Shakespeare's Cymbeline Act 1 Scene 4

Cymbeline

Please see the bottom of the page for explanatory notes.

ACT I SCENE IV	Rome. Philario's house.
	Enter PHILARIO, IACHIMO, a Frenchman, a Dutchman, and a Spaniard.
IACHIMO	Believe it, sir, I have seen him in Britain: he was
	then of a crescent note, expected to prove so worthy
	as since he hath been allowed the name of; but I
	could then have looked on him without the help of
	admiration, though the catalogue of his endowments
	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
	he is with that which makes him both without and within.
Frenchman	I have seen him in France: we had very many there	10
	could behold the sun with as firm eyes as he.
IACHIMO	This matter of marrying his king's daughter, wherein
	he must be weighed rather by her value than his own,
	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
	lamentable divorce under her colours are wonderfully
	to extend him; be it but to fortify her judgment,
	which else an easy battery might lay flat, for
	taking a beggar without less quality. But how comes	20
	it he is to sojourn with you? How creeps
	acquaintance?
PHILARIO	His father and I were soldiers together; to whom I
	have been often bound for no less than my life.
	Here comes the Briton: let him be so entertained
	amongst you as suits, with gentlemen of your
	knowing, to a stranger of his quality.
	Enter POSTHUMUS.
	I beseech you all, be better known to this
	gentleman; whom I commend to you as a noble friend
	of mine: how worthy he is I will leave to appear
	hereafter, rather than story him in his own hearing.	30
Frenchman	Sir, we have known together in Orleans.
POSTHUMUS	Since when I have been debtor to you for courtesies,
	which I will be ever to pay and yet pay still.
Frenchman	Sir, you o'er-rate my poor kindness: I was glad I
	did atone my countryman and you; it had been pity
	you should have been put together with so mortal a
	purpose as then each bore, upon importance of so
	slight and trivial a nature.
POSTHUMUS	By your pardon, sir, I was then a young traveller;
	rather shunned to go even with what I heard than in
	my every action to be guided by others' experiences:	40
	but upon my mended judgment--if I offend not to say
	it is mended--my quarrel was not altogether slight.
Frenchman	'Faith, yes, to be put to the arbitrement of swords,
	and by such two that would by all likelihood have
	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,
	which may, without contradiction, suffer the report.
	It was much like an argument that fell out last
	night, where each of us fell in praise of our	50
	country mistresses; this gentleman at that time
	vouching--and upon warrant of bloody
	affirmation--his to be more fair, virtuous, wise,
	chaste, constant-qualified and less attemptable
	than any the rarest of our ladies in France.
IACHIMO	That lady is not now living, or this gentleman's
	opinion by this worn out.
POSTHUMUS	She holds her virtue still and I my mind.	60
IACHIMO	You must not so far prefer her 'fore ours of Italy.
POSTHUMUS	Being so far provoked as I was in France, I would
	abate her nothing, though I profess myself her
	adorer, not her friend.
IACHIMO	As fair and as good--a kind of hand-in-hand
	comparison--had been something too fair and too good
	for any lady in Britain. If she went before others
	I have seen, as that diamond of yours outlustres
	many I have beheld. I could not but believe she
	excelled many: but I have not seen the most
	precious diamond that is, nor you the lady.
POSTHUMUS	I praised her as I rated her: so do I my stone.
IACHIMO	What do you esteem it at?	71
POSTHUMUS	More than the world enjoys.
IACHIMO	Either your unparagoned mistress is dead, or she's
	outprized by a trifle.
POSTHUMUS	You are mistaken: the one may be sold, or given, if
	there were wealth enough for the purchase, or merit
	for the gift: the other is not a thing for sale,
	and only the gift of the gods.
IACHIMO	Which the gods have given you?
POSTHUMUS	Which, by their graces, I will keep.	80
IACHIMO	You may wear her in title yours: but, you know,
	strange fowl light upon neighbouring ponds. Your
	ring may be stolen too: so your brace of unprizable
	estimations; the one is but frail and the other
	casual; a cunning thief, or a that way accomplished
	courtier, would hazard the winning both of first and last.
POSTHUMUS	Your Italy contains none so accomplished a courtier
	to convince the honour of my mistress, if, in the
	holding or loss of that, you term her frail. I do
	nothing doubt you have store of thieves;
	notwithstanding, I fear not my ring.
PHILARIO	Let us leave here, gentlemen.	91
POSTHUMUS	Sir, with all my heart. This worthy signior, I
	thank him, makes no stranger of me; we are familiar at first.
IACHIMO	With five times so much conversation, I should get
	ground of your fair mistress, make her go back, even
	to the yielding, had I admittance and opportunity to friend.
POSTHUMUS	No, no.
IACHIMO	I dare thereupon pawn the moiety of my estate to
	your ring; which, in my opinion, o'ervalues it
	something: but I make my wager rather against your
	confidence than her reputation: and, to bar your
	offence herein too, I durst attempt it against any
	lady in the world.	103
POSTHUMUS	You are a great deal abused in too bold a
	persuasion; and I doubt not you sustain what you're
	worthy of by your attempt.
IACHIMO	What's that?
POSTHUMUS	A repulse: though your attempt, as you call it,
	deserve more; a punishment too.
PHILARIO	Gentlemen, enough of this: it came in too suddenly;
	let it die as it was born, and, I pray you, be
	better acquainted.	112
IACHIMO	Would I had put my estate and my neighbour's on the
	approbation of what I have spoke!
POSTHUMUS	What lady would you choose to assail?
IACHIMO	Yours; whom in constancy you think stands so safe.
	I will lay you ten thousand ducats to your ring,
	that, commend me to the court where your lady is,
	with no more advantage than the opportunity of a
	second conference, and I will bring from thence
	that honour of hers which you imagine so reserved.
POSTHUMUS	I will wage against your gold, gold to it: my ring
	I hold dear as my finger; 'tis part of it.	123
IACHIMO	You are afraid, and therein the wiser. If you buy
	ladies' flesh at a million a dram, you cannot
	preserve it from tainting: but I see you have some
	religion in you, that you fear.
POSTHUMUS	This is but a custom in your tongue; you bear a
	graver purpose, I hope.
IACHIMO	I am the master of my speeches, and would undergo
	what's spoken, I swear.
POSTHUMUS	Will you? I shall but lend my diamond till your
	return: let there be covenants drawn between's: my
	mistress exceeds in goodness the hugeness of your
	unworthy thinking: I dare you to this match: here's my ring.
PHILARIO	I will have it no lay.	136
IACHIMO	By the gods, it is one. If I bring you no
	sufficient testimony that I have enjoyed the dearest
	bodily part of your mistress, my ten thousand ducats
	are yours; so is your diamond too: if I come off,
	and leave her in such honour as you have trust in,
	she your jewel, this your jewel, and my gold are
	yours: provided I have your commendation for my more
	free entertainment.
POSTHUMUS	I embrace these conditions; let us have articles
	betwixt us. Only, thus far you shall answer: if
	you make your voyage upon her and give me directly
	to understand you have prevailed, I am no further
	your enemy; she is not worth our debate: if she
	remain unseduced, you not making it appear
	otherwise, for your ill opinion and the assault you
	have made to her chastity you shall answer me with
	your sword.	150
IACHIMO	Your hand; a covenant: we will have these things set
	down by lawful counsel, and straight away for
	Britain, lest the bargain should catch cold and
	starve: I will fetch my gold and have our two
	wagers recorded.
POSTHUMUS	Agreed.
	[ Exeunt Posthumus and Iachimo.
Frenchman	Will this hold, think you?
PHILARIO	Signior Iachimo will not from it.
	Pray, let us follow 'em.
	[ Exeunt.

Cymbeline, Act 1, Scene 5

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Explanatory Notes for Act 1, Scene 4
From Cymbeline. A.W. Verity. Cambridge, University Press.

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1. Philario has been praising Posthumus, and his friends show a touch of jealousy.

2. crescent note, growing reputation. The affected euphuistic style is that of the courtier Osric in Hamlet. It is satirised in Twelfth Night, III. 1. 76-102.

8. makes him; is the making of him -- as we say.

14. words him ... from the matter, gives him a notoriety beyond his real merits.

16-21. A fantastic way of saying that the partisans of Imogen will exaggerate the merits of Posthumus, in order to justify her marrying beneath her rank.

19, 20. without less quality; the reduplication of the negative idea in phrases denoting want is common in Shakespeare and similar to his use of double negatives for emphasis. quality, qualifications, qualities to recommend him.

35. atone, reconcile; see Glossary.

40, 41. rather shunned to go even. This seems to mean 'was less disposed to judge things for myself than to follow the experience of others, the beaten track.' But does he picture himself as modest, or presumptuous with the self-confidence of youth?
Furness paraphrases: "rather than appear to be guided by others' experience, I avoided giving assent to what I heard."

45. confounded; a stronger word then; 'destroyed.' Cf. confusion ('ruin'), III. 1. 64.

50. suffer the report, bear repeating. This leads up to the wager.

54, 55. constant-qualified, of a constant (i.e. faithful) quality.

63. friend, lover; a common Elizabethan euphemism. The contrast is between the rhapsody of a lover and the graver, more measured, eulogy of a worshipper.

81. in title, nominally.

83, 84. i.e. it is so with your articles esteemed priceless: one (the woman) is but frail, the other (the ring) subject to accidents, e.g. liable to be lost or stolen.

88. to convince the honour, to overcome the chastity. For the verb cf. Macbeth, I. 7. 64, IV. 3. 142. Lat. con, implying 'wholly' + vincere, 'to conquer.'

93. signior; the Shakespearean form of Mod. Ital. signor (Lat. senior).

104. abused, mistaken in your assurance. See G.

113, 114. put ... on the approbation, staked on making good.

124. You are afraid. F. has a Friend, which might possibly mean: 'you are a friend to the lady, and therein the wiser, as you will not expose her to hazard' (by wagering your diamond) -- Johnson. But the correction is generally adopted; it anticipates "you fear."

126. religion; used sometimes with the idea 'religious fidelity, conscientious devotion.'

131. undergo, undertake, perform; cf. III. 5. 109.

136. i.e. I forbid the wager.

141, 142. provided I have, etc., provided you give me an introduction to her and the Court which will ensure my reception.

143. articles, a formal agreement; "a covenant".

How to cite the explanatory notes:
Shakespeare, William. Cymbeline. Ed. A.W. Verity. Cambridge, University Press, 1899. Shakespeare Online. 10 Dec. 2013. < http://www.shakespeare-online.com/plays/cymbel_1_4.html >.

How to cite the sidebar:
Mabillard, Amanda. Notes on Shakespeare. Shakespeare Online. 10 Dec. 2013. < http://www.shakespeare-online.com/plays/cymbel_1_4.html >.

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