lain Cloten, the queen's son. The old man vainly strives to persuade them to fly to deeper recesses of their mountains: We'll higher to the mountains; there secure us. Where we have liv'd; and so extort from us that Of many in the army: many years, Though Cloten then but young, you see, not wore him Hath not deserv'd my service, nor your loves; Gui. Arv. By this sun that shines, Did see man die ? scarce ever look'd on blood, But that of coward hares, hot goats, and venison ? A rider like myself, who ne'er wore rowel Bel. No reason I, since of your lives you set So slight a valuation, should reserve My crack'd one to more care. Have with you, boys: If in your country wars you chance to die, That is my bed too, lads, and there I'll lie: Lead, lead. The time seems long: their blood thinks scorn, [Aside. Till it fly out and show them princes born. The Briton, Posthumus, who has landed with the Roman army, and believes that his lady, Imogen, has been put to death by his own rash commands, through the falsehood of Iachimo, determines to take part with his countrymen :— I am brought hither Among the Italian gentry, and to fight Against my lady's kingdom: 'Tis enough That, Britain, I have kill'd thy mistress. Peace! I'll give no wound to thee. Therefore, good heavens, Hear patiently my purpose; I'll disrobe me Of these Italian weeds, and suit myself Myself I'll dedicate. Let me make men know The fashion less without, and more within. The contest between the Roman and British armies is, in this play, exhibited in dumb-show. The drama preceding Shakspere was full of such examples. But Shakspere uniformly rejected the practice, except in this instance. The stage directions of the original copy are very curious; and we therefore carry on the narrative by the aid of these stage directions :— Enter at one door LUCIUS, IACHIMO, and the Roman army, and the British army at another. LEONATUS POSTHUMUS following, like a poor soldier. They march over and go out. Then enter again, in skirmish, IACHIMO and POSTHUMUS: he vanquisheth and disarmeth IACHIMO, and then leaves him. Iach. The heaviness and guilt within my bosom A very drudge of nature's, have subdued me In my profession? Knighthoods and honours, borne 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. The battle continues; the Britons fly: CYMBELINE is taken; then enter, to his 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. Enter POSTHUMUS, and seconds the Britons: They rescue CYMBELINE, and exeunt. Then, enter, LUCIUS, IACHIMO, 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. [Exeunt. Luc. It is a day turn'd strapgely: Or betimes Enter POSTHUMUS and a British Lord. Lord. Cam'st thou from where they made the stand? Though you, it seems, come from the fliers. I did. Lord. Of his wings destitute, the army broken, To die with lengthen'd shame. Post. Close by the battle, ditch'd, and wall'd with turf; 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, To darkness fleet souls that fly backwards! Stand; Like beasts, which you shun beastly; and may save, (For three performers are the file when all The rest do nothing,) with this word, "stand, stand, ̈ ́ With their own nobleness, (which could have turn'd Part shame, part spirit renew'd; that some, turn'd coward Damu'd in the first beginners!) 'gan to look The way that they did, and to grin like lions 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; slaves, The life o' the need, having found the back-door open Lord. This was strange chance: A narrow lane! an old man, and two boys! Post. Nay, do not wonder at it: You are made Than to work any. The catastrophe of 'Cymbeline' has necessarily more immediate reference to the romantic part of the drama than to the historical. Here, it is sufficient to say that the king recovers his sons, and Posthumus his much injured lady. The first movement of the British king, in the spirit of barbarous warfare, is to doom the Roman prisoners to death : Cym. Thou com'st not, Caius, now for tribute; that Luc. Consider, sir, the chance of war: the day We should not, when the blood was cool, have threaten'd Augustus lives to think on 't: and so much For my peculiar care. But Cymbeline's hard purpose is changed. Posthumus forgives the arch-traitor Iachimo:: "The power that I have on you is to spare you." And then the king exclaims, 66 Pardon's the word for all." The drama concludes with peace between Britain and Rome. 3. THE INVASION OF CLAUDIUS. MILTON. Milton has described the second Roman invasion, in all the pomp of his Latinized English. Through civil discord, Bericus, (what he was further, is not known) with others of his party flying to Rome, persuaded Claudius, the emperor, to an invasion. Claudius, now consul the third time, and desirous to do something, whence he might gain the honour of a triumph, at the persuasion of these fugitives, whom the Britians demanding, he had denied to render, and they for that cause had denied further amity with Rome, makes choice of this island for his province: and sends before him Aulus Plautius the prætor, with this command, if the business grew difficult, to give him notice. Plautius with much ado, persuaded the legions to move out of Gallia, murmuring that now they must be put to make war beyond the world's end, for so they counted Britian; and what welcome Julius the dictator found there, doubtless they had heard. At last prevailed with, and hoisting sail from three several ports, lest their landing should in any one place be resisted, meeting cross winds, they were cast back and disheartened: till in the night a meteor shooting flames from the east, and, as they fancied, directing their course, they took heart again to try the sea, and without opposition landed. For the Britians having heard of their unwillingness to come, had been negligent to provide against them; and retiring to the woods and moors, intended to frustrate and wear them out with delays, as they had served Cæsar before. Plautius after much trouble to find them out, encountering first with Caractacus, then with Togodumnus, overthrew them; and receiving into conditions part of the Boduni, who then were subject to the Catueilani, and leaving there a garrison, went on toward a river; where the Britians not imagining that Plautius without a bridge could pass, lay on the farther side careless and secure. But he sending first the Germans, whose custom was, armed as they were, to swim with ease the strongest current, commands them to strike especially at the horses, whereby the chariots, wherein consisted their chief art of fight, became unserviceable. To second them he sent Vespasian, who in his latter days obtained the empire, and Sabinus his brother; who unexpectedly assailing those who were least aware, did much execution. Yet not for this were the Britians dismayed; but re-uniting the next day, fought with such a courage, as made it hard to decide which way hung the victory; till Caius Sidius Geta, at point to have been taken, recovered himself so valiantly, as brought the day on his side; for which at Rome he received high honours. After this the Britians drew back toward the mouth of the Thames, and acquainted with those places, crossed over; where the Romans following them through bogs and dangerous flats, hazarded the loss of all. Yet the Germans getting over, and others by a bridge at some place above, fell on them again with sundry alarms and great slaughter; but in the heat of pursuit running themselves again into bogs and mires, lost as many of their own. Upon which ill success, and seeing the Britians |