The Arden Shakespeare Complete Works

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The Arden Shakespeare Complete Works Page 105

by William Shakespeare


  Have turn’d mine eye, and wept. But, good Pisanio,

  When shall we hear from him?

  PISANIO Be assur’d, madam,

  With his next vantage.

  IMOGEN I did not take my leave of him, but had

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  Most pretty things to say: ere I could tell him

  How I would think on him at certain hours,

  Such thoughts, and such: or I could make him swear

  The shes of Italy should not betray

  Mine interest, and his honour; or have charg’d him,

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  At the sixth hour of morn, at noon, at midnight,

  T’encounter me with orisons, for then

  I am in heaven for him; or ere I could

  Give him that parting kiss, which I had set

  Betwixt two charming words, comes in my father,

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  And like the tyrannous breathing of the north,

  Shakes all our buds from growing.

  Enter a Lady.

  LADY The queen, madam,

  Desires your highness’ company.

  IMOGEN

  Those things I bid you do, get them dispatch’d. –

  I will attend the queen.

  PISANIO Madam, I shall. Exeunt.

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  1.5 Enter PHILARIO, IACHIMO, a Frenchman, a Dutchman and a Spaniard.

  IACHIMO Believe it sir, I have seen him in Britain; he

  was then of a crescent note, expected to prove so

  worthy as since he hath been allowed the name of. But

  I could then have look’d on him without the help of

  admiration, though the catalogue of his endowments

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  had been tabled by his side and I to peruse him by

  items.

  PHILARIO You speak of him when he was less furnish’d

  than now he is with that which makes him both

  without and within.

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  FRENCHMAN I have seen him in France: we had very

  many there could behold the sun with as firm eyes as

  he.

  IACHIMO This matter of marrying his king’s daughter,

  wherein he must be weighed rather by her value than

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  his own, words him (I doubt not) a great deal from the

  matter.

  FRENCHMAN And then his banishment.

  IACHIMO Ay, and the approbation of those that weep

  this lamentable divorce under her colours are

  20

  wonderfully to extend him; be it but to fortify her

  judgement, which else an easy battery might lay flat,

  for taking a beggar without less quality. But how

  comes it he is to sojourn with you? how creeps

  acquaintance?

  25

  PHILARIO His father and I were soldiers together, to

  whom I have been often bound for no less than my life.

  – Here comes the Briton. Let him be so entertained

  amongst you as suits, with gentlemen of your

  knowing, to a stranger of his quality.

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  Enter POSTHUMUS.

  I beseech you all be better known to this gentleman,

  whom I commend to you as a noble friend of mine.

  How worthy he is I will leave to appear hereafter,

  rather than story him in his own hearing.

  FRENCHMAN Sir, we have known together in Orleans.

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  POSTHUMUS Since when I have been debtor to you for

  courtesies which I will be ever to pay, and yet pay still.

  FRENCHMAN Sir, you o’er-rate my poor kindness: I was

  glad I did atone my countryman and you: it had been

  pity you should have been put together, with so mortal

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  a purpose as then each bore, upon importance of so

  slight and trivial a nature.

  POSTHUMUS By your pardon, sir, I was then a young

  traveller, rather shunn’d to go even with what I heard

  than in my every action to be guided by others’

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  experiences: but upon my mended judgement (if I

  offend not to say it is mended) my quarrel was not

  altogether slight.

  FRENCHMAN Faith yes, to be put to the arbitrement of

  swords, and by such two, that would by all likelihood

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  have confounded one the other, or have fallen both.

  IACHIMO Can we with manners ask what was the

  difference?

  FRENCHMAN Safely, I think: ’twas a contention in

  public, which may (without contradiction) suffer the

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  report. It was much like an argument that fell out last

  night, where each of us fell in praise of our country

  mistresses; this gentleman at that time vouching (and

  upon warrant of bloody affirmation) his to be more

  fair, virtuous, wise, chaste, constant, qualified and less

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  attemptable than any the rarest of our ladies in France.

  IACHIMO That lady is not now living; or this

  gentleman’s opinion, by this, worn out.

  POSTHUMUS She holds her virtue still, and I my mind.

  IACHIMO You must not so far prefer her ’fore ours of

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  Italy.

  POSTHUMUS Being so far provok’d as I was in France, I

  would abate her nothing, though I profess myself her

  adorer, not her friend.

  IACHIMO As fair, and as good – a kind of hand-in-hand

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  comparison – had been something too fair, and too

  good for any lady in Britany. If she went before others

  I have seen, as that diamond of yours outlustres many

  I have beheld, I could not believe she excelled many:

  but I have not seen the most precious diamond that is,

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  nor you the lady.

  POSTHUMUS I prais’d her as I rated her: so do I my

  stone.

  IACHIMO What do you esteem it at?

  POSTHUMUS More than the world enjoys.

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  IACHIMO Either your unparagon’d mistress is dead, or

  she’s outpriz’d by a trifle.

  POSTHUMUS You are mistaken: the one may be sold or

  given, or if there were wealth enough for the purchase,

  or merit for the gift. The other is not a thing for sale,

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  and only the gift of the gods.

  IACHIMO Which the gods have given you?

  POSTHUMUS Which by their graces I will keep.

  IACHIMO You may wear her in title yours: but you know

  strange fowl light upon neighbouring ponds. Your

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  ring may be stolen too: so your brace of unprizable

  estimations, the one is but frail and the other casual; a

  cunning thief, or a (that way) accomplished courtier,

  would hazard the winning both of first and last.

  POSTHUMUS Your Italy contains none so accomplish’d

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  a courtier to convince the honour of my mistress, if

  in the holding or loss of that, you term her frail: I do

  nothing doubt you have store of thieves; notwith-

  standing, I fear not my ring.

  PHILARIO Let us leave here, gentlemen.

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  POSTHUMUS Sir, with all my heart. This worthy signior,

  I thank him, makes no stranger of me; we are familiar

  at first.

  IACHIMO With five times so much conversation, I

  should get ground of your fair mistress; make her go

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  back, even to the yielding, had I admittance, and

  opportunity to friend.

  POSTHU
MUS No, no.

  IACHIMO I dare thereupon pawn the moiety of my

  estate, to your ring, which in my opinion o’ervalues it

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  something: but I make my wager rather against your

  confidence than her reputation. And to bar your

  offence herein too, I durst attempt it against any lady

  in the world.

  POSTHUMUS You are a great deal abus’d in too bold a

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  persuasion, and I doubt not you sustain what you’re

  worthy of by your attempt.

  IACHIMO What’s that?

  POSTHUMUS A repulse: though your attempt (as you

  call it) deserve more; a punishment too.

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  PHILARIO Gentlemen, enough of this, it came in too

  suddenly, let it die as it was born, and I pray you be

  better acquainted.

  IACHIMO Would I had put my estate and my

  neighbour’s on th’approbation of what I have spoke!

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  POSTHUMUS What lady would you choose to assail?

  IACHIMO Yours, whom in constancy you think stands so

  safe. I will lay you ten thousand ducats to your ring,

  that, commend me to the court where your lady is,

  with no more advantage than the opportunity of a

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  second conference, and I will bring from thence that

  honour of hers, which you imagine so reserv’d.

  POSTHUMUS I will wage against your gold, gold to it:

  my ring I hold dear as my finger, ’tis part of it.

  IACHIMO You are a friend, and therein the wiser. If you

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  buy ladies’ flesh at a million a dram, you cannot

  preserve it from tainting; but I see you have some

  religion in you, that you fear.

  POSTHUMUS This is but a custom in your tongue: you

  bear a graver purpose I hope.

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  IACHIMO I am the master of my speeches, and would

  undergo what’s spoken, I swear.

  POSTHUMUS Will you? I shall but lend my diamond till

  your return: let there be covenants drawn between’s.

  My mistress exceeds in goodness the hugeness of your

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  unworthy thinking. I dare you to this match: here’s

  my ring.

  PHILARIO I will have it no lay.

  IACHIMO By the gods, it is one. If I bring you no

  sufficient testimony that I have enjoy’d the dearest

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  bodily part of your mistress, my ten thousand ducats

  are yours, so is your diamond too: if I come off, and

  leave her in such honour as you have trust in, she your

  jewel, this your jewel, and my gold are yours: provided

  I have your commendation for my more free

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  entertainment.

  POSTHUMUS I embrace these conditions, let us have

  articles betwixt us. Only, thus far you shall answer: if

  you make your voyage upon her, and give me directly

  to understand you have prevail’d, I am no further your

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  enemy; she is not worth our debate. If she remain

  unseduc’d, you not making it appear otherwise, for

  your ill opinion, and th’assault you have made to her

  chastity, you shall answer me with your sword.

  IACHIMO Your hand, a covenant: we will have these

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  things set down by lawful counsel, and straight away

  for Britain, lest the bargain should catch cold and

  starve. I will fetch my gold, and have our two wagers

  recorded.

  POSTHUMUS Agreed. Exeunt Posthumus and Iachimo.

  170

  FRENCHMAN Will this hold, think you?

  PHILARIO Signior Iachimo will not from it. Pray let us

  follow ’em. Exeunt.

  1.6 Enter QUEEN, Ladies and CORNELIUS.

  QUEEN

  Whiles yet the dew’s on ground, gather those

  flowers;

  Make haste. Who has the note of them?

  1 LADY I, madam.

  QUEEN Dispatch. Exeunt Ladies.

  Now master doctor, have you brought those drugs?

  CORNELIUS

  Pleaseth your highness, ay: here they are, madam:

  5

  [presenting a small box]

  But I beseech your grace, without offence,

  (My conscience bids me ask) wherefore you have

  Commanded of me these most poisonous

  compounds,

  Which are the movers of a languishing death:

  But though slow, deadly.

  QUEEN I wonder, doctor,

  10

  Thou ask’st me such a question. Have I not been

  Thy pupil long? Hast thou not learn’d me how

  To make perfumes? Distil? Preserve? Yea so,

 

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