The Complete Works of William Shakespeare, William Shakespeare [book recommendations based on other books txt] 📗

had my prize Been less, and so more equal ballasting To thee, Posthumus.

BELARIUS. He wrings at some distress.

GUIDERIUS. Would I could free’t!

ARVIRAGUS. Or I, whate’er it be,

What pain it cost, what danger! Gods!

BELARIUS. [Whispering] Hark, boys.

IMOGEN. [Aside] Great men,

That had a court no bigger than this cave, That did attend themselves, and had the virtue Which their own conscience seal’d them, laying by That nothing-gift of differing multitudes, Could not out-peer these twain. Pardon me, gods!

I’d change my sex to be companion with them, Since Leonatus’ false.

BELARIUS. It shall be so.

Boys, we’ll go dress our hunt. Fair youth, come in.

Discourse is heavy, fasting; when we have supp’d, We’ll mannerly demand thee of thy story, So far as thou wilt speak it.

GUIDERIUS. Pray draw near.

ARVIRAGUS. The night to th’ owl and morn to th’ lark less welcome.

IMOGEN. Thanks, sir.

ARVIRAGUS. I pray draw near. Exeunt

SCENE VII.

Rome. A public place

 

Enter two ROMAN SENATORS and TRIBUNES

 

FIRST SENATOR. This is the tenour of the Emperor’s writ: That since the common men are now in action ‘Gainst the Pannonians and Dalmatians, And that the legions now in Gallia are Full weak to undertake our wars against The fall’n-off Britons, that we do incite The gentry to this business. He creates Lucius proconsul; and to you, the tribunes, For this immediate levy, he commands

His absolute commission. Long live Caesar!

TRIBUNE. Is Lucius general of the forces?

SECOND SENATOR. Ay.

TRIBUNE. Remaining now in Gallia?

FIRST SENATOR. With those legions

Which I have spoke of, whereunto your levy Must be supplyant. The words of your commission Will tie you to the numbers and the time Of their dispatch.

TRIBUNE. We will discharge our duty. Exeunt

ACT IV. SCENE I.

Wales. Near the cave of BELARIUS

 

Enter CLOTEN alone

 

CLOTEN. I am near to th’ place where they should meet, if Pisanio have mapp’d it truly. How fit his garments serve me! Why should his mistress, who was made by him that made the tailor, not be fit too? The rather-saving reverence of the word-for ‘tis said a woman’s fitness comes by fits. Therein I must play the workman.

I dare speak it to myself, for it is not vainglory for a man and his glass to confer in his own chamber-I mean, the lines of my body are as well drawn as his; no less young, more strong, not beneath him in fortunes, beyond him in the advantage of the time, above him in birth, alike conversant in general services, and more remarkable in single oppositions. Yet this imperceiverant thing loves him in my despite. What mortality is! Posthumus, thy head, which now is growing upon thy shoulders, shall within this hour be off; thy mistress enforced; thy garments cut to pieces before her face; and all this done, spurn her home to her father, who may, haply, be a little angry for my so rough usage; but my mother, having power of his testiness, shall turn all into my commendations. My horse is tied up safe. Out, sword, and to a sore purpose! Fortune, put them into my hand. This is the very description of their meeting-place; and the fellow dares not deceive me. Exit

SCENE II.

Wales. Before the cave of BELARIUS

 

Enter, from the cave, BELARIUS, GUIDERIUS, ARVIRAGUS, and IMOGEN

 

BELARIUS. [To IMOGEN] You are not well. Remain here in the cave; We’ll come to you after hunting.

ARVIRAGUS. [To IMOGEN] Brother, stay here.

Are we not brothers?

IMOGEN. So man and man should be;

But clay and clay differs in dignity, Whose dust is both alike. I am very sick.

GUIDERIUS. Go you to hunting; I’ll abide with him.

IMOGEN. So sick I am not, yet I am not well; But not so citizen a wanton as

To seem to die ere sick. So please you, leave me; Stick to your journal course. The breach of custom Is breach of all. I am ill, but your being by me Cannot amend me; society is no comfort To one not sociable. I am not very sick, Since I can reason of it. Pray you trust me here.

I’ll rob none but myself; and let me die, Stealing so poorly.

GUIDERIUS. I love thee; I have spoke it.

How much the quantity, the weight as much As I do love my father.

BELARIUS. What? how? how?

ARVIRAGUS. If it be sin to say so, sir, I yoke me In my good brother’s fault. I know not why I love this youth, and I have heard you say Love’s reason’s without reason. The bier at door, And a demand who is’t shall die, I’d say ‘My father, not this youth.’

BELARIUS. [Aside] O noble strain!

O worthiness of nature! breed of greatness!

Cowards father cowards and base things sire base.

Nature hath meal and bran, contempt and grace.

I’m not their father; yet who this should be Doth miracle itself, lov’d before me.-

‘Tis the ninth hour o’ th’ morn.

ARVIRAGUS. Brother, farewell.

IMOGEN. I wish ye sport.

ARVIRAGUS. Your health. [To BELARIUS] So please you, sir.

IMOGEN. [Aside] These are kind creatures. Gods, what lies I have heard!

Our courtiers say all’s savage but at court.

Experience, O, thou disprov’st report!

Th’ imperious seas breed monsters; for the dish, Poor tributary rivers as sweet fish.

I am sick still; heartsick. Pisanio, I’ll now taste of thy drug. [Swallows some]

GUIDERIUS. I could not stir him.

He said he was gentle, but unfortunate; Dishonestly afflicted, but yet honest.

ARVIRAGUS. Thus did he answer me; yet said hereafter I might know more.

BELARIUS. To th’ field, to th’ field!

We’ll leave you for this time. Go in and rest.

ARVIRAGUS. We’ll not be long away.

BELARIUS. Pray be not sick,

For you must be our huswife.

IMOGEN. Well, or ill,

I am bound to you.

BELARIUS. And shalt be ever. Exit IMOGEN into the cave This youth, howe’er distress’d, appears he hath had Good ancestors.

ARVIRAGUS. How angel-like he sings!

GUIDERIUS. But his neat cookery! He cut our roots in characters, And sauc’d our broths as Juno had been sick, And he her dieter.

ARVIRAGUS. Nobly he yokes

A smiling with a sigh, as if the sigh Was that it was for not being such a smile; The smile mocking the sigh that it would fly From so divine a temple to commix

With winds that sailors rail at.

GUIDERIUS. I do note

That grief and patience, rooted in him both, Mingle their spurs together.

ARVIRAGUS. Grow patience!

And let the stinking elder, grief, untwine His perishing root with the increasing vine!

BELARIUS. It is great morning. Come, away! Who’s there?

 

Enter CLOTEN

 

CLOTEN. I cannot find those runagates; that villain Hath mock’d me. I am faint.

BELARIUS. Those runagates?

Means he not us? I partly know him; ‘tis Cloten, the son o’ th’ Queen. I fear some ambush.

I saw him not these many years, and yet I know ‘tis he. We are held as outlaws. Hence!

GUIDERIUS. He is but one; you and my brother search What companies are near. Pray you away; Let me alone with him. Exeunt BELARIUS and ARVIRAGUS

CLOTEN. Soft! What are you

That fly me thus? Some villain mountaineers?

I have heard of such. What slave art thou?

GUIDERIUS. A thing

More slavish did I ne’er than answering ‘A slave’ without a knock.

CLOTEN. Thou art a robber,

A law-breaker, a villain. Yield thee, thief.

GUIDERIUS. To who? To thee? What art thou? Have not I An arm as big as thine, a heart as big?

Thy words, I grant, are bigger, for I wear not My dagger in my mouth. Say what thou art; Why I should yield to thee.

CLOTEN. Thou villain base,

Know’st me not by my clothes?

GUIDERIUS. No, nor thy tailor, rascal,

Who is thy grandfather; he made those clothes, Which, as it seems, make thee.

CLOTEN. Thou precious varlet,

My tailor made them not.

GUIDERIUS. Hence, then, and thank

The man that gave them thee. Thou art some fool; I am loath to beat thee.

CLOTEN. Thou injurious thief,

Hear but my name, and tremble.

GUIDERIUS. What’s thy name?

CLOTEN. Cloten, thou villain.

GUIDERIUS. Cloten, thou double villain, be thy name, I cannot tremble at it. Were it toad, or adder, spider, ‘Twould move me sooner.

CLOTEN. To thy further fear,

Nay, to thy mere confusion, thou shalt know I am son to th’ Queen.

GUIDERIUS. I’m sorry for’t; not seeming So worthy as thy birth.

CLOTEN. Art not afeard?

GUIDERIUS. Those that I reverence, those I fear-the wise: At fools I laugh, not fear them.

CLOTEN. Die the death.

When I have slain thee with my proper hand, I’ll follow those that even now fled hence, And on the gates of Lud’s Town set your heads.

Yield, rustic mountaineer. Exeunt, fighting Re-enter BELARIUS and ARVIRAGUS

 

BELARIUS. No company’s abroad.

ARVIRAGUS. None in the world; you did mistake him, sure.

BELARIUS. I cannot tell; long is it since I saw him, But time hath nothing blurr’d those lines of favour Which then he wore; the snatches in his voice, And burst of speaking, were as his. I am absolute ‘Twas very Cloten.

ARVIRAGUS. In this place we left them.

I wish my brother make good time with him, You say he is so fell.

BELARIUS. Being scarce made up,

I mean to man, he had not apprehension Or roaring terrors; for defect of judgment Is oft the cease of fear.

 

Re-enter GUIDERIUS with CLOTEN’S head But, see, thy brother.

GUIDERIUS. This Cloten was a fool, an empty purse; There was no money in’t. Not Hercules Could have knock’d out his brains, for he had none; Yet I not doing this, the fool had borne My head as I do his.

BELARIUS. What hast thou done?

GUIDERIUS. I am perfect what: cut off one Cloten’s head, Son to the Queen, after his own report; Who call’d me traitor, mountaineer, and swore With his own single hand he’d take us in, Displace our heads where-thank the gods!- they grow, And set them on Lud’s Town.

BELARIUS. We are all undone.

GUIDERIUS. Why, worthy father, what have we to lose But that he swore to take, our lives? The law Protects not us; then why should we be tender To let an arrogant piece of flesh threat us, Play judge and executioner all himself, For we do fear the law? What company

Discover you abroad?

BELARIUS. No single soul

Can we set eye on, but in an safe reason He must have some attendants. Though his humour Was nothing but mutation-ay, and that From one bad thing to worse-not frenzy, not Absolute madness could so far have rav’d, To bring him here alone. Although perhaps It may be heard at court that such as we Cave here, hunt here, are outlaws, and in time May make some stronger head-the which he hearing, As it is like him, might break out and swear He’d fetch us in; yet is’t not probable To come alone, either he so undertaking Or they so suffering. Then on good ground we fear, If we do fear this body hath a tail

More perilous than the head.

ARVIRAGUS. Let ordinance

Come as the gods foresay it. Howsoe’er, My brother hath done well.

BELARIUS. I had no mind

To hunt this day; the boy Fidele’s sickness Did make my way long forth.

GUIDERIUS. With his own sword,

Which he did wave against my throat, I have ta’en His head from him. I’ll throw’t into the creek Behind our rock, and let it to the sea And tell the fishes he’s the Queen’s son, Cloten.

That’s all I reck. Exit BELARIUS. I fear’twill be reveng’d.

Would, Polydore, thou hadst not done’t! though valour Becomes thee well enough.

ARVIRAGUS. Would I had done’t,

So the revenge