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Cymbeline

Act III, Scene 4

Country near Milford-Haven.
 
[Enter PISANIO and IMOGEN]
 
IMOGEN
              ,          ,         ,           ,           ,
      Thou toldst | me when | we came | from horse,| the place
            ,         ,             ,         ,       ,
      Was near | at hand:| nere* longed | my moth|er so
          ,         ,       3 3      ,       ,   2   ,
      To see | me first,| as I have now.| Pisan|io, man:  ??
        ,         ,            ,        ,         ,
      Where is | Posthu|mus? What | is in | thy mind
             ,            ,             ,           ,            ,
      That makes | thee stare | thus? Where|fore breaks | that sigh
          2     ,       ,          ,          ,        ,
      From the in|ward of | thee? One,| but paint|ed thus
        ,           ,      ,        ,           ,
      Would be | inter|preted | a thing | perplexed
          ,          ,     ,        ,         ,
      Beyond | self^ex|plica|tion. Put | thyself
       ,  2     ,    2       T    T    T     ,
      Into a | havior of | less fear, ere | wildness
       ,      2       ,        ,          ,          ,
      Vanquish my | staider | senses.| What's the | matter?
            ,         ,          ,      ,         ,
      Why tend|erst thou | that pap|er to | me, with
          ,       ,         x         ,        ,
      A look | untend|er? If it | be sum|mer news,
        ,     2         ,         ,     ,           ,
      Smile to it | before:| if wint|erly,| thou needst
            ,            ,           ,         ,           ,
      But keep | that counte|nance still.| My hus|band's hand?
             ,      T   T . T         ,      ,     2
      That drug-|damned Italy,| hath out | craftied him,
            ,     .   T    T    T       ,                ,
      And he's | at some hard point.| Speak man,| thy tongue
            ,     ,      2    ,           ,          ,
      May take | off some^ex|tremi|ty*, which | to read
             ,     2   ,       ,     
      Would be | even mort|al to | me.
 
PISANIO
                                         ,           ,
                                      Please | you read,
           ,            ,           ,       ,        ,
      And you | shall find | me (wretch|ed man)| a thing
            ,          ,         ,
      The most | disdained | of for|tune.  \\
 
IMOGEN
Thy mistress (Pisanio) hath played the strumpet in my bed; the testimonies whereof lie bleeding in me. I speak not out of weak surmises, but from proof as strong as my grief and as certain as I expect my revenge. That part thou (Pisanio) must act for me, if thy faith be not tainted with the breach of hers. Let thine own hands take away her life: I shall give thee opportunity at Milford-Haven. She hath my letter for the purpose where, if thou fear to strike and to make me certain it is done, thou art the pandar to her dishonor and equally to me disloyal.
 
PISANIO
        ,       2      ,         ,         ,           ,
      What shall I | need to | draw my | sword, the | paper
            ,           ,        ,       ,            x
      Hath cut | her throat | alrea|dy? No,| 'tis slander,
              ,         ,        ,          ,              ,
      Whose edge | is sharp|er than | the sword,| whose tongue
          ,       ,          ,          ,             ,
      Outven|oms^all | the worms | of Nile,| whose^breath
        ,              ,        ,           ,       ,
      Rides on | the post|ing winds,| and doth | belie
       ,   ,                  ,       T       T    .     T
      All cor/ners of | the world:| kings, queens and states,
        ,     ,                   ,        ,         ,
      Maids, mat/rons, nay*| the sec|rets of | the grave
             ,           x      ,              ,      ,
      This vipe|rous slander | enters.| What cheer,| madam?
 
IMOGEN
        ,             ,          ,            ,   ,
      False to | his bed?| What is | it to / be false?
          ,         ,       ,               ,         ,
      To lie | in watch | there, and | to think | on him?
       .   T     T     T           ,      .   T      T    T       ->
      To weep 'twixt clock | and clock?| if sleep charge na||ture,
             ,    ,       2    ,        ,         ,
      To / break it | with a fear|ful dream | of him,
           ,        ,       ,             ,       2     ,      ,      ->
      And cry | myself | awake?| That's false | to his bed?|| Is it?|
 
PISANIO
        ,           ,
      Alas | good* la|dy.  \\
 
IMOGEN
           ,          ,           ,          ,    ,
      I* false?| Thy con|science wit|ness: Iach|imo,
             ,         ,         ,      ,    2   ,
      Thou didst | accuse | him of | incon|tinency,
             ,        T      T  .  T         ,         ,
      Thou then | lookedst like a vil|lain: now,| methinks
           ,         ,        ,           ,        ,   ,
      Thy fav|or's good | enough.| Some* jay | of It|aly
               ,      ,          ,          ,         ,          o
      (Whose moth|er was | her paint|ing) hath | betrayed | him:   (hex with prev)
           ,        ,        ,        ,         ,      ->
      Poor^I | am stale,| a gar|ment out | of fash||ion,
       ,       3 3     ,       ,         ,      2      ,
      And | for I am rich|er than | to hang | by the walls,
          ,          ,         ,        ,         ,
      I must | be ripped:| to pie|ces with | me: Oh!
        T     T   .   T         ,         ,          ,       ->
      Men's vows are wom|en's trait|ors. All | good see||ming
       ,      2    ,       ,          ,           ,
      By | thy revolt |(O hus|band) shall | be thought
           ,        ,     ,         ,         2     ,
      Put^on | for vil|lany;| not born | where it grows,
            ,        ,         ,      2
      But worn | a bait | for lad|ies.
 
PISANIO
                                              x       ,
                                       Good madam,| hear me.
 
IMOGEN
        ,   ,      ,   ,      ,      ,   ,       ,
      True honest men being heard, like false Aeneas,  ????
        ,    2        T     T      T          ,         ,      2->
      Were in his | time thought false:| and Sin|on's weep||ing
            ,       ,   2   ,      ,           ,    2->
      Did scan|dal ma|ny a ho|ly tear:| took* pi||ty
             ,      ,    ,      2            ,    ,
      From most | true wretch/edness. So | thou, Pos/thumus
            ,          ,           ,    ,      ,
      Wilt lay | the leav|en on / all prop|er men;
        ,         2     ,      ,          ,          ,
      Goodly,| and gallant,| shall be | false and | perjured
          2      ,       ,           ,        ,         ,
      From thy great | fall. Come*| fellow,| be thou | honest,
       ,     2       ,          ,          ,           ,
      Do thou thy | master's | bidding:| when thou | seest him,
         ,       ,        ,     ,   2       ,
      A lit|tle wit|ness my | obed|ience. Look
          ,          ,         ,      ,            ,
      I draw | the sword | myself,| take it,| and hit
           ,   2     ,        ,        ,         ,
      The in|nocent man|sion of | my love |(my heart:)
             ,          ,           ,     ,           ,
      Fear* not,| 'tis emp|ty of / all things,| but grief:
           ,            ,    ,          ,        ,
      Thy mast|er is / not there,| who was | indeed
            ,      ,        ,        ,           ,
      The rich|es of | it: do | his bid|ding, strike,
             ,         ,        ,      ,        ,
      Thou mayst | be val|iant in | a bet|ter cause;
           ,            ,          x
      But now | thou seemst | a coward.  \\
 
PISANIO
        T     T   T      ,
      Hence vile inst|rument,  \\
             ,           ,         ,
      Thou shalt | not damn | my hand.
 
IMOGEN
                                             ,         ,
                                       Why*, I | must die:
       ,    2     ,        T  T    T      ,
      And if I | do not | by thy hand,| thou art
          ,      3  3     ,              ,     ,      ,
      No serv|ant of thy mast|er's. A/gainst self-|slaughter, ??
        ,           ,     ,       ,       ,
      There is | a pro|hibi|tion so | divine,
             ,     2     ,      T     T      T          ,
      That crav|ens my weak | hand. Come, here's | my heart:
        ,        2    T     T     T           ,       ,
      Something's a|foot. Soft, soft,| we'll no | defense,
        ,   2    ,         ,          ,         ,
      Obed|ient as | the scab|bard. What | is here,
            ,     ,     2       ,       ,   ,
      The scrip|tures of the | loyal | Leo|natus,
       T     T    .  T    ,     ,      ,
      All turned to her|esy?| Away,| away
          ,        ,        ,           ,          ,
      Corrup|ters of | my faith,| you shall | no more
           ,     ,       2     ,       ,                ,
      Be stom|achers | to my heart.| Thus may | poor* fools  ??
           ,      ,    ,                    ,       2           ,
      Believe | false tea/chers: though*| those that are | betrayed
           ,          ,        ,        ,            x
      Do feel | the treas|on sharp|ly, yet | the traitor
         ,          T     T   .  T          ,     ,   2
      Stands in | worse case of woe.| And thou | Posthumus,
             ,          ,       ,    ,   2        ,           ,
      That didst | set^up | my dis|obed|ience 'gainst | the king
           ,              ,    ,        ,         ,           ,
      My fath|er, and / makes me | put in|to contempt | the suits (hex with prev two)
           ,        ,          ,          ,       ,
      Of prince|ly fel|lows, shalt | hereaft|er find
               ,  ,        ,       ,         ,
      It is / no act | of com|mon pas|sage, but
           ,          ,         ,         ,         ,
      A strain | of rare|ness: and | I grieve | myself,
           ,            ,           ,        ,         ,
      To think,| when thou | shalt be | disedged | by her,
            ,          ,       ,    ,         ,  2
      That now | thou tir|est on,| how thy | memory
             ,          ,         ,     ,            ,
      Will then | be panged | by me.| Prithee | dispatch,
            ,         ,           ,          ,            ,
      The lamb | entreats | the butch|er. Where's | thy knife?
        ,     2        ,        ,        ,          ,
      Thou art too*| slow to | do thy | master's | bidding,
           ,         x      ,
      When I | desire it | too.
 
PISANIO
                                      ,          ,
                                Oh*| gracious | lady,
        ,    2      ,         ,        ,         ,
      Since I re|ceived com|mand to | do this | business,
       2      ,      T    T    T
      I have not | slept one wink.
 
IMOGEN
                                     x       2      ,
                                   Do it, and to | bed then.
 
PISANIO
             ,          ,     T     T     T
      I'll wake | mine eye-|balls blind first.
 
IMOGEN
                                                 ,            , ->
                                               Wherefore || then
              ,      ,             ,        2   ,
      Didst^|under|take it?| Why hast | thou abused
          ,      ,               ,   ,            ,
      So ma|ny miles,| with a / pretense?| This^place?
            ,        ,           ,         ,          x
      Mine ac|tion? And | thine^own?| Our hors|es' labor?
            ,       ,        ,               ,     ,
      The time | invit|ing thee?| The per/turbed court
                 x    ,         ,      ,       x
      For my / being abs|ent? Where|unto | I never
       ,            ,     ,                ,        ,
      Purpose | return.| Why hast | thou gone | so far
          ,       ,      ,                ,          ,
      To be | unbent?| When thou | hast tane | thy stand,
         2  ,        ,        ,
      The elec|ted deer | before | thee?
 
PISANIO
                                            2      ,    ,
                                         But to / win time
           ,        ,        ,         ,         ,
      To lose | so bad | employ|ment, in | the which
      ,     2     ,         ,        ,            ,
      I have con|sidered | of a | course: good*| lady
        ,    2        ,
      Hear me with | patience.
 
IMOGEN
                                 ,                ,        ,
                               Talk thy | tongue^wea|ry, speak:
       2       ,     ,           ,        ,          ,
      I have heard | I am | a strump|et, and | mine ear
            ,            ,           ,         ,        ,
      Therein | false^struck,| can take | no great|er wound,
            ,          x       ,           ,
      Nor tent,| to bottom | that. But | speak.
 
PISANIO
                                                        ,
                                                Then | madam,
           ,         2       ,      ,      T
      I thought | you would not | back a|gain.
 
IMOGEN
                                                T    T
                                              Most like,
        ,             ,         ,      2
      Bringing | me here | to kill | me.
 
PISANIO`
                                              ,    ,
                                         Not so | neither:
           ,       ,         ,        ,         ,
      But if | I were | as wise,| as hon|est, then
          ,                 ,     ,        ,       ,
      My pur|pose would / prove well.| It can|not be
            ,        ,   ,    2    ,            ,
      But that | my mast|er is a|bused. Some*| villain,
       ,          ,   2       2     ,           ,          ,
      Aye, and | singular | in his art,| hath done | you both
             ,      ,    ,
      This curs|ed in|jury.
 
IMOGEN
            ,       ,     ,
      Some Rom|an court|ezan?  (tri with prev)
 
PISANIO
      __    T  T   T
      No,| on my life:  \\
             ,         ,       ,          ,            x
      I'll give | but not|ice you | are dead,| and send him
             ,       ,      2     ,     ,       ,
      Some^blood|y sign | of it. For |'tis com|manded
           ,      ,            ,           ,          ,
      I should | do so:| you shall | be missed | at court,
            ,           ,           x
      And that | will well | confirm it.
 
IMOGEN
                                         ,          ,
                                        Why good*| fellow,
        ,       2     ,         ,              T    T    T
      What shall I | do the | where? Where*| bide? How live?
          ,        ,          ,          ,    ,
      Or in | my life,| what com|fort, when | I am
        ,           ,
      Dead to | my hus|band?
 
PISANIO
                              ,            ,      2      ,
                             If | you'll back | to the court.
 
IMOGEN
           ,          ,       ,         ,      ,
      No court,| no fath|er, nor | no more | ado
        T    T    T      ,       ,        ,
      With that harsh,| noble,| simple | nothing,
             ,                ,    ,           ,        ,
      That Clot|en, whose / love-suit | hath been | to me
           ,       ,       ,
      As fear|ful as | a siege.
 
PISANIO
                                    ,         ,
                                If not | at court,
            ,         ,        ,         ,
      Then not | in Brit|ain must | you bide.
 
IMOGEN
                                                ,
                                              Where then?
        ,    ,         2       ,            T     T     T
      Hath Brit/ain all the | sun that | shines? Day? Night?
            ,           x       ,         2       ,       ,
      Are they | not but in | Britain?| In the world's | volume
            ,        ,         ,        ,          x
      Our Brit|ain seems | as of | it, but | not in it:
        2    ,       ,         T     T      T        ,
      In a great | pool, a | swan's nest, prith|ee think
               ,       ,         ,
      There's liv|ers out | of Brit|ain.
 
PISANIO
                                          2       ,    ,
                                         I am / most glad
            ,         ,       ,        2   ,     ,
      You think | of oth|er place:| the ambas|sador,
       ,    2       ,        ,         ,        ,
      Lucius the | Roman | comes to | Milford-|Haven
         ,        ,        ,            ,        ,
      Tomor|row. Now,| if you | could wear | a mind
        ,              ,        ,        ,         ,
      Dark, as | your for|tune is,| and but | disguise
              ,       2    ,        ,          ,         ,
      That* which | to appear | itself,| must not | yet be,
           ,     ,   ,                      ,          ,
      But by | self-dan/ger, you | should tread | a course
        ,            ,         ,          ,    2     ,
      Pretty,| and full | of view:| yea* hap|pily, near
           ,     ,         ,     2           ,     x
      The res|idence | of Pos|thumus: so / nigh (at least)
              ,          ,               ,   ,   2     ,
      That though | his ac|tions were / not vis|ible, yet
          ,             ,    2      ,      ,         ,
      Report | should rend|er him hour|ly to | your ear
          ,      ,        ,
      As tru|ly as | he moves.
 
IMOGEN
                               ,              ,
                              Oh for | such^means.
         ,    ,       2      ,  2       T    T     Tx
      Though per/il to my | modesty*,| not death on it,
          ,        ,
      I would | advent|ure.
 
PISANIO
                             ,             ,           ,
                           Well | then, here's | the point:
            ,        ,        ,      ,         ,
      You must | forget | to be | a wom|an: change
           ,     ,  2   ,  2        ,           ,
      Command | into o|bedience:| fear, and | niceness
             ,        2    ,     ,           ,     ,
      (The hand|maids* of all | women,| or more | truly,  ??
       ,   2       ,         ,     3 3     ,          ,
      Woman its | pretty | self) into a | waggish | courage:  ??
       ,   2       T      T    T          ,      ,
      Ready in | gibes, quick-ans|wered, sau|cy and
           ,    2     ,         ,       ,          ,
      As quar|relous as | the weas|el: nay,| you must
          ,          ,        ,        ,          ,
      Forget | that rar|est treas|ure of | your cheek,
         ,       ,        ,         ,       ,
      Expos|ing it |(but oh | the hard|er heart,
         ,        ,    ,     2      ,       ,
      Alack | no rem|edy)| to the greed|y touch
          ,        ,       ,       ,        ,
      Of com|mon-kiss|ing Ti|tan: and | forget
            ,      ,          ,        ,          ,
      Your lab|orsome | and dain|ty trims,| wherein
            ,           ,     ,
      You made | great^Ju|no ang|ry.
 
IMOGEN
                                      ,         ,
                                     Nay | be brief?
         ,       ,        ,             ,  ,
      I see | into | thy end,| and am^/almost
         ,       ,
      A man | alrea|dy.
 
PISANIO
                         ,         2      ,          ,      T  ->
                       First,| make^yourself | but like || one.
        T    T         ,     3    3   ,      ,
      Fore-think|ing this,| I have alrea|dy fit  ??
         ,    2       T    T      Tx      T     T    T
      ('Tis in my | cloak-bag) doublet,| hat, hose, all
            ,       ,           ,      ,    2         ,
      That ans|wer to | them: would | you in their | serving,
             ,          ,   ,       ,         ,      2->
      (And with | what im|ita|tion you | can bor||row
             ,          ,         x              x      ,
      From youth | of such | a season)| 'fore* noble | Lucius
           ,          ,        ,         ,          ,        2->
      Present | yourself,| desire | his serv|ice: tell || him
            ,           ,        ,              ,          ,
      wherein | you're hap|py; which | you'll make | him know,
       ,     2        ,          ,        ,        ,
      If that his | head have | ear in | music,| doubtless
            ,     ,     2     ,          ,          ,  3 3
      With joy | he will em|brace you:| for he's | honorable,
            ,         ,          ,               ,   x
      And doub|ling that,| most^ho|ly. Your / means abroad:  ??
            ,         ,        ,         ,       ,
      You have | me rich,| and I | will nev|er fail
         ,         ,     ,    2
      Begin|ning, nor | supplement.
 
IMOGEN
        ,         ,         ,
      Thou art | all the | comfort   (tri with prev)
            ,           x         ,     ,          ,
      The gods | will diet | me with.| Prithee | away,
                ,        ,       ,         ,           x
      There's more | to be | consid|ered: but | we'll even
       ,                ,           ,          ,        ,
      All that | good^time | will give | us: this | attempt,
      ,       ,             ,        2   ,         ,
      I am | soldier | to, and | will abide | it with
          ,         ,         ,        ,
      A prin|ce's cour|age. Away,| I prith|ee.
 
PISANIO
      <-   ,      ,       ,         ,        T     T   T
         Well || madam,| we must^|take a | short farewell,
        ,    2        ,         ,       ,       ,
      Lest being | missed, I | be | suspect|ed of
            ,          ,          ,          x      ,
      Your car|riage from | the court.| My noble | mistress,
        ,          ,       ,         ,          ,
      Here is | a box,| I had | it from | the queen,
               x         ,          ,      2      ,        ,
      What's^in it | is pre|cious: if | you are sick | at sea,
           ,         ,           ,        ,         ,
      Or stom|ach-qualmed | at land,| a dram | of this
             ,       ,        ,              ,    ,
      Will drive | away | distemp|er. To / some shade,
           ,         ,         ,    ,               ,
      And fit | you to | your man|hood. May*| the gods
          ,     ,    2        ,
      Direct | you to the | best.
 
IMOGEN
                                     ,         ,
                                  A|men: I | thank thee.
 
[Exeunt, severally]

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