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The dream's here still even when I wake, it is
Without me, as within me; not imagined, felt.
A headless man !
The garments of Posthumus!
I know the shape of's leg: this is his hand;
His foot Mercurial; his Martial thigh;
The brawns of Hercules: but his Jovial face-
Murder in heaven?-How!-'Tis gone. Pisanio,
All curses madded Hecuba gave the Greeks,
And mine to boot, be darted on thee! Thou,
Conspired with that irregulous devil, Cloten,
Hast here cut off my lord. To write and read
Be henceforth treacherous ! Damn'd Pisanio
Hath with his forged letters,—damn'd Pisanio—
From this most bravest vessel of the world
Struck the main-top! O Pósthumus! alas,
Where is thy head? where's that? Ay me!
where's that?

Pisanio might have kill'd thee at the heart,

And left this head on. How should this be?
Pisanio?

'Tis he and Cloten: malice and lucre in them
Have laid this woe here. O, 'tis pregnant, preg-
nant !

The drug he gave me, which he said was precious
And cordial to me, have I not found it
Murderous to the senses? That confirms it
home :

This is Pisanio's deed, and Cloten's: O!

Give colour to my pale cheek with thy blood,
That we the horrider may seem to those
Which chance to find us: O, my lord, my lord!

311. Jovial face; cf. Hamlet : 'the front of Jove himself.'

313. madded, i.e. at the slaying of Hector by Achilles.

[Falls on the body.

315. irregulous, lawless.

310

320

330

325. pregnant, evident, convincing.

Enter LUCIUS, a Captain and other Officers, and a Soothsayer.

Cap. To them the legions garrison'd in Gallia, After your will, have cross'd the sea, attending You here at Milford-Haven with your ships: They are in readiness.

Luc.

But what from Rome?

Cap. The senate hath stirr'd up the confiners
And gentlemen of Italy, most willing spirits,
That promise noble service: and they come
Under the conduct of bold Iachimo,
Syenna's brother.

Luc.

When expect you them?

Cap. With the next benefit o' the wind.

Luc.

This forwardness Makes our hopes fair. Command our present

numbers

Be muster'd; bid the captains look to 't. Now, sir, What have you dream'd of late of this war's purpose?

Sooth. Last night the very gods show'd me a

vision

340

I fast and pray'd for their intelligence—thus:
I saw Jove's bird, the Roman eagle, wing'd
From the spongy south to this part of the west,
There vanish'd in the sunbeams: which portends— 350
Unless my sins abuse my divination—
Success to the Roman host.

333. To them, i.e. in addition to the forces already in Britain.

337. confiners, borderers. 341. Syenna, the ruler of Sienna.

346 f. This episode was probably suggested by Holinshed's description of Aulus Plautius'

invasion under Claudius, when 'the mariners and men of war were encouraged by seeing a fierie leme [light] to shoot out of the east towards the west, which way their course lay' (Stone's Holinshed, p. 15).

347. fast, fasted.

349. spongy, moist.

Luc.

And never false.

Without his top?

Dream often so,

Soft, ho! what trunk is here

The ruin speaks that sometime

It was a worthy building. How! a page!
Or dead, or sleeping on him? But dead rather;
For nature doth abhor to make his bed

With the defunct, or sleep upon the dead.

Let's see the boy's face.

Cap.

He's alive, my lord.

Luc. He'll then instruct us of this body.

Young one,

Inform us of thy fortunes, for it seems

They crave to be demanded.

Who is this

Thou mak'st thy bloody pillow? Or who was he
That, otherwise than noble nature did,

Hath alter'd that good picture? What's thy in

terest

In this sad wreck?

What art thou?

Imo.

I am nothing or if not,

How came it? Who is it?

This was my master,

Alas!

Nothing to be were better.

A very valiant Briton and a good,

That here by mountaineers lies slain.

There is no more such masters: I may wander
From east to occident, cry out for service,

Try many, all good, serve truly, never

Find such another master.

Luc.

'Lack, good youth!

Thou mov'st no less with thy complaining than Thy master in bleeding: say his name, good friend.

Imo. Richard du Champ. [Aside] If I do lie and do

No harm by it, though the gods hear, I hope

360

370

364. otherwise than noble nature did, to another figure than that which nature painted.

They'll pardon it.—Say you, sir?

Luc.

Imo.

Thy name?

Fidele, sir.

Luc. Thou dost approve thyself the very same: 380
Thy name well fits thy faith, thy faith thy name.
Wilt take thy chance with me?
I will not say

Thou shalt be so well master'd, but, be sure,
No less beloved. The Roman emperor's letters,
Sent by a consul to me, should not sooner

Than thine own worth prefer thee go with me.
Imo. I'll follow, sir.

gods,

But first, an 't please the

I'll hide my master from the flies, as deep
As these poor pickaxes can dig; and when

With wild wood-leaves and weeds I ha' strew'd his

grave,

and sigh;

And on it said a century of prayers,
Such as I can, twice o'er, I'll weep
And leaving so his service, follow you,
So please you entertain me.

Luc.

Ay, good youth;

And rather father thee than master thee.
My friends,

The boy hath taught us manly duties: let us
Find out the prettiest daisied plot we can,
And make him with our pikes and partisans
A grave: come, arm him. Boy, he is preferr'd
By thee to us, and he shall be interr'd
As soldiers can. Be cheerful; wipe thine eyes:
Some falls are means the happier to arise.

399. partisans, halberds.
400. arm him, 'take him up

in your arms.'

[Exeunt.

400. preferr'd, committed.

390

400

SCENE III. A room in Cymbeline's palace.

Enter CYMBELINE, Lords, PISANIO, and

Attendants.

Cym. Again; and bring me word how 'tis with

her.

[Exit an Attendant.

A fever with the absence of her son,

A madness, of which her life's in danger. Heavens, How deeply you at once do touch me!

Imogen,
The great part of my comfort, gone; my queen
Upon a desperate bed, and in a time.

When fearful wars point at me; her son gone,
So needful for this present: it strikes me, past
The hope of comfort. But for thee, fellow,
Who needs must know of her departure and
Dost seem so ignorant, we'll enforce it from thee
By a sharp torture.

Pis.

Sir, my life is yours;

I humbly set it at your will; but, for my mistress,
I nothing know where she remains, why gone,
Nor when she purposes return.

highness,

Hold me your loyal servant.

First Lord.

Beseech your

Good my liege,

The day that she was missing he was here:
I dare be bound he's true and shall perform
All parts of his subjection loyally. For Cloten,
There wants no diligence in seeking him,
And will, no doubt, be found.

Cym.

The time is troublesome.

[To Pisanio] We'll slip you for a season; but our

jealousy

Does yet depend.

23. depend, hangs over you.

10

20

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