I'll give no wound to thee. Therefore, good heavens,
Hear patiently my purpose: I'll disrobe me
Of thefe Italian weeds, and suit myself
As does a Briton peasant: so I'll fight
Against the part I come with ; so I'll die
For thee, O Imogen, even for whom my life
Is, every breath, a death: and thus, unknown,
Pity'd nor hated, to the face of peril
Myself I'll dedicate. Let me make men know
More valour in me than my habits show.
Gods, put the strength o' the Leonati in me!
To shame "the guise o' the world, I will begin
The fashion, less without, and more within. [Exit.

Enter Lucius, Iachimo, and the Roman army at one door ;

and the British army at another; Leonatus Posthumus following it like a poor foldier. They marcb over, and go out. Then enter again in skirmis Iachimo and Pofthumus: be vanquisbeth and disarmeth Iachimo, and then leaves him.

Iacb. The heaviness, and guilt, within my bosom
Takes off my manhood : I have bely'd a lady,
The princess of this country, and the air on't
Revengingly enfeebles rre; Or could this carle,
A very drudge of nature's, have subdu'd me,
In

my profession? Knighthoods and honours, borne
As I wear mine, are titles but of scorn.
If that thy gentry, Britain, go before
This lout, as he exceeds our lords, the odds
Is, that we scarce are men, and you are gods. [Exit.

> tbe guife]-the custom, practice.

garle, ]-cburl-clown, ruftic, boor,

The

The battle continues; the Britons fly; Cymbeline is taken:

then enter to bis rescue, Belarius, Guiderius, and Arviragus. Bel. Stand, stand! We have the advantage of the

ground;
The lane is guarded: nothing routs us, but
The villainy of our fears.

Guid. Arv. Stand, stand, and fight!
Enter Posthumus, and seconds the Britons. They rescue Cym-

beline, and Exeunt.
Tben, enter Lucius, Iacbimo, and Imogen.
Luc. Away, boy, from the troops, and save thyself:
For friends kill friends, and the disorder's such
As war were hood-wink'd.

Jach. 'Tis their fresh supplies.

Luc. It is a day turn'd strangely: Or betimes Let's re-inforce, or Ay.

(Exeunt.

Another Part of the Field.

Enter Posthumus, and a British Lord.
Lord. Cam'st thou from where they made the stand ?

Poft. I did :
Though you, it seems, come from the Aiers.

Lord. I did.

Poft. No blame be to you, fir; for all was lost,
But that the heavens fought: The king himself
pOf his wings destitute, the army broken,
And but the backs of Britons seen, all flying

p Of kis wings defiitute, )-Could not escape.

Through

Through a strait lane ; the enemy full-hearted,
Lolling the tongue with Naughtering, having work
More plentiful than tools to do’t, struck down
Some mortally, some Nightly touch'd, some falling
Merely through fear; that the strait pass was 9 damm'd
With dead men, hurt behind, and cowards living
To die with lengthen'd shame.

Lord. Where was this lane ?

Poft. Close by the battle, ditch'd, and wall'd with turf; Which gave advantage to an ancient soldier,An honest one, I warrant; who deserv'd So long'a breeding, as his white beard came to, In doing this for his country ;-* athwart the lane, He, with two striplings, (lads more like ' to run The country base, than to comınit such Naughter; With faces fit for masks, or rather fairer Than those for preservation cas’d, or shame) Made good the passage ; cry’d to those that ied, Our Britain's barts die flying, not our men : To darkness fleet, souls that fly backwards ! Stand; Or we are Romans, and will give you

that Like beasts, which you shun beastly; and may save, But to look back in frown: ftand, stand.—These three, Three thousand confident, in act as many, (For three performers are the file, when all The rest do nothing) with this word, stand, stand, Accommodated by the place, more charming With their own nobleness, (which could have turn'd A distaff to a lance) gilded pale looks, Part, shame, part, spirit renew’d; that some, turn'd coward 4 damm'd]-closed up. ' a breeding, ]—a life, a time to live again.

atbwart tbe lane,]-ihrowing himself across the lane. ! to run the country base,]-to play at prison base.

Two GENTLEMEN OF VERONA, Vol. I. p. 96. Luc. confident,)-in boldness.

But

But by example (o, a fin in war, ,
Damn'd in the first beginners !) 'gan to look
The way that they did, and to grin like lions
Upon the pikes o'the hunters. Then began
A stop i' the chaser, a retire ; anon,
A rout, confusion thick : Forthwith, they fly
Chickens, the way which they stoop'd eagles ; Naves,
The strides they victors made: And now our cowards,
(Like fragments in hard

in hard voyages, became
The life o' the need) having found the back-door open
Of the unguarded hearts, Heavens, how they wound !
Some, flain before ; fome, dying ; some, their friends
O'er-borne i' the former wave : ten, chac'd by one,
Are now each one the Naughter-man of twenty:
Those, that would die or ere resist, are grown
The mortal * bugs o'the field.

Lord. This was strange chance :
A narrow lane! an old man, and two boys !

Pot. Nay, do not wonder at it : You are made
Rather to wonder at the things you hear,
Than to work any. Will you rhime upon't,
And vent it for a mockery? Here is one :
Two boys, an old man twice a boy, a lane,
Preserv'd the Britons, was the Romans' bane.

Lord. Nay, be not angry, sir.

Poft. 'Lack, to what end?
Who dares not stand his foe, I'll be his friend :
For if he'll do, as he is made to do,
I know, he'll quickly fy my friendship too.
You have put me into rhime.

" the back-door open]—the Romans with their back towards them. s bugs]-terrors.

fear boys with bugs."

TAMING OF THE Shrew, Vol. II. p. 299. ? You are made )--and yet you may, fince you seem to be made do but wonder.

Per.

Lord.

Lord. Farewell; you are angry.

[Exit. Poft. Still going ?- This is a lord ! O noble misery! To be i' the field, and ask, what news, of me! To-day, how many would have given their honours To have sav'd their carcasses ? took heel to do't, And yet died too? I, in mine own woe ? charm’d, Could not find death, where I did hear him groan ; Nor feel him, where he struck: Being an ugly monster, 'Tis strange, he hides him in fresh cups, foft beds, Sweet words; or hath more ministers than we That draw his knives i’ the war.-Well, I will find him: For, being now a ' favourer to the Briton, No more a Briton, I have resum’d again The part I came in: Fight I will no more, But yield me to the veriest hind, that shall Once touch my shoulder. Great the Naughter is Here made by the Roman ; great the answer be Britons must take: For me, my ransom's death; On either side I come to spend my breath ; Which neither here I'll keep, nor bear again, But end it by some means for Imogen.

Enter two Britise Captains, and Soldiers. i Cap. Great Jupiter be prais'd! Lucius is taken: 'Tis thought, the old man and his fons were angels.

Cap. There was a fourth man, in a filly habit, • That

gave

the affront with them. i Cap. So 'tis reported; But none of them can be found.-Stand! Who's there? * charm'd,]-rendered invulnerable, protected as by a charm.

" I bear a charmed life.” MACBETH, Act V. S. 7. Macb. • favourer to the Briton, ]—'tis fruitless to feek death in their ranks.

great the answer be]—may the revenge taken by the Britons be as ample.

· filly)-simple, rustic. * Tbat gave the affront with thein.]-That turned his face on the foe u they did.

Poft.

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