: Augustus lives to think on 't: and so much With my request, which, I'll make bold, your highness Cannot deny; he hath done no Briton harm, Though he have serv'd a Roman: save him, sir, And spare no blood beside. Am something nearer. Cym. Wherefore ey'st him so? Imo. I'll tell you, sir, in private, if you please To give me hearing. Cym. Ay, with all my heart, And lend my best attention. What's thy name? Imo. Fidele, sir. Cym. Thou art my good youth, my page; I'll be thy master: Walk with me; speak freely. [CYMBELINE and IMOGEN converse apart. Bel. Is not this boy reviv'd from death? Arv. One sand another Not more resembles that sweet rosy lad Who died, and was Fidele :-What think you? Since she is living, let the time run on [CYMBELINE and IMOGEN come forward. Cym. Come, stand thou by our side; Make thy demand aloud.-Sir, [to IACH.] step you forth; Give answer to this boy, and do it freely; Imo. My boon is, that this gentleman may Cym. That diamond upon your finger, say How came it yours? Iach. Thou 'lt torture me to leave unspoken that Which, to be spoke, would torture thee. How! me? Iach. I am glad to be constrain'd to utter that Which torments me to conceal. By villainy I got this ring; 't was Leonatus' jewei: Whom thou didst banish; and (which more, may grieve thee As it doth me,) a nobler sir ne'er liv'd Cym. All that belongs to this. That paragon, thy daughter,For whom my heart drops blood, and my false spirits Quail to remember,-Give me leave; I faint. Cym. My daughter! what of her? Renew thy strength: I had rather thou should'st live while nature will, Than die ere I hear more: strive, man, and speak. Iach. Upon a time, (unhappy was the clock That struck the hour!) it was in Rome, (accurs'd The mansion where !)'t was at a feast, (O 'would Our viands had been poison'd! or, at least, Those which I heav'd to head!) the good Posthumus, (What should I say? he was too good, to be Unless thou would'st grieve quickly.—This Posthumus (Most like a noble lord in love, and one His mistress' picture; which by his tongue being made, And then a mind put in 't, either our brags Cym. He spake of her, as Dian had hot dreams, Pieces of gold, 'gainst this which then he wore Than I did truly find her, stakes this ring; Of hope, not longing, mine Italian brain Of secret on her person, that he could not But think her bond of chastity quite crack'd, I having ta'en the forfeit. Whereupon,Methinks, I see him now, Post. Ay, so thou dost, That all the abhorred things o' the earth amend, Imo. Post. Peace, my lord; hear, hear!— Shall's have a play of this? Thou scornful page, There lie thy part. Pis. [Striking her she falls. O, gentlemen, help Mine, and your mistress :-0, my lord Posthu Have, said she, given his mistress that confection Which I gave him for cordial, she is serv'd As I would serve a rat. Cym. What's this, Cornelius? Cor. The queen, sir, very oft importun'd me Do their due functions.-Have you ta'en of it? There was our error. Gui. My boys, This is sure, Fidele. I am sorry for thee. By thine own tongue thou art condemn'd, and must Endure our law: Thou art dead. Imo. I thought had been my lord. Cym. That headless mau Bind the offender, And take him from our presence. Bel. Stay, sir king: This man is better than the man he slew, They were not born for bondage. [To the guard. Cym. Aro. We will die all three: But I will prove, that two of us are as good As I have given out him.-My sons, I must, For mine own part, unfold a dangerous speech, Though, haply, well for you. By leave; Thou hadst, great king, a subject who Was call'd Belarius. Cym. What of him? he is He it is that hath indeed, a banish'd man; I know not how a traitor. Assum'd this age-put on these appearances of age. Itself, and all my treason; that I suffer'd For that which I did then: Beaten for loyalty, Сукл. Bel. Be pleas'd awhile.— This gentleman, whom I call Polydore, Most worthy prince, as yours, is true Guiderius: This gentleman, my Cadwal, Arviragus, Your younger princely son; he, sir, was lapp'd In a most curious mantle, wrought by the hand Of his queen mother, which, for more probation, I can with ease produce. Guiderius had Сум. Upon his neck a mole, a sanguine star; This is he; Who hath upon him still that natural stamp : Cym. O, what, am I A mother to the birth of three? Ne'er mother Imo. No, my lord; I have got two worlds by 't.-O my gentle bro thers, Have we thus met? O never say hereafter Did you e'er meet? Arv. Ay, my good lord. And at first meeting lov'd; Gui. Continued so, until we thought he died. Cor. By the queen's dram she swallow'd. Cym. O rare instinct! When shall I hear all through? This fierce abridgment Hath to it circumstantial branches, which Distinction should be rich in.-Where, how liv'd you, And when came you to serve our Roman captive? How parted with your brothers? how first met them ? Why fled you from the court? and whither? These, And your three motives to the battle, with I know not how much more, should be de manded; And all the other by-dependencies, From chance to chance; but nor the time, nor place, Will serve our long intergatories. See, And she, like harmless lightning, throws her eye Imo. You are my father too; and did relieve me, To see this gracious season. Cym. The soldier that did company these three Iach. Which I so often owe: but, your ring first; Post. Kneel not to me; The power that I have on you is to spare you; The malice towards you to forgive you: Live, And deal with others better. Cym. Nobly doom'd; We'll learn our freeness of a son-in-law; Pardon's the word to all. Arv. You holp us, sir, did mean indeed to be our brother; Joy'd are we that you are. As you Post. Your servant, princes.-Good my lord of Rome, Call forth your soothsayer: As I slept, methought, Great Jupiter, upon his eagle back, Sooth. Here, my good lord. Philarmonus! Read, and declare the meaning. Sooth. [Reads.] When as a lion's whelp shall, to himself unknown, without seeking find, and be embraced by a piece of tender air; and when from a stately cedar shall be lopped 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. Thou, Leonatus, art the lion's whelp; Sooth. The lofty cedar, royal Cymbeline, Personates thee: and thy lopp'd branches point Thy two sons forth; who, by Belarius stolen, For many years thought dead, are now reviv'd, To the majestic cedar join'd; whose issue Promises Britain peace and plenty. Cym. Well, My peace we will begin :-And, Caius Lucius, Although the victor, we submit to Cæsar, And to the Roman empire; promising To pay our wonted tribute, from the which We were dissuaded by our wicked queen : Whom heavens, in justice, (both on her, and hers,) Have laid most heavy hand." Sooth. The fingers of the powers above do tune The imperial Cæsar, should again unite Cym. nostrils From our bless'd altars! Publish we this peace And in the temple of great Jupiter peace. The particle on is understood. The same form of ex pression occurs in Othello "What conjurations and what mighty magic I won his daughter [with]. |