Act V, Scene 4

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, 3140
  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 3145
  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? 3150
  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, 3155
  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: 3160
  '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! 3165
  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 3170
  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 3175
  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 3180
  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: 3185
  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, 3190
  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, 3195
  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 3200
  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, 3205
  To be exiled, and thrown
  From Leonati seat, and cast
  From her his dearest one,
  Sweet Imogen?

• Sicilius Leonatus. Why did you suffer Iachimo, 3210
  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? 3215

• 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 3220
  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 3225
  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 3230
  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 3235
  To the shining synod of the rest
  Against thy deity.

• Second Brother. [with First Brother] Help, Jupiter; or we appeal,
  And from thy justice fly.
  [Jupiter descends in thunder and lightning, sitting] 3240
  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, 3245
  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. 3250
  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 3255
  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: 3260
  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 3265
  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. 3270

• 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 3280
  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. 3285
  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. 3290
  [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, 3295
  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; 3300
  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 3310
  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 3315
  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 3320
  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 3325
  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 3330
  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 3335
  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. 3340

• 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 3345
  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. 3350

• 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, 3355
  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 3360
  my wish hath a preferment in 't.

[Exeunt]