Queen. Royal sir, Since the exíle of Posthumus, most retir'd Cym. Re-enter an Attendant. Where is she, sir? How Please you, sir, Can her contempt be answer'd? Atten. Her chambers are all lock'd; and there's no answer She should that duty leave unpaid to you, She wish'd me to make known; but our great court Cym. Her doors lock'd? Not seen of late? Grant, heavens, that which I Fear2 prove false! [Exit. Queen. Queen. Go, look after.— [Exit CLOTEN. Pisanio, thou that stand'st so for Posthumus!- 2 Fear must be pronounced as a dissyllable to complete the measure. To death, or to dishonour; and my end Re-enter CLOTEN. How now, my son? Clo. "Tis certain, she is fled; Go in, and cheer the king; he rages; none Queen. All the better; May This night forestall him of the coming day3! [Exit Queen. Clo. I love, and hate her; for she's fair and royal; And that she hath all courtly parts more exquisite Than lady, ladies, woman; from every one The best she hath, and she, of all compounded, Outsells them all: I love her therefore; But, Disdaining me, and throwing favours on 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 Come hither: Ah, you precious pander! Villain, Pis. O, good my lord! Clo. Where is thy lady? or, by Jupiter I will not ask again. Close villain, I'll have this secret from thy heart, or rip 3 ie. may his grief this night prevent him from ever seeing another day, by anticipated and premature destruction. Thus in Milton's Comus: 6 Perhaps forestalling night prevented them." 4 Than any lady, than all ladies, than all womankind. There is a similar passage in All's Well that Ends Well, Act ii. Sc. 3:To any count; to all counts; to what is man.' Thy heart to find it. Is she with Posthumus? From whose so many weights of baseness cannot A dram of worth be drawn. Alas, my lord, Pis. 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, Pis. O, my all-worthy lord! Clo. All-worthy villain! Discover where thy mistress is, at once, Or this, or perish5 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 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. my means for thy relief, nor my voice for thy perferment. 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. 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? 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 preferment 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, To him that is most true.-To Milford go, And find not her whom thou pursu'st. Flow, flow, You heavenly blessings, on her! This fool's speed Be cross'd with slowness; labour be his meed! SCENE VI. Before the Cave of Belarius. Enter IMOGEN, in Boy's Clothes. [Exit. 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: 0 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, 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.” |