Cymbeline

1 Enter Posthumus and Philario.
2 POSTHUMUS.
3 Fear it not, sir; I would I were so sure
4 To win the King as I am bold her honour
5 Will remain hers.
6 PHILARIO.
7 What means do you make to him?
8 POSTHUMUS.
9 Not any; but abide the change of time,
10 Quake in the present winter’s state, and wish
11 That warmer days would come. In these fear’d hopes
12 I barely gratify your love; they failing,
13 I must die much your debtor.
14 PHILARIO.
15 Your very goodness and your company
16 O’erpays all I can do. By this your king
17 Hath heard of great Augustus. Caius Lucius
18 Will do’s commission throughly; and I think
19 He’ll grant the tribute, send th’ arrearages,
20 Or look upon our Romans, whose remembrance
21 Is yet fresh in their grief.
22 POSTHUMUS.
23 I do believe
24 Statist though I am none, nor like to be,
25 That this will prove a war; and you shall hear
26 The legions now in Gallia sooner landed
27 In our not-fearing Britain than have tidings
28 Of any penny tribute paid. Our countrymen
29 Are men more order’d than when Julius Cæsar
30 Smil’d at their lack of skill, but found their courage
31 Worthy his frowning at. Their discipline,
32 Now mingled with their courages, will make known
33 To their approvers they are people such
34 That mend upon the world.
35 Enter Iachimo.
36 PHILARIO.
37 See! Iachimo!
38 POSTHUMUS.
39 The swiftest harts have posted you by land,
40 And winds of all the corners kiss’d your sails,
41 To make your vessel nimble.
42 PHILARIO.
43 Welcome, sir.
44 POSTHUMUS.
45 I hope the briefness of your answer made
46 The speediness of your return.
47 IACHIMO.
48 Your lady
49 Is one of the fairest that I have look’d upon.
50 POSTHUMUS.
51 And therewithal the best; or let her beauty
52 Look through a casement to allure false hearts,
53 And be false with them.
54 IACHIMO.
55 Here are letters for you.
56 POSTHUMUS.
57 Their tenour good, I trust.
58 IACHIMO.
59 ’Tis very like.
60 PHILARIO.
61 Was Caius Lucius in the Britain court
62 When you were there?
63 IACHIMO.
64 He was expected then,
65 But not approach’d.
66 POSTHUMUS.
67 All is well yet.
68 Sparkles this stone as it was wont, or is’t not
69 Too dull for your good wearing?
70 IACHIMO.
71 If I have lost it,
72 I should have lost the worth of it in gold.
73 I’ll make a journey twice as far t’ enjoy
74 A second night of such sweet shortness which
75 Was mine in Britain; for the ring is won.
76 POSTHUMUS.
77 The stone’s too hard to come by.
78 IACHIMO.
79 Not a whit,
80 Your lady being so easy.
81 POSTHUMUS.
82 Make not, sir,
83 Your loss your sport. I hope you know that we
84 Must not continue friends.
85 IACHIMO.
86 Good sir, we must,
87 If you keep covenant. Had I not brought
88 The knowledge of your mistress home, I grant
89 We were to question farther; but I now
90 Profess myself the winner of her honour,
91 Together with your ring; and not the wronger
92 Of her or you, having proceeded but
93 By both your wills.
94 POSTHUMUS.
95 If you can make’t apparent
96 That you have tasted her in bed, my hand
97 And ring is yours. If not, the foul opinion
98 You had of her pure honour gains or loses
99 Your sword or mine, or masterless leaves both
100 To who shall find them.
101 IACHIMO.
102 Sir, my circumstances,
103 Being so near the truth as I will make them,
104 Must first induce you to believe; whose strength
105 I will confirm with oath; which I doubt not
106 You’ll give me leave to spare when you shall find
107 You need it not.
108 POSTHUMUS.
109 Proceed.
110 IACHIMO.
111 First, her bedchamber,
112 (Where I confess I slept not, but profess
113 Had that was well worth watching) it was hang’d
114 With tapestry of silk and silver; the story,
115 Proud Cleopatra when she met her Roman
116 And Cydnus swell’d above the banks, or for
117 The press of boats or pride. A piece of work
118 So bravely done, so rich, that it did strive
119 In workmanship and value; which I wonder’d
120 Could be so rarely and exactly wrought,
121 Since the true life on’t was—
122 POSTHUMUS.
123 This is true;
124 And this you might have heard of here, by me
125 Or by some other.
126 IACHIMO.
127 More particulars
128 Must justify my knowledge.
129 POSTHUMUS.
130 So they must,
131 Or do your honour injury.
132 IACHIMO.
133 The chimney
134 Is south the chamber, and the chimneypiece
135 Chaste Dian bathing. Never saw I figures
136 So likely to report themselves. The cutter
137 Was as another nature, dumb; outwent her,
138 Motion and breath left out.
139 POSTHUMUS.
140 This is a thing
141 Which you might from relation likewise reap,
142 Being, as it is, much spoke of.
143 IACHIMO.
144 The roof o’ th’ chamber
145 With golden cherubins is fretted; her andirons
146 (I had forgot them) were two winking Cupids
147 Of silver, each on one foot standing, nicely
148 Depending on their brands.
149 POSTHUMUS.
150 This is her honour!
151 Let it be granted you have seen all this, and praise
152 Be given to your remembrance; the description
153 Of what is in her chamber nothing saves
154 The wager you have laid.
155 IACHIMO.
156 Then, if you can, [_Shows the bracelet_]
157 Be pale. I beg but leave to air this jewel. See!
158 And now ’tis up again. It must be married
159 To that your diamond; I’ll keep them.
160 POSTHUMUS.
161 Jove!
162 Once more let me behold it. Is it that
163 Which I left with her?
164 IACHIMO.
165 Sir (I thank her) that.
166 She stripp’d it from her arm; I see her yet;
167 Her pretty action did outsell her gift,
168 And yet enrich’d it too. She gave it me, and said
169 She priz’d it once.
170 POSTHUMUS.
171 May be she pluck’d it off
172 To send it me.
173 IACHIMO.
174 She writes so to you, doth she?
175 POSTHUMUS.
176 O, no, no, no! ’tis true. Here, take this too;
177 [_Gives the ring._]
178 It is a basilisk unto mine eye,
179 Kills me to look on’t. Let there be no honour
180 Where there is beauty; truth where semblance; love
181 Where there’s another man. The vows of women
182 Of no more bondage be to where they are made
183 Than they are to their virtues, which is nothing.
184 O, above measure false!
185 PHILARIO.
186 Have patience, sir,
187 And take your ring again; ’tis not yet won.
188 It may be probable she lost it, or
189 Who knows if one her women, being corrupted
190 Hath stol’n it from her?
191 POSTHUMUS.
192 Very true;
193 And so I hope he came by’t. Back my ring.
194 Render to me some corporal sign about her,
195 More evident than this; for this was stol’n.
196 IACHIMO.
197 By Jupiter, I had it from her arm!
198 POSTHUMUS.
199 Hark you, he swears; by Jupiter he swears.
200 ’Tis true, nay, keep the ring, ’tis true. I am sure
201 She would not lose it. Her attendants are
202 All sworn and honourable:—they induc’d to steal it!
203 And by a stranger! No, he hath enjoy’d her.
204 The cognizance of her incontinency
205 Is this: she hath bought the name of whore thus dearly.
206 There, take thy hire; and all the fiends of hell
207 Divide themselves between you!
208 PHILARIO.
209 Sir, be patient;
210 This is not strong enough to be believ’d
211 Of one persuaded well of.
212 POSTHUMUS.
213 Never talk on’t;
214 She hath been colted by him.
215 IACHIMO.
216 If you seek
217 For further satisfying, under her breast
218 (Worthy the pressing) lies a mole, right proud
219 Of that most delicate lodging. By my life,
220 I kiss’d it; and it gave me present hunger
221 To feed again, though full. You do remember
222 This stain upon her?
223 POSTHUMUS.
224 Ay, and it doth confirm
225 Another stain, as big as hell can hold,
226 Were there no more but it.
227 IACHIMO.
228 Will you hear more?
229 POSTHUMUS.
230 Spare your arithmetic; never count the turns.
231 Once, and a million!
232 IACHIMO.
233 I’ll be sworn—
234 POSTHUMUS.
235 No swearing.
236 If you will swear you have not done’t, you lie;
237 And I will kill thee if thou dost deny
238 Thou’st made me cuckold.
239 IACHIMO.
240 I’ll deny nothing.
241 POSTHUMUS.
242 O that I had her here to tear her limb-meal!
243 I will go there and do’t, i’ th’ court, before
244 Her father. I’ll do something—
245 [_Exit._]
246 PHILARIO.
247 Quite besides
248 The government of patience! You have won.
249 Let’s follow him and pervert the present wrath
250 He hath against himself.
251 IACHIMO.
252 With all my heart.
253 [_Exeunt._]