found
courage to do the ghost's bidding and avenge his father's murder--which,
if he had braced up his heart to do long before, all these lives
had been spared, and none had suffered but the wicked King, who well
deserved to die.

Hamlet, his heart at last being great enough to do the deed he ought,
turned the poisoned sword on the false King.

"Then--venom--do thy work!" he cried, and the King died.

So Hamlet in the end kept the promise he had made his father. And all
being now accomplished, he himself died. And those who stood by saw him
die, with prayers and tears, for his friends and his people loved him
with their whole hearts. Thus ends the tragic tale of Hamlet, Prince of
Denmark.

CYMBELINE

Cymbeline was the King of Britain. He had three children. The two sons
were stolen away from him when they were quite little children, and he
was left with only one daughter, Imogen. The King married a second
time, and brought up Leonatus, the son of a dear friend, as Imogen's
playfellow; and when Leonatus was old enough, Imogen secretly married
him. This made the King and Queen very angry, and the King, to punish
Leonatus, banished him from Britain.

Poor Imogen was nearly heart-broken at parting from Leonatus, and he was
not less unhappy. For they were not only lovers and husband and wife,
but they had been friends and comrades ever since they were quite little
children. With many tears and kisses they said "Good-bye." They promised
never to forget each other, and that they would never care for anyone
else as long as they lived.

"This diamond was my mother's, love," said Imogen; "take it, my heart,
and keep it as long as you love me."

"Sweetest, fairest," answered Leonatus, "wear this bracelet for my
sake."

"Ah!" cried Imogen, weeping, "when shall we meet again?"

And while they were still in each other's arms, the King came in, and
Leonatus had to leave without more farewell.

When he was come to Rome, where he had gone to stay with an old friend
of his father's, he spent his days still in thinking of his dear Imogen,
and his nights in dreaming of her. One day at a feast some Italian and
French noblemen were talking of their sweethearts, and swearing that
they were the most faithful and honorable and beautiful ladies in the
world. And a Frenchman reminded Leonatus how he had said many times that
his wife Imogen was more fair, wise, and constant than any of the ladies
in France.

"I say so st