Desir'd more than constrain'd. To satisfy? If of my freedom 't is the main part, take No stricter render3 of me than my all.

I know you are more clement than vile men, Who of their broken debtors take a third, A sixth, a tenth, letting them thrive again On their abatement: that's not my desire: For Imogen's dear life take mine; and though 'Tis not so dear, yet 't is a life; you coin'd it: 'Tween man and man they weigh not every stamp;

6

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Though light, take pieces for the figure's sake: You rather mine, being yours: and so, great

powers,

If you will take this audit,7 take this life,
And cancel these cold bonds.--O Imogen !
I'll speak to thee in silence.
[Sleeps.

Solemn music. Enter, as in an apparition,

SICILIUS LEONATUS, father to Posthumus, an old man, attired like a warrior; leading in his hand an ancient matron, his wife, and mother to Posthumus, with music before”, them: then, after other music, follow the two young LEONATI, brothers to Posthumus, with wounds as they died in the wars. They circle Posthumus round, as he lies sleeping. Sici. No more, thou thunder-master, show Thy spite on mortal flies:

With Mars fall out, with Juno chide,

That thy adulteries

Rates and revenges.

Hath my poor boy done aught but well, Whose face I never saw?

I died whilst in the womb he stay'd

Attending nature's law:

Whose father then, as men report

Thou orphans' father art,

30 >

40

Thou shouldst have been, and shielded him
From this earth-vexing smart.

Moth. Lucina lent not me her aid,
But took me in my throes;
That from me was Posthúmus ript,
Came crying 'mongst his foes,
A thing of pity!

Sici. Great nature, like his ancestry,
Moulded the stuff so fair,

That he deserv'd the praise o' the world,
As great Sicilius' heir.

4 To satisfy? i.e. Must I satisfy?

5 No stricter render, no more restricted surrender. Stamp, coin.

7 Take this audit, accept this statement of accounts.

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First Bro. When once he was mature for man,

In Britain where was he

That could stand up his parallel;

Or fruitful1 object be

In eye of Imogen, that best

Could deem his dignity?

Moth. With marriage wherefore was he mock'd, To be exil'd, and thrown

From Leonati seat, and cast

From her his dearest one,
Sweet Imogen?

Sici. Why did you suffer Iachimo,

Slight thing of Italy,

To taint his nobler heart and brain

With needless jealousy;

And to become3 the geck and scorn
O' th' other's villany?

Sec. Bro. For this, from stiller seats we came,
Our parents, and us twain,

That, striking in our country's cause,
Fell bravely, and were slain;

Our fealty and Tenantius' right
With honour to maintain.

First Bro. Like hardiment Posthúmus hath
To Cymbeline perform'd:

Then, Jupiter, thou king of gods,

Why hast thou thus adjourn'd5

The graces for his merits due;

Being all to dolours turn'd?

Sici. Thy crystal window ope; look out;
No longer exercise

Upon a valiant race thy harsh
And potent injuries.

Moth. Since, Jupiter, our son is good,
Take off his miseries.

Sici. Peep through thy marble mansion; help;
Or we poor ghosts will cry

To the shining synod of the rest
Against thy deity.

Both Bro. Help, Jupiter; or we appeal,

And from thy justice fly.

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70

80

90

Was sulphurous to smell: the holy eagle 115 Stoop'd, as to foot us:1 his ascension is {More sweet than our blest fields: his royal bird Prunes the immortal wing, and cloys2 his beak, As when his god is pleas'd.

All. Thanks, Jupiter! Sici. The marble pavement closes, he is enter'd His radiant roof.-Away! and, to be blest, Let us with care perform his great behest. [The Ghosts vanish. Post. [Waking] Sleep, thou hast been a grandsire, and begot

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A father to me; and thou hast created
A mother and two brothers: but-O scorn!-
Gone! they went hence so soon as they were
born:

And so I am awake.-Poorwretchesthat depend
On greatness' favour dream as I have done;
Wake, and find nothing.-But, alas, I swerve:3
Many dream not to find, neither deserve, 130
And yet are steep'd in favours; so am I,
That have this golden chance, and know not
why.

What fairies haunt this ground? A book?*
O rare one!

Be not, as is our fangled world, a garment Nobler than that it covers: let thy effects So follow, to be most unlike our courtiers, As good as promise.

[Reads.

"Whenas a lion's whelp shall, to himself unknown, without seeking find, and be embrac'd by a piece of tender air; and when from a stately cedar shall be lopp'd branches, which, being dead many years, shall after revive, be jointed to the old stock, and freshly grow; then shall Posthumus end his miseries, Britain be fortunate, and flourish in peace and plenty." 'Tis still a dream; or else such stuff as madmen Tongue, and brain not: either both, or nothing: Or senseless speaking, or a speaking such As sense cannot untie. But what it is, The action of my life is like it, which I'll keep, if but for sympathy.

Re-enter First Gaoler.

150

First Gaol. Come, sir, are you ready for death? Post. Over-roasted rather; ready long ago.

To foot us, to seize us in his talons.

2 Cloys, strokes with his claw.

3 Swerve, go astray, err.

4 A book, the tablet of line 109.

5 Fangled, fond of finery.

First Gaol. Hanging is the word, sir: if you be ready for that, you are well cook'd. Post. So, if I prove a good repast to the spectators, the dish pays the shot.

First Gaol. A heavy reckoning for you, sir. But the comfort is, you shall be called to no more payments, fear no more tavern- bills; which are often the sadness of parting, as the procuring of mirth: you come in faint for want of meat, depart reeling with too much drink; sorry that you have paid too much, and sorry that you are paid too much; purse and brain both empty, the brain the heavier for being too light, the purse too light being drawn of heaviness: of this contradiction you shall now be quit.-O the charity of a penny cord! it sums up thousands in a trice: you have no true debitor and creditor? but it; of what's past, is, and to come, the discharge:-your neck, sir, is pen, book, and counters; so the acquittance follows.

174

First Gaol. I'll be hang'd, then. Post. Thou shalt be then freer than a gaoler; (no bolts for the dead.

[Exeunt Posthumus and Messenger. First Gaol. Unless a man would marry a gallows, and beget young gibbets, I never saw one so prone. Yet, on my conscience, there are verier knaves desire to live, for all he be a Roman: and there be some of them too that die against their wills; so should I, if I were one. I would we were all of one mind, and one mind good; O, there were desolation of gaolers and gallowses! I speak against my {present profit; but my wish hath a preferment (in't.] [Exeunt.

Enter CORNELIUS and Ladies. [There's business in these faces.-Why so sadly Greet you our victory? you look like Romans, And not o' the court of Britain.] Cor. Hail, great king! To sour your happiness, I must report The queen is dead. Сут. [Who worse than a physician Would this report become? But I consider By medicine life may be prolong'd, yet death Will seize the doctor too.-] How ended she?

Cor. With horror, madly dying, like her life; Which, being cruel to the world, concluded Most cruel to herself. [What she confess'd I will report, so please you: these her women Can trip me, if I err; who with wet cheeks Were present when she finish'd. Cym.

Prithee, say.

Cor. First, she confess'd she never lov'd you; only

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Affected greatness got by you, not you: Married your royalty, was wife to your place; Abhorr'd your person.

Сут. She alone knew this; And, but she spoke it dying, I would not Believe her lips in opening it. Proceed.

Cor. Your daughter, whom she bore in hand to love

With such integrity, she did confess
Was as a scorpion to her sight; whose life,
But that her flight prevented it, she had
Ta'en off by poison.

Сут.
O most delicate fiend!
Who is 't can read a woman?-Is there more?
Cor. More, sir, and worse. She did confess
she had

For you a mortal mineral; which, being took, Should by the minute feed on life, and, linger

By watching, weeping, tendance, kissing, to
O'ercome you with her show; and in time,
When she had fitted you with her craft, to work
Her son into th' adoption of the crown:
But, failing of her end by his strange absence,
Grew shameless-desperate; open'd, in despite1
Of heaven and men, her purposes; repented
The evils she hatch'd were not effected; so,
Despairing, died.
Сут. Heard you all this, her women?
First Lady. We did, so please your highness.
Cym.
Mine eyes
Were not in fault, for she was beautiful;
Mine ears, that heard her flattery; nor my
heart,

63

That thought her like her seeming; it had been vicious

To have mistrusted her: yet, O my daughter! That it was folly in me, thou mayst say,

And prove it in thy feeling. Heaven mend all!]

Enter LUCIUS, IACHIMO, the Soothsayer, and other Roman Prisoners, guarded; POSTHUMUS behind, and IMOGEN.

Thou com'st not, Caius, now for tribute; that The Britons have razed out, though with the loss

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Let him be ransom'd: never master had
A page so kind, so duteous, diligent,
So tender over his occasions,3 true,
So feat, so nurse-like: let his virtue join
With my request, which I'll make bold your
highness

89

Cannot deny; he hath done no Briton harm, Though he have serv'd a Roman: save him, sir, And spare no blood beside.

Cym. I've surely seen him: His favour is familiar to me.-Boy, Thou hast look'd thyself into my grace, And art mine own.-I know not why, wherefore,

To say "Live, boy:" ne'er thank thy master; live:

And ask of Cymbeline what boon thou wilt,
Fitting my bounty and thy state, I'll give it;
Yea, though thou demand a prisoner,
The noblest ta'en.

99

Imo. I humbly thank your highness. Luc. I do not bid thee beg my life, good lad; And yet I know thou wilt.

Imo. No, no: alack, There's other work in hand: I see a thing Bitter to me as death: your life, good master, Must shuffle for itself.

Luc.

[The boy disdains me,] He leaves me, scorns me: briefly die their joys That place them on the truth of girls and boys.[Why stands he so perplex'd?]

Cym.

What wouldst thou, boy?

I love thee more and more: think more and