William Shakespeare: The Complete Works 2nd Edition (540 page)
Read William Shakespeare: The Complete Works 2nd Edition Online
Authors: William Shakespeare
Tags: #Drama, #Literary Criticism, #Shakespeare
BOOK: William Shakespeare: The Complete Works 2nd Edition
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No, be assured you shall not find me, daughter,
After the slander of most stepmothers,
Evil-eyed unto you. You’re my prisoner, but
Your jailer shall deliver you the keys
That lock up your restraint. For you, Posthumus,
So soon as I can win th‘offended King
I will be known your advocate. Marry, yet
The fire of rage is in him, and ’twere good
You leaned unto his sentence with what patience
Your wisdom may inform you.
After the slander of most stepmothers,
Evil-eyed unto you. You’re my prisoner, but
Your jailer shall deliver you the keys
That lock up your restraint. For you, Posthumus,
So soon as I can win th‘offended King
I will be known your advocate. Marry, yet
The fire of rage is in him, and ’twere good
You leaned unto his sentence with what patience
Your wisdom may inform you.
POSTHUMUS
Please your highness,
I will from hence today.
QUEEN
You know the peril.
I’ll fetch a turn about the garden, pitying
The pangs of barred affections, though the King
Hath charged you should not speak together. Exit
The pangs of barred affections, though the King
Hath charged you should not speak together. Exit
INNOGEN
O dissembling courtesy! How fine this tyrant
Can tickle where she wounds! My dearest husband,
I something fear my father’s wrath, but nothing—
Always reserved my holy duty—what
His rage can do on me. You must be gone,
And I shall here abide the hourly shot
Of angry eyes, not comforted to live
But that there is this jewel in the world
That I may see again.
Can tickle where she wounds! My dearest husband,
I something fear my father’s wrath, but nothing—
Always reserved my holy duty—what
His rage can do on me. You must be gone,
And I shall here abide the hourly shot
Of angry eyes, not comforted to live
But that there is this jewel in the world
That I may see again.
POSTHUMUS
My queen, my mistress!
O lady, weep no more, lest I give cause
To be suspected of more tenderness
Than doth become a man. I will remain
The loyal‘st husband that did e’er plight troth;
My residence in Rome at one Filario’s,
Who to my father was a friend, to me
Known but by letter; thither write, my queen,
And with mine eyes I’ll drink the words you send
Though ink be made of gall.
To be suspected of more tenderness
Than doth become a man. I will remain
The loyal‘st husband that did e’er plight troth;
My residence in Rome at one Filario’s,
Who to my father was a friend, to me
Known but by letter; thither write, my queen,
And with mine eyes I’ll drink the words you send
Though ink be made of gall.
Enter Queen
QUEEN
Be brief, I pray you.
If the King come, I shall incur I know not
How much of his displeasure. (Aside) Yet I’ll move him
To walk this way. I never do him wrong
But he does buy my injuries, to be friends,
Pays dear for my offences. Exit
How much of his displeasure. (Aside) Yet I’ll move him
To walk this way. I never do him wrong
But he does buy my injuries, to be friends,
Pays dear for my offences. Exit
POSTHUMUS
Should we be taking leave
As long a term as yet we have to live,
The loathness to depart would grow. Adieu.
The loathness to depart would grow. Adieu.
INNOGEN Nay, stay a little.
Were you but riding forth to air yourself
Such parting were too petty. Look here, love:
This diamond was my mother’s. Take it, heart;
Such parting were too petty. Look here, love:
This diamond was my mother’s. Take it, heart;
She gives him a ring
But keep it till you woo another wife
When Innogen is dead.
When Innogen is dead.
POSTHUMUS
How, how? Another?
You gentle gods, give me but this I have,
And cere up my embracements from a next
With bonds of death! Remain, remain thou here
And cere up my embracements from a next
With bonds of death! Remain, remain thou here
He puts on the ring
While sense can keep it on; and, sweetest, fairest,
As I my poor self did exchange for you
To your so infinite loss, so in our trifles
I still win of you. For my sake wear this.
As I my poor self did exchange for you
To your so infinite loss, so in our trifles
I still win of you. For my sake wear this.
He gives her a bracelet
It is a manacle of love. I’ll place it
Upon this fairest prisoner.
Upon this fairest prisoner.
INNOGEN O the gods!
When shall we see again?
Enter Cymbeline and lords
POSTHUMUS
Alack, the King!
CYMBELINE
Thou basest thing, avoid hence, from my sight!
If after this command thou fraught the court
With thy unworthiness, thou diest. Away.
Thou’rt poison to my blood.
If after this command thou fraught the court
With thy unworthiness, thou diest. Away.
Thou’rt poison to my blood.
POSTHUMUS
The gods protect you,
And bless the good remainders of the court!
I am gone.
I am gone.
Exit
INNOGEN
There cannot be a pinch in death
More sharp than this is.
CYMBELINE
O disloyal thing,
That shouldst repair my youth, thou heap’st
A year’s age on me.
A year’s age on me.
INNOGEN
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.
I am senseless of your wrath. A touch more rare
Subdues all pangs, all fears.
CYMBELINE
Past grace, obedience-
INNOGEN
Past hope and in despair: that way past grace.
CYMBELINE
That mightst have had the sole son of my queen!
INNOGEN
O blessed that I might not! I chose an eagle
And did avoid a puttock.
And did avoid a puttock.
CYMBELINE
Thou took’st a beggar, wouldst have made my throne
A seat for baseness.
A seat for baseness.
INNOGEN
No, I rather added
A lustre to it.
CYMBELINE
O thou vile one!
INNOGEN
Sir,
It is your fault that I have loved Posthumus.
You bred him as my playfellow, and he is
A man worth any woman, over-buys me
Almost the sum he pays.
You bred him as my playfellow, and he is
A man worth any woman, over-buys me
Almost the sum he pays.
CYMBELINE
What, art thou mad?
INNOGEN
Almost, sir. Heaven restore me! Would I were
A neatherd’s daughter, and my Leonatus
Our neighbour shepherd’s son.
A neatherd’s daughter, and my Leonatus
Our neighbour shepherd’s son.
Enter Queen
CYMBELINE
Thou foolish thing.
(To Queen) They were again together; you have done
Not after our command. (To lords) Away with her,
And pen her up.
Not after our command. (To lords) Away with her,
And pen her up.
QUEEN
Beseech your patience, peace,
Dear lady daughter, peace. Sweet sovereign,
Leave us to ourselves, and make yourself some comfort
Out of your best advice.
Leave us to ourselves, and make yourself some comfort
Out of your best advice.
CYMBELINE
Nay, let her languish
A drop of blood a day, and, being aged,
Die of this folly.
Die of this folly.
Exit with lords
QUEEN
Fie, you must give way.
Enter Pisanio
Here is your servant. How now, sir? What news?
PISANIO
My lord your son drew on my master.
QUEEN Ha!
No harm, I trust, is done?
PISANIO
There might have been,
But that my master rather played than fought,
And had no help of anger. They were parted
By gentlemen at hand.
And had no help of anger. They were parted
By gentlemen at hand.
QUEEN
I am very glad on’t.
INNOGEN
Your son’s my father’s friend; he takes his part
To draw upon an exile—O brave sir!
I would they were in Afric both together,
Myself by with a needle, that I might prick
The goer-back. (To Pisanio) Why came you from your
master?
To draw upon an exile—O brave sir!
I would they were in Afric both together,
Myself by with a needle, that I might prick
The goer-back. (To Pisanio) Why came you from your
master?
PISANIO
On his command. He would not suffer me
To bring him to the haven, left these notes
Of what commands I should be subject to
When’t pleased you to employ me.
To bring him to the haven, left these notes
Of what commands I should be subject to
When’t pleased you to employ me.
QUEEN
This hath been
Your faithful servant. I dare lay mine honour
He will remain so.
He will remain so.
PISANIO I humbly thank your highness.
QUEEN Pray walk a while.
⌈
Exit
⌉
Exit
⌉
INNOGEN
About some half hour hence, pray you speak with me.
You shall at least go see my lord aboard.
For this time leave me.
You shall at least go see my lord aboard.
For this time leave me.
Exeunt severally
1.2Enter Cloten and two Lords
FIRST 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.
CLOTEN If my shirt were bloody, then to shift it. Have I hurt him?
SECOND LORD (aside) No, faith, not so much as his patience.
FIRST LORD Hurt him? His body’s a passable carcass if he be not hurt. It is a thoroughfare for steel if he be not hurt.
SECOND LORD (aside) His steel was in debt—it went o’th’ backside the town.
CLOTEN The villain would not stand me.
SECOND LORD (aside) No, but he fled forward still, toward your face.
FIRST LORD Stand you? You have land enough of your own, but he added to your having, gave you some ground.
SECOND LORD (aside) As many inches as you have oceans. Puppies!
CLOTEN I would they had not come between us.
SECOND LORD (aside) So would I, till you had measured how long a fool you were upon the ground.
CLOTEN And that she should love this fellow and refuse me!
SECOND LORD (aside) If it be a sin to make a true election, she is damned.
FIRST 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.
SECOND LORD (aside) She shines not upon fools lest the reflection should hurt her.
CLOTEN Come, I’ll to my chamber. Would there had been some hurt done.
SECOND LORD (aside) I wish not so, unless it had been the fall of an ass, which is no great hurt.
CLOTEN (to Second Lord) You’ll go with us?
FIRST LORD I’ll attend your lordship.
CLOTEN Nay, come, let’s go together.
SECOND LORD Well, my lord.
Exeunt
1.3Enter Innogen and Pisanio
INNOGEN
I would thou grew‘st unto the shores o’th’ haven
And questionedst every sail. If he should write
And I not have it, ’twere a paper lost
As offered mercy is. What was the last
That he spake to thee?
And questionedst every sail. If he should write
And I not have it, ’twere a paper lost
As offered mercy is. What was the last
That he spake to thee?
PISANIO
It was his queen, his queen.
INNOGEN
Then waved his handkerchief?
PISANIO
And kissed it, madam.
INNOGEN
Senseless linen, happier therein than I!
And that was all?
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 sailed on,
How swift his ship.
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 sailed on,
How swift his ship.
INNOGEN
Thou shouldst have made him
As little as a crow, or less, ere left
To after-eye him.
To after-eye him.
PISANIO
Madam, so I did.
INNOGEN
I would have broke mine eye-strings, cracked them,
but
To look upon him till the diminution
Of space had pointed him sharp as my needle;
Nay, followed him till he had melted from
The smallness of a gnat to air, and then
Have turned mine eye and wept. But, good Pisanio,
When shall we hear from him?
but
To look upon him till the diminution
Of space had pointed him sharp as my needle;
Nay, followed him till he had melted from
The smallness of a gnat to air, and then
Have turned mine eye and wept. But, good Pisanio,
When shall we hear from him?
PISANIO Be assured, madam,
With his next vantage.
INNOGEN
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
T’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.
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
T’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.
INNOGEN (to
Pisanio)
Pisanio)
Those things I bid you do, get them dispatched.
I will attend the Queen.
I will attend the Queen.
PISANIO
Madam, I shall.
Exeunt Innogen and Lady at one door, Pisanio at another
1.4⌈
A table brought out, with a banquet upon it.
⌉
Enter Filario, Giacomo, a Frenchman, a Dutchman, and a Spaniard
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