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I know you are more clement than vile men,
Who of their broken debtors take a third,
A fixth, a tenth, letting them thrive again
On their abatement; that's not my defire:
For Imogen's dear life, take mine; and though
'Tis not fo dear, yet 'tis a life; you coin'd it.
'Tween man and man they weigh not every stamp;
Though light, take pieces for the figure's fake;
You rather, mine, being yours: and fo, great powers,
If you will take this audit, take this life,

And cancel thofe 3 cold bonds. Oh Imogen!
I'll speak to thee in filence.-

[He fleeps.

+ Solemn mufic. Enter, as in an apparition, Sicilius Leonatus, father to Pofthumus, an old man, attired

like

who is willing to furrender up all to appeafe his creditor. This being the fenfe in general, I may venture to say, the true reading must have been this,

to fatisfy,

I d'off my freedom; 'tis the main part; take

No ftricter render of me than my all.

The verb d'of is too frequently used by our author to need any inftances; and is here employed with peculiar elegance, i. e. To give all the fatisfaction I am able to your offended godheads, I voluntarily diveft myfelf of my freedom; 'tis the only thing I have to atone with,

3

take

No stricter render of me, than my all. WARBURTON. cold bonds.. -] This equivocal ufe of bonds is another inftance of our auther's infelicity in pathetic fpeeches. JOHNS. 4 Solemn mufic, &c.] Here follow a vifion, a mafque, and a prophefy, which interrupt the fable without the leaft neceffity, and unmeafurably lengthen this act. I think it plainly foisted in afterwards for mere fhow, and apparently not of Shakefpeare. POPE.

Every reader must be of the fame opinion. The following paffage from Mr. FARMER'S Efay will fhew that it was no unufual thing for the players to indulge themfelves in making additions equally unjuftifiable.- "We have a fufficient

inftance of the liberties taken by the actors, in an old pamphlet, by Nash, called Lenten Stuffe, with the Prayfe of the red Herring, 4to, 1599, where he affures us, that in a

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like a warrior; leading in his hand an ancient matron, his wife, and mother to Pofthumus, with mufic before them. Then, after other mufic, follow the two young Leonati, brothers to Pofthumus, with wounds as they died in the wars. They circle Pofthumus round, as he lies fleeping.

Sici. No more, thou thunder-mafter, fhew
Thy spite on mortal flies :

With Mars fall out, with Juno chide,

That thy adulteries

Rates and revenges.

Hath my poor boy done aught but well,
Whofe face I never faw?

I dy'd, whilft in the womb he stay'd,
Attending Nature's law,

Whofe father, Jove! (as men report
Thou orphans' father art)

Thou shouldft have been, and shielded him
From his earth-vexing fmart.

Moth. Lucina lent not me her aid,
But took me in my throes;

5 That from me my Pofthumus ript,
Came crying 'mongst his foes,

A thing of pity!

Sici. Great Nature, like his ancestry,
Moulded the stuff fo fair;

That he deferv'd the praife o' the world,

As great Sicilius' heir.

1

"play of his, called The Isle of Dogs, foure acts, without his "confent, or the leaft guefs of his drift or scope, were supplied "by the players." STEEVENS.

5 That from me my Posthumus ript,] The old copy reads, That from me was Pofthumus ript,

Perhaps we should read,

That from my womb Pofthumus ript,

Came crying 'mongst his foes. JOHNSON.

1 Bro. When once he was mature for man,
In Britain where was he,

That could ftand up his parallel,
Or fruitful object be
In eye of Imogen, that best
Could deem his dignity?

Moth. With marriage wherefore was he mock'd,

To be exil'd and thrown From Leonatus' feat, and caft

From her his dearest one?

Sweet Imogen!-

Sici. Why did you fuffer Iachimo,
Slight thing of Italy,

To taint his nobler heart and brain
With needlefs jealousy,

And to become the geck and fcorn
O' the other's villainy?

2 Bro. For this, from ftiller feats we came,
Our parents, and us twain,
That, ftriking in our country's caufe,
Fell bravely, and were flain;

Our fealty, and Tenantius' right,
With honour to maintain.

1 Bro. Like hardiment Pofthumus hath
To Cymbeline perform'd;
Then, Jupiter, thou king of gods,
Why haft thou thus adjourn'd

The graces for his merits due;

Being all to dolours turn'd?

Sici. Thy crystal window ope; look out;
No longer exercise,

Upon a valiant race thy harsh

And potent injuries.

Moth. Since, Jupiter, our fon is good,

Take off his miferies.

Sici. Peep through thy marble manfion, help!

Or we poor ghosts will cry

Το

To the fhining fynod of the reft
Against thy deity.

2 Buth. Help, Jupiter, or we appeal,
And from thy justice fly.

Jupiter defcends in thunder and lightning, fitting upon an eagle he throws a thunder-bolt. The ghosts fall on their knees.

Jupit. No more, you petty fpirits of region low,
Offend our hearing: huh!--How dare you, ghosts,
Accute the thunderer, whofe bolt you know,
Sky-planted, batters all rebelling coafts?
Poor thadows of Elyfium, hence; and reft
Upon your never-withering banks of flowers:
Be not with mortal accidents oppreft,

No care of yours it is; you know, 'tis ours.
Whom beft I love, I crofs; to make my gift,
The more delay'd, delighted. Be content,
Your low-lid fon our godhead will uplift;
Hi comforts thrive, his trials well are spent ;
Our J ftar reign'd at his birth, and in
Cur romp was he married. Rife, and fade!
of lady Imogen,

He fell

And ot

This taber

Our pi

And f

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h by his affliction made. r his breaft, wherein

s full fortune doth confine; No farther with your din

Exp patience, left you ftir up mine. Mount, eagle, to my palace cryftalline.

[Afcends. Sici. He came in thunder, his cœleftial breath Was fulphurous to imell; the holy eagle

Stoop'd, as to foot us.

His afcenfion is

More sweet than our bleft fields; his royal bird
Prunes the immortal wing, and 6 cloys his beak,
As when his god is pleas'd.

cloys his beak,] What cloys means in this inftance, I do not exactly know. STEEVENS.

Perhaps we should read,

claws his beak. T. T.

All.

All. Thanks, Jupiter!

Sici. The marble pavement closes, he is enter'd His radiant roof. Away! and to be bleft

Let us with care perform his

great beheft. [Vanish. Poft. [waking.] Sleep, thou haft been a grandfire, and begot

A father to me: and thou hast created

A mother and two brothers. But (oh fcorn!)
Gone!-they went hence fo foon as they were born.
And fo I am awake.-Poor wretches, that depend
On greatness' favour, dream as I have done;
Wake, and find nothing.-But, alas, I fwerve:
Many dream not to find, neither deserve,
And yet are steep'd in favours; fo am I
That have this golden chance, and know not why.
What fairies haunt this ground? a book! oh rare one!
Be not, as in our fangled world, a garment
Nobler than that it covers. Let thy effects
So follow, to be moft unlike our courtiers,
As good as promise.

[Reads.]

WHEN as a lion's whelp fhall, to himself unknown, without feeking find, and be embrac'd by a piece of tender air; and when from a stately cedar fhall be lopt branches, which, being dead many years, shall after revive, be jointed to the old stock, and freshly grow; then fball Pofthumus end his miferies, Britain be fortunate, and flourish in peace and plenty.

7 'Tis still a dream; or else such stuff, as madmen
Tongue, and brain not: either both or nothing:
Or fenfelefs fpeaking, or a speaking fuch
As fenfe cannot untie. Be what it is,

7 'Tis ftill a dream; or elfe fuch fuff, as madmen
Tongue, and brain not—do either both, or nothing
Or fenfelefs fpeaking, or a speaking fuch
As fenfe cannot untie.

The

The obfcurity of this paffage

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