ing their faire and pleasant words vttered in time past, that being constreined of necessitie, he fled the land, & sailed into Gallia, there to seeke some comfort of his yongest daughter Cordeilla, whom before time he hated. The ladie Cordeilla hearing that he was arriued in poore estate, she first sent to him priuilie a certeine summe of monie to apparell himselfe withall, and to reteine a certeine number of seruants that might attend vpon him in honorable wise, as apperteined to the estate which he had borne and then so accompanied, she appointed him to come to the court, which he did, and was so ioifullie, honorablie, and louinglie receiued, both by his sonne in law Aganippus, and also by his daughter Cordeilla, that his hart was greatlie comforted: for he was no lesse honored, than if he had beene king of the whole countrie himselfe. : Now when he had informed his sonne in law and his daughter in what sort he had beene vsed by his other daughters, Aganippus caused a mightie armie to be put in a readinesse, and likewise a great nauie of ships to be rigged, to passe ouer into Britaine with Leir his father in law, to see him againe restored to his kingdome. It was accorded, that Cordeilla should also go with him to take possession of the land, the which he promised to leaue vnto hir, as the rightfull inheritour after his decesse, notwithstanding any former grant made to hir sisters or to their husbands in anie maner of wise. Herevpon, when this armie and nauie of ships were readie, Leir and his daughter Cordeilla with hir husband tooke the sea, and arriuing in Britaine, fought with their enimies, and discomfited them in battell, in the which Maglanus and Henninus were slaine and then was Leir restored to his kingdome, which he ruled after this by the space of two yeeres, and then died, fortie yeeres after he first began to reigne.1 1 Shakspere was perhaps indebted to Holinshed for something more than the story of Lear: a There being (according to Hol. i. H. E. 12/2/55) a "temple of Apollo, which stood in the citie of Troinouant" (London), may explain why Lear swears by that deity (Lear, I. i. 162). Holinshed also says (H. E. 14/1/37) that Lear's grandson, Cunedag, built a temple "to Apollo in Cornewall." B Lear's comparison of himself to a dragon (Lear, I. i. 123, 124) may have been suggested by the fact that a later British king "was surnamed Pendragon, . . . for that Merline the great prophet likened him to a dragons Cordeilla succeeded Lear, and reigned for five years, during which time her husband died. At the close of this period, the rebellion of Margan the son of Gonorilla and Cunedag the son of Regan ended with her imprisonment by her nephews. Having no hope of release, and being a woman of a manlie courage," she slew herself.-Hol, i. H. E. 13/2/45. 66 II. CYMBELINE. HOLINSHED'S Chronicles contain all the historical or pseudo-historical matter which appears in Shakspere's Tragedie of Cymbeline. The historic Cunobelinus, son of Tasciovanus, was a King of the Britons, whose capital was Camulodunum 3 (Colchester). In A.D. 40 Cunobelin's son Adminius, whom he had banished, made a submission to Caligula which the Emperor affected to regard as equivalent to a surrender of the whole island, but nothing was then done to assert the imperial authority. Cunobelin was dead when, in A.D. 43, Aulus Plautius was sent by Claudius to subdue Britain; and the Romans were opposed by the late king's sons Togodumnus and the renowned Caractacus.5 These are the sole authentic particulars relating to Cunobelin, beside the evidence derived from his coins. Act III. sc. i.—In the following passages Holinshed has given an untrustworthy account of Cymbeline, mixed with genuine information head, that at the time of his natiuite maruelouslie appeared in the firmament at the corner of a blazing star, as is reported. But others suppose he was so called of his wisdome and serpentine subtiltie, or for that he gaue the dragons head in his banner" (Hol. i. H. E. 87/2/7). 1 In 1844 Mr. Birch communicated a paper to the Numismatic Society (Num. Chron. vol. vii. p. 78), showing that the reverse legends of some of Cunobeline's coins should be read: TASCIOVANI. F.; that is, Tasciovani Filius. -See Evans's Coins of the Ancient Britons, pp. 221, 327. Other reverses read TASC. F., and TASCIIOVANII. F.-Evans, pp. 308, 328. Of the latter form it may be necessary to remark that TASCII is probably equivalent to TASCE-; the double I being often used, on British coins, for E (Evans, pp. 203, 206, 258, 372). The termination -VANII gives a variant nominative Tasciovanius. Mr. Birch compared these legends with AVGVSTVS DIVI F., on coins of Augustus. 2 So styled by Suetonius, in his biography of Caligula, cap. xliv. Cunobeline's capital was Camulodunum, which we learn from Ptolemy (Geographia, lib. II. cap. iii.) was the town (rós) of the Trinobantes; a people who once inhabited Middlesex and Essex. The obverse of a copper coin of Cunobeline bears the legend CVNOBELINVS REX. See Evans's Coins of the Ancient Britons, p. 332. 3 “το Καμουλόδουνον τὸ τοῦ Κυνοβελλίνου βασίλειον.”Dion Cassius, ed. Reimar, lx. 21. A copper coin of Cunobeline, found at Colchester, has the obverse legend CAMVL-ODVNO.-Evans's Coins of the Ancient Britons, p. 337. 4 Suet. Calig. xliv. Dion Cassius, lx. 20. Claudius followed Plautius, and was present at the capture of Camulodunum by the Romans. touching the circumstances of the Empire and Britain during the reign of Augustus. [Hol. i. H. E. 32/2/3.] Kymbeline or Cimbeline the sonne of Kymbeline. Theomantius1 was of the Britains made king after the deceasse of his father, in the yeare of the world 3944, after the building his of Guido de [Cymbeline Augustus, knighted by and not obliged to pay tribute.] of Rome 728, and before the birth of our Sauiour 33. This man Fabian out (as some write) was brought vp at Rome, and there made knight Columna. by Augustus Cesar,2 vnder whome he serued in the warres, and was in such fauour with him, that he was at libertie to pay tribute or not. . . . Touching the continuance of the yeares of Kymbelines reigne, some writers doo varie, but the best approoued affirme, that he reigned 35 years and then died, & was buried at London, leauing behind him two sonnes, Guiderius and Aruiragus.3 [Cymbeline years, and sons, Guide reigned 35 left two rius and Arviragus.] writers say [Roman that the fused to pay Augustus.) Britons re tribute to Cor. Tacitus, in vita Iu. ¶ But here is to be noted, that although our histories doo affirme, that as well this Kymbeline, as also his father Theomantius liued in quiet with the Romans, and continuallie to them paied the tributes which the Britains had couenanted with Julius Cesar to pay, yet we find in the Romane writers, that after Julius Cesars death, when Augustus had taken vpon him the rule of the empire, the Britains refused to paie that tribute: whereat as Cornelius Tacitus reporteth, Augustus (being otherwise occupied) was contented to winke; howbeit, through earnest calling vpon to recouer his right by such as were desirous to see the vttermost of the British kingdome; at length, to wit, in the tenth yeare after the death of Julius Cesar, which was about the thirteenth yeare of the said Theomantius, Augustus made prouision to passe with an [Augustus armie ouer into Britaine, & was come forward vpon his iournie to invade 1 "Tenantius" (the spelling in Cymb. I. i. 31) occurs as a variant form in Hol. i. H. E. 32/1/58 above. Shakspere seems to have adopted Fab.'s conjecture (reported in Hol. i. H. E. 31/2/22) that Cassibelan, Androgeus, and Tenantius were sons of Lud, Cymbeline's grandfather; for Cymbeline is reminded by Lucius that tribute was imposed by Julius Caesar on "Cassibulan, thine Unkle" (Cymb. III. i. 5). Holinshed preferred the supposition that Cassibelan was Lud's brother (Hol. i. H. E. 23/2/12). 2 Cp. Cymb. III. i. 70 : "Thy Cæsar Knighted me; my youth I spent Much vnder him"; . . 3 We learn from Juvenal (Sat. IV. 124-127) that a British prince named Arviragus was a contemporary of Domitian. Agr. prepares Britain.] Dion Cassius. into Gallia Celtica: or as we maie saie, into these hither parts of France. [He is detained by a rebellion of ans and Dalmatians.] But here receiuing aduertisements that the Pannonians, which the Pannoni- inhabited the countrie now called Hungarie, and the Dalmatians whome now we call Slauons had rebelled, he thought it best first to subdue those rebells neere home,1 rather than to seeke new countries, and leaue such in hazard whereof he had present possession, and so turning his power against the Pannonians and Dalmatians, he left off for a time the warres of Britain. whether Cymbeline or some other British [I know not But whether this controuersie which appeareth to fall forth betwixt the Britans and Augustus, was occasioned by Kymbeline, prince refus- or some other prince of the Britains, I haue not to auouch: for that by our writers it is reported, that Kymbeline being brought the Romans, VP in Rome, & knighted in the court of Augustus, euer shewed himselfe a friend to the Romans, & chieflie was loth to breake ed tribute, but Cym beline was friendly to and wished the British youth to be brought up amongst them.] [The peace of the Roman Empire while Augustus ruled.] with them, because the youth of the Britaine nation should not be depriued of the benefit to be trained and brought vp among the Romans, whereby they might learne both to behaue themselues like ciuill men, and to atteine to the knowledge of feats of warre.2 But whether for this respect, or for that it pleased the almightie God so to dispose the minds of men at that present, not onlie the Britains, but in manner all other nations were contented to be obedient to the Romane empire. That this was 1 Cymbeline replies to Lucius (Cymb. III. i. 73-75): "Our Countrymen Are men more order'd then when Julius Cæsar Smil'd at their lacke of skill, but found their courage Worthy his frowning at: Their discipline (Now mingled [wing-led F] with their courages) will make knowne To their Approuers, they are People such That mend vpon the world." As to the military strength of Britain at the time of Caesar's invasion, Hol. says (ii., The first inhabitation of Ireland, 51/1/14): . "the British nation was then vnskilfull, and not trained to feats of war, for the Britons then being onelie vsed to the Picts and Irish enimies, people halfe naked, through lacke of skill easilie gaue place to the Romans force," ... shown to the British true in the Britains, it is euident enough by Strabos words, which Strab. Geog. are in effect as followeth. "At this present (saith he) certeine [Respect "princes of Britaine, procuring by ambassadors and dutifull Augustus by "demeanors the amitie of the emperour Augustus, haue offered princes.] "in the capitoll vnto the gods presents or gifts, and haue ordeined "the whole Ile in a manner to be appertinent, proper, and familiar "to the Romans. They are burdened with sore customs which Luxuries "they paie for wares, either to be sent foorth into Gallia, or "brought from thence, which are commonlie yuorie vessels, "sheeres, ouches, or earerings, and other conceits made of amber "& glasses, and such like manner of merchandize." Holinshed (Hol. ii. H. S. 45/1/55) records an embassy from Augustus to Cymbeline, which may have given Shakspere a hint for the less peaceful mission of Caius Lucius. imported by Britain.] Kimbaline king of the [An ambas sador from Augustus thanks him [Hol. ii. H. S. 45/1/55.] About the same time [?25 B.C.] also there came vnto Kimbaline king of the Britains an ambassador from Augustus the emperor, with thanks, for that entring into the gouernement of the British state, he had kept for his loyalhis allegiance toward the Romane empire: exhorting him to Romans.] keepe his subiects in peace with all their neighbors, sith the whole world, through meanes of the same Augustus, was now in quiet, without all warres or troublesome tumults. 1 by Caius Lucius demands a yearly tribute of three thousand pounds, which had been imposed on Cassibelan and "his Succession Julius Caesar, but had been "lately left vntender'd" by Cymbeline, Cassibelan's nephew (Cymb. III. i. 2—10). This pretension to tribute arose when Caesar, after defeating Cassibelan,2 blockaded the residue of the British levies, so that [Hol. i. H. E. 30/2/73.] Cassibellane in the end was forced to fall to a composition, in couenanting to paie a yearlie tribute of three thousand pounds. 1 Tenantius, whom Cymbeline succeeded, "paid the tribute to the Romans which Cassibellane [Tenantius's immediate predecessor] had granted.”—Hol. i. H. E. 32/1/73. 2 Holinshed's authorities are Hist. Britt. IV. x. 67, and Matthew of Westminster (ed. 1601, p. 38). According to them this success was the result of a third invasion by Caesar. The authentic account is that the Romans' second invasion of Britain closed with the submission of Cassivellaunus (or Cassibelan); and that Caesar, before leaving Britain for the last time, "obsides imperat, et, quid in annos singulos vectigalis populo Romano Britannia penderet, constituit" (De Bello Gallico, V. 22). ty to the |