Imo.

Cym.

It is

Sir,

your fault that I have loved Posthumus:
You bred him as my playfellow, and he is
A man worth any woman, overbuys me
Almost the sum he pays.

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.

Cym.

Beseech your Patience. Peace,

Dear lady daughter, peace! Sweet sovereign,
Leave us to ourselves, and make yourself some com-

fort

Out of your best advice.

A drop of blood a day; and, being aged,

Die of this folly!

Queen.

Nay, let her languish

[Exeunt Cymbeline and Lords. Fie! you must give way.

Enter Pisanio.

Here is your servant. How now, sir! What news? Pis. My lord your son drew on my master.

Queen.

Pis.

No harm, I trust, is done?

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.

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

Queen.

Pis.

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

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.

Scene II.

The same. A public place.

Enter Cloten and two Lords.

170

[Exeunt.

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.

First Lord. Hurt him! his body's a passable carcass,

if he be not hurt: it is a thoroughfare 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.

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.

ΙΟ

20

First Lord. Sir, as I told you always, her beauty and her brain go not together: she's a good sign, 30 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. Would there had been some hurt done!

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.

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,

Pis.

As offer'd mercy is. What was the last
That he spake to thee?

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.

Imo.

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.

Thou shouldst have made him
As little as a crow, or less, ere left

To after-eye him.

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

20

The smallness of a gnat to air; and then

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

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

31

Enter a Lady.

Lady.

The queen, madam,

Desires your highness' company.

Imo. Those things I bid you do, get them dispatch'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