By tafting of our wrath? How of defcent As good as we ?

Arv. In that he spake too far.

Cym. And thou fhalt die for't.

Bel. We will die all three:

But I will prove, that two of us are as good
As I have given out 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 had'st, great king, a subject, who Was call'd Belarius.

Cym. What of him? he is

A banish'd traitor?

Bel. He it is, that hath

> Affum'd this age: indeed, a banish'd man;

I know not how, a traitor.

Cym. Take him hence;.

The whole world fhall not fave him.

Bel. Not too hot :

First pay me for the nurfing of thy fons;

C

And let it be confifcate all, fo foon

As I have 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 ;

knee:

Then, fpare not the old father. Mighty fir,
These two young gentlemen, that call me father,
And think they are my fons, are none of mine;

a By tafting of]-forcing me to make thee feel the effects of
Affum'd this age :]-this appearance of age.

• confiscate]―forfeited to the use of the public.

They

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 banish'd:

Your pleasure was my mere offence, my punishment
Itself, and all my treason; that I fuffer'd,

These gentle princes

Was all the harm I did.
(For fuch, and fo they are) these twenty years
Have I train'd up: thofe arts they have, as I
Could put into them; my breeding was, fir, as
Your highness knows. Their nurse, Euriphile,
Whom for the theft I wedded, ftole these children
Upon my banishment: I mov'd her to't;
Having receiv'd the punishment before,

e

For that which I did then: Beaten for loyalty
Excited me to treason: Their dear lofs,

The more of you 'twas felt, the more it 'shap'd
Upon my end of ftealing them. But, gracious fir,
Here are your fons again; and I must lose
Two of the sweet'ft companions in the world:
The benediction of these covering heavens
Fall on their heads like dew! for they are worthy
To inlay heaven with stars.

g

Cym. Thou weep'ft, and speak'st.

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.

* my mere offence,]-my offence was folely the effect of your caprice. -my near, dear offence.

Beaten for loyalty]-The ill requital my loyalty met with.

f feap'd-answered.

? Thou weep'ft, and speak'st.]—Thy tears atteft the truth of thy relation.

Bel. Be pleas'd a while.

This gentleman, whom I call Polydore,

Moft worthy prince, as yours, is true Guiderius:
This gentleman, my Cadwal, Arviragus,

Your younger princely fon; he, fir, was lap'd
In a moft curious mantle, wrought by the hand
Of his queen mother, which, for more probation,
I can with ease produce.

Cym. Guiderius had'

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

Bel. This is he;

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

Cym. O, 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 ftarting from your orbs,
You may reign in them now!-O Imogen,
Thou haft loft by this a kingdom.

Imo. No, my lord;

I have got two worlds by't.-O my gentle brothers,
Have we thus met? O never fay hereafter,

But I am trueft fpeaker: you call'd me brother,
When I was but your fifter; I you brothers,

When you were fo indeed.

Cym. Did you e'er meet?

Arv. Ay, my good lord.

Guid. And at first meeting lov'd; Continued fo, until we thought he died. Cor. By the queen's dram fhe fwallow'd. Cym. O rare instinct !

When

When fhall I hear all through? This fierce abridgment
Hath to it circumftantial branches, which

Distinction should be rich in.-Where? how liv'd you?
And when came you to ferve our Roman captive?
How parted with your brothers? how first met them?
Why fled
you from the court? and whither? These,
And your three motives to the battle, with

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

From chance to chance; but nor the time, nor place,
Will ferve our long interrogatories. See,
Pofthumus anchors upon Imogen;

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

[To Belarius. Imo. You are my father too; and did relieve me, To fee this gracious feafon.

Cym. All o'er-joy'd,

Save these in bonds: let them be joyful too,

For they fhall tafte our comfort.

Imo. My good master,

I will yet do you

service.

Luc. Happy be you!

Cym. The forlorn foldier, that fo nobly fought, He would have well becom❜d this place, and grac'd

The thankings of a king.

Poft. I am, fir,

The foldier that did company these three

In poor befeeming; 'twas a fitment for

fierce]-brief, rapid.

S 3

The

The purpose I then follow'd :-That I was he,
Speak, Tachimo; 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.

Which I so often owe:

Take that life, 'befeech you, but, your ring first;

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

Poft. Kneel not to me:

The power that I have on you, is to spare you;
The malice towards 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.

Arv. You holp us, fir,

As 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 foothfayer: As Iflept, methought, Great Jupiter, upon his eagle back'd,

Appear'd to me, with other sprightly fhews

Of mine own kindred: when I wak'd, I found
This label on my bofom; whofe containing

k

Is fo from fenfe in hardnefs, that I can

Make no collection of it: let him fhew
His fkill in the conftruction.

Luc. Philarmonus,

Sooth. Here, my good lord.

Luc. Read, and declare the meaning.

Sprightly fhews]-ghoftly appearances.

i containing, &c.]-contents are fo intricate, that I can draw no in ferences from them-" collection."-HAMLET, A&t IV. S. 5. Hor.

Soothsayer