As you did mean indeed to be our brother;
Joy'd are we, that you are.

Post. Your servant, princes.-Good my lord of Rome, Call forth your soothsayer: As I slept, methought, Great Jupiter, upon his eagle back,

Appear'd to me, with other spritely shows
Of mine own kindred: when I wak'd, I found
This label on my bosom; whose containing
Is so from sense in hardness, that I can

Make no collection of it; let him show
His skill in the construction.

Luc.

Sooth. Here, my good lord.
Luc.

Philarmonus,

Read, and declare the meaning.

Sooth. [Reads.] When as a lion's whelp shall, to himself unknown, without seeking find, and be embrac ed by a piece of tender air; and when from a stately cedar shall be lopped branches, which, being dead many years shall after revive, be jointed to the old stock, and freshly grow; then shall Posthumus end his miseries, Britain be fortunate, and flourish in peace and plenty. Thou, Leonatus, art the lion's whelp; The fit and apt construction of thy name, Being Leo-natus, doth import so much : The piece of tender air, thy virtuous daughter,

[To Cymbeline.

Which we call mollis aer; and mollis aer

We term it mulier: which mulier I divine,
Is this most constant wife; who, even now,
Answering the letter of the oracle,

Unknown to you, unsought, were clipp'd about
With this most tender air.

Cym.

This hath some seeming. Sooth. The lofty cedar, royal Cymbeline, Personates thee: and thy lopp'd branches point Thy two sons forth: who, by Belarius stolen,

For many years thought dead, are now reviv'd,
To the majestic cedar join'd; whose issue
Promises Britain peace and plenty.

Cym.
Well,
My peace we will begin :-and, Caius Lucius,
Although the victor, we submit to Cæsar,
And to the Roman empire; promising
To pay our wonted tribute, from the which
We were dissuaded by our wicked queen;
Whom heavens, in justice, (both on her, and hers,)
Have laid most heavy hand.

Sooth. The fingers of the powers above do tune
The harmony of this peace. The vision
Which I made known to Lucius, ere the stroke
Of this yet scarce-cold battle, at this instant
Is full accomplish'd: For the Roman eagle,
From south to west on wing soaring aloft,
Lessen'd herself, and in the beams o'the sun
So vanish'd: which foreshow'd our princely eagle,
The imperial Cæsar, should again unite

His favour with the radiant Cymbeline,
Which shines here in the west.

Cym.

Laud we the gods;

And let our crooked smokes climb to their nostrils

From our bless'd altars! Publish we this peace

To all our subjects. Set we forward: Let

A Roman and a British ensign wave

Friendly together: so through Lud's town march ::
And in the temple of great Jupiter

Our peace we'll ratify; seal it with feasts.-
Set on there:-Never was a war did cease,

Ere bloody hands were wash'd, with such a peace.

[Exeunt.

Vol. 6.

K

3

"Sed omnis loquendi elegantia, quamquam expolitur scientia literarum, tamen au- getur legendis oratoribus et portis.

Cie: da Orat: 3.10.

PERSONS REPRESENTED.

Escalus, prince of Verona.

Paris, a young nobleman, kinsman to the prince. Montague,heads of two houses, at variance with each Capulet, other.

An old Man, uncle to Capulet.

Romeo, son to Montague.

Mercutio, kinsman to the prince, and friend to Romeo. Benvolio, nephew to Montague, and friend to Romeo. Tybalt, nephew to Lady Capulet.

Friar Lawrence, a Franciscan.

Friar John, of the same order.
Balthasar, servant to Romeo.

Sampson,

Gregory, S

servants to Capulet.

Abram, servant to Montague.

An Apothecary.

Three Musicians.

Citizens of Verona; several Men and Women, Relations to both houses; Maskers, Guards, Watchmen, and Attendants.

SCENE, Huring the greater part of the play, in Verona once in the fifth act at Mantua.