nurfing of thy sons;
And let it be confiscate all, fo foon

As I have receiv'd it.

Cym.

Nurfing of my fons ?

Bel. I am too blunt, and faucy: Here's my knee; Ere I arife, I will prefer my fons;

Then, fpare not the old father. Mighty fir,
These two young gentlemen, that call me father,
And think they are my fons, are none of mine;
They are the iffue of your loins, my liege,

And blood of your begetting.

Cym.

How! my iffue?

Bel. So fure as you your father's. I, old Morgan,
Am that Belarius whom you fometime banish'd:
Your pleasure was my mere offence, my punishment
Itself, and all my treafon; that I fuffer'd,
Was all the harm I did. These gentle princes
(For fuch, and so they are,) these twenty years
Have I train'd up: thofe arts they have, as I
Could put into them; my breeding was, fir, as
Your highness knows. Their nurse, Euriphile,
Whom for the theft I wedded, stole these children
Upon my banishment: I mov'd her to't;

7

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