Cymbeline

1 Enter Queen, Posthumus and Imogen.
2 QUEEN.
3 No, be assur’d you shall not find me, daughter,
4 After the slander of most stepmothers,
5 Evil-ey’d unto you. You’re my prisoner, but
6 Your gaoler shall deliver you the keys
7 That lock up your restraint. For you, Posthumus,
8 So soon as I can win th’ offended King,
9 I will be known your advocate. Marry, yet
10 The fire of rage is in him, and ’twere good
11 You lean’d unto his sentence with what patience
12 Your wisdom may inform you.
13 POSTHUMUS.
14 Please your Highness,
15 I will from hence today.
16 QUEEN.
17 You know the peril.
18 I’ll fetch a turn about the garden, pitying
19 The pangs of barr’d affections, though the King
20 Hath charg’d you should not speak together.
21 [_Exit._]
22 IMOGEN.
23 O dissembling courtesy! How fine this tyrant
24 Can tickle where she wounds! My dearest husband,
25 I something fear my father’s wrath, but nothing
26 (Always reserv’d my holy duty) what
27 His rage can do on me. You must be gone;
28 And I shall here abide the hourly shot
29 Of angry eyes, not comforted to live
30 But that there is this jewel in the world
31 That I may see again.
32 POSTHUMUS.
33 My queen! my mistress!
34 O lady, weep no more, lest I give cause
35 To be suspected of more tenderness
36 Than doth become a man. I will remain
37 The loyal’st husband that did e’er plight troth;
38 My residence in Rome at one Philario’s,
39 Who to my father was a friend, to me
40 Known but by letter; thither write, my queen,
41 And with mine eyes I’ll drink the words you send,
42 Though ink be made of gall.
43 Enter Queen.
44 QUEEN.
45 Be brief, I pray you.
46 If the King come, I shall incur I know not
47 How much of his displeasure. [_Aside._] Yet I’ll move him
48 To walk this way. I never do him wrong
49 But he does buy my injuries, to be friends;
50 Pays dear for my offences.
51 [_Exit._]
52 POSTHUMUS.
53 Should we be taking leave
54 As long a term as yet we have to live,
55 The loathness to depart would grow. Adieu!
56 IMOGEN.
57 Nay, stay a little.
58 Were you but riding forth to air yourself,
59 Such parting were too petty. Look here, love:
60 This diamond was my mother’s; take it, heart;
61 But keep it till you woo another wife,
62 When Imogen is dead.
63 POSTHUMUS.
64 How, how? Another?
65 You gentle gods, give me but this I have,
66 And sear up my embracements from a next
67 With bonds of death! Remain, remain thou here
68 [_Puts on the ring._]
69 While sense can keep it on. And, sweetest, fairest,
70 As I my poor self did exchange for you,
71 To your so infinite loss, so in our trifles
72 I still win of you. For my sake wear this;
73 It is a manacle of love; I’ll place it
74 Upon this fairest prisoner.
75 [_Puts a bracelet on her arm._]
76 IMOGEN.
77 O the gods!
78 When shall we see again?
79 Enter Cymbeline and Lords.
80 POSTHUMUS.
81 Alack, the King!
82 CYMBELINE.
83 Thou basest thing, avoid; hence from my sight
84 If after this command thou fraught the court
85 With thy unworthiness, thou diest. Away!
86 Thou’rt poison to my blood.
87 POSTHUMUS.
88 The gods protect you,
89 And bless the good remainders of the court!
90 I am gone.
91 [_Exit._]
92 IMOGEN.
93 There cannot be a pinch in death
94 More sharp than this is.
95 CYMBELINE.
96 O disloyal thing,
97 That shouldst repair my youth, thou heap’st
98 A year’s age on me!
99 IMOGEN.
100 I beseech you, sir,
101 Harm not yourself with your vexation.
102 I am senseless of your wrath; a touch more rare
103 Subdues all pangs, all fears.
104 CYMBELINE.
105 Past grace? obedience?
106 IMOGEN.
107 Past hope, and in despair; that way past grace.
108 CYMBELINE.
109 That mightst have had the sole son of my queen!
110 IMOGEN.
111 O blessed that I might not! I chose an eagle,
112 And did avoid a puttock.
113 CYMBELINE.
114 Thou took’st a beggar, wouldst have made my throne
115 A seat for baseness.
116 IMOGEN.
117 No; I rather added
118 A lustre to it.
119 CYMBELINE.
120 O thou vile one!
121 IMOGEN.
122 Sir,
123 It is your fault that I have lov’d Posthumus.
124 You bred him as my playfellow, and he is
125 A man worth any woman; overbuys me
126 Almost the sum he pays.
127 CYMBELINE.
128 What, art thou mad?
129 IMOGEN.
130 Almost, sir. Heaven restore me! Would I were
131 A neat-herd’s daughter, and my Leonatus
132 Our neighbour shepherd’s son!
133 Enter Queen.
134 CYMBELINE.
135 Thou foolish thing!
136 [_To the Queen._] They were again together. You have done
137 Not after our command. Away with her,
138 And pen her up.
139 QUEEN.
140 Beseech your patience. Peace,
141 Dear lady daughter, peace!—Sweet sovereign,
142 Leave us to ourselves, and make yourself some comfort
143 Out of your best advice.
144 CYMBELINE.
145 Nay, let her languish
146 A drop of blood a day and, being aged,
147 Die of this folly.
148 [_Exit with Lords._]
149 Enter Pisanio.
150 QUEEN.
151 Fie! you must give way.
152 Here is your servant. How now, sir! What news?
153 PISANIO.
154 My lord your son drew on my master.
155 QUEEN.
156 Ha!
157 No harm, I trust, is done?
158 PISANIO.
159 There might have been,
160 But that my master rather play’d than fought,
161 And had no help of anger; they were parted
162 By gentlemen at hand.
163 QUEEN.
164 I am very glad on’t.
165 IMOGEN.
166 Your son’s my father’s friend; he takes his part
167 To draw upon an exile! O brave sir!
168 I would they were in Afric both together;
169 Myself by with a needle, that I might prick
170 The goer-back. Why came you from your master?
171 PISANIO.
172 On his command. He would not suffer me
173 To bring him to the haven; left these notes
174 Of what commands I should be subject to,
175 When’t pleas’d you to employ me.
176 QUEEN.
177 This hath been
178 Your faithful servant. I dare lay mine honour
179 He will remain so.
180 PISANIO.
181 I humbly thank your Highness.
182 QUEEN.
183 Pray walk awhile.
184 IMOGEN.
185 About some half-hour hence,
186 Pray you speak with me.
187 You shall at least go see my lord aboard.
188 For this time leave me.
189 [_Exeunt._]