To lose so bad employment; in the which
I have consider'd of a course. Good lady,
Hear me with patience.

Imo.

Talk thy tongue weary; speak:

I have heard I am a strumpet, and mine ear,
Therein false struck, can take no greater wound,
Nor tent to bottom that. But speak.

Pis.

I thought you would not back again.
Imo.

Bringing me here to kill me.

Pis.

Then, madam,

Most like,

Not so, neither:

But if I were as wise as honest, then

My purpose would prove well. It cannot be,
But that my master is abus'd:

Some villain, ay, and singular in his art,

Hath done you both this cursed injury.

Imo. Some Roman courtezan.

Pis.

No, on my life.

I'll give but notice you are dead, and send him
Some bloody sign of it; for 'tis commanded
I should do so you shall be miss'd at court,
And that will well confirm it.

Imo.
Why, good fellow,
What shall I do the while? where bide? how live?
Or in my life what comfort, when I am

Dead to my husband?

Pis.

If you'll back to the court,

Imo. No court, no father; nor no more ado
With that harsh, noble, simple, empty nothing',
That Cloten, whose love-suit hath been to me
As fearful as a siege.

Pis.

If not at court,

Where then?

Then not in Britain must you bide.

Imo.

Hath Britain all the sun that shines? Day, night,
Are they not but in Britain? I' the world's volume.
Our Britain seems as of it, but not in it;

In a great pool, a swan's nest: pr'ythee, think

With that harsh, noble, simple, EMPTY nothing,] The word "empty" is derived from the corr. fo. 1632, and we are thankful for it: it amends the defective verse, and supplies an important omission with the word that, we may almost say, certainly belonged to the place.

There's livers out of Britain.

I am most glad

Pis.
You think of other place. Th' embassador,
Lucius the Roman, comes to Milford-Haven
To-morrow: now, if you could wear a mind
Dark as your fortune is, and but disguise
That, which, t' appear itself, must not yet be,
But by self-danger, you should tread a course
Privy, yet full of view: yea, haply, near
The residence of Posthumus; so nigh, at least,
That though his actions were not visible, yet
Report should render him hourly to your ear,
As truly as he moves.

Imo.

Oh, for such means! Though peril to my modesty, not death on't, I would adventure.

Pis.

Well then, here's the point.

You must forget to be a woman; change
Command into obedience; fear, and niceness,
(The handmaids of all women, or more truly,
Woman it pretty self) into a waggish courage':
Ready in gibes, quick-answer'd, saucy, and
As quarrelous as the weasel: nay, you must
Forget that rarest treasure of your cheek,
Exposing it (but, Oh, the harder heart!
Alack, no remedy!) to the greedy touch
Of common-kissing Titan; and forget
Your laboursome and dainty trims, wherein
You made great Juno angry.

Imo.

Nay, be brief:

I see into thy end, and am almost

A man already.

Pis.

First, make yourself but like one.

46

Pretty, and What Imogen

8 PRIVY, YET full of view:] Here we have an emendation from the corr. fo. 1632 that cannot well be disputed. The words in the folios are full of view:" what can be the meaning of pretty so applied? wanted was to be private, yet to have an opportunity of seeing all that occurred, and "Privy, yet full of view' are just the terms to express it. Mr. Singer tells us that the objection to "privy " is, that it requires and to be altered to "yet:" unquestionably; and that is precisely what is done in the corr. fo. 1632, where Pretty, and is erased, and Privy, yet" substituted. According to his own showing, therefore, he must approve the emendation.

9

into a waggish COURAGE:] Carriage in the corr. fo. 1632; but we allow "courage" to remain in consequence of "fear" having occurred, perhaps as the antithesis, two lines above.

Forethinking this, I have already fit

('Tis in my cloak-bag) doublet, hat, hose, all

That answer to them: would you, in their serving,
And with what imitation you can borrow

From youth of such a season, 'fore noble Lucius
Present yourself, desire his service, tell him

Wherein you are happy, (which you will make him know',
If that his head have ear in music) doubtless,

With joy he will embrace you; for he's honourable,
And doubling that, most holy. Your means abroad,
You have me, rich; and I will never fail
Beginning nor supplyment.

Imo.

Thou art all the comfort

The gods will diet me with. Pr'ythee, away:
There's more to be considered, but we'll even
All that good time will give us. This attempt
I'm soldier to, and will abide it with

A prince's courage. Away, I pr'ythee.

Pis. Well, madam, we must take a short farewell,
Lest, being miss'd, I be suspected of

Your carriage from the court. My noble mistress,
Here is a box; I had it from the queen :
What's in't is precious; if you are sick at sea,
Or stomach-qualm'd at land, a dram of this
Will drive away distemper.-To some shade,
And fit you to your manhood.-May the gods
Direct you to the best!
Imo.

Amen. I thank thee.

[Exeunt.

SCENE V.

A Room in CYMBELINE'S Palace.

Enter CYMBELINE, Queen, CLOTEN, LUCIUS, and Lords.

Cym. Thus far; and so farewell.

Luc.

Thanks, royal sir.

My emperor hath wrote, I must from hence;

1

(which you will make him know,] In the original it stands "which will make him know," "you" having perhaps accidentally dropped out. All the folios are alike in this respect; but " you" is supplied in MS. in the corr. fo. 1632. Three lines lower we might read "For means abroad" with advantage.

And am right sorry that I must report ye
My master's enemy.

Cym.

Our subjects, sir,

Will not endure his yoke; and for ourself

To show less sovereignty than they must needs
Appear unkinglike.

Luc.

So, sir I desire of you

A conduct over land to Milford-Haven.

Madam, all joy befall your grace,—and you!

Cym. My lords, you are appointed for that office; The due of honour in no point omit.

So, farewell, noble Lucius.

Luc.

Your hand, my lord.

Clo. Receive it friendly; but from this time forth I wear it as your enemy.

Luc.

Sir, the event

Is yet to name the winner. Fare you well.

Cym. Leave not the worthy Lucius, good my lords, Till he have cross'd the Severn.-Happiness!

[Exeunt LUCIUS and Lords. Queen. He goes hence frowning; but it honours us, That we have given him cause.

Clo. 'Tis all the better: Your valiant Britons have their wishes in it.

Cym. Lucius hath wrote already to the emperor
How it goes here. It fits us, therefore, ripely,
Our chariots and our horsemen be in readiness:
The powers that he already hath in Gallia

Will soon be drawn to head, from whence he moves
His war for Britain.

Queen.
'Tis not sleepy business,
But must be look'd to speedily, and strongly.
Cym. Our expectation that it would be thus
Hath made us forward. But, my gentle queen,
Where is our daughter? She hath not appear'd
Before the Roman, nor to us hath tender'd
The duty of the day. She looks us like
A thing more made of malice, than of duty:
We have noted it.-Call her before us, for
We have been too slight in sufferance.

Queen.

[Exit an Attendant. Royal sir,

Since the exile of Posthumus, most retir'd
Hath her life been; the cure whereof, my lord,

'Tis time must do. Beseech your majesty,
Forbear sharp speeches to her: she's a lady
So tender of rebukes, that words are strokes,
And strokes death to her.

Please you, sir,

Can her contempt be answer'd?

Atten.

Her chambers are all lock'd; and there's no answer
That will be given to the loud'st noise we make 2.
Queen. My lord, when last I went to visit her,
She pray'd me to excuse her keeping close;
Whereto constrain'd by her infirmity,

She should that duty leave unpaid to you,
Which daily she was bound to proffer: this

She wish'd me to make known, but our great court
Made me to blame in memory.

Cym.

Her doors lock'd?

Not seen of late? Grant, heavens, that which I

Fear prove false !

Queen.
Son, I say, follow the king.
Clo. That man of her's, Pisanio, her old servant,
I have not seen these two days.

Queen.

[Exit.

Go, look after.—

[Exit CLOTEN.

Pisanio, thou that stand'st so for Posthumus!
He hath a drug of mine: I pray, his absence
Proceed by swallowing that, for he believes

It is a thing most precious. But for her,
Where is she gone? Haply, despair hath seiz'd her;
Or, wing'd with fervour of her love, she's flown

To her desir'd Posthumus. Gone she is

To death, or to dishonour; and my end

2 That will be given to the LOUD'ST noise we make.] So the corr. fo. 1632 instead of "loud of noise" of the old impressions. Mr. Singer silently appropriates this emendation, while the Rev. Mr. Dyce, with unusual want of ear and taste, would read "to the loud'st of noise." "Remarks," p. 256.

3 Pisanio, thou that stand'st so for Posthumus!] The Rev. Mr. Dyce has a long note (long, considering its import) upon the fitness of a mark of admiration after Posthumus. We are of his opinion, and willingly erase the offensive comma of our first edition.