-Damn'd

paper

!

That I have fent her, by her own command
Shall give thee opportunity.
Black as the ink that's on thee: fenfelefs bauble!
Art thou à fœdarie for this act, and look'st
So virgin-like without? Lo, here she comes.

Enter Imogen.

I'm ignorant in what I am commanded.
Imo. How now, Pifanio?

-yet not,

Pif. Madam, here is a letter from my Lord. Imo. Who! thy Lord? that is my Lord Leonatus. (1) Oh, learn'd, indeed, were that aftrologer, That knew the ftars, as I his characters: He'd lay the Future open.- -You good Gods, Let what is here contain'd relish of love, Of my Lord's health, of his content: That we two are afunder ;- -let that grieve him! Some griefs are medicinable; that is one of them, (2) For it doth phyfick love;-of his content, All but in that. Good wax, thy leave. (3) Bleft be You bees, that make thefe locks of counfel! Lovers, And men in dang'rous bonds, pray not alike. Though forfeitures you caft in prifon, yet

You clasp young Cupid's tables. Good news, Gods!

N 4

[Read

(1) Oh, learn'd, indeed, were that aftrologer, &c.] This was a very natural thought. She must needs be fuppofed, in her circumftances, to be extremely folicitous about the fu.ure; and defirous of coming to it by the affiftance of that fuperftition.

WARBURTON.

(2) For it doth phyfick love;] That is, grief for abfence, keeps love in health and vigour.

(3)

-Bleft be

You bees, that make thefe locks of counfel! Lovers,
And men in dangerous bonds, pray not alike.

Though forfeitures you caft in prifon, yet

You clafp young Cupid's tables.] Here feems to be fome corruption. Opening the letter fhe gives a benediction to the bees, with whofe wax it was fealed, then makes a reflection, the bee's have no fuch grateful remembrance from men who have fealed bonds which put their liberty in danger, and are fent to prifon

Sif

JUSTI

[Reading. CUSTICE, and your father's wrath, fhould he take me in his Dominion, could not be fo cruel to me; but you, oh the dearest of creatures, would even renew me with your eyes. Take notice, that I am in Cambria, at Milford-Haven: what your own love will out of this advife you, follow. So, he wishes you all happiness, that remains (4) loyal to his vow, and your increafing in love; Leonatus Pofthumus.

Oh, for a horfe with wings! Hear'ft thou, Pifanio?
He is at Milford-Haven. Read, and tell me
How far 'tis thither. If one of mean affairs
May plod it in a week, why may not I
Glide thither in a day? Then, true Pifanio,
Who long't like me to fee thy Lord; who long'ft,-
O let me bate-but not like me-yet long'ft-
But in a fainter kind-oh, not like me;

For mine's beyond, beyond-Say, and fpeak thick,
Love's counfellor fhould fill the bores of Hearing
To' th' fimoth'ring of the Senfehow far it is
To this fame bleffed Milford: and, by th' way,
Tell me how Wales was made fo happy, as
T'inherit fuch a haven. But, first of all,
How may we fteal from hence? and for the gap
That we shall make in time, from our hence going
'Till our return, t'excufe-but firft, how get hence ?
Why fhould excufe be born, or ere begot?
We'll talk of that hereafter. Pr'ythee, fpeak,
How many score of miles may we well ride
'Twixt hour and hour?

Pif. One score 'twixt fun and fun,

Madam, 's enough for you and too much too.

Imo. Why, one that rode to 's execution, man, Could never go fo flow. I've heard of riding wagers,

if they forfeit; but wax is not made terrible to lovers, by its effect on debtors. I read therefore,

Though forfeitures them caft in prison, yet

We clafp young Cupid's tables.

You and ym. are, in the old angular hand, much alike.

(4) loyal to his vow, and your increafing in love ;] I read, Loy-. al to his vow and you; increafing in love.

Where

Where horfes have been nimbler than the fands (5) That run i' th' clock's behalf. But this is fool'ry. Go, bid my woman feign a fickness; say,

She'll home t' her father: and provide me, prefently A riding fuit; no coftlier than would fit (6) A Franklin's housewife.

Pif. Madam, you'd beft confider.

Imo. (7) I fee before me, man, nor here, nor here, Nor what enfues, but have a fog in them. That I cannot look thro'. Away, I pr'ythee, Do as I bid thee; there's no more to say; Acceffible is none but Milford way.

SCENE III.

[Exeunt.

Changes to a Foreft with a Cave, in Wales.

Enter Belarius, Guiderius, and Arviragus.

Bel. A Goodly day! not to keep houfe, with fuch

Whofe roof's as low as ours. See, boys!

this gate

(5) That run i' th' clock's behalf.

This fantastical expreffion means no more than fand in an hour-glafs, used to meafure time. WARBURTON.

(6) A Franklin's housewife.] A Franklin is literally a freebolder, with a fmall eftate, neither villain nor vaffal.

(7) I fee before me, man, nor here, nor here,

Nor what enfues; but have a fog in them,

That I cannot look thro.'

Where is the fubftantive, to which this relative plural, them, can poffibly have any reference? There is none; and the fenfe, as well as grammar, is defective. I have ventur'd to reftore, against the authority of the printed copies,

but have a fog in ken,

That I cannot look thro.'

Imogen would fay, "Don't talk of confidering, man ; I neither "fee prefent events, nor confequences; but am in a mift of "fortune, and refolv'd to proceed on the project determin'd.” In ken, means, in profpect, within fight, before my eyes.

I fee before me, man: nor bere nor there,
Nor what enfues, BUT have a fog in them,
That I cannot look thro".-

THEOBALD'.

Shakespeare

Inftru&ts you how t'adore the heav'ns; and bows you
To morning's holy office. Gates of monarchs
Are arch'd fo high, that Giants may jet through
And keep (8) their impious Turbants on, without
Good-morrow to the Sun. Hail, thou fair heav'n !
We houfe i' th' rock, yet ufe thee not fo hardly
As prouder livers do.

Guid. Hail, heaven!

Arv. Hail heaven!

Confider,

Bel. Now for our mountain fport, up to yond hill.
Your legs are young: I'll tread thefe flats.
When you, above, perceive me like a crow,
That it is place which leffens and fets off.
And you may then revolve what tales I told you,
Of Courts, of Princes, of the tricks in war,
(9) This fervice is not fervice, fo being done,
But being fo allow'd. To apprehend thus,
Draws us a profit from all things we fee:
And often, to our comfort, fhall we find
The fharded beetle in a fafer hold,

Than is the full-wing'd eagle. Oh, this life
Is nobler than attending for a check;

Shakespeare fays the can fee before her, yet on which fide foever fhe looks there is a fog which fhe cannot fee thro.' This nonfenfe is occafioned by the corrupt reading of, BUT, have a fog, for, THAT have a fog; and then all is plain. I fee before me, (fays. fhe) for there is no fog on any fide of me which I cannot fee thro.' Mr. Theobald objects to a fog in them, and afks for the fubftantive to which the relative plural [THEM] relates. The fubftantive is places, implied in the words here, there, and what enfues: for not to know that Shakespeare perpetually takes thefe liberties of grammar, is knowing nothing of his author. So that there is no need for this ftrange stuff of a Fog in Ken. WARBUR

This paffage may, in my opinion, be very easily understood, without any emendation. The lady fays, can fee neither one way nor other, before me nor behind me, but all the ways are covered with an impenetrable fog. There are objections infuperable to all that I can propofe, and fince reafon can give me no counfel, I will refolve at once to follow my inclination.

(8)-their impious Turbants on,] The idea of a giant was, among the readers of romances, who were almoft all the readers of thofe times, always confounded with that of a Saracen.

(9) This fervice is not fervice, &c.] Ia war it is not fufficient to do duty well; the advantage rifes not from the act, but the acceptance of the act.

Richer,

Richer, (1) than doing nothing for a bauble;
Prouder, than rustling in unpaid-for filk:

Such gain the cap of him, that makes them fine,
Yet keeps his book uncrofs'd. No life to ours.
Guid. Out of your proof you fpeak; we, poor,
unfledg'd,

Have never wing'd from view o' th' neft; nor know not
What air's from home. Haply, this life is best,
If quiet life is beft; fweeter to you,

That have a fharper known; well correfponding
With your ftiff age; but unto us, it is
A cell of ign'rance; travelling a-bed;
A prifon, for a debtor that not dares
(2) To ftride a limit.

Arv. (3) What should we fpeak of,

When we are old as you? when we shall hear
The rain and wind beat dark December? how,
In this our pinching Cave, fhall we difcourfe
The freezing hours away? We have feen nothing;
We're beaftly; fubtle as the fox for prey,
Like warlike as the wolf, for what we eat;
Our valour is to chafe what flies; our cage
We make a quire, as doth the prifon'd bird,
And fing our bondage freely.

Bel. How you fpeak!

Did you but know the city's ufuries,

And felt them knowingly; the art o' th' Court,
As hard to leave, as keep, whofe top to climb,

(1)- than doing nothing for a bauble ;] i. e. vain titles. of honour gained by an idle attendance at court. But the OxWARBUR ford Editor reads, for a bribe.

The Oxford Editor knew the reafon of the al eration, though his cenfurer knew it not. The old edition reads,

Richer, than doing nothing for a babe.

Of babe, fome corrector made bauble; and Hanmer thought him felf equally authorised to make bribe. I think babe cannot be right.

(2) To fride a limit.] To overpafs his bound.

(3) What should we speak of,] This dread of an old age, unfupplied with matter for difcourfe and meditation, is a fentiment natural and noble. No ftate can be more. deftitate than that of him who, when the delights of fenfe forfake him, has no pleasures of the mind.

Is