But being well-instructed in your noble and heroic dispositions, and perfectly assured of your honourable favours past (though neither making needless glozes of the one, nor spoiling paper with the other's Pharisaical embroidery), I have presumed upon your true conceit and entertainment of these small endeavours, that thus I proposed to make known my memory of you and them to be immortal. A fitter present for a patroness so well-accomplished I could not find than this fair president of honour, magnanimity, and love. Wherein what grace that excellent GARNIER hath lost by my default, I shall beseech your honour to repair with the regard of those so bitter times and privy broken passions that I endured in the writing it. And so vouchsafing but the passing of a winter's week with desolate "Cornelia," I will assure your ladyship my next summer's better travel with the tragedy of "Portia," and ever spend one hour of the day in some kind service to your honour and another of the night in wishing you all happiness. Perpetually thus devoting my poor self Your honour's in all humbleness, T. K. * * * * * INTERLOCUTORS. M. CICERO. PHILIP. DECIMUS BRUTUS. M. ANTONY. CORNELIA. C. CASSIUS. JULIUS CÆSAR. _The Messenger._ CHORUSES. FOOTNOTES: [336] ["Palladis Tamia,"] 1598, p. 283. [337] Verses to the memory of Shakespeare. [338] "Polimanteia," &c., by W.C., 4to, Cambr., 1595. In the Epistle, &c. (Oldys's MSS. Notes on Langbaine.) [339] "Origin of the Drama," vol. ii. THE ARGUMENT. Cornelia, the daughter of Metellus Scipio, a young Roman lady, as much accomplish'd with the graces of the body and the virtues of the mind as ever any was, was first married to young Crassus, who died with his father in the discomfiture of the Romans against the Parthians; afterward she took to second husband Pompey the Great, who (three years after), upon the first fires of the civil wars betwixt him and Cæsar, sent her from thence to Mitilen, there to attend the uncertain success of those affairs. And when he saw that he was vanquish'd at Pharsalia, returned to find her out, and carry her with him into Egypt, where his purpose was to have re-enforced a new army, and give a second assault to Cæsar.