Cymbeline: ACT I , SCENE V. Britain. A room in Cymbeline's palace.

Cymbeline: ACT I


	Introduction

	ACT I

		SCENE I. Britain. The garden of Cymbeline's palace.

		SCENE II. The same. A public place.

		SCENE III. A room in Cymbeline's palace.

		SCENE IV. Rome. Philario's house.

		SCENE V. Britain. A room in Cymbeline's palace.

		SCENE VI. The same. Another room in the palace.

	ACT II

	ACT III

	ACT IV

	ACT V

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SCENE V. Britain. A room in Cymbeline's palace.

Enter QUEEN, Ladies, and CORNELIUS

QUEEN

Whiles yet the dew's on ground, gather those flowers;
Make haste: who has the note of them?

First Lady

I, madam.

QUEEN

Dispatch.

Exeunt Ladies

5 Now, master doctor, have you brought those drugs?

CORNELIUS

Pleaseth your highness, ay: here they are, madam:

Presenting a small box

      But I beseech your grace, without offence,--
      My conscience bids me ask--wherefore you have
      Commanded of me those most poisonous compounds,
10    Which are the movers of a languishing death;
      But though slow, deadly?

QUEEN

      I wonder, doctor,
      Thou ask'st me such a question. Have I not been
      Thy pupil long? Hast thou not learn'd me how
15    To make perfumes? distil? preserve? yea, so
      That our great king himself doth woo me oft
      For my confections? Having thus far proceeded,--
      Unless thou think'st me devilish--is't not meet
      That I did amplify my judgment in
20    Other conclusions? I will try the forces
      Of these thy compounds on such creatures as
      We count not worth the hanging, but none human,
      To try the vigour of them and apply
      Allayments to their act, and by them gather
25    Their several virtues and effects.

CORNELIUS

      Your highness
      Shall from this practise but make hard your heart:
      Besides, the seeing these effects will be
      Both noisome and infectious.

QUEEN

30 O, content thee.

Enter PISANIO

Aside

      Here comes a flattering rascal; upon him
      Will I first work: he's for his master,
      An enemy to my son. How now, Pisanio!
      Doctor, your service for this time is ended;
35    Take your own way.

CORNELIUS

(Aside) I do suspect you, madam;
But you shall do no harm.

QUEEN

(To PISANIO) Hark thee, a word.

CORNELIUS

      (Aside) I do not like her. She doth think she has
40    Strange lingering poisons: I do know her spirit,
      And will not trust one of her malice with
      A drug of such damn'd nature. Those she has
      Will stupefy and dull the sense awhile;
      Which first, perchance, she'll prove on
45    cats and dogs,
      Then afterward up higher: but there is
      No danger in what show of death it makes,
      More than the locking-up the spirits a time,
      To be more fresh, reviving. She is fool'd
50    With a most false effect; and I the truer,
      So to be false with her.

QUEEN

No further service, doctor,
Until I send for thee.

CORNELIUS

I humbly take my leave.

Exit

QUEEN

55    Weeps she still, say'st thou? Dost thou think in time
      She will not quench and let instructions enter
      Where folly now possesses? Do thou work:
      When thou shalt bring me word she loves my son,
      I'll tell thee on the instant thou art then
60    As great as is thy master, greater, for
      His fortunes all lie speechless and his name
      Is at last gasp: return he cannot, nor
      Continue where he is: to shift his being
      Is to exchange one misery with another,
65    And every day that comes comes to decay
      A day's work in him. What shalt thou expect,
      To be depender on a thing that leans,
      Who cannot be new built, nor has no friends,
      So much as but to prop him?

The QUEEN drops the box: PISANIO takes it up

70    Thou takest up
      Thou know'st not what; but take it for thy labour:
      It is a thing I made, which hath the king
      Five times redeem'd from death: I do not know
      What is more cordial. Nay, I prethee, take it;
75    It is an earnest of a further good
      That I mean to thee. Tell thy mistress how
      The case stands with her; do't as from thyself.
      Think what a chance thou changest on, but think
      Thou hast thy mistress still, to boot, my son,
80    Who shall take notice of thee: I'll move the king
      To any shape of thy preferment such
      As thou'lt desire; and then myself, I chiefly,
      That set thee on to this desert, am bound
      To load thy merit richly. Call my women:
85    Think on my words.

Exit PISANIO

      A sly and constant knave,
      Not to be shaked; the agent for his master
      And the remembrancer of her to hold
      The hand-fast to her lord. I have given him that
90    Which, if he take, shall quite unpeople her
      Of liegers for her sweet, and which she after,
      Except she bend her humour, shall be assured
      To taste of too.

Re-enter PISANIO and Ladies

      So, so: well done, well done:
95    The violets, cowslips, and the primroses,
      Bear to my closet. Fare thee well, Pisanio;
      Think on my words.

Exeunt QUEEN and Ladies

PISANIO

      And shall do:
      But when to my good lord I prove untrue,
100   I'll choke myself: there's all I'll do for you.

Exit

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