Enter Posthumus ⌜in chains,⌝ and ⌜two Jailers.⌝JAILER You shall not now be stol’n; you have locks upon you. So graze as you find pasture.SECOND JAILER Ay, or a stomach.⌜Jailers exit.⌝POSTHUMUS Most welcome, bondage, for thou art a way,5 I think, to liberty. Yet am I better Than one that’s sick o’ th’ gout, since he had rather Groan so in perpetuity than be cured By th’ sure physician, Death, who is the key T’ unbar these locks. My conscience, thou art fettered10 More than my shanks and wrists. You good gods, give me The penitent instrument to pick that bolt, Then free forever. Is ’t enough I am sorry? So children temporal fathers do appease;15 Gods are more full of mercy. Must I repent, I cannot do it better than in gyves, Desired more than constrained. To satisfy, If of my freedom ’tis the main part, take No stricter render of me than my all.20 I know you are more clement than vile men, Who of their broken debtors take a third, A sixth, a tenth, letting them thrive again
215
Cymbeline
ACT 5. SC. 4
On their abatement. That’s not my desire. For Imogen’s dear life take mine; and though25 ’Tis not so dear, yet ’tis a life; you coined it. ’Tween man and man they weigh not every stamp; Though light, take pieces for the figure’s sake; You rather mine, being yours. And so, great powers, If you will take this audit, take this life30 And cancel these cold bonds. O Imogen, I’ll speak to thee in silence.⌜He lies down and sleeps.⌝Solemn music. Enter, as in an apparition, Sicilius
Leonatus, father to Posthumus, an old man attired like
a warrior; leading in his hand an ancient matron, his
wife and mother to Posthumus, with music before
them. Then, after other music, follows the two young
Leonati, brothers to Posthumus, with wounds as they
died in the wars. They circle Posthumus round as he
lies sleeping.SICILIUS No more, thou Thunder-master, show Thy spite on mortal flies. With Mars fall out, with Juno chide,35 That thy adulteries Rates and revenges. Hath my poor boy done aught but well, Whose face I never saw? I died whilst in the womb he stayed,40 Attending nature’s law; Whose father then—as men report Thou orphans’ father art— Thou shouldst have been, and shielded him From this earth-vexing smart.MOTHER 45 Lucina lent not me her aid, But took me in my throes,
217
Cymbeline
ACT 5. SC. 4
That from me was Posthumus ripped, Came crying ’mongst his foes, A thing of pity.SICILIUS 50 Great Nature, like his ancestry, Molded the stuff so fair That he deserved the praise o’ th’ world As great Sicilius’ heir.FIRST BROTHER When once he was mature for man,55 In Britain where was he That could stand up his parallel Or fruitful object be In eye of Imogen, that best Could deem his dignity?MOTHER 60 With marriage wherefore was he mocked, To be exiled and thrown From Leonati seat, and cast From her, his dearest one, Sweet Imogen?SICILIUS 65 Why did you suffer Iachimo, Slight thing of Italy, To taint his nobler heart and brain With needless jealousy, And to become the geck and scorn70 O’ th’ other’s villainy?SECOND BROTHER For this, from stiller seats we came, Our parents and us twain, That striking in our country’s cause Fell bravely and were slain,75 Our fealty and Tenantius’ right With honor to maintain.
219
Cymbeline
ACT 5. SC. 4
FIRST BROTHER Like hardiment Posthumus hath To Cymbeline performed. Then, Jupiter, thou king of gods,80 Why hast thou thus adjourned The graces for his merits due, Being all to dolors turned?SICILIUS Thy crystal window ope; look out. No longer exercise85 Upon a valiant race thy harsh And potent injuries.MOTHER Since, Jupiter, our son is good, Take off his miseries.SICILIUS Peep through thy marble mansion. Help,90 Or we poor ghosts will cry To th’ shining synod of the rest Against thy deity.BROTHERS Help, Jupiter, or we appeal And from thy justice fly.Jupiter descends in thunder and lightning, sitting upon
an eagle. He throws a thunderbolt. The Ghosts fall on
their knees.JUPITER 95 No more, you petty spirits of region low, Offend our hearing! Hush. How dare you ghosts Accuse the Thunderer, whose bolt, you know, Sky-planted, batters all rebelling coasts. Poor shadows of Elysium, hence, and rest100 Upon your never-withering banks of flowers. Be not with mortal accidents oppressed. No care of yours it is; you know ’tis ours.
221
Cymbeline
ACT 5. SC. 4
Whom best I love I cross, to make my gift, The more delayed, delighted. Be content.105 Your low-laid son our godhead will uplift. His comforts thrive, his trials well are spent. Our Jovial star reigned at his birth, and in Our temple was he married. Rise, and fade. He shall be lord of Lady Imogen,110 And happier much by his affliction made.⌜He hands Sicilius a tablet.⌝ This tablet lay upon his breast, wherein Our pleasure his full fortune doth confine. And so away. No farther with your din Express impatience, lest you stir up mine.—115 Mount, eagle, to my palace crystalline.Ascends.SICILIUS He came in thunder. His celestial breath Was sulphurous to smell. The holy eagle Stooped as to foot us. His ascension is More sweet than our blest fields; his royal bird120 Preens the immortal wing and cloys his beak, As when his god is pleased.ALL Thanks, Jupiter.SICILIUS The marble pavement closes; he is entered His radiant roof. Away, and, to be blest,125 Let us with care perform his great behest.⌜He places the tablet on Posthumus’ breast. They⌝ vanish.POSTHUMUS, ⌜waking⌝ Sleep, thou hast been a grandsire and begot A father to me, and thou hast created A mother and two brothers. But, O scorn, Gone! They went hence so soon as they were born.130 And so I am awake. Poor wretches that depend On greatness’ favor dream as I have done, Wake, and find nothing. But, alas, I swerve. Many dream not to find, neither deserve,
223
Cymbeline
ACT 5. SC. 4
And yet are steeped in favors; so am I135 That have this golden chance and know not why.⌜Finding the tablet.⌝ What fairies haunt this ground? A book? O rare one, Be not, as is our fangled world, a garment Nobler than that it covers. Let thy effects So follow, to be, most unlike our courtiers,140 As good as promise.(Reads.) Whenas 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
145 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. ’Tis still a dream, or else such stuff as madmen Tongue and brain not; either both or nothing,150 Or senseless speaking, or a speaking such As sense cannot untie. Be what it is, The action of my life is like it, which I’ll keep, if but for sympathy.Enter Jailer.JAILER Come, sir, are you ready for death?POSTHUMUS 155Over-roasted rather; ready long ago.JAILER Hanging is the word, sir. If you be ready for that, you are well cooked.POSTHUMUS So, if I prove a good repast to the spectators, the dish pays the shot.JAILER 160A heavy reckoning for you, sir. But the comfort is, you shall be called to no more payments, fear no more tavern bills, which are often the sadness of parting as the procuring of mirth. You come in faint for want of meat, depart reeling with too165 much drink; sorry that you have paid too much,
225
Cymbeline
ACT 5. SC. 4
and sorry that you are paid too much; purse and brain both empty; the brain the heavier for being too light; the purse too light, being drawn of heaviness. O, of this contradiction you shall now be170 quit. O, the charity of a penny cord! It sums up thousands in a trice. You have no true debitor and creditor but it; of what’s past, is, and to come, the discharge. Your neck, sir, is pen, book, and counters; so the acquittance follows.POSTHUMUS 175I am merrier to die than thou art to live.JAILER Indeed, sir, he that sleeps feels not the toothache. But a man that were to sleep your sleep, and a hangman to help him to bed, I think he would change places with his officer; for, look180 you, sir, you know not which way you shall go.POSTHUMUS Yes, indeed do I, fellow.JAILER Your Death has eyes in ’s head, then. I have not seen him so pictured. You must either be directed by some that take upon them to know, or to take185 upon yourself that which I am sure you do not know, or jump the after-inquiry on your own peril. And how you shall speed in your journey’s end, I think you’ll never return to tell one.POSTHUMUS I tell thee, fellow, there are none want190 eyes to direct them the way I am going but such as wink and will not use them.JAILER What an infinite mock is this, that a man should have the best use of eyes to see the way of blindness! I am sure hanging’s the way of winking.Enter a Messenger.MESSENGER 195Knock off his manacles; bring your prisoner to the King.POSTHUMUS Thou bring’st good news. I am called to be made free.
227
Cymbeline
ACT 5. SC. 5
JAILER I’ll be hanged then.⌜He removes Posthumus’s chains.⌝POSTHUMUS 200Thou shalt be then freer than a jailer. No bolts for the dead.⌜All but the Jailer⌝ exit.JAILER Unless a man would marry a gallows and beget young gibbets, I never saw one so prone. Yet, on my conscience, there are verier knaves desire to live,205 for all he be a Roman; and there be some of them too that die against their wills. So should I, if I were one. I would we were all of one mind, and one mind good. O, there were desolation of jailers and gallowses! I speak against my present profit,210 but my wish hath a preferment in ’t.⌜He exits.⌝
Cymbeline
