SCENE IV. Rome. Philario's house. Cymbeline  Shakespeare homepage  |  Cymbeline  | Act 2, Scene 4 

 Previous scene  |  Next scene  SCENE IV. Rome. Philario's house. 

 Enter POSTHUMUS and PHILARIO  POSTHUMUS LEONATUS  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 LEONATUS  Not any, but abide the change of time, 

 Quake in the present winter's state and wish 

 That warmer days would come: in these sear'd 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 the arrearages, 

 Or look upon our Romans, whose remembrance 

 Is yet fresh in their grief. 

 POSTHUMUS LEONATUS  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 order'd than when Julius Caesar 

 Smiled at their lack of skill, but found 

 their courage 

 Worthy his frowning at: their discipline, 

 Now mingled with their courages, will make known 

 To their approvers they are people such 

 That mend upon the world. 



 Enter IACHIMO  PHILARIO  See! Iachimo! 

 POSTHUMUS LEONATUS  The swiftest harts have posted you by land; 

 And winds of all the comers kiss'd your sails, 

 To make your vessel nimble. 

 PHILARIO  Welcome, sir. 

 POSTHUMUS LEONATUS  I hope the briefness of your answer made 

 The speediness of your return. 

 IACHIMO  Your lady 

 Is one of the fairest that I have look'd upon. 

 POSTHUMUS LEONATUS  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 LEONATUS  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 approach'd. 

 POSTHUMUS LEONATUS  All is well yet. 

 Sparkles this stone as it was wont? or is't not 

 Too dull for your good wearing? 

 IACHIMO  If I had lost it, 

 I should have lost the worth of it in gold. 

 I'll make a journey twice as far, to enjoy 

 A second night of such sweet shortness which 

 Was mine in Britain, for the ring is won. 

 POSTHUMUS LEONATUS  The stone's too hard to come by. 

 IACHIMO  Not a whit, 

 Your lady being so easy. 

 POSTHUMUS LEONATUS  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 LEONATUS  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 LEONATUS  Proceed. 

 IACHIMO  First, her bedchamber,-- 

 Where, I confess, I slept not, but profess 

 Had that was well worth watching--it was hang'd 

 With tapesty of silk and silver; the story 

 Proud Cleopatra, when she met her Roman, 

 And Cydnus swell'd 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 wonder'd 

 Could be so rarely and exactly wrought, 

 Since the true life on't was-- 

 POSTHUMUS LEONATUS  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 LEONATUS  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 LEONATUS  This is a thing 

 Which you might from relation likewise reap, 

 Being, as it is, much spoke of. 

 IACHIMO  The roof o' the 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 LEONATUS  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, 



 Showing the bracelet  Be pale: I beg but leave to air this jewel; see! 

 And now 'tis up again: it must be married 

 To that your diamond; I'll keep them. 

 POSTHUMUS LEONATUS  Jove! 

 Once more let me behold it: is it that 

 Which I left with her? 

 IACHIMO  Sir--I thank her--that: 

 She stripp'd it from her arm; I see her yet; 

 Her pretty action did outsell her gift, 

 And yet enrich'd it too: she gave it me, and said 

 She prized it once. 

 POSTHUMUS LEONATUS  May be she pluck'd it off 

 To send it me. 

 IACHIMO  She writes so to you, doth she? 

 POSTHUMUS LEONATUS  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 LEONATUS  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 stolen. 

 IACHIMO  By Jupiter, I had it from her arm. 

 POSTHUMUS LEONATUS  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 LEONATUS  Never talk on't; 

 She hath been colted by him. 

 IACHIMO  If you seek 

 For further satisfying, under her breast-- 

 Worthy the pressing--lies a mole, right proud 

 Of that most delicate lodging: by my life, 

 I kiss'd it; and it gave me present hunger 

 To feed again, though full. You do remember 

 This stain upon her? 

 POSTHUMUS LEONATUS  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 LEONATUS  Spare your arithmetic: never count the turns; 

 Once, and a million! 

 IACHIMO  I'll be sworn-- 

 POSTHUMUS LEONATUS  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 LEONATUS  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 an my heart. 



 Exeunt  Shakespeare homepage  |  Cymbeline  | Act 2, Scene 4 

 Previous scene  |  Next scene 