Cymbeline

1 Enter Belarius, Guiderius and Arviragus.
2 GUIDERIUS.
3 The noise is round about us.
4 BELARIUS.
5 Let us from it.
6 ARVIRAGUS.
7 What pleasure, sir, find we in life, to lock it
8 From action and adventure?
9 GUIDERIUS.
10 Nay, what hope
11 Have we in hiding us? This way the Romans
12 Must or for Britons slay us, or receive us
13 For barbarous and unnatural revolts
14 During their use, and slay us after.
15 BELARIUS.
16 Sons,
17 We’ll higher to the mountains; there secure us.
18 To the King’s party there’s no going. Newness
19 Of Cloten’s death (we being not known, not muster’d
20 Among the bands) may drive us to a render
21 Where we have liv’d, and so extort from’s that
22 Which we have done, whose answer would be death,
23 Drawn on with torture.
24 GUIDERIUS.
25 This is, sir, a doubt
26 In such a time nothing becoming you
27 Nor satisfying us.
28 ARVIRAGUS.
29 It is not likely
30 That when they hear the Roman horses neigh,
31 Behold their quarter’d fires, have both their eyes
32 And ears so cloy’d importantly as now,
33 That they will waste their time upon our note,
34 To know from whence we are.
35 BELARIUS.
36 O, I am known
37 Of many in the army. Many years,
38 Though Cloten then but young, you see, not wore him
39 From my remembrance. And, besides, the King
40 Hath not deserv’d my service nor your loves,
41 Who find in my exile the want of breeding,
42 The certainty of this hard life; aye hopeless
43 To have the courtesy your cradle promis’d,
44 But to be still hot summer’s tanlings and
45 The shrinking slaves of winter.
46 GUIDERIUS.
47 Than be so,
48 Better to cease to be. Pray, sir, to th’ army.
49 I and my brother are not known; yourself
50 So out of thought, and thereto so o’ergrown,
51 Cannot be questioned.
52 ARVIRAGUS.
53 By this sun that shines,
54 I’ll thither. What thing is’t that I never
55 Did see man die! scarce ever look’d on blood
56 But that of coward hares, hot goats, and venison!
57 Never bestrid a horse, save one that had
58 A rider like myself, who ne’er wore rowel
59 Nor iron on his heel! I am asham’d
60 To look upon the holy sun, to have
61 The benefit of his blest beams, remaining
62 So long a poor unknown.
63 GUIDERIUS.
64 By heavens, I’ll go!
65 If you will bless me, sir, and give me leave,
66 I’ll take the better care; but if you will not,
67 The hazard therefore due fall on me by
68 The hands of Romans!
69 ARVIRAGUS.
70 So say I. Amen.
71 BELARIUS.
72 No reason I, since of your lives you set
73 So slight a valuation, should reserve
74 My crack’d one to more care. Have with you, boys!
75 If in your country wars you chance to die,
76 That is my bed too, lads, and there I’ll lie.
77 Lead, lead. [_Aside._] The time seems long; their blood thinks scorn
78 Till it fly out and show them princes born.
79 [_Exeunt._]