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A British prison.
[Enter POSTHUMUS LEONATUS and two Jailers]
FIRST JAILER
,
, x
You shall | not now | be stolen,
,
, ,
You have | locks u|pon you: (tri with
prev)
, 2 ,
,
So graze,| as you find | pasture.
SECOND JAILER
, 2 ,
Aye, or a | stomach.
[Exeunt Jailers]
POSTHUMUS LEONATUS
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Most wel|come bon|dage; for | thou art | away
,
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(I think)| to lib|erty:| yet am I | better
, ,
2 , , 2 ,
Than one | that's sick | of the gout,| since he
had | rather
T T . T
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Groan so in per|petu|ity, than | be cured
2 ,
, ,
, ,
By the sure | physi|cian, death;| who is | the
key
2 ,
, , ,
, ->
To unbar | these^locks.| My con|science, thou |
art fet||tered
,
2 , ,
, , ->
More | than my shanks,| and wrists:| you good* /
gods give || me
, 2 ,
, , ,
The pe|nitent inst|rument | to pick | that bolt,
` ,
x x , 2
,
Then free | for ever.| Is it e|nough I am |
sorry?
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2 , , ,
So child|ren tem|poral fath|ers do | appease;
,
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Gods are | more* full | of mer|cy. Must | I
repent,
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,
I can|not do | it bet|ter than | in gyves,
,
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Desired | more than | constrained:| to sat|isfy
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If of | my free|dom 'tis the // main part, take
,
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No stric|ter rend|er of | me, than | my all.
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I know | you are / more clem|ent than / vile men,
,
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Who of | their brok|en debt|ors take | a third,
,
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A sixth,| a tenth,| letting | them thrive | again
, ,
, ,
,
On their | abate|ment; that's | not my | desire,
, 2 ,
T T T
,
For Im|ogen's^dear | life, take mine,| and though
,
, , ,
x
'Tis not | so dear,| yet 'tis | a life;| you
coined it,
,
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'Tween man | and man | they weigh | not eve|ry
stamp:
,
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Though light,| take pie/ces for | the fig|ure's
sake,
,
, 2 , .
T T Tx
(You rath|er) mine | being yours:| and so great
powers,
, ,
, ,
,
If you | will take | this aud|it, take | this
life,
,
, , , ,
And can|cel these / cold bonds.| Oh Im|ogen,
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,
I'll speak | to thee | in sil|ence. \\
[Sleeps. Solemn music. Enter, as in an apparition, SICILIUS LEONATUS, father
to Posthumus Leonatus, an old man, attired like a warrior; leading in his
hand an ancient matron, his wife, and mother to Posthumus Leonatus, with
music before them: then, after other music, follow the two young Leonati,
brothers to Posthumus Leonatus, with wounds as they died in the wars. They
circle Posthumus Leonatus round, as he lies sleeping]
SICILIUS LEONATUS
, ,
,
No more | thou thund|er-mast|er
<- , ,
, , oo
Show || thy spite | on mort|al flies:|
, ,
, , __ ___
, ,
With Mars | fall^out | with Ju|no chide,| that |
thy | adul|teries
,
2 ,
Rates, and rev|enges. \\
,
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,
Hath my | poor* boy | done^aught | but well,
, ,
, oo
Whose face | I nev|er saw:|
, ,
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I died | whilst in | the womb | he stayed,
,
, , oo
Attend|ing na|ture's law.|
, ,
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Whose fath|er then |(as men | report,
, ,
, oo
Thou orph|ans' fath|er art)|
,
, , ,
Thou shouldst | have been,| and shield|ed him,
, ,
, oo
From this | earth^vex|ing smart.|
MOTHER
, ,
, ,
Luci|na lent | not me | her aid,
, ,
, oo
But took | me in | my throes,|
, ,
, ,
That from | me was | Posthu|mus ript,
__ ,
, __
Came | crying |'mongst his | foes,
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o oo
A thing | of pi|ty. |
SICILIUS LEONATUS
,
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,
Great^na|ture like | his an|cestry,
, ,
, oo
Molded | the stuff | so fair:|
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, , 2
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That he | deserved | the praise | of the world,
, , 2
, oo
As great | Sicil|ius' heir.|
FIRST BROTHER
, ,
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When once | he was | mature | for man,
, ,
, oo
In Brit|ain where | was he |
,
, , ,
That could | stand^up | his par|allel?
, ,
, oo
Or fruit|ful ob|ject be?|
, , ,
, ,
, , oo
In eye | of Im|ogen,| that best | could deem |
his dig|nity.|
MOTHER
, ,
, ,
With mar|riage where|fore was | he mocked
, , ,
oo
To be | exiled,| and thrown |
, , ,
, ,
, , oo
From Le|ona|ti's^seat,| and cast | from her,| his
dear|est one:|
, ,
Sweet^I|mogen? \\
SICILIUS LEONATUS
, , ,
, T T . T
, oo
Why did | you suf|fer Ia|chimo,| slight thing of
It|aly,|
,
, ,
, ,
, , oo
To taint | his nob|ler heart | and brain,| with
need|less jeal|ousy,|
,
, , ,
, ,
, __
And to | become | the geck | and scorn | of the |
other's | villa|ny?
SECOND BROTHER
, ,
, ,
For this,| from stil|ler seats | we came,
, ,
, oo
Our par|ents, and | us twain,|
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That strik|ing in | our count|ry's cause,
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, oo
Fell brave/ly, and | were slain,|
, ,
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, oo
Our feal|ty, and | Tenan|tius' right,| with
hon|or to | maintain.|
FIRST BROTHER
, , , ,
Like^har|diment | Posthu|mus hath
, ,
, oo
To Cym|beline | performed:|
, , ,
, ,
, ,
oo
Then Jup|iter,| thou king | of gods,| why hast |
thou thus | adjourned |
, ,
, , 2
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The gra|ces for | his mer|its due,| being all |
to dol|ors turned?
SICILIUS LEONATUS
, ,
, __
Thy cry|stal wind|ow ope;| look,
, ,
, ,
Look^out,| no long|er ex|ercise
,
, 2 , ,
, , ,
oo
Upon | a val|iant race,| thy harsh,| and pot|ent
in|juries:|
MOTHER
, ,
, ,
Since^(Jup|iter)| our son | is good,
, ,
, oo
Take^off | his mis|eries.|
SICILIUS LEONATUS
, ,
, ,
Peep^through | thy marb|le man|sion, help,
. T T T
, oo
Or we poor ghosts | will cry |
2 , ,
, ,
, , ,
oo
To the shin|ing sy|nod of | the rest,| against |
thy de|ity.|
FIRST and SECOND BROTHER
T T . T
, ,
Help (Jupiter)| or we | appeal,
,
, , oo
And from | thy just|ice fly.|
[Jupiter descends in thunder and lightning, sitting upon an eagle: he throws
a thunderbolt. The Apparitions fall on their knees]
JUPITER
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, x
, ,
No more,| you pet|ty spirits | of re|gion low
, , , ,
,
Offend | our hear|ing: hush.| How dare | you
ghosts
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Accuse | the thund|erer,| whose^bolt |(you know)
T Tx
T ,
, ,
Sky-planted, bat|ters all | rebel|ling coasts.
, ,
, 2 , ,
Poor sha/dows of | Ely|sium, hence,| and rest
, x
, , x
Upon | your never-|wither|ing banks | of flowers.
, ,
, , ,
Be* not | with mort|al ac|cidents | oppressed.
,
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No care | of yours | it is,| you know |'tis ours.
,
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,
Whom best | I love,| I cross;| to make | my gift
,
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The more | delayed,| delight|ed. Be | content,
,
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Your low-|laid^son,| our god|head will | uplift:
, ,
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His com|forts thrive,| his tri|als well | are
spent:
, 2
, ,
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Our Jov|ial star | reigned at | his birth,| and
in
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Our temp/le was | he mar|ried: rise,| and fade,
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He shall | be lord | of la|dy Im|ogen,
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And hap|pier much | by his | afflic|tion made.
,
, , ,
,
This tab|let lay | upon | his breast,| wherein
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, , ,
,
Our pleas|ure, his / full for|tune, doth |
confine,
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And so | away:| no furth|er with | your din
,
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Express | impa|tience, lest | you stir | up mine:
, ,
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,
Mount eag/le, to | my pal|ace cryst|alline.
[Ascends]
SICILIUS LEONATUS
, ,
, , 2 ,
He came | in thund|er, his | celes|tial breath
,
, ,
, x
Was sul|phurous | to smell:| the hol|y eagle
,
x , ,
2
Stooped, as | to foot us:| his a|scen|sion is
<- , ,
, ,
, ,
More || sweet than | our bles|sed fields:| his
roy|al bird
,
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Prunes the | immort|al wing,| and cloys | his
beak,
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,
As when | his god | is pleased.
All
, ,
Thanks Jup/iter.
SICILIUS LEONATUS
, ,
, x ,
The marb|le pave|ment clos|es, he is | entered
, 2
, , ,
,
His rad|iant roof:| Away,| and to | be blessed
, ,
, ,
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Let^us | with care | perform | his great |
behest.
[The Apparitions vanish]
POSTHUMUS LEONATUS
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, , ,
,
Sleep, thou | hast been | a grand|sire, and |
begot
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2 ,
A fath|er to | me: and | thou hast cre|ated
,
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A moth|er, and / two broth|ers: but |(O* scorn)
,
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Gone, they | went^hence | so soon | as they |
were born:
2 ,
2 , , ,
,
And so I | am awake.| Poor^wretch|es, that |
depend
, ,
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,
On great|ness' fav|or; dream | as I | have done,
T .
T T , ,
,
Wake, and find noth|ing. But |(alas)| I swerve:
, T
T . T ,
,
Many | dream not to find,| neither | deserve,
, ,
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And yet | are steeped | in fav|ors: so | am I
, , ,
. T T T
That have | this gold|en chance,| and know not
why:
, ,
, , , ,
What fairies haunt this ground? A book? O rare
one, ????
, ,
, ,
, ->
Be not,| as is | our fang|led world,| a gar||ment
, 2
, ,
, 2 ,
nob|ler than that | it cov|ers. Let | thy effects
, ,
, ,
, , ->
So fol|low, to | be most | unlike | our
cour||tiers,
, ,
As good,| as prom|ise. \\
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.
,
, , x
,
'Tis still | a dream:| or else | such^stuff as |
madmen
T .
T T ,
, ,
Tongue, and brain not:| either | both, or |
nothing,
, ,
, ,
,
Or sense|less speak|ing, or | a speak|ing such
,
, , ,
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As sense | cannot | untie.| Be what | it is,
, , , ,
, ,
->
The ac|tion of | my life | is like | it, which ||
I'll keep
, ,
, oo
If but | for sym|pathy.|
[Enter First Jailer]
FIRST JAILER
Come sir, are you ready for death?
POSTHUMUS LEONATUS
Over-roasted rather; ready long ago.
FIRST JAILER
Hanging is the word, sir: if you be ready for that, you are well cooked.
POSTHUMUS LEONATUS
So, if I prove a good repast to the spectators, the dish pays the shot.
FIRST JAILER
A heavy reckoning for you, sir. But the comfort is, you shall be called to
no more payments, fear no more tavern-bills; which are often the sadness of
parting, as the procuring of mirth: you come in flint for want of meat,
depart reeling with too much drink; sorry that you have paid too much, and
sorry that you are paid too much; purse and brain both empty; the brain the
heavier for being too light, the purse too light, being drawn of heaviness:
of this contradiction you shall now be quit. O, the charity of a penny cord!
It sums up thousands in a trice: you have no true debitor and creditor but
it; of what's past, is, and to come, the discharge: your neck, sir, is pen,
book and counters; so the acquittance follows.
POSTHUMUS LEONATUS
I am merrier to die than thou art to live.
FIRST JAILER
Indeed, sir, he that sleeps feels not the tooth-ache: but a man that were to
sleep your sleep, and a hangman to help him to bed, I think he would change
places with his officer; for, look you, sir, you know not which way you
shall go.
POSTHUMUS LEONATUS
Yes, indeed do I, fellow.
FIRST JAILER
Your death has eyes in his head then; I have not seen him so pictured: you
must either be directed by some that take upon them to know, or do take upon
yourself that which I am sure you do not know, or jump the after inquiry on
your own peril: and how you shall speed in your journey's end, I think
you'll never return to tell one.
POSTHUMUS LEONATUS
I tell thee, fellow, there are none want eyes to direct them the way I am
going, but such as wink and will not use them.
FIRST JAILER
What an infinite mock is this, that a man should have the best use of eyes
to see the way of blindness! I am sure hanging's the way of winking.
[Enter a Messenger]
MESSENGER
Knock off his manacles; bring your prisoner to the king.
POSTHUMUS LEONATUS
Thou bringst good news; I am called to be made free.
FIRST JAILER
I'll be hanged then.
POSTHUMUS LEONATUS
Thou shalt be then freer than a jailer; no bolts for the dead.
[Exeunt POSTHUMUS LEONATUS and Messenger]
FIRST JAILER
Unless a man would marry a gallows and beget young gibbets, I never saw one
so prone. Yet, on my conscience, there are verier knaves desire to live, for
all he be a Roman: and there be some of them too that die against their
wills; so should I, if I were one. I would we were all of one mind, and one
mind good; O, there were desolation of jailers and gallowses! I speak
against my present profit, but my wish hath a preferment in it.
[Exeunt]