You bred him as my playfellow, and he is
A man worth any woman, overbuys me
Almost the sum he pays.

Cym.

What, art thou mad?

Imo. Almost, sir: heaven restore me! Would

I were

A neat-herd's daughter, and my Leonatus

Our neighbour shepherd's son !

Cym.

Thou foolish thing! 150

Re-enter QUEEN.

They were again together: you have done
Not after our command. Away with her,
And pen her up.

Queen.

Peace,

Beseech your patience. Dear lady daughter, peace! Sweet sovereign, Leave us to ourselves; and make yourself some

comfort

Out of your best advice.

Cym.

Nay, let her languish A drop of blood a day; and, being aged,

Die of this folly! [Exeunt Cymbeline and Lords. Fie! you must give way.

Queen.

Enter PISANIO.

How now,

sir! What

Here is your servant.

news?

Pis. My lord your son drew on my master.

Queen.

No harm, I trust, is done?

Ha! 160

There might have been,

Pis.
But that my master rather play'd than fought
And had no help of anger: they were parted
By gentlemen at hand.

Queen.

I am very glad on't.

Imo. Your son's my father's friend; he takes

his part.

To draw upon an exile! O brave sir!

I would they were in Afric both together;

Myself by with a needle, that I might prick

The goer-back. Why came you from your master? Pis. On his command: he would not suffer me To bring him to the haven; left these notes

171

Of what commands I should be subject to,
When 't pleased you to employ me.

Queen.

This hath been

Your faithful servant: I dare lay mine honour
He will remain so.

Pis.

I humbly thank your highness.

About some half-hour hence,

Queen. Pray, walk awhile. Imo. I pray you, speak with me: you shall at least Go see my lord aboard: for this time leave me. [Exeunt.

SCENE II. The same. A public place.

Enter CLOTEN and two Lords.

First Lord. Sir, I would advise you to shift a shirt; the violence of action hath made you reek as a sacrifice: where air comes out, air comes in: there's none abroad so wholesome as that you vent.

Clo. If my shirt were bloody, then to shift it. Have I hurt him?

Sec. Lord. [Aside] No, 'faith; not so much as his patience.

9

First Lord. Hurt him! his body's a passable carcass, if he be not hurt; it is a throughfare for steel, if it be not hurt.

Sec. Lord. [Aside] His steel was in debt; it went o' the backside the town.

Clo. The villain would not stand me.

Sec. Lord. [Aside] No; but he fled forward still, toward your face.

First Lord. Stand you! You have land enough of your own: but he added to your having; gave you some ground.

20

Sec. Lord. [Aside] As many inches as you have oceans. Puppies!

Clo. I would they had not come between us.

Sec. Lord. [Aside] So would I, till you had measured how long a fool you were upon the ground.

Clo. And that she should love this fellow and refuse me!

Sec. Lord. [Aside] If it be a sin to make a true election, she is damned.

30

First Lord. Sir, as I told you always, her beauty and her brain go not together: she's a good sign, but I have seen small reflection of her wit. Sec. Lord. [Aside] She shines not upon fools,

lest the reflection should hurt her.

Clo. Come, I'll to my chamber. had been some hurt done!

Would there

Sec. Lord. [Aside] I wish not so; unless it had been the fall of an ass, which is no great hurt. Clo. You'll go with us?

First Lord. I'll attend your lordship.

Clo. Nay, come, let's go together.
Sec. Lord. Well, my lord.

40

[Exeunt.

SCENE III. A room in Cymbeline's palace.

Enter IMOGEN and PISANIO.

Imo. I would thou grew'st unto the shores o' the haven,

And question'dst every sail: if he should write, And I not have it, 'twere a paper lost,

As offer'd mercy is. What was the last

That he spake to thee?

Pis.

It was his queen, his queen!

And kiss'd it, madam.

Imo. Then waved his handkerchief? Pis. Imo. Senseless linen! happier therein than I! And that was all?

Pis. No, madam; for so long As he could make me with this eye or ear Distinguish him from others, he did keep The deck, with glove, or hat, or handkerchief, Still waving, as the fits and stirs of 's mind Could best express how slow his soul sail'd on, How swift his ship.

Imo.

Thou shouldst have made him

As little as a crow, or less, ere left

To after-eye him.

Pis.

Madam, so I did.

ΙΟ

Imo. I would have broke mine eye-strings;

crack'd them, but

To look upon him, till the diminution

Of space had pointed him sharp as my needle,
Nay, follow'd him, till he had melted from
The smallness of a gnat to air, and then

20

Have turn'd mine eye and wept. But, good Pisanio,

When shall we hear from him?

Pis.

With his next vantage.

Be assured, madam,

Imo. I did not take my leave of him, but had Most pretty things to say: ere I could tell him How I would think on him at certain hours

Such thoughts and such, or I could make him

swear

The shes of Italy should not betray

Mine interest and his honour, or have charged him,

At the sixth hour of morn, at noon, at midnight, To encounter me with orisons, for then

I am in heaven for him; or ere I could

Give him that parting kiss which I had set

30

Betwixt two charming words, comes in my father And like the tyrannous breathing of the north Shakes all our buds from growing.

Lady.

Enter a Lady.

The queen, madam,

Desires your highness' company.

Imo. Those things I bid you do, get them dis

patch'd.

I will attend the queen.

Pis.

Madam, I shall. [Exeunt. 40

SCENE IV. Rome. Philario's house.

Enter PHILARIO, IACHIMO, a Frenchman, a Dutchman, and a Spaniard.

Iach. Believe it, sir, I have seen him in Britain: he was then of a crescent note, expected to prove so worthy as since he hath been allowed the name of; but I could then have looked on him without the help of admiration, though the catalogue of

his endowments had been tabled by his side and I to peruse him by items.

Phi. You speak of him when he was less furnished than now he is with that which makes him both without and within.

ΙΟ

French. I have seen him in France: we had very many there could behold the sun with as firm eyes as he.

Iach. This matter of marrying his king's daughter, wherein he must be weighed rather by her value than his own, words him, I doubt not, a great deal from the matter.

French. And then his banishment.

Iach. Ay, and the approbation_of_those_that weep this lamentable divorce under her colours are wonderfully to extend him; be it but to fortify her judgement, which else an easy battery might lay flat, for taking a beggar without less quality. But how comes it he is to sojourn with you? How creeps acquaintance?

Phi. His father and I were soldiers together; to whom I have been often bound for no less than my life. Here comes the Briton: let him be so entertained amongst you as suits, with gentlemen of your knowing, to a stranger of his quality. 30

Enter POSTHUMUS.

I beseech you all, be better known to this gentleman, whom I commend to you as a noble friend of mine: how worthy he is I will leave to appear hereafter, rather than story him in his own hearing.

French. Sir, we have known together in Orleans.

Post. Since when I have been debtor to you for courtesies, which I will be ever to pay and yet pay still.

40

French. Sir, you o'er-rate my poor kindness: I was glad I did atone* my countryman and you; it had been pity you should have been put together with so mortal a purpose as then each bore, upon importance of so slight and trivial a nature.

*Reconcile.