Poft. A repulfe; though your attempt, as you call it, deferves more; a punishment too.

Phil. Gentlemen, enough of this; it came in too fuddenly, let it die as it was born; and I pray you be better acquainted.

Iach. 'Would I had put my eftate and my neigh bours on th' approbation of what I have spoke. Poft. What lady would you chuse to affail?

lach. Yours, who in constancy you think stands fo fafe. I will lay you ten thousand ducats to your ring, that, commend me to the court where your Lady is, with no more advantage than the opportunity of a fecond conference, I will bring from thence that honour of hers which you imagine fo referved.

Poft. I will wage against your gold, gold to it: (7) my ring I hold dear as my finger, 'tis part of it.

Tach. You are afraid, and therein the wifer; if you buy ladies fleth at a million a dram, you cannot preferve it from tainting. But I fee you have fome religion in you, that you fear.

Poft. This is but a custom in your tongue; you bear a graver purpose I hope.

lach. I am the master of my speeches, and would undergo what's fpoken, I fwear.

(7) Poft. ger, 'tis part of it.

my ring I hold dear as my fin

Iach. You are a friend, and therein the wifer.] I am fure, Jachimo talks like none of the wifeft, in this kind of reafoning. But what ideas, in the name of nonsense, could the editors entertain of Pofthumus being a friend, because he would not venture to wager his ring? I correct, with certainty;

You are afraid, and therein the wifer. What Iachimo fays, in the clofe of his fpeech, determines this to have been our Poet's reading.

But I fee you have fome religion in you, that you fear. VOL. X.

T

Peft. Will you? I fhall but lend my diamond till your return; let there be covenants drawn between us. My mistress exceeds in goodness the hugenefs of your unworthy thinking. I dare you to this match; here's my ring.

Phil. I will have it no lay. Iach. By the Gods, it is one. If I bring you not fufficient teftimony that I have enjoyed the dearest bodily part of your mistress, my ten thousand ducats are yours; fo is your diamond too: if I come off, and leave her in such honour as you have trust in, fhe your jewel, this your jewel, and my gold are yours; provided I have your commendation for my more free entertainment.

Poft. I embrace these conditions; let us have articles betwixt us; only thus far you fhall anfwer, if you make your voyage upon her, and give me directly to understand you have prevailed, I am no further your enemy, fhe is not worth our debate. If fhe remain unfeduced, you not making it appear otherwife; for your ill opinion, and th' affault you have made to her chastity, you shall answer me with your fword.

Iach. Your hand, a covenant; we will have thefe things fet down by lawful council, and ftraight away for Britain, left the bargain fhould catch cold and ftarve. I will fetch my gold, and have our two wagers recorded,

Poft. Agreed.

[Exeunt Pofth. and Iachimo. French. Will this hold, think you?

Phil. Signior Iachimo will not from it.

Pray let us follow 'em.

[Exeunt.

SCENE changes to Cymbeline's Palace in Britain.
Enter Queen, Ladies, and CORNELIUS with a Phia!.
Queen. While yet the dew's on ground, gather
thofe flowers :

Make hafte, Who has the note of them?

1 Lady. I, Madam.

Queen. Dispatch.

[Exeunt Ladies, Now, Mr Doctor, have you brought thofe drugs? Cor. Pleaseth your Highness, ay, here they are, Madam;

But I beseech your Grace, without offence,

(My confcience bids me afk) wherefore you have
Commanded of me these most pois'nous compounds?
Which are the movers of a languishing death;
But though flow, deadly.

Queen. I do wonder, Doctor,

Thou afkeft me fuch a queftion; have I not been
Thy pupil long? haft thou not learned me how
To make perfumes? diftil? preferve? yea, fo,
That our great King himself doth woo me oft
For my confections? having thus far proceeded,
(Unless thou thinkeft me devilifh) is't not meet,
That I did amplify my judgment in

Other conclufions? I will try the forces
Of thefe thy compounds on fuch creatures as
We count not worth the hanging, (but not human;)
To try the vigour of them, and apply

Allayments to their act; and by them gather
Their fev'ral virtues and effects.

Cor. Your Highness

Shall from this practice but make hard

Befides, the feeing these effects will be
Both noisome and infectious.

Queen. O, content thee.

your heart;

Enter PISANIO.

Here comes a flattering rafcal; upon him [Afide.
Will I first work; he's for his master's fake
An enemy to my fon. How now, Pifanio?
Doctor, your service for this time is ended;
Take your own way.

Cor. I do fufpect you, Madam;

But you fhall do no harm.

Queen. Hark thee, a word.

[Afide:

[To Pifanio.

Cor. I do not like her. She doth think fhe has

Strange ling'ring poisons; I do know her spirit,
And will not trust one of her malice with

A drug of fuch damned nature.

Thofe fhe has, Will ftupify and dull the fenfe a while;

Which first, perchance, fhe'll prove on cats and dogs,
Then afterwards up higher; but there is
No danger in what fhew of death it makes,
More than the locking up the fpirits a time,
To be more fresh, reviving. She is fooled
With a moft falfe effect; and I the truer,
So to be falfe with her.

Queen. No further fervice, Doctor,

Until I fend for thee.

Cor. I humbly take my leave.

[Exit.

Queen. Weeps fhe ftill, fay'ft thou? doft thou

think in time

She will not quench, and let instructions enter
Where folly now poffeffes? do thou work;
When thou shalt bring me word fhe loves my fon,
I'll tell thee on the inftant, thou art then
As great as is thy mafter; greater; for
His fortunes all ly fpeechlefs, and his name
Is at laft gafp. Return he cannot, nor
Continue where he is: to fhift his being,
Is to exchange one mifery with another;

And every day that comes, comes to decay
A day's work in him. What fhalt thou expect,
To be depender on a thing that leans?

Who cannot be new built, and has no friends,
So much as but to prop him?---Thou takeft up

[Pifanio looking on the Phial.
Thou knoweft not what; but take it for thy labour;
It is a thing I make, which hath the King
Five times redeemed from death; I do not know.
What is more cordial. Nay, I pr'ythee, take it;
It is an earnest of a farther good

That I mean to thee. Tell thy mistress how The cafe stands with her; do't as from thyfelf: (8) Think what a change thou chanceft on; but think;-----

Thou hast thy miftress still; to boot, my fon;
Who fhall take notice of thee. I'll move the King
To any thape of thy preferment, fuch

As thou'lt defire; and then myself I chiefly,
That fet thee on to this defert, am bound
To load thy merit richly. Call my women.-

[Exit Pifanio.
Think on my words ---A fly and conftant knave,
Not to be flaked; the agent for his master;
And the remembrancer of her to hold

The hand fast to her Lord.----I've given him that Which if he take, fhall quite unpeople her

(8) Think what a chance thou chanceft on, I hardly think our Author would have expreffed himself thus badly, on no neceflity. Both the old Folics read,

Think what a chance thou changelt on.

But I fufpect there is ftill a flight error made by the first tranfcriber. I imagine the Poet wrote;

'Think what a change thou chanceft on,

i. e. if you will fall into my measures, do but think how you will chance to change your fortunes for the better, in the confequences that will attend your compliance.