No, be assur’d you shall not find me, daughter,

After the slander of most stepmothers,

Evil-ey’d unto you. You’re my prisoner, but

Your gaoler shall deliver you the keys

That lock up your restraint. For you, Posthumus,

So soon as I can win th’ offended King,

I will be known your advocate. Marry, yet

The fire of rage is in him, and ’twere good

You lean’d unto his sentence with what patience

Your wisdom may inform you.

Please your Highness,

I will from hence today.

You know the peril.

I’ll fetch a turn about the garden, pitying

The pangs of barr’d affections, though the King

Hath charg’d you should not speak together.

O dissembling courtesy! How fine this tyrant

Can tickle where she wounds! My dearest husband,

I something fear my father’s wrath, but nothing

(Always reserv’d my holy duty) what

His rage can do on me. You must be gone;

And I shall here abide the hourly shot

Of angry eyes, not comforted to live

But that there is this jewel in the world

That I may see again.

My queen! my mistress!

O lady, weep no more, lest I give cause

To be suspected of more tenderness

Than doth become a man. I will remain

The loyal’st husband that did e’er plight troth;

My residence in Rome at one Philario’s,

Who to my father was a friend, to me

Known but by letter; thither write, my queen,

And with mine eyes I’ll drink the words you send,

Though ink be made of gall.

Be brief, I pray you.

If the King come, I shall incur I know not

How much of his displeasure. [_Aside._] Yet I’ll move him

To walk this way. I never do him wrong

But he does buy my injuries, to be friends;

Pays dear for my offences.

Should we be taking leave

As long a term as yet we have to live,

The loathness to depart would grow. Adieu!

Nay, stay a little.

Were you but riding forth to air yourself,

Such parting were too petty. Look here, love:

This diamond was my mother’s; take it, heart;

But keep it till you woo another wife,

When Imogen is dead.

How, how? Another?

You gentle gods, give me but this I have,

And sear up my embracements from a next

With bonds of death! Remain, remain thou here

While sense can keep it on. And, sweetest, fairest,

As I my poor self did exchange for you,

To your so infinite loss, so in our trifles

I still win of you. For my sake wear this;

It is a manacle of love; I’ll place it

Upon this fairest prisoner.

O the gods!

When shall we see again?

Alack, the King!

Thou basest thing, avoid; hence from my sight

If after this command thou fraught the court

With thy unworthiness, thou diest. Away!

Thou’rt poison to my blood.

The gods protect you,

And bless the good remainders of the court!

I am gone.

There cannot be a pinch in death

More sharp than this is.

O disloyal thing,

That shouldst repair my youth, thou heap’st

A year’s age on me!

I beseech you, sir,

Harm not yourself with your vexation.

I am senseless of your wrath; a touch more rare

Subdues all pangs, all fears.

Past grace? obedience?

Past hope, and in despair; that way past grace.

That mightst have had the sole son of my queen!

O blessed that I might not! I chose an eagle,

And did avoid a puttock.

Thou took’st a beggar, wouldst have made my throne

A seat for baseness.

No; I rather added

A lustre to it.

O thou vile one!

Sir,

It is your fault that I have lov’d Posthumus.

You bred him as my playfellow, and he is

A man worth any woman; overbuys me

Almost the sum he pays.

What, art thou mad?

Almost, sir. Heaven restore me! Would I were

A neat-herd’s daughter, and my Leonatus

Our neighbour shepherd’s son!

Thou foolish thing!

[_To the Queen._] They were again together. You have done

Not after our command. Away with her,

And pen her up.

Beseech your patience. Peace,

Dear lady daughter, peace!—Sweet sovereign,

Leave us to ourselves, and make yourself some comfort

Out of your best advice.

Nay, let her languish

A drop of blood a day and, being aged,

Die of this folly.

Fie! you must give way.

Here is your servant. How now, sir! What news?

My lord your son drew on my master.

Ha!

No harm, I trust, is done?

There might have been,

But that my master rather play’d than fought,

And had no help of anger; they were parted

By gentlemen at hand.

I am very glad on’t.

Your son’s my father’s friend; he takes his part

To draw upon an exile! O brave sir!

I would they were in Afric both together;

Myself by with a needle, that I might prick

The goer-back. Why came you from your master?

On his command. He would not suffer me

To bring him to the haven; left these notes

Of what commands I should be subject to,

When’t pleas’d you to employ me.

This hath been

Your faithful servant. I dare lay mine honour

He will remain so.

I humbly thank your Highness.

Pray walk awhile.

About some half-hour hence,

Pray you speak with me.

You shall at least go see my lord aboard.

For this time leave me.