Act I, Scene iv
| Rome. PHILARIO'S house. |
| [Enter PHILARIO, IACHIMO, a FRENCHMAN, a DUTCHMAN, and aSPANIARD.] |
| IACHIMO: |
| Believe it, sir, I have seen him in Britain. He was then of a |
| crescent note, expected to prove so worthy as since he hath |
| been allowed the name of; but I could then have look'd on him |
| without the help of admiration, though the catalogue of his |
| endowments had been tabled by his side and I to peruse him by |
| items. |
| PHILARIO: |
| You speak of him when he was less furnish'd than now he |
| is with that which makes him both without and within. |
| FRENCHMAN: |
| I have seen him in France. We had very many there could |
| behold the sun with as firm eyes as he. |
| IACHIMO: |
| This matter of marrying his king's daughter, wherein he |
| must be weighed rather by her value than his own, words him, I |
| doubt not, a great deal from the matter. |
| FRENCHMAN: |
| And then his banishment. |
| IACHIMO: |
| Ay, and the approbation of those that weep this lamentable |
| divorce under her colours are wonderfully to extend him; be it |
| but to fortify her judgement, which else an easy battery might |
| lay flat, for taking a beggar without less quality. But how |
| comes it he is to sojourn with you? How creeps acquaintance? |
| PHILARIO: |
| His father and I were soldiers together; to whom I have been |
| often bound for no less than my life. |
| [Enter POSTHUMUS.] |
| Here comes the Briton. Let him be so entertained amongst you as |
| suits with gentlemen of your knowing to a stranger of his |
| quality.—I beseech you all, be better known to this gentleman, |
| whom I commend to you as a noble friend of mine. How worthy he |
| is I will leave to appear hereafter, rather than story him in |
| his own hearing. |
| FRENCHMAN: |
| Sir, we have known together in Orleans. |
| POSTHUMUS: |
| Since when I have been debtor to you for courtesies, |
| which I will be ever to pay and yet pay still. |
| FRENCHMAN: |
| Sir, you o'er-rate my poor kindness. I was glad I did atone my |
| countryman and you. It had been pity you should have been put |
| together with so mortal a purpose as then each bore, upon |
| importance of so slight and trivial a nature. |
| POSTHUMUS: |
| By your pardon, sir, I was then a young traveller; rather shunn'd |
| to go even with what I heard than in my every action to be guided |
| by others' experiences: but upon my mended judgement—if I offend |
| [not] to say it is mended—my quarrel was not altogether slight. |
| FRENCHMAN: |
| Faith, yes, to be put to the arbitrement of swords, and by such |
| two that would by all likelihood have confounded one the other, or |
| have fallen both. |
| IACHIMO: |
| Can we, with manners, ask what was the difference? |
| FRENCHMAN: |
| Safely, I think; 'twas a contention in public, which may, without |
| contradiction, suffer the report. It was much like an argument |
| that fell out last night, where each of us fell in praise of our |
| country-mistresses; this gentleman at that time vouching—and |
| upon warrant of bloody affirmation—his to be more fair, virtuous, |
| wise, chaste, constant, qualified, and less attemptable than any |
| the rarest of our ladies in France. |
| IACHIMO: |
| That lady is not now living, or this gentleman's opinion by this |
| worn out. |
| POSTHUMUS: |
| She holds her virtue still, and I my mind. |
| IACHIMO: |
| You must not so far prefer her 'fore ours of Italy. |
| POSTHUMUS: |
| Being so far provok'd as I was in France, I would abate her |
| nothing, though I profess myself her adorer, not her friend. |
| IACHIMO: |
| As fair and as good—a kind of hand-in-hand comparison—had been |
| something too fair and too good for any lady in Britain. If she |
| went before others I have seen, as that diamond of yours outlustres |
| many I have beheld, I could not[but]believe she excelled many. |
| But I have not seen the most precious diamond that is, nor you the |
| lady. |
| POSTHUMUS: |
| I prais'd her as I rated her; so do I my stone. |
| IACHIMO: |
| What do you esteem it at? |
| POSTHUMUS: |
| More than the world enjoys. |
| IACHIMO: |
| Either your unparagon'd mistress is dead, or she's outpriz'd by a |
| trifle. |
| POSTHUMUS: |
| You are mistaken. The one may be sold, or given, if there were |
| wealth enough for the purchase, or merit for the gift; the other is |
| not a thing for sale, and only the gift of the gods. |
| IACHIMO: |
| Which the gods have given you? |
| POSTHUMUS: |
| Which, by their graces, I will keep. |
| IACHIMO: |
| You may wear her in title yours; but, you know, strange fowl |
| light upon neighbouring ponds. Your ring may be stolen too; |
| so your brace of unprizable estimations, the one is but frail |
| and the other casual. A cunning thief, or a that-way- |
| accomplish'd courtier, would hazard the winning both of first |
| and last. |
| POSTHUMUS: |
| Your Italy contains none so accomplish'd a courtier to convince |
| the honour of my mistress, if, in the holding or loss of that, |
| you term her frail. I do nothing doubt you have store of thieves; |
| notwithstanding, I fear not my ring. |
| PHILARIO: |
| Let us leave here, gentlemen. |
| POSTHUMUS: |
| Sir, with all my heart. This worthy signior, I thank him, makes |
| no stranger of me; we are familiar at first. |
| IACHIMO: |
| With five times so much conversation, I should get ground of your |
| fair mistress, make her go back, even to the yielding, had I |
| admittance, and opportunity to friend. |
| POSTHUMUS: |
| No, no. |
| IACHIMO: |
| I dare thereupon pawn the moiety of my estate to your ring; |
| which, in my opinion, o'ervalues it something. But I make my |
| wager rather against your confidence than her reputation; and, |
| to bar your offence herein too, I durst attempt it against any |
| lady in the world. |
| POSTHUMUS: |
| You are a great deal abus'd in too bold a persuasion; and I doubt |
| not you sustain what you're worthy of by your attempt. |
| IACHIMO: |
| What's that? |
| POSTHUMUS: |
| A repulse; though your attempt, as you call it, deserve more,—a |
| punishment too. |
| PHILARIO: |
| Gentlemen, enough of this; it came in too suddenly. Let it die |
| as it was born, and, I pray you, be better acquainted. |
| IACHIMO: |
| Would I had put my estate and my neighbour's on the approbation |
| of what I have spoke! |
| POSTHUMUS: |
| What lady would you choose to assail? |
| IACHIMO: |
| Yours, whom in constancy you think stands so safe. I will lay you |
| ten thousand ducats to your ring, that, commend me to the court |
| where your lady is, with no more advantage than the opportunity of |
| a second conference, and I will bring from thence that honour of |
| hers which you imagine so reserv'd. |
| POSTHUMUS: |
| I will wage against your gold, gold to it. My ring I hold dear as |
| my finger; 'tis part of it. |
| IACHIMO: |
| You are afraid, and therein the wiser. If you buy ladies' flesh |
| at a million a dram, you cannot preserve it from tainting. But I |
| see you have some religion in you, that you fear. |
| POSTHUMUS: |
| This is but a custom in your tongue; you bear a graver purpose, I |
| hope. |
| IACHIMO: |
| I am the master of my speeches, and would undergo what's spoken, |
| I swear. |
| POSTHUMUS: |
| Will you? I shall but lend my diamond till your return. Let |
| there be covenants drawn between's. My mistress exceeds in |
| goodness the hugeness of your unworthy thinking. I dare you to |
| this match: here's my ring. |
| PHILARIO: |
| I will have it no lay. |
| IACHIMO: |
| By the gods, it is one. If I bring you no sufficient testimony |
| that I have enjoy'd the dearest bodily part of your mistress, my |
| ten thousand ducats are yours; so is your diamond too. If I come |
| off, and leave her in such honour as you have trust in, she your |
| jewel, this your jewel, and my gold are yours; provided I have |
| your commendation for my more free entertainment. |
| POSTHUMUS: |
| I embrace these conditions; let us have articles betwixt us. |
| Only, thus far you shall answer: if you make your voyage upon her |
| and give me directly to understand you have prevail'd, I am no |
| further your enemy; she is not worth our debate. If she remain |
| unseduc'd, you not making it appear otherwise, for your ill |
| opinion and the assault you have made to her chastity you shall |
| answer me with your sword. |
| IACHIMO: |
| Your hand; a covenant. We will have these things set down by |
| lawful counsel, and straight away for Britain, lest the bargain |
| should catch cold and starve. I will fetch my gold and have our |
| two wagers recorded. |
| POSTHUMUS: |
| Agreed. |
| [Exeunt POSTHUMUS and IACHIMO.] |
| FRENCHMAN: |
| Will this hold, think you? |
| PHILARIO: |
| Signior Iachimo will not from it. Pray, let us follow 'em. |
| [Exeunt.] |
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