Cleo. O, break! O, break! Char. O Antony !-Nay, I will take thee too: - Now boast thee, Death! in thy possession lies Of eyes again so royal! Your crown's awry; Enter the Guard, rushing in. 1 Guard. Where is the queen? Char. 1 Guard. Cæsar hath sentChar. Cæs. O noble weakness!- Too slow a messenger. [Applies the asp. O, come; apace, despatch: I partly feel thee. 1 Guard. Approach, ho! All's not well: Cæsar's beguil'd. 2 Guard. There's Dolabella sent from Cæsar:call him. 1 Guard. What work is here?- Charmian, is this well done? 1 Guard. This is an aspic's trail: and these fig Have slime upon them, such as the aspic leaves Char. It is well done, and fitting for a princess Descended of so many royal kings. Ah, soldier! Caesar, thy thoughts Touch their effects in this: Thyself art coming Within. A way there, a way for Caesar! No grave upon the earth shall clip in it Brought them to be lamented. Our army shall, [Exeuni CYMBELINE DRAMATIS PERSONA. CYMBELINE, King of Britain. GUIDERIUS, son to Cymbeline, disguised under the SCENE I.-Britain. A Roman Captain. Two Gentlemen of Cymbeline's Court. QUEEN, wife to Cymbeline. HELEN, woman to Imogen. Lords, Ladies, Roman Senatora, Tribunes, Apparitions, a Soothsayer, Musicians, Officers, Captains, Soldiers, Messengers, and other Attendants. SCENE-Sometimes in Britain; sometimes in Rome. ACT L The Garden behind Enter two Gentlemen. 1 Gent. You do not meet a man but frowns: our No more obey the heavens, than our courtiers 2 Gent. But what's the matter? 1 Gent. His daughter, and the heir of his king- He purpos'd to his wife's sole son (a widow, None but the king? 2 Gent. That most desir'd the match: But not a courtier, 2 Gent. And why so? 1 Gent. He that hath miss'd the princess is a Too bad for bad report: and he that hath her 2 Gent. You speak him far. 1 Gent. I do extend him, sir, within himself; Crush him together, rather than unfold His measure duly. 2 Gent. What's his name and birth? 1 Gent. I cannot delve him to the root: His father Was called Sicilius, who did join his honour But had his titles by Tenantius, whom He serv'd with glory and admir'd success: father (Then old and fond of issue) took such sorrow court (Which rare it is to do), most prais'd, most lov'd! I honour him 2 Gent Enter the QUEEN, POSTHUMUS, and IMOGEN. Queen. No, be assur'd, you shall not find me, daughter, Atter the slander of most step-mothers, That lock up your restraint. For you, Posthumus, I will be known your advocate: marry, yet Post. I will from hence to-day. Queen. Please your highness, You know the peril :I'll fetch a turn about the garden, pitying The pangs of barr'd affections; though the king Hath charg'd you should not speak together. [Exit QUEEN. Imo. O dissembling courtesy. How fine this tyrant Can tickle where she wounds!-My dearest husband, I something fear my father's wrath: but nothing Post. If after this command thou fraught the court Post. Imo. There cannot be a pinch in death More sharp than this is. Cym. O disloyal thing, [Exit. That shouldst repair my youth; thou heapest A year's age on me! Imo. I beseech you, sir, Harm not yourself with your vexation; I Cym. Past grace? obedience? Imo. Past hope, and in despair; that way, past What! art thou mad? Imo. Almost, sir: Heaven restore me!-'Would I were neat-herd's daughter! and my Leonatus Our neighbour shepherd's son! Re-enter QUEEN. [Aside. Not after our command. And pen her up. Суть Thou foolish thing!They were again together: you have done [To the QUEEN. Away with her, To walk this way: I never do him wrong, Were you but riding forth to air yourself, Such parting were too petty. Look here, love; Post. How! how! another?-- [Putting on the ring. Queen. 'Beseech your patience:-Peace, Dear lady daughter, peace. Sweet sovereign, Leave us to ourselves; and make yourself some comfort Pis. SCENE IV.-A Room in Cymbeline's Palace. CYMBELINE. Queen. I am very glad on't. Imo. Your son's my father's friend; he takes his part, To draw upon an exile !-O brave sir! I would they were in Afric both together; The goer back.-Why came you from your Pis. On his command: He would not suffer me To bring him to the haven: left these notes I humbly thank your highness. About some half hour hence, SCENE III-A public place. Enter CLOTEN and Two Lords. [Exeunt. 1 Lord. Sir, I would advise you to shift a shirt; the violence of action hath made you reek as a sacrifice: Where air comes out, air comes in: there's none abroad so wholesome as that you vent. Clo. If my shirt were bloody, then to shift it. Have I hurt him? 2 Lord. No, faith; not so much as his patience. [Aside. 1 Lord. Hurt him? his body's a passable carcass if he be not hurt: it is a thoroughfare for steel if it be not hurt. 2 Lord. His steel was in debt: it went o' the [Aside. back side the town. Clo. The villain would not stand me. 2 Lord. No; but he fled forward still, toward [Aside. your face. 1 Lord. Stand you! you have land enough of your own: but he added to your having; gave you some ground. 2 Lord. As many inches as you have oceans: Puppies! Imo. I would thou grew'st unto the shores o was, And question'dst every sail: if he should write, Imo. As little as a crow, Thou shouldst have made him or less, ere left Madam, so I did. Imo. I would have broke mine eye-strings; crack'd thein, but To look upon him; till the diminution Of space had pointed him sharp as my needle: When shall we hear from him? With his next vantage. Be assur'd, madam, Imo. I did not take my leave of him, but had swear The shes of Italy should not betray Lady. [Aside. Clo. I would they had not come between us. 2 Lord. So would I till you had measured how [Aside. long a fool you were upon the ground. Clo. And that she should love this fellow, and refuse me! 2 Lord. If it be a sin to make a true election, she is damned. The queen, madam, Pis. Madam, I shall. [Exeunt. [Asule. SCENE V.-Rome. An Apartment in Philario's 1 Lord. Sir, as I told you always, her beauty and her brain go not together: She's a good sign, but I have seen small reflection of her wit. 2 Lord. She shines not upon fools, lest the [Aside. reflection should hurt her. Clo. Come, I'll to my chamber: 'Would there had been some hurt done! 2 Lord. I wish not so; unless it had been the fall of an ass, which is no great hurt. Clo. You'll go with us? 1 Lord. I'll attend your lordship. Clo. Nay, come, let's go together. [Aside. House. Enter PHILARIO, IACHIMO, and a Frenchman. Iach. Believe it, sir: I have seen him in Britain: he was then of a crescent note; expected to prove so worthy as since he hath been allowed the name of: but I could then have looked on him without the help of admiration; though the catalogue of his endowments had been tabled by his side, and I to peruse him by items. Phi. You speak of him when he was less furnished than now he is, with that which makes him [Exeunt. both without and within French. I have seen him in France: we had very many there could behold the sun with as firm eyes as he. Iach. This matter of marrying his king's daughter (wherein he must be weighed rather by her value than his own), words him, I doubt not, a great deal from the matter. French. And then his banishment Iach. Ay, and the approbation of those that weep this lamentable divorce, under her colours, are wonderfully to extend him; be it but to fortify her judgment, which else an easy battery might lay flat, for taking a beggar without less quality. But how comes it he is to sojourn with you? How creeps acquaintance? Phi. His father and I were soldiers together; to whom I have been often bound for no less than my life : Enter POSTHUMUS. Here comes the Briton: Let him be so entertained amongst you, as suits, with gentlemen of your knowing, to a stranger of his quality.-I beseech you all, be better known to this gentleman, whom I commend to you as a noble friend of mine: How worthy he is I will leave to appear hereafter, rather than story him in his own hearing. French. Sir, we have known together in Orleans, Post. Since when I have been debtor to you for courtesies, which I will be ever to pay, and yet pay still. French. Sir, you o'er-rate my poor kindness: I was glad I did atone my countryman and you; it had been pity you should have been put together with so mortal a purpose as then each bore, upon importance of so slight and trivial a nature. Post. By your pardon, sir, I was then a young traveller: rather shunned to go even with what I heard, than in my every action to be guided by others' experiences: but, upon my mended judgment (if I offend not to say it is mended), my quarrel was not altogether slight. French. 'Faith, yes, to be put to the arbitrement of swords; and by such two that would, by all likelihood, have confounded one the other, or have fallen both. Iach. Can we, with manners, ask what was the difference? French. Safely, I think: 'twas a contention in public, which may, without contradiction, suffer the report. It was much like an argument that fell out last night, where each of us fell in praise of our country mistresses: This gentleman at that time vouching (and upon warrant of bloody affirmation) his to be more fair, virtuous, wise, chaste, constant-qualified, and less attemptible, than any the rarest of our ladies in France. Iach. That lady is not now living; or this gentleman's opinion, by this, worn out. Post. She holds her virtue still, and I my mind. Iach. You must not so far prefer her 'fore ours of Italy. Post. Being so far provoked as I was in France, I would abate her nothing; though I profess myself her adorer, not her friend. Iach. As fair, and as good (a kind of hand-in-hand comparison), had been something too fair, and too good, for any lady in Britany. If she went before others I have seen, as that diamond of yours outlustres many I have beheld, I could not but believe she excelled many: but I have not seen the most precious diamond that is, nor you the lady. Iach. What do you esteem it at? Post. More than the world enjoys. Iach. Either your unparagoned mistress is dead or snes outprized by a trifle. Post. You are mistaken: the one may be sold, or given, if there were wealth enough for the purchase, or merit for the gift: the other is not a thing for sale, and only the gift of the gods. Iach. Which the gods have given you? Post. Which, by their graces, I will keep. Iach. You may wear her in title yours: but you know strange fowl light upon neighbouring ponds. Your ring may be stolen too: so, your brace of unprizeable estimations, the one is but frail, and the other casual; a cunning thief, or a that-way-accomplished courtier, would hazard the winning both of first and last. Post. Your Italy contains none so accomplished a courtier to convince the honour of my mistress; if, in the holding or the loss of that, you term her frail. I do nothing doubt you have store of thieves; notwithstanding I fear not my ring. Phi. Let us leave here, gentlemen. Post. Sir, with all my heart. signior, I thank him, makes no stranger of me; we are familiar at first. This worthy Iach. With five times so much conversation I should get ground of your fair mistress: make her go back, even to the yielding; had I admittance and opportunity to friend. Post. No, no. Post. A repulse: though your attempt, as you call it, deserve more,-a punishment too. Phi. Gentlemen, enough of this: it came in too suddenly; let it die as it was born, and, I pray you, be better acquainted. Iach. 'Would I had put my estate, and my neighbour's, on the approbation of what I have spoke. Post. What lady would you choose to assail? Iach. Yours; whom in constancy you think stands so safe. I will lay you ten thousand ducats to your ring, that, commend me to the court where your lady is, with no more advantage than the opportunity of a second conference, and I will bring from thence that honour of hers which you imagine so reserved. Post. I will wage against your gold, gold to it: my ring I hold as dear as my finger; 'tis part of it. Iach. You are a friend, and therein the wiser, If you buy ladies' flesh at a million a dram, you cannot preserve it from tainting: But I see you have some religion in you, that you fear. Post. This is but a custom in your tongue; you bear a graver purpose, I hope. 1 Iach. I am the master of my speeches; and would undergo what's spoken, I swear. Post. Will you?—I shall but lend my diamond till your return:- Let there be covenants drawn between us: My mistress exceeds in goodness the |