Britain. A hall in
Cymbeline’s palace.[Enter in state, CYMBELINE, QUEEN, CLOTEN,
and Lords at one door, and at another,
CAIUS LUCIUS and Attendants]
CYMBELINE Now say, what would
Augustus Caesar with us?
CAIUS LUCIUS When Julius Caesar, whose remembrance yet
Lives in men’s eyes and will to ears and tongues
Be theme and hearing ever, was in this Britain
And conquer’d it, Cassibelan, thine uncle,–
Famous in Caesar’s praises, no whit less
Than in his feats deserving it–for him
And his succession granted Rome a tribute,
Yearly three thousand pounds, which by thee lately
Is left untender’d.
QUEEN And, to kill the marvel,
Shall be so ever.
CLOTEN There be many Caesars,
Ere such another Julius. Britain is
A world by itself; and we will nothing pay
For wearing our own noses.
QUEEN That opportunity
Which then they had to take from ‘s, to resume
We have again. Remember, sir, my liege,
The kings your ancestors, together with
The natural bravery of your isle, which stands
As Neptune’s park, ribbed and paled in
With rocks unscalable and roaring waters,
With sands that will not bear your enemies’ boats,
But suck them up to the topmast. A kind of conquest
Caesar made here; but made not here his brag
Of ‘Came’ and ‘saw’ and ‘overcame: ‘ with shame–
That first that ever touch’d him–he was carried
From off our coast, twice beaten; and his shipping–
Poor ignorant baubles!– upon our terrible seas,
Like egg-shells moved upon their surges, crack’d
As easily ‘gainst our rocks: for joy whereof
The famed Cassibelan, who was once at point–
O giglot fortune!–to master Caesar’s sword,
Made Lud’s town with rejoicing fires bright
And Britons strut with courage.
CLOTEN Come, there’s no more tribute to be paid:
our kingdom is stronger than it was at that time;
and, as I said, there is no moe such Caesars:
other of them may have crook’d noses,
but to owe such straight arms, none.
CYMBELINE Son, let your mother end.
CLOTEN We have yet many among us
can gripe as hard as Cassibelan: I do not say I am one;
but I have a hand. Why tribute? why should we pay
tribute? If Caesar can hide the sun from us with a blanket,
or put the moon in his pocket, we will pay him tribute
for light; else, sir, no more tribute, pray you now.
CYMBELINE You must know, till the injurious Romans did
extort This tribute from us, we were free: Caesar’s ambition,
Which swell’d so much that it did almost stretch
The sides o’ the world, against all colour here
Did put the yoke upon ‘s; which to shake off
Becomes a warlike people, whom we reckon
Ourselves to be.
CAIUS LUCIUS I am sorry, Cymbeline,
That I am to pronounce Augustus Caesar–
Caesar, that hath more kings his servants than
Thyself domestic officers–thine enemy:
Receive it from me, then: war and confusion
In Caesar’s name pronounce I ‘gainst thee: look
For fury not to be resisted. Thus defied,
I thank thee for myself.
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