Guid. What does he mean? fince death of my dearest mother, It did not fpeak before. All folemn things Should answer folemn accidents. Re-enter ARVIRAGUS, with IMOGEN as dead, bearing her in his arms. Bel. Look, here he comes, And brings the dire occafion in his arms, Of what we blame him for! Arv. The bird is dead, That we have made fo much on. I had rather Guid. Ofweetest, fairest lily! My brother wears thee not the one half so well, Bel. O, melancholy! Who ever yet could found thy bottom? find The ooze, to fhew what coaft thy fluggish crare Might cafilieft harbour in ?—Thou blessed thing! Jove knows what man thou might'ft have made; but I, Arv. 3. A Print by Harding, engraved by Parker, published in 1785. The mouth of the cave, and the landscape, have much merit; but nothing can be faid in favour of the other parts of this print. 4. The Print in Taylor's publication, contains a figure of Imogen, which is very pleasing—and with fome few alterations, this figure of Imogen might be rendered worthy of accompanying the page of Shakespeare. The introduction of the dead fawn is a well conceived idea. 5. Cymbeline, Act 3, Sc. 4. Painted by Penny, and engraved by Walker. The artist has failed in his attempt to exprefs Shakespeare's characters. Arv. Stark, as you fee; Thus fmiling, as fome fly had tickled flumber, Not as death's dart, being laugh'd at: his right check Guid. Where? Arv. O'the floor; His arms thus leagu'd: I thought, he slept; and put Guid. Why, he but fleeps: If he be gone, he'll make his grave a bed; With female fairies will his tomb be haunted, Arv. With faireft flowers, IVhile fummer lafts, and I live here, Fidele, Without a monument!) bring thee all this; Yea, and furr'd mofs befides, when flowers are none, Guid. Pr'ythee have done; And do not play in wench-like words with that Y which *No Poet ever more delighted in the diftribution of flowers than Shakespeare Many instances occur in many of his plays, particularly in Lear, the Tempest, in Pericles Prince of Tyre, and in the Midfummer Night's Dream-but the most charming inftances may be felected from Perdita's garland in the Winter's Tale, and from the distribution by Ophelia. Perhaps the vernal flowers which Milton ftrewed o'er Lycidas, might have been conceived from fome of the above paffages, Which is fo ferious. Let us bury him, Arv. Say, where fhall's lay him? Guid. By good Euripbile, our mother. Arv. Bet fo: And let us, Polydore, though now our voices- As once our mother; ufe like note, and words, Guid. Cadwal, I cannot fing: I'll weep and word it with thee: Arv. We'll fpeak it then. Bel. Great griefs, I fee, medicine the less: for Cloten Is quite forgot. He was a queen's fon, boys; And, though he came our enemy, remember, He was paid for that: Though mean and mighty, rotting (That angel of the world), doth make diflinction Of place 'twixt high and low. Our foe was princely; And though you took his life, as being our foe, Yet bury him as a prince. Guid. Pray you, fetch him hither. Therfites' body is as good as Ajax, When neither are alive. Arv. If you'll go fetch him, We'll fay our fong the whilft.-Brother begin. Guid. Nay, Cadwal, we must lay his head to the east; My father hath a reason for't. [Exit BELLARIUS. Arv. 'Tis true. Guid. Come on then, and remove him. Arv. So,-Begin. SON G. Guid. Fear no more the heat o' the fun, Home art gone, and ta'en thy wages: Arv. Fear no more the frown o'the great,* Care no more to cloath, and eat ; Guid. Fear no more the lightning flash, Guid. No exorcifer harm thee! Arv. Nothing ill come near thee! Both. Quiet confummation have; Y 2 Re-enter This (fays Warburton) is the topic of confolation that nature dictates to all men on these occa "fions. The fame farewell we have over the dead body in Lucian," Re-enter BELLARIUS, with the Body of CLOTEN. Guid. We have done our obfequies. Come, lay him down. Bel. Here's a few flowers; but about midnight, more: The ground, that gave them first, has them again. From this fcene, which breathes fo much the spirit and the fancy of Shakespeare, there are fome inconceivably fine points to paint from : points *To this scene Dr. Johnson has fubjoined this note: "For the obfequies of Fidele, a fong was "written by my unhappy friend, Mr. William Collins, of Chichester, a man of uncommon learning "and abilities. I fhall give it a place at the end of the play, in honor of his memory." For the fatiffaction of my reader this fong or dirge is here given-and he will obferve how finely Collins has felt the magic of this fcene: ASONG, Jung by GUIDERIUS and ARVIRARGUs, over FIDELE, fuppofed to be dead. By Mr. WILLIAM COLLINS. I. To fair Fidele's graffy tomb, Soft maids, and village hinds fall bring 2. No wailing ghoft fhall dare appear But Shepherd lads affemble here, And melting virgins own their love. J |