'Gainst the Pannonians and Dalmatians,
And that the legions now in Gallia are
Full weak to
undertake our wars against
The fall'n-off Britons, that we do incite
The
gentry to this business. He creates
Lucius proconsul; and to you, the tribunes,
For this immediate levy, he commands
His
absolutecommission. Long live Caesar!
TRIBUNE. Is Lucius general of the forces?
SECOND SENATOR. Ay.
TRIBUNE. Remaining now in Gallia?
FIRST SENATOR. With those legions
Which I have spoke of, whereunto your levy
Must be supplyant. The words of your
commissionWill tie you to the numbers and the time
Of their dispatch.
TRIBUNE. We will
discharge our duty. Exeunt
ACT IV. SCENE I.
Wales. Near the cave of BELARIUS
Enter CLOTEN alone
CLOTEN. I am near to th' place where they should meet, if Pisanio
have mapp'd it truly. How fit his garments serve me! Why should
his
mistress, who was made by him that made the
tailor, not be
fit too? The rather- saving
reverence of the word- for 'tis said
a woman's
fitness comes by fits. Therein I must play the workman.
I dare speak it to myself, for it is not vain-glory for a man and
his glass to confer in his own chamber- I mean, the lines of my
body are as well drawn as his; no less young, more strong, not
beneath him in fortunes, beyond him in the
advantage of the time,
above him in birth, alike conversant in general services, and
more
remarkable in single oppositions. Yet this imperceiverant
thing loves him in my
despite. What
mortality is! Posthumus, thy
head, which now is growing upon thy shoulders, shall within this
hour be off; thy
mistress enforced; thy garments cut to pieces
before her face; and all this done, spurn her home to her father,
who may, haply, be a little angry for my so rough usage; but my
mother, having power of his testiness, shall turn all into my
commendations. My horse is tied up safe. Out, sword, and to a
sore purpose! Fortune, put them into my hand. This is the very
description of their meeting-place; and the fellow dares not
deceive me. Exit
SCENE II.
Wales. Before the cave of BELARIUS
Enter, from the cave, BELARIUS, GUIDERIUS, ARVIRAGUS,
and IMOGEN
BELARIUS. [To IMOGEN] You are not well. Remain here in the cave;
We'll come to you after
hunting.
ARVIRAGUS. [To IMOGEN] Brother, stay here.
Are we not brothers?
IMOGEN. So man and man should be;
But clay and clay differs in dignity,
Whose dust is both alike. I am very sick.
GUIDERIUS. Go you to
hunting; I'll abide with him.
IMOGEN. So sick I am not, yet I am not well;
But not so citizen a
wanton as
To seem to die ere sick. So please you, leave me;
Stick to your
journal course. The
breach of custom
Is
breach of all. I am ill, but your being by me
Cannot amend me; society is no comfort
To one not sociable. I am not very sick,
Since I can reason of it. Pray you trust me here.
I'll rob none but myself; and let me die,
Stealing so poorly.
GUIDERIUS. I love thee; I have spoke it.
How much the quantity, the weight as much
As I do love my father.
BELARIUS. What? how? how?
ARVIRAGUS. If it be sin to say so, sir, I yoke me
In my good brother's fault. I know not why
I love this youth, and I have heard you say
Love's reason's without reason. The bier at door,
And a demand who is't shall die, I'd say
'My father, not this youth.'
BELARIUS. [Aside] O noble strain!
O worthiness of nature! breed of greatness!
Cowards father cowards and base things sire base.
Nature hath meal and bran,
contempt and grace.
I'm not their father; yet who this should be
Doth
miracle itself, lov'd before me.-
'Tis the ninth hour o' th' morn.
ARVIRAGUS. Brother, farewell.
IMOGEN. I wish ye sport.
ARVIRAGUS. Your health. [To BELARIUS] So please you, sir.
IMOGEN. [Aside] These are kind creatures. Gods, what lies I have
heard!
Our courtiers say all's
savage but at court.
Experience, O, thou disprov'st report!
Th'
imperious seas breed monsters; for the dish,
Poor
tributary rivers as sweet fish.
I am sick still; heart-sick. Pisanio,
I'll now taste of thy drug. [Swallows some]
GUIDERIUS. I could not stir him.
He said he was gentle, but unfortunate;
Dishonestly afflicted, but yet honest.
ARVIRAGUS. Thus did he answer me; yet said hereafter
I might know more.
BELARIUS. To th' field, to th' field!
We'll leave you for this time. Go in and rest.
ARVIRAGUS. We'll not be long away.
BELARIUS. Pray be not sick,
For you must be our huswife.
IMOGEN. Well, or ill,
I am bound to you.
BELARIUS. And shalt be ever. Exit IMOGEN into the cave
This youth, howe'er distress'd, appears he hath had
Good ancestors.
ARVIRAGUS. How angel-like he sings!
GUIDERIUS. But his neat cookery! He cut our roots in characters,
And sauc'd our broths as Juno had been sick,
And he her dieter.
ARVIRAGUS. Nobly he yokes
A smiling with a sigh, as if the sigh
Was that it was for not being such a smile;
The smile mocking the sigh that it would fly
From so
divine a
temple to commix
With winds that sailors rail at.
GUIDERIUS. I do note
That grief and
patience, rooted in him both,
Mingle their spurs together.
ARVIRAGUS. Grow
patience!
And let the stinking elder, grief, untwine
His perishing root with the increasing vine!
BELARIUS. It is great morning. Come, away! Who's there?
Enter CLOTEN
CLOTEN. I cannot find those runagates; that
villainHath mock'd me. I am faint.
BELARIUS. Those runagates?
Means he not us? I
partly know him; 'tis
Cloten, the son o' th' Queen. I fear some ambush.
I saw him not these many years, and yet
I know 'tis he. We are held as outlaws. Hence!
GUIDERIUS. He is but one; you and my brother search
What companies are near. Pray you away;
Let me alone with him. Exeunt BELARIUS and ARVIRAGUS
CLOTEN. Soft! What are you
That fly me thus? Some
villainmountaineers?
I have heard of such. What slave art thou?
GUIDERIUS. A thing
More slavish did I ne'er than answering
'A slave' without a knock.
CLOTEN. Thou art a robber,
A law-breaker, a
villain. Yield thee, thief.
GUIDERIUS. To who? To thee? What art thou? Have not I
An arm as big as thine, a heart as big?
Thy words, I grant, are bigger, for I wear not
My
dagger in my mouth. Say what thou art;
Why I should yield to thee.
CLOTEN. Thou
villain base,
Know'st me not by my clothes?
GUIDERIUS. No, nor thy
tailor, rascal,
Who is thy
grandfather; he made those clothes,
Which, as it seems, make thee.
CLOTEN. Thou precious varlet,
My
tailor made them not.
GUIDERIUS. Hence, then, and thank
The man that gave them thee. Thou art some fool;
I am loath to beat thee.
CLOTEN. Thou
injurious thief,
Hear but my name, and tremble.
GUIDERIUS. What's thy name?
CLOTEN. Cloten, thou
villain.
GUIDERIUS. Cloten, thou double
villain, be thy name,
I cannot tremble at it. Were it toad, or adder, spider,
'Twould move me sooner.
CLOTEN. To thy further fear,
Nay, to thy mere
confusion, thou shalt know
I am son to th' Queen.
GUIDERIUS. I'm sorry for't; not seeming
So
worthy as thy birth.
CLOTEN. Art not afeard?
GUIDERIUS. Those that I
reverence, those I fear- the wise:
At fools I laugh, not fear them.
CLOTEN. Die the death.
When I have slain thee with my proper hand,
I'll follow those that even now fled hence,
And on the gates of Lud's Town set your heads.
Yield,
rusticmountaineer. Exeunt, fighting
Re-enter BELARIUS and ARVIRAGUS
BELARIUS. No company's abroad.
ARVIRAGUS. None in the world; you did mistake him, sure.
BELARIUS. I cannot tell; long is it since I saw him,
But time hath nothing blurr'd those lines of favour
Which then he wore; the snatches in his voice,
And burst of
speaking, were as his. I am
absolute'Twas very Cloten.
ARVIRAGUS. In this place we left them.
I wish my brother make good time with him,
You say he is so fell.
BELARIUS. Being
scarce made up,
I mean to man, he had not apprehension
Or roaring terrors; for
defect of judgment
Is oft the cease of fear.
Re-enter GUIDERIUS with CLOTEN'S head
But, see, thy brother.
GUIDERIUS. This Cloten was a fool, an empty purse;
There was no money in't. Not Hercules
Could have knock'd out his brains, for he had none;
Yet I not doing this, the fool had borne
My head as I do his.
BELARIUS. What hast thou done?
GUIDERIUS. I am perfect what: cut off one Cloten's head,