1    Stand by my side, you whom the gods have made
2    Preservers of my throne. Woe is my heart
3    That the poor soldier that so richly fought,
4    Whose rags shamed gilded arms, whose naked breast
5    Stepp'd before larges of proof, cannot be found:
6    He shall be happy that can find him, if
7    Our grace can make him so.

8    I never saw
9    Such noble fury in so poor a thing;
10   Such precious deeds in one that promises nought
11   But beggary and poor looks.

12   No tidings of him?

13   He hath been search'd among the dead and living,
14   But no trace of him.

15   To my grief, I am
16   The heir of his reward;
To BELARIUS, GUIDERIUS, and ARVIRAGUS
17   which I will add
18   To you, the liver, heart and brain of Britain,
19   By whom I grant she lives. 'Tis now the time
20   To ask of whence you are. Report it.

21   Sir,
22   In Cambria are we born, and gentlemen:
23   Further to boast were neither true nor modest,
24   Unless I add, we are honest.

25   Bow your knees.
26   Arise my knights o' the battle: I create you
27   Companions to our person and will fit you
28   With dignities becoming your estates.
Enter CORNELIUS and Ladies
29   There's business in these faces. Why so sadly
30   Greet you our victory? you look like Romans,
31   And not o' the court of Britain.

32   Hail, great king!
33   To sour your happiness, I must report
34   The queen is dead.

35   Who worse than a physician
36   Would this report become? But I consider,
37   By medicine life may be prolong'd, yet death
38   Will seize the doctor too. How ended she?

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

45   Prithee, say.

46   First, she confess'd she never loved you, only
47   Affected greatness got by you, not you:
48   Married your royalty, was wife to your place;
49   Abhorr'd your person.

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

53   Your daughter, whom she bore in hand to love
54   With such integrity, she did confess
55   Was as a scorpion to her sight; whose life,
56   But that her flight prevented it, she had
57   Ta'en off by poison.

58   O most delicate fiend!
59   Who is 't can read a woman? Is there more?

60   More, sir, and worse. She did confess she had
61   For you a mortal mineral; which, being took,
62   Should by the minute feed on life and lingering
63   By inches waste you: in which time she purposed,
64   By watching, weeping, tendance, kissing, to
65   O'ercome you with her show, and in time,
66   When she had fitted you with her craft, to work
67   Her son into the adoption of the crown:
68   But, failing of her end by his strange absence,
69   Grew shameless-desperate; open'd, in despite
70   Of heaven and men, her purposes; repented
71   The evils she hatch'd were not effected; so
72   Despairing died.

73   Heard you all this, her women?

74   We did, so please your highness.

75   Mine eyes
76   Were not in fault, for she was beautiful;
77   Mine ears, that heard her flattery; nor my heart,
78   That thought her like her seeming; it had
79   been vicious
80   To have mistrusted her: yet, O my daughter!
81   That it was folly in me, thou mayst say,
82   And prove it in thy feeling. Heaven mend all!
83   Thou comest not, Caius, now for tribute that
84   The Britons have razed out, though with the loss
85   Of many a bold one; whose kinsmen have made suit
86   That their good souls may be appeased with slaughter
87   Of you their captives, which ourself have granted:
88   So think of your estate.

89   Consider, sir, the chance of war: the day
90   Was yours by accident; had it gone with us,
91   We should not, when the blood was cool,
92   have threaten'd
93   Our prisoners with the sword. But since the gods
94   Will have it thus, that nothing but our lives
95   May be call'd ransom, let it come: sufficeth
96   A Roman with a Roman's heart can suffer:
97   Augustus lives to think on't: and so much
98   For my peculiar care. This one thing only
99   I will entreat; my boy, a Briton born,
100  Let him be ransom'd: never master had
101  A page so kind, so duteous, diligent,
102  So tender over his occasions, true,
103  So feat, so nurse-like: let his virtue join
104  With my request, which I make bold your highness
105  Cannot deny; he hath done no Briton harm,
106  Though he have served a Roman: save him, sir,
107  And spare no blood beside.

108  I have surely seen him:
109  His favour is familiar to me. Boy,
110  Thou hast look'd thyself into my grace,
111  And art mine own. I know not why, wherefore,
112  To say 'live, boy:' ne'er thank thy master; live:
113  And ask of Cymbeline what boon thou wilt,
114  Fitting my bounty and thy state, I'll give it;
115  Yea, though thou do demand a prisoner,
116  The noblest ta'en.

117  I humbly thank your highness.

118  I do not bid thee beg my life, good lad;
119  And yet I know thou wilt.

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

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

128  What wouldst thou, boy?
129  I love thee more and more: think more and more
130  What's best to ask. Know'st him thou look'st on? speak,
131  Wilt have him live? Is he thy kin? thy friend?

132  He is a Roman; no more kin to me
133  Than I to your highness; who, being born your vassal,
134  Am something nearer.

135  Wherefore eyest him so?

136  I'll tell you, sir, in private, if you please
137  To give me hearing.

138  Ay, with all my heart,
139  And lend my best attention. What's thy name?

140  Fidele, sir.

141  Thou'rt my good youth, my page;
142  I'll be thy master: walk with me; speak freely.

143  Is not this boy revived from death?

144  One sand another
145  Not more resembles that sweet rosy lad
146  Who died, and was Fidele. What think you?

147  The same dead thing alive.

148  Peace, peace! see further; he eyes us not; forbear;
149  Creatures may be alike: were 't he, I am sure
150  He would have spoke to us.

151  But we saw him dead.

152  Be silent; let's see further.

Aside
153   It is my mistress:
154  Since she is living, let the time run on
155  To good or bad.

156  Come, stand thou by our side;
157  Make thy demand aloud.
To IACHIMO
158  Sir, step you forth;
159  Give answer to this boy, and do it freely;
160  Or, by our greatness and the grace of it,
161  Which is our honour, bitter torture shall
162  Winnow the truth from falsehood. On, speak to him.

163  My boon is, that this gentleman may render
164  Of whom he had this ring.

Aside
165   What's that to him?

166  That diamond upon your finger, say
167  How came it yours?

168  Thou'lt torture me to leave unspoken that
169  Which, to be spoke, would torture thee.

170  How! me?

171  I am glad to be constrain'd to utter that
172  Which torments me to conceal. By villany
173  I got this ring: 'twas Leonatus' jewel;
174  Whom thou didst banish; and--which more may
175  grieve thee,
176  As it doth me--a nobler sir ne'er lived
177  'Twixt sky and ground. Wilt thou hear more, my lord?

178  All that belongs to this.

179  That paragon, thy daughter,--
180  For whom my heart drops blood, and my false spirits
181  Quail to remember--Give me leave; I faint.

182  My daughter! what of her? Renew thy strength:
183  I had rather thou shouldst live while nature will
184  Than die ere I hear more: strive, man, and speak.

185  Upon a time,--unhappy was the clock
186  That struck the hour!--it was in Rome,--accursed
187  The mansion where!--'twas at a feast,--O, would
188  Our viands had been poison'd, or at least
189  Those which I heaved to head!--the good Posthumus--
190  What should I say? he was too good to be
191  Where ill men were; and was the best of all
192  Amongst the rarest of good ones,--sitting sadly,
193  Hearing us praise our loves of Italy
194  For beauty that made barren the swell'd boast
195  Of him that best could speak, for feature, laming
196  The shrine of Venus, or straight-pight Minerva.
197  Postures beyond brief nature, for condition,
198  A shop of all the qualities that man
199  Loves woman for, besides that hook of wiving,
200  Fairness which strikes the eye--

201  I stand on fire:
202  Come to the matter.

203  All too soon I shall,
204  Unless thou wouldst grieve quickly. This Posthumus,
205  Most like a noble lord in love and one
206  That had a royal lover, took his hint;
207  And, not dispraising whom we praised,--therein
208  He was as calm as virtue--he began
209  His mistress' picture; which by his tongue
210  being made,
211  And then a mind put in't, either our brags
212  Were crack'd of kitchen-trolls, or his description
213  Proved us unspeaking sots.

214  Nay, nay, to the purpose.

215  Your daughter's chastity--there it begins.
216  He spake of her, as Dian had hot dreams,
217  And she alone were cold: whereat I, wretch,
218  Made scruple of his praise; and wager'd with him
219  Pieces of gold 'gainst this which then he wore
220  Upon his honour'd finger, to attain
221  In suit the place of's bed and win this ring
222  By hers and mine adultery. He, true knight,
223  No lesser of her honour confident
224  Than I did truly find her, stakes this ring;
225  And would so, had it been a carbuncle
226  Of Phoebus' wheel, and might so safely, had it
227  Been all the worth of's car. Away to Britain
228  Post I in this design: well may you, sir,
229  Remember me at court; where I was taught
230  Of your chaste daughter the wide difference
231  'Twixt amorous and villanous. Being thus quench'd
232  Of hope, not longing, mine Italian brain
233  'Gan in your duller Britain operate
234  Most vilely; for my vantage, excellent:
235  And, to be brief, my practise so prevail'd,
236  That I return'd with simular proof enough
237  To make the noble Leonatus mad,
238  By wounding his belief in her renown
239  With tokens thus, and thus; averting notes
240  Of chamber-hanging, pictures, this her bracelet,--
241  O cunning, how I got it!--nay, some marks
242  Of secret on her person, that he could not
243  But think her bond of chastity quite crack'd,
244  I having ta'en the forfeit. Whereupon--
245  Methinks, I see him now--

Advancing
246   Ay, so thou dost,
247  Italian fiend! Ay me, most credulous fool,
248  Egregious murderer, thief, any thing
249  That's due to all the villains past, in being,
250  To come! O, give me cord, or knife, or poison,
251  Some upright justicer! Thou, king, send out
252  For torturers ingenious: it is I
253  That all the abhorred things o' the earth amend
254  By being worse than they. I am Posthumus,
255  That kill'd thy daughter:--villain-like, I lie--
256  That caused a lesser villain than myself,
257  A sacrilegious thief, to do't: the temple
258  Of virtue was she; yea, and she herself.
259  Spit, and throw stones, cast mire upon me, set
260  The dogs o' the street to bay me: every villain
261  Be call'd Posthumus Leonitus; and
262  Be villany less than 'twas! O Imogen!
263  My queen, my life, my wife! O Imogen,
264  Imogen, Imogen!

265  Peace, my lord; hear, hear--

266  Shall's have a play of this? Thou scornful page,
267  There lie thy part.

268  O, gentlemen, help!
269  Mine and your mistress! O, my lord Posthumus!
270  You ne'er kill'd Imogen til now. Help, help!
271  Mine honour'd lady!

272  Does the world go round?

273  How come these staggers on me?

274  Wake, my mistress!

275  If this be so, the gods do mean to strike me
276  To death with mortal joy.

277  How fares thy mistress?

278  O, get thee from my sight;
279  Thou gavest me poison: dangerous fellow, hence!
280  Breathe not where princes are.

281  The tune of Imogen!

282  Lady,
283  The gods throw stones of sulphur on me, if
284  That box I gave you was not thought by me
285  A precious thing: I had it from the queen.

286  New matter still?

287  It poison'd me.

288  O gods!
289  I left out one thing which the queen confess'd.
290  Which must approve thee honest: 'If Pisanio
291  Have,' said she, 'given his mistress that confection
292  Which I gave him for cordial, she is served
293  As I would serve a rat.'

294  What's this, Comelius?

295  The queen, sir, very oft importuned me
296  To temper poisons for her, still pretending
297  The satisfaction of her knowledge only
298  In killing creatures vile, as cats and dogs,
299  Of no esteem: I, dreading that her purpose
300  Was of more danger, did compound for her
301  A certain stuff, which, being ta'en, would cease
302  The present power of life, but in short time
303  All offices of nature should again
304  Do their due functions. Have you ta'en of it?

305  Most like I did, for I was dead.

306  My boys,
307  There was our error.

308  This is, sure, Fidele.

309  Why did you throw your wedded lady from you?
310  Think that you are upon a rock; and now
311  Throw me again.

312  Hang there like a fruit, my soul,
313  Till the tree die!

314  How now, my flesh, my child!
315  What, makest thou me a dullard in this act?
316  Wilt thou not speak to me?

Kneeling
317   Your blessing, sir.

To GUIDERIUS and ARVIRAGUS
318   Though you did love
319  this youth, I blame ye not:
320  You had a motive for't.

321  My tears that fall
322  Prove holy water on thee! Imogen,
323  Thy mother's dead.

324  I am sorry for't, my lord.

325  O, she was nought; and long of her it was
326  That we meet here so strangely: but her son
327  Is gone, we know not how nor where.

328  My lord,
329  Now fear is from me, I'll speak troth. Lord Cloten,
330  Upon my lady's missing, came to me
331  With his sword drawn; foam'd at the mouth, and swore,
332  If I discover'd not which way she was gone,
333  It was my instant death. By accident,
334  had a feigned letter of my master's
335  Then in my pocket; which directed him
336  To seek her on the mountains near to Milford;
337  Where, in a frenzy, in my master's garments,
338  Which he enforced from me, away he posts
339  With unchaste purpose and with oath to violate
340  My lady's honour: what became of him
341  I further know not.

342  Let me end the story:
343  I slew him there.

344  Marry, the gods forfend!
345  I would not thy good deeds should from my lips
346  Pluck a bard sentence: prithee, valiant youth,
347  Deny't again.

348  I have spoke it, and I did it.

349  He was a prince.

350  A most incivil one: the wrongs he did me
351  Were nothing prince-like; for he did provoke me
352  With language that would make me spurn the sea,
353  If it could so roar to me: I cut off's head;
354  And am right glad he is not standing here
355  To tell this tale of mine.

356  I am sorry for thee:
357  By thine own tongue thou art condemn'd, and must
358  Endure our law: thou'rt dead.

359  That headless man
360  I thought had been my lord.

361  Bind the offender,
362  And take him from our presence.

363  Stay, sir king:
364  This man is better than the man he slew,
365  As well descended as thyself; and hath
366  More of thee merited than a band of Clotens
367  Had ever scar for.
To the Guard
368  Let his arms alone;
369  They were not born for bondage.

370  Why, old soldier,
371  Wilt thou undo the worth thou art unpaid for,
372  By tasting of our wrath? How of descent
373  As good as we?

374  In that he spake too far.

375  And thou shalt die for't.

376  We will die all three:
377  But I will prove that two on's are as good
378  As I have given out him. My sons, I must,
379  For mine own part, unfold a dangerous speech,
380  Though, haply, well for you.

381  Your danger's ours.

382  And our good his.

383  Have at it then, by leave.
384  Thou hadst, great king, a subject who
385  Was call'd Belarius.

386  What of him? he is
387  A banish'd traitor.

388  He it is that hath
389  Assumed this age; indeed a banish'd man;
390  I know not how a traitor.

391  Take him hence:
392  The whole world shall not save him.

393  Not too hot:
394  First pay me for the nursing of thy sons;
395  And let it be confiscate all, so soon
396  As I have received it.

397  Nursing of my sons!

398  I am too blunt and saucy: here's my knee:
399  Ere I arise, I will prefer my sons;
400  Then spare not the old father. Mighty sir,
401  These two young gentlemen, that call me father
402  And think they are my sons, are none of mine;
403  They are the issue of your loins, my liege,
404  And blood of your begetting.

405  How! my issue!

406  So sure as you your father's. I, old Morgan,
407  Am that Belarius whom you sometime banish'd:
408  Your pleasure was my mere offence, my punishment
409  Itself, and all my treason; that I suffer'd
410  Was all the harm I did. These gentle princes--
411  For such and so they are--these twenty years
412  Have I train'd up: those arts they have as I
413  Could put into them; my breeding was, sir, as
414  Your highness knows. Their nurse, Euriphile,
415  Whom for the theft I wedded, stole these children
416  Upon my banishment: I moved her to't,
417  Having received the punishment before,
418  For that which I did then: beaten for loyalty
419  Excited me to treason: their dear loss,
420  The more of you 'twas felt, the more it shaped
421  Unto my end of stealing them. But, gracious sir,
422  Here are your sons again; and I must lose
423  Two of the sweet'st companions in the world.
424  The benediction of these covering heavens
425  Fall on their heads like dew! for they are worthy
426  To inlay heaven with stars.

427  Thou weep'st, and speak'st.
428  The service that you three have done is more
429  Unlike than this thou tell'st. I lost my children:
430  If these be they, I know not how to wish
431  A pair of worthier sons.

432  Be pleased awhile.
433  This gentleman, whom I call Polydore,
434  Most worthy prince, as yours, is true Guiderius:
435  This gentleman, my Cadwal, Arviragus,
436  Your younger princely son; he, sir, was lapp'd
437  In a most curious mantle, wrought by the hand
438  Of his queen mother, which for more probation
439  I can with ease produce.

440  Guiderius had
441  Upon his neck a mole, a sanguine star;
442  It was a mark of wonder.

443  This is he;
444  Who hath upon him still that natural stamp:
445  It was wise nature's end in the donation,
446  To be his evidence now.

447  O, what, am I
448  A mother to the birth of three? Ne'er mother
449  Rejoiced deliverance more. Blest pray you be,
450  That, after this strange starting from your orbs,
451  may reign in them now! O Imogen,
452  Thou hast lost by this a kingdom.

453  No, my lord;
454  I have got two worlds by 't. O my gentle brothers,
455  Have we thus met? O, never say hereafter
456  But I am truest speaker you call'd me brother,
457  When I was but your sister; I you brothers,
458  When ye were so indeed.

459  Did you e'er meet?

460  Ay, my good lord.

461  And at first meeting loved;
462  Continued so, until we thought he died.

463  By the queen's dram she swallow'd.

464  O rare instinct!
465  When shall I hear all through? This fierce
466  abridgement
467  Hath to it circumstantial branches, which
468  Distinction should be rich in. Where? how lived You?
469  And when came you to serve our Roman captive?
470  How parted with your brothers? how first met them?
471  Why fled you from the court? and whither? These,
472  And your three motives to the battle, with
473  I know not how much more, should be demanded;
474  And all the other by-dependencies,
475  From chance to chance: but nor the time nor place
476  Will serve our long inter'gatories. See,
477  Posthumus anchors upon Imogen,
478  And she, like harmless lightning, throws her eye
479  On him, her brother, me, her master, hitting
480  Each object with a joy: the counterchange
481  Is severally in all. Let's quit this ground,
482  And smoke the temple with our sacrifices.
To BELARIUS
483  Thou art my brother; so we'll hold thee ever.

484  You are my father too, and did relieve me,
485  To see this gracious season.

486  All o'erjoy'd,
487  Save these in bonds: let them be joyful too,
488  For they shall taste our comfort.

489  My good master,
490  I will yet do you service.

491  Happy be you!

492  The forlorn soldier, that so nobly fought,
493  He would have well becomed this place, and graced
494  The thankings of a king.

495  I am, sir,
496  The soldier that did company these three
497  In poor beseeming; 'twas a fitment for
498  The purpose I then follow'd. That I was he,
499  Speak, Iachimo: I had you down and might
500  Have made you finish.

Kneeling
501   I am down again:
502  But now my heavy conscience sinks my knee,
503  As then your force did. Take that life, beseech you,
504  Which I so often owe: but your ring first;
505  And here the bracelet of the truest princess
506  That ever swore her faith.

507  Kneel not to me:
508  The power that I have on you is, to spare you;
509  The malice towards you to forgive you: live,
510  And deal with others better.

511  Nobly doom'd!
512  We'll learn our freeness of a son-in-law;
513  Pardon's the word to all.

514  You holp us, sir,
515  As you did mean indeed to be our brother;
516  Joy'd are we that you are.

517  Your servant, princes. Good my lord of Rome,
518  Call forth your soothsayer: as I slept, methought
519  Great Jupiter, upon his eagle back'd,
520  Appear'd to me, with other spritely shows
521  Of mine own kindred: when I waked, I found
522  This label on my bosom; whose containing
523  Is so from sense in hardness, that I can
524  Make no collection of it: let him show
525  His skill in the construction.

526  Philarmonus!

527  Here, my good lord.

528  Read, and declare the meaning.

Reads
529   'When as a lion's whelp shall, to himself
530  unknown, without seeking find, and be embraced by a
531  piece of tender air; and when from a stately cedar
532  shall be lopped branches, which, being dead many
533  years, shall after revive, be jointed to the old
534  stock, and freshly grow; then shall Posthumus end
535  his miseries, Britain be fortunate and flourish in
536  peace and plenty.'
537  Thou, Leonatus, art the lion's whelp;
538  The fit and apt construction of thy name,
539  Being Leonatus, doth import so much.
To CYMBELINE
540  The piece of tender air, thy virtuous daughter,
541  Which we call 'mollis aer;' and 'mollis aer'
542  We term it 'mulier:' which 'mulier' I divine
543  Is this most constant wife; who, even now,
544  Answering the letter of the oracle,
545  Unknown to you, unsought, were clipp'd about
546  With this most tender air.

547  This hath some seeming.

548  The lofty cedar, royal Cymbeline,
549  Personates thee: and thy lopp'd branches point
550  Thy two sons forth; who, by Belarius stol'n,
551  For many years thought dead, are now revived,
552  To the majestic cedar join'd, whose issue
553  Promises Britain peace and plenty.

554  Well
555  My peace we will begin. And, Caius Lucius,
556  Although the victor, we submit to Caesar,
557  And to the Roman empire; promising
558  To pay our wonted tribute, from the which
559  We were dissuaded by our wicked queen;
560  Whom heavens, in justice, both on her and hers,
561  Have laid most heavy hand.

562  The fingers of the powers above do tune
563  The harmony of this peace. The vision
564  Which I made known to Lucius, ere the stroke
565  Of this yet scarce-cold battle, at this instant
566  Is full accomplish'd; for the Roman eagle,
567  From south to west on wing soaring aloft,
568  Lessen'd herself, and in the beams o' the sun
569  So vanish'd: which foreshow'd our princely eagle,
570  The imperial Caesar, should again unite
571  His favour with the radiant Cymbeline,
572  Which shines here in the west.

573  Laud we the gods;
574  And let our crooked smokes climb to their nostrils
575  From our blest altars. Publish we this peace
576  To all our subjects. Set we forward: let
577  A Roman and a British ensign wave
578  Friendly together: so through Lud's-town march:
579  And in the temple of great Jupiter
580  Our peace we'll ratify; seal it with feasts.
581  Set on there! Never was a war did cease,
582  Ere bloody hands were wash'd, with such a peace.