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. I prais'd her as I rated her. So do I my stone.
IACHIMO. What do you
esteem it at?
POSTHUMUS. More than the world enjoys.
IACHIMO. Either your unparagon'd
mistress is dead, or she's
outpriz'd by a trifle.
POSTHUMUS. 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. 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 stol'n too. So
your brace of unprizable estimations, the one is but frail and
the other
casual; a
cunning thief, or a that-way-accomplish'd
courtier, would
hazard the
winning both of first and last.
POSTHUMUS. Your Italy contains none so accomplish'd 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. 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. 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. You are a great deal abus'd in too bold a persuasion,
and I doubt not you
sustain what y'are
worthy of by your attempt.
IACHIMO. What's that?
POSTHUMUS. 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 th'
approbation of what I have spoke!
POSTHUMUS. 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 reserv'd.
POSTHUMUS. I will wage against your gold, gold to it. My ring I
hold dear as my finger; 'tis part of it.
IACHIMO. You are a friend, and t
herein 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. 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. 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 un
worthy 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 enjoy'd 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. 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 prevail'd, I am
no further your enemy- she is not worth our
debate; if she remain
unseduc'd, you not making it appear
otherwise, for your ill
opinion and th'
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
lawfulcounsel, 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. Agreed. Exeunt POSTHUMUS and IACHIMO
FRENCHMAN. Will this hold, think you?
PHILARIO. Signior Iachimo will not from it. Pray let us follow 'em.
Exeunt
SCENE V.
Britain. CYMBELINE'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?
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 box]
But I
beseech your Grace, without offence-
My
conscience bids me ask-
wherefore you have
Commanded of me these 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 practice 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
flatteringrascal; 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 ling'ring 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.
QUEEN. No further service, Doctor,
Until I send for thee.
CORNELIUS. I
humbly take my leave. Exit
QUEEN. Weeps she still, say'st thou? Dost thou think in time
She will not
quench, and let instructions enter
Where folly now possesses? Do thou work.
When thou shalt bring me word she loves my son,
I'll tell thee on the
instant thou art then
As great as is thy master; greater, for
His fortunes all lie
speechless, and his name
Is at last gasp. Return he cannot, nor
Continue where he is. To shift his being
Is to exchange one
misery with another,
And every day that comes comes comes to
A day's work in him. What shalt thou expect
To be depender on a thing that leans,
Who cannot be new built, nor has no friends
So much as but to prop him?
[The QUEEN drops the box. PISANIO takes it up]
Thou tak'st up
Thou know'st not what; but take it for thy labour.
It is a thing I made, which hath the King
Five times redeem'd from death. I do not know
What is more
cordial. Nay, I prithee take it;
It is an
earnest of a further good
That I mean to thee. Tell thy
mistress how
The case stands with her; do't as from thyself.
Think what a chance thou changest on; but think
Thou hast thy
mistress still; to boot, my son,
Who shall take notice of thee. I'll move the King
To any shape of thy preferment, such
As thou'lt desire; and then myself, I chiefly,
That set thee on to this desert, am bound
To load thy merit
richly. Call my women.
Think on my words. Exit PISANIO
A sly and
constant knave,
Not to be shak'd; the agent for his master,
And the remembrancer of her to hold
The hand-fast to her lord. I have given him that
Which, if he take, shall quite unpeople her
Of leigers for her sweet; and which she after,
Except she bend her
humour, shall be assur'd
To taste of too.
Re-enter PISANIO and LADIES
So, so. Well done, well done.
The violets, cowslips, and the primroses,
Bear to my
closet. Fare thee well, Pisanio;
Think on my words. Exeunt QUEEN and LADIES
PISANIO. And shall do.
But when to my good lord I prove untrue
I'll choke myself- there's all I'll do for you. Exit
SCENE VI.
Britain. The palace
Enter IMOGEN alone
IMOGEN. A father cruel and a step-dame false;
A foolish
suitor to a
wedded lady
That hath her husband banish'd. O, that husband!
My
supreme crown of grief! and those
repeated