Jach. Either your unparagon'd mistress is dead, or fhe's out-priz'd by a trifle.

Poft. You are. miftaken; the one may be fold or given, if there were wealth enough for the purchase, or merit for the gift. The other is not a thing for fale, and only the gift of the Gods.

Jach. Which the Gods have given you:

Poft. Which, by their graces, I will keep.

Iach. You may wear her in title yours; but, you know, ftrange fowl light upon neighbouring ponds. Your ring may be ftoll'n too; fo, of your brace of unprizable eftimations, the one is but frail and the other cafual. A cunning thief, or a that-way accomplish'd courtier, would hazard the winning both of firft and' laft.

Poft. Your Italy contains none fo accomplish'd a courtier to convince the honour of my mistress; if in the holding (or lofs of that, you term her frail, I do' nothing doubt, you have store of thieves, notwithstanding I fear not my ring.

Phil. Let us leave here, Gentlemen.

1

Poft. Sir, with all my heart! This worthy Signior, I thank him, makes no ftranger of me; we are familar at first.

Iach. With five times fo much converfation, I should get ground of your fair mistrefs; make her go back, even to the yielding: had I admittance, and opportunity to friend.

Poft. No no.

Iach. I dare thereupon pawn the moiety of my eftate to your ring, which, in my opinion, o'er-values it fomething but I make my wager rather against your confidence, than her reputation: And to bar your offence herein too, I durft attempt it against any Lady in the world.

Poft. You are a great deal abus'd in too bold a perfuafion; and, I doubt not, you'd fuftain what you're worthy of, by your attempt.

1

Iach. What's that?

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

L

Phil.

too

Phil. Gentlemen, enough of this; it came 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 bour's, on th' approbation of what I have spoke. Poft. What Lady would you chufe to affail?

Iach. Yours; who in conftancy, you think, ftands 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 referv'd.

Poft. I will wage against your gold, gold to it: (4) my ring I hold dear as my finger, 'tis part of it.

Tach. You are afraid, and therein the wifer; if you buy ladies' flesh 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 cuftom in your tongue; you bear a graver purpofe, I hope.

Iach. I am the mafter of my fpeeches, and would undergo what's fpoken, I fwear.

Poft. Will you ? I fhall but lend my diamond 'till your return; let there be covenants drawn between us. My miftrefs 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.

of (4)

my Ring I hold dear as my Finger, 'tis pare

Iach.] You are a Friend, and therein the wifer.] I am fure, Iachimo talks like none of the wifeft, in this kind of Reasoning. But what Ideas, in the Name of Nonfenfe, 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 wiser.

What Iachimo fays, in the Clofe of his Speech, determines this to have been our Poet's Reading.

But, I fee, you have fome Religion in you, that you fear.

lach. By the Gods it is one. If I bring you not fufficient teftimony that I have enjoy'd 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 fuch 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 underftand you have prevail'd, I am no further your enemy, she is not worth our debate. If the remain unfeduc'd, you not making it appear otherwife; for your ill opinion, and th' affault you have made to her chastity, you fhall anfwer me with your fword.

Iach. Your hand, a covenant; we will have thefe things fet down by lawful counfel, and ftraight away for Britaine, left the bargain fhould catch cold, and starve. 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 Britaine.

Enter Queen, Ladies, and Cornelius with a Phial.

Hile
Hile yet the dew's on ground, gather

Queen. W

thofe flowers:

Make hafte.-Who has the note of them?

1 Lady. 1, Madam.

Queen. Difpatch.

[Exeunt Ladies.

Now, mafter Doctor, you have 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

Which are the movers of a languishing death;
But, though flow, deadly.

Queen. I do wonder, Doctor,

Thou afk'ft me fuch a queftion; have I not been
Thy pupil long? haft thou not learn'd 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 think'ft me dev'lifh,) is't not meet
That I did amplify my judgment in

Other conclufions? I will try the forces
Of these thy compounds on fuch creatures as
We count not worth the hanging, (but none 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 your heart;
Befides, the feeing these effects will be

Both noifome and infectious.

Queen. O, content thee.

Enter Pifanio.

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

Cor. I do fufpe&t you, Madam:

But

you fhall do no harm.

Queen. Hark thee, a word.

[Afide.

Afide.

[To Pifanio.

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

Strange ling'ring poifons; I do know her fpirit,
And will not truft one of her malice with

A drug of fuch damn'd nature. Thofe, he has,
Will ftupify and dull the fenfe a while;

Which firft, perchance, the'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,

Το

To be more fresh, reviving. She is fool'd
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't thou dost thou think,

in time

She will not quench, and let inftructions enter
Where folly now poffeffes? de thou work;
When thou shalt bring me word fhe loves my ion,
I'll tell thee on the inftant, thou art then
As great as is thy mafter; greater; for
His fortunes all lie 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 tak'ft up

[Pifanio looking on the Phial.
Thou know'ft not what; but take it for thy labour;
It is a thing I make, which hath the King
Five times redeem'd 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 ftands with her; do't, as from thyfelf:
(5) Think, what a change thou chanceft on; but think ;--
Thou haft thy miftrefs ftill; to boot, my

(5) Think what a Chance thou chanceft on;

fon ;

Who

-] 1 hardly think, our Author would have exprefs'd himself thus badly, on no Neceffity. Both the old Folio's read,

Think what a Chance thou changest on,

But I fufpect, there is ftill a flight Error made by the first Tranfcriber. I imagine the Poet wrote;

...VOL. VII.

K

Think