Read Cymbeline Online

Authors: William Shakespeare

Cymbeline (9 page)

Takes off her bracelet

As slippery as the
Gordian knot
was
hard.
36

’Tis mine, and this will
witness outwardly
37
,

As strongly as the conscience does within,

To
th’madding
39
of her lord. On her left breast

A mole
cinque-spotted
: like the crimson
drops
40

I’th’bottom of a
cowslip.
Here’s a
voucher
41

Stronger than ever law could make; this
secret
42

Will force him think I have
picked
43
the lock and ta’en

The treasure of her honour. No more: to what end?

Why should I write this down that’s riveted,

Screwed to my memory? She hath been reading late,

The tale of
Tereus.
47
Here the leaf’s turned down

Where Philomel
gave up.
48
I have enough.

To th’trunk again, and shut the
spring
49
of it.

Swift, swift, you
dragons of the night
, that
dawning
50

May bare the raven’s eye! I lodge in fear:

Though
this
52
a heavenly angel, hell is here.

Clock strikes

One, two, three: time, time!

Exit
[
into the trunk
]

Bed and trunk removed

Act 2 Scene 3

running scene 5 continues

Enter Cloten and Lords

FIRST LORD
    Your lordship is the most patient man in loss, the

most coldest
that ever turned up
ace.
2

CLOTEN
    It would make any man
cold
3
to lose.

FIRST LORD
    But not every man patient
after
the noble
temper
4
of

your lordship. You are most hot and furious when you win.

CLOTEN
    Winning will put any man into courage. If I could

get this foolish Innogen, I should have gold enough. It’s

almost morning, is’t not?

FIRST LORD
    Day, my lord.

CLOTEN
    I would this music would come: I am advised to give

her music o’ mornings, they say it will
penetrate.
11

Enter Musicians

Come on, tune: if you can penetrate her with your
fingering
12
,

so
: we’ll try
with tongue
too: if none will do, let her
remain
13
:

but I’ll never give o’er. First, a very excellent
good-conceited
14

thing; after, a wonderful sweet
air
15
, with admirable rich words

to it, and then let her consider.

Song

Sung by either Cloten or a Musician

     Hark, hark, the lark at heaven’s gate sings,

     And
Phoebus
’gins
18
arise,

     His steeds to water at those
springs
19

     On
chaliced
20
flowers that lies:

     And
winking
Mary-buds
21
begin to ope their golden eyes

     With everything that pretty is, my lady sweet, arise:

     Arise, arise.

CLOTEN
    So, get you gone: if this penetrate, I will consider

your music the better: if it do not, it is a vice in her ears

which
horsehairs
and
calves’ guts
, nor the voice of
unpaved
26

eunuch
to boot
27
, can never amend.

[Exeunt Musicians]

Enter Cymbeline and Queen

SECOND LORD
    Here comes the king.

CLOTEN
    I am glad I was up so late, for that’s the reason I was

up so early: he cannot choose but take this service I have

done
fatherly.
31
— Good morrow to your majesty and to my

gracious mother.

CYMBELINE
    
Attend you here
33
the door of our stern daughter?

Will she not forth?

CLOTEN
    I have assailed her with musics, but she
vouchsafes
35

no notice.

CYMBELINE
    The exile of her
minion
37
is too new,

She hath not yet forgot him: some more time

Must
wear
39
the print of his remembrance on’t,

And then she’s yours.

QUEEN
    You are most
bound
41
to th’king,

Who lets go by no
vantages
42
that may

Prefer
you to his daughter:
frame yourself
43

To orderly solicits, and
be friended
44

With aptness of the season: make
denials
45

Increase your services: so seem, as if

You were inspired to do those duties which

You tender to her: that you in all obey her,

Save when command to your
dismission
49
tends,

And therein you are
senseless.
50

CLOTEN
    Senseless? Not so.

[Enter a Messenger]

MESSENGER
    
So like you
52
, sir, ambassadors from Rome;

The one is Caius Lucius.

CYMBELINE
    A worthy fellow,

Albeit
55
he comes on angry purpose now;

But that’s no fault of his: we must
receive
56
him

According to the honour of
his sender
57
,

And towards himself, his goodness
forspent
58
on us,

We must extend our
notice.
59
Our dear son,

When you have given good morning to your mistress,

Attend the queen and us. We shall have need

T’employ you towards this Roman.— Come, our queen.

Exeunt
[
all but Cloten
]

CLOTEN
    If she be up, I’ll speak with her: if not,

Let her lie still and dream.— By your leave, ho!—

Knocks

I know her women are about her: what

If I do
line
66
one of their hands? ’Tis gold

Which buys admittance — oft it doth — yea, and makes

Diana’s rangers
false
68
themselves, yield up

Their deer to
th’stand o’th’stealer
69
: and ’tis gold

Which makes the
true
70
man killed and saves the thief:

Nay, sometime hangs both thief and true man: what

Can it not do and undo? I will make

One of her women
lawyer to me
73
, for

I yet not
understand the case
74
myself.—

Knocks

By your leave.

Enter a Lady

LADY
    Who’s there that knocks?

CLOTEN
    A gentleman.

LADY
    No more?

CLOTEN
    Yes, and a gentlewoman’s son.

LADY
    
That’s more
80

Than some whose tailors are as dear as yours

Can justly boast of: what’s your lordship’s pleasure?

CLOTEN
    Your lady’s person: is she ready?

LADY
    Ay,

To
keep
85
her chamber.

CLOTEN
    There is gold for you,

Gives money

Sell me your good report.
87

LADY
    How, my good name? Or to report of you

What I shall think is good? The princess.

Enter Innogen

CLOTEN
    Good morrow, fairest:
sister
,
your
90
sweet hand.

[
Exit Lady
]

INNOGEN
    Good morrow, sir. You
lay out
91
too much pains

For purchasing
but
92
trouble: the thanks I give

Is telling you that I am poor of thanks,

And scarce can spare them.

CLOTEN
    Still I swear I love you.

INNOGEN
    If you but said so, ’twere as
deep
96
with me:

If you swear
still
97
, your recompense is still

That I regard it not.

CLOTEN
    This is no answer.

INNOGEN
    
But that you shall not say I yield being silent
100
,

I would not speak. I pray you spare me: faith,

I shall
unfold
102
equal discourtesy

To your best kindness: one of your great
knowing
103

Should learn, being taught, forbearance.

CLOTEN
    To leave you in your madness, ’twere my sin:

I will not.

INNOGEN
    Fools cure not mad folks.

CLOTEN
    Do you call me fool?

INNOGEN
    As I am mad, I do:

If you’ll be patient, I’ll no more be mad.

That cures us both. I am much sorry, sir,

You
put me
112
to forget a lady’s manners

By being so
verbal
113
: and learn now, for all,

That I,
which
114
know my heart, do here pronounce

By th’very truth of it, I care not for you,

And am so near the lack of charity

To accuse myself I hate you, which I had rather

You felt than make’t my
boast.
118

CLOTEN
    You sin against

Obedience, which you owe your father. For

The contract you
pretend
with that
base wretch
121
,

One
bred of alms
122
and fostered with cold dishes,

With scraps o’th’court, it is no contract, none:

And though it be allowed in
meaner parties
124

Yet who than he more mean? — to knit their souls,

On whom there is no more dependency

But brats and beggary, in
self-figured knot
127
,

Yet you are
curbed from that enlargement
128
by

The
consequence o’th’crown
, and must not
foil
129

The precious
note
130
of it with a base slave,

A
hilding
for a
livery
, a
squire’s cloth
131
,

A
pantler
132
; not so eminent.

INNOGEN
    Profane fellow,

Wert thou the son of Jupiter, and no more

But what thou art besides,
thou wert
135
too base

To be his
groom
:
thou wert dignified enough
136
,

Even to the point of envy, if ’twere made

Comparative for your virtues
, to be
styled
138

The
under-hangman
139
of his kingdom, and hated

For being preferred so well.
140

CLOTEN
    The
south-fog
141
rot him!

INNOGEN
    He never can meet more mischance than come

To be but
named of thee.
His
meanest garment
143

That ever hath but
clipped
144
his body is dearer

In my respect than all the hairs above thee,

Were they all
made such men.
146
— How now, Pisanio?

Enter Pisanio

CLOTEN
    His garment? Now the devil—

To Pisanio

INNOGEN
    To Dorothy my woman hie thee presently.

CLOTEN
    His garment?

INNOGEN
    I am
sprited
with
150
a fool,

Frighted and angered worse: go bid my woman

Search for a jewel that too casually

Hath left mine arm: it was thy master’s.
’Shrew
153
me

If I would lose it for a revenue

Of any king’s in Europe. I do think

I saw’t this morning: confident I am.

Last night ’twas on mine arm; I kissed it.

I hope it be not gone to tell my lord

That I kiss
aught
159
but he.

PISANIO
    ’Twill not be lost.

INNOGEN
    I hope so: go and search.

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