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Cymbeline

Act III, Scene 5

A room in Cymbeline's palace.
 
[Enter CYMBELINE, QUEEN, CLOTEN, LUCIUS, Lords, and Attendants]
 
CYMBELINE
            ,         ,         ,
      Thus far,| and so | farewell.
 
CAIUS LUCIUS
                                      T      Tx   T
                                   Thanks, royal sir:
          ,    ,           ,         ,           ,
      My emp|eror | hath wrote,| I must | from hence,
         2     ,      ,           ,     ,       ,
      And am right | sorry,| that I | must re|port ye
          ,        ,    ,
      My mast|er's en|emy.
 
CYMBELINE
                                ,          ,
                           Our sub|jects^(sir)
            ,        ,          ,         ,         ,
      Will not | endure | his yoke;| and for | ourself
           ,           ,        ,          ,           ,
      To show | less^sove|reignty | than they,| must^needs
          ,     T  T   T
      Appear | unkinglike.
 
CAIUS LUCIUS
          ,     2    ,        ,
      So sir:| I desire | of you  (tri with prev)
         ,        ,      ,        ,         x
      A con|duct^ov|er land,| to Mil|ford-Haven.
       ,       T   T   .  T           ,          ,
      Madam,| all joy befall | your grace,| and you.
 
CYMBELINE
           ,      ,     2     ,        ,          ,
      My lords,| you are ap|pointed | for that | office:
           ,        ,            ,   ,       ,
      The due | of hon|or, in / no point | omit.
           ,        ,      ,     2
      So fare|well^nob|le Lu|cius.
 
CAIUS LUCIUS
                                          ,         ,
                                   Your hand,| my lord.
 
CLOTEN
          ,           ,                     ,    ,    ,
      Receive | it friend|ly: but from // this time forth
            x      ,        ,  2
      I wear it | as your | enemy*.
 
CAIUS LUCIUS
                                     ,            ,
                                    Sir, the | event
          ,         ,         ,         ,          ,
      Is yet | to name | the win|ner: fare | you well.
 
CYMBELINE
        T    T   .    T      ,         ,         ,
      Leave not the worth|y Lu|cius, good | my lords
        ,               ,           ,        ,      ,
      Till he | have crossed | the Sev|ern. Hap|piness.
 
[Exeunt LUCIUS and Lords]
 
QUEEN
           ,      ,     ,                  ,       ,
      He goes | hence frow/ning: but | it hon|ors us
            ,          x           ,
      That we | have given | him cause.
 
CLOTEN
                                             ,           x
                                       'Tis all | the better,
            ,   2     ,        ,            ,       x
      Your val|iant Brit|ons have | their wish|es in it.
 
CYMBELINE
       ,              ,      , ,       2       ,  2
      Lucius | hath wrote | alrea/dy to the | emperor
       ,         ,                x       ,           ,
      How it | goes here.| It fits us | therefore | ripely
            ,   2       2        ,   ,      2     ,     ,
      Our char|iots, and our / horsemen | be in rea|diness:
             x       ,    2    ,        ,        ,  2
      The powers | that he al|ready | hath in | Gallia
             ,         ,          ,            ,          ,
      Will soon | be drawn | to head,| from whence | he moves
           ,          ,     2
      His war | for Brit|ain.
 
QUEEN
                                  ,      ,       ,
                            'Tis not | sleepy | business,
            ,          ,          ,   2     ,       ,
      But must | be looked | to spee|dily* and | strongly.
 
CYMBELINE
           ,     ,        ,         ,          ,
      Our ex|pecta|tion that | it would | be thus
             ,        ,         ,        ,        ,
      Hath made | us for|ward. But | my gent|le queen,
        ,              ,         ,          ,         ,
      Where is | our daught|er? She | hath not | appeared
          ,         ,       ,      x           ,
      Before | the Rom|an, nor | to us hath | tendered
           ,     ,        ,          ,          ,
      The du|ty of | the day.| She looks | us like
          ,             ,        ,         ,        ,    ->
      A thing | more* made | of mal|ice, than | of du||ty,
       ,         ,    2      ,       2    ,         ,
      We | have not|ed it. Call | her before | us, for
        2       ,            ,         ,     2
      We have been | too* slight | in suf|ferance.
 
[Exit an Attendant]
 
QUEEN
                                                   ,      ,
                                                  Roy|al sir,
        ,          T T   .  T    2       ,        ,
      Since the | exile of Pos|thumus, most | retired
                   ,    ,          ,          ,        ,
      Hath her / life been:| the cure | whereof,| my lord,
             ,          ,       ,           ,    ,
      'Tis time | must do.| Beseech | your maj|esty,
        .   T    T     T        ,          ,        ,    2->
      *Forbear sharp speech|es to | her. She's | a la||dy
          ,       ,       ,            ,            ,
      So tend|er of | rebukes,| that words | are strokes,
             ,        ,
      And strokes | death to | her.
 
[Enter Attendant]
 
CYMBELINE
                                             ,  ,          ,
                                    Where / is she | sir? How
           ,         ,         ,
      Can her | contempt | be ans|wered?
 
ATTENDANT
                                            ,          ,
                                         Please | you sir,
            ,      2     ,       ,             ,          ,
      Her chamb|ers are all | locked, and | there's no | answer
             ,         x       2      ,        ,          ,
      That will | be given | to the loud|est noise | we make.
 
QUEEN
           ,           ,        ,        ,      ,
      My lord,| when last | I went | to vis|it her,
             ,      ,          ,         ,         ,
      She prayed | me to | excuse | her kee|ping close,
            ,          ,          ,       ,     ,
      Whereto | constrained | by her | infirm|ity,
             ,           ,      ,         ,        ,
      She should | that du|ty leave | unpaid | to you
             ,      ,          ,          ,         ,
      Which dai|ly she | was bound | to prof|fer: this
             ,               ,    ,                 ,     ,
      She wished | me to / make known:| but our / great court
        ,    2       ,         ,  2
      Made me to | blame in | memory.
 
CYMBELINE
                                        T    T      T
                                       Her doors locked?
            ,     .   T     T      Tx       ,             ,
      Not seen | of late? Grant heavens,| that which^|I fear
        T     T
      Prove false!
 
[Exit]
 
QUEEN
                    T       ,     ,             ,
                   Son,| I say,| follow | the king.
 
CLOTEN
            ,         ,       ,   2         ,   ,       ->
      That man | of hers,| Pisan|io, her / old ser||vant
       2        ,    ,      T    T    T
      I have / not seen | these two days.
 
QUEEN
                                           ,          ,
                                          Go, look^||after:  \\
 
[Exit CLOTEN]
         ,   2    ,            ,       ,        ,   2
      Pisan|io, thou | that standst | so for | Posthumus,
       ,     2      ,         ,         ,          ,
      He hath a | drug of | mine: I | pray, his | absence
           ,         ,     2     ,         ,        ,
      Proceed | by swal|lowing that.| For he | believes
       ,   2      T     T   T          ,         ,
      It is a | thing most pre|cious. But | for her,
        ,              ,     ,   2     ,            ,
      Where is | she gone?| Haply de|spair hath | seized her:
            ,           ,       ,         ,            ,
      Or winged | with ferv|or of | her love,| she's flown
          ,        ,      ,            ,         ,
      To her | desired | Posthu|mus: gone | she is,
           ,         ,       ,       ,        ,
      To death,| or to | dishon|or, and | my end
            ,          ,         ,       ,      2     ,
      Can make | good^use | of eith|er. She | being down,
          ,         ,        ,         ,        ,
      I have | the pla|cing of | the Brit|ish crown.
           ,        ,
      How now,| my son?
 
[Enter CLOTEN]
 
CLOTEN
                             ,        ,         ,
                       'Tis cert|ain she | is fled:
          ,         ,           ,        ,        ,
      Go in | and cheer | the king,| he rag|es, none
        T    T  .  T
      Dare come about | him.
 
QUEEN
                              ,         ,        ,
                             All | the bet|ter: may
             ,       ,   ,                   ,       ,
      This night | forestall / him of | the com|ing day.
 
[Exit]
 
CLOTEN
          ,          ,          ,            ,           x
      I love,| and hate | her: for | she's fair | and royal,
       ,      2        ,          ,         ,       2    ,
      And that she | hath all*| courtly | parts more^ex|quisite
            ,      ,         x           ,      ,
      Than la|dy, lad|ies, woman,| from eve|ry one
            ,          ,         ,        ,         ,      2->
      The best | she hath,| and she | of all | compoun||ded
           ,           ,        ,          ,          ,
      Outsells | them all.| I love | her there|fore, but
           ,       ,         ,        ,       ,
      Disdain|ing me,| and throw|ing fav|ors on
           ,     ,    2       ,         ,         ,
      The low | Posthumus,| slanders | so her | judgment,
              ,       T    T    .    T                ,    ,
      That what's | else rare, is choked:| and in / that point
          ,         ,          ,          ,        ,
      I will | conclude | to hate | her, nay | indeed,
          ,        ,       ,          ,           ,           ->
      To be | revenged | upon | her. For,| when fools || shall--
       ,         ,      ,      2        ,        ,
      Who | is here?| What, are you | packing | sirrah?
             ,       ,         ,         ,       ,       ->
      Come^hith|er: ah | you prec|ious pand|er, vil||lain,
        ,       2     ,      ,       ,         ,
      Where | is thy la|dy? In | a word,| or else
          2        ,     ,                  ,
      Thou art straight|way with | the | fiends.
 
PISANIO
                                                       ,         ,
                                                 Oh, good | my lord.
 
CLOTEN
        ,             ,      ,       ,    ,
      Where is | thy la|dy? Or,| by Jup|iter,
                ,   ,       ,     ___     ,
      I will / not ask | again.| Close | villain,
             ,          ,        ,          ,         ,
      I'll have | this sec|ret from | thy heart,| or rip
            ,          ,         ,      2      ,      ,
      Thy heart | to find | it. Is | she with Pos|thumus?
             ,         ,       ,           ,         ,      2->
      From whose | so ma|ny weights | of base|ness, can||not
          ,         ,          ,
      A dram | of worth | be drawn.
 
PISANIO
                                      ,         ,
                                    Alas,| my lord,
           ,         ,         ,      ,               ,
      How can | she be | with him?| When was | she missed?
       ,   2       ,
      He is in | Rome.
 
CLOTEN
                              ,        ,           ,
                      Where^|is she | sir? Come*| nearer:
           ,        ,        ,     ,        ,
      No furth|er halt|ing: sat|isfy | me home,
        ,           ,        ,
      What is | become | of her?  \\
 
PISANIO
       ,    2      ,         ,
      Oh, my all^|worthy | lord.
 
CLOTEN
                                      ,        ,
                                All^|worthy | villain,
         ,        ,          ,         ,        ,
      Discov|er where | thy mist|ress is,| at once,
                 ,    ,         ,        ,        ,
      At the / next word:| no more | of worth|y lord:
        ,              ,        ,         ,        ,
      Speak, or | thy sil|ence on | the inst|ant, is
           ,      ,       ,          ,
      Thy con|demna|tion and | thy death.
 
PISANIO
                                                ,
                                          Then sir:
        ,   ,       2       ,  2      ,        ,
      This pa/per is the | history | of my | knowledge
        ,               ,
      Touching | her flight.
 
CLOTEN
                                      x     ,     2     ,
                             Let's^see it.| I will pur|sue her
       x     2    ,          ,
      Even to Au|gustus'| throne.
 
PISANIO
                                        ,         ,
                                 Or | this, or | perish.
             ,       ,           ,          ,          ,
      She's far | enough,| and what | he learns | by this,
            ,           ,       ,         ,
      May prove | his trav|el, not | her dang|er.
 
CLOTEN
                                                    ,
                                                  Humh.
 
PISANIO
             ,       2     ,            ,        ,   ,
      I'll write | to my lord | she's dead.| Oh Im|ogen,
        ,                ,        ,        ,       ,
      Safe mayst^|thou wand|er, safe | return | again.
 
CLOTEN
       ,         2      ,        ,
      Sirrah,| is this let|ter true?
 
PISANIO
                                      ,            ,
                                     Sir, as | I think.
 
CLOTEN
It is Posthumus' hand; I know it. Sirrah, if thou wouldst not be a villain, but do me true service, undergo those employments wherein I should have cause to use thee with a serious industry, that is, what villany soere I bid thee do, to perform it directly and truly, I would think thee an honest man: thou shouldst neither want my means for thy relief nor my voice for thy preferment.
 
PISANIO
Well, my good lord.
 
CLOTEN
Wilt thou serve me? for since patiently and constantly thou hast stuck to the bare fortune of that beggar Posthumus, thou canst not, in the course of gratitude, but be a diligent follower of mine: wilt thou serve me?
 
PISANIO
Sir, I will.
 
CLOTEN
Give me thy hand; here's my purse. Hast any of thy late master's garments in thy possession?
 
PISANIO
I have, my lord, at my lodging, the same suit he wore when he took leave of my lady and mistress.
 
CLOTEN
The first service thou dost me, fetch that suit hither: let it be thy lint service; go.
 
PISANIO
I shall, my lord.
 
[Exit]
 
CLOTEN
Meet thee at Milford-Haven!--I forgot to ask him one thing; I'll remember't anon:--even there, thou villain Posthumus, will I kill thee. I would these garments were come. She said upon a time--the bitterness of it I now belch from my heart--that she held the very garment of Posthumus in more respect than my noble and natural person together with the adornment of my qualities. With that suit upon my back, will I ravish her: first kill him, and in her eyes; there shall she see my valor, which will then be a torment to her contempt. He on the ground, my speech of insultment ended on his dead body, and when my lust hath dined,--which, as I say, to vex her I will execute in the clothes that she so praised,--to the court I'll knock her back, foot her home again. She hath despised me rejoicingly, and I'll be merry in my revenge. Be those the garments?
 
PISANIO
Aye, my noble lord.
 
CLOTEN
How long is it since she went to Milford-Haven?
 
PISANIO
She can scarce be there yet.
 
CLOTEN
Bring this apparel to my chamber; that is the second thing that I have commanded thee: the third is, that thou wilt be a voluntary mute to my design. Be but duteous, and true preferment shall tender itself to thee. My revenge is now at Milford: would I had wings to follow it! Come, and be true.
 
[Exit]
 
PISANIO
             ,         ,        ,          ,         ,
      Thou bidst | me to | my loss:| for true | to thee,
                   ,     ,           ,         ,      ,
      Were* to / prove false,| which I | will nev|er be
          ,                ,    ,        ,        ,
      To him | that is / most true.| To Mil|ford go,
            ,         ,      ,      2      T      T     T
      And find | not her,| whom thou pur|suest. Flow, flow
             x        ,         ,                  ,     ,
      You heaven|ly bless|ings on | her: This / fool's speed
            ,             ,         ,      ,         ,
      Be crossed | with slow|ness; lab|or be | his mead.
 
[Exit]

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