| ACT II SCENE IV | Rome. Philario's house. | |
| | Enter POSTHUMUS and PHILARIO. | |
| POSTHUMUS LEONATUS | Fear it not, sir: I would I were so sure | |
| | To win the king as I am bold her honour | |
| | Will remain hers. | |
| PHILARIO | What means do you make to him? | 5 |
| POSTHUMUS LEONATUS | Not any, but abide the change of time, | |
| | Quake in the present winter's state and wish | |
| | That warmer days would come: in these sear'd hopes, | |
| | I barely gratify your love; they failing, | |
| | I must die much your debtor. | 10 |
| PHILARIO | 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, | 15 |
| | Or look upon our Romans, whose remembrance | |
| | Is yet fresh in their grief. | |
| POSTHUMUS LEONATUS | I do believe, | |
| | Statist though I am none, nor like to be, | |
| | That this will prove a war; and you shall hear | 20 |
| | The legions 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 Caesar | |
| | Smiled at their lack of skill, but found | 25 |
| | 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. | 30 |
| | Enter IACHIMO. | |
| PHILARIO | See! Iachimo! | |
| POSTHUMUS LEONATUS | The swiftest harts have posted you by land; | |
| | And winds of all the comers kiss'd your sails, | |
| | To make your vessel nimble. | |
| PHILARIO | Welcome, sir. | 35 |
| POSTHUMUS LEONATUS | I hope the briefness of your answer made | |
| | The speediness of your return. | |
| IACHIMO | Your lady | |
| | Is one of the fairest that I have look'd upon. | |
| POSTHUMUS LEONATUS | And therewithal the best; or let her beauty | 40 |
| | Look through a casement to allure false hearts | |
| | And be false with them. | |
| IACHIMO | Here are letters for you. | |
| POSTHUMUS LEONATUS | Their tenor good, I trust. | |
| IACHIMO | 'Tis very like. | 45 |
| PHILARIO | Was Caius Lucius in the Britain court | |
| | When you were there? | |
| IACHIMO | He was expected then, | |
| | But not approach'd. | |
| POSTHUMUS LEONATUS | All is well yet. | 50 |
| | Sparkles this stone as it was wont? or is't not | |
| | Too dull for your good wearing? | |
| IACHIMO | If I had lost it, | |
| | I should have lost the worth of it in gold. | |
| | I'll make a journey twice as far, to enjoy | 55 |
| | A second night of such sweet shortness which | |
| | Was mine in Britain, for the ring is won. | |
| POSTHUMUS LEONATUS | The stone's too hard to come by. | |
| IACHIMO | Not a whit, | |
| | Your lady being so easy. | 60 |
| POSTHUMUS LEONATUS | Make not, sir, | |
| | Your loss your sport: I hope you know that we | |
| | Must not continue friends. | |
| IACHIMO | Good sir, we must, | |
| | If you keep covenant. Had I not brought | 65 |
| | The knowledge of your mistress home, I grant | |
| | We were to question further: 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 | 70 |
| | By both your wills. | |
| POSTHUMUS LEONATUS | 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 | 75 |
| | Your sword or mine, or masterless leaves both | |
| | To who shall find them. | |
| IACHIMO | Sir, my circumstances, | |
| | Being so near the truth as I will make them, | |
| | Must first induce you to believe: whose strength | 80 |
| | I will confirm with oath; which, I doubt not, | |
| | You'll give me leave to spare, when you shall find | |
| | You need it not. | |
| POSTHUMUS LEONATUS | Proceed. | |
| IACHIMO | First, her bedchamber,-- | 85 |
| | Where, I confess, I slept not, but profess | |
| | Had that was well worth watching--it was hang'd | |
| | With tapesty of silk and silver; the story | |
| | Proud Cleopatra, when she met her Roman, | |
| | And Cydnus swell'd above the banks, or for | 90 |
| | 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-- | 95 |
| POSTHUMUS LEONATUS | This is true; | |
| | And this you might have heard of here, by me, | |
| | Or by some other. | |
| IACHIMO | More particulars | |
| | Must justify my knowledge. | 100 |
| POSTHUMUS LEONATUS | So they must, | |
| | Or do your honour injury. | |
| IACHIMO | The chimney | |
| | Is south the chamber, and the chimney-piece | |
| | Chaste Dian bathing: never saw I figures | 105 |
| | So likely to report themselves: the cutter | |
| | Was as another nature, dumb; outwent her, | |
| | Motion and breath left out. | |
| POSTHUMUS LEONATUS | This is a thing | |
| | Which you might from relation likewise reap, | 110 |
| | Being, as it is, much spoke of. | |
| IACHIMO | The roof o' the chamber | |
| | With golden cherubins is fretted: her andirons-- | |
| | I had forgot them--were two winking Cupids | |
| | Of silver, each on one foot standing, nicely | 115 |
| | Depending on their brands. | |
| POSTHUMUS LEONATUS | 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 | 120 |
| | The wager you have laid. | |
| IACHIMO | Then, if you can, | |
| | Showing the bracelet | |
| | Be pale: I beg but leave to air this jewel; see! | |
| | And now 'tis up again: it must be married | |
| | To that your diamond; I'll keep them. | 125 |
| POSTHUMUS LEONATUS | Jove! | |
| | Once more let me behold it: is it that | |
| | Which I left with her? | |
| IACHIMO | Sir--I thank her--that: | |
| | She stripp'd it from her arm; I see her yet; | 130 |
| | Her pretty action did outsell her gift, | |
| | And yet enrich'd it too: she gave it me, and said | |
| | She prized it once. | |
| POSTHUMUS LEONATUS | May be she pluck'd it off | |
| | To send it me. | 135 |
| IACHIMO | She writes so to you, doth she? | |
| POSTHUMUS LEONATUS | O, no, no, no! 'tis true. Here, take this too; | |
| | Gives the ring | |
| | It is a basilisk unto mine eye, | |
| | Kills me to look on't. Let there be no honour | |
| | Where there is beauty; truth, where semblance; love, | 140 |
| | 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! | |
| PHILARIO | Have patience, sir, | 145 |
| | And take your ring again; 'tis not yet won: | |
| | It may be probable she lost it; or | |
| | Who knows if one of her women, being corrupted, | |
| | Hath stol'n it from her? | |
| POSTHUMUS LEONATUS | Very true; | 150 |
| | 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. | |
| IACHIMO | By Jupiter, I had it from her arm. | |
| POSTHUMUS LEONATUS | Hark you, he swears; by Jupiter he swears. | 155 |
| | 'Tis true:--nay, keep the ring--'tis true: I am sure | |
| | She would not lose it: her attendants are | |
| | All sworn and honourable:--they induced to steal it! | |
| | And by a stranger!--No, he hath enjoyed her: | |
| | The cognizance of her incontinency | 160 |
| | Is this: she hath bought the name of whore | |
| | thus dearly. | |
| | There, take thy hire; and all the fiends of hell | |
| | Divide themselves between you! | |
| PHILARIO | Sir, be patient: | 165 |
| | This is not strong enough to be believed | |
| | Of one persuaded well of-- | |
| POSTHUMUS LEONATUS | Never talk on't; | |
| | She hath been colted by him. | |
| IACHIMO | If you seek | 170 |
| | For further satisfying, under her breast-- | |
| | Worthy the pressing--lies a mole, right proud | |
| | Of that most delicate lodging: by my life, | |
| | I kiss'd it; and it gave me present hunger | |
| | To feed again, though full. You do remember | 175 |
| | This stain upon her? | |
| POSTHUMUS LEONATUS | Ay, and it doth confirm | |
| | Another stain, as big as hell can hold, | |
| | Were there no more but it. | |
| IACHIMO | Will you hear more? | 180 |
| POSTHUMUS LEONATUS | Spare your arithmetic: never count the turns; | |
| | Once, and a million! | |
| IACHIMO | I'll be sworn-- | |
| POSTHUMUS LEONATUS | No swearing. | |
| | If you will swear you have not done't, you lie; | 185 |
| | And I will kill thee, if thou dost deny | |
| | Thou'st made me cuckold. | |
| IACHIMO | I'll deny nothing. | |
| POSTHUMUS LEONATUS | O, that I had her here, to tear her limb-meal! | |
| | I will go there and do't, i' the court, before | 190 |
| | Her father. I'll do something-- | |
| | Exit | |
| PHILARIO | Quite besides | |
| | The government of patience! You have won: | |
| | Let's follow him, and pervert the present wrath | |
| | He hath against himself. | 195 |
| IACHIMO | With an my heart. | |
| | Exeunt. | |
