CYMBE LINE. VOL. IX. nothing left (which fhe could well fpare) to make money of, the refolved rather to ftarve than fo much to debafe herfelfe to become a beggar. With this refolution she went to a folitary place befide Yorke, where fhe lived the space of two dayes on hearbs, and fuch things as fhe could there finde. "In this time it chanced that king Edward, beeing come out of France, and lying there about with the small forces hee had, came that way with fome two or three noblemen, with an intent to discover if any ambushes were laid to take him at an advantage. He feeing there this gentlewoman, whom he supposed to be a boy, asked her what the was, and what the made there in that privat place? To whom thee very wifely and modeftly withall, anfwered, that fhe was a poore boy, whofe bringing up had bin better than her outward parts then fhewed, but at that time fhe was both friendleffe and comfortleffe, by reason of the late warre. He beeing moved to fee one fo well featur'd as fhe was, to want, entertained her for one of his pages; to whom the shewed herselfe so dutifull and loving, that in fhort time she had his love above all her fellows. Still followed fhe the fortunes of K. Edward, hoping at last (as not long after it did fall out) to be reconciled to her husband. "After the battell at Barnet, where K. Edward got the beft, fhe going up and downe amongst the flaine men, to know whether her husband, which was on K. Henrie's fide, was dead or escaped, happened to fee the other who had been her gheft, lying there for dead. She remembering him, and thinking him to be one whom her husband loved, went to him, and finding him not dead, fhe caufed one to helpe her with him to a houfe there-by; where opening his breft to dreffe his wounds, fhe efpied her crucifix, at fight of which her heart was joyfull, hoping by this to find him that was the originall of her difgrace: for the remembering herselfe, found that the had loft that crucifix ever fince that morning he departed from her houfe fo fuddenly. But faying nothing of it at that time, fhe caufed him to be carefully looked unto, and brought up to London after her, whither the went with the king, carrying the crucifix with her. On a time when he was a little recovered, fhe went to him, giving him the crucifix which he had taken from about his necke; to whom he faid-" Good gentle youth, keep the fame; for now in my mifery of ficknes, when the fight of that picture fhould be moft comfortable, it is to me moft moft uncomfortable; and breedeth fuch horrour in my con- Vol. IX. science, when I think how wrongfully I got the fame, that CYMBE. fo long as I fee it I fhall never be in reft. Now knew the LINE. that he was the man that caufed the feparation 'twixt her hufband and her felfe; yet faid fhe nothing, ufing him as respectively as she had before: onely fhe caufed the man in whofe house he lay, to remember the words he had spoken concerning the crucifix. Not long after, the being alone, attending on the king, befeeched his grace to doe her juftice on a villain that had bin the cause of all the mifery she had fuffered. He loving her, above all his other pages, most dearly, faid-" Edmund (for fo had fhe named herselfe) thou shalt have what right thou wilt on thy enemy; cause him to be fent for, and I will be thy judge myselfe." She being glad of this, with the king's authority fent for her hufband, whom she heard was one of the prisoners that was taken at the battell of Barnet; the appointing the other, now recovered, to be at the court the fame time. They being both come, but not one seeing of the other, the king fent for the wounded man into the prefence; before whom the page asked him how he came by the crucifix? He fearing that his villainy would come forth, denyed the words he had faid before his oaft, affirming he bought it. With that, the called in the oaft of the house where he lay, bidding him boldly fpeake what he had heard this man fay concerning the crucifix. The oaft then told the king, that in the prefence of this page he heard him intreat that the crucifix might be taken from his fight, for it did wound his confcience, to thinke how wrongfully he had gottten the fame. These words did the page averre, yet he utterly denyed the fame, affirming that he bought it, and if that he did speake fuch words in his fickneffe, they proceeded from the lightneffe of his braine, and were untruthes. "She feeing this villain's impudency, fent for her hufband in, to whom the fhewed the crucifix, faying, Sir, doe you know, doe you know this? Yes, anfwered hee, but would God I ne're had knowne the owner of it. It was my wife's, a woman virtuous, till this divell (speaking to the other) did corrupt her purity,-who brought me this crucifix as a token of her inconftancie. "With that the king faid-" Sirra now are you found to be a knave. Did you not, even now, affirme you bought it?" To whom he answered with fearfull countenance"And it like your grace, I said so, to preserve this gentleVOL. I. S man's VOL. IX. man's honour, and his wife's, which by my telling of the CYMBE- truth would have been much indamaged; for indeed the, being a fecret friend of mine, gave me this as a teftimony of her love. LINE. "The gentlewoman, not being able longer to cover herfelfe in that difguife, faid-" And it like your majefty, give mee leave to fpeake, and you fhall fee me make this villain confeffe how he hath abufed that good gentleman-The king having given her leave, fhe faid, "Firft, Sir, you confeffed before your oaft and my felfe, that you had wrongfully got this jewell; then before his majeftie you affirmed you bought it; fo denying your former words: Now you have denyed that which you fo boldly affirmed before, and faid it was this gentleman's wife's gift.-With his majestie's leave I fay, thou art a villaine, and this is likewife falfe." With that the discovered herselfe to be a woman, saying"Hadft thou, villaine, ever any ftrumpet's favour at my hands? Did I, for any finfull pleasure I received from thee, bestow this on thee? Speake, and if thou have any goodnefs left in thee, fpeake the truth." "With that he being daunted at her fudden fight, fell on his knees before the king, befeeching his grace to be mercifull unto him, for he had wronged that gentlewoman. Therewith told he the king of the match betweene the gentleman and himfelfe, and how he flole the crucifix from her, and by that meanes perfuaded her husband that the was a whore. The king wondered how he durst, knowing God to be juft, commit fo great a villainy; but much more admired he to fee his page to turn a gentlewoman. But ceafing to admire, he faid-" Sir, (fpeaking to her husband) you did the part of an unwife man to lay fo foolifh a wager, for which offence the remembrance of your folly is punishment inough; but feeing it concernes me not, your wife fhall be your judge." With that Mrs. Dorrill, thanking his majeftie, went to her husband, faying-" Sir, all my anger to you I lay down with this kiffe. He wond'ring all this while to fee this ftrange and unlooked-for change, wept for joy, défiring her to tell him how fhe was preferved; wherein the fatisfied him at full. The king was likewife glad that he had preferved this gentlewoman from wilfull famine, and gave judgment on the other in this manner :That he fhould reftore the money treble which he had wrongfully got from him; and fo was to have a yeere's imprisonment. So this gentleman and his wife went, with the king's leave, lovingly home, where they were kindely wel- VOL. IX. comed by George, to whom for recompence he gave the mo- CYMBEney which he received: fo lived they ever after in great LINE. content." MALONE. KING LEA R. 355. To follow Steevens's note .] Again, in The Spanish K. LEAR. Tragedy, written before 1593: "The third and laft, not least, in our account." MALONE. 367. Add, at the beginning of my note '.] I once thought that the author wrote plated-cunning fuperinduced, thinly spread over. So, in this play: "Plate fin with gold, "And the ftrong lance of justice hurtlefs breaks." But the word &c. MALONE. 370. To follow Steevens's note 7.] Curiofity is used before in the present play, in this fenfe: "For equalities are fo weighed, that curiofity in neither can make choice of either's moiety." MALONE. 372. At the end of Steevens's note 2.] So, in Macbeth: "Of horrid hell can come a devil more damn'd, 386. Add to my note 6.] So, in K. Richard III.: "I mean his converfation with Shore's wife." MALONE. 396. Note 6.] It is alfo ufed by Marfton in his Infatiate Countess, 1603: "Go to then; and the better to avoid fufpition, we must infift, they must come up darkling." MALONE. Ibid. Note .] Whoop Jug, I'll do thee no harm, occurs in The Winter's Tale. MALONE. 419. -footh every paffion] Sooth is the reading of neither the folio nor the quarto; in both of which we find fmooth, which is, I think, the true reading. So, in Sir John Oldcastle, 1600: Traitor unto his country! how he fmooth'd, "And feem'd as innocent as truth itfelf!" S 2 Again, VOL. IX. Again, in our author's Pericles, 1609: K. LEAR. "The finful father "Seem'd not to ftrike, but smooth." Sooth was first introduced by Mr. Pope. MALONE. Ibid. After note add] Mr. Blake obferves that in an ancient map of Enfield chace &c. the name of Camelot is given to a large pond which in all probability was once a place where geese were bred. MALONE. 449. Or fwell the curled waters 'bove the main,] I once thought that the poet wrote: Or fwell the curled waters 'bove the moon So, in a fubfequent scene: "The fea in fuch a ftorm as his bare head "In hell-black night endur'd, wou'd have buoy'd up, "And quench'd the felled fires." Again, in The Winter's Tale: “ -Now the hip boring the moon with her main-maft But the old reading, and Mr. Steevens's explanation of it, are ftrongly confirmed by a paffage in Troilus and Creffida : The bounded waters "Should lift their bofoms higher than the shores, The main is again used for the land, in Hamlet: 464. -Take phyfick, pomp! Expofe thyself to feel what wretches feet; MALONE. That thou may'ft fhake the fuperflux to them, And fhew the heavens more juft.] A kindred thought occurs in Pericles, Prince of Tyre: "O let thofe cities that of plenty's cup "And her profperities fo largely tafte, "With their fuperfluous riots-hear these tears; "The mifery of Tharfus may be theirs." MALONE. 472. To follow Farmer's note 3.] Both the quarto and the folio have old, and not olds. MALONE. 479. Come d'er the bourn, Beffy, to me:] There is a peculiar propriety in this address that has not, I believe, been hitherto obferved. Belly and poor Tom, it feems, ufually travelled together. The author of The Court of Confcience, or Dick Whippers Seffions, 1607, defcribing beggars, idle rogues, and counterfeit madmen, thus fpeaks of thefe affociates: "Another fort there is among you; they "Do rage with furie as if they were fo frantique "They |