Cymbeline by William Shakespeare
Act 1 - Scene 4
Rome. Philario’s house.
Iachimo : Believe it, sir, I have seen him in Britain: he was
[p]then of a
crescent note, expected to prove so worthy
[p]as since he hath been
allowed the name of; but I
[p]could then have looked on him without
the help of
[p]admiration, though the catalogue of his
endowments
[p]had been tabled by his side and I to peruse him by
items.
Philario : You speak of him when he was less furnished than now
[p]he is with
that which makes him both without and within.
Frenchman : I have seen him in France: we had very many there
[p]could behold the
sun with as firm eyes as he.
Iachimo : This matter of marrying his king's daughter, wherein
[p]he must be
weighed rather by her value than his own,
[p]words him, I doubt not, a
great deal from the matter.
Frenchman : And then his banishment.
Iachimo : Ay, and the approbation of those that weep this
[p]lamentable divorce
under her colours are wonderfully
[p]to extend him; be it but to
fortify her judgment,
[p]which else an easy battery might lay flat,
for
[p]taking a beggar without less quality. But how comes
[p]it he is
to sojourn with you? How creeps
[p]acquaintance?
Philario : His father and I were soldiers together; to whom I
[p]have been often
bound for no less than my life.
[p]Here comes the Briton: let him be
so entertained
[p]amongst you as suits, with gentlemen of
your
[p]knowing, to a stranger of his quality.
[p][Enter POSTHUMUS
LEONATUS]
[p]I beseech you all, be better known to this
[p]gentleman;
whom I commend to you as a noble friend
[p]of mine: how worthy he is I
will leave to appear
[p]hereafter, rather than story him in his own
hearing.
Frenchman : Sir, we have known together in Orleans.
Posthumus Leonatus : Since when I have been debtor to you for courtesies,
[p]which I will
be ever to pay and yet pay still.
Frenchman : Sir, you o'er-rate my poor kindness: I was glad I
[p]did atone my
countryman and you; it had been pity
[p]you should have been put
together with so mortal a
[p]purpose as then each bore, upon
importance of so
[p]slight and trivial a nature.
Posthumus Leonatus : By your pardon, sir, I was then a young traveller;
[p]rather shunned
to go even with what I heard than in
[p]my every action to be guided
by others' experiences:
[p]but upon my mended judgment--if I offend
not to say
[p]it is mended--my quarrel was not altogether slight.
Frenchman : 'Faith, yes, to be put to the arbitrement of swords,
[p]and by such
two that would by all likelihood have
[p]confounded one the other, or
have fallen both.
Iachimo : Can we, with manners, ask what was the difference?
Frenchman : Safely, I think: 'twas a contention in public,
[p]which may, without
contradiction, suffer the report.
[p]It was much like an argument that
fell out last
[p]night, where each of us fell in praise of
our
[p]country mistresses; this gentleman at that
time
[p]vouching--and upon warrant of bloody
[p]affirmation--his to be
more fair, virtuous, wise,
[p]chaste, constant-qualified and less
attemptable
[p]than any the rarest of our ladies in France.
Iachimo : That lady is not now living, or this gentleman's
[p]opinion by this
worn out.
Posthumus Leonatus : She holds her virtue still and I my mind.
Iachimo : You must not so far prefer her 'fore ours of Italy.
Posthumus Leonatus : Being so far provoked as I was in France, I would
[p]abate her
nothing, though I profess myself her
[p]adorer, not her friend.
Iachimo : As fair and as good--a kind of hand-in-hand
[p]comparison--had been
something too fair and too good
[p]for any lady in Britain. If she
went before others
[p]I have seen, as that diamond of yours
outlustres
[p]many I have beheld. I could not but believe
she
[p]excelled many: but I have not seen the most
[p]precious diamond
that is, nor you the lady.
Posthumus Leonatus : I praised her as I rated her: so do I my stone.
Iachimo : What do you esteem it at?
Posthumus Leonatus : More than the world enjoys.
Iachimo : Either your unparagoned mistress is dead, or she's
[p]outprized by a
trifle.
Posthumus Leonatus : You are mistaken: the one may be sold, or given, if
[p]there were
wealth enough for the purchase, or merit
[p]for the gift: the other is
not a thing for sale,
[p]and only the gift of the gods.
Iachimo : Which the gods have given you?
Posthumus Leonatus : Which, by their graces, I will keep.
Iachimo : You may wear her in title yours: but, you know,
[p]strange fowl light
upon neighbouring ponds. Your
[p]ring may be stolen too: so your brace
of unprizable
[p]estimations; the one is but frail and the
other
[p]casual; a cunning thief, or a that way
accomplished
[p]courtier, would hazard the winning both of first and
last.
Posthumus Leonatus : Your Italy contains none so accomplished a courtier
[p]to convince the
honour of my mistress, if, in the
[p]holding or loss of that, you term
her frail. I do
[p]nothing doubt you have store of
thieves;
[p]notwithstanding, I fear not my ring.
Philario : Let us leave here, gentlemen.
Posthumus Leonatus : Sir, with all my heart. This worthy signior, I
[p]thank him, makes no
stranger of me; we are familiar at first.
Iachimo : With five times so much conversation, I should get
[p]ground of your
fair mistress, make her go back, even
[p]to the yielding, had I
admittance and opportunity to friend.
Posthumus Leonatus : No, no.
Iachimo : I dare thereupon pawn the moiety of my estate to
[p]your ring; which,
in my opinion, o'ervalues it
[p]something: but I make my wager rather
against your
[p]confidence than her reputation: and, to bar
your
[p]offence herein too, I durst attempt it against any
[p]lady in
the world.
Posthumus Leonatus : You are a great deal abused in too bold a
[p]persuasion; and I doubt
not you sustain what you're
[p]worthy of by your attempt.
Iachimo : What's that?
Posthumus Leonatus : A repulse: though your attempt, as you call it,
[p]deserve more; a
punishment too.
Philario : Gentlemen, enough of this: it came in too suddenly;
[p]let it die as
it was born, and, I pray you, be
[p]better acquainted.
Iachimo : Would I had put my estate and my neighbour's on the
[p]approbation of
what I have spoke!
Posthumus Leonatus : What lady would you choose to assail?
Iachimo : Yours; whom in constancy you think stands so safe.
[p]I will lay you
ten thousand ducats to your ring,
[p]that, commend me to the court
where your lady is,
[p]with no more advantage than the opportunity of
a
[p]second conference, and I will bring from thence
[p]that honour of
hers which you imagine so reserved.
Posthumus Leonatus : I will wage against your gold, gold to it: my ring
[p]I hold dear as
my finger; 'tis part of it.
Iachimo : You are afraid, and therein the wiser. If you buy
[p]ladies' flesh at
a million a dram, you cannot
[p]preserve it from tainting: but I see
you have some
[p]religion in you, that you fear.
Posthumus Leonatus : This is but a custom in your tongue; you bear a
[p]graver purpose, I
hope.
Iachimo : I am the master of my speeches, and would undergo
[p]what's spoken, I
swear.
Posthumus Leonatus : Will you? I shall but lend my diamond till your
[p]return: let there
be covenants drawn between's: my
[p]mistress exceeds in goodness the
hugeness of your
[p]unworthy thinking: I dare you to this match:
here's my ring.
Philario : I will have it no lay.
Iachimo : By the gods, it is one. If I bring you no
[p]sufficient testimony that
I have enjoyed the dearest
[p]bodily part of your mistress, my ten
thousand ducats
[p]are yours; so is your diamond too: if I come
off,
[p]and leave her in such honour as you have trust in,
[p]she your
jewel, this your jewel, and my gold are
[p]yours: provided I have your
commendation for my more
[p]free entertainment.
Posthumus Leonatus : I embrace these conditions; let us have articles
[p]betwixt us. Only,
thus far you shall answer: if
[p]you make your voyage upon her and
give me directly
[p]to understand you have prevailed, I am no
further
[p]your enemy; she is not worth our debate: if she
[p]remain
unseduced, you not making it appear
[p]otherwise, for your ill opinion
and the assault you
[p]have made to her chastity you shall answer me
with
[p]your sword.
Iachimo : Your hand; a covenant: we will have these things set
[p]down by lawful
counsel, and straight away for
[p]Britain, lest the bargain should
catch cold and
[p]starve: I will fetch my gold and have our
two
[p]wagers recorded.
Posthumus Leonatus : Agreed.
Frenchman : Will this hold, think you?
Philario : Signior Iachimo will not from it.
[p]Pray, let us follow 'em.
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Next: Act 1 - Scene 5
