Cymbeline
Page 11
I cannot tremble at it: were it toad, or adder, spider,
’Twould move me sooner.
CLOTEN To thy further fear,
Nay, to thy mere confusion120, thou shalt know
I am son to th’queen.
GUIDERIUS I am sorry for’t: not seeming122
So123 worthy as thy birth.
CLOTEN Art not afeard?
GUIDERIUS Those that I reverence, those I fear, the wise:
At fools I laugh, not fear them.
CLOTEN Die the death:
When I have slain thee with my proper128 hand,
I’ll follow those that even now fled hence,
And on the gates of Lud’s town set your heads130:
Yield, rustic mountaineer.
Fight and exeunt
Enter Belarius and Arviragus
BELARIUS No company’s abroad?132
ARVIRAGUS None in the world: you did mistake him, sure.133
BELARIUS I cannot tell: long is it since I saw him,
But time hath nothing blurred those lines of favour135
Which then he wore: the snatches136 in his voice
And burst of speaking were as his: I am absolute137
’Twas very138 Cloten.
ARVIRAGUS In this place we left them.
I wish my brother make good time with140 him,
You say he is so fell.141
BELARIUS Being scarce made up142,
I mean to man, he had not apprehension143
Of roaring terrors: for defect of judgement144
Enter Guiderius
With Cloten’s head
Is oft the cause of fear.
But see thy brother.
GUIDERIUS This Cloten was a fool, an empty purse,
There was no money in’t: not Hercules148
Could have knocked out his brains, for he had none:
Yet I not doing this150, the fool had borne
My head, as I do his.
BELARIUS What hast thou done?
GUIDERIUS I am perfect153 what: cut off one Cloten’s head,
Son to the queen, after154 his own report,
Who called me traitor, mountaineer, and swore
With his own single hand he’d take us in156,
Displace our heads where — thank the gods — they grow,
And set them on Lud’s town.
BELARIUS We are all undone.
GUIDERIUS Why, worthy father, what have we to lose
But that he swore to take, our lives? The law161
Protects not us, then why should we be tender162
To let an arrogant piece of flesh threat163 us,
Play judge and executioner all himself,
For165 we do fear the law? What company
Discover you abroad?
BELARIUS No single soul
Can we set eye on, but in all safe168 reason
He must have some attendants. Though his humour169
Was nothing but mutation170, ay, and that
From one bad thing to worse, not frenzy,
Not absolute madness could so far have raved
To bring him here alone: although perhaps
It may be heard at court that such as we
Cave175 here, hunt here, are outlaws, and in time
May make some stronger head176, the which he hearing —
As it is like him — might break out177 and swear
He’d fetch us in178, yet is’t not probable
To come179 alone, either he so undertaking,
Or they so suffering180: then on good ground we fear,
If we do fear this body hath a tail181
More perilous than the head.
ARVIRAGUS Let ord’nance183
Come as the gods foresay it: howsoe’er184,
My brother hath done well.
BELARIUS I had no mind186
To hunt this day: the boy Fidele’s sickness
Did make my way long forth.188
GUIDERIUS With his own sword,
Which he did wave against my throat, I have ta’en
His head from him: I’ll throw’t into the creek
Behind our rock, and let it to192 the sea
And tell the fishes he’s the queen’s son, Cloten:
That’s all I reck.194
Exit
BELARIUS I fear ’twill be revenged:
Would, Polydore, thou hadst not done’t, though valour
Becomes thee well enough.
ARVIRAGUS Would I had done’t,
So199 the revenge alone pursued me! Polydore,
I love thee brotherly, but envy much
Thou hast robbed me of this deed: I would201 revenges
That possible strength might meet202 would seek us through
And put us to our answer.203
BELARIUS Well, ’tis done:
We’ll hunt no more today, nor seek for danger
Where there’s no profit. I prithee, to our rock,
You and Fidele play the cooks: I’ll stay
Till hasty208 Polydore return, and bring him
To dinner presently.
ARVIRAGUS Poor sick Fidele!
I’ll willingly to him: to gain211 his colour
I’d let a parish of such Clotens’ blood212,
And praise myself for charity.
Exit [into the cave]
BELARIUS O thou goddess,
Thou divine Nature, thou thyself thou blazon’st215
In these two princely boys! They are as gentle
As zephyrs217 blowing below the violet,
Not wagging218 his sweet head; and yet as rough,
Their royal blood enchafed, as the rud’st219 wind,
That by the top doth take the mountain pine,
And make him stoop to th’vale. ’Tis wonder
That an invisible instinct should frame222 them
To royalty unlearned, honour untaught,
Civility not seen from other224, valour
That wildly225 grows in them, but yields a crop
As if it had been sowed. Yet still it’s strange
What Cloten’s being here to us portends,
Or what his death will bring us.
Enter Guiderius
GUIDERIUS Where’s my brother?
I have sent Cloten’s clotpoll230 down the stream
In embassy to his mother; his body’s hostage
For his return.
Solemn music
BELARIUS My ingenious233 instrument!
Hark, Polydore, it sounds: but what occasion234
Hath Cadwal now to give it motion?235 Hark!
GUIDERIUS Is he at home?
BELARIUS He went hence even now.
GUIDERIUS What does he mean? Since death of my dear’st mother
It did not speak239 before. All solemn things
Should answer solemn accidents.240 The matter?
Triumphs for nothing and lamenting toys241
Is jollity for apes and grief for boys.242
Is Cadwal mad?
Enter Arviragus, with Innogen dead, bearing her in his arms
BELARIUS Look, here he comes,
And brings the dire occasion in his arms
Of what we blame him for.
ARVIRAGUS The bird is dead
That we have made so much on.248 I had rather
Have skipped from sixteen years of age to sixty,
To have turned my leaping time into a crutch250,
Than have seen this.
GUIDERIUS O sweetest, fairest lily!
My brother wears thee not the one half so well253
As when thou grew’st thyself.
BELARIUS O melancholy,
Who ever yet could sound thy bottom? Find256
The ooze to show what coast thy sluggish crare257
Might easiliest harbour in?258 Thou blessèd thing,
Jove knows what man thou mightst have made: but, ay,
Thou died’st a most rare260 boy, of melancholy.
How found you him?
ARVIRAGUS Stark262, as you see:
Thus smiling, as some fly had tickled slumber263,
Not as death’s dart being laughed at264: his right cheek
Reposing on a cushion.
GUIDERIUS Where?
ARVIRAGUS O’th’floor:
His arms thus leagued268, I thought he slept, and put
My clouted brogues from off my feet, whose rudeness269
Answered my steps too loud.270
GUIDERIUS Why, he but271 sleeps:
If he be gone, he’ll make his grave a bed272:
With female fairies will his tomb be haunted,
And worms will not come to thee.
ARVIRAGUS With fairest flowers
Whilst summer lasts and I live here, Fidele,
I’ll sweeten thy sad grave: thou shalt not lack
The flower that’s like thy face, pale primrose, nor
The azured harebell279, like thy veins: no, nor
The leaf of eglantine280, whom not to slander,
Out-sweetened not thy breath: the ruddock281 would
With charitable bill — O bill sore shaming
Those rich-left heirs that let their fathers lie
Without a monument! — bring thee all this,
Yea, and furred moss besides, when flowers are none,
To winter-ground286 thy corpse—
GUIDERIUS Prithee, have done,
And do not play in wench-like288 words with that
Which is so serious. Let us bury him,
And not protract with admiration290 what
Is now due debt.291 To th’grave.
ARVIRAGUS Say, where shall’s292 lay him?
GUIDERIUS By good Euriphile, our mother.
ARVIRAGUS Be’t so:
And let us, Polydore, though now our voices
Have got the mannish crack296, sing him to th’ground
As once our mother: use like297 note and words,
Save298 that Euriphile must be Fidele.
GUIDERIUS Cadwal,
I cannot sing: I’ll weep, and word300 it with thee,
For notes of sorrow out of tune are worse
Than priests and fanes302 that lie.
ARVIRAGUS We’ll speak it, then.
BELARIUS Great griefs, I see, med’cine the less304, for Cloten
Is quite forgot. He was a queen’s son, boys,
And though he came306 our enemy, remember
He was paid for that: though mean and mighty rotting307
Together have one dust, yet reverence308,
That angel of the world, doth make distinction
Of place ’tween high and low. Our foe was princely,
And though you took his life as being our foe,
Yet bury him as a prince.
GUIDERIUS Pray you fetch him hither.
Thersites’ body is as good as Ajax’314
When neither are alive.
ARVIRAGUS If you’ll go fetch him,
We’ll say our song the whilst.317 Brother, begin.
[Exit Belarius]
GUIDERIUS Nay, Cadwal, we must lay his head to th’east.318
My father hath a reason for’t.
ARVIRAGUS ’Tis true.
GUIDERIUS Come on then, and remove321 him.
ARVIRAGUS So, Begin.
Song
Spoken or chanted, not sung?
GUIDERIUS Fear no more the heat o’th’sun,
Nor the furious winter’s rages,
Thou thy worldly task hast done,
Home art gone, and ta’en thy wages.326
Golden lads and girls all must327,
As328 chimney-sweepers, come to dust.
ARVIRAGUS Fear no more the frown o’th’great,
Thou art past the tyrant’s stroke,
Care no more to clothe and eat,
To thee the reed is as the oak.
The sceptre, learning, physic333, must
All follow this and come to dust.
GUIDERIUS Fear no more the lightning flash,
ARVIRAGUS Nor th’all-dreaded thunder-stone.336
GUIDERIUS Fear not slander, censure rash.
ARVIRAGUS Thou hast finished joy and moan.
BOTH All lovers young, all lovers must
Consign to thee340 and come to dust.
GUIDERIUS No exorcizer341 harm thee,
ARVIRAGUS Nor no witchcraft charm342 thee.
GUIDERIUS Ghost unlaid forbear thee.343
ARVIRAGUS Nothing ill come near thee.
BOTH Quiet consummation345 have,
And renownèd be thy grave.
Enter Belarius with the body of Cloten
GUIDERIUS We have done our obsequies347: come, lay him down.
BELARIUS Here’s a few flowers, but ’bout midnight more:
The herbs that have on them cold dew o’th’night
Are strewings fitt’st for graves: upon their faces.350
You were as flowers, now withered: even so
These herblets shall352, which we upon you strew.
Come on, away, apart upon our knees353:
The ground that gave them first354 has them again:
Their pleasures here are past, so is their pain.
Exeunt [all but Innogen]
Awakes
INNOGEN Yes, sir, to Milford Haven, which is the way?
I thank you: by yond bush? Pray how far thither?
’Od’s pittikins358: can it be six mile yet?
I have gone359 all night: faith, I’ll lie down and sleep.
Sees Cloten’s body
But soft, no bedfellow!360 O gods and goddesses!
These flowers are like the pleasures of the world,
This bloody man the care on’t.362 I hope I dream:
For so363 I thought I was a cave-keeper,
And cook to honest creatures. But ’tis not so:
’Twas but a bolt365 of nothing, shot at nothing,
Which the brain makes of fumes.366 Our very eyes
Are sometimes like our judgements, blind. Good faith,
I tremble still with fear: but if there be
Yet left in heaven as small a drop of pity
As a wren’s eye, feared gods, a part370 of it!
The dream’s here still: even when I wake it is
Without me, as within me: not imagined, felt.372
A headless man? The garments of Posthumus?
I know the shape of’s leg: this is his hand:
His foot mercurial: his martial thigh:375
The brawns376 of Hercules: but his jovial face—
Murder in heaven! How? ’Tis gone. Pisanio,
All curses madded Hecuba378 gave the Greeks,
And mine to boot, be darted379 on thee! Thou,
Conspired with that irregulous380 devil, Cloten,
Hath here cut off my lord. To write and read
Be henceforth treacherous! Damned Pisanio
Hath with his forgèd letters — damned Pisanio —
From this most bravest vessel of384 the world
Struck the main-top!385 O Posthumus, alas,
Where is thy head? Where’s that? Ay me! Where’s that?
Pisanio might have killed thee at the heart,
And left this head on. How should this be, Pisanio?
’Tis he and Cloten: malice and lucre389 i
n them
Have laid this woe here. O, ’tis pregnant390, pregnant!
The drug he gave me, which he said was precious
And cordial392 to me, have I not found it
Murd’rous to th’senses? That confirms it home393:
This is Pisanio’s deed, and Cloten: O,
Give colour to my pale cheek with thy blood395,
That we the horrider396 may seem to those
Which chance397 to find us! O my lord, my lord!
Embraces the body
Enter Lucius, Captains and a Soothsayer
CAPTAIN To them the legions garrisoned in Gallia398
After your will have crossed the sea, attending399
You here at Milford Haven with your ships:
They are in readiness.
LUCIUS But what from Rome?
CAPTAIN The senate hath stirred up the confiners403
And gentlemen of Italy, most willing spirits,
That promise noble service: and they come
Under the conduct of bold Iachimo,
Siena’s407 brother.
LUCIUS When expect you them?
CAPTAIN With the next benefit409 o’th’wind.
LUCIUS This forwardness410
Makes our hopes fair. Command our present numbers
Be mustered: bid the captains look to’t. Now, sir,
What have you dreamed of late of this war’s purpose?413
SOOTHSAYER Last night the very gods showed me a vision —
I fast, and prayed for their intelligence415 — thus:
I saw Jove’s bird, the Roman eagle, winged416
From the spongy417 south to this part of the west,
There vanished in the sunbeams: which portends418 —
Unless my sins abuse my divination419 —
Success to th’Roman host.420
LUCIUS Dream often so,
Sees Cloten’s body
And never false.— Soft ho, what trunk422 is here?
Without his top? The ruin speaks423 that sometime
It was a worthy building. How, a page?
Or425 dead or sleeping on him? But dead rather:
For nature doth abhor426 to make his bed
With the defunct427, or sleep upon the dead.
Let’s see the boy’s face.
CAPTAIN He’s alive, my lord.
LUCIUS He’ll then instruct us of430 this body. Young one,
Inform us of thy fortunes, for it seems
They crave to be demanded432: who is this
Thou mak’st thy bloody pillow? Or who was he
That, otherwise than noble nature did,