Complete Plays, The

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Complete Plays, The Page 366

by William Shakespeare


  Appear’d to me, with other spritely shows

  Of mine own kindred: when I waked, I found

  This label on my bosom; whose containing

  Is so from sense in hardness, that I can

  Make no collection of it: let him show

  His skill in the construction.

  Caius Lucius

  Philarmonus!

  Soothsayer

  Here, my good lord.

  Caius Lucius

  Read, and declare the meaning.

  Soothsayer

  [Reads] ‘When as a lion’s whelp shall, to himself unknown, without seeking find, and be embraced by a piece of tender air; and when from a stately cedar shall be lopped branches, which, being dead many years, shall after revive, be jointed to the old stock, and freshly grow; then shall Posthumus end his miseries, Britain be fortunate and flourish in peace and plenty.’

  Thou, Leonatus, art the lion’s whelp;

  The fit and apt construction of thy name,

  Being Leonatus, doth import so much.

  To Cymbeline

  The piece of tender air, thy virtuous daughter,

  Which we call ‘mollis aer;’ and ‘mollis aer’

  We term it ‘mulier:’ which ‘mulier’ I divine

  Is this most constant wife; who, even now,

  Answering the letter of the oracle,

  Unknown to you, unsought, were clipp’d about

  With this most tender air.

  Cymbeline

  This hath some seeming.

  Soothsayer

  The lofty cedar, royal Cymbeline,

  Personates thee: and thy lopp’d branches point

  Thy two sons forth; who, by Belarius stol’n,

  For many years thought dead, are now revived,

  To the majestic cedar join’d, whose issue

  Promises Britain peace and plenty.

  Cymbeline

  Well

  My peace we will begin. And, Caius Lucius,

  Although the victor, we submit to Caesar,

  And to the Roman empire; promising

  To pay our wonted tribute, from the which

  We were dissuaded by our wicked queen;

  Whom heavens, in justice, both on her and hers,

  Have laid most heavy hand.

  Soothsayer

  The fingers of the powers above do tune

  The harmony of this peace. The vision

  Which I made known to Lucius, ere the stroke

  Of this yet scarce-cold battle, at this instant

  Is full accomplish’d; for the Roman eagle,

  From south to west on wing soaring aloft,

  Lessen’d herself, and in the beams o’ the sun

  So vanish’d: which foreshow’d our princely eagle,

  The imperial Caesar, should again unite

  His favour with the radiant Cymbeline,

  Which shines here in the west.

  Cymbeline

  Laud we the gods;

  And let our crooked smokes climb to their nostrils

  From our blest altars. Publish we this peace

  To all our subjects. Set we forward: let

  A Roman and a British ensign wave

  Friendly together: so through Lud’s-town march:

  And in the temple of great Jupiter

  Our peace we’ll ratify; seal it with feasts.

  Set on there! Never was a war did cease,

  Ere bloody hands were wash’d, with such a peace.

  Exeunt

  The Winter’s Tale

  TABLE OF CONTENTS

  CHARACTERS OF THE PLAY

  ACT I

  SCENE I. ANTECHAMBER IN LEONTES’ PALACE.

  SCENE II. A ROOM OF STATE IN THE SAME.

  ACT II

  SCENE I. A ROOM IN LEONTES’ PALACE.

  SCENE II. A PRISON.

  SCENE III. A ROOM IN LEONTES’ PALACE.

  ACT III

  SCENE I. A SEA-PORT IN SICILIA.

  SCENE II. A COURT OF JUSTICE.

  SCENE III. BOHEMIA. A DESERT COUNTRY NEAR THE SEA.

  ACT IV

  SCENE II. BOHEMIA. THE PALACE OF POLIXENES.

  SCENE III. A ROAD NEAR THE SHEPHERD’S COTTAGE.

  SCENE IV. THE SHEPHERD’S COTTAGE.

  ACT V

  SCENE I. A ROOM IN LEONTES’ PALACE.

  SCENE II. BEFORE LEONTES’ PALACE.

  SCENE III. A CHAPEL IN PAULINA’S HOUSE.

  CHARACTERS OF THE PLAY

  Leontes, king of Sicilia.

  Mamillius, young prince of Sicilia.

  Camillo, Antigonus, Cleomenes, Dion, four Lords of Sicilia.

  Polixenes, King of Bohemia.

  Florizel, Prince of Bohemia.

  Archidamus, a Lord of Bohemia.

  Old Shepherd, reputed father of Perdita.

  Clown, his son.

  Autolycus, a rogue.

  Hermione, queen to Leontes.

  Perdita, daughter to Leontes and Hermione.

  Paulina, wife to Antigonus.

  Emilia, a lady attending on Hermione,

  Mopsa and Dorcas, Shepherdesses.

  A Gaoler, A Mariner, other Lords and Gentlemen, Ladies, Officers, and Servants, Shepherds, and Shepherdesses.

  Time, as Chorus.

  Scene: Sicilia, and Bohemia.

 

 

 


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