LUCIUS Consider, sir, the chance of war. The day
Was yours by accident: had it gone with us88,
We should not, when the blood was cool, have threatened
Our prisoners with the sword. But since the gods
Will have it thus, that nothing but our lives
May be called ransom, let it come: sufficeth92
A Roman with a Roman’s heart can suffer:
Augustus lives to think on’t94: and so much
For my peculiar care.95 This one thing only
I will entreat: my boy, a Briton born,
Let him be ransomed: never master had
A page so kind, so duteous, diligent,
So tender over his occasions99, true,
So feat100, so nurse-like: let his virtue join
With my request, which I’ll make bold your highness
Cannot deny: he hath done no Briton harm,
Though he have served a Roman. Save him, sir,
And104 spare no blood beside.
CYMBELINE I have surely seen him:
His favour106 is familiar to me. Boy,
Thou hast looked thyself into my grace107,
And art mine own. I know not why, wherefore,
To say ‘Live, boy.’ Ne’er thank thy master109: live,
And ask of Cymbeline what boon110 thou wilt,
Fitting my bounty and thy state111, I’ll give it,
Yea, though thou do demand a prisoner,
The noblest ta’en.
INNOGEN I humbly thank your highness.
LUCIUS I do not bid thee beg my life, good lad,
And yet I know thou wilt.
INNOGEN No, no, alack,
There’s other work in hand: I see a thing
Bitter to me as death: your life, good master,
Must shuffle120 for itself.
LUCIUS The boy disdains me,
He leaves me, scorns me: briefly122 die their joys
That place them on the truth123 of girls and boys.
Innogen looks closely at Iachimo
Why stands he so perplexed?124
CYMBELINE What wouldst thou, boy?
I love thee more and more: think more and more
What’s best to ask. Know’st him thou look’st on? Speak,
Wilt have him live? Is he thy kin? Thy friend?
INNOGEN He is a Roman, no more kin to me
Than I to your highness, who, being born your vassal130,
Am something nearer.131
CYMBELINE Wherefore ey’st him so?132
INNOGEN I’ll tell you, sir, in private, if you please
To give me hearing.
CYMBELINE Ay, with all my heart,
And lend my best attention. What’s thy name?
INNOGEN Fidele, sir.
CYMBELINE Thou’rt my good youth, my page:
I’ll be thy master: walk with me, speak freely.
Cymbeline and Innogen converse apart
BELARIUS Is not this boy revived from death?
ARVIRAGUS One sand another
Not more resembles that sweet rosy lad
Who died, and was Fidele. What think you?
GUIDERIUS The same dead thing alive.
BELARIUS Peace, peace, see further: he eyes us not, forbear.145
Creatures may be alike: were’t he, I am sure
He would have spoke to us.
GUIDERIUS But we see him dead.148
BELARIUS Be silent: let’s see further.
Aside
PISANIO It is my mistress:
Since she is living, let the time run on
To good or bad.
Cymbeline and Innogen come forward
CYMBELINE Come, stand thou by our side,
To Iachimo
Make thy demand aloud.— Sir, step you forth,
Give answer to this boy, and do it freely
Or by our greatness and the grace of it,
Which is our honour, bitter torture shall
Winnow158 the truth from falsehood. On, speak to him.
INNOGEN My boon is that this gentleman may render159
Points to the ring
Of whom he had this ring.
Aside
POSTHUMUS What’s that to him?
To Iachimo
CYMBELINE That diamond upon your finger, say,
How came it yours?
IACHIMO Thou’lt torture me164 to leave unspoken that
Which to be spoke would torture thee.
CYMBELINE How? Me?
IACHIMO I am glad to be constrained to utter that
Which torments me to conceal. By villainy
I got this ring: ’twas Leonatus’ jewel,
Whom thou didst banish: and — which more may grieve thee,
As it doth me — a nobler sir ne’er lived
’Twixt sky and ground. Wilt thou hear more, my lord?
CYMBELINE All that belongs to this.173
IACHIMO That paragon, thy daughter,
For whom my heart drops blood, and my false spirits
Quail to remember — give me leave, I faint.
CYMBELINE My daughter? What of her? Renew thy strength:
I had rather thou shouldst live while nature will178
Than die ere179 I hear more: strive, man, and speak.
IACHIMO Upon a time — unhappy was the clock
That struck the hour! — it was in Rome — accursed
The mansion where! — ’twas at a feast — O, would
Our viands183 had been poisoned, or at least
Those which I heaved to head!184 — the good Posthumus —
What should I say? He was too good to be
Where ill men were, and was the best of all
Amongst the rar’st of good ones — sitting sadly187,
Hearing us praise our loves of Italy
For beauty that made barren189 the swelled boast
Of him that best could speak: for feature, laming190
The shrine of Venus or straight-pight Minerva191,
Postures beyond brief nature: for condition192,
A shop193 of all the qualities that man
Loves woman for, besides that hook of wiving194,
Fairness which strikes the eye—
CYMBELINE I stand on fire.196
Come to the matter.197
IACHIMO All too soon I shall,
Unless thou wouldst grieve quickly. This Posthumus,
Most like a noble lord in love and one
That had a royal lover, took his hint201,
And not dispraising whom we praised — therein
He was as calm as virtue — he began
His mistress’ picture, which by his tongue being made,
And then a mind put in’t205, either our brags
Were cracked of kitchen-trulls206, or his description
Proved us unspeaking sots.207
CYMBELINE Nay, nay, to th’purpose.208
IACHIMO Your daughter’s chastity — there it begins.
He spake of her as Dian had hot210 dreams
And she alone were cold211: whereat I, wretch,
Made scruple212 of his praise, and wagered with him
Pieces of gold gainst this, which then he wore
Upon his honoured finger, to attain
In suit215 the place of’s bed and win this ring
By hers and mine adultery. He, true knight,
No lesser of her honour confident
Than I did truly find her, stakes this ring,
And would so had it been a carbuncle219
Of Phoebus’ wheel, and might so220 safely had it
Been all the worth o
f’s car.221 Away to Britain
Post222 I in this design: well may you, sir,
Remember me at court, where I was taught
Of224 your chaste daughter the wide difference
’Twixt amorous and villainous. Being thus quenched
Of hope, not longing, mine Italian brain
’Gan in your duller Britain227 operate
Most vilely: for my vantage228, excellent.
And, to be brief, my practice so prevailed
That I returned with simular230 proof enough
To make the noble Leonatus mad
By wounding his belief in her renown232
With tokens thus, and thus: averring233 notes
Of chamber-hanging, pictures, this her bracelet —
Shows the bracelet
O, cunning, how I got it! — nay, some marks
Of secret on her person, that he could not
But think her bond of chastity quite cracked237,
I having ta’en the forfeit.238 Whereupon —
Methinks I see him now—
Comes forward
POSTHUMUS Ay, so thou dost,
Italian fiend! Ay me, most credulous fool,
Egregious murderer, thief, anything242
That’s due to all the villains past, in being243,
To come! O, give me cord244, or knife, or poison,
Some upright justicer!245 Thou, king, send out
For torturers ingenious246: it is I
That all th’abhorrèd things o’th’earth amend247
By being worse than they. I am Posthumus,
That killed thy daughter — villain-like, I lie —
That caused a lesser villain than myself,
A sacrilegious thief, to do’t. The temple251
Of virtue was she; yea, and she herself.252
Spit, and throw stones, cast mire upon me, set
The dogs o’th’street to bay254 me: every villain
Be called Posthumus Leonatus, and
Be villainy less than ’twas!256 O Innogen!
My queen, my life, my wife: O Innogen,
Innogen, Innogen!
She runs to him?
INNOGEN Peace, my lord, hear, hear.
POSTHUMUS Shall’s have260 a play of this? Thou scornful page,
There lie thy part.261
He strikes her and she falls
PISANIO O, gentlemen, help!
Mine and your mistress: O, my lord Posthumus,
You ne’er killed Innogen till now. Help, help!
Mine honoured lady.
CYMBELINE Does the world go round?
POSTHUMUS How comes these staggers267 on me?
PISANIO Wake, my mistress!
CYMBELINE If this be so, the gods do mean to strike me
To death with mortal270 joy.
PISANIO How fares my mistress?
INNOGEN O, get thee from my sight,
Thou gavest me poison: dangerous fellow, hence!
Breathe not where princes are.
CYMBELINE The tune275 of Innogen.
PISANIO Lady, the gods throw stones of sulphur276 on me if
That box I gave you was not thought by me
A precious thing: I had it from the queen.
CYMBELINE New matter still.
INNOGEN It poisoned me.
CORNELIUS O gods!
I left out one thing which the queen confessed,
Which must approve283 thee honest. ‘If Pisanio
Have’, said she, ‘given his mistress that confection284
Which I gave him for cordial285, she is served
As I would serve a rat.’
CYMBELINE What’s this, Cornelius?
CORNELIUS The queen, sir, very oft importuned me
To temper poisons for her, still pretending289
The satisfaction of her knowledge only
In killing creatures vile, as cats and dogs,
Of no esteem.292 I, dreading that her purpose
Was of more danger, did compound for her
A certain stuff which, being ta’en, would cease294
The present power of life, but in short time
All offices of nature296 should again
Do their due functions. Have you ta’en of it?
INNOGEN Most like298 I did, for I was dead.
BELARIUS My boys,
There was our error.
GUIDERIUS This is sure301 Fidele.
INNOGEN Why did you throw your wedded lady from you?
Think that you are upon a rock, and now
Embraces him
Throw me again.
POSTHUMUS Hang there like fruit, my soul,
Till the tree306 die.
CYMBELINE How now, my flesh, my child?
What, mak’st thou me a dullard in this act?308
Wilt thou not speak to me?
Kneels
INNOGEN Your blessing, sir.
To Guiderius and Arviragus
BELARIUS Though you did love this youth, I blame ye not.
You had a motive312 for’t.
CYMBELINE My tears that fall
Prove holy water on thee! Innogen,
Thy mother’s315 dead.
INNOGEN I am sorry for’t, my lord.
CYMBELINE O, she was naught, and long of317 her it was
That we meet here so strangely318: but her son
Is gone, we know not how nor where.
PISANIO My lord,
Now fear is from me, I’ll speak troth. Lord Cloten,
Upon my lady’s missing322, came to me
With his sword drawn, foamed at the mouth, and swore,
If I discovered324 not which way she was gone,
It was my instant death. By accident325,
I had a feignèd letter326 of my master’s
Then in my pocket, which directed him
To seek her on the mountains near to Milford,
Where in a frenzy, in my master’s garments,
Which he enforced from me, away he posts330
My lady’s honour. What became of him
I further know not.
GUIDERIUS Let me end the story:
I slew him there.
CYMBELINE Marry, the gods forfend!336
I would not thy good deeds should from my lips
Pluck a hard sentence: prithee, valiant youth,
Deny’t again.339
GUIDERIUS I have spoke it, and I did it.
CYMBELINE He was a prince.341
GUIDERIUS A most incivil342 one. The wrongs he did me
Were nothing prince-like, for he did provoke me
With language that would make me spurn the sea,
If it could so roar to me. I cut off’s head,
And am right glad he is not standing here
To tell this tale of mine.347
CYMBELINE I am sorrow348 for thee:
By thine own tongue thou art condemned, and must
Endure our law: thou’rt dead.350
INNOGEN That headless man
I thought had been my lord.
CYMBELINE Bind the offender,
And take him from our presence.
BELARIUS Stay, sir king.
This man is better than the man he slew,
As well descended357 as thyself, and hath
More of thee merited358 than a band of Clotens
To the Guard
Had ever scar for.359— Let his arms alone,
They were not born for bondage.
CYMBELINE Why, old soldier,
Wilt thou undo
the worth thou art unpaid for362
By tasting of363 our wrath? How of descent
As good as we?
ARVIRAGUS In that he spake too far.
CYMBELINE And thou366 shalt die for’t.
BELARIUS We will die all three,
But I will prove that two on’s368 are as good
As I have given out him.369 My sons, I must
For mine own part unfold a dangerous speech370,
Though haply well for371 you.
ARVIRAGUS Your danger’s ours.
GUIDERIUS And our good his.
BELARIUS Have at it then, by leave.374
Thou hadst, great king, a subject who
Was called Belarius.
CYMBELINE What of him? He is
A banished traitor.
BELARIUS He it is that hath
Assumed this age380: indeed, a banished man,
I know not how a traitor.
CYMBELINE Take him hence,
The whole world shall not save him.
BELARIUS Not too hot384:
First pay me for the nursing of thy sons,
And let it be confiscate all so386 soon
As I have received it.
CYMBELINE Nursing of my sons?
Kneels
BELARIUS I am too blunt and saucy389, here’s my knee:
Ere I arise I will prefer390 my sons,
Then spare not the old father. Mighty sir,
These two young gentlemen that call me father,
And think they are my sons, are none of mine.
They are the issue of your loins, my liege,
And blood395 of your begetting.
CYMBELINE How, my issue?
BELARIUS So sure as you your father’s. I, old Morgan,
Am that Belarius whom you sometime398 banished:
Your pleasure was my mere399 offence, my punishment
Itself, and all my treason. That I suffered400
Was all the harm I did. These gentle princes —
For such and so they are — these twenty years
Have I trained up: those arts they have as I
Could put into404 them. My breeding was, sir,
As your highness knows. Their nurse, Euriphile,
Whom for the theft I wedded, stole these children
Upon my banishment: I moved407 her to’t,
Having received the punishment before408
For that which I did then. Beaten409 for loyalty
Excited410 me to treason. Their dear loss,
The more of you ’twas felt, the more it shaped411
Unto my end of412 stealing them. But, gracious sir,