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Cymbeline: Act I, Scene 4

Cymbeline
Act I, Scene 4

Rome. A room in Pilario’s house.

  1. Enter Philario, Jachimo, a Frenchman, a Dutchman, and a
  2. Spaniard.

Jachimo

1 - 6
  1. Believe it, sir, I have seen him in Britain. He was then of
  2. a crescent note, expected to prove so worthy as since he
  3. hath been allow’d the name of. But I could then have look’d
  4. on him without the help of admiration, though the catalogue
  5. of his endowments had been tabled by his side, and I to
  6. peruse him by items.

Philario

7 - 8
  1. You speak of him when he was less furnish’d than now he is
  2. with that which makes him both without and within.

Frenchman

9 - 10
  1. I have seen him in France. We had very many there could
  2. behold the sun with as firm eyes as he.

Jachimo

11 - 13
  1. This matter of marrying his king’s daughter, wherein he must
  2. be weigh’d rather by her value than his own, words him, I
  3. doubt not, a great deal from the matter.

Frenchman

14
  1. And then his banishment.

Jachimo

15 - 20
  1. Ay, and the approbation of those that weep this lamentable
  2. divorce under her colors are wonderfully to extend him, be
  3. it but to fortify her judgment, which else an easy battery
  4. might lay flat, for taking a beggar without less quality.
  5. But how comes it he is to sojourn with you? How creeps
  6. acquaintance?

Philario

21 - 28
  1. His father and I were soldiers together, to whom I have been
  2. often bound for no less than my life.
  3. Enter Posthumus.
  4. Here comes the Britain. Let him be so entertain’d amongst
  5. you as suits with gentlemen of your knowing to a stranger of
  6. his quality. I beseech you all be better known to this
  7. gentleman, whom I commend to you as a noble friend of mine.
  8. How worthy he is I will leave to appear hereafter, rather
  9. than story him in his own hearing.

Frenchman

29
  1. Sir, we have known together in Orléans.

Posthumus

30 - 31
  1. Since when I have been debtor to you for courtesies, which I
  2. will be ever to pay and yet pay still.

Frenchman

32 - 35
  1. Sir, you o’errate my poor kindness, I was glad I did atone
  2. my countryman and you. It had been pity you should have been
  3. put together, with so mortal a purpose as then each bore,
  4. upon importance of so slight and trivial a nature.

Posthumus

36 - 40
  1. By your pardon, sir, I was then a young traveler, rather
  2. shunn’d to go even with what I heard than in my every action
  3. to be guided by others’ experiences: but upon my mended
  4. judgment (if I offend not to say it is mended) my quarrel
  5. was not altogether slight.

Frenchman

41 - 43
  1. Faith, yes, to be put to the arbiterment of swords, and by
  2. such two that would by all likelihood have confounded one
  3. the other, or have fall’n both.

Jachimo

44
  1. Can we, with manners, ask what was the difference?

Frenchman

45 - 52
  1. Safely, I think; ’twas a contention in public, which may,
  2. without contradiction, suffer the report. It was much like
  3. an argument that fell out last night, where each of us fell
  4. in praise of our country mistresses; this gentleman at that
  5. time vouching (and upon warrant of bloody affirmation) his
  6. to be more fair, virtuous, wise, chaste, constant,
  7. qualified, and less attemptable than any the rarest of our
  8. ladies in France.

Jachimo

53 - 54
  1. That lady is not now living; or this gentleman’s opinion by
  2. this worn out.

Posthumus

55
  1. She holds her virtue still, and I my mind.

Jachimo

56
  1. You must not so far prefer her ’fore ours of Italy.

Posthumus

57 - 58
  1. Being so far provok’d as I was in France, I would abate her
  2. nothing, though I profess myself her adorer, not her friend.

Jachimo

59 - 64
  1. As fair and as gooda kind of hand-in-hand comparisonhad
  2. been something too fair and too good for any lady in
  3. Brittany. If she went before others I have seen, as that
  4. diamond of yours outlustres many I have beheld, I could not
  5. but believe she excell’d many. But I have not seen the most
  6. precious diamond that is, nor you the lady.

Posthumus

65
  1. I prais’d her as I rated her: so do I my stone.

Jachimo

66
  1. What do you esteem it at?

Posthumus

67
  1. More than the world enjoys.

Jachimo

68 - 69
  1. Either your unparagon’d mistress is dead, or she’s outpriz’d
  2. by a trifle.

Posthumus

70 - 73
  1. You are mistaken: the one may be sold or given, or if there
  2. were wealth enough for the purchase, or merit for the gift;
  3. the other is not a thing for sale, and only the gift of the
  4. gods.

Jachimo

74
  1. Which the gods have given you?

Posthumus

75
  1. Which, by their graces, I will keep.

Jachimo

76 - 81
  1. You may wear her in title yours; but you know strange fowl
  2. light upon neighboring ponds. Your ring may be stol’n too:
  3. so your brace of unprizable estimations, the one is but
  4. frail and the other casual. A cunning thief, or a (that way)
  5. accomplish’d courtier, would hazard the winning both of
  6. first and last.

Posthumus

82 - 85
  1. Your Italy contains none so accomplish’d a courtier to
  2. convince the honor of my mistress, if in the holding or loss
  3. of that you term her frail. I do nothing doubt you have
  4. store of thieves; notwithstanding, I fear not my ring.

Philario

86
  1. Let us leave here, gentlemen.

Posthumus

87 - 88
  1. Sir, with all my heart. This worthy signior, I thank him,
  2. makes no stranger of me: we are familiar at first.

Jachimo

89 - 91
  1. With five times so much conversation, I should get ground of
  2. your fair mistress; make her go back, even to the yielding,
  3. had I admittance, and opportunity to friend.

Posthumus

92
  1. No, no.

Jachimo

93 - 97
  1. I dare thereupon pawn the moi’ty of my estate to your ring,
  2. which in my opinion o’ervalues it something. But I make my
  3. wager rather against your confidence than her reputation;
  4. and to bar your offense herein too, I durst attempt it
  5. against any lady in the world.

Posthumus

98 - 99
  1. You are a great deal abus’d in too bold a persuasion, and I
  2. doubt not you sustain what y’ are worthy of by your attempt.

Jachimo

100
  1. What’s that?

Posthumus

101 - 102
  1. A repulse, though your attempt (as you call it) deserve
  2. morea punishment too.

Philario

103 - 104
  1. Gentlemen, enough of this. It came in too suddenly, let it
  2. die as it was born, and I pray you be better acquainted.

Jachimo

105 - 106
  1. Would I had put my estate and my neighbor’s on th’
  2. approbation of what I have spoke!

Posthumus

107
  1. What lady would you choose to assail?

Jachimo

108 - 113
  1. Yours, whom in constancy you think stands so safe. I will
  2. lay you ten thousand ducats to your ring, that, commend me
  3. to the court where your lady is, with no more advantage than
  4. the opportunity of a second conference, and I will bring
  5. from thence that honor of hers which you imagine so
  6. reserv’d.

Posthumus

114 - 115
  1. I will wage against your gold, gold to it. My ring I hold
  2. dear as my finger, ’tis part of it.

Jachimo

116 - 119
  1. You are a friend, and therein the wiser. If you buy ladies’
  2. flesh at a million a dram, you cannot preserve it from
  3. tainting. But I see you have some religion in you, that you
  4. fear.

Posthumus

120 - 121
  1. This is but a custom in your tongue; you bear a graver
  2. purpose, I hope.

Jachimo

122 - 123
  1. I am the master of my speeches, and would undergo what’s
  2. spoken, I swear.

Posthumus

124 - 127
  1. Will you? I shall but lend my diamond till your return. Let
  2. there be covenants drawn between ’s. My mistress exceeds in
  3. goodness the hugeness of your unworthy thinking. I dare you
  4. to this match: here’s my ring.

Philario

128
  1. I will have it no lay.

Jachimo

129 - 135
  1. By the gods, it is one. If I bring you no sufficient
  2. testimony that I have enjoy’d the dearest bodily part of
  3. your mistress, my ten thousand ducats are yours, so is your
  4. diamond too. If I come off and leave her in such honor as
  5. you have trust in, she your jewel, this your jewel, and my
  6. gold are yoursprovided I have your commendation for my more
  7. free entertainment.

Posthumus

136 - 142
  1. I embrace these conditions, let us have articles betwixt us.
  2. Only, thus far you shall answer: if you make your voyage
  3. upon her and give me directly to understand you have
  4. prevail’d, I am no further your enemy; she is not worth our
  5. debate. If she remain unseduc’d, you not making it appear
  6. otherwise, for your ill opinion and th’ assault you have
  7. made to her chastity, you shall answer me with your sword.

Jachimo

143 - 146
  1. Your handa covenant. We will have these things set down by
  2. lawful counsel, and straight away for Britain, lest the
  3. bargain should catch cold and starve. I will fetch my gold
  4. and have our two wagers recorded.

Posthumus

147
  1. Agreed.
  1. Exeunt Posthumus and Jachimo.

Frenchman

148
  1. Will this hold, think you?

Philario

149
  1. Signior Jachimo will not from it. Pray let us follow ’em.
  1. Exeunt.
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