And am right glad, he is not ftanding here
To tell this tale of mine.

Cym. I'm forry for thee;

By thine own tonguc thou art condemn'd, and muft Endure our law: thou 'rt dead.

Imo. That headless man

I thought had been my Lord.
Cym. Bind the offender
And take him from our prefence.

Bel. Stay, Sir King,

This man is better than the man he flew,

As well defcended as thyfelf; and hath

More of thec merited, than a band of Clotens

Had ever (car for

-Let his arms alone;

They were not born for bondage.

Cym. Why, old Soldier,

[To the Guard.

Wilt thou undo the worth thou art unpaid for,

(8) By tafting of our wrath? how of defcent

As good as we?

Arv. In that he fpake too far.
Cym. And thou fhalt die for't.
Bel. We will die all three,

But I will prove, that two on's are as good
As I've giv'n out of him. My fons, I muft,
For my own part unfold a dangerous fpeech,
Though, haply, well for you.

Arv. Your danger's ours.

Guid. And our good, his.

Bel. Have at it then, by leave:

Thou hadft, great King, a Subject, who was call'd Belarias.

Cym. What of him? a banish'd traitor.

(8) By TASTING of our wrath] But how did Belarius unde or forfeit his merit by tafting or feeling the King's wrath? We should read,

By HASTING of our wrath? i.e. by haftening, provoking; and as fuch a provocation is undutiful, the demerit, confequently, undoes or makes void his former worth, and all pretenfions to reward. WARBURTON.

There is no need of change; the confequence is taken for the whole action; by tafting is by forcing us to make thee tafte.

Bel.

Bel. He it is, that hath

Affum'd this age; indeed, a banish'd man;
I know not how a traitor.

Cyn. Take him hence,

The whole world shall not fave him.
Bel. Not too hot.

First, pay me for the nurfing of thy fons;
And let it be confifcate all, fo foon
As I've receiv'd it.

Cym. Nurfing of my fons?

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

Then fpare not the old father. Mighty Sir,

knee.

Thefe 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 banisli'd ; (9) Your pleasure was my near offence, my punish

ment

Itfelf, and all my treafon; that I fuffer'd,

Was all the harm I did. Thefe gentle Princes,,
For fuch and fo they are, these twenty years
Have I train'd up; fuch arts they have, as I
Could put into them. My breeding was, Sir, as
Your Highnefs knows. Their nurse, Euriphile,
Whom for the theft I wedded, ftole thefe children..
Upon my banishment I mov'd her to 't;
Having receiv'd the punishment before,
For that which I did then. Beaten for loyalty,
Excited me to treafon. Their dear lofs,

The more of you 'twas felt, the more it shap'd

(9) Your pleasure was my near offence] I think this paf

fage may better be read thus,.

Tour pleasure was my dear offence, my punishment

Itfelf was all my treafon; that fuffer'dy.

Was all the barm I did

The offence which coft me fo dear was only your caprice. My

fufferings have been all my crime..

Unto

Unto my end of ftealing them. But, Sir,
Here are your fons again; and I muft lofe
Two of the fweet'ft companions in the world.
The benediction of thefe covering heav'ns
Fall on their heads like dew! for they are worthy
To in-lay heav'n with stars.

Cym. (1) Thou weep'ft, and speak'ft.
The fervice that you three have done, is more
Unlike, than this thou tell'ft. I loft my children-
If these be they, I know not how to wish

A pair of worthier fons..

Bel. Be pleas'd a while

This gentleman, whom I call Paladour,
Moft worthy Prince, as yours, is true Guiderius:
This gentleman, my Cadwal, Arviragus,

Your younger princely fon; he, Sir, was lapt
In a moft curious mantle, wrought by th' hand
Of his Queen-mother, which, for more probation,
I can with ease produce.

Cym. Guiderius had

Upon his neck a mole, a fanguine ftar;
It was a mark of wonder.

Bel. This is he;

Who hath upon him ftill that nat❜ral ftamp:
It was wife nature's end, in the donation,
To be his evidence now.

Cym. Oh, what am I

A mother to the birth of three ne'er mother
Rejoic'd deliverance more; bleft may you be,
That, after this ftrange farting from your orbs,
You may reign in them now. Oh Imogen,
Thou 'ft loft by this a Kingdom.

Imo: No, my Lord:

I've got two worlds by 't.

Oh, my gentle brothers,

Have we thus met? oh, never fay hereafter,
But I am trueft fpeaker.

You call'd me brother,

(1) Thou weepift, and speak ft. Thy tears give teftimony to the fincerity of thy relation, and I have the lefs reafon to be incredulous, because the actions which you have done within my knowledge are more incredible than the story which you relate. The King reafons very juftly..

When

When I was but your fifter: I, you brothers; (2) When ye were fo, indeed.

Cym. Did you e'er meet?

Arv. Ay, my good Lord.

Guid. And at firft meeting lov'd; Continued fo, until we thought he died.

Cor. By the Queen's dram fhe fwallow'd.

Cym. O rare instinct !

When fhall I hear all through? this (3) fierce abridg

ment

Hath to it circumstantial branches, which

Diftinction fhould be rich in.

you?

-Where? how liv'd

And whence came you to ferve our Roman captive? How parted with your brothers? how firft met them? (4) Why fled you from the court? and whither

Thefe,

And your three motives to the battle, with

I know not how much more, fhould be demanded';
And all the other by dependances

From chance to chance: but not the time, nor place,
Will ferve long interrogatories. See,

Pofthumus anchors upon Imogen;

And the, like harmless lightning, throws her eye
On him, her brothers, me, her mafter; hitting
Each object with a joy. The counter-change
Is fev❜rally in all. Let's quit this ground,
And smoke the temple with our facrifices.
Thou art my brother; fo we'll hold thee ever.

[To Belarius.

(2) When ye were fo, indeed.] The folio gives, When we were fo, indeed.

If this be right, we must read,

Imo. I, you brothers.

Arv. When we were fo, indeed.

(3) fierce abridgment] Fierce is vebement, rapid. (4) Why fled you from the court, and whether thefe ? It must be rectified thus;

Why fled you from the court? and whither? Thefe, &c. TA The King is asking his daughter, how he has lived; why the fled from the court, and to what place: And having enumerated fo many particulars, he ftops fhort.

THEOBALD.

Ima.

Imo. You are my father too, and did relieve me, To fee this gracious feason !

Cym. All o'er joy'd,

Save these in bonds; let them be joyful too,
For they fhall tafte our comfort.

Imo. My good mafter,

I will yet do you fervice.

Luc. Happy be you!

Cym. The forlorn foldier, that fo nobly fought, He would have well become this place, and grac'd The thankings of a King.

Poft. I am, Sir,

The foldier, that did company thefe three,
In poor Befeeming: 'twas a fitment for

The purpose I then follow'd, That I was he,
Speak, Iachimo, I had you down, and might
Have made you finish..

Iach. I am down again:

But now my heavy confcience finks my knee, [Kneels.
As then your force did. Take that life, 'befeech you,.
Which I fo often owe; but, your ring firft;

And here the bracelet of the trueft Princess,
That ever fwore her faith.

Poft. Kneel not to me:

The pow'r, that I have on you, is to fpare you,
The malice tow'rds you, to forgive you.. Live,
And deal with others better!

Cym. Nobly doom'd:

We'll learn our freeness of a fon-in-law

Pardon's the word to all.

As

Arv. You help'd us, Sir,

you did mean, indeed, to be our brother; Joy'd are we, that you are.

Poft. Your fervant, Princes. Good my Lord of
Rome,

Call forth your Soothsayer. As I flept, methought.
Great Jupiter, upon his eagle back'd,

Appear'd to me, with other fprightly fhews.

Of mine own kindred. When I wak'd, I found
This label on my bofom; whofe containing
Is fo from fenfe in hardness, that I can

Make