sons to Cymbeline, disguised under the names of Polydore and Cadwal, supposed sons to Belarius. Philario, friend to Posthumus, Italians. Jachimo, friend to Philario, A French Gentleman, friend to Philario. Two British Captains. Two Gaolers. Queen, wife to Cymbeline. Lords, Ladies, Roman Senators, Tribunes, App ritions, a Soothsayer, a Dutch Gentleman, a Spa nish Gentleman, Musicians, Officers, Captain. Soldiers, Messengers, and other Attendants. SCENE, sometimes in Britain; sometimes in Italy. ACT I. As he was born. The king, he takes the babe To his protection; calls him Posthumus; SCENE L-Britain. The Garden behind Cymbe Breeds him, and makes him of his bed-chamber line's Palace. Enter Two Gentlemen. 1 Gent. You do not meet a man, but frowns: our bloods No more obey the heavens, than our courtiers But what's the matter? 1 Gent. His daughter, and the heir of his king. dom, whom He purpos'd to his wife's sole son, (a widow, 2 Gent. 1 Gent. He, that hath lost her, too: so is the queen, 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 thing Too bad for bad report; and he that hath her, Puts him to all the learnings that his time SCENE II.-The same. [Exeun! Enter the Queen, Posthumus, and Imogen. Queen. No, be assur'd, you shall not find me After the slander of most step-mothers, [daughter Evil-ey'd unto you: you are my prisoner, but Your gaoler shall deliver you the keys That lock up your restraint. For you, Posthumus, So soon as I can win the offended king, I will be known your advocate: marry, yet The fire of rage is in him; and 'twere good, Post. Please your highness, I will from hence to-day. Imo. Dissembling courtesy! How fine this tyrant Can tickle where she wounds!-My dearest husband, I something fear my father's wrath; but nothing, (Always reserv'd my holy duty,) what His rage can do on me: You must be gone; Post. My queen! my mistress!- Than doth become a man! I will remain Re-enter Queen. Queen. To walk this way: I never do him wrong, [Exit. Imo. Nay, stay a little : Were you but riding forth to air yourself, Such parting were too petty. Look here, love; Post. How! how! another ?- Imo. [Putting a bracelet on her arm. O, the gods! When shall we see again? I beseech you, sir, Harm not yourself with your vexation; I Am senseless of your wrath; a touch more rare Subdues all pangs, all fears. There might have been, No harm, I trust, is done? Pis. But that my master rather play'd than fought, Queen. I would they were in Africk both together;" Pis. I humbly thank your highness. Queen. Pray, walk a while. Imo. About some half hour hence, I pray you, speak with me: you shall, at least, Go see my lord aboard: for this time, leave me. [Exeunt. SCENE III-A publick Place. Enter Cloten and Two Lords. 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 itHave 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 backside the town. [Aside. Clo. The villain would not stand me. Cym. Past grace? obedience ? 2 Lord. No; but he fled forward still, toward Imo. Past hope, and in despair; that way, past your face. Aside, grace. [queen! 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! [Aside. Clo. I would, they had not come between us. Cym. That might'st have had the sole son of my Imo. O bless'd, that I might not. I chose an And did avoid a puttock. [eagle, Cym. Thou took'st a beggar; would'st have A seat for baseness. [made my throne 2 Lord. So would I, till you had measured how he was then of a crescent note; expected to prove long a fool you were upon the ground. [Aside. so worthy, as since he hath been allowed the name Clo. And that she should love this fellow, and of: but I could then have looked on him without refuse me! the help of admiration; though the catalogue of his endowments had been tabled by his side, and I to peruse him by items. 2 Lord. If it be a sin to make a true election, she is damned. [Aside. 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 reflection should hurt her. [Aside. 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. [Aside. Clo. You'll go with us? 1 Lord. I'll attend your lordship. haven, And question'dst every sail: if he should write, Pis. Pis. Imo. Thou should'st have made him Pis. Madam, so I did. Imo. I would have broke mine eye-strings; To look upon him; till the diminution When shall we hear from him? With his next vantage. [Pisanio, Be assur'd, madam, Imo. I did not take my leave of him, but had him, At the sixth hour of morn, at noon, at midnight, Enter a Lady. Phi. You speak of him when he was less furnished, than now he is, with that which makes him both without and within. French. I have seen him in France: we had very many there, could behold the sun with as firmeyes as he. Iach. This matter of marrying his king's daughter, (wherein he must be weighed rather by ber 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 won derfully to extend him; be it but to fortify her judg ment, which else an easy battery might lay flat, for taking a beggar without more 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 Or leans. 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 heard, than in my every action to be guided by others' experiences: but, upon my mended judg ment, (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 publick, which may, without contradiction, suffer the report. It was much like an argument that fell out last night, where each of us fell in praîsé of our country mistresses: This gentleman at that time vouching (and upon warrant of bloody affir mation) 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 gen tleman'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. Lady. The queen, madam, Desires your highness' company. Post. Being so far provoked as I was in Frances Imo. Those things I bid you do, get them de- I would abate her nothing; though I profess myI will attend the queen. [spatch'd.Pis. Madam, I shall. [Exeunt. self her adorer, not her friend. Jach. As fair, and as good, (a kind of hand-inSCENE V.-Rome. An Apartment in Philario's hand comparison,) had been something too fair, and too good, for any lady in Britany. If she went be Enter Philario, lachimo, a Frenchman, a Dutch-fore others I have seen, as that diamond of yours out-lustres many I have beheld, I could not but be lieve she excelled many: but I have not seen the Iach. Believe it, sir: I have seen him in Britain: most previous diamond that is, nor you the lady, House. man, and a Spaniard. |