Cymbeline by William Shakespeare
Act 4 - Scene 4
Wales: before the cave of Belarius.
Guiderius : The noise is round about us.
Belarius : Let us from it.
Arviragus : What pleasure, sir, find we in life, to lock it
[p]From action and
adventure?
Guiderius : Nay, what hope
[p]Have we in hiding us? This way, the Romans
[p]Must
or for Britons slay us, or receive us
[p]For barbarous and unnatural
revolts
[p]During their use, and slay us after.
Belarius : Sons,
[p]We'll higher to the mountains; there secure us.
[p]To the
king's party there's no going: newness
[p]Of Cloten's death--we being
not known, not muster'd
[p]Among the bands--may drive us to a
render
[p]Where we have lived, and so extort from's that
[p]Which we
have done, whose answer would be death
[p]Drawn on with torture.
Guiderius : This is, sir, a doubt
[p]In such a time nothing becoming you,
[p]Nor
satisfying us.
Arviragus : It is not likely
[p]That when they hear the Roman horses
neigh,
[p]Behold their quarter'd fires, have both their eyes
[p]And
ears so cloy'd importantly as now,
[p]That they will waste their time
upon our note,
[p]To know from whence we are.
Belarius : O, I am known
[p]Of many in the army: many years,
[p]Though Cloten
then but young, you see, not wore him
[p]From my remembrance. And,
besides, the king
[p]Hath not deserved my service nor your
loves;
[p]Who find in my exile the want of breeding,
[p]The certainty
of this hard life; aye hopeless
[p]To have the courtesy your cradle
promised,
[p]But to be still hot summer's tamings and
[p]The shrinking
slaves of winter.
Guiderius : Than be so
[p]Better to cease to be. Pray, sir, to the army:
[p]I and
my brother are not known; yourself
[p]So out of thought, and thereto
so o'ergrown,
[p]Cannot be question'd.
Arviragus : By this sun that shines,
[p]I'll thither: what thing is it that I
never
[p]Did see man die! scarce ever look'd on blood,
[p]But that of
coward hares, hot goats, and venison!
[p]Never bestrid a horse, save
one that had
[p]A rider like myself, who ne'er wore rowel
[p]Nor iron
on his heel! I am ashamed
[p]To look upon the holy sun, to have
[p]The
benefit of his blest beams, remaining
[p]So long a poor unknown.
Guiderius : By heavens, I'll go:
[p]If you will bless me, sir, and give me
leave,
[p]I'll take the better care, but if you will not,
[p]The
hazard therefore due fall on me by
[p]The hands of Romans!
Arviragus : So say I. amen.
Belarius : No reason I, since of your lives you set
[p]So slight a valuation,
should reserve
[p]My crack'd one to more care. Have with you,
boys!
[p]If in your country wars you chance to die,
[p]That is my bed
too, lads, an there I'll lie:
[p]Lead, lead.
[p][Aside]
[p]The time
seems long; their blood
[p]thinks scorn,
[p]Till it fly out and show
them princes born.
Previous: Act 4 - Scene 3
Next: Act 5 - Scene 1
