Act 5, Scene 4: A British prison

SCENE IV. A British prison.

    Enter POSTHUMUS LEONATUS and two Gaolers

First Gaoler

    You shall not now be stol'n, you have locks upon you;
    So graze as you find pasture.

Second Gaoler

    Ay, or a stomach.

    Exeunt Gaolers

POSTHUMUS LEONATUS

    Most welcome, bondage! for thou art away,
    think, to liberty: yet am I better
    Than one that's sick o' the gout; since he had rather
    Groan so in perpetuity than be cured
    By the sure physician, death, who is the key
    To unbar these locks. My conscience, thou art fetter'd
    More than my shanks and wrists: you good gods, give me
    The penitent instrument to pick that bolt,
    Then, free for ever! Is't enough I am sorry?
    So children temporal fathers do appease;
    Gods are more full of mercy. Must I repent?
    I cannot do it better than in gyves,
    Desired more than constrain'd: to satisfy,
    If of my freedom 'tis the main part, take
    No stricter render of me than my all.
    I know you are more clement than vile men,
    Who of their broken debtors take a third,
    A sixth, a tenth, letting them thrive again
    On their abatement: that's not my desire:
    For Imogen's dear life take mine; and though
    'Tis not so dear, yet 'tis a life; you coin'd it:
    'Tween man and man they weigh not every stamp;
    Though light, take pieces for the figure's sake:
    You rather mine, being yours: and so, great powers,
    If you will take this audit, take this life,
    And cancel these cold bonds. O Imogen!
    I'll speak to thee in silence.

    Sleeps

    Solemn music. Enter, as in an apparition, SICILIUS LEONATUS, father to Posthumus Leonatus, an old man, attired like a warrior; leading in his hand an ancient matron, his wife, and mother to Posthumus Leonatus, with music before them: then, after other music, follow the two young Leonati, brothers to Posthumus Leonatus, with wounds as they died in the wars. They circle Posthumus Leonatus round, as he lies sleeping

Sicilius Leonatus

    No more, thou thunder-master, show
    Thy spite on mortal flies:
    With Mars fall out, with Juno chide,
    That thy adulteries
    Rates and revenges.
    Hath my poor boy done aught but well,
    Whose face I never saw?
    I died whilst in the womb he stay'd
    Attending nature's law:
    Whose father then, as men report
    Thou orphans' father art,
    Thou shouldst have been, and shielded him
    From this earth-vexing smart.

Mother

    Lucina lent not me her aid,
    But took me in my throes;
    That from me was Posthumus ript,
    Came crying 'mongst his foes,
    A thing of pity!

Sicilius Leonatus

    Great nature, like his ancestry,
    Moulded the stuff so fair,
    That he deserved the praise o' the world,
    As great Sicilius' heir.

First Brother

    When once he was mature for man,
    In Britain where was he
    That could stand up his parallel;
    Or fruitful object be
    In eye of Imogen, that best
    Could deem his dignity?

Mother

    With marriage wherefore was he mock'd,
    To be exiled, and thrown
    From Leonati seat, and cast
    From her his dearest one,
    Sweet Imogen?

Sicilius Leonatus

    Why did you suffer Iachimo,
    Slight thing of Italy,
    To taint his nobler heart and brain
    With needless jealosy;
    And to become the geck and scorn
    O' th' other's villany?

Second Brother

    For this from stiller seats we came,
    Our parents and us twain,
    That striking in our country's cause
    Fell bravely and were slain,
    Our fealty and Tenantius' right
    With honour to maintain.

First Brother

    Like hardiment Posthumus hath
    To Cymbeline perform'd:
    Then, Jupiter, thou king of gods,
    Why hast thou thus adjourn'd
    The graces for his merits due,
    Being all to dolours turn'd?

Sicilius Leonatus

    Thy crystal window ope; look out;
    No longer exercise
    Upon a valiant race thy harsh
    And potent injuries.

Mother

    Since, Jupiter, our son is good,
    Take off his miseries.

Sicilius Leonatus

    Peep through thy marble mansion; help;
    Or we poor ghosts will cry
    To the shining synod of the rest
    Against thy deity.

First Brother Second Brother

    Help, Jupiter; or we appeal,
    And from thy justice fly.

    Jupiter descends in thunder and lightning, sitting upon an eagle: he throws a thunderbolt. The Apparitions fall on their knees

Jupiter

    No more, you petty spirits of region low,
    Offend our hearing; hush! How dare you ghosts
    Accuse the thunderer, whose bolt, you know,
    Sky-planted batters all rebelling coasts?
    Poor shadows of Elysium, hence, and rest
    Upon your never-withering banks of flowers:
    Be not with mortal accidents opprest;
    No care of yours it is; you know 'tis ours.
    Whom best I love I cross; to make my gift,
    The more delay'd, delighted. Be content;
    Your low-laid son our godhead will uplift:
    His comforts thrive, his trials well are spent.
    Our Jovial star reign'd at his birth, and in
    Our temple was he married. Rise, and fade.
    He shall be lord of lady Imogen,
    And happier much by his affliction made.
    This tablet lay upon his breast, wherein
    Our pleasure his full fortune doth confine:
    and so, away: no further with your din
    Express impatience, lest you stir up mine.
    Mount, eagle, to my palace crystalline.

    Ascends

Sicilius Leonatus

    He came in thunder; his celestial breath
    Was sulphurous to smell: the holy eagle
    Stoop'd as to foot us: his ascension is
    More sweet than our blest fields: his royal bird
    Prunes the immortal wing and cloys his beak,
    As when his god is pleased.

All

    Thanks, Jupiter!

Sicilius Leonatus

    The marble pavement closes, he is enter'd
    His radiant root. Away! and, to be blest,
    Let us with care perform his great behest.

    The Apparitions vanish

Posthumus Leonatus

    [Waking] Sleep, thou hast been a grandsire, and begot
    A father to me; and thou hast created
    A mother and two brothers: but, O scorn!
    Gone! they went hence so soon as they were born:
    And so I am awake. Poor wretches that depend
    On greatness' favour dream as I have done,
    Wake and find nothing. But, alas, I swerve:
    Many dream not to find, neither deserve,
    And yet are steep'd in favours: so am I,
    That have this golden chance and know not why.
    What fairies haunt this ground? A book? O rare one!
    Be not, as is our fangled world, a garment
    Nobler than that it covers: let thy effects
    So follow, to be most unlike our courtiers,
    As good as promise.

    Reads
    'When as a lion's whelp shall, to himself unknown,
    without seeking find, and be embraced by a piece of
    tender air; and when from a stately cedar 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.'
    'Tis still a dream, or else such stuff as madmen
    Tongue and brain not; either both or nothing;
    Or senseless speaking or a speaking such
    As sense cannot untie. Be what it is,
    The action of my life is like it, which
    I'll keep, if but for sympathy.

    Re-enter First Gaoler

First Gaoler

    Come, sir, are you ready for death?

POSTHUMUS LEONATUS

    Over-roasted rather; ready long ago.

First Gaoler

    Hanging is the word, sir: if
    you be ready for that, you are well cooked.

POSTHUMUS LEONATUS

    So, if I prove a good repast to the
    spectators, the dish pays the shot.

First Gaoler

    A heavy reckoning for you, sir. But the comfort is,
    you shall be called to no more payments, fear no
    more tavern-bills; which are often the sadness of
    parting, as the procuring of mirth: you come in
    flint for want of meat, depart reeling with too
    much drink; sorry that you have paid too much, and
    sorry that you are paid too much; purse and brain
    both empty; the brain the heavier for being too
    light, the purse too light, being drawn of
    heaviness: of this contradiction you shall now be
    quit. O, the charity of a penny cord! It sums up
    thousands in a trice: you have no true debitor and
    creditor but it; of what's past, is, and to come,
    the discharge: your neck, sir, is pen, book and
    counters; so the acquittance follows.

POSTHUMUS LEONATUS

    I am merrier to die than thou art to live.

First Gaoler

    Indeed, sir, he that sleeps feels not the
    tooth-ache: but a man that were to sleep your
    sleep, and a hangman to help him to bed, I think he
    would change places with his officer; for, look you,
    sir, you know not which way you shall go.

POSTHUMUS LEONATUS

    Yes, indeed do I, fellow.

First Gaoler

    Your death has eyes in 's head then; I have not seen
    him so pictured: you must either be directed by
    some that take upon them to know, or do take upon
    yourself that which I am sure you do not know, or
    jump the after inquiry on your own peril: and how
    you shall speed in your journey's end, I think you'll
    never return to tell one.

POSTHUMUS LEONATUS

    I tell thee, fellow, there are none want eyes to
    direct them the way I am going, but such as wink and
    will not use them.

First Gaoler

    What an infinite mock is this, that a man should
    have the best use of eyes to see the way of
    blindness! I am sure hanging's the way of winking.

    Enter a Messenger

Messenger

    Knock off his manacles; bring your prisoner to the king.

POSTHUMUS LEONATUS

    Thou bring'st good news; I am called to be made free.

First Gaoler

    I'll be hang'd then.

POSTHUMUS LEONATUS

    Thou shalt be then freer than a gaoler; no bolts for the dead.

    Exeunt POSTHUMUS LEONATUS and Messenger

First Gaoler

    Unless a man would marry a gallows and beget young
    gibbets, I never saw one so prone. Yet, on my
    conscience, there are verier knaves desire to live,
    for all he be a Roman: and there be some of them
    too that die against their wills; so should I, if I
    were one. I would we were all of one mind, and one
    mind good; O, there were desolation of gaolers and
    gallowses! I speak against my present profit, but
    my wish hath a preferment in 't.

    Exeunt