Imatges de pàgina
PDF
EPUB

Lach. I dare thereupon pawn the moiety of my estate to your ring, which, in my opinion, o'er-values it fomething but I make my wager rather against your confidence, than her reputation: And to bar your offence herein too, I durft attempt it against any Lady in the world.

Poft. You are a great deal abus'd in too bold a perfwafion; and, I doubt not, you'd fuftain what you're worthy of, by your attempt.

Iach. What's That?

Poft. A repulfe, though your attempt, as you call it, deferves more; a punishment too.

Phil. Gentlemen, enough of, this; it came in too fuddenly, let it die as it was born; and, I pray you, be better acquainted..

Iach. 'Would, I had put my eftate and my neighbour's, on th' approbation of what I have spoke. Poft. What Lady would you chufe to affail?

Iach. Yours; who in conftancy, you think, ftands fo fafe. 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 fecond conference, I will bring from thence that honour of hers, which you imagine fo referv'd.

Poft. I will wage against your gold, gold to it: (7) my ring I hold dear as my finger, 'tis part of it.

Iach. You are afraid, and therein the wifer; if you buy ladies flesh at a million a dram, you cannot preferve it from tainting. But, I fee, you have fome Religion in you, that you fear.

(7) Poft. part of it.

my Ring I hold dear as my Finger, 'tis

Iach.] You are a Friend, and therein the wifer] I am fure, Iachimo talks like none of the wifeft, in this kind of Reasoning. But what Ideas, in the Name of Nonfenfe, could the Editors entertain of Pofthumus being a Friend, because he would not venture fo wager his Ring? I correct, with Certainty;

You are afraid, and therein the wifer.

What Iachimo fays, in the Close of his Speech, determines This to have been our Poet's Reading.

But, I fee, you have fome Religion in you, that you fear.

[blocks in formation]

Poft. This is but a custom in your tongue; you bear a graver purpose, I hope.

Iach. I am the mafter of my fpeeches, and would undergo what's spoken, I fwear.

Poft. Will you? I fhall but lend my diamond 'till your Return; let there be covenants drawn between us. My Mistress exceeds in goodness the hugeness of your unworthy thinking. I dare you to this match; here's my ring.

Phil. I will have it no Lay.

Iach. By the Gods, it is one. If I bring you not fufficient teftimony that I have enjoy'd the deareft bodily part of your Mistress, my ten thousand ducats are yours fo is your diamond too; if I come off, and leave her in fuch honour as you have truft in, fhe your jewel, this your jewel, and my gold are yours; provided, I have your commendation, for my more free entertainment.

Poft. I embrace these conditions; let us have articles betwixt us; only, thus far you fhall anfwer; if you make your voyage upon her, and give me directly to understand you have prevail'd, I am no further your enemy, fhe is not worth our debate. If the remain unfeduc'd, you not making it appear otherwife; for your ill opinion, and th' affault you have made to her chaftity, you fhall answer me with your fword.

Iach. Your hand, a covenant; we will have these things fet down by lawful counsel, and ftraight away for Britaine, left the bargain thould catch cold, and ftarve. I will fetch my gold, and have our two wagers recorded.

Poft. Agreed.

Exeunt Pofth. and Iachimo.

French. Will this hold, think you? Phil. Signior Iachimo will not from it. Pray, let us follow 'em.

[Exeunt.

SCENE

SCENE changes to Cymbeline's Palace in
Britaine.

Enter Queen, Ladies, and Cornelius with a Viol.

Queen. W Hile yet the dew's on ground, gather

thofe flowers:

Make hafte. Who has the note of them?

1 Lady. I, Madam.

Queen. Difpatch.

Exeunt Ladies.

Now, mafter Doctor, have you brought thofe drugs? Cor. Pleaseth your Highness, ay; here they are, Madam ;

But I beseech your Grace, without offence,

(My confcience bids me ask) wherefore you have
Commanded of me these most pois'nous compounds?
Which are the movers of a languishing death;
But, though flow, deadly.

Queen. I do wonder, Doctor,

Thou ask'ft me fuch a queftion; have I not been
Thy Pupil long? haft thou not learn'd me how
To make perfumes? diftil? preferve? yea, fo,
That our great King himself doth woo me oft
For my confections? having thus far proceeded,
(Unless thou think'ft me dev'lifh,) is't not meet,
That I did amplifie my judgment in

[ocr errors]

Other conclufions? I will try the forces

Of these thy compounds on fuch creatures as
We count not worth the hanging, (but none human ;)
To try the vigour of them, and apply

Allayments to their act; and by them gather

Their fev'ral virtues, and effects.

Cor. Your Highness

Shall from this Practice but make hard your heart;
Befides, the feeing these effects will be

Both noysome and infectious.

Queen. O, content thee.

[blocks in formation]

Enter Pifanio.

Here comes a flatt'ring rascal, upon him
Will I first work; he's for his mafter's fake
An enemy to my fon. How now, Pifanio?
Doctor, your service for this time is ended;
Take your own way.

Cor. I do fufpect you, Madam:
But you fhall do no harm.

Queen. Hark thee, a word.

[afide.

[afide.

[To Pifanio.

Cor. I do not like her. She doth think, fhe has

Strange ling'ring poifons; I do know her fpirit,
And will not truft one of her malice with

A drug of fuch damn'd nature. Thofe, fhe has,
Will ftupifie and dull the fenfe a while;

Which firft, perchance, she'll prove on cats and dogs,
Then afterwards up higher; but there is
No danger in what fhew of death it makes,
More than the locking up the fpirits a time,
To be more fresh, reviving. She is fool'd
With a moft falfe effect; and I the truer,
So to be falfe with her.

[ocr errors]

Queen. No further fervice, Doctor,

Until I fend for thee.

Cor. I humbly take my leave.

[Exit.

Queen. Weeps the ftill, fay't thou? doft thou think,

in time

She will not quench, and let instructions enter

Where folly now poffeffes? do thou work;
When thou shalt bring me word fhe loves my Son,
I'll tell thee on the inftant, thou art then
As great as is thy Mafter; greater; for
His fortunes all lye fpeechlefs, and his name.
Is at laft gafp. Return he cannot, nor
Continue where he is: to fhift his being,
Is to exchange one mifery with another;
And every day, that comes, comes to decay
A day's work in him. What fhalt thou expect,
To be depender on a thing that leans?

Who

Who cannot be new built, and has no friends,
So much as but to prop him?Thou tak'ft up
[Pifanio looking on the Viol.
Thou know'ft not what; but take it for thy labour;
It is a thing I make, which hath the King
Five times redeem'd from death; I do not know
What is more cordial. Nay, I pr'ythee, take it
it;
It is an earnest of a farther Good

That I mean to thee. Tell thy Mistress how
The cafe ftands with her; do't, as from thy felf:
(8) Think, what a change thou chanceft on; but
think;

Thou haft thy Miftrefs ftill; to boot, my Son;
Who fhall take notice of thee. I'll move the King
To any fhape of thy preferment, fuch

As thou'lt defire; and then my felf, I chiefly,
That fet thee on to this defert, am bound
To load thy merit richly, Call my Women

[Exit Pifa. Think on my words. A fly and conftant knave, Not to be fhak'd; the agent for his mafter ; And the remembrancer of her, to hold

[ocr errors]

The hand faft to her Lord. I've giv'n him That,
Which, if he take, fhall quite unpeople her
Of leidgers for her Sweet; and which fhe, after,
Except the bend her humour, fhall be affur'd
To tafte of too.

Enter Pifanio, and Ladies.

So, fo; well done, well done;

The violets, cowflips, and the prim-rofes,

(8) Think what a Chance thou chanceft on,

I hardly think,

our Author would have express'd himself thus baldly, on no Neceffity. Both the old Folio's read,

Think what a Chance thou changest on,

But I fufpect, there is ftill a flight Error made by the firft Tranfcriber. I imagine, the Poet wrote;

i. e.

if

Think what a Change thou chanceft on,

you will fall into my Measures, do but think how you will chance to change your Fortunes for the better, in the Confequences that will attend your Compliance.

A a 4

Bear

« AnteriorContinua »