The Works of William Shakespeare [Cambridge Edition] [Vol. 3 of 9]Shakespeare, William
General
The Works of William Shakespeare [Cambridge Edition] [Vol. 3 of 9]
Shakespeare, William
English drama
_Leon._ Is whispering nothing?
Is leaning cheek to cheek? is meeting noses? 285
Kissing with inside lip? stopping the career
Of laughter with a sigh?--a note infallible
Of breaking honesty;--horsing foot on foot?
Skulking in corners? wishing clocks more swift?
Hours, minutes? noon, midnight? and all eyes 290
Blind with the pin and web but theirs, theirs only,
That would unseen be wicked? is this nothing?
Why, then the world and all that's in't is nothing;
The covering sky is nothing; Bohemia nothing;
My wife is nothing; nor nothing have these nothings, 295
If this be nothing.
_Cam._ Good my lord, be cured
Of this diseased opinion, and betimes;
For 'tis most dangerous.
_Leon._ Say it be, 'tis true.
_Cam._ No, no, my lord.
_Leon._ It is; you lie, you lie:
I say thou liest, Camillo, and I hate thee, 300
Pronounce thee a gross lout, a mindless slave,
Or else a hovering temporizer, that
Canst with thine eyes at once see good and evil,
Inclining to them both: were my wife's liver
Infected as her life, she would not live 305
The running of one glass.
_Cam._ Who does infect her?
_Leon._ Why, he that wears her like her medal, hanging
About his neck, Bohemia: who, if I
Had servants true about me, that bare eyes
To see alike mine honour as their profits, 310
Their own particular thrifts, they would do that
Which should undo more doing: ay, and thou,
His cup-bearer,--whom I from meaner form
Have bench'd and rear'd to worship, who mayst see
Plainly as heaven sees earth and earth sees heaven, 315
How I am gall'd,--mightst bespice a cup,
To give mine enemy a lasting wink;
Which draught to me were cordial.
_Cam._ Sir, my lord,
I could do this, and that with no rash potion,
But with a lingering dram, that should not work 320
Maliciously like poison: but I cannot
Believe this crack to be in my dread mistress,
So sovereignly being honourable.
I have loved thee,--
_Leon._ Make that thy question, and go rot!
Dost think I am so muddy, so unsettled, 325
To appoint myself in this vexation; sully
The purity and whiteness of my sheets,
Which to preserve is sleep, which being spotted
Is goads, thorns, nettles, tails of wasps;
Give scandal to the blood o' the prince my son, 330
Who I do think is mine and love as mine,
Without ripe moving to't? Would I do this?
Could man so blench?
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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