IACH.

Proceed.

First, her bed-chamber, (Where, I confess, I slept not; but profess, Had that was well worth watching,) it was hang'd With tapestry of silk and silver; the story, Proud Cleopatra, when she met her Roman, And Cydnus swell'd above the banks, or for The press of boats, or pride: A piece of work So bravely done, so rich, that it did strive In workmanship, and value; which I wonder'd, Could be so rarely and exactly wrought,

Since the true life on 't was—

IACH.

The roof o' the chamber
With golden cherubins is fretted': Her andirons
(I had forgot them) were two winking Cupids.
Of silver, each on one foot standing, nicely
Depending on their brands®.

POST.

This is her honour a!

Let it be granted you have seen all this, (and praise

Be given to your remembrance,) the description

Of what is in her chamber nothing saves

The wager you have laid.

IACH.

Then, if you can,

Be pale: I beg but leave to air this jewel b: See!-
And now 't is up again: It must be married
To that your diamond; I'll keep them.
POST.

Once more let me behold it: Is it that
Which I left with her?

IACH.

Jove!

Sir, (I thank her,) that: She stripp'd it from her arm; I see her yet; Her pretty action did outsell her gift,

And yet enrich'd it too: She gave it me,

And said she priz'd it once.

POST.

[Pulling out the bracelet.

May be she pluck'd it off,

[Gives the ring.

To send it me.
IACH.
She writes so to you? doth she?
POST. O, no, no, no; 't is true. Here, take this too;
It is a basilisk unto mine eye,

PHI.

Kills me to look on 't:-Let there be no honour
Where there is beauty; truth, where semblance; love,
Where there's another man: The vows of women
Of no more bondage be to where they are made,
Than they are to their virtues; which is nothing:-
O, above measure false !

a Iachimo has just said

Have patience, sir,

"I now

Profess myself the winner of her honour."

Johnson interprets this reading, "if you can, forbear to flush your cheek with rage." Boswell says, "if you can, restrain yourself within bounds." To pale is commonly used for to confine or surround. Iachimo has produced no effect upon Posthumus up to this moment; but he now says, if you can, be pale: I will see what this jewel will do to make you change countenance.

And take your ring again; 't is not yet won:

It may be probable she lost it; or,

Who knows if one of her women, being corrupted,
Hath stolen it from her?

POST.

Very true;

And so I hope he came by 't:-Back my ring;-
Render to me some corporal sign about her,
More evident than this; for this was stolen.
IACH. By Jupiter, I had it from her arm.

POST. Hark you, he swears; by Jupiter he swears.

PHI.

"T is true;-nay, keep the ring-'t is true, I am sure
She would not lose it: her attendants are

All sworn, and honourable :-They induc'd to steal it!
And by a stranger!-No, he hath enjoy'd her:

The cognizance of her incontinency

Is this,—she hath bought the name of whore thus dearly.
There, take thy hire; and all the fiends of hell

Divide themselves between you!

Sir, be patient!

POST. Spare your arithmetic: never count the turns;

And that most venerable man, which I

Did call my father, was I know not where

When I was stamp'd; some coiner with his tools
Made me a counterfeit: Yet my mother seem'd
The Dian of that time: so doth my wife

The nonpareil of this.-O vengeance, vengeance!
Me of my lawful pleasure she restrain'd,
And pray'd me, oft, forbearance: did it with

A pudency so rosy, the sweet view on 't

Might well have warm'd old Saturn; that I thought her
As chaste as unsunn'd snow:-O, all the devils!—
This yellow Iachimo, in an hour,—was 't not?—
Or less, at first: Perchance he spoke not; but,
Like a full-acorn'd boar, a German one,
Cry'd, oh! and mounted: found no opposition
But what he look'd for should oppose, and she
Should from encounter guard. Could I find out
The woman's part in me! For there 's no motion
That tends to vice in man, but I affirm

It is the woman's part: Be it lying, note it,

The woman's; flattering, hers; deceiving, hers;
Lust and rank thoughts, hers, hers; revenges, hers;
Ambitions, covetings, change of prides, disdain,
Nice longings, slanders, mutability,

All faults that may be nam'd, nay, that hell knows,
Why, hers, in part or all; but rather, all:

For ev'n to vice

They are not constant, but are changing still
One vice but of a minute old, for one

Not half so old as that. I'll write against them,

a Pervert-for avert.

[Exeunt.

Detest them, curse them:-Yet 't is greater skill

In a true hate, to pray they have their will:

The very devils cannot plague them better".

[Exit.

This is the same idea that is more piously expressed by Sir Thomas More-"God could not lightly do a man more vengeance than in this world to grant him his own foolish wishes."