You have abus'd me.

Ay; I said so, sir.

His meanest garment?

Clo.

Imo.

If

you

will make't an action, call witness to't. Clo. I will inform your father.

Imo.

Your mother too:

She's my good lady; and will conceive, I hope,
But the worst of me. So I leave you, sir,

To the worst of discontent.

[Exit.

Enter POSTHUMUS and PHILARIO.

Post. Fear it not, sir: I would, I were so sure To win the king, as I am bold, her honour

Will remain hers.

Phi.

What means do you make to him?

Post. Not any; but abide the change of time; Quake in the present winter's state, and wish

That warmer days would come. In these fear'd hopes, I barely gratify your love; they failing,

Phi. Your very goodness, and your company,
O'erpays all I can do. By this, your king
Hath heard of great Augustus: Caius Lucius
Will do's commission throughly; and, I think,
He'll grant the tribute, send the arrearages,
Or look upon our Romans, whose remembrance
Is yet fresh in their grief.

Post.

I do believe,

(Statist though I am none, nor like to be)

That this will prove a war; and you shall hear
The legion, now in Gallia, sooner landed

In our not-fearing Britain, than have tidings
Of any penny tribute paid. Our countrymen
Are men more order'd, than when Julius Cæsar
Smil'd at their lack of skill, but found their courage
Worthy his frowning at: their discipline

(Now mingled with their courages') will make known To their approvers, they are people, such

That mend upon the world.

Phi.

Enter IACHIMO.

See! Iachimo?

Post. The swiftest harts have posted you by land, And winds of all the corners kiss'd your sails,

To make your vessel nimble.

Phi.

Welcome, sir.

Post. I hope, the briefness of your answer made The speediness of your return.

Iach.

Your lady

Is one of the fairest that I have look'd upon.

Post. And, therewithal, the best; or let her beauty Look through a casement to allure false hearts,

Phi. Was Caius Lucius in the Britain court,

When you were there?

Iach.

He was expected then,

7 (Now MINGLED with their courages)] In the folio, 1623, the word is wing-led, but altered to "mingled" in the folio, 1632: the emendation was therefore not made by Rowe, as some modern editors, who did not refer to the second folio, have affirmed.

• Was Caius Lucius, &c.] In the folios, this speech is given to Posthumus, but most likely by a mistake, owing to the same initial belonging to Philario. Philario takes up the conversation, while Posthumus is employed in eagerly reading his letters.

VOL. VIII.

N

But not approach'd.

Post.

All is well yet.—

Sparkles this stone as it was wont? or is't not
Too dull for your good wearing?

Iach.

If I have lost it,

I should have lost the worth of it in gold.
I'll make a journey twice as far, t' enjoy
A second night of such sweet shortness, which
Was mine in Britain; for the ring is won.
Post. The stone's too hard to come by.
Iach.

Your lady being so easy.

Post.

Not a whit,

Make not, sir,

Your loss your sport: I hope, you know that we
Must not continue friends.

Iach.

Good sir, we must,

If you keep covenant. Had I not brought
The knowledge of your mistress home, I grant
We were to question farther; but I now
Profess myself the winner of her honour,
Together with your ring; and not the wronger
Of her, or you, having proceeded but

By both your wills.

Post.

If you can make't apparent
That you have tasted her in bed, my hand,
And ring, is yours: if not, the foul opinion
You had of her pure honour, gains, or loses,
Your sword, or mine; or masterless leaves both
To who shall find them.

Iach.
Sir, my circumstances,
Being so near the truth, as I will make them,
Must first induce you to believe: whose strength
I will confirm with oath; which, I doubt not,
You'll give me leave to spare, when you shall find
You need it not.

Post.

Iach.

Proceed.

First, her bedchamber,

(Where, I confess, I slept not, but, profess,
Had that was well worth watching) it was hang'd
With tapestry of silk and silver; the story,
Proud Cleopatra, when she met her Roman,
And Cydnus swell'd above the banks, or for
The press of boats, or pride: a piece of work
So bravely done, so rich, that it did strive
In workmanship, and value; which, I wonder'd,
Could be so rarely and exactly wrought,

Since the true life on't was

Post.

This is true;

And this you might have heard of here, by me,
Or by some other.

Iach.

Must justify my knowledge.

Post.

More particulars

So they must,

The chimney

Or do your honour injury.

Iach.
Is south the chamber; and the chimney-piece,
Chaste Dian, bathing: never saw I figures
So likely to report themselves: the cutter
Was as another nature, dumb; outwent her,
Motion and breath left out.

This is a thing,

Post.
Which you might from relation

Being, as it is, much spoke of.

likewise reap,

Iach.
With golden cherubins is fretted: her andirons
(I had forgot them) were two winking Cupids
Of silver, each on one foot standing, nicely
Depending on their brands.

The roof o' the chamber

Post.

This is her honour.

Let it be granted, you have seen all this, (and praise

Be given to your remembrance) the description

Of what is in her chamber, nothing saves

The wager you have laid.

Iach.

Then, if you can,

Be pale: I beg but leave to air this jewel; see!—

[Producing the Bracelet.

And now 'tis up again: it must be married
To that your diamond; I'll keep them.

Post.

Once more let me behold it. Is it that

Which I left with her?

Jove!

Sir, (I thank her) that:

Iach.
She stripp'd it from her arm; I see her yet;
Her pretty action did outsell her gift,

And yet enrich'd it too. She gave it me,
And said, she priz'd it once.

Kills me to look on't.-Let there be no honour,
Where there is beauty; truth, where semblance; love,
Where there's another man: the vows of women
Of no more bondage be, to where they are made,
Than they are to their virtues, which is nothing.—
O, above measure false!

Phi.

Have patience, sir,

And take your ring again; 'tis not yet won:

It may be probable she lost it; or,

Who knows, if one, her women', being corrupted,
Hath stolen it from her?

And so, I hope, he came by't.-Back my ring.-
Render to me some corporal sign about her,
More evident than this, for this was stolen.
Iach. By Jupiter, I had it from her arm.

9

if one,

her women,] The editor of the folio, 1632, inserted of before "her women," but unnecessarily, the expression being elliptical-" if one, her women," is the same as "if one of her women."