The Complete Works of William Shakespeare In Plain and Simple English (Translated) (852 page)

pieces of gold against this ring which he was then wearing

on his honoured finger that I could get myself

into her bed, and win this ring

through her adultery and mine.He, true knight,

no less confident that she would as true as

I did in fact find her, bet this ring;

and he would have done so, if it had come

from the wheel of the sun's chariot, and he could have done it safely

if it had been worth the whole chariot.So I came to

Britain with this plan.You might well, sir,

remember me at the court, where I was taught

the great difference between love and villainy

by your pure daughter.Having my hopes

crushed, not my longing, my Italian brain

started, in your duller Britain, to work

most evilly; my plan worked brilliantly,

and to be brief, I was so successful

that I returned with such apparently strong evidence

that it made the noble Leonatus mad,

by damaging his belief in her purity,

with various sorts of tokens; telling him about

her bedroom tapestries, the pictures, this bracelet of hers -

how cunningly I got it!- even some secret marks

on her body, so he couldn't help

but believe that her promise of chastity was broken,

with me winning the bet.And so -

I think I can see him now -

POSTHUMUS.

[Coming forward] Ay, so thou dost,

Italian fiend! Ay me, most credulous fool,

Egregious murderer, thief, anything

That's due to all the villains past, in being,

To come! O, give me cord, or knife, or poison,

Some upright justicer! Thou, King, send out

For torturers ingenious. It is I

That all th' abhorred things o' th' earth amend

By being worse than they. I am Posthumus,

That kill'd thy daughter; villain-like, I lie-

That caus'd a lesser villain than myself,

A sacrilegious thief, to do't. The temple

Of virtue was she; yea, and she herself.

Spit, and throw stones, cast mire upon me, set

The dogs o' th' street to bay me. Every villain

Be call'd Posthumus Leonatus, and

Be villainy less than 'twas! O Imogen!

My queen, my life, my wife! O Imogen,

Imogen, Imogen!

Yes, so you do,

Italian devil!Alas, I am a credulous fool,

I am a terrible murderer, thief, anything

which all the villains of the past were called,

all those living now, all the ones to come!Give me a noose, a knife, poison,

some honest judge!You, king, send out

for inventive torturers.It is I

who makes all the most horrible things on earth seem better

by being worse than them.I am Posthumus,

who killed your daughter; like a villain, I'm lying -

I caused a lesser villain than myself,

a blasphemous thief, to do it.She was

a temple of virtue, yes, her alone.

Spit on me, throw stones, throw mud at me,

set the dogs on me in the street.Let every villain

be called Posthumus Leonatus, and

let villainy be less than it was!Oh Imogen!

My queen, my life, my wife!Oh Imogen,

Imogen, Imogen!

IMOGEN.

Peace, my lord. Hear, hear!

Peace my lord.Listen, listen!

POSTHUMUS.

Shall's have a play of this? Thou scornful page,

There lies thy part. [Strikes her. She falls]

Are you trying to make a play out of this?You arrogant page,

here's your part.

PISANIO.

O gentlemen, help!

Mine and your mistress! O, my lord Posthumus!

You ne'er kill'd Imogen till now. Help, help!

Mine honour'd lady!

Oh gentlemen, help!

Your mistress and mine!Oh, my lord Posthumus!

You hadn't killed Imogen until now!Help, help!

My honoured lady!

CYMBELINE.

Does the world go round?

Is this real?

POSTHUMUS.

How comes these staggers on me?

Why do I feel so faint?

PISANIO.

Wake, my mistress!

Wake up, my mistress!

CYMBELINE.

If this be so, the gods do mean to strike me

To death with mortal joy.

If this is so, the gods want me to

die of joy.

PISANIO.

How fares my mistress?

How is my mistress?

IMOGEN.

O, get thee from my sight;

Thou gav'st me poison. Dangerous fellow, hence!

Breathe not where princes are.

Oh, get out of my sight;

you gave me poison.You dangerous fellow, get out!

Don't be where there are princes.

CYMBELINE.

The tune of Imogen!

It sounds like Imogen!

PISANIO.

Lady,

The gods throw stones of sulphur on me, if

That box I gave you was not thought by me

A precious thing! I had it from the Queen.

Lady,

may the gods throw burning rocks at me, if

I didn't think that box I gave you was

a good thing!I had it from the Queen!

CYMBELINE.

New matter still?

Is this something else new?

IMOGEN.

It poison'd me.

It poisoned me.

CORNELIUS.

O gods!

I left out one thing which the Queen confess'd,

Which must approve thee honest. 'If Pisanio

Have' said she 'given his mistress that confection

Which I gave him for cordial, she is serv'd

As I would serve a rat.'

Oh gods!

I left out one thing the Queen admitted to,

which shows that you are honest. She said,

'If Pisanio has given his mistress that concotion

which I gave him as medicine, she is poisoned

as I would poison a rat.'

CYMBELINE.

What's this, Cornelius?

What's this, Cornelius?

CORNELIUS.

The Queen, sir, very oft importun'd me

To temper poisons for her; still pretending

The satisfaction of her knowledge only

In killing creatures vile, as cats and dogs,

Of no esteem. I, dreading that her purpose

Was of more danger, did compound for her

A certain stuff, which, being ta'en would cease

The present pow'r of life, but in short time

All offices of nature should again

Do their due functions. Have you ta'en of it?

The Queen, sir, very often asked me

to make posions for her, pretending that

she was only trying to learn about them by killing

low creatures of no worth, such as cats and dogs.

Fearing that she had a more sinister purpose

I made her

a certain potion which, if taken, would stop

all the functions of life, but in a short time

they would all come back again.Have you taken it?

IMOGEN.

Most like I did, for I was dead.

It seems I did, for I was dead.

BELARIUS.

My boys,

There was our error.

My boys,

there was our mistake.

GUIDERIUS.

This is sure Fidele.

This is certainly Fidele.

IMOGEN.

Why did you throw your wedded lady from you?

Think that you are upon a rock, and now

Throw me again. [Embracing him]

Why did your throw your wife away from you?

Imagine that you are on a rock, and now

try throwing me off again.

POSTHUMUS.

Hang there like fruit, my soul,

Till the tree die!

Hang there like fruit, my soulmate,

until the tree is dead!

CYMBELINE.

How now, my flesh? my child?

What, mak'st thou me a dullard in this act?

Wilt thou not speak to me?

What's this, my flesh?My child?

What, am I to be a dummy here?

Aren't you going to speak to me?

IMOGEN.

[Kneeling] Your blessing, sir.

Give me your blessing, sir.

BELARIUS.

[To GUIDERIUS and ARVIRAGUS] Though you did love this

youth, I blame ye not;

You had a motive for't.

Though you loved this youth,

I don't blame you;

you had reason for it.

CYMBELINE.

My tears that fall

Prove holy water on thee! Imogen,

Thy mother's dead.

May my falling tears

be like holy water on you!Imogen,

your mother's dead.

IMOGEN.

I am sorry for't, my lord.

I am sorry to hear it, my lord.

CYMBELINE.

O, she was naught, and long of her it was

That we meet here so strangely; but her son

Is gone, we know not how nor where.

Oh, she was nothing, and it's because of her

that we meet here; but her son

is gone, we don't know how or where.

PISANIO.

My lord,

Now fear is from me, I'll speak troth. Lord Cloten,

Upon my lady's missing, came to me

With his sword drawn, foam'd at the mouth, and swore,

If I discover'd not which way she was gone,

It was my instant death. By accident

I had a feigned letter of my master's

Then in my pocket, which directed him

To seek her on the mountains near to Milford;

Where, in a frenzy, in my master's garments,

Which he enforc'd from me, away he posts

With unchaste purpose, and with oath to violate

My lady's honour. What became of him

I further know not.

My lord, now I no longer fear, let me speak the truth.Lord Cloten,

when my lady went missing, came to me

with his sword out, foaming at the mouth, and swore that

if I didn't tell him where she had gone

I would die at once.I happened

to have a forged letter of my master's

in my pocket, which told him

to look for her in the mountains near to Milford;

he set off for there in a frenzy, dressed in

my master's clothes, which he forced me to give him,

with a lustful plan, and swearing he would violate

my lady's honour.I don't know what happened to him

after that.

GUIDERIUS.

Let me end the story:

I slew him there.