CYMBELINE.

ACT I.

SCENE I. Britain. The Garden behind Cymbeline's

Palace.

Enter two Gentlemen.

1 Gentleman. You do not meet a man but frowns; our bloods

No more obey the heavens, than our courtiers,

Still seem, as does the king's.1

2 Gent.

But what's the matter?

1 Gent. His daughter, and the heir of his kingdom,

whom

He purposed to his wife's sole son, (a widow

That late he married,) hath referred herself
Unto a poor but worthy gentleman. She's wedded,
Her husband banished; she imprisoned: all

Is outward sorrow; though, I think, the king
Be touched at very heart.

2 Gent.

None but the king?

1 Gent. He that hath lost her, too; so is the queen, That most desired the match. But not a courtier, Although they wear their faces to the bent

1 "Our bloods [i. e. our dispositions or temperaments] are not more regulated by the heavens, by every skyey influence, than our courtiers are by the disposition of the king: when he frowns, every man frowns." In some editions, a different meaning is conveyed, by placing a semicolon after the word courtiers.

Of the king's looks, hath a heart that is not
Glad at the thing they scowl at.

2 Gent.

And why so?

1 Gent. He that hath missed the princess, is a thing Too bad for bad report; and he that hath her, (I mean, that married her,―alack, good man!And therefore banished,) is a creature such As, to seek through the regions of the earth For one his like, there would be something failing In him that should compare. I do not think So fair an outward, and such stuff within, Endows a man but he.

2 Gent.

You speak him far.1

1 Gent. I do extend him, sir, within himself; Crush him together, rather than unfold

His father

His measure duly.
2 Gent.
What's his name, and birth?
1 Gent. I cannot delve him to the root.
Was called Sicilius, who did join his honor?
Against the Romans, with Cassibelan ;
But had his titles by Tenantius,3 whom
He served with glory and admired success.
So gained the sur-addition, Leonatus ;
And had, besides this gentleman in question,
Two other sons, who, in the wars o'the time,

Died with their swords in hand; for which their father
Then old and fond of issue) took such sorrow,
That he quit being; and his gentle lady,
Big of this gentleman, our theme, deceased
As he was born. The king, he takes the babe
To his protection; calls him Posthumus;
Breeds him, and makes him of his bedchamber:
Puts him to all the learnings that his time
Could make him the receiver of; which he took,
As we do air, fast as 'twas ministered; and
In his spring became a harvest; lived in court

(Which rare it is to do) most praised, most loved;
A sample to the youngest; to the more mature
A glass that feated' them; and to the graver,
A child that guided dotards; to his mistress,2
From whom he now is banished,-her own price
Proclaims how she esteemed him and his virtue;
By her election may be truly read,

What kind of man he is.

2 Gent.

I honor him

But, 'pray you, tell me,

Even out of your report.
Is she sole child to the king?

His only child.

1 Gent. He had two sons, (if this be worth your hearing, Mark it,) the eldest of them at three years old, I'the swathing clothes the other, from their nursery Were stolen; and to this hour, no guess in knowledge Which way they went..

2 Gent.

How long is this ago?

1 Gent. Some twenty years.

2 Gent. That a king's children should be so conveyed! So slackly guarded! and the search so slow,

That could not trace them!

1 Gent.

Howsoe'er 'tis strange,

Or that the negligence may well be laughed at,
Yet is it true, sir.

2 Gent.

I do well believe you.

1 Gent. We must forbear; here comes the queen

and princess.

[Exeunt.

SCENE II. The same.

Enter the Queen, POSTHUMUS, and IMOGEN.

Queen. No, be assured, you shall not find me, daughter,

1 Feate is well-fashioned, proper, trim, handsome, well-compact (concinnus). Feature was also used for fashion or proportion. The verb to feat was probably formed by Shakspeare himself.

2 "To his mistress," means as to his mistress.

After the slander of most step-mothers,
Evil-eyed unto you; you are my prisoner, but
Your jailer shall deliver you the keys

That lock up your restraint. For you, Posthumus,
So soon as I can win the offended king,

I will be known your advocate: marry, yet
The fire of rage is in him; and 'twere good,
You leaned unto his sentence, with what patience
Your wisdom may inform you.

Post.

I will from hence to-day.

Please your highness,

Queen.
You know the peril.-
I'll fetch a turn about the garden, pitying
The pangs
of barred affections; though the king
Hath charged you should not speak together.

Imo.

[Exit Queen.

Dissembling courtesy! How fine this tyrant

Can tickle where she wounds!-My dearest husband,
I something fear my father's wrath; but nothing
Always reserved my holy duty)1 what

His rage can do on me. You must be gone;
And I shall here abide the hourly shot
Of angry eyes; not comforted to live,
But that there is this jewel in the world,
That I may see again.

Post.
My queen! my mistress!
O lady, weep no more; lest I give cause

To be suspected of more tenderness

Than doth become a man! I will remain

The loyal'st husband that did e'er plight troth.
My residence in Rome at one Philario's;
Who to my father was a friend, to me
Known but by letter: thither write, my queen,
And with mine eyes I'll drink the words you send,
Though ink be made of gall.

1 "I say I do not fear my father, so far as I may say it without breach of duty."

Queen.

Re-enter Queen.

Be brief, I pray you:

If the king come, I shall incur I know not

How much of his displeasure.-Yet I'll move him

To walk this way.

I never do him wrong,

But he does buy my injuries, to be friends;
Pays dear for my offences.1

Post.

[Aside.

[Exit.

Should we be taking leave

As long a term as yet we have to live,

The loathness to depart would grow. Adieu!
Imo. Nay, stay a little;

Were you but riding forth to air yourself,
Such parting were too petty. Look here, love;
This diamond was my mother's: take it, heart;
But keep it till you woo another wife,

When Imogen is dead.

Post.

How! how! another?

You gentle gods, give me but this I have,

2

And sear up my embracements from a next

With bonds of death!-Remain, remain thou here

[Putting on the ring. While sense can keep it on! And sweetest, fairest,

3

As I my poor self did exchange for you,

To your so infinite loss; so, in our trifles
I still win of you. For my sake, wear this
It is a manacle of love; I'll place it

Upon this fairest prisoner.

Imo.

[Putting a bracelet on her arm. O the gods!

When shall we see again?

1 "He gives me a valuable consideration in new kindness (purchasing, as it were, the wrong I have done him), in order to renew our amity, and make us friends again."

2 Shakspeare poetically calls the cere-cloths, in which the dead are wrapped, the bonds of death. There was no distinction in ancient orthography between seare, to dry, to wither; and seare, to dress or cover with wax. Cere-cloth is most frequently spelled seare-cloth.

3 i. e. while I have sensation to retain it.