Cymbeline: ACT III
Introduction ACT I ACT II ACT III SCENE I. Britain. A hall in Cymbeline's palace. SCENE II. Another room in the palace. SCENE III. Wales: a mountainous country with a cave. SCENE IV. Country near Milford-Haven. SCENE V. A room in Cymbeline's palace. SCENE VI. Wales. Before the cave of Belarius. SCENE VII. Rome. A public place. ACT IV ACT V About the Play Feedback			Search: All the plays Hamlet Coriolanus Julius Caesar King Lear Macbeth Othello Romeo and Juliet Richard II Richard III Titus Andronicus Antony and Cleopatra Timon of Athens Henry IV Part 1 Henry IV Part 2 Henry the Fifth Henry VI Part 1 Henry VI Part 2 Henry VI Part 3 Henry VIII King John Pericles Troilus and Cressida All's Well... As You Like It The Comedy of Errors Cymbeline A Midsummer... Love's Labour's Lost Measure for Measure The Merry Wives... Much Ado about Nothing The Merchant of Venice Twelfth Night The Taming of... The Tempest The Two Gentlemen... The Winter's Tale    for: SCENE I. Britain. A hall in Cymbeline's palace. Enter in state, CYMBELINE, QUEEN, CLOTEN, and Lords at one door, and at another, CAIUS LUCIUS and Attendants CYMBELINE       Now say, what would Augustus Caesar with us? CAIUS LUCIUS       When Julius Caesar, whose remembrance yet       Lives in men's eyes and will to ears and tongues       Be theme and hearing ever, was in this Britain 5     And conquer'd it, Cassibelan, thine uncle,--       Famous in Caesar's praises, no whit less       Than in his feats deserving it--for him       And his succession granted Rome a tribute,       Yearly three thousand pounds, which by thee lately 10    Is left untender'd. QUEEN       And, to kill the marvel,       Shall be so ever. CLOTEN       There be many Caesars,       Ere such another Julius. Britain is 15    A world by itself; and we will nothing pay       For wearing our own noses. QUEEN       That opportunity       Which then they had to take from 's, to resume       We have again. Remember, sir, my liege, 20    The kings your ancestors, together with       The natural bravery of your isle, which stands       As Neptune's park, ribbed and paled in       With rocks unscalable and roaring waters,       With sands that will not bear your enemies' boats, 25    But suck them up to the topmast. A kind of conquest       Caesar made here; but made not here his brag       Of 'Came' and 'saw' and 'overcame: ' with shame--       That first that ever touch'd him--he was carried       From off our coast, twice beaten; and his shipping-- 30    Poor ignorant baubles!-- upon our terrible seas,       Like egg-shells moved upon their surges, crack'd       As easily 'gainst our rocks: for joy whereof       The famed Cassibelan, who was once at point--       O giglot fortune!--to master Caesar's sword, 35    Made Lud's town with rejoicing fires bright       And Britons strut with courage. CLOTEN       Come, there's no more tribute to be paid: our       kingdom is stronger than it was at that time; and,       as I said, there is no moe such Caesars: other of 40    them may have crook'd noses, but to owe such       straight arms, none. CYMBELINE       Son, let your mother end. CLOTEN       We have yet many among us can gripe as hard as       Cassibelan: I do not say I am one; but I have a 45    hand. Why tribute? why should we pay tribute? If       Caesar can hide the sun from us with a blanket, or       put the moon in his pocket, we will pay him tribute       for light; else, sir, no more tribute, pray you now. CYMBELINE       You must know, 50    Till the injurious Romans did extort       This tribute from us, we were free:       Caesar's ambition,       Which swell'd so much that it did almost stretch       The sides o' the world, against all colour here 55    Did put the yoke upon 's; which to shake off       Becomes a warlike people, whom we reckon       Ourselves to be. CLOTEN Lords       We do. CYMBELINE       Say, then, to Caesar, 60    Our ancestor was that Mulmutius which       Ordain'd our laws, whose use the sword of Caesar       Hath too much mangled; whose repair and franchise       Shall, by the power we hold, be our good deed,       Though Rome be therefore angry: Mulmutius made our laws, 65    Who was the first of Britain which did put       His brows within a golden crown and call'd       Himself a king. CAIUS LUCIUS       I am sorry, Cymbeline,       That I am to pronounce Augustus Caesar-- 70    Caesar, that hath more kings his servants than       Thyself domestic officers--thine enemy:       Receive it from me, then: war and confusion       In Caesar's name pronounce I 'gainst thee: look       For fury not to be resisted. Thus defied, 75    I thank thee for myself. CYMBELINE       Thou art welcome, Caius.       Thy Caesar knighted me; my youth I spent       Much under him; of him I gather'd honour;       Which he to seek of me again, perforce, 80    Behoves me keep at utterance. I am perfect       That the Pannonians and Dalmatians for       Their liberties are now in arms; a precedent       Which not to read would show the Britons cold:       So Caesar shall not find them. CAIUS LUCIUS 85    Let proof speak. CLOTEN       His majesty bids you welcome. Make       pastime with us a day or two, or longer: if       you seek us afterwards in other terms, you       shall find us in our salt-water girdle: if you 90    beat us out of it, it is yours; if you fall in       the adventure, our crows shall fare the better       for you; and there's an end. CAIUS LUCIUS       So, sir. CYMBELINE       I know your master's pleasure and he mine: 95    All the remain is 'Welcome!' Exeunt Return to top of page ... or ... Go to next scene