Queen. My lord, when last I went to visit her, She should that duty leave unpaid to you, She wish'd me to make known; but our great court Cym. Her doors lock'd? Not seen of late? Grant, heavens, that, which I fear, Prove false! Queen. Son, I say, follow the king. [Exit. Clo. That man of hers, Pisanio, her old servant, I have not seen these two days. - Queen. Where is she gone? Haply, despair hath seiz'd her; To death, or to dishonour; and my end Can make good use of either: She being down, How now, my son? Clo. Re-enter CLOTEN. 'Tis certain, she is fled: Go in, and cheer the king; he rages; none Dare come about him. Queen. All the better: May This night forestall him of the coming day! [Exit Queen. The low Posthúmus, slanders so her judgment, I will conclude to hate her, nay, indeed, Shall-Who is here? What! are you packing, sirrah? Come hither: Ah, you precious pandar! Villain, Where is thy lady! In a word; or else Thou art straightway with the fiends. Pis. O, good my lord! Clo. Where is thy lady? or, by Jupiter, I will not ask again. Close villain, I'll have this secret from thy heart, or rip From whose so many weights of baseness cannot Pis. Alas, my lord, How can she be with him? When was she miss'd? He is in Rome. Clo. Where is she, sir? Come nearer; No further halting: satisfy me home, What is become of her? Pis. O, my all-worthy lord! Clo. All-worthy villain! Discover where thy mistress is, at once, At the next word,-No more of worthy lord,- } Aside. She's far enough; and what he learns by this, Clo. Humph! Pis. I'll write to my lord, she 's dead. O Imogen, Safe may'st thou wander, safe return again! [Aside. Clo. Sirrah, is this letter true? Pis. Sir, as I think. Clo. It is Posthumus' hand; I know 't.-Sirrah, if thou would'st not be a villain, but do me true service; undergo those employments, wherein I should have cause to use thee, with a serious industry,--that is, what villainy soe'er I bid thee do, to perform it, directly and truly, I would think thee an honest man: thou shouldest neither want my means for thy relief, nor my voice for thy preferment. Pis. Well, my good lord. Clo. Wilt thou serve me? For since patiently and constantly thou hast stuck to the bare fortune of that beggar Posthumus, thou canst not in the course of gratitude but be a diligent follower of mine. Wilt thou serve me? Pis. Sir, I will. Clo. Give me thy hand, here's my purse. Hast any of thy late master's garments in thy possession? Pis. I have, my lord, at my lodging, the same suit he wore when he took leave of my lady and mistress. Clo. The first service thou dost me, fetch that suit hither: let it be thy first service; go. Pis. I shall, my lord. [Exit. Clo. Meet thee at Milford-Haven: I forgot to ask him one thing; I'll remember 't anon:-Even there, thou villain, Posthumus, will I kill thee.-I would, these garments were come. She said upon a time, (the bitterness of it I now belch from my heart) that she held the very garment of Posthumus in more respect than my noble and natural person, together with the adornment of my qualities. With that suit upon my back, will I ravish her: First kill him, and in her eyes; there shall she see my valour, which will then be a torment to her contempt. He on the ground, my speech of insultment ended on his dead body,—and when my lust hath dined, (which, as I say, to vex her, I will execute in the clothes that she so praised,) to the court I'll knock her back, foot her home again. She hath despised me rejoicingly, and I'll be merry in my revenge. Re-enter PISANIO, with the Clothes. Be those the garments? Pis. Ay, my noble lord. Clo. How long is 't since she went to Milford-Haven? Pis. She can scarce be there yet. Clo. Bring this apparel to my chamber; that is the second thing that I have commanded thee: the third is, that thou shalt be a voluntary mute to my design. Be but duteous, and true preferment shall tender itself to thee. My revenge is now at Milford; 'Would I had wings to follow it!-Come, and be true. [Exit. Pis. Thou bidd'st me to my loss: for, true to thee, Were to prove false, which I will never be, To him that is most true.--To Milford go, And find not her whom thou pursu'st. Flow, flow, Before the Cave of Belarius, Enter IMOGEN, in Boy's Clothes. Imo. I see, a man's life is a tedious one: I have tir'd myself; and for two nights together Have made the ground my bed. I should be sick, But that my resolution helps me.-- -Milford, When from the mountain-top Pisanio show'd thee, Thou wast within a ken: ( Jove! I think, Foundations fly the wretched: such, I mean, Where they should be reliev'd. Two beggars told me, I could not miss my way: Will poor folks lie, That have afflictions on them; knowing 'tis A punishment, or trial? Yes: no wonder, When rich ones scarce teil true: To lapse in fulness Is worse in kings, than beggars.My dear lord! Of hardiness is mother.-Ho! who 's here? But fear the sword like me, he 'll scarcely look on 't. Enter BELARIUS, GUIDERIUS, and ARVIRAGUS. Bel. You, Polydore, have prov'd best woodman, and Are master of the feast: Cadwal, and I, Will play the cook and servant; 'tis our match: But for the end it works to. Come; our stomachs Gui. I am throughly weary. Arv. I am weak with toil, yet strong in appetite. Gui. There is cold meat i' the cave; we 'll browze on that, Whilst what we have kill'd be cook'd. Bel. Stay; come not in: [Looking in. But that it eats our victuals, I should think Here were a fairy. Gui. What's the matter, sir? Bel. By Jupiter, an angel! or, if not, An earthly paragon!-Behold divineness No elder than a boy ! Enter IMOGEN. Imo. Good masters, harm me not: Before I enter'd here, I call'd; and thought To have begg'd, or bought, what I have took: Good troth, I have stolen nought; nor would not, though I had found As I had made my meal; and parted With prayers for the provider. Gui. Money, youth? |