The Complete Works of William Shakespeare In Plain and Simple English (Translated) (819 page)

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.

Re-enter QUEEN

My queen! My mistress!

Oh lady, stop weeping, in case I do something

which would make people think I was weaker

than a man ought to be. I will remain

the most loyal husband that ever took his vows;

in Rome I shall stay with someone called Philario,

who was a friend of my father's, I only

know him through letters; write there, my queen,

and my eyes will drink in the words you send,

even if the ink was poison.

QUEEN.

Be brief, I pray you.

If the King come, I shall incur I know not

How much of his displeasure. [Aside] 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.

Exit

Please be quick.

If the King comes, I can't imagine

how furious he'll be with me.[Aside] But I'll persuade him

to walk this way. He forgives me for

any wrong I do him, for the sake of staying friends;

he pays heavily for my wrongdoing.

POSTHUMUS.

Should we be taking leave

As long a term as yet we have to live,

The loathness to depart would grow. Adieu!

If we were saying goodbye

for the rest of our lives,

the reluctance to part would just get worse. Goodbye!

IMOGEN.

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.

No, stay a little longer.

If you were just riding out to get some air,

this would be too small a goodbye. Look here, love:

this diamond belonged to my mother; take it, sweetheart;

always keep it until you woo another wife,

when Imogen is dead.

POSTHUMUS.

How, how? Another?

You gentle gods, give me but this I have,

And sear up my embracements from a next

With bonds of death! Remain, remain thou here

[Puts on the ring]

While sense can keep it on. And, sweetest, fairest,

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. [Puts a bracelet on her arm]

What's this? Another?

You gentle gods, just give me what I have,

and don't let me be in the arms of another

until the day I die! You stay here

[puts on the ring]

as long as there is life to keep it here. And, sweetest, fairest,

as I exchanged my poor self for you

to your great disadvantage, even with trinkets

I still get a better bargain. Wear this for my sake;

it is a manacle of love; I'll put it

on this loveliest of prisoners.

IMOGEN.

O the gods!

When shall we see again?

Enter CYMBELINE and LORDS

Oh by the gods!

When shall we see each other again?

POSTHUMUS.

Alack, the King!

Alas, the King!

CYMBELINE.

Thou basest thing, avoid; hence from my sight!

If after this command thou fraught the court

With thy unworthiness, thou diest. Away!

Thou'rt poison to my blood.

You scum, stay away; get out of my sight!

If after this order you bother the court

with your unworthy presence, you shall die. Go!

You are poisonous to me.

POSTHUMUS.

The gods protect you,

And bless the good remainders of the court!

I am gone.

Exit

May the gods protect you,

and blessed with good men still in the court!

I'm going.

IMOGEN.

There cannot be a pinch in death

More sharp than this is.

The sting of death

can't be as painful as this.

CYMBELINE.

O disloyal thing,

That shouldst repair my youth, thou heap'st

A year's age on me!

You disloyal object,

you should be making me feel young, you have put

another year on me!

IMOGEN.

I beseech you, sir,

Harm not yourself with your vexation.

I am senseless of your wrath; a touch more rare

Subdues all pangs, all fears.

I beg you, sir,

don't work yourself into a state.

I can't feel your anger; there is a more exquisite pain

which triumphs over everything.

CYMBELINE.

Past grace? obedience?

Are you beyond grace? Obedience?

IMOGEN.

Past hope, and in despair; that way past grace.

I'm beyond hope, and in despair; in that way I am way past grace.

CYMBELINE.

That mightst have had the sole son of my queen!

You could have had my Queen's only son!

IMOGEN.

O blessed that I might not! I chose an eagle,

And did avoid a puttock.

How blessed I am that I didn't! I chose an eagle,

and avoided a kite.

CYMBELINE.

Thou took'st a beggar, wouldst have made my throne

A seat for baseness.

You chose a beggar, who would have dragged my throne

down to the gutter.

IMOGEN.

No; I rather added

A lustre to it.

No; actually I added

to its glory.

CYMBELINE.

O thou vile one!

Oh you horrible girl!

IMOGEN.

Sir,

It is your fault that I have lov'd Posthumus.

You bred him as my playfellow, and he is

A man worth any woman; overbuys me

Almost the sum he pays.

Sir,

it is your fault that I fell in love with Posthumus.

You brought him up as my playmate, and he is

a man worthy of any woman; he's worth more than me,

the gap is almost as big as the price he is now paying.

CYMBELINE.

What, art thou mad?

What, are you mad?

IMOGEN.

Almost, sir. Heaven restore me! Would I were

A neat-herd's daughter, and my Leonatus

Our neighbour shepherd's son!

Re-enter QUEEN

Almost, sir. Heaven save me! I wish I was

a goatherd's daughter, and my Leonatus

was the son of our shepherd neighbour.

CYMBELINE.

Thou foolish thing!

[To the QUEEN] They were again together. You have done

Not after our command. Away with her,

And pen her up.

You stupid girl!

[To the Queen] They were together again.You have

not followed my orders.Take her away

and lock her up.

QUEEN.

Beseech your patience.- Peace,

Dear lady daughter, peace!- Sweet sovereign,

Leave us to ourselves, and make yourself some comfort

Out of your best advice.

Please be calm.Peace,

dear lady daughter, peace!Sweet King,

leave us alone, and go and reflect

on the matter.

CYMBELINE.

Nay, let her languish

A drop of blood a day and, being aged,

Die of this folly. Exit, with LORDS

Enter PISANIO

No, let her lose

a drop of blood a day and, having grown old,

die of this stupidity.

QUEEN.

Fie! you must give way.

Here is your servant. How now, sir! What news?

Ha!You will give in to me.

Here is your servant.Hello there sir!What's the news?

PISANIO.

My lord your son drew on my master.

My lord your son attacked my master with his sword.

QUEEN.

Ha!

No harm, I trust, is done?

Ha!

I trust there's no harm done?

PISANIO.

There might have been,

But that my master rather play'd than fought,

And had no help of anger; they were parted

By gentlemen at hand.

There might have been,

only my master was only playfighting,

and didn't lose his temper; they were separated

by some nearby gentlemen.

QUEEN.

I am very glad on't.

I'm very glad to hear it.

IMOGEN.

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?

Your son supports my father; he takes his side

by drawing his sword on an exile!What a brave chap!

I wish they were both in some deserted place,

with me standing by with a needle to prick

anyone who tried to back down.Why have you left your master?

PISANIO.

On his command. He would not suffer me

To bring him to the haven; left these notes

Of what commands I should be subject to,

When't pleas'd you to employ me.

At his orders.He wouldn't let me

accompany him to the harbour; he left these instructions

as to what I should do,

when you wanted to use me.

QUEEN.

This hath been

Your faithful servant. I dare lay mine honour

He will remain so.

He has been

a faithful servant to you.I'll wager

he will remain so.

PISANIO.

I humbly thank your Highness.

I humbly thank your highness.

QUEEN.

Pray walk awhile.

Please walk a while with me.

IMOGEN.

About some half-hour hence,