Cymbeline: ACT V , SCENE IV. A British prison.

Cymbeline: ACT V


	Introduction

	ACT I

	ACT II

	ACT III

	ACT IV

	ACT V

		SCENE I. Britain. The Roman camp.

		SCENE II. Field of battle between the British and Roman camps.

		SCENE III. Another part of the field.

		SCENE IV. A British prison.

		SCENE V. Cymbeline's tent.

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SCENE IV. A British prison.

Enter POSTHUMUS LEONATUS and two Gaolers

First Gaoler

You shall not now be stol'n, you have locks upon you;
So graze as you find pasture.

Second Gaoler

Ay, or a stomach.

Exeunt Gaolers

POSTHUMUS LEONATUS

      Most welcome, bondage! for thou art away,
5     think, to liberty: yet am I better
      Than one that's sick o' the gout; since he had rather
      Groan so in perpetuity than be cured
      By the sure physician, death, who is the key
      To unbar these locks. My conscience, thou art fetter'd
10    More than my shanks and wrists: you good gods, give me
      The penitent instrument to pick that bolt,
      Then, free for ever! Is't enough I am sorry?
      So children temporal fathers do appease;
      Gods are more full of mercy. Must I repent?
15    I cannot do it better than in gyves,
      Desired more than constrain'd: to satisfy,
      If of my freedom 'tis the main part, take
      No stricter render of me than my all.
      I know you are more clement than vile men,
20    Who of their broken debtors take a third,
      A sixth, a tenth, letting them thrive again
      On their abatement: that's not my desire:
      For Imogen's dear life take mine; and though
      'Tis not so dear, yet 'tis a life; you coin'd it:
25    '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 life,
      And cancel these cold bonds. O Imogen!
30    I'll speak to thee in silence.

Sleeps

Solemn music. Enter, as in an apparition, SICILIUS LEONATUS, father to Posthumus Leonatus, an old man, attired like a warrior; leading in his hand an ancient matron, his wife, and mother to Posthumus Leonatus, with music before them: then, after other music, follow the two young Leonati, brothers to Posthumus Leonatus, with wounds as they died in the wars. They circle Posthumus Leonatus round, as he lies sleeping

Sicilius Leonatus

      No more, thou thunder-master, show
      Thy spite on mortal flies:
      With Mars fall out, with Juno chide,
      That thy adulteries
35    Rates and revenges.
      Hath my poor boy done aught but well,
      Whose face I never saw?
      I died whilst in the womb he stay'd
      Attending nature's law:
40    Whose father then, as men report
      Thou orphans' father art,
      Thou shouldst have been, and shielded him
      From this earth-vexing smart.

Mother

      Lucina lent not me her aid,
45    But took me in my throes;
      That from me was Posthumus ript,
      Came crying 'mongst his foes,
      A thing of pity!

Sicilius Leonatus

      Great nature, like his ancestry,
50    Moulded the stuff so fair,
      That he deserved the praise o' the world,
      As great Sicilius' heir.

First Brother

      When once he was mature for man,
      In Britain where was he
55    That could stand up his parallel;
      Or fruitful object be
      In eye of Imogen, that best
      Could deem his dignity?

Mother

      With marriage wherefore was he mock'd,
60    To be exiled, and thrown
      From Leonati seat, and cast
      From her his dearest one,
      Sweet Imogen?

Sicilius Leonatus

      Why did you suffer Iachimo,
65    Slight thing of Italy,
      To taint his nobler heart and brain
      With needless jealosy;
      And to become the geck and scorn
      O' th' other's villany?

Second Brother

70    For this from stiller seats we came,
      Our parents and us twain,
      That striking in our country's cause
      Fell bravely and were slain,
      Our fealty and Tenantius' right
75    With honour to maintain.

First Brother

      Like hardiment Posthumus hath
      To Cymbeline perform'd:
      Then, Jupiter, thou king of gods,
      Why hast thou thus adjourn'd
80    The graces for his merits due,
      Being all to dolours turn'd?

Sicilius Leonatus

      Thy crystal window ope; look out;
      No longer exercise
      Upon a valiant race thy harsh
85    And potent injuries.

Mother

Since, Jupiter, our son is good,
Take off his miseries.

Sicilius Leonatus

      Peep through thy marble mansion; help;
      Or we poor ghosts will cry
90    To the shining synod of the rest
      Against thy deity.

First Brother
Second Brother

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 Apparitions fall on their knees

Jupiter

      No more, you petty spirits of region low,
95    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 rest
      Upon your never-withering banks of flowers:
100   Be not with mortal accidents opprest;
      No care of yours it is; you know 'tis ours.
      Whom best I love I cross; to make my gift,
      The more delay'd, delighted. Be content;
      Your low-laid son our godhead will uplift:
105   His comforts thrive, his trials well are spent.
      Our Jovial star reign'd at his birth, and in
      Our temple was he married. Rise, and fade.
      He shall be lord of lady Imogen,
      And happier much by his affliction made.
110   This tablet lay upon his breast, wherein
      Our pleasure his full fortune doth confine:
      and so, away: no further with your din
      Express impatience, lest you stir up mine.
      Mount, eagle, to my palace crystalline.

Ascends

Sicilius Leonatus

115   He came in thunder; his celestial breath
      Was sulphurous to smell: the holy eagle
      Stoop'd as to foot us: his ascension is
      More sweet than our blest fields: his royal bird
      Prunes the immortal wing and cloys his beak,
120   As when his god is pleased.

All

Thanks, Jupiter!

Sicilius Leonatus

      The marble pavement closes, he is enter'd
      His radiant root. Away! and, to be blest,
      Let us with care perform his great behest.

The Apparitions vanish

Posthumus Leonatus

125   (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:
      And so I am awake. Poor wretches that depend
130   On greatness' favour dream as I have done,
      Wake and find nothing. But, alas, I swerve:
      Many dream not to find, neither deserve,
      And yet are steep'd in favours: so am I,
      That have this golden chance and know not why.
135   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,
      As good as promise.

Reads

140   'When as 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 after revive, be jointed to the old stock and
145   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;
      Or senseless speaking or a speaking such
150   As sense cannot untie. Be what it is,
      The action of my life is like it, which
      I'll keep, if but for sympathy.

Re-enter First Gaoler

First Gaoler

Come, sir, are you ready for death?

POSTHUMUS LEONATUS

Over-roasted rather; ready long ago.

First Gaoler

155 Hanging is the word, sir: if
you be ready for that, you are well cooked.

POSTHUMUS LEONATUS

So, if I prove a good repast to the
spectators, the dish pays the shot.

First Gaoler

      A heavy reckoning for you, sir. But the comfort is,
160   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
      flint for want of meat, depart reeling with too
      much drink; sorry that you have paid too much, and
165   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: of this contradiction you shall now be
      quit. O, the charity of a penny cord! It sums up
170   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 LEONATUS

I am merrier to die than thou art to live.

First Gaoler

175   Indeed, sir, he that sleeps feels not the
      tooth-ache: 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, look you,
      sir, you know not which way you shall go.

POSTHUMUS LEONATUS

180 Yes, indeed do I, fellow.

First Gaoler

      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 do take upon
      yourself that which I am sure you do not know, or
185   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 LEONATUS

      I tell thee, fellow, there are none want eyes to
      direct them the way I am going, but such as wink and
190   will not use them.

First Gaoler

      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

Knock off his manacles; bring your prisoner to the king.

POSTHUMUS LEONATUS

195 Thou bring'st good news; I am called to be made free.

First Gaoler

I'll be hang'd then.

POSTHUMUS LEONATUS

Thou shalt be then freer than a gaoler; no bolts for the dead.

Exeunt POSTHUMUS LEONATUS and Messenger

First Gaoler

      Unless a man would marry a gallows and beget young
      gibbets, I never saw one so prone. Yet, on my
200   conscience, there are verier knaves desire to live,
      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 gaolers and
205   gallowses! I speak against my present profit, but
      my wish hath a preferment in 't.

Exeunt

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