The Illustrated Works of Shakespeare/Illustrated Works of Shakespeare, The (1990)(Animated Pixels)[!][CDTV-PC].iso/shakes/text/27/02_04

Text File | 1991-04-10 | 8KB | 256 lines

Rome. Philario's House.
 Enter POSTHUMUS and PHILARIO.

Posthumus    Fear it not, sir. I would I were so sure
    To win the king as I am bold her honour
    Will remain hers.

Philario                            What means do you make to him?

Posthumus    Not any; but abide the change of time,
    Quake in the present winter's state, and wish
    That warmer days would come. In these feared hopes
    I barely gratify your love; they failing,
    I must die much your debtor.

Philario    Your very goodness and your company
    O'erpays all I can do. By this, your king
    Hath heard of great Augustus. Caius Lucius
    Will do's commission throughly; and I think
    He'll grant the tribute, send th' arrearages,
    Or look upon our Romans, whose remembrance
    Is yet fresh in their grief.

Posthumus                                            I do believe,
    Statist though I am none, nor like to be,
    That this will prove a war; and you shall hear
    The legions now in Gallia sooner landed
    In our not-fearing Britain than have tidings
    Of any penny tribute paid. Our countrymen
    Are men more ordered than when Julius Caesar
    Smiled at their lack of skill, but found their courage
    Worthy his frowning at. Their discipline,
    Now mingled with their courage, will make known
    To their approvers they are people such
    That mend upon the world.

                              Enter IACHIMO.

Philario                                        See, Iachimo!

Posthumus    The swiftest harts have posted you by land,
    And winds of all the corners kissed your sails,
    To make your vessel nimble.

Philario                                        Welcome, sir.

Posthumus    I hope the briefness of your answer made
    The speediness of your return.

Iachimo                                            Your lady
    Is one of the fairest that I have looked upon.

Posthumus    And therewithal the best, or let her beauty
    Look through a casement to allure false hearts,
    And be false with them.

Iachimo                                Here are letters for you.

Posthumus    Their tenor good, I trust.

Iachimo                                        'Tis very like.

Philario    Was Caius Lucius in the Britain court
    When you were there?

Iachimo                                He was expected then,
    But not approached.

Posthumus                            All is well yet.
    Sparkles this stone as it was wont, or is't not
    Too dull for your good wearing?

Iachimo                                            If I have lost it
    I should have lost the worth of it in gold.
    I'll make a journey twice as far t' enjoy
    A second night of such sweet shortness which
    Was mine in Britain; for the ring is won.

Posthumus    The stone's too hard to come by.

Iachimo                                            Not a whit,
    Your lady being so easy.

Posthumus                                    Make not, sir,
    Your loss your sport. I hope you know that we
    Must not continue friends.

Iachimo                                        Good sir, we must,
    If you keep covenant. Had I not brought
    The knowledge of your mistress home, I grant
    We were to question further; but I now
    Profess myself the winner of her honour,
    Together with your ring, and not the wronger
    Of her or you, having proceeded but
    By both your wills.

Posthumus                                If you can make't apparent
    That you have tasted her in bed, my hand
    And ring is yours; if not, the foul opinion
    You had of her pure honour gains or loses
    Your sword or mine, or masterless leaves both
    To who shall find them.

Iachimo                                    Sir, my circumstances
    Being so near the truth, as I will make them,
    Must first induce you to believe; whose strength
    I will confirm with oath, which, I doubt not,
    You'll give me leave to spare when you shall find
    You need it not.

Posthumus                            Proceed.

Iachimo                                        First, her bedchamber-
    Where I confess I slept not, but profess
    Had that was well worth watching - it was hanged
    With tapestry of silk and silver, the story:
    Proud Cleopatra when she met her Roman,
    And Cydnus swelled above the banks, or for
    The press of boats, or pride. A piece of work
    So bravely done, so rich, that it did strive
    In workmanship and value, which I wondered
    Could be so rarely and exactly wrought,
    Since the true life on't was-

Posthumus                                            This is true;
    And this you might have heard of here, by me,
    Or by some other.

Iachimo                                More particulars
    Must justify my knowledge.

Posthumus                                        So they must,
    Or do your honour injury.

Iachimo                                    The chimney
    Is south the chamber, and the chimney-piece,
    Chaste Dian bathing. Never saw I figures
    So likely to report themselves. The cutter
    Was as another Nature, dumb; outwent her,
    Motion and breath left out.

Posthumus                                        This is a thing
    Which you might from relation likewise reap,
    Being, as it is, much spoke of.

Iachimo                                            The roof o'th' chamber
    With golden cherubins is fretted; her andirons-
    I had forgot them - were two winking Cupids
    Of silver, each on one foot standing, nicely
    Depending on their brands.

Posthumus                                        This is her honour!
    Let it be granted you have seen all this - and praise
    Be given to your remembrance - the description
    Of what is in her chamber nothing saves
    The wager you have laid.

Iachimo                                    Then, if you can,
    Be pale; I beg but leave to air this jewel; see!
                                                    [Showing the bracelet.
    And now 'tis up again, it must be married
    To that your diamond; I'll keep them.

Posthumus                                            Jove!
    Once more let me behold it - is it that
    Which I left with her?

Iachimo                                    Sir - I thank her - that.
    She stripped it from her arm; I see her yet:
    Her pretty action did outsell her gift,
    And yet enriched it too. She gave it me,
    And said she prized it once.

Posthumus                                        Maybe she plucked it off
    To send it me.

Iachimo                        She writes so to you, doth she?

Posthumus    O, no, no, no! 'Tis true! Here, take this too.
                                                    [Gives the ring.
    It is a basilisk unto mine eye,
    Kills me to look on't. Let there be no honour
    Where there is beauty, truth where semblance, love
    Where there's another man. The vows of women
    Of no more bondage be to where they are made
    Than they are to their virtues, which is nothing.
    O, above measure false!

Philario                                    Have patience, sir,
    And take your ring again; 'tis not yet won.
    It may be probable she lost it; or
    Who knows if one of her women, being corrupted,
    Hath stol'n it from her.

Posthumus                                        Very true,
    And so, I hope, he came by't. Back my ring;
    Render to me some corporal sign about her
    More evident than this; for this was stol'n.

Iachimo    By Jupiter, I had it from her arm.

Posthumus    Hark you, he swears; by Jupiter he swears.
    'Tis true; nay, keep the ring; 'tis true. I am sure
    She would not lose it. Her attendants are
    All sworn and honourable - they induced to steal it?
    And by a stranger? No, he hath enjoyed her;
    The cognizance of her incontinency
    Is this: she hath bought the name of whore thus dearly.
    There, take thy hire, and all the fiends of hell
    Divide themselves between you!

Philario                                            Sir, be patient;
    This is not strong enough to be believed
    Of one persuaded well of.

Posthumus                                        Never talk on't;
    She hath been colted by him.

Iachimo                                            If you seek
    For further satisfying: under her breast-
    Worthy her pressing - lies a mole, right proud
    Of that most delicate lodging. By my life,
    I kissed it, and it gave me present hunger
    To feed again, though full. You do remember
    This stain upon her?

Posthumus                                    Ay, and it doth confirm
    Another stain, as big as hell can hold
    Were there no more but it.

Iachimo                                        Will you hear more?

Posthumus    Spare your arithmetic, never count the turns.
    Once, and a million!

Iachimo                                I'll be sworn-

Posthumus                                            No swearing.
    If you will swear you have not done't, you lie;
    And I will kill thee if thou dost deny
    Thou'st made me cuckold.

Iachimo                                    I'll deny nothing.

Posthumus    O that I had her here, to tear her limb-meal!
    I will go there and do't i'the court before
    Her father. I'll do something-
                                                    [Exit.
Philario                                            Quite besides
    The government of patience! You have won.
    Let's follow him, and pervert the present wrath
    He hath against himself.

Iachimo                                    With all my heart.
                                                    [Exeunt.