I’ll do something.
Exit
PHILARIO Quite besides189
The government190 of patience. You have won:
Let’s follow him and pervert191 the present wrath
He hath against himself.
IACHIMO With all my heart.
Exeunt
Enter Posthumus
POSTHUMUS Is there no way for men to be, but women
Must be half-workers? We are all bastards195,
And that most venerable196 man, which I
Did call my father, was I know not where
When I was stamped. Some coiner198 with his tools
Made me a counterfeit: yet my mother seemed
The Dian of that time: so doth my wife
The nonpareil201 of this. O, vengeance, vengeance!
Me of my lawful pleasure202 she restrained,
And prayed me oft forbearance203: did it with
A pudency so rosy, the sweet view on’t204
Might well have warmed old Saturn205, that I thought her
As chaste as unsunned snow. O, all the devils!
This yellow207 Iachimo in an hour — wast not? —
Or less — at first?208 Perchance he spoke not, but
Like a full-acorned boar, a German209 one,
Cried ‘O!’ and mounted; found no opposition
But what he looked for211 should oppose, and she
Should from encounter212 guard. Could I find out
The woman’s part in me — for there’s no motion213
That tends to vice in man, but I affirm
It is the woman’s part: be it lying, note it,
The woman’s: flattering, hers: deceiving, hers:
Lust and rank217 thoughts, hers, hers: revenges, hers:
Ambitions, covetings, change of prides218, disdain,
Nice longing, slanders, mutability219,
All faults that may be named, nay, that hell knows,
Why, hers, in part or all: but rather all,
For even to vice
They are not constant, but are changing still223
One vice, but of224 a minute old, for one
Not half so225 old as that. I’ll write against them,
Detest them, curse them: yet ’tis greater skill226
In a true hate, to pray they have their will227:
The very devils cannot plague them better.
Exit
running scene 7
Enter in state Cymbeline, Queen, Cloten and Lords at one door, and at another, Caius Lucius and Attendants
CYMBELINE Now say, what would Augustus Caesar with us?
LUCIUS When Julius Caesar — whose remembrance yet2
Lives in men’s eyes and will to ears and tongues
Be theme4 and hearing ever — was in this Britain
And conquered it, Cassibelan, thine uncle —
Famous in Caesar’s praises no whit less6
Than in his feats deserving it — for him7,
And his succession, granted Rome a tribute,
Yearly three thousand pounds9, which by thee lately
Is left untendered.10
QUEEN And to kill the marvel11,
Shall be so ever.
CLOTEN There be13 many Caesars
Ere such another Julius: Britain’s
A world by itself, and we will nothing pay
For wearing our own noses.
QUEEN That opportunity
Which then they had to take from’s, to resume18
We have again. Remember, sir, my liege19,
The kings your ancestors, together with
The natural bravery of your isle21, which stands
As Neptune’s park, ribbed and paled in22
With oaks unscalable and roaring waters,
With sands that will not bear24 your enemies’ boats,
But suck them up to th’topmast.25 A kind of conquest
Caesar made here, but made not here his brag
Of ‘came, and saw, and overcame’27: with shame —
The first that ever touched him — he was carried
From off our coast, twice beaten: and his shipping —
Poor ignorant baubles30 — on our terrible seas
Like eggshells moved upon their surges, cracked
As easily gainst our rocks. For joy whereof
The famed Cassibelan, who was once at point33—
O giglot fortune! — to master34 Caesar’s sword,
Made Lud’s town35 with rejoicing fires bright,
And Britons strut with courage.
CLOTEN Come, there’s no more tribute to be paid: our
kingdom is stronger than it was at that time, and, as I said,
there is no more such Caesars. Other of them may have
crooked noses, but to owe such straight40 arms, none.
CYMBELINE Son, let your mother end.
CLOTEN We have yet many among us can grip42 as hard as
Cassibelan: I do not say I am one, but I have a hand. Why
tribute? Why should we pay tribute? If Caesar can hide the
sun from us with a blanket, or put the moon in his pocket, we
will pay him tribute for light: else46, sir, no more tribute, pray
you now.
To Lucius
CYMBELINE You must know,
Till the injurious49 Romans did extort
This tribute from us, we were free. Caesar’s ambition,
Which swelled so much that it did almost stretch
The sides o’th’world, against all colour52 here
Did put the yoke upon’s; which to shake off
Becomes54 a warlike people, whom we reckon
Ourselves to be. We do say then to Caesar,
Our ancestor was that Mulmutius which56
Ordained our laws, whose use57 the sword of Caesar
Hath too much mangled, whose repair and franchise58
Shall, by the power we hold, be our good deed,
Though Rome be therefore angry. Mulmutius made our laws
Who was the first of Britain which did put
His brows within a golden crown and called
Himself a king.
LUCIUS I am sorry, Cymbeline,
That I am to pronounce Augustus Caesar —
Caesar, that hath more kings his servants than
Thyself domestic officers — thine enemy:
Receive it from me, then. War and confusion68
In Caesar’s name pronounce69 I gainst thee: look
For fury not to be resisted. Thus defied70,
I thank thee for myself.
CYMBELINE Thou art welcome, Caius.
Thy Caesar knighted me; my youth I spent
Much under him: of him I gathered honour,
Which he to seek of me again, perforce75,
Behoves me keep at utterance. I am perfect76
That the Pannonians and Dalmatians77 for
Their liberties are now in arms, a precedent78
Which not to read would show the Britons cold79:
So Caesar shall not find them.
LUCIUS Let proof speak.81
CLOTEN His majesty bids you welcome. Make pastime82 with
us a day or two, or longer: if you seek us afterwards in other
terms, you shall find us in our saltwater girdle84: if you beat us
out of it, it is yours: if you fall in the adventure, our crows85
shall fare the better for you: and there’s an end.
LUCIUS So87, sir.
CYMBELINE I know your master’s pleasure88, and he mine:
All the remain89 is ‘Welcome’.
Exeunt
Act 3 Scene 2
running scene 7 continues
Enter Pisanio, reading of a letter
PISANIO How? Of adultery? Wherefore1 write you not
What monster’s her accuser? Leonatus,
O master, what a strange infection
Is fall’n into thy ear! What false Italian,
As poisonous-tongued as handed5, hath prevailed
On thy too ready hearing? Disloyal? No.
She’s punished for her truth, and undergoes7,
More goddess-like than wife-like, such assaults
As would take in some virtue.9 O my master,
Thy mind to her is now as low as were
Thy fortunes. How? That I should murder her,
Upon12 the love and truth and vows which I
Have made to thy command? I, her? Her blood?
If it be so to do good service, never
Let me be counted serviceable. How look I,
That I should seem to lack humanity
Reads
So much as this fact17 comes to? ‘Do’t: the letter
That I have sent her, by her own command
Shall give thee opportunity.’ O damned paper,
Black as the ink that’s on thee! Senseless bauble20,
Art thou a fedary21 for this act, and look’st
So virgin-like without? Lo, here she comes.
Enter Innogen
I am ignorant in23 what I am commanded.
INNOGEN How now, Pisanio?
PISANIO Madam, here is a letter from my lord.
INNOGEN Who, thy lord? That is my lord, Leonatus!
O, learned indeed were that astronomer27
That knew the stars as I his characters28 —
He’d lay the future open. You good gods,
Let what is here contained relish30 of love,
Of my lord’s health, of his content: yet not31
That we two are asunder, let that grieve him;
Some griefs are med’cinable33, that is one of them,
For it doth physic love34: of his content,
All but in that. Good wax, thy leave35: blest be
Opens the seal
You bees that make these locks of counsel!36 Lovers
And men in dangerous bonds pray not alike:
Though forfeiters38 you cast in prison, yet
You clasp young Cupid’s tables.39 Good news, gods!
Reads
‘Justice and your father’s wrath, should he take me in his
dominion, could not be so cruel to me, as you, O the dearest
of creatures, would even renew42 me with your eyes. Take
notice that I am in Cambria, at Milford Haven43: what your
own love will out of this advise you, follow. So he wishes you
all happiness, that remains loyal to his vow, and your
increasing in love, Leonatus Posthumus.’
O, for a horse with wings! Hear’st thou, Pisanio?
He is at Milford Haven: read, and tell me
How far ’tis thither. If one of mean affairs49
May plod it in a week, why may not I
Glide thither in a day? Then, true Pisanio,
Who long’st like me to see thy lord; who long’st —
O, let me bate53 — but not like me: yet long’st
But in a fainter kind.54 O, not like me,
For mine’s beyond, beyond: say, and speak thick55 —
Love’s counsellor should fill the bores of hearing56,
To th’smothering57 of the sense — how far it is
To this same blessèd Milford. And by th’way58
Tell me how Wales was made so happy as
T’inherit such a haven. But first of all,
How we may steal61 from hence: and for the gap
That we shall make in time, from our hence-going
And our return, to excuse: but first, how get hence.63
Why should excuse be born or e’er begot?64
We’ll talk of that hereafter. Prithee, speak,
How many score of miles may we well66 ride
’Twixt hour and hour?67
PISANIO One score ’twixt sun and sun68,
Madam, ’s enough for you: and too much too.
INNOGEN Why, one that rode to’s execution, man,
Could never go so slow: I have heard of riding wagers71,
Where horses have been nimbler than the sands
That run i’th’clock’s behalf.73 But this is foolery:
Go, bid my woman feign74 a sickness, say
She’ll home to her father; and provide me presently75
A riding-suit, no costlier than would fit76
A franklin77’s housewife.
PISANIO Madam, you’re best78 consider.
INNOGEN I see before me, man: nor79 here, nor here,
Nor what ensues, but80 have a fog in them
That I cannot look through. Away, I prithee,
Do as I bid thee: there’s no more to say:
Accessible is none83 but Milford way.
Exeunt
running scene 8
Enter Belarius, Guiderius and Arviragus
From their cave
BELARIUS A goodly day not to keep house with such1
Whose roof’s as low as ours. Stoop, boys: this gate2
Instructs you how t’adore the heavens3, and bows you
To a morning’s holy office.4 The gates of monarchs
Are arched so high that giants may jet5 through
And keep their impious turbans6 on, without
Good morrow to the sun. Hail, thou fair heaven!
We house i’th’rock, yet use thee not so hardly8
As prouder livers9 do.
GUIDERIUS Hail, heaven!
ARVIRAGUS Hail, heaven!
BELARIUS Now for our mountain sport. Up to yond hill,
Your legs are young: I’ll tread these flats.13 Consider,
When you above perceive me like a crow,
That it is place which lessens and sets off15,
And you may then revolve16 what tales I have told you
Of courts, of princes, of the tricks17 in war.
This service is not service, so being done,
But being so allowed. To apprehend thus19
Draws us a profit from all things we see:
And often, to our comfort, shall we find
The sharded beetle in a safer hold22
Than is the full-winged eagle.
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