2 Guard. There's Dolabella fent from Cæfar. Call him. 1 Guard. What work is here, Charmian? Is this well done? Char. It is well done, and fitting for a princess Defcended of fo many royal kings. Ah, foldiers? [Charmian dies Enter Dolabella. Dol. How goes it here? 2 Guard. All dead! Dol. Cæfar, thy thoughts Touch their effects in this; thyself art coming. Enter Cæfar and Attendants. All. Make way there, make way for Cæfar. Dol. Oh, Sir, you are too fure an augurer; That, you did fear, is done. Caf. Braveft at last: She levell'd at our purpose, and, being royal, Took her own way. The manner of their deaths?I do not fee them bleed. . . Dok Who was laft with them? 1 Guard. A fimple countryman, that brought her This was his basket. Caf. Poifon'd then! 1 Guard. Oh Cæfar! [figs: This Charmian liv'd but now, fhe ftood and fpake: I found her trimming up the diadem On her dead miftrefs; tremblingly she ftood, Caf. Oh noble weakness! If they had fwallow'd poifon, 'twould appear In her ftrong toil of grace. Dol. Here, on her breast, There is a vent of blood, and fomething blown • The flesh is somewhat puffed or swoln. Johnfon The like is on her arın. 1 Guard. This is an afpic's trail; and these fig- Have flime upon them, fuch as th' afpic leaves Caf. Moft probable That fo the dy'd; for her phyfician tells me, Of eafy ways to die. Take up her bed, Brought them to be lamented. Our army fhall, This play keeps curiofity always bufy, and the paffions always interefted. The continual hurry of the action, the variety of incidents, and the quick fucceffion of one perfonage to another, call the mind forward without intermiffion from the first act to the laft. But the power of delighting is derived principally from the frequent changes of the fcene; for, except the feminine arts, fome of which are too low, which diftinguish Cleopatra, no character is very strongly difcriminated. The events, of which the principal are defcribed ac cording to history, are produced without any art of Connection or care of difpofition. Johnson. Dramatis Perfonæ. CYMBELINE, king of Britain. CLOTEN, fon to the queen by a former husband. LEONATUS POSTHUMUS, a gentleman married to the princefs. BELARIUS, a banished lord, disguised under the name of Morgan. GUIDERIUS, Difguifed under the names of Paladour CAIUS LUCIUS, ambassador from Rome. A French gentleman. CORNELIUs, a doctor. Two Gentlemen. Queen, wife to Cymbeline. IMOGEN, daughter to Cymbeline by a former queen. HELEN, woman to Imogen. Lords, Ladies, Roman Senators, Tribunes, Ghofts, a Soothfayer, Captains, Soldiers, Meffengers, and other Attendants. SCENE, fometimes in Britain; fometimes in Italy. Story taken from Boccace's Decameron, day 2d. novel 9. little befides the names being historical. Pope.j |