Enter Posthumus and Philario.POSTHUMUS Fear it not, sir. I would I were so sure To win the King as I am bold her honor Will remain hers.PHILARIO What means do you make to him?POSTHUMUS 5 Not any, but abide the change of time, Quake in the present winter’s state, and wish That warmer days would come. In these feared ⌜hopes⌝ I barely gratify your love; they failing,10 I must die much your debtor.
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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 think15 He’ll grant the tribute, send th’ arrearages, Or look upon our Romans, whose remembrance Is yet fresh in their grief.POSTHUMUS I do believe, Statist though I am none nor like to be,20 That this will prove a war; and you shall hear The legion now in Gallia sooner landed In our not-fearing Britain than have tidings Of any penny tribute paid. Our countrymen Are men more ordered than when Julius Caesar25 Smiled at their lack of skill but found their courage Worthy his frowning at. Their discipline, Now ⌜wingèd⌝ with their courages, will make known To their approvers they are people such That mend upon the world.Enter Iachimo.PHILARIO 30 See, Iachimo!POSTHUMUS The swiftest harts have posted you by land, And winds of all the corners kissed your sails To make your vessel nimble.PHILARIO Welcome, sir.POSTHUMUS 35 I hope the briefness of your answer made The speediness of your return.IACHIMO Your lady Is one of the fairest that I have looked upon.POSTHUMUS And therewithal the best, or let her beauty40 Look thorough a casement to allure false hearts And be false with them.
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IACHIMO, ⌜handing him a paper⌝ Here are letters for you.POSTHUMUS Their tenor good, I trust.IACHIMO ’Tis very like.⌜Posthumus reads the letter.⌝⌜PHILARIO⌝ 45 Was Caius Lucius in the Briton court When you were there?IACHIMO He was expected then, but not approached.POSTHUMUS All is well yet. Sparkles this stone as it was wont, or is ’t not50 Too dull for your good wearing?⌜He indicates his ring.⌝IACHIMO If I have lost it, I should have lost the worth of it in gold. I’ll make a journey twice as far t’ enjoy A second night of such sweet shortness which55 Was mine in Britain, for the ring is won.POSTHUMUS The stone’s too hard to come by.IACHIMO Not a whit, Your lady being so easy.POSTHUMUS Make ⌜not,⌝ sir,60 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 grant65 We were to question farther; but I now Profess myself the winner of her honor, Together with your ring, and not the wronger Of her or you, having proceeded but By both your wills.POSTHUMUS 70 If you can make ’t apparent That ⌜you⌝ have tasted her in bed, my hand
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And ring is yours. If not, the foul opinion You had of her pure honor gains or loses Your sword or mine, or masterless leave both75 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 not80 You’ll give me leave to spare when you shall find You need it not.POSTHUMUS Proceed.IACHIMO First, her bedchamber— Where I confess I slept not, but profess85 Had that was well worth watching—it was hanged With tapestry of silk and silver, the story Proud Cleopatra when she met her Roman And Cydnus swelled above the banks, or for The press of boats or pride. A piece of work90 So bravely done, so rich, that it did strive In workmanship and value, which I wondered Could be so rarely and exactly wrought Since the true life on ’t was—POSTHUMUS This is true,95 And this you might have heard of here, by me Or by some other.IACHIMO More particulars Must justify my knowledge.POSTHUMUS So they must,100 Or do your honor 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 cutter105 Was as another Nature, dumb, outwent her, Motion and breath left out.
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POSTHUMUS This is a thing Which you might from relation likewise reap, Being, as it is, much spoke of.IACHIMO 110 The roof o’ th’ 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 115 This is her honor? 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 120 Then if you can Be pale, I beg but leave to air this jewel. See—⌜He shows the bracelet.⌝ And now ’tis up again. It must be married To that your diamond. I’ll keep them.POSTHUMUS Jove!125 Once more let me behold it. Is it that Which I left with her?IACHIMO Sir, I thank her, that. She stripped it from her arm. I see her yet. Her pretty action did outsell her gift130 And yet enriched it too. She gave it me And said she prized it once.POSTHUMUS Maybe she plucked it off To send it me.IACHIMO She writes so to you, doth she?POSTHUMUS 135 O, no, no, no, ’tis true. Here, take this too.⌜He gives Iachimo the ring.⌝ It is a basilisk unto mine eye, Kills me to look on ’t. Let there be no honor Where there is beauty, truth where semblance, love Where there’s another man. The vows of women
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140 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.145 It may be probable she lost it; or Who knows if one her women, being corrupted, Hath stol’n it from her.POSTHUMUS Very true, And so I hope he came by ’t.—Back, my ring!⌜He takes back the ring.⌝150 Render to me some corporal sign about her More evident than this, for this was stol’n.IACHIMO By Jupiter, I had it from her arm.POSTHUMUS Hark you, he swears! By Jupiter he swears. ’Tis true—nay, keep the ring—’tis true.⌜He holds out the ring.⌝155 I am sure She would not lose it. Her attendants are All sworn and honorable. They induced to steal it? And by a stranger? No, he hath enjoyed her. The cognizance of her incontinency160 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!⌜He gives the ring to Iachimo.⌝PHILARIO Sir, be patient.165 This is not strong enough to be believed Of one persuaded well of.POSTHUMUS Never talk on ’t. She hath been colted by him.IACHIMO If you seek170 For further satisfying, under her breast,
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Worthy ⌜the⌝ pressing, lies a mole, right proud Of that most delicate lodging. By my life, I kissed it, and it gave me present hunger To feed again, though full. You do remember175 This stain upon her?POSTHUMUS 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 180Spare your arithmetic; Never count the turns. Once, and a million!IACHIMO I’ll be sworn—POSTHUMUS No swearing. If you will swear you have not done ’t, you lie,185 And I will kill thee if thou dost deny Thou ’st made me cuckold.IACHIMO I’ll deny nothing.POSTHUMUS O, that I had her here, to tear her limb-meal! I will go there and do ’t i’ th’ court, before190 Her father. I’ll do something.He exits.PHILARIO Quite beside The government of patience. You have won. Let’s follow him and pervert the present wrath He hath against himself.IACHIMO 195 With all my heart.They exit.
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