Arv. One sand another | And, not dispraising whom he prais'd (therein Not more resembles: That sweet rosy lad, Bel. Peace, peace! see further; he eyes us not; Creatures may be alike: were't he, I am sure Gui. But we saw him dead. It is my mistress: Since she is living, let the time run on, [Cymbeline and Imogen come forward. Give answer to this boy, and do it freely; Imo. My boon is, that this gentlemen may render [Aside. Cym. That diamond upon your finger, say, Iach. Thou'lt torture me to leave unspoken that How! me? Iach. I am glad to be constrain'd to utter that which Torments me to conceal. By villany I got this ring; 'twas Leonatus' jewel: His mistress' picture; which by his tongue being made, Cym. And then a mind put in't, either our brags In suit the place of his bed, and win this ring Whom thou didst banish; and (which more may But think her bond of chastity quite crack'd, grieve thee, As it doth me,) a nobler sir ne'er liv'd "Twixt sky and ground. Wilt thou hear more, my Cym. All that belongs to this. I had rather thou should'st live while nature will, For beauty that made barren the swell'd boast Loves woman for; besides, that hook of wiving, Come to the matter. lach. I stand on fire: All too soon I shall, Unless thou would'st grieve quickly.-This Pos thúmus (Most like a noble lord in love, and one That had a royal lover,) took his hint; (1) Sink into dejection. I having ta'en the forfeit. Whereupon,- Post. Ay, so thou dost, That all the abhorred things o'the earth amend, Imo. O gods! I left out one thing which the queen confess'd, A certain stuff, which, being ta'en, would cease Do their due functions.-Have you ta'en of it? There was our error. Gui. My boys, This is sure, Fidele. Imo. Why did you throw your wedded from you? Think, that you are upon a rock; and now Throw me again. Post. We will die all three : But I will prove, that two of us are as good lady As I have given out him.-My sons, I must, For mine own part, unfold a dangerous speech, Though, haply, well for you. [Embracing him. Hang there like fruit, my soul, How now, my flesh, my child? What, mak'st thou me a dullard in this act? Wilt thou not speak to me? Imo. Your blessing, sir. [Kneeling. Bel. Though you did love this youth, I blame ye Arv. Ours. Gui. And our good his. Bel. Your danger is Have at it then. He it is that hath indeed, a banish'd man ;` Assum'd this age: Take him hence; Not too hot: First pay me for the nursing of thy sons; Cym. Cym. How! my issue? Bel. So sure as you your father's. I, old Morgan, Am that Belarius whom you sometime banish'd: Your pleasure was my mere offence, my punishment Itself, and all my treason; that I suffer'd, Was all the harm I did. These gentle princes (For such, and so they are,) these twenty years Have I train'd up: those arts they have, as I Could put into them; my breeding was, sir, 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; Having receiv'd the punishment before, For that which I did then: Beaten for loyalty Cym. A pair of worthier sons. Bel. Be pleas'd a while.This gentleman, whom I call Polydore, Most worthy prince, as yours, is true Guiderius; This gentleman, my Cadwal, Arvirágus, Your younger princely son; he, sir, was lapp'd In a most curious mantle, wrought by the hand Of his queen mother, which, for more probation, I can with ease produce. Guiderius had Cym. Upon his neck a mole, a sanguine star; It was a mark of wonder. Bel. This is he; Who hath upon him still that natural stamp: Cym. O, what am I Hath to it circumstantial branches, which Distinction should be rich in.2-Where? how liv'd you? And when came you to serve our Roman captive? How parted with your brothers? how first met them ? Why fled you from the court? and whither? These, And she, like harmless lightning, throws her eye The power that I have on you, is to spare you; Arv. Nobly doom'd: You holp us, sir, As you did mean indeed to be our brother: Post. Your servant, princes.-Good my lord of Call forth your soothsayer: As I slept, methought, Appear'd to me, with other spritely shows Luc. Sooth. Here, my good lord. Luc. Philarmonus, Read, and declare the meaning. Sooth. [Reads.] When as a lion's whelp shall, to himself unknown, without seeking, find, and be embraced by a piece of tender air: and when from a stately cedar shall be lopped branches, which, being dead many years, shall after revive, be jointed to the old stock, and freshly grow; then shall Posthumus end his miseries, Britain be fortunate, and flourish in peace and plenty. Thou, Leonatus, art the lion's whelp; The fit and apt construction of thy name, Being Leo-natus, doth import so much : The piece of tenuer air, thy virtuous daughter, [To Cymbeline. Which we call mollis aer; and mollis aer Cym. (3) Ghostly appearances. (4) Embrace. Well, Cym. My peace we will begin :-And, Caius Lucius, Although the victor, we submit to Cæsar, And to the Roman empire; promising To pay our wonted tribute, from the which We were dissuaded by our wicked queen; Whom heavens, in justice (both on her and hers,) Have laid most heavy hand. Sooth. The fingers of the powers above do tune The harmony of this peace. The vision Which I made known to Lucius, ere the stroke Of this yet scarce-cold battle, at this instant Is full accomplish'd: For the Roman eagle, From south to west on wing soaring aloft, Lessen'd herself, and in the beams o'the sun So vanish'd: which foreshow'd our princely eagle, The imperial Cæsar, should again unite His favour with the radiant Cymbeline, Which shines here in the west. Cym. Laud we the gods And let our crooked smokes climb to their nostrils; From our blessed altars! Publish we this peace To all our subjects. Set we forward: Let A Roman and a British ensign wave Friendly together: So through Lud's town march: Our peace we'll ratify; seal it with feasts.- This play has many just sentiments, some natural dialogues, and some pleasing scenes, but they are obtained at the expense of much incongruity. To remark the folly of the fiction, the absurdity of the conduct, the confusion of the names and manners of different times, and the impossibility of the events in any system of life, were to waste criticism upon unresisting imbecility, upon faults too evident for detection, and too gross for aggravation. JOHNSON. Lavinia. Aaron, a Moor, beloved by Tamora. Titus Andronicus, a noble Roman, general against A Captain, Tribune, Messenger, and Clown; the Goths. Romans. Goths, and Romans. Tamora, Queen of the Goths. Lavinia, daughter to Titus Andronicus. A Nurse, and a black Child. Kinsmen of Titus, Senators, Tribunes, Officers, Soldiers, and Attendants. Scene, Rome; and the country near it. ACT I. SCENE I-Rome. Before the Capitol. The tomb of the Andronici appearing; the Tribunes and Senators aloft, as in the senate. Enter, below, Saturninus and his Followers, on one side; and Bassianus and his Followers, on the other; with drum and colours. Saturninus. NOBLE patricians, patrons of my right, If ever Bassianus, Cæsar's son, Enter Marcus Andronicus aloft, with the crown. Lives not this day within the city walls: And now at last, laden with honour's spoils, Mar. Princes that strive by factions, and by friends, Ambitiously for rule and empery,— Sat. How fair the tribune speaks to calm my thoughts! Bas. Marcus Andronicus, so I do affy In thy uprightness and integrity, And so I love and honour thee and thine, Thy nobler brother Titus, and his sons, And her to whom my thoughts are humbled all, Gracious Lavinia, Rome's rich ornament, That I will here dismiss my loving friends; And to my fortunes, and the people's favour, Commit my cause in balance to be weigh'd.'" [Exeunt the Followers of Bassianus. Sat. Friends, that have been thus forward in my right, thank you all, and here dismiss you all; I Know, that the people of Rome, for whom we And to the love and favour of my country stand A special party, have, by their comon voice, For many good and great deserts to Rome; (1) i. e. Title to the succession. (2) Summoned. Commit myself, my person, and the cause. [Exeunt the Followers of Saturninus. Rome, be as just and gracious unto me, Bas. Tribunes! and me, a poor competitor. |