The best she hath, and she, of all compounded, The low Posthumus, slanders so her judgment, That what's else rare, is chok'd; and, in that point, I will conclude to hate her, nay, indeed, To be reveng'd upon her. For, when fools Enter PISANIO. Shall-Who is here? What! are you packing, sirrah? Come hither: Ah, you precious pander! Villain, O, good my lord! Pis. Alas, my lord, How can she be with him? When was she miss'd? He is in Rome. Clo. Where is she, sir? Come nearer; No further halting: satisfy me home, What is become of her? Pis. O, my all-worthy lord! Clo. All-worthy villain! Discover where thy mistress is, at once, At the next word,-No more of worthy lord,— Thy condemnation and thy death. Pis. Then, sir, This paper is the history of my knowledge [Presenting a Letter. She's far enough; and what he learns by this, Aside. May prove his travel, not her danger. Clo. Humph! Pis. I'll write to my lord she's dead. O Imogen, Safe may'st thou wander, safe return again! [Aside. Clo. Sirrah, is this letter true? Pis. Sir, as I think. Clo. It is Posthumus' hand; I know't,-Sirrah, if thou would'st not be a villain, but do me true service; undergo those employments, wherein I should have cause to use thee, with a serious industry, that is, what villainy soe'er I bid thee do, to perform it, directly and truly, I would think thee an honest man: thou shouldest neither want my means for thy relief, nor my voice for thy preferment. Pis. Well, my good lord. Clo. Wilt thou serve me? For since patiently and constantly thou hast stuck to the bare fortune of that beggar Posthumus, thou canst not in the course of gratitude but be a diligent follower of mine. Wilt thou serve me? Pis. Sir, I will. Clo. Give me thy hand, here's my purse. Hast any of thy late master's garments in thy possession? Pis. I have, my lord, at my lodging, the same suit he wore when he took leave of my lady and mistress. Clo. The first service thou dost me, fetch that suit hither; let it be thy first service; go. 5 By these words it is probable Pisanio means 'I must either practise this deceit upon Cloten or perish by his fury.' Dr. Johnson thought the words should be given to Cloten. Pis. I shall, my lord. [Exit. Clo. Meet thee at Milford Haven:-I forgot to ask him one thing; I'll remember't anon:-Even there thou villain, Posthumus, will I kill thee.-I would these garments were come. She said upon a time (the bitterness of it I now belch from my heart), that she held the very garment of Posthumus in more respect than my noble and natural person, together with the adornment of my qualities. With that suit upon my back, will I ravish her: First kill him, and in her eyes; there shall she see my valour, which will then be a torment to her contempt. He on the ground, my speech of insultment ended on his dead body, and when my lust hath dined (which, as I say, to vex her, I will execute in the clothes that she so praised), to the court I'll knock her back, foot her home again. She hath despised me rejoicingly, and I'll be merry in my revenge. Re-enter PISANIO, with the Clothes. Be those the garments? Pis. Ay, my noble lord. Clo. How long is't since she went to Milford Haven? Pis. She can scarce be there yet. Clo. Bring this apparel to my chamber; that is the second thing that I have commanded thee: the third is, that thou shalt be a voluntary mute to my design. Be but duteous, and true perferment shall tender itself to thee.-My revenge is now at Milford; 'Would, I had wings to follow it!-Come, and be true. [Exit. Pis. Thou bidd'st me to my loss: for, true to thee, Were to prove false, which I will never be, VOL. IX. I To him that is most true.-To Milford go, [Exit. SCENE VI. Before the Cave of Belarius. Enter IMOGEN, in Boy's Clothes. Imo. I see, a man's life is a tedious one: I have tir'd myself; and for two nights together Have made the ground my bed. I should be sick, But that my resolution helps me.- -Milford, When from the mountain-top Pisanio show'd thee, Thou wast within a ken: O Jove! I think, Foundations fly the wretched1: such, I mean, Where they should be reliev'd. Two beggars told me, I could not miss my way: Will poor folks lie, That have afflictions on them; knowing 'tis A punishment, or trial? Yes; no wonder, When rich ones scarce tell true: To lapse in fulness Is sorer 2, than to lie for need; and falsehood Is worse in kings, than beggars.-My dear lord! Thou art one o'the false ones: Now I think on thee, My hunger's gone; but even before, I was At point to sink for food.-But what is this? Here is a path to it: "Tis some savage hold: I were best not call; I dare not call: yet famine, Ere clean it o'erthrow nature, makes it valiant. Plenty, and peace, breeds cowards; hardness ever 6 Pisanio, notwithstanding his master's letter commanding the murder of Imogen, considers him as true, supposing, as he has already said to her, that Posthumus was abused by some villain equally an enemy to them both. Thus in the fifth Eneid : 'Italiam sequimur fugientem.' 2 i. e. is a greater or heavier crime. Of hardiness is mother.-Ho! who's here? But fear the sword like me, he'll scarcely look on't. Are master of the feast: Cadwal, and I, Gui. Whilst what we have kill'd be cook'd. Bel. Stay; come not in: [Looking in. 3 Civil is here civilized, as opposed to savage, wild, rude, or uncultivated. If any one dwell here.' 4 A woodman in its common acceptation, as here, signifies a hunter. So in The Rape of Lucrece :— 'He is no woodman that doth bend his bow 5 i. e. our compact. See p. 69, line 15. 6 Restie, which Steevens unwarrantably changed to restive, signifies here dull, heavy, as it is explained in Bullokar's Expositor, 1616. So Milton uses it in his Eiconoclastes, sec. 24, The master is too resty, or too rich, to say his own prayers, or to bless his own table.' What between Malone's resty, rank, mouldy,' and Steevens's 'restive, stubborn, refractory,' the reader is misled and the passage left unexplained; or, what is worse, explained erroneously in all the variorum editions. |