Cymbeline (19 page)

POSTHUMUS
    Still
going?
This is a lord!
O noble misery
⁷⁰
,

To be i’th’field and ask ‘What news?’ of me.

Today how many would have given their
honours
⁷²

To have saved their carcasses?
Took heel to do’t
⁷³
,

And yet died
too.
I,
in mine own woe charmed
⁷⁴
,

Could not find death where I did hear him groan,

Nor feel him where he struck. Being an ugly monster,

’Tis strange he hides him in fresh cups, soft beds,

Sweet words, or hath more
ministers
⁷⁸
than we

That draw his knives i’th’war. Well, I will find him:

For being now a favourer to the Briton
⁸⁰
,

No more a Briton, I have resumed again

The
part
⁸²
I came in. Fight I will no more,

But yield me to the
veriest
hind
⁸³
that shall

Once
touch my shoulder.
⁸⁴
Great the slaughter is

Here
made
by th’
Roman
; great the
answer
be
⁸⁵

Britons must take. For me, my ransom’s death,

On
either side
I come to
spend
⁸⁷
my breath,

Which neither here I’ll
keep
nor
bear again
⁸⁸
,

But end it by some means for Innogen.

FIRST CAPTAIN
    Great Jupiter be praised, Lucius is taken.

’Tis thought the old man and his sons were angels.

SECOND CAPTAIN
    There was a fourth man, in a
silly habit
⁹²
,

That gave
th’affront
⁹³
with them.

FIRST CAPTAIN
    So ’tis reported:

But none of ’em can be found. Stand, who’s there?

POSTHUMUS
    A Roman,

Who had not now been drooping here, if
seconds
⁹⁷

Had
answered him.
⁹⁸

SECOND CAPTAIN
    Lay hands on him: a dog,

A leg of Rome shall not return
¹⁰⁰
to tell

What crows have pecked them here: he brags his service

As if he were of
note
¹⁰²
: bring him to th’king.

FIRST JAILER
    You shall not now be stol’n,
you have locks upon you
¹⁰³
;

So graze as you find pasture.

SECOND JAILER
    Ay, or a
stomach.
¹⁰⁵

[
Exeunt Jailers
]

POSTHUMUS
    Most welcome bondage, for thou art a way,

I think, to liberty: yet am I better

Than one that’s sick o’th’gout, since he had rather

Groan so in perpetuity
¹⁰⁹
than be cured

By th’sure physician, death, who is the key

T’unbar
¹¹¹
these locks. My conscience, thou art fettered

More than my
shanks
¹¹²
and wrists: you good gods give me

The penitent instrument to pick that bolt
¹¹³
,

Then free for ever.
¹¹⁴
Is’t enough I am sorry?

So children
temporal
¹¹⁵
fathers do appease;

Gods are more full of mercy.
Must I
¹¹⁶
repent,

I cannot do it better than in
gyves
¹¹⁷
,

Desired more than
constrained
: to
satisfy
¹¹⁸
,

If of my freedom ’tis the main part
¹¹⁹
, take

No stricter
render
¹²⁰
of me than my all.

I know you are more
clement
than
vile men
¹²¹
,

Who
of
their
broken debtors
¹²²
take a third,

A sixth, a tenth, letting them thrive again

On
their abatement
¹²⁴
: that’s not my desire.

For Innogen’s dear life take mine, and though

’Tis not so dear, yet ’tis a life; you
coined
¹²⁶
it.

’Tween man and man they weigh not every
stamp
¹²⁷
:

Though
light
, take
pieces
for the
figure’s sake.
¹²⁸

You rather mine, being yours
¹²⁹
: and so, great powers,

If you will take this
audit
¹³⁰
, take this life,

And cancel these cold
bonds.
¹³¹
O Innogen,

I’ll speak to thee in silence.

SICILIUS
    No more,
thou thunder-master
¹³³
, show

Thy spite on mortal
flies
¹³⁴
:

With Mars fall out, with Juno chide,

That
¹³⁶
thy adulteries

Rates
¹³⁷
and revenges.

Hath my poor boy done
aught
¹³⁸
but well,

Whose face I never saw?

I died whilst in the womb he stayed

Attending nature’s law
¹⁴¹
,

Whose father then — as men report

Thou orphans’ father art —

Thou shouldst have been, and shielded him

From this
earth-vexing smart.
¹⁴⁵

MOTHER
    
Lucina
¹⁴⁶
lent not me her aid,

But
took
me
in my throes
¹⁴⁷
,

That
from me was Posthumus
ripped
¹⁴⁸
,

Came crying ’mongst his foes,

A thing of pity.

SICILIUS
    Great nature, like his ancestry,

Moulded the
stuff
¹⁵²
so fair,

That he deserved the praise o’th’world,

As great Sicilius’ heir.

FIRST BROTHER
    
When once
he was
mature for man
¹⁵⁵
,

In Britain where was he

That could stand up his parallel,

Or
fruitful
¹⁵⁸
object be

In eye of Innogen, that best

Could
deem his dignity?
¹⁶⁰

MOTHER
    With marriage
wherefore
¹⁶¹
was he mocked,

To be exiled, and thrown

From
Leonati seat
¹⁶³
, and cast

From her his dearest one,

Sweet Innogen?

SICILIUS
    Why did you
suffer
¹⁶⁶
Iachimo,

Slight
¹⁶⁷
thing of Italy,

To
taint
¹⁶⁸
his nobler heart and brain

With needless jealousy,

And to become the
geck
¹⁷⁰
and scorn

O’th’other’s villainy?

SECOND BROTHER
    For this from
stiller seats
¹⁷²
we came,

Our parents and us twain,

That striking in our country’s cause

Fell bravely and were slain,

Our
fealty
and
Tenantius’ right
¹⁷⁶

With honour to maintain.

FIRST BROTHER
    
Like hardiment
¹⁷⁸
Posthumus hath

To Cymbeline performed:

Then, Jupiter, thou king of gods,

Why hast thou thus
adjourned
¹⁸¹

The
graces
¹⁸²
for his merits due,

Being all to
dolours
¹⁸³
turned?

SICILIUS
    Thy
crystal
window
ope
¹⁸⁴
, look out,

No longer exercise

Upon a valiant
race
¹⁸⁶
thy harsh

And potent injuries.

MOTHER
    Since, Jupiter, our son is good,

Take off his miseries.

SICILIUS
    Peep through thy
marble mansion
¹⁹⁰
, help,

Or we poor ghosts will cry

To th’shining
synod of the rest
¹⁹²

Against thy deity.

BROTHERS
    Help, Jupiter, or we
appeal
¹⁹⁴
,

And from thy justice fly.

JUPITER
    No more you petty spirits of
region low
¹⁹⁶

Offend our hearing: hush! How dare you ghosts

Accuse the thunderer, whose bolt, you know,

Sky-planted
¹⁹⁹
, batters all rebelling coasts?

Poor shadows of
Elysium
²⁰⁰
, hence, and rest

Upon your never-withering banks of flowers.

Be not with
mortal accidents
²⁰²
oppressed,

No care of yours it is, you know ’tis ours.

Whom best I love, I cross, to make my gift

The more delayed,
delighted.
²⁰⁵
Be content,

Your low-laid son our godhead will uplift:

His comforts thrive, his trials
well are spent.
²⁰⁷

Our
jovial star
²⁰⁸
reigned at his birth, and in

Our temple was he married. Rise, and fade.

He shall be lord of Lady Innogen,

And happier much by his affliction made.

This
tablet
²¹²
lay upon his breast, wherein

Our pleasure his full fortune doth
confine.
²¹³

And so away: no further with your din

Express impatience, lest you stir up mine.

Mount, eagle, to my palace crystalline.

SICILIUS
    He came in thunder, his celestial breath

Was
sulphurous
²¹⁸
to smell: the holy eagle

Stooped as to foot us
²¹⁹
: his ascension is

More
sweet
²²⁰
than our blest fields: his royal bird

Prunes
the immortal wing and
claws his beak
²²¹

As when
²²²
his god is pleased.

ALL
    Thanks, Jupiter.

SICILIUS
    The
marble pavement
²²⁴
closes, he is entered

His radiant roof. Away, and to be blest,

Let us with care perform his great
behest.
²²⁶

POSTHUMUS
    Sleep, thou hast been a grandsire, and begot

A father to me: and thou hast created

A mother and two brothers. But,
O scorn
²²⁹
,

Gone! They went hence
so
²³⁰
soon as they were born:

And so I am awake. Poor wretches that depend

On
greatness’ favour
²³²
dream as I have done,

Wake and find nothing. But, alas, I
swerve
²³³
:

Many
dream not to find, neither deserve
²³⁴
,

And yet are steeped in favours; so am I,

That have this golden chance and know not why.

What fairies haunt this ground?
A book?
O
rare
²³⁷
one,

Be not, as is our
fangled
²³⁸
world, a garment

Nobler than that it covers. Let thy
effects
²³⁹

So follow, to be most unlike our courtiers,

As good as promise.
²⁴¹

‘
Whenas
a lion’s
whelp
²⁴²
shall, to himself unknown, without

seeking find, and be embraced by a
piece
of
tender air
²⁴³
: and

when from a stately cedar shall be lopped branches, which

being dead many years, shall after revive, be
jointed
²⁴⁵
to the

old
stock
²⁴⁶
, and freshly grow, then shall Posthumus end his

miseries, Britain be fortunate and flourish in peace and

plenty.’

’Tis still a dream, or else such
stuff
²⁴⁹
as madmen

Tongue, and brain not
: either
both
²⁵⁰
or nothing,

Or senseless speaking, or a speaking such

As sense cannot untie. Be what it is,

The action of my life is like it,
which
²⁵³
I’ll keep,

If but for sympathy.