Complete Plays, The (446 page)

Imogen

Senseless Linen! happier therein than I!
And that was all?

Pisanio

 
No, madam; for so long
As he could make me with this eye or ear
Distinguish him from others, he did keep
The deck, with glove, or hat, or handkerchief,
Still waving, as the fits and stirs of ’s mind
Could best express how slow his soul sail’d on,
How swift his ship.

Imogen

Thou shouldst have made him
As little as a crow, or less, ere left
To after-eye him.

Pisanio

 
Madam, so I did.

Imogen

I would have broke mine eye-strings; crack’d them, but
To look upon him, till the diminution
Of space had pointed him sharp as my needle,
Nay, follow’d him, till he had melted from
The smallness of a gnat to air, and then
Have turn’d mine eye and wept. But, good Pisanio,
When shall we hear from him?

Pisanio

Be assured, madam,
With his next vantage.

Imogen

I did not take my leave of him, but had
Most pretty things to say: ere I could tell him
How I would think on him at certain hours
Such thoughts and such, or I could make him swear
The shes of Italy should not betray
Mine interest and his honour, or have charged him,
At the sixth hour of morn, at noon, at midnight,
To encounter me with orisons, for then
I am in heaven for him; or ere I could
Give him that parting kiss which I had set
Betwixt two charming words, comes in my father
And like the tyrannous breathing of the north
Shakes all our buds from growing.

Enter a Lady

Lady

The queen, madam,
Desires your highness’ company.

Imogen

Those things I bid you do, get them dispatch’d.
I will attend the queen.

Pisanio

Madam, I shall.

Exeunt

S
CENE
IV. R
OME
. P
HILARIO
’
S
HOUSE
.

Enter Philario, Iachimo, a Frenchman, a Dutchman, and a Spaniard

Iachimo

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.

Philario

You speak of him when he was less furnished than now he is with that which makes him both without and within.

Frenchman

I have seen him in France: we had very many there could behold the sun with as firm eyes as he.

Iachimo

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.

Frenchman

And then his banishment.

Iachimo

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?

Philario

His father and I were soldiers together; to whom I have been often bound for no less than my life. Here comes the Briton: let him be so entertained amongst you as suits, with gentlemen of your knowing, to a stranger of his quality.

Enter Posthumus Leonatus

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.

Frenchman

Sir, we have known together in Orleans.

Posthumus Leonatus

Since when I have been debtor to you for courtesies, which I will be ever to pay and yet pay still.

Frenchman

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.

Posthumus Leonatus

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.

Frenchman

’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.

Iachimo

Can we, with manners, ask what was the difference?

Frenchman

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 attemptable than any the rarest of our ladies in France.

Iachimo

That lady is not now living, or this gentleman’s opinion by this worn out.

Posthumus Leonatus

She holds her virtue still and I my mind.

Iachimo

You must not so far prefer her ’fore ours of Italy.

Posthumus Leonatus

Being so far provoked as I was in France, I would abate her nothing, though I profess myself her adorer, not her friend.

Iachimo

As fair and as good — a kind of hand-in-hand comparison — had been something too fair and too good for any lady in Britain. 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.

Posthumus Leonatus

I praised her as I rated her: so do I my stone.

Iachimo

What do you esteem it at?

Posthumus Leonatus

More than the world enjoys.

Iachimo

Either your unparagoned mistress is dead, or she’s outprized by a trifle.

Posthumus Leonatus

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.

Iachimo

Which the gods have given you?

Posthumus Leonatus

Which, by their graces, I will keep.

Iachimo

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 unprizable 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.

Posthumus Leonatus

Your Italy contains none so accomplished a courtier to convince the honour of my mistress, if, in the holding or loss of that, you term her frail. I do nothing doubt you have store of thieves; notwithstanding, I fear not my ring.

Philario

Let us leave here, gentlemen.

Posthumus Leonatus

Sir, with all my heart. This worthy signior, I thank him, makes no stranger of me; we are familiar at first.

Iachimo

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.

Posthumus Leonatus

No, no.

Iachimo

I dare thereupon pawn the moiety of my estate to your ring; which, in my opinion, o’ervalues it something: but I make my wager rather against your confidence than her reputation: and, to bar your offence herein too, I durst attempt it against any lady in the world.

Posthumus Leonatus

You are a great deal abused in too bold a persuasion; and I doubt not you sustain what you’re worthy of by your attempt.

Iachimo

What’s that?

Posthumus Leonatus

A repulse: though your attempt, as you call it, deserve more; a punishment too.

Philario

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

Iachimo

Would I had put my estate and my neighbour’s on the approbation of what I have spoke!

Posthumus Leonatus

What lady would you choose to assail?

Iachimo

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.

Posthumus Leonatus

I will wage against your gold, gold to it: my ring
I hold dear as my finger; ’tis part of it.

Iachimo

You are afraid, 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.

Posthumus Leonatus

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

Iachimo

I am the master of my speeches, and would undergo what’s spoken, I swear.

Posthumus Leonatus

Will you? I shall but lend my diamond till your return: let there be covenants drawn between’s: my mistress exceeds in goodness the hugeness of your unworthy thinking: I dare you to this match: here’s my ring.

Philario

I will have it no lay.

Iachimo

By the gods, it is one. If I bring you no sufficient testimony that I have enjoyed the dearest bodily part of your mistress, my ten thousand ducats are yours; so is your diamond too: if I come off, and leave her in such honour as you have trust in, she your jewel, this your jewel, and my gold are yours: provided I have your commendation for my more free entertainment.

Posthumus Leonatus

I embrace these conditions; let us have articles betwixt us. Only, thus far you shall answer: if you make your voyage upon her and give me directly to understand you have prevailed, I am no further your enemy; she is not worth our debate: if she remain unseduced, you not making it appear otherwise, for your ill opinion and the assault you have made to her chastity you shall answer me with your sword.

Iachimo

Your hand; a covenant: we will have these things set down by lawful counsel, and straight away for Britain, lest the bargain should catch cold and starve: I will fetch my gold and have our two wagers recorded.

Posthumus Leonatus

Agreed.

Exeunt Posthumus Leonatus and Iachimo

Frenchman

Will this hold, think you?

Philario

Signior Iachimo will not from it.
Pray, let us follow ’em.

Exeunt

S
CENE
V. B
RITAIN
. A
ROOM
IN
C
YMBELINE
’
S
PALACE
.

Enter Queen, Ladies, and Cornelius

Queen

Whiles yet the dew’s on ground, gather those flowers;
Make haste: who has the note of them?

First Lady

I, madam.

Queen

Dispatch.

Exeunt Ladies

Now, master doctor, have you brought those drugs?

Cornelius

Pleaseth your highness, ay: here they are, madam:

Presenting a small box

But I beseech your grace, without offence,—
My conscience bids me ask — wherefore you have
Commanded of me those most poisonous compounds,
Which are the movers of a languishing death;
But though slow, deadly?

Queen

I wonder, doctor,
Thou ask’st me such a question. Have I not been
Thy pupil long? Hast thou not learn’d me how
To make perfumes? distil? preserve? yea, so
That our great king himself doth woo me oft
For my confections? Having thus far proceeded,—
Unless thou think’st me devilish — is’t not meet
That I did amplify my judgment in
Other conclusions? I will try the forces
Of these thy compounds on such 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 several virtues and effects.

Cornelius

Your highness
Shall from this practise but make hard your heart:
Besides, the seeing these effects will be
Both noisome and infectious.

Queen

O, content thee.

Enter Pisanio

Aside

Here comes a flattering rascal; upon him
Will I first work: he’s for his master,
An enemy to my son. How now, Pisanio!
Doctor, your service for this time is ended;
Take your own way.

Cornelius

[Aside]
 
I do suspect you, madam;
But you shall do no harm.

Queen

[To Pisanio]
 
Hark thee, a word.

Cornelius

[Aside]
 
I do not like her. She doth think she has
Strange lingering poisons: I do know her spirit,
And will not trust one of her malice with
A drug of such damn’d nature. Those she has
Will stupefy and dull the sense awhile;
Which first, perchance, she’ll prove on cats and dogs,
Then afterward up higher: but there is
No danger in what show of death it makes,
More than the locking-up the spirits a time,
To be more fresh, reviving. She is fool’d
With a most false effect; and I the truer,
So to be false with her.