I'll make a journey twice as far t' enjoy

A second night of such sweet shortness which
Was mine in Britain; for the ring is won.

POSTHUMUS. The stone's too hard to come by.
IACHIMO. Not a whit,

Your lady being so easy.
POSTHUMUS. Make not, sir,

Your loss your sport. I hope you know that we
Must not continue friends.

IACHIMO. Good sir, we must,
If you keep covenant. Had I not brought

The knowledge of your mistress home, I grant
We were to question farther; but I now

Profess myself the winner of her honour,
Together with your ring; and not the wronger

Of her or you, having proceeded but
By both your wills.

POSTHUMUS. If you can make't apparent
That you have tasted her in bed, my hand

And ring is yours. If not, the foul opinion
You had of her pure honour gains or loses

Your sword or mine, or masterless leaves both
To who shall find them.

IACHIMO. Sir, my circumstances,
Being so near the truth as I will make them,

Must first induce you to believe- whose strength
I will confirm with oath; which I doubt not

You'll give me leave to spare when you shall find
You need it not.

POSTHUMUS. Proceed.
IACHIMO. First, her bedchamber,

Where I confess I slept not, but profess
Had that was well worth watching-it was hang'd

With tapestry of silk and silver; the story,
Proud Cleopatra when she met her Roman

And Cydnus swell'd above the banks, or for
The press of boats or pride. A piece of work

So bravely done, so rich, that it did strive
In workmanship and value; which I wonder'd

Could be so rarely and exactly wrought,
Since the true life on't was-

POSTHUMUS. This is true;
And this you might have heard of here, by me

Or by some other.
IACHIMO. More particulars

Must justify my knowledge.
POSTHUMUS. So they must,

Or do your honour injury.
IACHIMO. The chimney

Is south the chamber, and the chimneypiece
Chaste Dian bathing. Never saw I figures

So likely to report themselves. The cutter
Was as another nature, dumb; outwent her,

Motion and breath left out.
POSTHUMUS. This is a thing

Which you might from relation likewise reap,
Being, as it is, much spoke of.

IACHIMO. The roof o' th' chamber
With golden cherubins is fretted; her andirons-

I had forgot them- were two winking Cupids
Of silver, each on one foot standing, nicely

Depending on their brands.
POSTHUMUS. This is her honour!

Let it be granted you have seen all this, and praise
Be given to your remembrance; the description

Of what is in her chamber nothing saves
The wager you have laid.

IACHIMO. Then, if you can, [Shows the bracelet]
Be pale. I beg but leave to air this jewel. See!

And now 'tis up again. It must be married
To that your diamond; I'll keep them.

POSTHUMUS. Jove!
Once more let me behold it. Is it that

Which I left with her?
IACHIMO. Sir- I thank her- that.

She stripp'd it from her arm; I see her yet;
Her pretty action did outsell her gift,

And yet enrich'd it too. She gave it me, and said
She priz'd it once.

POSTHUMUS. May be she pluck'd it of
To send it me.

IACHIMO. She writes so to you, doth she?
POSTHUMUS. O, no, no, no! 'tis true. Here, take this too;

[Gives the ring]
It is a basilisk unto mine eye,

Kills me to look on't. Let there be no honour
Where there is beauty; truth where semblance; love

Where there's another man. The vows of women
Of no more bondage be to where they are made

Than they are to their virtues, which is nothing.
O, above measure false!

PHILARIO. Have patience, sir,
And take your ring again; 'tis not yet won.

It may be probable she lost it, or
Who knows if one her women, being corrupted

Hath stol'n it from her?
POSTHUMUS. Very true;

And so I hope he came by't. Back my ring.
Render to me some corporal sign about her,

More evident than this; for this was stol'n.
IACHIMO. By Jupiter, I had it from her arm!

POSTHUMUS. Hark you, he swears; by Jupiter he swears.
'Tis true- nay, keep the ring, 'tis true. I am sure

She would not lose it. Her attendants are
All sworn and honourable- they induc'd to steal it!

And by a stranger! No, he hath enjoy'd her.
The cognizance of her incontinency

Is this: she hath bought the name of whore thus dearly.
There, take thy hire; and all the fiends of hell

Divide themselves between you!
PHILARIO. Sir, be patient;

This is not strong enough to be believ'd
Of one persuaded well of.

POSTHUMUS. Never talk on't;
She hath been colted by him.

IACHIMO. If you seek
For further satisfying, under her breast-

Worthy the pressing- lies a mole, right proud
Of that most delicatelodging. By my life,

I kiss'd it; and it gave me present hunger
To feed again, though full. You do remember

This stain upon her?
POSTHUMUS. Ay, and it doth confirm

Another stain, as big as hell can hold,
Were there no more but it.

IACHIMO. Will you hear more?
POSTHUMUS. Spare your arithmetic; never count the turns.

Once, and a million!
IACHIMO. I'll be sworn-

POSTHUMUS. No swearing.
If you will swear you have not done't, you lie;

And I will kill thee if thou dost deny
Thou'st made me cuckold.

IACHIMO. I'll deny nothing.
POSTHUMUS. O that I had her here to tear her limb-meal!

I will go there and do't, i' th' court, before
Her father. I'll do something- Exit

PHILARIO. Quite besides
The government of patience! You have won.

Let's follow him and pervert the present wrath
He hath against himself.

IACHIMO. With all my heart. Exeunt
SCENE V.

Rome. Another room in PHILARIO'S house
Enter POSTHUMUS

POSTHUMUS. Is there no way for men to be, but women
Must be half-workers? We are all bastards,

And that most venerable man which I
Did call my father was I know not where

When I was stamp'd. Some coiner with his tools
Made me a counterfeit; yet my mother seem'd

The Dian of that time. So doth my wife
The nonpareil of this. O, vengeance, vengeance!

Me of my lawful pleasure she restrain'd,
And pray'd me oft forbearance; did it with

A pudency so rosy, the sweet view on't
Might well have warm'd old Saturn; that I thought her

As chaste as unsunn'd snow. O, all the devils!
This yellow Iachimo in an hour- was't not?

Or less!- at first? Perchance he spoke not, but,
Like a full-acorn'd boar, a German one,

Cried 'O!' and mounted; found no opposition
But what he look'd for should oppose and she

Should from encounter guard. Could I find out
The woman's part in me! For there's no motion

That tends to vice in man but I affirm
It is the woman's part. Be it lying, note it,

The woman's; flattering, hers; deceiving, hers;
Lust and rank thoughts, hers, hers; revenges, hers;

Ambitions, covetings, change of prides, disdain,
Nice longing, slanders, mutability,

All faults that man may name, nay, that hell knows,
Why, hers, in part or all; but rather all;

For even to vice
They are not constant, but are changing still

One vice but of a minute old for one
Not half so old as that. I'll write against them,

Detest them, curse them. Yet 'tis greater skill
In a true hate to pray they have their will:

The very devils cannot plague them better. Exit
ACT III. SCENE I.

Britain. A hall in CYMBELINE'S palace
Enter in state, CYMBELINE, QUEEN, CLOTEN, and LORDS at

one door, and at another CAIUS LUCIUS and attendants
CYMBELINE. Now say, what would Augustus Caesar with us?

LUCIUS. When Julius Caesar- whose remembrance yet
Lives in men's eyes, and will to ears and tongues

Be theme and hearing ever- was in this Britain,
And conquer'd it, Cassibelan, thine uncle,

Famous in Caesar's praises no whit less
Than in his feats deserving it, for him

And his succession granted Rome a tribute,
Yearly three thousand pounds, which by thee lately

Is left untender'd.
QUEEN. And, to kill the marvel,

Shall be so ever.
CLOTEN. There be many Caesars

Ere such another Julius. Britain is
A world by itself, and we will nothing pay

For wearing our own noses.
QUEEN. That opportunity,

• mistress [´mistris] n.女主人；情妇；女能手 (初中英语单词)
• confirm [kən´fə:m] vt.证实；认可；加强 (初中英语单词)
• confess [kən´fes] vt.供认；坦白；承认 (初中英语单词)
• rarely [´reəli] ad.难得；非凡地 (初中英语单词)
• breath [breθ] n.呼吸；气息 (初中英语单词)
• likewise [´laikwaiz] ad.同样地；也，又 (初中英语单词)
• standing [´stændiŋ] n.持续 a.直立的 (初中英语单词)
• measure [´meʒə] n.量度；范围 vt.测量 (初中英语单词)
• patience [´peiʃəns] n.忍耐(力)；耐心；坚韧 (初中英语单词)
• probable [´prɔbəbəl] a.大概的n.很可能的事 (初中英语单词)
• evident [´evidənt] a.明显的，明白的 (初中英语单词)
• jupiter [´dʒu:pitə] n.朱庇特；木星 (初中英语单词)
• delicate [´delikət] a.精美的；微妙的 (初中英语单词)
• encounter [in´kauntə] vt.&n.偶然相遇；冲突 (初中英语单词)
• constant [´kɔnstənt] a.坚定的；坚贞的 (初中英语单词)
• succession [sək´seʃən] n.继任；继承(权) (初中英语单词)
• bravely [´breivli] ad.勇敢地；毅然 (高中英语单词)
• chamber [´tʃeimbə] n.房间；议院；会议室 (高中英语单词)
• remembrance [ri´membrəns] n.记忆(力)；回忆 (高中英语单词)
• lodging [´lɔdʒiŋ] n.寄宿，住宿 (高中英语单词)
• vengeance [´vendʒəns] n.报复，复仇 (高中英语单词)
• flattering [´flætəriŋ] a.谄媚的；奉承的 (高中英语单词)
• longing [´lɔŋiŋ] n.&a.渴望(的) (高中英语单词)
• plague [pleig] n.瘟疫 vt.使...染疫 (高中英语单词)
• caesar [´si:zə] n.凯撒；暴君；独裁者 (高中英语单词)
• hearing [´hiəriŋ] n.听力；听证会；审讯 (高中英语单词)
• covenant [´kʌvənənt] n.盟约，契约 v.订盟约 (英语四级单词)
• winner [´winə] n.胜利者，得奖者 (英语四级单词)
• tapestry [´tæpistri] n.挂毯 (英语四级单词)
• workmanship [´wə:kmənʃip] n.手艺；工艺品；作品 (英语四级单词)
• semblance [´sembləns] n.外表；伪装；相似 (英语四级单词)
• bondage [´bɔndidʒ] n.奴役；束缚 (英语四级单词)
• corporal [´kɔ:pərəl] a.肉体的，身体的 (英语四级单词)
• arithmetic [ə´riθmətik] n.算术 (英语四级单词)
• venerable [´venərəbəl] a.可尊敬的；森严的 (英语四级单词)
• counterfeit [´kauntəfit] a.伪造的 v.&n.伪造 (英语四级单词)
• lawful [´lɔ:fəl] a.合法的，守法的 (英语四级单词)
• saturn [´sætən, -ərn] n.农神 (英语四级单词)
• chaste [tʃeist] a.贞洁的；高雅的 (英语四级单词)
• perchance [pə´tʃɑ:ns] ad.偶然；可能 (英语四级单词)
• forbearance [fɔ:´beərəns] n.忍耐，克制 (英语六级单词)