CYMBELINE.

Note (1.) Act I. Scene 1, Line 1,—

"You do not meet a man but frowns: our bloods

No more obey the heavens than our courtiers

Still seem as does the king.”

That is our dispositions, natures, not more obey the aspects of the heavenly bodies than our courtiers ever wear the aspect of the king. For "blood"

compare A. and C. i. 2, 196, see Note (1),

nature,

who, high in name and power,

Walker, Crit. Exam. &c.

not more.

vol. ii. p. 123, gives amongst other examples of "no more" used for not more,-Chapman, Il. xix,—

"Nothing could more afflict me: Fame relating the foul deed Of my dear father's slaughter; blood drawn from my sole son's

heart,

No more could wound me."

For the heavens" the celestial bodies,-compare W. T. ii. 1, 106,—

"There's some ill planet reigns:

I must be patient till the heavens look
With an aspect more favourable."

Lear i. 2, 132,

"We make guilty of our disasters the sun, the moon, and the stars as if we were villains by necessity; fools by heavenly compulsion."

Compare also C. of E. ii. 2, 32,—

"know my aspect,

And fashion your demeanour to my looks."

For "seem"

show, look, appear, present a visible indication, see Notes, Macbeth (6), R. and J. (5) and (8). The folio has "the Kings." All the compared eds. correct "king"-except Staunton, who prints,

"than our courtiers'

Still seemers do the king's!"

Note (2.) Ib. Line 29,—

"his father

Was call'd Sicilius, who did purchase honour
Against the Romans, with Cassibelan;
But had his titles by Tenantius, whom
He served with glory and admir'd success,-
So gain'd the sur-addition Leonatus."

Compare Rich. II. i. 3, 282,

"Go, say I sent thee forth to purchase honour.”

M. of V. ii. 9, 43,

"and that clear honour

Were purchas'd by the merit of the wearer!"

Compare also A. W. ii. 1, 15, the French lords are to

wed honour,

"Let higher Italy."

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see that you come

Not to woo honour, but to wed it; when

The bravest questant shrinks, find what you seek,
That fame may cry you loud."

and Temp. iv. 1, 15, where Ferdinand purchases his wife,

"Then, as my gift, and thine own acquisition
Worthily purchas'd, take my daughter."

The

"did purchase"="gain'd" in the last line. folio has "did ioyne his Honor"-but "his" is an evident misprint, for honour is used in the abstract as

Note (3.) Ib. Line 116,

"Imo. This diamond was my mother's: take it, heart; But keep it till you woo another wife,

When Imogen is dead.

How, how! another?

You gentle gods, give me but this I have,

And sear up my embracements from a next

With bonds of death!"

"With bonds of death" By captive bonds, cap

tivity of death, a periphrasis for By death.

pare 1 Hy. VI. iv. 7, 3,—see Note (6),—

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Triumphant death, smear'd with captivity.”

Paradise Lost, Bk. ix. 760,

"But if death

Bind us with after-bands, what profits then
Our inward freedom?"

"sear up" dry up,—so Tim. iv. 3, 187,—

"Ensear thy fertile and conceptious womb."

Lear i. 4, 301,

"Dry up in her the organs of increase."

L. Comp. 14,

"Some beauty peep'd through lattice of sear'd age."

Com

Singer prints "seal up"-the other compared eds. retain the old text.

Note (4.) Act I. Scene 6, Line 5,—

"Had I been thief-stol'n,

As my two brothers, happy! but most miserable

H H

Is the desire that's glorious: bless'd be those,
How mean soe'er, that have their honest wills,
Which seasons comfort."

"but most miserable," &c.-the meaning is," but
love in high station is most miserable: those are blessed,
however low their estate, who possess their honest loves,
which comfort nourishes, keeps fresh and living.”
For "glorious," thus used, compare Tim. iv. 2, 30,—
"O, the fierce wretchedness that glory brings us!
Who would not wish to be from wealth exempt,
Since riches point to misery and contempt?
Who'd be so mock'd with glory?"

Compare also Hy. VIII. ii. 3, 19, Anne Boleyn of Queen Katharine,—

"'tis better to be lowly born,

And range with humble livers in content,

Than to be perk'd up with a glistering grief,

And wear a golden sorrow.”

"wills" "desires," generally in a bad sense, as

=

line 48 in this scene,—

"The cloyed will,

That satiate yet unsatisfied desire."

but in the present passage "honest" clearly indicates the meaning, which is as in T. G. V. iv. 2, 92,

"Sil. What is your will?

Pro.

That I may compass yours."

i.e. gain your affection. For the meaning of "seasons" in "which seasons comfort"—a simple inversion for which comfort seasons-compare Macb. iii. 4, 141,—

"You lack the season of all natures, sleep."

explained by Ib. ii. 2, 40,—

"Sleep"- -"Chief nourisher in life's feast."

See Note (26), Coriolanus. Compare also W. T. iv.

4, 584,

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Prosperity's the very bond of love,

Whose fresh complexion and whose heart together
Affliction alters."

Note (5). Ib. Line 33,—

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What, are men mad? Hath nature given them eyes
To see this vaulted arch, and the rich scope
Of sea and land, which can distinguish 'twixt
The fiery orbs above, and the twinn'd stones
Upon th' unnumber'd beach? and can we not
Partition make with spectacles so precious
Twixt fair and foul?"

scope" space and liberty within certain defined limits; here widest and most varied field for the exercise of the eyes and judgment. Compare M.for M.

iii. 1, 70,

"perpetual durance, a restraint, Though all the world's vastidity you had, To a determin'd scope."

"determined scope" = allotted range.

scope" as in Sonnet 21,

“all things rare

Here "rich

That heaven's air in this huge rondure hems.”

as A. and C. ii. 7, 74,

"Whate'er the ocean pales, or sky inclips."

".

The folio has "the rich Crop "-which all the compared eds. retain. The folio has "the number'd Beach "but compare Lear iv. 6, 21,

"the murmuring surge,

That on th' unnumber'd idle pebbles chafes."

and J. C. iii. 1, 63,—

"The skies are painted with unnumber'd sparks."