Cymbeline

1 Enter Pisanio and Imogen.
2 IMOGEN.
3 Thou told’st me, when we came from horse, the place
4 Was near at hand. Ne’er long’d my mother so
5 To see me first as I have now. Pisanio! Man!
6 Where is Posthumus? What is in thy mind
7 That makes thee stare thus? Wherefore breaks that sigh
8 From th’ inward of thee? One but painted thus
9 Would be interpreted a thing perplex’d
10 Beyond self-explication. Put thyself
11 Into a haviour of less fear, ere wildness
12 Vanquish my staider senses. What’s the matter?
13 Why tender’st thou that paper to me with
14 A look untender? If’t be summer news,
15 Smile to’t before; if winterly, thou need’st
16 But keep that count’nance still. My husband’s hand?
17 That drug-damn’d Italy hath out-craftied him,
18 And he’s at some hard point. Speak, man; thy tongue
19 May take off some extremity, which to read
20 Would be even mortal to me.
21 PISANIO.
22 Please you read,
23 And you shall find me, wretched man, a thing
24 The most disdain’d of fortune.
25 IMOGEN.
26 [_Reads._] _Thy mistress, Pisanio, hath play’d the strumpet in my bed,
27 the testimonies whereof lie bleeding in me. I speak not out of weak
28 surmises, but from proof as strong as my grief and as certain as I
29 expect my revenge. That part thou, Pisanio, must act for me, if thy
30 faith be not tainted with the breach of hers. Let thine own hands take
31 away her life; I shall give thee opportunity at Milford Haven; she hath
32 my letter for the purpose; where, if thou fear to strike, and to make
33 me certain it is done, thou art the pandar to her dishonour, and
34 equally to me disloyal._
35 PISANIO.
36 What shall I need to draw my sword? The paper
37 Hath cut her throat already. No, ’tis slander,
38 Whose edge is sharper than the sword, whose tongue
39 Outvenoms all the worms of Nile, whose breath
40 Rides on the posting winds and doth belie
41 All corners of the world. Kings, queens, and states,
42 Maids, matrons, nay, the secrets of the grave,
43 This viperous slander enters. What cheer, madam?
44 IMOGEN.
45 False to his bed? What is it to be false?
46 To lie in watch there, and to think on him?
47 To weep twixt clock and clock? If sleep charge nature,
48 To break it with a fearful dream of him,
49 And cry myself awake? That’s false to’s bed,
50 Is it?
51 PISANIO.
52 Alas, good lady!
53 IMOGEN.
54 I false! Thy conscience witness! Iachimo,
55 Thou didst accuse him of incontinency;
56 Thou then look’dst like a villain; now, methinks,
57 Thy favour’s good enough. Some jay of Italy,
58 Whose mother was her painting, hath betray’d him.
59 Poor I am stale, a garment out of fashion,
60 And for I am richer than to hang by th’ walls
61 I must be ripp’d. To pieces with me! O,
62 Men’s vows are women’s traitors! All good seeming,
63 By thy revolt, O husband, shall be thought
64 Put on for villainy; not born where’t grows,
65 But worn a bait for ladies.
66 PISANIO.
67 Good madam, hear me.
68 IMOGEN.
69 True honest men being heard, like false Æneas,
70 Were, in his time, thought false; and Sinon’s weeping
71 Did scandal many a holy tear, took pity
72 From most true wretchedness. So thou, Posthumus,
73 Wilt lay the leaven on all proper men:
74 Goodly and gallant shall be false and perjur’d
75 From thy great fail. Come, fellow, be thou honest;
76 Do thou thy master’s bidding; when thou seest him,
77 A little witness my obedience. Look!
78 I draw the sword myself; take it, and hit
79 The innocent mansion of my love, my heart.
80 Fear not; ’tis empty of all things but grief;
81 Thy master is not there, who was indeed
82 The riches of it. Do his bidding; strike.
83 Thou mayst be valiant in a better cause,
84 But now thou seem’st a coward.
85 PISANIO.
86 Hence, vile instrument!
87 Thou shalt not damn my hand.
88 IMOGEN.
89 Why, I must die;
90 And if I do not by thy hand, thou art
91 No servant of thy master’s. Against self-slaughter
92 There is a prohibition so divine
93 That cravens my weak hand. Come, here’s my heart:
94 Something’s afore’t. Soft, soft! we’ll no defence,
95 Obedient as the scabbard. What is here?
96 The scriptures of the loyal Leonatus
97 All turn’d to heresy? Away, away,
98 Corrupters of my faith, you shall no more
99 Be stomachers to my heart. Thus may poor fools
100 Believe false teachers; though those that are betray’d
101 Do feel the treason sharply, yet the traitor
102 Stands in worse case of woe. And thou, Posthumus,
103 That didst set up my disobedience ’gainst the King
104 My father, and make me put into contempt the suits
105 Of princely fellows, shalt hereafter find
106 It is no act of common passage but
107 A strain of rareness; and I grieve myself
108 To think, when thou shalt be disedg’d by her
109 That now thou tirest on, how thy memory
110 Will then be pang’d by me. Prithee dispatch.
111 The lamb entreats the butcher. Where’s thy knife?
112 Thou art too slow to do thy master’s bidding,
113 When I desire it too.
114 PISANIO.
115 O gracious lady,
116 Since I receiv’d command to do this busines
117 I have not slept one wink.
118 IMOGEN.
119 Do’t, and to bed then.
120 PISANIO.
121 I’ll wake mine eyeballs first.
122 IMOGEN.
123 Wherefore then
124 Didst undertake it? Why hast thou abus’d
125 So many miles with a pretence? This place?
126 Mine action and thine own? our horses’ labour?
127 The time inviting thee? The perturb’d court,
128 For my being absent? whereunto I never
129 Purpose return. Why hast thou gone so far
130 To be unbent when thou hast ta’en thy stand,
131 Th’ elected deer before thee?
132 PISANIO.
133 But to win time
134 To lose so bad employment, in the which
135 I have consider’d of a course. Good lady,
136 Hear me with patience.
137 IMOGEN.
138 Talk thy tongue weary, speak.
139 I have heard I am a strumpet, and mine ear,
140 Therein false struck, can take no greater wound,
141 Nor tent to bottom that. But speak.
142 PISANIO.
143 Then, madam,
144 I thought you would not back again.
145 IMOGEN.
146 Most like,
147 Bringing me here to kill me.
148 PISANIO.
149 Not so, neither;
150 But if I were as wise as honest, then
151 My purpose would prove well. It cannot be
152 But that my master is abus’d. Some villain,
153 Ay, and singular in his art, hath done you both
154 This cursed injury.
155 IMOGEN.
156 Some Roman courtezan!
157 PISANIO.
158 No, on my life!
159 I’ll give but notice you are dead, and send him
160 Some bloody sign of it, for ’tis commanded
161 I should do so. You shall be miss’d at court,
162 And that will well confirm it.
163 IMOGEN.
164 Why, good fellow,
165 What shall I do the while? Where bide? How live?
166 Or in my life what comfort, when I am
167 Dead to my husband?
168 PISANIO.
169 If you’ll back to th’ court—
170 IMOGEN.
171 No court, no father, nor no more ado
172 With that harsh, noble, simple nothing,
173 That Cloten, whose love-suit hath been to me
174 As fearful as a siege.
175 PISANIO.
176 If not at court,
177 Then not in Britain must you bide.
178 IMOGEN.
179 Where then?
180 Hath Britain all the sun that shines? Day, night,
181 Are they not but in Britain? I’ th’ world’s volume
182 Our Britain seems as of it, but not in’t;
183 In a great pool a swan’s nest. Prithee think
184 There’s livers out of Britain.
185 PISANIO.
186 I am most glad
187 You think of other place. Th’ ambassador,
188 Lucius the Roman, comes to Milford Haven
189 Tomorrow. Now, if you could wear a mind
190 Dark as your fortune is, and but disguise
191 That which t’ appear itself must not yet be
192 But by self-danger, you should tread a course
193 Pretty and full of view; yea, happily, near
194 The residence of Posthumus; so nigh, at least,
195 That though his actions were not visible, yet
196 Report should render him hourly to your ear
197 As truly as he moves.
198 IMOGEN.
199 O! for such means,
200 Though peril to my modesty, not death on’t,
201 I would adventure.
202 PISANIO.
203 Well then, here’s the point:
204 You must forget to be a woman; change
205 Command into obedience; fear and niceness
206 (The handmaids of all women, or, more truly,
207 Woman it pretty self) into a waggish courage;
208 Ready in gibes, quick-answer’d, saucy, and
209 As quarrelous as the weasel. Nay, you must
210 Forget that rarest treasure of your cheek,
211 Exposing it (but, O, the harder heart!
212 Alack, no remedy) to the greedy touch
213 Of common-kissing Titan, and forget
214 Your laboursome and dainty trims wherein
215 You made great Juno angry.
216 IMOGEN.
217 Nay, be brief;
218 I see into thy end, and am almost
219 A man already.
220 PISANIO.
221 First, make yourself but like one.
222 Fore-thinking this, I have already fit
223 (’Tis in my cloak-bag) doublet, hat, hose, all
224 That answer to them. Would you, in their serving,
225 And with what imitation you can borrow
226 From youth of such a season, ’fore noble Lucius
227 Present yourself, desire his service, tell him
228 Wherein you’re happy; which will make him know
229 If that his head have ear in music; doubtless
230 With joy he will embrace you; for he’s honourable,
231 And, doubling that, most holy. Your means abroad:
232 You have me, rich; and I will never fail
233 Beginning nor supplyment.
234 IMOGEN.
235 Thou art all the comfort
236 The gods will diet me with. Prithee away!
237 There’s more to be consider’d; but we’ll even
238 All that good time will give us. This attempt
239 I am soldier to, and will abide it with
240 A prince’s courage. Away, I prithee.
241 PISANIO.
242 Well, madam, we must take a short farewell,
243 Lest, being miss’d, I be suspected of
244 Your carriage from the court. My noble mistress,
245 Here is a box; I had it from the Queen.
246 What’s in’t is precious. If you are sick at sea
247 Or stomach-qualm’d at land, a dram of this
248 Will drive away distemper. To some shade,
249 And fit you to your manhood. May the gods
250 Direct you to the best!
251 IMOGEN.
252 Amen. I thank thee.
253 [_Exeunt severally._]