Send your trunk to me; it shall safe be kept,
And truly yielded you: You are very welcome,
[Exeunt.

ACT II.

SCENE I.-Court before CYMBELINE'S
Palace.

sure.

1 Lord. What got he by that? You have broke his pate with your bowl.

2 Lord. If his wit had been like him that broke it, it would have ran all out. [Aside. Clo. When a gentleman is disposed to swear, it is not for any standers-by to curtail his oaths: Ha ?

2 Lord. No, my lord; nor [Aside.] crop the ears of them.

Clo. Whoreson dog! I give him satisfaction? 'Would he had been one of my rank!

2 Lord. To have smelt like a fool. [Aside. Clo. I am not more vexed at any thing in the earth,-A pox on't! I had rather not be so noble as I am; they dare not fight with me, because of the queen my mother: every jackslave hath his belly full of fighting, and I must go up and down like a cock that nobody can match.

Enter CLOTEN and two LORDS.

Clo. Was there ever man had such luck! IMOGEN reading in her Bed; a LADY attendwhen I kissed the jack upon an up-cast, * to ing, be hit away! I had a hundred pound_on't: And then a whoreson jackanapes must take me up for swearing; as if I borrowed mine oaths of him, and might not spend them at my plea

Of thy dear husband, than that horrid act

Of the divorce he'd make! The heavens hold firm

The walls of thy dear honour; keep unshak'd That temple, thy fair mind; that thou may'st stand,

To enjoy thy banish'd lord, and this great land! [Erit. SCENE II.-A Bed-chamber; in one part of it a Trunk.

Imo. Who's there? my woman Helen ?
Lady. Please you, madam.
Imo. What hour is it?

Lady. Almost midnight, madam.

Imo. I have read three hours then: mine
eyes are weak :-

Fold down the leaf where I have left: To bed:
Take not away the taper, leave it burning;
And if thou can'st awake by four o'the clock,
I pr'ythee call me. Sleep hath seiz'd me wholly.
[Exit LADY.
To your protection I commend me, gods!
Froin fairies, and the tempters of the night,
Guard me, beseech ye!

[Sleeps. IACHIMO, from the Trunk. Iach. The crickets sing, aud man's o'er-labour'd sense

Repairs itself by rest: Our Tarquin thus
Did softly press the rushes, ere he waken'd
The chastity he wounded.-Cytherea,
How bravely thou becom'st thy bed! fresh lily !
And whiter than the sheets! That I might

touch!

But kiss; one kiss !-Rubies unparagon'd,
How dearly they do't!-'Tis her breathing that
Perfumes the chamber thus: The flame othe
taper

Bows toward her; and would under-peep her lids,

To see the enclosed lights, now canopied
Under these windows: White and azure, lac'd
With blue of heaven's own tinct. -But my
design ?

To note the chamber :-I will write all down :-
Such and such pictures:-There the win-

dow:-Such

The adornment of her bed ;-The arras, t
figures,
[story,-
Why, such and such:-And the contents o'the
Ah, but some natural notes about her body,
Above ten thousand meaner moveables
Would testify, to enrich mine inventory:
O sleep, thou ape of death, lie dull upon her !
And be her sense but as a monument,
Thus in a chapel lying !-Come off, come off;-
[Taking off her Bracelet.
As slippery, as the Gordian knot was hard!
'Tis mine; and this will witness outwardly,
As strongly as the conscience does within,
To the madding of her lord. On her left

breast

A mole cinque-spotted, like the crimson drops
'the bottom of a cowslip: Here's a voucher,
Stronger than ever law could make this se-
[ta'en
Will force him think I have pick'd the lock, and
The treasure of her honour. No more.-To
what end?

cret

Why should I write this down, that's rivetted,
Screw'd to my memory? She hath been read.
ing late
[down,
The tale of Tereus; here the leaf's "turn'd
Where Philomel gave up ;-1 have enough:
To the trunk again, and shut the spring of it.
Swift, swift, you dragons of the night!—that
dawning

May bare the raven's eye: I lodge in fear;

• It was anciently the custom to strew chambers wih rushes. Le. The white skin laced with blue eius. ↑ Tapestry.

Cym. A worthy fellow,
Albeit he comes on angry purpose now;
But that's no fault of his: We must receive
him

Clo. Winning would put any man into courage; If I could get this foolish Imogen, I should have gold enough: It's almost morning, is't not? 1 Lord. Day, my lord.

Clo. I would this music would come: I am advised to give her music o' mornings; they say, it will penetrate.

According to the honour of his sender;
And towards himself his goodness forespent

Enter CYMBELINE and QUEEN.

on us

We must extend our notice.-Our dear son,
When you have given good morning to your
mistress,

Enter MUSICIANS.

Come on; tune: If you can penetrate her with your fingering, so; we'll try with tongue too: if none will do, let her remain; but I'll never give o'er. First a very excellent good-conceited thing; after a wonderful sweet air, with admirable rich words to it,-and then let her consider.

Attend the queen and us; we shall have need
To employ you towards this Roman.-Come,
our queen.

[Exeunt CYM. QUEEN, LORDS, and MESS.
Clo. If she be up, I'll speak with her; if not,
Let her lie still, and dream.-By your leave
[Knocks.
ho!-

SONG.

Hark! hark! the lark at heaven's gate
[sings,
And Phabus 'gins arise,
His steeds to water at those springs
On chalic'd flowers that lies;
And winking Mary-buds begin

To ope their golden eyes;
With every thing that pretty bin;
My lady sweet, arise;
Arise, arise.

I know her women are about her; What
Which buys admittance; oft it doth; yea, and
If I do liue one of their hands? 'Tis gold
makes

Diana's rangers false themselves, yield up
Their deer to the stand of the stealer; and 'tis
gold
Which makes the true man kill'd, and saves
the thief;

What
Nay, sometime, hangs both thief and true man:

Sa, get you gone: If this penetrate, I will consider your music the better: if it do not, it is a vice in her ears, which horse-hairs, and cats-guts, nor the voice of unpaved eunuch to [Exeunt MUSICIANS. boot, can never amend.

Can it not do, and undo? I will make
One of her women lawyer, to me; for
By your leave.
yet not understand the case myself.

2 Lord. Here comes the king.

Cle. I am glad I was up so late; for that's He cannot the reason I was up so early: done, choose but take this service I have fatherly.-Good morrow to your majesty, and to my gracious mother.

Cym. Attend you here the door of our stern
[daughter?

Will she not forth?

Clo. I have assailed her with music, but she vouchsafes no notice.

Cym. The exile of her minion is too new;
She bath not yet forgot him; some more time
Must wear the print of his remembrance out,
And then she's your's.

Queen. You are most bound to the king;
Who lets go by no vantages, that may
Prefer you to his daughter: Frame yourself
To orderly solicits; and be friended
With aptness of the season: make denials
Increase your services: so seem, as if
You were inspired to do those duties which
You tender to her that you in all obey her,
Save when cominand to your dismission tends,
And therein you are senseless.

Clo. Senseless? Not so.

Enter a LADY.

Lady. Who's there, that knocks?
Clo. A gentleman.

Lady. No more ?

Clo. Yes, and a gentlewoman's son.
Lady. That's more

Than some, whose are tailors as dear as your's,
Can justly boast of: What's your lordship's

pleasure?

[Knocks.

Clo. Your lady's person: Is she ready?
Lady. Ay,

To keep her chamber.

Clo. There's gold for you: sell me your good
report.
Lady. How! my good name? or to report of
you
What I shall think is good?-The princess-
Enter IMOGEN.

Clo. Good-morrow, fairest sister: Your sweet
hand.
Imo. Good-morrow, Sir: You lay out too
much pains

For purchasing but trouble: the thanks I give,
Is telling you that I am poor of thanks
And scarce can spare them.

Enter a MESSENGER.
Mess. So like you, Sir, ambassadors from
Rome;
The one is Cains Lucius.

Imogen's maid has just told her mistress that it is
elve o'clock, so that three hours are dispatched in a
inkling!
Will pay you more for it.
With solicitations not only proper but well-timed.

Clo. Still, I swear I love you.

Imo. If you but said so, 'twere as deep with

me:

If you swear stil!, your recompense is still
That I regard it not.

Clo. This is no answer.

Imo. But that you shall not say I yield being

silent,

I would not speak. I pray you, spare me: i'faith,

I shall unfold equal discourtesy

To your best kindness; one of your great know-
ing

Should learn, being taught, forbearance.
Clo. To leave you in your madness, 'twere
my sin;
I will not.

Imo. Fools are not mad folks.
Clo. Do you call me fool?
Imo. As I am mad, I do :

If you'll be patient, I'll no more be mad;
That cures us both. I am much sorry, Sir
You put me to forget a lady's manners,
By being so verbal: * and learn now, for all,

So verbosc.

That I, which know my heart, do here pronounice,

By the very truth of it, I care not for you;
And am so near the lack of charity,

(To accuse myself) I hate you: which I had
rather

You felt, than make't my boast.
Clo. You sin against

Obedience, which you owe your father. For
The contract you pretend with that base wretch,
(One, bre
of alms, and foster'd with cold
dishes,
With scraps o'the court,) it is no contract, none:
And though it be allow'd in meaner parties,
(Yet who, than he, more mean?) to knit their

souls

·

(On whom there is no more dependency
But brats and beggary) in self-figur'd knot;
Yet you are curb'd from that enlargement by
The consequence o'the crown; and must not soil
The precious note of it with a base slave,
A hilding for a livery, a squire's cloth,
A pantler, not so eminent.

Imo. Profane fellow !

Wert thou the son of Jupiter, and no more
But what thou art, besides, thou wert too base
To be his groom: thou wert dignified enough,
Even to the point of envy, if 'twere made
Comparative for your virtues, to be styl'd
The under-hangman of his kingdom; and hated
For being preferr'd so well.

Clo. The south-fog rot him!

Imo. He never can meet more mischance, than come

To be but nam'd of thee. His meanest garment,
That ever hath but clipp'd his body, is dearer,
In my respect, than all the hairs above thee,
Were they all made such men.-How now,
Pisanio?

Enter PISANIO.
Clo. His garment? Now, the devil-

Imo. To Dorothy my woman hie thee pre-
sently :-

Clo. His garment?

Imo. I am sprighted with a fool;

Frighted, and anger'd worse:-Go, bid by my

'shrew me,
If I would lose it for a revenue
Of any king's in Europe. I do think,
I saw't this morning: confident I am,
Last night 'twas on my arm; I kiss'd it:
I hope it be not gone, to tell my lord
That I kiss aught but he.

Pis. Twill not be lost.

Imo. I hope so: go and search.

Post. Not any; but abide the change of
time ;

Quake in the present winter's state, and wish
That warmer days would come: In these fear'd
hopes,

I barely gratify your love; they failing,
I must die much your debtor.

Phi. Your very goodness, and your company,
O'erpays all I can do. By this, your king
Hath heard of great Angustus: Caius Lucius
Will do his commission throughly: and, I
think,

She's my good lady; and will conceive, I hope,
But the worst of me. So I leave you, Sir,
To the worst of discontent.

[Exit.
[Exit.

SCENE. IV.-Rome-An Apartment in
PHILARIO's House.

He'll grant the tribute, send the arrearges,
Or look upon our Romans, whose remembrance
Is yet fresh in their grief.

Post. I do believe,

(Statist though I am none, nor like to be,)
That this will prove a war; and you shall hear
The legions now in Gallia, sooner landed
In our not-fearing Britain, than have tidings
Of any penny tribute paid. Our countrymen
Are men more ordered, than when Julius Cesar
Smil'd at their lack of skill, but found their
courage

• In knots of their own tying.
A low fellow only fit to wear a livery.
1 Haunted.

Worthy his frowning at: Their discipline
(Now mingled with their courages) will make

known

To their approvers + they are people, such
That mend upon the world.

woman

Search for a jewel, that too casually

Hath left mine arm; it was thy master's: When you were there;

Iach. Here are letters for you.

Post. Their tenour good, I trust.
Jach. 'Tis very like.

Phi. Was Caius Lucius in the Britain court,

I should have lost the worth of it in gold.
I'll make a journey twice as far to enjoy

A second night of such sweet shortness, which

[Exit Pis. Was mine in Britain; for the ring is won.
Post. The stone's too hard to come by.
Iach. Not a whit,

Your lady being so easy.
Post. Make not, Sir,

Iach. He was expected then,

But not approach'd.

Post. All is well yet.

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

Iach. If I have lost it,

Your loss your sport: I hope you know that we
Must 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 further: but I now
Profess myself the winner of her honour,
Together with your ring; and not the wronger
Of her, or you, having proceeded but
By both your wills.

Post. If you can make't apparent

Enter POSTHUMUS and PHILARIO.

That you have tasted her in bed, my hand,

Post. Fear it not, Sir; I would I were so And ring, is your's: If not, the foul opinion

sure

You had of her pure honour, gains, or loses,

To win the king, as I am bold her honour
Will remain her's.

Your sword or mine; or masterless leaves both
To who shall find them.

Phi. What means do you make to him?

Jach. Sir, my circumstances,

Being so near the truth, as I will make them,
Must first induce you to believe: whose strength
To those who try them.

⚫ Statesman.

said,

She priz'd it once.

Post. May be, she pluck'd it off,

To send it me.

Jach. She writes so to you? doth she?
Post. O no, no, no; 'tis true. Here, take
Gives the Ring.

this too;
It is a basilisk unto mine eye,
Kills me to look on't :-Let there be no honour,
Where there is beauty; truth, where sem

blance; love
Where there's another man: The

women

Vows of

Of no more bondage be, to where they are made, Than they are to their virtues; which is nothing:

rupted,

Hath stolen it from her,
Post. Very true;

And so, I hope, he came by't:-Back my ring;

• Ornamented iron bars which support wood burned
chimneys.
† Torches in the hands of Cupids./

Render to me some corporal sign about her,
More evident than this; for this was stolen.
Iach. By Jupiter, I had it from her arm.
Post, Hark you, he swears; by Jupiter he

swears.

'Tis true;-nay, keep the ring-'tis true; I am

sure,

She would not lose it: her attendants are

All sworn and honourable:-They induc'd to steal it!

And by a stranger ?—No, he hath enjoy'd her:
The cognizance of her incontinency

Is this, she hath bought the name of whore
thus dearly.-
There, take thy hire and all the fiends of hell
Divide themselves between you!
Phi. Sir, be patient:

This is not strong enough to be believ'd

Of one persuaded well of

Post. Never talk on't;

She hath been colted by him.

Iach. If you seek

For further satisfying, under her breast'
(Worthy the pressing,) lies a mole, right proud
Of that most delicate lodging: By my life,
1 kiss'd it; and it gave me present hunger
To feed again, though full. You do remember
This stain upon her?

Post. Ay, and it doth confirm

Another stain, as big as hell can hold,

Were there no more but it.

Iach. Will you hear more ?

Post. Spare your arithmetic: never count the Once, and a million ! [turns;

Jach. I'll be sworn,

Post. No swearing.

If you will swear you have not done't, you lie ;
And I will kill thee, if thou dost deny
Thou hast made me cuckold.
Jach. I will deny nothing.

Post. O that I had her here, to tear her limb

meal!

I will go there, and do't; l'the court; before
Her father:-I'll do something--
Phi. Quite besides

[Exit.

The government of patience !--You have won:
Let's follow him, and pervert the present wrath
He hath against himself.

Iach. With all my heart.

[Exeunt. SCENE V.-The same.-Another Room in the

same.

Enter POSTHUMUS.

Post. Is there no way for men to be, but

women

Must be half-workers? We are bastards all;
And that most venerable man, which I
Did call my father, was I know not where
When I was stamp'd; some coiner with his
tools

Made me a counterfeit: Yet my mother seem'd
The Dian of that time: so doth my wife
The nonpareil of this. O vengeance, venge.

O above measure false !
Phi. Have patience, Sir,

And take your ring again; 'tis not yet won;
It may be probable, she lost it; or,

Who knows if one of her women, being cor- But what he look'd for should oppose, and she

ance !

Me of my lawful pleasure she restrain'd,

And pray'd me, oft, forbearance: did it with
A pudency + so rosy, the sweet view on't
Might well have warm'd old Saturn; that I
As
thought her
[devils !-
chaste as unsunn'd snow :-O all the
This yellow lachimo, in an hour,-was't not 3-
Or less, at first: Perchance he spoke not;

but,

Like a full-acorn'd boar, a German one,
Cried oh! and mounted: found no opposition

Should from encounter guard. Could I find

out

[tion

The woman's part in me! For there's no mo◄
That tends to vice in man, but I affirm

The token,

+ Modesty.

It is the woman s part: Be it lying, note it,
The woman's; flattering, her's; deceiving, her's;
Ambitions, covetings, change of prides, disdain,
Nice longings, slanders, mutability, [knows,
All faults that may be nam'd, nay, that hell
Why her's in part, or all; but rather all:
For even to vice

They are not constant, but are changing still
One vice, but of a minute old, for one
Not half so old as that. I'll write against them,
Detest them, curse them :-Yet 'tis greater skill
In a true hate, to pray they have their will:
The very devils cannot plague them better.

[Exit.

Cym. Now say, what would Augustus Cesar with us?

Shall, by the power we hold, be our good deed,
Though Rome be therefore angry;) Mulmutius,
Who was the first of Britain, which did put
His brows within a golden crown, and call'd
Himself a king.

ACT III.

Luc. I am sorry, Cymbeline,
That I am to pronounce Augustus Cesar
(Cesar, that hath more kings his servants, than

SCENE I.-Britain.-A_Room of State in Thyself domestic officers,) thine enemy:
CYMBELINE'S Palace.
Receive it from me, then :-War and confusion.
In Cesar's name pronounce I 'gainst thee: look
Enter CYMBELINE, QUEEN, CLOTEN, and For fury not to be resisted :-Thus defied,
LORDS, at one Door; and at another,I thank thee for myself.
CAIUS LUCIUS, and Attendants.

A world by itself; and we will nothing pay,
For wearing our own noses.

Queen. That opportunity

[sume
Which then they had to take from us, to re-
We have again.-Remember, Sir, my liege,
The kings your ancestors: together with
The natural bravery of your isle; which stands
As Neptune's park, ribbed and paled in
With rocks unscaleable, and roaring waters;
With sands, that will not bear your enemies'
boats,
[conquest
But suck them up to the top-mast. A kind of
Cesar made here; but made not here his brag
Of came, and saw, and overcame with shame
(The first that ever touch'd him,) he was carried
[ping,

From off our coast, twice beaten; and his ship-
(Poor ignorant baubles !) on our terrible seas,
Like egg-shells mov'd upon their surges, crack'd
As easily 'gainst our rocks: for joy whereof,
The fam'd Cassibelan, who was once at point
(0 giglot fortune!) to master Cesar's sword,
Made Lud's town with rejoicing fires bright,
And Britons strut with courage.

Clo. 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 Cesars: other of them may have crooked noses; but, to owe such straight arms, none.

Cym. Son, let your mother end. Clo. We have yet many among us can gripe as hard as Cassibelan: I do not say, I am one; but I have a hand.-Why tribute? why should we pay tribute? If Cesar can hide the sun from us with a blanket, or put the moon in his pocket, we will pay him tribute for light; else, Sir, no more tribute, pray you now.

(Which swell'd so much, that it did almost
stretch

The sides o'the world,) against all colour, here
Did put the yoke upon us; which, to shake off,
Becomes a warlike people, whom we reckon
Ourselves to be. We do say then to Cesar,
Our ancestor was that Mulmutius, which
Ordain'd our laws; (whose use the sword of
Cesar

Cym. You must know,

Till the injurious Romans did extort
This tribute from us, we were free: Cesar's

ambition,

• Strumpet.

Hath too much mangled; whose repair and franchise,

Cym. Thou art welcome, Cains.
Thy Cesar knighted me; my youth I spent
Much under him; of him I gather'd honour;
Which he, to seek of me again, perforce,
Behoves me keep at utterance; + I am perfect, t
That the Pannonians and Dalmatians, for
Their liberties, are now in arms: a precedent
Which, not to read, would show the Britons
cold:

So Cesar shall not find them.
Luc. Let proof speak.

Clo. His majesty bids you welcome. Make pastime with us a day or two louger: If you seek us afterwards in other terms, you shall find us in our salt-water girdle: if you beat us out of it, it is your's; if you fall in the adventure, our crows shall fare the better for you; and there's an end.

Luc. So, Sir.

Cym. I know your [master's pleasure, and be mine : All the remain is, welcome.

[Exeunt. SCENE II.-Another Room in the same. Enter PISANIO.

Pis. How! of adultery? Wherefore write
you not

What monster's her accuser ?-Leonatus !
O master! what a strange infection
Is fallen into thy ear? What false Italian
(As poisonous tongu'd as handed,) hath
prevail'd

On thy too ready hearing 1-Disloyal? No:
She's punish'd for her truth; and undergoes,
More goddess-like than wife-like, such assaults
As would take in ¶ some virtue.-O my master
Thy mind to her is now as low, as were
Thy fortunes.-How! that I should

murder

her ?
Upon the love and truth and vows, which I
Have made to thy command -1, her?-ber
blood?

If it be so to do good service, never
Let me counted serviceable. How look 1,
That I should seem to lack humanity,
So much as this fact comes to? Do't: The
letter
[Reading.
That I have sent her, by her own command
Shall give thee opportunity :-O damn'd paper!
Black as the ink that's on thee! Senseless
bauble.

Art thou a feodary** for this act, and look'st
So virgin-like without? Lo, here she comes.

"Kymbeline (says Hollinshed) was brought up Rome, and there made knight by Augustus Cesar."

At the extremity of defiance. Well-informed. About Shakespeare's time, poisoning was a very common practice in Italy.

To take in a town, is to conquer it.
Confederate.