CYMBELINE, A TRAGEDY, BY WILLIAM SHAKSPEARE. ACCURATELY PRINTED FROM THE TEXT OF Mr. STEEVENS's LAST EDITION. Drnamented with plates. London: PUBLISHED BY E. HARDING, NO. 98, PALL-MALL; J. WRIGHT, PICCADILLY; G. SAEL, STRAND; OBSERVATIONS. MR. Pope fuppofed the story of this play to have been borrow ed from a novel of Boccace; but he was mistaken, as an imitation of it is found in an old story-book entitled Weftward for Smelts. This imitation differs in as many particulars from the Italian novelist, as from Shakspeare, though they concur in some material parts of the fable. It was published in a quarto pamphlet 1603. This is the only copy of it which I have hitherto feen. There is a late entry of it in the books of the Stationers' Company, Jan. 1619, where it is faid to have been written by Kitt of Kingston. STEEVENS. The only part of the fable which can be pronounced with certainty to be drawn from the tale in Westward for Smelt, is, Imogen's wandering about after Pifanio has left her in the foreft; her being almost famished; and being taken, at a subsequent period, into the service of the Roman General as a page. The general fcheme of Cymbeline is, in my opinion, formed on Boccace's novel (Day 2, Nov. 9.) and Shakspeare has taken a circumstance from it, that is not mentioned in the other tale. It appears from the preface to the old translation of the Decamerone, printed in 1620, that many of the novels had before received an English drefs, and had been printed feparately: "I know, most worthy 'jord, (fays the printer in his Epiftle Dedicatory,) that many of them [the novels of Boccace] have long fince been published befare, as ftolen from the original author, and yet not beautified with his fweet style and elocution of phrafe, neither favouring of his fingular moral applications." Cymbeline, I imagine, was written in the year 1605. The king from whom the play takes its title began his reign, according to Holinfhed, in the 19th year of the reign of Augustus Cæfar; and the play commences in or about the twenty-fourth year of Cymbeline's reign, which was the forty-fecond year of the reign of Auguftus, and the 16th of the Chriftian æra: notwithstanding which, Shakspeare has peopled Rome with modern Italians; Philario, Iachimo, &c. Cymbeline is said to have reigned thirtyfive years, leaving at his death two fons, Guiderius and Arvira, gus. MALONE. PERSONS REPRESENTED. CYMBELINE, King of Britain. CLOTEN, fon to the Queen by a former husband. LEONATUS POSTHUMUS, a gentleman, husband to Imogen. BELARIUS, a banished lord, difguifed under the name of Morgan. GUIDERIUS, difguifed under the names of Polydore and ARVIRAGUS, Cadwal, fuppofed fons to Belarius. PHILARIO, friend to Pofthumus,} Italians. IACHIMO, friend to Philario, A French Gentleman, friend to Philario. Two Gentlemen. Two Gaolers. QUEEN, wife to Cymbeline. IMOGEN, daughter to Cymbeline by a former queen. Lords, Ladies, Roman Senators, Tribunes, Apparitions, a Soothsayer, a Dutch Gentleman, a Spanish Gentleman, Muficians, Officers, Captains, Soldiers, Messengers, and ther Attendants. SCENE, fometimes in Britain; sometimes in Italy. CYMBELINE. ACT I. SCENE I. Britain. The Garden behind Cymbeline's Palace. YOU Enter two Gentlemen. 1 Gentleman. do not meet a man, but frowns: our bloods No more obey the heavens, than our courtiers; Still feem, as does the king's. 2 Gent. But what's the matter? 1 Gent. His daughter, and the heir of his kingdom, whom Is outward forrow; though, I think, the king 2 Gent. None but the king? Gent. He, that hath loft her, too: fo is the queen, That most defir'd the match: But not a courtier, Although they wear their faces to the bent Of the king's looks, hath a heart that is not Glad at the thing they fcowl at. 2 Gent. And why fo? B 1 Gent. |