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Cymbeline: Act V, Scene 5

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Cymbeline
Act V, Scene 5

Cymbeline’s tent.

Illustrations for the Daly production of Cymbeline

Wilt thou not speak to me?

From: Illustrations for the Daly production of Cymbeline

Walford Graham Robertson, circa 1900

  1. Enter Cymbeline, Belarius, Guiderius, Arviragus, Pisanio,
  2. and Lords, Officers, and Attendants.

Cymbeline

1 - 7
  1. Stand by my side, you whom the gods have made
  2. Preservers of my throne. Woe is my heart
  3. That the poor soldier that so richly fought,
  4. Whose rags sham’d gilded arms, whose naked breast
  5. Stepp’d before targes of proof, cannot be found.
  6. He shall be happy that can find him, if
  7. Our grace can make him so.

Belarius

8 - 11
  1.                            I never saw
  2. Such noble fury in so poor a thing;
  3. Such precious deeds in one that promis’d nought
  4. But beggary and poor looks.

Cymbeline

12
  1.                             No tidings of him?

Pisanio

13 - 14
  1. He hath been search’d among the dead and living;
  2. But no trace of him.

Cymbeline

15 - 20
  1.                      To my grief, I am
  2. The heir of his reward,
  3. to Belarius, Guiderius, and Arviragus
  4.                         which I will add
  5. To you, the liver, heart, and brain of Britain,
  6. By whom, I grant, she lives. ’Tis now the time
  7. To ask of whence you are. Report it.

Belarius

21 - 24
  1.                                      Sir,
  2. In Cambria are we born, and gentlemen.
  3. Further to boast were neither true nor modest,
  4. Unless I add, we are honest.

Cymbeline

25 - 31
  1.                              Bow your knees.
  2. Arise my knights o’ th’ battle. I create you
  3. Companions to our person, and will fit you
  4. With dignities becoming your estates.
  5. Enter Cornelius and Ladies.
  6. There’s business in these faces. Why so sadly
  7. Greet you our victory? You look like Romans,
  8. And not o’ th’ court of Britain.

Cornelius

32 - 34
  1.                                  Hail, great King!
  2. To sour your happiness, I must report
  3. The Queen is dead.

Cymbeline

35 - 38
  1.                    Who worse than a physician
  2. Would this report become? But I consider,
  3. By med’cine life may be prolong’d, yet death
  4. Will seize the doctor too. How ended she?

Cornelius

39 - 44
  1. With horror, madly dying, like her life,
  2. Which (being cruel to the world) concluded
  3. Most cruel to herself. What she confess’d
  4. I will report, so please you. These her women
  5. Can trip me, if I err, who with wet cheeks
  6. Were present when she finish’d.

Cymbeline

45
  1.                                 Prithee say.

Cornelius

46 - 49
  1. First, she confess’d she never lov’d you; only
  2. Affected greatness got by you, not you;
  3. Married your royalty, was wife to your place,
  4. Abhorr’d your person.

Cymbeline

50 - 52
  1.                       She alone knew this;
  2. And but she spoke it dying, I would not
  3. Believe her lips in opening it. Proceed.

Cornelius

53 - 57
  1. Your daughter, whom she bore in hand to love
  2. With such integrity, she did confess
  3. Was as a scorpion to her sight, whose life,
  4. But that her flight prevented it, she had
  5. Ta’en off by poison.

Cymbeline

58 - 59
  1.                      O most delicate fiend!
  2. Who is’t can read a woman? Is there more?

Cornelius

60 - 72
  1. More, sir, and worse. She did confess she had
  2. For you a mortal mineral, which, being took,
  3. Should by the minute feed on life, and ling’ring,
  4. By inches waste you. In which time she purpos’d,
  5. By watching, weeping, tendance, kissing, to
  6. O’ercome you with her show, and in time
  7. (When she had fitted you with her craft) to work
  8. Her son into th’ adoption of the crown;
  9. But failing of her end by his strange absence,
  10. Grew shameless desperate; open’d (in despite
  11. Of heaven and men) her purposes; repented
  12. The evils she hatch’d were not effected; so
  13. Despairing died.

Cymbeline

73
  1.                  Heard you all this, her women?

Ladies

74
  1. We did, so please your Highness.
Posthumus

Posthumus

From costume designs for the Viola Allen production of Cymbeline

Tom Heslewood, 1906

Cymbeline

75 - 87
  1.                                  Mine eyes
  2. Were not in fault, for she was beautiful;
  3. Mine ears, that heard her flattery, nor my heart,
  4. That thought her like her seeming. It had been vicious
  5. To have mistrusted her; yet, O my daughter,
  6. That it was folly in me, thou mayst say,
  7. And prove it in thy feeling. Heaven mend all!
  8. Enter Lucius, Jachimo, Philarmonus, and other Roman
  9. prisoners guarded; Leonatus Posthumus behind, and Imogen.
  10. Thou com’st not, Caius, now for tribute; that
  11. The Britains have ras’d out, though with the loss
  12. Of many a bold one, whose kinsmen have made suit
  13. That their good souls may be appeas’d with slaughter
  14. Of you their captives, which ourself have granted;
  15. So think of your estate.

Caius Lucius

88 - 105
  1. Consider, sir, the chance of war, the day
  2. Was yours by accident. Had it gone with us,
  3. We should not, when the blood was cool, have threaten’d
  4. Our prisoners with the sword. But since the gods
  5. Will have it thus, that nothing but our lives
  6. May be call’d ransom, let it come. Sufficeth
  7. A Roman with a Roman’s heart can suffer.
  8. Augustus lives to think on’t; and so much
  9. For my peculiar care. This one thing only
  10. I will entreat: my boy, a Britain born,
  11. Let him be ransom’d. Never master had
  12. A page so kind, so duteous, diligent,
  13. So tender over his occasions, true,
  14. So feat, so nurse-like. Let his virtue join
  15. With my request, which I’ll make bold your Highness
  16. Cannot deny. He hath done no Britain harm,
  17. Though he have serv’d a Roman. Save him, sir,
  18. And spare no blood beside.

Cymbeline

106 - 114
  1.                            I have surely seen him;
  2. His favor is familiar to me. Boy,
  3. Thou hast look’d thyself into my grace,
  4. And art mine own. I know not why, wherefore,
  5. To say “Live, boy.” Ne’er thank thy master. Live;
  6. And ask of Cymbeline what boon thou wilt,
  7. Fitting my bounty and thy state, I’ll give it;
  8. Yea, though thou do demand a prisoner,
  9. The noblest ta’en.

Imogen

115
  1.                    I humbly thank your Highness.

Caius Lucius

116 - 117
  1. I do not bid thee beg my life, good lad,
  2. And yet I know thou wilt.

Imogen

118 - 121
  1.                           No, no, alack,
  2. There’s other work in hand. I see a thing
  3. Bitter to me as death; your life, good master,
  4. Must shuffle for itself.

Caius Lucius

122 - 125
  1.                          The boy disdains me,
  2. He leaves me, scorns me. Briefly die their joys
  3. That place them on the truth of girls and boys.
  4. Why stands he so perplex’d?

Cymbeline

126 - 129
  1.                             What wouldst thou, boy?
  2. I love thee more and more; think more and more
  3. What’s best to ask. Know’st him thou look’st on? Speak,
  4. Wilt have him live? Is he thy kin? Thy friend?

Imogen

130 - 132
  1. He is a Roman, no more kin to me
  2. Than I to your Highness; who, being born your vassal,
  3. Am something nearer.

Cymbeline

133
  1.                      Wherefore ey’st him so?

Imogen

134 - 135
  1. I’ll tell you, sir, in private, if you please
  2. To give me hearing.

Cymbeline

136 - 137
  1.                     Ay, with all my heart,
  2. And lend my best attention. What’s thy name?

Imogen

138
  1. Fidele, sir.

Cymbeline

139 - 140
  1.              Thou’rt my good youth—my page;
  2. I’ll be thy master. Walk with me; speak freely.
  1. Cymbeline and Imogen talk apart.

Belarius

141
  1. Is not this boy reviv’d from death?

Arviragus

142 - 144
  1.                                     One sand another
  2. Not more resembles that sweet rosy lad
  3. Who died, and was Fidele. What think you?

Guiderius

145
  1. The same dead thing alive.

Belarius

146 - 148
  1. Peace, peace, see further. He eyes us not, forbear.
  2. Creatures may be alike; were’t he, I am sure
  3. He would have spoke to us.

Guiderius

149
  1.                            But we saw him dead.
Costume design for the Viola Allen production of Cymbeline, possibly for Philarmonus

Costume design for the Viola Allen production of Cymbeline, possibly for Philarmonus

Tom Heslewood, 1906

Belarius

150
  1. Be silent; let’s see further.

Pisanio

151 - 153
  1. Aside.
  2.                               It is my mistress.
  3. Since she is living, let the time run on
  4. To good or bad.
  1. Cymbeline and Imogen come forward.

Cymbeline

154 - 160
  1.                 Come, stand thou by our side,
  2. Make thy demand aloud.
  3. To Jachimo.
  4.                        Sir, step you forth;
  5. Give answer to this boy, and do it freely,
  6. Or by our greatness, and the grace of it
  7. (Which is our honor), bitter torture shall
  8. Winnow the truth from falsehood.—On, speak to him.

Imogen

161 - 162
  1. My boon is, that this gentleman may render
  2. Of whom he had this ring.

Posthumus

163
  1. Aside.
  2.                           What’s that to him?

Cymbeline

164 - 165
  1. That diamond upon your finger, say
  2. How came it yours?

Jachimo

166 - 167
  1. Thou’lt torture me to leave unspoken that
  2. Which, to be spoke, would torture thee.

Cymbeline

168
  1.                                         How? Me?

Jachimo

169 - 174
  1. I am glad to be constrain’d to utter that
  2. Which torments me to conceal. By villainy
  3. I got this ring. ’Twas Leonatus’ jewel,
  4. Whom thou didst banish; and—which more may grieve thee,
  5. As it doth me—a nobler sir ne’er liv’d
  6. ’Twixt sky and ground. Wilt thou hear more, my lord?

Cymbeline

175
  1. All that belongs to this.

Jachimo

176 - 178
  1.                           That paragon, thy daughter,
  2. For whom my heart drops blood, and my false spirits
  3. Quail to remember—Give me leave, I faint.

Cymbeline

179 - 181
  1. My daughter? What of her? Renew thy strength;
  2. I had rather thou shouldst live while nature will
  3. Than die ere I hear more. Strive, man, and speak.

Jachimo

182 - 197
  1. Upon a time—unhappy was the clock
  2. That struck the hour!—it was in Rome—accurs’d
  3. The mansion where!—’twas at a feast—O would
  4. Our viands had been poison’d, or at least
  5. Those which I heav’d to head!—the good Posthumus
  6. (What should I say? He was too good to be
  7. Where ill men were, and was the best of all
  8. Amongst the rar’st of good ones), sitting sadly,
  9. Hearing us praise our loves of Italy
  10. For beauty that made barren the swell’d boast
  11. Of him that best could speak; for feature, laming
  12. The shrine of Venus or straight-pight Minerva,
  13. Postures beyond brief nature; for condition,
  14. A shop of all the qualities that man
  15. Loves woman for, besides that hook of wiving,
  16. Fairness which strikes the eye—

Cymbeline

198 - 199
  1.                                 I stand on fire:
  2. Come to the matter.

Jachimo

200 - 209
  1.                     All too soon I shall,
  2. Unless thou wouldst grieve quickly. This Posthumus,
  3. Most like a noble lord in love and one
  4. That had a royal lover, took his hint,
  5. And (not dispraising whom we prais’d; therein
  6. He was as calm as virtue) he began
  7. His mistress’ picture, which by his tongue being made,
  8. And then a mind put in’t, either our brags
  9. Were crak’d of kitchen trulls, or his description
  10. Prov’d us unspeaking sots.

Cymbeline

210
  1.                            Nay, nay, to th’ purpose.

Jachimo

211 - 241
  1. Your daughter’s chastity—there it begins.
  2. He spake of her, as Dian had hot dreams,
  3. And she alone were cold; whereat I, wretch,
  4. Made scruple of his praise, and wager’d with him
  5. Pieces of gold ’gainst this which then he wore
  6. Upon his honor’d finger, to attain
  7. In suit the place of ’s bed and win this ring
  8. By hers and mine adultery. He, true knight,
  9. No lesser of her honor confident
  10. Than I did truly find her, stakes this ring,
  11. And would so, had it been a carbuncle
  12. Of Phoebus’ wheel; and might so safely, had it
  13. Been all the worth of ’s car. Away to Britain
  14. Post I in this design. Well may you, sir,
  15. Remember me at court, where I was taught
  16. Of your chaste daughter the wide difference
  17. ’Twixt amorous and villainous. Being thus quench’d
  18. Of hope, not longing, mine Italian brain
  19. Gan in your duller Britain operate
  20. Most vildly; for my vantage, excellent;
  21. And to be brief, my practice so prevail’d,
  22. That I return’d with simular proof enough
  23. To make the noble Leonatus mad,
  24. By wounding his belief in her renown
  25. With tokens thus, and thus; averring notes
  26. Of chamber-hanging, pictures, this her bracelet
  27. (O cunning, how I got’t!), nay, some marks
  28. Of secret on her person, that he could not
  29. But think her bond of chastity quite crack’d,
  30. I having ta’en the forfeit. Whereupon—
  31. Methinks I see him now—

Posthumus

242 - 260
  1. Advancing.
  2.                         Ay, so thou dost,
  3. Italian fiend! Ay me, most credulous fool,
  4. Egregious murderer, thief, any thing
  5. That’s due to all the villains past, in being,
  6. To come! O, give me cord, or knife, or poison,
  7. Some upright justicer! Thou, King, send out
  8. For torturers ingenious; it is I
  9. That all th’ abhorred things o’ th’ earth amend
  10. By being worse than they. I am Posthumus,
  11. That kill’d thy daughter—villain-like, I lie—
  12. That caus’d a lesser villain than myself,
  13. A sacrilegious thief, to do’t. The temple
  14. Of virtue was she; yea, and she herself.
  15. Spit, and throw stones, cast mire upon me, set
  16. The dogs o’ th’ street to bay me; every villain
  17. Be call’d Posthumus Leonatus, and
  18. Be villainy less than ’twas! O Imogen!
  19. My queen, my life, my wife! O Imogen,
  20. Imogen, Imogen!
Henry Irving as Iachimo, Ellen Terry as Imogen, Francis Henry Macklin as Cymbeline

I am Posthumus, that kill’d thy daughter

Henry Irving as Iachimo, Ellen Terry as Imogen, Francis Henry Macklin as Cymbeline

Cymbeline at the Lyceum Theatre

John Jellicoe, circa 1896

Imogen

261
  1.                 Peace, my lord, hear, hear—

Posthumus

262 - 263
  1. Shall ’s have a play of this? Thou scornful page,
  2. There lie thy part.
  1. Striking her; she falls.

Pisanio

264 - 267
  1.                     O gentlemen, help
  2. Mine and your mistress! O my Lord Posthumus,
  3. You ne’er kill’d Imogen till now! Help, help!
  4. Mine honor’d lady!

Cymbeline

268
  1.                    Does the world go round?

Posthumus

269
  1. How comes these staggers on me?

Pisanio

270
  1.                                 Wake, my mistress!

Cymbeline

271 - 272
  1. If this be so, the gods do mean to strike me
  2. To death with mortal joy.

Pisanio

273
  1.                           How fares my mistress?

Imogen

274 - 276
  1. O, get thee from my sight,
  2. Thou gav’st me poison. Dangerous fellow, hence!
  3. Breathe not where princes are.

Cymbeline

277
  1.                                The tune of Imogen!

Pisanio

278 - 281
  1. Lady,
  2. The gods throw stones of sulphur on me, if
  3. That box I gave you was not thought by me
  4. A precious thing. I had it from the Queen.

Cymbeline

282
  1. New matter still.

Imogen

283
  1.                   It poison’d me.

Cornelius

284 - 289
  1.                 O gods!
  2. I left out one thing which the Queen confess’d,
  3. Which must approve thee honest. “If Pisanio
  4. Have,” said she, “given his mistress that confection
  5. Which I gave him for cordial, she is serv’d
  6. As I would serve a rat.”

Cymbeline

290
  1.                          What’s this, Cornelius?

Cornelius

291 - 300
  1. The Queen, sir, very oft importun’d me
  2. To temper poisons for her, still pretending
  3. The satisfaction of her knowledge only
  4. In killing creatures vild, as cats and dogs
  5. Of no esteem. I, dreading that her purpose
  6. Was of more danger, did compound for her
  7. A certain stuff, which, being ta’en, would cease
  8. The present pow’r of life, but in short time
  9. All offices of nature should again
  10. Do their due functions. Have you ta’en of it?
Costume design for the Viola Allen production of Cymbeline, possibly for Arviragus

From: Costume design for the Viola Allen production of Cymbeline, possibly for Arviragus

Tom Heslewood, 1906

Imogen

301
  1. Most like I did, for I was dead.

Belarius

302 - 303
  1.                                  My boys,
  2. There was our error.

Guiderius

304
  1.                      This is sure Fidele.

Imogen

305 - 307
  1. Why did you throw your wedded lady from you?
  2. Think that you are upon a rock, and now
  3. Throw me again.
  1. Embracing him.

Posthumus

308 - 309
  1.                 Hang there like fruit, my soul,
  2. Till the tree die!

Cymbeline

310 - 312
  1.                    How now, my flesh? My child?
  2. What, mak’st thou me a dullard in this act?
  3. Wilt thou not speak to me?

Imogen

313
  1. Kneeling.
  2.                            Your blessing, sir.

Belarius

314 - 315
  1. To Guiderius and Arviragus.
  2. Though you did love this youth, I blame ye not,
  3. You had a motive for’t.

Cymbeline

316 - 318
  1.                         My tears that fall
  2. Prove holy water on thee! Imogen,
  3. Thy mother’s dead.

Imogen

319
  1.                    I am sorry for’t, my lord.

Cymbeline

320 - 322
  1. O, she was naught; and long of her it was
  2. That we meet here so strangely; but her son
  3. Is gone, we know not how, nor where.

Pisanio

323 - 336
  1.                                      My lord,
  2. Now fear is from me, I’ll speak troth. Lord Cloten,
  3. Upon my lady’s missing, came to me
  4. With his sword drawn, foam’d at the mouth, and swore,
  5. If I discover’d not which way she was gone,
  6. It was my instant death. By accident
  7. I had a feigned letter of my master’s
  8. Then in my pocket, which directed him
  9. To seek her on the mountains near to Milford,
  10. Where, in a frenzy, in my master’s garments
  11. (Which he enforc’d from me), away he posts
  12. With unchaste purpose, and with oath to violate
  13. My lady’s honor. What became of him
  14. I further know not.

Guiderius

337 - 338
  1.                     Let me end the story:
  2. I slew him there.

Cymbeline

339 - 342
  1.                   Marry, the gods forefend!
  2. I would not thy good deeds should from my lips
  3. Pluck a hard sentence. Prithee, valiant youth,
  4. Deny’t again.

Guiderius

343
  1.               I have spoke it, and I did it.

Cymbeline

344
  1. He was a prince.

Guiderius

345 - 350
  1. A most incivil one. The wrongs he did me
  2. Were nothing prince-like; for he did provoke me
  3. With language that would make me spurn the sea
  4. If it could so roar to me. I cut off ’s head,
  5. And am right glad he is not standing here
  6. To tell this tale of mine.

Cymbeline

351 - 353
  1.                            I am sorrow for thee;
  2. By thine own tongue thou art condemn’d, and must
  3. Endure our law. Thou’rt dead.

Imogen

354 - 355
  1.                               That headless man
  2. I thought had been my lord.

Cymbeline

356 - 357
  1.                             Bind the offender,
  2. And take him from our presence.

Belarius

358 - 364
  1.                                 Stay, sir King.
  2. This man is better than the man he slew,
  3. As well descended as thyself, and hath
  4. More of thee merited than a band of Clotens
  5. Had ever scar for.
  6. To the Guard.
  7.                    Let his arms alone,
  8. They were not born for bondage.

Cymbeline

365 - 368
  1.                                 Why, old soldier:
  2. Wilt thou undo the worth thou art unpaid for,
  3. By tasting of our wrath? How of descent
  4. As good as we?

Arviragus

369
  1.                In that he spake too far.

Cymbeline

370
  1. And thou shalt die for’t.

Belarius

371 - 375
  1.                           We will die all three
  2. But I will prove that two on ’s are as good
  3. As I have given out him. My sons, I must
  4. For mine own part unfold a dangerous speech,
  5. Though haply well for you.
Julia Marlowe as Imogen

Julia Marlowe as Imogen

Napoleon Sarony, circa 1893

Arviragus

376
  1.                            Your danger’s ours.

Guiderius

377
  1. And our good his.

Belarius

378 - 380
  1.                   Have at it then, by leave:
  2. Thou hadst, great King, a subject who
  3. Was call’d Belarius.

Cymbeline

381 - 382
  1.                      What of him? He is
  2. A banish’d traitor.

Belarius

383 - 385
  1.                     He it is that hath
  2. Assum’d this age: indeed a banish’d man,
  3. I know not how a traitor.

Cymbeline

386 - 387
  1.                           Take him hence,
  2. The whole world shall not save him.

Belarius

388 - 391
  1.                                     Not too hot.
  2. First pay me for the nursing of thy sons,
  3. And let it be confiscate all, so soon
  4. As I have receiv’d it.

Cymbeline

392
  1.                        Nursing of my sons?

Belarius

393 - 399
  1. I am too blunt and saucy: here’s my knee.
  2. Ere I arise, I will prefer my sons;
  3. Then spare not the old father. Mighty sir,
  4. These two young gentlemen, that call me father,
  5. And think they are my sons, are none of mine;
  6. They are the issue of your loins, my liege,
  7. And blood of your begetting.

Cymbeline

400
  1.                              How? My issue?

Belarius

401 - 421
  1. So sure as you your father’s. I, old Morgan,
  2. Am that Belarius whom you sometime banish’d.
  3. Your pleasure was my mere offense, my punishment
  4. Itself, and all my treason: that I suffer’d
  5. Was all the harm I did. These gentle princes
  6. (For such and so they are) these twenty years
  7. Have I train’d up; those arts they have as I
  8. Could put into them. My breeding was, sir, as
  9. Your Highness knows. Their nurse, Euriphile
  10. (Whom for the theft I wedded), stole these children
  11. Upon my banishment; I mov’d her to’t,
  12. Having receiv’d the punishment before
  13. For that which I did then. Beaten for loyalty
  14. Excited me to treason. Their dear loss,
  15. The more of you ’twas felt, the more it shap’d
  16. Unto my end of stealing them. But, gracious sir,
  17. Here are your sons again, and I must lose
  18. Two of the sweet’st companions in the world.
  19. The benediction of these covering heavens
  20. Fall on their heads like dew! For they are worthy
  21. To inlay heaven with stars.

Cymbeline

422 - 426
  1.                             Thou weep’st, and speak’st.
  2. The service that you three have done is more
  3. Unlike than this thou tell’st. I lost my children;
  4. If these be they, I know not how to wish
  5. A pair of worthier sons.

Belarius

427 - 434
  1.                          Be pleas’d awhile:
  2. This gentleman, whom I call Polydore,
  3. Most worthy prince, as yours, is true Guiderius;
  4. This gentleman, my Cadwal, Arviragus,
  5. Your younger princely son. He, sir, was lapp’d
  6. In a most curious mantle, wrought by th’ hand
  7. Of his queen mother, which for more probation
  8. I can with ease produce.

Cymbeline

435 - 437
  1.                          Guiderius had
  2. Upon his neck a mole, a sanguine star,
  3. It was a mark of wonder.

Belarius

438 - 441
  1.                          This is he,
  2. Who hath upon him still that natural stamp.
  3. It was wise nature’s end in the donation,
  4. To be his evidence now.

Cymbeline

442 - 447
  1.                         O, what, am I
  2. A mother to the birth of three? Ne’er mother
  3. Rejoic’d deliverance more. Blest pray you be,
  4. That after this strange starting from your orbs,
  5. You may reign in them now! O Imogen,
  6. Thou hast lost by this a kingdom.

Imogen

448 - 453
  1.                                   No, my lord;
  2. I have got two worlds by’t. O my gentle brothers,
  3. Have we thus met? O, never say hereafter
  4. But I am truest speaker. You call’d me brother,
  5. When I was but your sister; I you brothers,
  6. When we were so indeed.
Costume design for the Viola Allen production of Cymbeline, possibly for a guard

Costume design for the Viola Allen production of Cymbeline, possibly for a guard

Tom Heslewood, 1906

Cymbeline

454
  1.                         Did you e’er meet?

Arviragus

455
  1. Ay, my good lord.

Guiderius

456 - 457
  1.                   And at first meeting lov’d,
  2. Continu’d so, until we thought he died.

Cornelius

458
  1. By the Queen’s dram she swallow’d.

Cymbeline

459 - 477
  1.                                    O rare instinct!
  2. When shall I hear all through? This fierce abridgment
  3. Hath to it circumstantial branches, which
  4. Distinction should be rich in. Where? How liv’d you?
  5. And when came you to serve our Roman captive?
  6. How parted with your brothers? How first met them?
  7. Why fled you from the court? And whither? These,
  8. And your three motives to the battle, with
  9. I know not how much more, should be demanded,
  10. And all the other by-dependances,
  11. From chance to chance; but nor the time nor place
  12. Will serve our long interrogatories. See,
  13. Posthumus anchors upon Imogen;
  14. And she (like harmless lightning) throws her eye
  15. On him, her brothers, me, her master, hitting
  16. Each object with a joy; the counterchange
  17. Is severally in all. Let’s quit this ground,
  18. And smoke the temple with our sacrifices.
  19. To Belarius.
  20. Thou art my brother, so we’ll hold thee ever.

Imogen

478 - 479
  1. You are my father too, and did relieve me
  2. To see this gracious season.

Cymbeline

480 - 482
  1.                              All o’erjoy’d,
  2. Save these in bonds. Let them be joyful too,
  3. For they shall taste our comfort.

Imogen

483 - 484
  1.                                   My good master,
  2. I will yet do you service.

Caius Lucius

485
  1.                            Happy be you!

Cymbeline

486 - 488
  1. The forlorn soldier, that so nobly fought,
  2. He would have well becom’d this place, and grac’d
  3. The thankings of a king.

Posthumus

489 - 494
  1.                          I am, sir,
  2. The soldier that did company these three
  3. In poor beseeming; ’twas a fitment for
  4. The purpose I then follow’d. That I was he,
  5. Speak, Jachimo. I had you down and might
  6. Have made you finish.

Jachimo

495 - 500
  1. Kneeling.
  2.                       I am down again;
  3. But now my heavy conscience sinks my knee,
  4. As then your force did. Take that life, beseech you,
  5. Which I so often owe; but your ring first,
  6. And here the bracelet of the truest princess
  7. That ever swore her faith.

Posthumus

501 - 504
  1.                            Kneel not to me.
  2. The pow’r that I have on you is to spare you;
  3. The malice towards you, to forgive you. Live,
  4. And deal with others better.

Cymbeline

505 - 507
  1.                              Nobly doom’d!
  2. We’ll learn our freeness of a son-in-law:
  3. Pardon’s the word to all.

Arviragus

508 - 510
  1. To Posthumus.
  2.                           You holp us, sir,
  3. As you did mean indeed to be our brother;
  4. Joy’d are we that you are.

Posthumus

511 - 519
  1. Your servant, Princes. Good my lord of Rome,
  2. Call forth your soothsayer. As I slept, methought
  3. Great Jupiter, upon his eagle back’d,
  4. Appear’d to me, with other spritely shows
  5. Of mine own kindred. When I wak’d, I found
  6. This label on my bosom, whose containing
  7. Is so from sense in hardness, that I can
  8. Make no collection of it. Let him show
  9. His skill in the construction.

Caius Lucius

520
  1.                                Philarmonus!

Philarmonus

521
  1. Here, my good lord.

Caius Lucius

522
  1.                     Read, and declare the meaning.

Philarmonus

523 - 540
  1. Reads.
  2. “When as a lion’s whelp shall, to himself unknown, without
  3. seeking find, and be embrac’d by a piece of tender air; and
  4. when from a stately cedar shall be lopp’d branches, which,
  5. being dead many years, shall after revive, be jointed to the
  6. old stock, and freshly grow; then shall Posthumus end his
  7. miseries, Britain be fortunate and flourish in peace and
  8. plenty.”
  9. Thou, Leonatus, art the lion’s whelp;
  10. The fit and apt construction of thy name,
  11. Being Leo-natus, doth import so much.
  12. To Cymbeline
  13. The piece of tender air, thy virtuous daughter,
  14. Which we call mollis aer, and mollis aer
  15. We term it mulier;
  16. To Posthumus
  17.                    which mulier I divine
  18. Is this most constant wife, who, even now,
  19. Answering the letter of the oracle,
  20. Unknown to you, unsought, were clipt about
  21. With this most tender air.
Cornelius

Cornelius

From the Viola Allen production of Cymbeline

Tom Heslewood, 1906

Cymbeline

541
  1.                            This hath some seeming.

Philarmonus

542 - 547
  1. The lofty cedar, royal Cymbeline,
  2. Personates thee; and thy lopp’d branches point
  3. Thy two sons forth; who, by Belarius stol’n,
  4. For many years thought dead, are now reviv’d,
  5. To the majestic cedar join’d, whose issue
  6. Promises Britain peace and plenty.

Cymbeline

548 - 555
  1.                                    Well,
  2. My peace we will begin. And, Caius Lucius,
  3. Although the victor, we submit to Caesar,
  4. And to the Roman empire, promising
  5. To pay our wonted tribute, from the which
  6. We were dissuaded by our wicked queen,
  7. Whom heavens, in justice both on her and hers,
  8. Have laid most heavy hand.

Philarmonus

556 - 566
  1. The fingers of the pow’rs above do tune
  2. The harmony of this peace. The vision
  3. Which I made known to Lucius, ere the stroke
  4. Of yet this scarce-cold battle, at this instant
  5. Is full accomplish’d: for the Roman eagle,
  6. From south to west on wing soaring aloft,
  7. Lessen’d herself, and in the beams o’ th’ sun
  8. So vanish’d; which foreshow’d our princely eagle,
  9. Th’ imperial Caesar, should again unite
  10. His favor with the radiant Cymbeline,
  11. Which shines here in the west.

Cymbeline

567 - 576
  1.                                Laud we the gods,
  2. And let our crooked smokes climb to their nostrils
  3. From our blest altars. Publish we this peace
  4. To all our subjects. Set we forward. Let
  5. A Roman and a British ensign wave
  6. Friendly together. So through Lud’s-Town march,
  7. And in the temple of great Jupiter
  8. Our peace we’ll ratify; seal it with feasts.
  9. Set on there! Never was a war did cease
  10. (Ere bloody hands were wash’d) with such a peace.
  1. Exeunt.
finis
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