Sign up for the free Shakespeare Newsletter

   Cymbeline
ACT V SCENE V Cymbeline's tent. 
 Enter CYMBELINE, BELARIUS, GUIDERIUS, ARVIRAGUS,PISANIO, Lords, Officers, and Attendants 
CYMBELINE Stand by my side, you whom the gods have made 
 Preservers of my throne. Woe is my heart 
 That the poor soldier that so richly fought, 
 Whose rags shamed gilded arms, whose naked breast 5
 Stepp'd before larges of proof, cannot be found: 
 He shall be happy that can find him, if 
 Our grace can make him so. 
BELARIUS I never saw 
 Such noble fury in so poor a thing; 10
 Such precious deeds in one that promises nought 
 But beggary and poor looks. 
CYMBELINE No tidings of him? 
PISANIO He hath been search'd among the dead and living, 
 But no trace of him. 15
CYMBELINE To my grief, I am 
 The heir of his reward; 
 To BELARIUS, GUIDERIUS, and ARVIRAGUS 
 which I will add 
 To you, the liver, heart and brain of Britain, 
 By whom I grant she lives. 'Tis now the time 20
 To ask of whence you are. Report it. 
BELARIUS Sir, 
 In Cambria are we born, and gentlemen: 
 Further to boast were neither true nor modest, 
 Unless I add, we are honest. 25
CYMBELINE Bow your knees. 
 Arise my knights o' the battle: I create you 
 Companions to our person and will fit you 
 With dignities becoming your estates. 
 Enter CORNELIUS and Ladies 
 There's business in these faces. Why so sadly 30
 Greet you our victory? you look like Romans, 
 And not o' the court of Britain. 
CORNELIUS Hail, great king! 
 To sour your happiness, I must report 
 The queen is dead. 35
CYMBELINE Who worse than a physician 
 Would this report become? But I consider, 
 By medicine life may be prolong'd, yet death 
 Will seize the doctor too. How ended she? 
CORNELIUS With horror, madly dying, like her life, 40
 Which, being cruel to the world, concluded 
 Most cruel to herself. What she confess'd 
 I will report, so please you: these her women 
 Can trip me, if I err; who with wet cheeks 
 Were present when she finish'd. 45
CYMBELINE Prithee, say. 
CORNELIUS First, she confess'd she never loved you, only 
 Affected greatness got by you, not you: 
 Married your royalty, was wife to your place; 
 Abhorr'd your person. 50
CYMBELINE She alone knew this; 
 And, but she spoke it dying, I would not 
 Believe her lips in opening it. Proceed. 
CORNELIUS Your daughter, whom she bore in hand to love 
 With such integrity, she did confess 55
 Was as a scorpion to her sight; whose life, 
 But that her flight prevented it, she had 
 Ta'en off by poison. 
CYMBELINE O most delicate fiend! 
 Who is 't can read a woman? Is there more? 60
CORNELIUS More, sir, and worse. She did confess she had 
 For you a mortal mineral; which, being took, 
 Should by the minute feed on life and lingering 
 By inches waste you: in which time she purposed, 
 By watching, weeping, tendance, kissing, to 65
 O'ercome you with her show, and in time, 
 When she had fitted you with her craft, to work 
 Her son into the adoption of the crown: 
 But, failing of her end by his strange absence, 
 Grew shameless-desperate; open'd, in despite 70
 Of heaven and men, her purposes; repented 
 The evils she hatch'd were not effected; so 
 Despairing died. 
CYMBELINE Heard you all this, her women? 
First Lady We did, so please your highness. 75
CYMBELINE Mine eyes 
 Were not in fault, for she was beautiful; 
 Mine ears, that heard her flattery; nor my heart, 
 That thought her like her seeming; it had 
 been vicious 80
 To have mistrusted her: yet, O my daughter! 
 That it was folly in me, thou mayst say, 
 And prove it in thy feeling. Heaven mend all! 
 Enter LUCIUS, IACHIMO, the Soothsayer, and otherRoman Prisoners, guarded; POSTHUMUS LEONATUSbehind, and IMOGEN 
 Thou comest not, Caius, now for tribute that 
 The Britons have razed out, though with the loss 85
 Of many a bold one; whose kinsmen have made suit 
 That their good souls may be appeased with slaughter 
 Of you their captives, which ourself have granted: 
 So think of your estate. 
CAIUS LUCIUS Consider, sir, the chance of war: the day 90
 Was yours by accident; had it gone with us, 
 We should not, when the blood was cool, 
 have threaten'd 
 Our prisoners with the sword. But since the gods 
 Will have it thus, that nothing but our lives 95
 May be call'd ransom, let it come: sufficeth 
 A Roman with a Roman's heart can suffer: 
 Augustus lives to think on't: and so much 
 For my peculiar care. This one thing only 
 I will entreat; my boy, a Briton born, 100
 Let him be ransom'd: never master had 
 A page so kind, so duteous, diligent, 
 So tender over his occasions, true, 
 So feat, so nurse-like: let his virtue join 
 With my request, which I make bold your highness 105
 Cannot deny; he hath done no Briton harm, 
 Though he have served a Roman: save him, sir, 
 And spare no blood beside. 
CYMBELINE I have surely seen him: 
 His favour is familiar to me. Boy, 110
 Thou hast look'd thyself into my grace, 
 And art mine own. I know not why, wherefore, 
 To say 'live, boy:' ne'er thank thy master; live: 
 And ask of Cymbeline what boon thou wilt, 
 Fitting my bounty and thy state, I'll give it; 115
 Yea, though thou do demand a prisoner, 
 The noblest ta'en. 
IMOGEN I humbly thank your highness. 
CAIUS LUCIUS I do not bid thee beg my life, good lad; 
 And yet I know thou wilt. 120
IMOGEN No, no: alack, 
 There's other work in hand: I see a thing 
 Bitter to me as death: your life, good master, 
 Must shuffle for itself. 
CAIUS LUCIUS The boy disdains me, 125
 He leaves me, scorns me: briefly die their joys 
 That place them on the truth of girls and boys. 
 Why stands he so perplex'd? 
CYMBELINE What wouldst thou, boy? 
 I love thee more and more: think more and more 130
 What's best to ask. Know'st him thou look'st on? speak, 
 Wilt have him live? Is he thy kin? thy friend? 
IMOGEN He is a Roman; no more kin to me 
 Than I to your highness; who, being born your vassal, 
 Am something nearer. 135
CYMBELINE Wherefore eyest him so? 
IMOGEN I'll tell you, sir, in private, if you please 
 To give me hearing. 
CYMBELINE Ay, with all my heart, 
 And lend my best attention. What's thy name? 140
IMOGEN Fidele, sir. 
CYMBELINE Thou'rt my good youth, my page; 
 I'll be thy master: walk with me; speak freely. 
 CYMBELINE and IMOGEN converse apart 
BELARIUS Is not this boy revived from death? 
ARVIRAGUS One sand another 145
 Not more resembles that sweet rosy lad 
 Who died, and was Fidele. What think you? 
GUIDERIUS The same dead thing alive. 
BELARIUS Peace, peace! see further; he eyes us not; forbear; 
 Creatures may be alike: were 't he, I am sure 150
 He would have spoke to us. 
GUIDERIUS But we saw him dead. 
BELARIUS Be silent; let's see further. 
PISANIO Aside 
 Since she is living, let the time run on 
 To good or bad. 155
 CYMBELINE and IMOGEN come forward 
CYMBELINE Come, stand thou by our side; 
 Make thy demand aloud. 
 To IACHIMO 
 Sir, step you forth; 
 Give answer to this boy, and do it freely; 
 Or, by our greatness and the grace of it, 160
 Which is our honour, bitter torture shall 
 Winnow the truth from falsehood. On, speak to him. 
IMOGEN My boon is, that this gentleman may render 
 Of whom he had this ring. 
POSTHUMUS LEONATUS Aside 
CYMBELINE That diamond upon your finger, say 165
 How came it yours? 
IACHIMO Thou'lt torture me to leave unspoken that 
 Which, to be spoke, would torture thee. 
CYMBELINE How! me? 
IACHIMO I am glad to be constrain'd to utter that 170
 Which torments me to conceal. By villany 
 I got this ring: 'twas Leonatus' jewel; 
 Whom thou didst banish; and--which more may 
 grieve thee, 
 As it doth me--a nobler sir ne'er lived 175
 'Twixt sky and ground. Wilt thou hear more, my lord? 
CYMBELINE All that belongs to this. 
IACHIMO That paragon, thy daughter,-- 
 For whom my heart drops blood, and my false spirits 
 Quail to remember--Give me leave; I faint. 180
CYMBELINE My daughter! what of her? Renew thy strength: 
 I had rather thou shouldst live while nature will 
 Than die ere I hear more: strive, man, and speak. 
IACHIMO Upon a time,--unhappy was the clock 
 That struck the hour!--it was in Rome,--accursed 185
 The mansion where!--'twas at a feast,--O, would 
 Our viands had been poison'd, or at least 
 Those which I heaved to head!--the good Posthumus-- 
 What should I say? he was too good to be 
 Where ill men were; and was the best of all 190
 Amongst the rarest of good ones,--sitting sadly, 
 Hearing us praise our loves of Italy 
 For beauty that made barren the swell'd boast 
 Of him that best could speak, for feature, laming 
 The shrine of Venus, or straight-pight Minerva. 195
 Postures beyond brief nature, for condition, 
 A shop of all the qualities that man 
 Loves woman for, besides that hook of wiving, 
 Fairness which strikes the eye-- 
CYMBELINE I stand on fire: 200
 Come to the matter. 
IACHIMO All too soon I shall, 
 Unless thou wouldst grieve quickly. This Posthumus, 
 Most like a noble lord in love and one 
 That had a royal lover, took his hint; 205
 And, not dispraising whom we praised,--therein 
 He was as calm as virtue--he began 
 His mistress' picture; which by his tongue 
 being made, 
 And then a mind put in't, either our brags 210
 Were crack'd of kitchen-trolls, or his description 
 Proved us unspeaking sots. 
CYMBELINE Nay, nay, to the purpose. 
IACHIMO Your daughter's chastity--there it begins. 
 He spake of her, as Dian had hot dreams, 215
 And she alone were cold: whereat I, wretch, 
 Made scruple of his praise; and wager'd with him 
 Pieces of gold 'gainst this which then he wore 
 Upon his honour'd finger, to attain 
 In suit the place of's bed and win this ring 220
 By hers and mine adultery. He, true knight, 
 No lesser of her honour confident 
 Than I did truly find her, stakes this ring; 
 And would so, had it been a carbuncle 
 Of Phoebus' wheel, and might so safely, had it 225
 Been all the worth of's car. Away to Britain 
 Post I in this design: well may you, sir, 
 Remember me at court; where I was taught 
 Of your chaste daughter the wide difference 
 'Twixt amorous and villanous. Being thus quench'd 230
 Of hope, not longing, mine Italian brain 
 'Gan in your duller Britain operate 
 Most vilely; for my vantage, excellent: 
 And, to be brief, my practise so prevail'd, 
 That I return'd with simular proof enough 235
 To make the noble Leonatus mad, 
 By wounding his belief in her renown 
 With tokens thus, and thus; averting notes 
 Of chamber-hanging, pictures, this her bracelet,-- 
 O cunning, how I got it!--nay, some marks 240
 Of secret on her person, that he could not 
 But think her bond of chastity quite crack'd, 
 I having ta'en the forfeit. Whereupon-- 
 Methinks, I see him now-- 
POSTHUMUS LEONATUS Advancing 
 Italian fiend! Ay me, most credulous fool, 245
 Egregious murderer, thief, any thing 
 That's due to all the villains past, in being, 
 To come! O, give me cord, or knife, or poison, 
 Some upright justicer! Thou, king, send out 
 For torturers ingenious: it is I 250
 That all the abhorred things o' the earth amend 
 By being worse than they. I am Posthumus, 
 That kill'd thy daughter:--villain-like, I lie-- 
 That caused a lesser villain than myself, 
 A sacrilegious thief, to do't: the temple 255
 Of virtue was she; yea, and she herself. 
 Spit, and throw stones, cast mire upon me, set 
 The dogs o' the street to bay me: every villain 
 Be call'd Posthumus Leonitus; and 
 Be villany less than 'twas! O Imogen! 260
 My queen, my life, my wife! O Imogen, 
 Imogen, Imogen! 
IMOGEN Peace, my lord; hear, hear-- 
POSTHUMUS LEONATUS Shall's have a play of this? Thou scornful page, 
 There lie thy part. 265
 Striking her: she falls 
PISANIO O, gentlemen, help! 
 Mine and your mistress! O, my lord Posthumus! 
 You ne'er kill'd Imogen til now. Help, help! 
 Mine honour'd lady! 
CYMBELINE Does the world go round? 270
POSTHUMUS LEONATUS How come these staggers on me? 
PISANIO Wake, my mistress! 
CYMBELINE If this be so, the gods do mean to strike me 
 To death with mortal joy. 
PISANIO How fares thy mistress? 275
IMOGEN O, get thee from my sight; 
 Thou gavest me poison: dangerous fellow, hence! 
 Breathe not where princes are. 
CYMBELINE The tune of Imogen! 
PISANIO Lady, 280
 The gods throw stones of sulphur on me, if 
 That box I gave you was not thought by me 
 A precious thing: I had it from the queen. 
CYMBELINE New matter still? 
IMOGEN It poison'd me. 285
CORNELIUS O gods! 
 I left out one thing which the queen confess'd. 
 Which must approve thee honest: 'If Pisanio 
 Have,' said she, 'given his mistress that confection 
 Which I gave him for cordial, she is served 290
 As I would serve a rat.' 
CYMBELINE What's this, Comelius? 
CORNELIUS The queen, sir, very oft importuned me 
 To temper poisons for her, still pretending 
 The satisfaction of her knowledge only 295
 In killing creatures vile, as cats and dogs, 
 Of no esteem: I, dreading that her purpose 
 Was of more danger, did compound for her 
 A certain stuff, which, being ta'en, would cease 
 The present power of life, but in short time 300
 All offices of nature should again 
 Do their due functions. Have you ta'en of it? 
IMOGEN Most like I did, for I was dead. 
BELARIUS My boys, 
 There was our error. 305
GUIDERIUS This is, sure, Fidele. 
IMOGEN Why did you throw your wedded lady from you? 
 Think that you are upon a rock; and now 
 Throw me again. 
 Embracing him 
POSTHUMUS LEONATUS Hang there like a fruit, my soul, 310
 Till the tree die! 
CYMBELINE How now, my flesh, my child! 
 What, makest thou me a dullard in this act? 
 Wilt thou not speak to me? 
IMOGEN Kneeling 
BELARIUS To GUIDERIUS and ARVIRAGUS 
 this youth, I blame ye not: 315
 You had a motive for't. 
CYMBELINE My tears that fall 
 Prove holy water on thee! Imogen, 
 Thy mother's dead. 
IMOGEN I am sorry for't, my lord. 320
CYMBELINE O, she was nought; and long of her it was 
 That we meet here so strangely: but her son 
 Is gone, we know not how nor where. 
PISANIO My lord, 
 Now fear is from me, I'll speak troth. Lord Cloten, 325
 Upon my lady's missing, came to me 
 With his sword drawn; foam'd at the mouth, and swore, 
 If I discover'd not which way she was gone, 
 It was my instant death. By accident, 
 had a feigned letter of my master's 330
 Then in my pocket; which directed him 
 To seek her on the mountains near to Milford; 
 Where, in a frenzy, in my master's garments, 
 Which he enforced from me, away he posts 
 With unchaste purpose and with oath to violate 335
 My lady's honour: what became of him 
 I further know not. 
GUIDERIUS Let me end the story: 
 I slew him there. 
CYMBELINE Marry, the gods forfend! 340
 I would not thy good deeds should from my lips 
 Pluck a bard sentence: prithee, valiant youth, 
 Deny't again. 
GUIDERIUS I have spoke it, and I did it. 
CYMBELINE He was a prince. 345
GUIDERIUS A most incivil one: the wrongs he did me 
 Were nothing prince-like; for he did provoke me 
 With language that would make me spurn the sea, 
 If it could so roar to me: I cut off's head; 
 And am right glad he is not standing here 350
 To tell this tale of mine. 
CYMBELINE I am sorry for thee: 
 By thine own tongue thou art condemn'd, and must 
 Endure our law: thou'rt dead. 
IMOGEN That headless man 355
 I thought had been my lord. 
CYMBELINE Bind the offender, 
 And take him from our presence. 
BELARIUS Stay, sir king: 
 This man is better than the man he slew, 360
 As well descended as thyself; and hath 
 More of thee merited than a band of Clotens 
 Had ever scar for. 
 To the Guard 
 Let his arms alone; 
 They were not born for bondage. 365
CYMBELINE Why, old soldier, 
 Wilt thou undo the worth thou art unpaid for, 
 By tasting of our wrath? How of descent 
 As good as we? 
ARVIRAGUS In that he spake too far. 370
CYMBELINE And thou shalt die for't. 
BELARIUS We will die all three: 
 But I will prove that two on's are as good 
 As I have given out him. My sons, I must, 
 For mine own part, unfold a dangerous speech, 375
 Though, haply, well for you. 
ARVIRAGUS Your danger's ours. 
GUIDERIUS And our good his. 
BELARIUS Have at it then, by leave. 
 Thou hadst, great king, a subject who 380
 Was call'd Belarius. 
CYMBELINE What of him? he is 
 A banish'd traitor. 
BELARIUS He it is that hath 
 Assumed this age; indeed a banish'd man; 385
 I know not how a traitor. 
CYMBELINE Take him hence: 
 The whole world shall not save him. 
BELARIUS Not too hot: 
 First pay me for the nursing of thy sons; 390
 And let it be confiscate all, so soon 
 As I have received it. 
CYMBELINE Nursing of my sons! 
BELARIUS I am too blunt and saucy: here's my knee: 
 Ere I arise, I will prefer my sons; 395
 Then spare not the old father. Mighty sir, 
 These two young gentlemen, that call me father 
 And think they are my sons, are none of mine; 
 They are the issue of your loins, my liege, 
 And blood of your begetting. 400
CYMBELINE How! my issue! 
BELARIUS So sure as you your father's. I, old Morgan, 
 Am that Belarius whom you sometime banish'd: 
 Your pleasure was my mere offence, my punishment 
 Itself, and all my treason; that I suffer'd 405
 Was all the harm I did. These gentle princes-- 
 For such and so they are--these twenty years 
 Have I train'd up: those arts they have as I 
 Could put into them; my breeding was, sir, as 
 Your highness knows. Their nurse, Euriphile, 410
 Whom for the theft I wedded, stole these children 
 Upon my banishment: I moved her to't, 
 Having received the punishment before, 
 For that which I did then: beaten for loyalty 
 Excited me to treason: their dear loss, 415
 The more of you 'twas felt, the more it shaped 
 Unto my end of stealing them. But, gracious sir, 
 Here are your sons again; and I must lose 
 Two of the sweet'st companions in the world. 
 The benediction of these covering heavens 420
 Fall on their heads like dew! for they are worthy 
 To inlay heaven with stars. 
CYMBELINE Thou weep'st, and speak'st. 
 The service that you three have done is more 
 Unlike than this thou tell'st. I lost my children: 425
 If these be they, I know not how to wish 
 A pair of worthier sons. 
BELARIUS Be pleased awhile. 
 This gentleman, whom I call Polydore, 
 Most worthy prince, as yours, is true Guiderius: 430
 This gentleman, my Cadwal, Arviragus, 
 Your younger princely son; he, sir, was lapp'd 
 In a most curious mantle, wrought by the hand 
 Of his queen mother, which for more probation 
 I can with ease produce. 435
CYMBELINE Guiderius had 
 Upon his neck a mole, a sanguine star; 
 It was a mark of wonder. 
BELARIUS This is he; 
 Who hath upon him still that natural stamp: 440
 It was wise nature's end in the donation, 
 To be his evidence now. 
CYMBELINE O, what, am I 
 A mother to the birth of three? Ne'er mother 
 Rejoiced deliverance more. Blest pray you be, 445
 That, after this strange starting from your orbs, 
 may reign in them now! O Imogen, 
 Thou hast lost by this a kingdom. 
IMOGEN No, my lord; 
 I have got two worlds by 't. O my gentle brothers, 450
 Have we thus met? O, never say hereafter 
 But I am truest speaker you call'd me brother, 
 When I was but your sister; I you brothers, 
 When ye were so indeed. 
CYMBELINE Did you e'er meet? 455
ARVIRAGUS Ay, my good lord. 
GUIDERIUS And at first meeting loved; 
 Continued so, until we thought he died. 
CORNELIUS By the queen's dram she swallow'd. 
CYMBELINE O rare instinct! 460
 When shall I hear all through? This fierce 
 abridgement 
 Hath to it circumstantial branches, which 
 Distinction should be rich in. Where? how lived You? 
 And when came you to serve our Roman captive? 465
 How parted with your brothers? how first met them? 
 Why fled you from the court? and whither? These, 
 And your three motives to the battle, with 
 I know not how much more, should be demanded; 
 And all the other by-dependencies, 470
 From chance to chance: but nor the time nor place 
 Will serve our long inter'gatories. See, 
 Posthumus anchors upon Imogen, 
 And she, like harmless lightning, throws her eye 
 On him, her brother, me, her master, hitting 475
 Each object with a joy: the counterchange 
 Is severally in all. Let's quit this ground, 
 And smoke the temple with our sacrifices. 
 To BELARIUS 
 Thou art my brother; so we'll hold thee ever. 
IMOGEN You are my father too, and did relieve me, 480
 To see this gracious season. 
CYMBELINE All o'erjoy'd, 
 Save these in bonds: let them be joyful too, 
 For they shall taste our comfort. 
IMOGEN My good master, 485
 I will yet do you service. 
CAIUS LUCIUS Happy be you! 
CYMBELINE The forlorn soldier, that so nobly fought, 
 He would have well becomed this place, and graced 
 The thankings of a king. 490
POSTHUMUS LEONATUS I am, sir, 
 The soldier that did company these three 
 In poor beseeming; 'twas a fitment for 
 The purpose I then follow'd. That I was he, 
 Speak, Iachimo: I had you down and might 495
 Have made you finish. 
IACHIMO Kneeling 
 But now my heavy conscience sinks my knee, 
 As then your force did. Take that life, beseech you, 
 Which I so often owe: but your ring first; 
 And here the bracelet of the truest princess 500
 That ever swore her faith. 
POSTHUMUS LEONATUS Kneel not to me: 
 The power that I have on you is, to spare you; 
 The malice towards you to forgive you: live, 
 And deal with others better. 505
CYMBELINE Nobly doom'd! 
 We'll learn our freeness of a son-in-law; 
 Pardon's the word to all. 
ARVIRAGUS You holp us, sir, 
 As you did mean indeed to be our brother; 510
 Joy'd are we that you are. 
POSTHUMUS LEONATUS Your servant, princes. Good my lord of Rome, 
 Call forth your soothsayer: as I slept, methought 
 Great Jupiter, upon his eagle back'd, 
 Appear'd to me, with other spritely shows 515
 Of mine own kindred: when I waked, I found 
 This label on my bosom; whose containing 
 Is so from sense in hardness, that I can 
 Make no collection of it: let him show 
 His skill in the construction. 520
CAIUS LUCIUS Philarmonus! 
Soothsayer Here, my good lord. 
CAIUS LUCIUS Read, and declare the meaning. 
Soothsayer Reads 
 unknown, without seeking find, and be embraced by a 
 piece of tender air; and when from a stately cedar 525
 shall be lopped branches, which, being dead many 
 years, shall after revive, be jointed to the old 
 stock, and freshly grow; then shall Posthumus end 
 his miseries, Britain be fortunate and flourish in 
 peace and plenty.' 530
 Thou, Leonatus, art the lion's whelp; 
 The fit and apt construction of thy name, 
 Being Leonatus, doth import so much. 
 To CYMBELINE 
 The piece of tender air, thy virtuous daughter, 
 Which we call 'mollis aer;' and 'mollis aer' 535
 We term it 'mulier:' which 'mulier' I divine 
 Is this most constant wife; who, even now, 
 Answering the letter of the oracle, 
 Unknown to you, unsought, were clipp'd about 
 With this most tender air. 540
CYMBELINE This hath some seeming. 
Soothsayer The lofty cedar, royal Cymbeline, 
 Personates thee: and thy lopp'd branches point 
 Thy two sons forth; who, by Belarius stol'n, 
 For many years thought dead, are now revived, 545
 To the majestic cedar join'd, whose issue 
 Promises Britain peace and plenty. 
CYMBELINE Well 
 My peace we will begin. And, Caius Lucius, 
 Although the victor, we submit to Caesar, 550
 And to the Roman empire; promising 
 To pay our wonted tribute, from the which 
 We were dissuaded by our wicked queen; 
 Whom heavens, in justice, both on her and hers, 
 Have laid most heavy hand. 555
Soothsayer The fingers of the powers above do tune 
 The harmony of this peace. The vision 
 Which I made known to Lucius, ere the stroke 
 Of this yet scarce-cold battle, at this instant 
 Is full accomplish'd; for the Roman eagle, 560
 From south to west on wing soaring aloft, 
 Lessen'd herself, and in the beams o' the sun 
 So vanish'd: which foreshow'd our princely eagle, 
 The imperial Caesar, should again unite 
 His favour with the radiant Cymbeline, 565
 Which shines here in the west. 
CYMBELINE Laud we the gods; 
 And let our crooked smokes climb to their nostrils 
 From our blest altars. Publish we this peace 
 To all our subjects. Set we forward: let 570
 A Roman and a British ensign wave 
 Friendly together: so through Lud's-town march: 
 And in the temple of great Jupiter 
 Our peace we'll ratify; seal it with feasts. 
 Set on there! Never was a war did cease, 575
 Ere bloody hands were wash'd, with such a peace. 
 Exeunt 


 | home  |  what's new  |  about this site  |  contact  |  notice of copyright  | 
©1999-2003 Amanda Mabillard. All Rights Reserved.