Act 3, Scene 4

Near Milford-Haven.
Enter Pisanio and Imogen
Imogen Thou told'st me, when we came from horse, the place
Was near at hand: ne'er long'd my mother so
To see me first, as I have now. Pisanio! man!
Where is Posthumus? What is in thy mind,
That makes thee stare thus? Wherefore breaks that sigh 5
From the inward of thee? One, but painted thus,
Would be interpreted a thing perplex'd
Beyond self-explication: put thyself
Into a havior of less fear, ere wildness
Vanquish my staider senses. What's the matter? 10
Why tender'st thou that paper to me, with
A look untender? If't be summer news,
Smile to't before; if winterly, thou need'st
But keep that countenance still. My husband's hand!
That drug-damn'd Italy hath out-craftied him, 15
And he's at some hard point. Speak, man: thy tongue
May take off some extremity, which to read
Would be even mortal to me.

 
Pisanio
Please you, read;
And you shall find me, wretched man, a thing
The most disdain'd of fortune. 20

 
Imogen [Reads] 'Thy mistress, Pisanio, hath played the
strumpet in my bed; the testimonies whereof lie
bleeding in me. I speak not out of weak surmises,
but from proof as strong as my grief and as certain
as I expect my revenge. That part thou, Pisanio, 25
must act for me, if thy faith be not tainted with
the breach of hers. Let thine own hands take away
her life: I shall give thee opportunity at
Milford-Haven. She hath my letter for the purpose
where, if thou fear to strike and to make me certain 30
it is done, thou art the pandar to her dishonour and
equally to me disloyal.'

 
Pisanio What shall I need to draw my sword? the paper
Hath cut her throat already. No, 'tis slander,
Whose edge is sharper than the sword, whose tongue 35
Outvenoms all the worms of Nile, whose breath
Rides on the posting winds and doth belie
All corners of the world: kings, queens and states,
Maids, matrons, nay, the secrets of the grave
This viperous slander enters. What cheer, madam? 40

 
Imogen False to his bed! What is it to be false?
To lie in watch there and to think on him?
To weep 'twixt clock and clock? if sleep charge nature,
To break it with a fearful dream of him
And cry myself awake? that's false to's bed, is it? 45

 
Pisanio Alas, good lady!

 
Imogen I false! Thy conscience witness: Iachimo,
Thou didst accuse him of incontinency;
Thou then look'dst like a villain; now methinks
Thy favour's good enough. Some jay of Italy 50
Whose mother was her painting, hath betray'd him:
Poor I am stale, a garment out of fashion;
And, for I am richer than to hang by the walls,
I must be ripp'd:--to pieces with me!--O,
Men's vows are women's traitors! All good seeming, 55
By thy revolt, O husband, shall be thought
Put on for villany; not born where't grows,
But worn a bait for ladies.

 
Pisanio
Good madam, hear me.
Imogen True honest men being heard, like false Aeneas,
Were in his time thought false, and Sinon's weeping 60
Did scandal many a holy tear, took pity
From most true wretchedness: so thou, Posthumus,
Wilt lay the leaven on all proper men;
Goodly and gallant shall be false and perjured
From thy great fall. Come, fellow, be thou honest: 65
Do thou thy master's bidding: when thou see'st him,
A little witness my obedience: look!
I draw the sword myself: take it, and hit
The innocent mansion of my love, my heart;
Fear not; 'tis empty of all things but grief; 70
Thy master is not there, who was indeed
The riches of it: do his bidding; strike
Thou mayst be valiant in a better cause;
But now thou seem'st a coward.

 
Pisanio
Hence, vile instrument!
Thou shalt not damn my hand. 75

 
Imogen
Why, I must die;
And if I do not by thy hand, thou art
No servant of thy master's. Against self-slaughter
There is a prohibition so divine
That cravens my weak hand. Come, here's my heart.
Something's afore't. Soft, soft! we'll no defence; 80
Obedient as the scabbard. What is here?
The scriptures of the loyal Leonatus,
All turn'd to heresy? Away, away,
Corrupters of my faith! you shall no more
Be stomachers to my heart. Thus may poor fools 85
Believe false teachers: though those that are betray'd
Do feel the treason sharply, yet the traitor
Stands in worse case of woe.
And thou, Posthumus, thou that didst set up
My disobedience 'gainst the king my father 90
And make me put into contempt the suits
Of princely fellows, shalt hereafter find
It is no act of common passage, but
A strain of rareness: and I grieve myself
To think, when thou shalt be disedged by her 95
That now thou tirest on, how thy memory
Will then be pang'd by me. Prithee, dispatch:
The lamb entreats the butcher: where's thy knife?
Thou art too slow to do thy master's bidding,
When I desire it too. 100

 
Pisanio
O gracious lady,
Since I received command to do this business
I have not slept one wink.

 
Imogen
Do't, and to bed then.

 
Pisanio I'll wake mine eye-balls blind first.

 
Imogen
Wherefore then
Didst undertake it? Why hast thou abused
So many miles with a pretence? this place? 105
Mine action and thine own? our horses' labour?
The time inviting thee? the perturb'd court,
For my being absent? whereunto I never
Purpose return. Why hast thou gone so far,
To be unbent when thou hast ta'en thy stand, 110
The elected deer before thee?

 
Pisanio
But to win time
To lose so bad employment; in the which
I have consider'd of a course. Good lady,
Hear me with patience.

 
Imogen
Talk thy tongue weary; speak
I have heard I am a strumpet; and mine ear 115
Therein false struck, can take no greater wound,
Nor tent to bottom that. But speak.

 
Pisanio
Then, madam,
I thought you would not back again.

 
Imogen
Most like;
Bringing me here to kill me.

 
Pisanio
Not so, neither:
But if I were as wise as honest, then 120
My purpose would prove well. It cannot be
But that my master is abused:
Some villain, ay, and singular in his art.
Hath done you both this cursed injury.

 
Imogen Some Roman courtezan. 125

 
Pisanio
No, on my life.
I'll give but notice you are dead and send him
Some bloody sign of it; for 'tis commanded
I should do so: you shall be miss'd at court,
And that will well confirm it.

 
Imogen
Why good fellow,
What shall I do the where? where bide? how live? 130
Or in my life what comfort, when I am
Dead to my husband?

 
Pisanio
If you'll back to the court--

 
Imogen No court, no father; nor no more ado
With that harsh, noble, simple nothing, n.b.
That Cloten, whose love-suit hath been to me 135
As fearful as a siege.

 
Pisanio
If not at court,
Then not in Britain must you bide.

 
Imogen
Where then?
Hath Britain all the sun that shines? Day, night,
Are they not but in Britain? I' the world's volume
Our Britain seems as of it, but not in 't; 140
In a great pool a swan's nest: prithee, think
There's livers out of Britain.

 
Pisanio
I am most glad
You think of other place. The ambassador,
Lucius the Roman, comes to Milford-Haven
To-morrow: now, if you could wear a mind 145
Dark as your fortune is, and but disguise
That which, to appear itself, must not yet be
But by self-danger, you should tread a course
Pretty and full of view; yea, haply, near
The residence of Posthumus; so nigh at least 150
That though his actions were not visible, yet
Report should render him hourly to your ear
As truly as he moves.

 
Imogen
O, for such means!
Though peril to my modesty, not death on't,
I would adventure.

 
Pisanio
Well, then, here's the point:
 155
You must forget to be a woman; change
Command into obedience: fear and niceness--
The handmaids of all women, or, more truly,
Woman its pretty self--into a waggish courage:
Ready in gibes, quick-answer'd, saucy and 160
As quarrelous as the weasel; nay, you must
Forget that rarest treasure of your cheek,
Exposing it--but, O, the harder heart!
Alack, no remedy!--to the greedy touch
Of common-kissing Titan, and forget 165
Your laboursome and dainty trims, wherein
You made great Juno angry.

 
Imogen
Nay, be brief
I see into thy end, and am almost
A man already.

 
Pisanio First, make yourself but like one.
Fore-thinking this, I have already fit-- 170
'Tis in my cloak-bag--doublet, hat, hose, all
That answer to them: would you in their serving,
And with what imitation you can borrow
From youth of such a season, 'fore noble Lucius
Present yourself, desire his service, tell him 175
wherein you're happy,--which you'll make him know,
If that his head have ear in music,--doubtless
With joy he will embrace you, for he's honourable
And doubling that, most holy. Your means abroad,
You have me, rich; and I will never fail 180
Beginning nor supplyment.

 
Imogen
Thou art all the comfort
The gods will diet me with. Prithee, away:
There's more to be consider'd; but we'll even
All that good time will give us: this attempt
I am soldier to, and will abide it with 185
A prince's courage. Away, I prithee.

 
Pisanio Well, madam, we must take a short farewell,
Lest, being miss'd, I be suspected of
Your carriage from the court. My noble mistress,
Here is a box; I had it from the queen: 190
What's in't is precious; if you are sick at sea,
Or stomach-qualm'd at land, a dram of this
Will drive away distemper. To some shade,
And fit you to your manhood. May the gods
Direct you to the best! 195

 
Imogen
Amen: I thank thee.
Exeunt