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Betwixt a father by thy step-dame governed;
A mother hourly coining plots; a wooer
More hateful than the foul expulsion is

Of thy dear husband; than that horrid act

The adornment of her bed: the arras, figures, Why, such and such; and the contents o' the story:

Ah, but some natural notes about her body,

Of the divorce he'd make! The heavens hold Above ten thousand meaner movables

firm

The walls of thy dear honor; keep unshaked
That temple, thy fair mind; that thou mayst stand
To enjoy thy banished lord, and this great land!

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[Exit.

Would testify, to enrich mine inventory.

O sleep, thou ape of death, lie dull upon her!
And be her sense but as a monument,
Thus in a chapel lying! Come off, come off:
[Taking off her bracelet.
As slippery as the Gordian knot was hard!
'Tis mine; and this will witness outwardly,

A Bed-chamber; in one part of it a As strongly as the conscience does within,

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Lady.

Almost midnight, madam.

Imo. I have read three hours, then mine eyes
are weak.

Fold down the leaf where I have left: to bed:
Take not away the taper, leave it burning;
And if thou canst awake by four o' the clock,
I pr'y thee call me. Sleep hath seized me wholly.
[Exit Lady.

To your protection I commend me, gods!
From fairies, and the tempters of the night,
Guard me, beseech ye!

IACHIMO, from the trunk.

[Sleeps.

The crickets sing, and man's o'erlabored sense
Repairs itself by rest. Our Tarquin thus
Did softly press the rushes, ere he wakened
The chastity he wounded. Cytherea,
How bravely thou becom'st thy bed! fresh lily!
And whiter than the sheets! That I might touch!
But kiss; one kiss! Rubies unparagoned,
How dearly they do 't. -'T is her breathing that
Perfumes the chamber thus: the flame o' the taper
Bows toward her; and would under-peep her lids,
To see the enclosed lights, now canopied
Under these windows, white and azure, laced
With blue of heaven's own tinct. - But my

sign:

de

To note the chamber, I will write all down:
Such and such pictures: there the window: such

To the madding of her lord. On her left breast,
A mole cinque-spotted, like the crimson drops.
I' the bottom of a cowslip. Here's a voucher
Stronger than ever law could make this secret
Will force him think I have picked the lock, and

ta'en

The treasure of her honor. No more. To what
end?

Why should I write this down, that's riveted,
Screwed to my memory? She hath been reading

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have gold enough. It's almost morning, is 't You were inspired to do those duties which not?

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You tender to her; that you in all obey her,
Save when command to your dismission tends;
And therein you are senseless.
Clo.

Senseless? not so.

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Clo. If she be up, I'll speak with her; if not, Let her lie still and dream. — By your leave, ho! [Knocks.

I know her women are about her: what
If I do line one of their hands? 'Tis gold
Which buys admittance; oft it doth; yea, and
makes

Diana's rangers, false themselves, yield up
Their deer to the stand of the stealer: and 't is
gold

2nd Lord. Here comes the king. Clo. I am glad I was up so late; for that's the reason I was up so early. He cannot choose but take this service I have done, fatherly. -Good-morrow to your majesty, and to my gracious mother. Which makes the true man killed, and saves the Cym. Attend you here the door of our stern daughter?

Will she not forth?

thief;

Nay, sometime hangs both thief and true man :

what

Clo. I have assailed her with music, but she Can it not do, and undo? I will make vouchsafes no notice.

Cym. The exile of her minion is too new;
She hath not yet forgot him: some more time
Must wear the print of his remembrance out
And then she's yours.

Queen. You are most bound to the king,
Who lets go by no vantages that may
Prefer you his daughter. Frame yourself
To orderly solicits, and be friended
With aptness of the season: make denials
Increase your services: so seem, as if

One of her women lawyer to me; for
I yet not understand the case myself.
By your leave.

Enter a Lady.

Lady. Who's there that knocks?
Clo.

Lady.

A gentleman.

No more?

Clo. Yes, and a gentlewoman's son.

Lady.

That's more

[Knocks

Than some, whose tailors are as dear as yours,

Can justly boast of. What's your lordship's pleas- With scraps o' the court), it is no contract, none:

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Clo There's gold for you; sell me your good Yet you are curbed from that enlargement by

report.

Lady. How! my good name? or to report of you What I shall think is good? The princess

Enter IMOGEN.

The consequence o' the crown; and must not soil

The precious note of it with a base slave,

A hilding for a livery, a squire's cloth,
A pantler, not so eminent.
Imo.
Profane fellow !

Clo. Good-morrow, fairest sister: your sweet Wert thou the son of Jupiter, and no more hand. But what thou art besides, thou wert too base

Imo. Good-morrow, sir: you lay out too much To be his groom: thou wert dignified enough,

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Imo. If you but said so, 't were as deep with me:
If you swear still, your recompense is still
That I regard it not.

Clo.

This is no answer.

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To be but named of thee. His meanest garment
That ever hath but clipped his body, is dearer

Imo. But that you shall not say I yield, being In my respect than all the hairs above thee,
silent,
Were they all made such men.
Pisanio?

I would not speak. I pray you, spare me : i' faith,

I shall unfold equal discourtesy

To

your best kindness: one of your great knowing Should learn, being taught, forbearance.

Clo. To leave you in your madness, 't were my sin:

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Enter PISANIO.

How now,

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SCENE IV. — Rome. An Apartment in PHILARIO'S Look through a casement to allure false hearts,

House.

Enter POSTHUMUS and PHILARIO.

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

I barely gratify your love; they failing,
I must die much your debtor.

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 his commission throughly. And I think
He'll grant the tribute, send the arrearages,
Ere look upon our Romans, whose remembrance
Is yet fresh in their grief.

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

Good sir, we must,

Had I not brought

Iach. If you keep covenant. The knowledge of your mistress home, I grant We were to question further: but I now Profess myself the winner of her honor, 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 have tasted her in bed, my hand

you

And ring is yours: if not, the foul opinion.

You had of her pure honor gains or loses Your sword or mine, or masterless leaves both To who shall find them.

Iach.

Sir, my circumstances,

Post. The swiftest harts have posted you by land; Being so near the truth as I will make them,

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(Where I confess I slept not; but profess

Had that was well worth watching), it was hanged
With tapestry of silk and silver; the story,
Proud Cleopatra, when she met her Roman,
And Cydnus swelled 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 wondered,
Could be so rarely and exactly wrought,
Since the true life on 't 't was-

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Once more let me behold it: is it that Which I left with her?

Iach.

Sir (I thank her), that : She stripped it from her arm: I see her yet: Her pretty action did outsell her gift, And yet enriched it too. She gave it me, said

She prized it once.

Post.

To send it me.

Iach.

and

May be she plucked it off

She writes so to you, doth she?

Here, take this

[Gives the ring.

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Kills me to look on 't. - Let there be no honor 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; 't is not yet won:

It may be probable she lost it; or

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

Post.

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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.
Tach. By Jupiter, I had it from her arm.
Post. Hark you, he swears: by Jupiter he

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