Luc.

And never false.

Without his top?

Dream often so,

Soft, ho! what trunk is here

The ruin speaks that sometime

It was a worthy building. How! a page!

Or dead, or sleeping on him? But dead rather ;

For nature doth abhor to make his bed

With the defunct, or sleep upon the dead.

Let's see the boy's face.

Cap.

He's alive, my lord.

Luc. He'll then instruct us of this body.

Young one,

Inform us of thy fortunes, for it seems

They crave to be demanded.

Who is this

Thou mak'st thy bloody pillow? Or who was he
That, otherwise than noble nature did,

Hath alter'd that good picture? What's thy in

Alas!

A very valiant Briton and a good,

That here by mountaineers lies slain.

There is no more such masters: I may wander
From east to occident, cry out for service,

Try many, all good, serve truly, never

Find such another master.

Luc.

'Lack, good youth!

Thou mov'st no less with thy complaining than Thy master in bleeding: say his name, good friend.

Imo. Richard du Champ. [Aside] If I do lie and do

No harm by it, though the gods hear, I hope

360

370

364. otherwise than noble nature did, to another figure than that which nature painted.

They'll pardon it.—Say you, sir?

Luc.

Imo.

Thy name?

Fidele, sir.

Luc. Thou dost approve thyself the very same: 380 Thy name well fits thy faith, thy faith thy name. Wilt take thy chance with me?

I will not say

Thou shalt be so well master'd, but, be sure,
No less beloved. The Roman emperor's letters,
Sent by a consul to me, should not sooner

Than thine own worth prefer thee go with me. Imo. I'll follow, sir. But first, an 't please the gods,

I'll hide my master from the flies, as deep

As these poor pickaxes can dig; and when

With wild wood-leaves and weeds I ha' strew'd his

grave,

And on it said a century of prayers,

Such as I can, twice o'er, I'll weep and sigh;

And leaving so his service, follow you,

So please you entertain me.

Luc.

Ay, good youth;

And rather father thee than master thee.

My friends,

The boy hath taught us manly duties: let us
Find out the prettiest daisied plot we can,
And make him with our pikes and partisans
A grave: come, arm him. Boy, he is preferr'd
By thee to us, and he shall be interr'd
As soldiers can. Be cheerful; wipe thine eyes:
Some falls are means the happier to arise.

399. partisans, halberds.
400. arm him, 'take him up

in your arms.'

[Exeunt.

400. preferr'd, committed.

390

400

SCENE III. A room in Cymbeline's palace.

Enter CYMBELINE, Lords, PISANIO, and

Attendants.

Cym. Again; and bring me word how 'tis with

her.

[Exit an Attendant.

A fever with the absence of her son,

A madness, of which her life 's in danger. Heavens, How deeply you at once do touch me!

Imogen,
The great part of my comfort, gone; my queen
Upon a desperate bed, and in a time.

When fearful wars point at me; her son gone,
So needful for this present: it strikes me, past
The hope of comfort. But for thee, fellow,
Who needs must know of her departure and
Dost seem so ignorant, we'll enforce it from thee
By a sharp torture.

Pis.

Sir, my life is yours;

I humbly set it at your will; but, for my mistress,
I nothing know where she remains, why gone,
Nor when she purposes return.

highness,

Hold me your loyal servant.

First Lord.

Beseech your

Good my liege,

The day that she was missing he was here:
I dare be bound he's true and shall perform
All parts of his subjection loyally. For Cloten,
There wants no diligence in seeking him,
And will, no doubt, be found.

Cym.

The time is troublesome.

[To Pisanio] We'll slip you for a season; but our

jealousy

Does yet depend.

23. depend, hangs over you.

10

20

First Lord.

So please your majesty, The Roman legions, all from Gallia drawn, Are landed on your coast, with a supply Of Roman gentlemen, by the senate sent.

Cym. Now for the counsel of my son and queen!

I am amazed with matter.

First Lord.

Good my liege,

Your preparation can affront no less

Than what you hear of: come more, for more

you're ready:

The want is but to put those powers in motion

That long to move.

Let's withdraw;

Cym.
I thank you.
And meet the time as it seeks us.
What can from Italy annoy us; but
We grieve at chances here. Away!

We fear not

[Exeunt all but Pisanio.

Pis. I heard no letter from my master since I wrote him Imogen was slain: 'tis strange : Nor hear I from my mistress, who did promise To yield me often tidings; neither know I What is betid to Cloten; but remain

Perplex'd in all.

The heavens still must work. Wherein I am false I am honest; not true, to be

true.

These present wars shall find I love my country,
Even to the note o' the king, or I'll fall in them.
All other doubts, by time let them be clear'd:
Fortune brings in some boats that are not steer'd.
[Exit.

28. amazed with matter, con-
fused with the throng of affairs.
29. affront, encounter.
36. heard no letter; a kind
of mixture of the two expres-
sions : 'heard no news' and

30

40

'had no letter.' Several of the older editions substitute' have had no letter.'

44. Even to the note o' the king, so that even the king

learns it.

SCENE IV. Wales: before the cave of Belarius.

Enter BELARIUS, GUIDERIUS, and ARVIRAGUS.

Gui. The noise is round about us.

Bel.

Let us from it.

Arv. What pleasure, sir, find we in life, to lock it

From action and adventure?

Gui.

Nay, what hope

Have we in hiding us? This way, the Romans

Must or for Britons slay us, or receive us
For barbarous and unnatural revolts

During their use, and slay us after.

Sons,

Bel. We'll higher to the mountains; there secure us. To the king's party there's no going: newness Of Cloten's death-we being not known, not muster'd

Among the bands-may drive us to a render Where we have lived, and so extort from 's that Which we have done, whose answer would be

That when they hear the Roman horses neigh,
Behold their quarter'd fires, have both their eyes
And ears so cloy'd importantly as now,

6. revolts, rebels.

7. During their use, (receive us) so long as they can make use of us.

11. render, report.

ΤΟ