Imatges de pàgina
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Phi. See, lachimo.

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Poft. Sure, the fwift harts have pofted you by land, And winds of all the corners kifs'd your fails, A To make your veffel nimble.

Phi. Welcome, Sir.

to bed vor

Poft. I hope, the briefness of your answer made your Return.

The speediness of
Iach. Your lady

Is of the fairest I e'er look'd upon.

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Poft. And, therewithal, the beft; or let her Beauty Look through a cafement to allure false hearts,

And be falfe with them.

Iach. Here are letters for you.

Poft. Their tenour good, I truft.

lach. 'Tis very like.

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Poft. Was Caius Lucius in the Britain Court,

When you were there?

Iach. He was expected then,

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But not approach'd.

Poft. All is well yet.

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Sparkles this stone as it was wont, or is't
Too dull for your good wearing?

Iach. If I've loft it,

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I should have loft the worth of it in gold; it som

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I'll make a journey twice as far, t'enjoy LIT 49
A fecond night of fuch fweet shortnefs, which
Was mine in Britain; for the ring is won. et yd 10
Poft. The ftone's too hard to come by. M
Iach. Not a whit,

Your lady being fo eafie.

Poft. Make not, Sir,

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Your lofs your fport; I hope, you know, that we
Muft not continue friends.

Iach. Good Sir, we must,

If you keep covenant; had I not brought
The knowledge of your mistress home, I grant,
We were to question farther; but I now
Profefs my felf the winner of her honour,

Together

Together with your ring; and not the wronger
Of her, or you, having proceeded but
By both your wills.

Poft. If you can make't apparent

That you have tasted her in bed, my hand,
And ring is yours. If not, the foul opinion, (19)
You had of her pure honour, gains, or lofes
Your fword or mine; or masterlefs leaves Both
To who fhall find them.

Iach. Sir, my circumftances

Being for near the truth, as I will make them,
Muft first induce you to believe; whofe ftrength
I will confirm with oath, which, I doubt not,
You'll give me leave to fpare, when you fhall find
You need it not.

Poft. Proceed.

Iach. Firft, her bed-chamber,

(Where, I confess, I flept not, but profefs,
Had That was well worth watching) it was hang'd
With tapestry of filk and filver; the story
Proud Cleopatra, when she met her Roman,
And Cydnus fwell'd above the banks or for
The prefs of boats, or pride:

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A piece of work
So bravely done, fo rich, that it did ftrive

In workmanship, and value; which, I wonder'd,
Could be fo rarely and exactly wrought,

Since the true life on't was

Poft. This is true;

And this you might have heard of here, by me,

Or by fome other.

Iach. More Particulars

Muft juftifie my knowledge.

Poft. So they must,

Or do your honour injury.

(19)

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If not, the foul Opinion

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You had of her poor Honour, &c.]

Thus, Mr. Rowe; and thus, Mr. Pope as judiciously, as fervilely, after I him: And yet he pretends to have collated the old Copies. But the T two Elder Folio's read, as I have restor'd,

You had of her pure Honour

Tach.

lach. The chimney AAD Wow. ir „d T di Is fouth the chambers and the chimney-pieceping 3d Chaft Dian, bathing; never faw figures won bn A So likely to report themselves the cuttery sada oT Was as another nature, dumb, out-went her do Motion and breath left out, bledad es el exocreon✪ Poft. This is a thing, (20) va I dɔid W Which you might from relation likewise reape;I Being, as it is, much spoke of. 9 db'qu ad Iach. The roof o'th' chamberbis 57 73H With golden cherubims is fretted: Thandirons, on A (I had forgot them) were two winking Cupidsist baA Of filver, each on one foot ftanding, nicelyog Depending on their brands. cam bas T Poft. What's this t' her honour? (21) 912 .dhol Let it be granted you have seen all this Ao¶ Praise be to your remembrance, the defcription & at T Of what is in her chamber nothing faves 01 5m alla The wager you have laid.vered

(20) This is a Thing,

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Which you might from relation likewife read,
Being, as it is, much spoke of]

20 yɔda nɔn'I To read from Relation, i. e. from Men's Reports viva voce, Cisa Fi gure, I am fure, never us'd by Shakespeare whatever, reading in any One's Eyes, might have been: But this our modern Editors. "The old Editions 28an, is the Manufacture of

Text.

read, as I

reform'd the

(21) This is her Honour FHM & Noud od VI Let it be granted you have feen all this, &c]oft H Iachimo impudently pretends to have carried his Point; and, in Confirmation, is very minute in defcribing to the Husband all the Furni ture and Adornments of his Wife's Bedchamber. But how is fine Furniture any ways a Princess's Henour? It is an Apparatus fuitable to her Dignity, but certainly makes no part of her Character. It might have been call'd her Father's Honour, that her Allotments were proportion'd to her Rank and Quality. I am perfuaded, the Poet intended Posthumus fhould fay; " This particular Defcription, which you "make, can't convince me that I have lost my Wager: Your Memory is good; and fome of thefe Things you may have learned from a "Third Hand, or feen yourfelf; yet I expect Proofs more direct and authentick". I think, there is little Queftion but we ought to reftore the place thus:

..

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What's This t'her Honour?,

I propos'd this Emendation in the Appendix to my SHAKESPEARE reford, and Mr. Pope has thought fit to embrace it in his laft Edition.

Iach. Then, if you can [Pulling out the Bracelet. Be pale, I beg but leave to air this jewel: fee!?[ And now 'tis up again; it must be married To that your diamond, 25 I'll keep them.

Poft. Jove Law-300 dmus

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Once more let me behold it: Is it That,
Which I left with her ?(es;

Tach, Sir, I thank her, That:

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She ftrip'd it from her arm, I fee her yet,
Her pretty action did out-fell her gift,
And yet enrich'd it too; fhe gave it me,
And faid, the priz'd it once.

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Poft. May be, the pluck'd it off.

To fend it me.

Iach. She writes fo to you? doth fhe?

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Poft. O, no, no, no, 'tis true. Here, take this tool; It is a bafilisk unto mine eye,

Kills me to look on't; let there be no honour, 40
Where there is beauty; truth, where semblance; love,
Where there's another man. The vows of women
Of no more bondage be, to where they're made,
Then they are to their virtues, which is nothing;
O, above measure false!

Phi. Have patience, Sir,

And take your ring again: 'tis not yet won;
It may be probable, fhe loft it; or,

Who knows, one of her women, being corrupted,
Hath ftoln it from her.

Poft. Very true,

And fo, I hope, he came by't; back my ring;
Render to me fome corporal fign about her
More evident than this, for this was ftole.

!

Tach. By Jupiter, I had it from her arm.

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Poft. Hark you, he fwears; by Jupiter he fwears.c 'Tis true nay, keep the ring 'tis true; I'm fure, She could not lofe it; her attendants are

All honourable; they induc'd to fteal it!:

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And, by a stranger!-no, he hath enjoy'd her.
The cognizance of her incontinency

Is this the hath bought the name of Whore thus

dearly;

There,

There, take thy hire, and all the fiends of hell
Divide themselves between you!
Phi. Sir, be patient';

This is not ftrong enough to be believ'd,
Of one perfuaded well of.

Poft. Never talk on't;:

She hath been colted by him.
Iach. If you feek

For further fatisfying, under her breast,
Worthy the preffing, lyes a mole, right proud
Of that most delicate lodging. By my life,
I kift it; and it gave me prefent hunger

To feed again, though full. You do remember
This ftain upon her?

Poft. Ay, and it doth confirm
Another ftain, as big as hell can hold
Were there no more but it.

Iach. Will you hear more?

Poft. Spare your arithmetick.

Count. not the Turns: once, and a million!

If

Iach. I'll be fworn

Poft. No fwearing:

you will fwear you have not done't, you die.. And I will kill thee, if thou doft deny

Thou'ft made me cuckold.

Iach. I'll deny nothing.

Poft Q, that I had her here, to tear her limb-meal!

I will go there, and do't i'th' Court, Before
Her father I'll do fomething

Phi. Quite befides

The government of patience! you have won
Let's follow him, and pervert the prefent wrath

He hath against himself.

lach. With all my heart.

Re-enter Pofthumus..

[Exit.

[Exeunt.

Poft. Is there no way for men to be, but women Muft be half-workers? we are baftards: all;

And that most venerable man, which I:

Did call my father, was I know not where,

When

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