William Shakespeare - The Complete Works of William Shakespeare

ARCITE.

Our Vncle Creon.

PALAMON.

He,

A most unbounded Tyrant, whose successes

Makes heaven unfeard, and villany assured

Beyond its power there’s nothing, almost puts

Faith in a feavour, and deifies alone

Voluble chance; who onely attributes

The faculties of other Instruments

To his owne Nerves and act; Commands men service,

And what they winne in’t, boot and glory; on(e)

That feares not to do harm; good, dares not; Let

The blood of mine that’s sibbe to him be suckt

From me with Leeches; Let them breake and fall

Off me with that corruption.

ARCITE.

Cleere spirited Cozen,

Lets leave his Court, that we may nothing share

Of his lowd infamy: for our milke

Will relish of the pasture, and we must

Be vile or disobedient, not his kinesmen

In blood, unlesse in quality.

PALAMON.

Nothing truer:

I thinke the Ecchoes of his shames have dea’ft

The eares of heav’nly Iustice: widdows cryes

Descend againe into their throates, and have not

[enter Valerius.]

Due audience of the Gods.—Valerius!

VALERIUS.

The King cals for you; yet be leaden footed,

Till his great rage be off him. Phebus, when

He broke his whipstocke and exclaimd against

The Horses of the Sun, but whisperd too

The lowdenesse of his Fury.

PALAMON.

Small windes shake him:

But whats the matter?

VALERIUS.

Theseus (who where he threates appals,) hath sent

Deadly defyance to him, and pronounces

Ruine to Thebs; who is at hand to seale

The promise of his wrath.

ARCITE.

Let him approach;

But that we feare the Gods in him, he brings not

A jot of terrour to us; Yet what man

Thirds his owne worth (the case is each of ours)

When that his actions dregd with minde assurd

Tis bad he goes about?

PALAMON.

Leave that unreasond.

Our services stand now for Thebs, not Creon,

Yet to be neutrall to him were dishonour;

Rebellious to oppose: therefore we must

With him stand to the mercy of our Fate,

Who hath bounded our last minute.

ARCITE.

So we must.

Ist sed this warres a foote? or it shall be,

On faile of some condition?

VALERIUS.

Tis in motion

The intelligence of state came in the instant

With the defier.

PALAMON.

Lets to the king, who, were he

A quarter carrier of that honour which

His Enemy come in, the blood we venture

Should be as for our health, which were not spent,

Rather laide out for purchase: but, alas,

Our hands advanc’d before our hearts, what will

The fall o’th stroke doe damage?

ARCITE.

Let th’event,

That never erring Arbitratour, tell us

When we know all our selves, and let us follow

The becking of our chance. [Exeunt.]

Scaena 3. (Before the gates of Athens.)

[Enter Pirithous, Hipolita, Emilia.]

PERITHOUS.

No further.

HIPPOLITA.

Sir, farewell; repeat my wishes

To our great Lord, of whose succes I dare not

Make any timerous question; yet I wish him

Exces and overflow of power, and’t might be,

To dure ill-dealing fortune: speede to him,

Store never hurtes good Gouernours.

PERITHOUS.

Though I know

His Ocean needes not my poore drops, yet they

Must yeild their tribute there. My precious Maide,

Those best affections, that the heavens infuse

In their best temperd peices, keepe enthroand

In your deare heart.

EMILIA.

Thanckes, Sir. Remember me

To our all royall Brother, for whose speede

The great Bellona ile sollicite; and

Since in our terrene State petitions are not

Without giftes understood, Ile offer to her

What I shall be advised she likes: our hearts

Are in his Army, in his Tent.

HIPPOLITA.

In’s bosome:

We have bin Soldiers, and wee cannot weepe

When our Friends don their helmes, or put to sea,

Or tell of Babes broachd on the Launce, or women

That have sod their Infants in (and after eate them)

The brine, they wept at killing ‘em; Then if

You stay to see of us such Spincsters, we

Should hold you here for ever.

PERITHOUS.

Peace be to you,

As I pursue this war, which shall be then

Beyond further requiring. [Exit Pir.]

EMILIA.

How his longing

Followes his Friend! since his depart, his sportes

Though craving seriousnes, and skill, past slightly

His careles execution, where nor gaine

Made him regard, or losse consider; but

Playing one busines in his hand, another

Directing in his head, his minde, nurse equall

To these so diffring Twyns—have you observ’d him,

Since our great Lord departed?

HIPPOLITA.

With much labour,

And I did love him fort: they two have Cabind

In many as dangerous, as poore a Corner,

Perill and want contending; they have skift

Torrents whose roring tyranny and power

I’th least of these was dreadfull, and they have

Fought out together, where Deaths-selfe was lodgd,

Yet fate hath brought them off: Their knot of love,

Tide, weau’d, intangled, with so true, so long,

And with a finger of so deepe a cunning,

May be outworne, never undone. I thinke

Theseus cannot be umpire to himselfe,

Cleaving his conscience into twaine and doing

Each side like Iustice, which he loves best.

EMILIA.

Doubtlesse

There is a best, and reason has no manners

To say it is not you: I was acquainted

Once with a time, when I enjoyd a Playfellow;

You were at wars, when she the grave enrichd,

Who made too proud the Bed, tooke leave o th Moone

(Which then lookt pale at parting) when our count

Was each eleven.

HIPPOLITA.

Twas Flaui(n)a.

EMILIA.

Yes.

You talke of Pirithous and Theseus love;

Theirs has more ground, is more maturely seasond,

More buckled with strong Iudgement and their needes

The one of th’other may be said to water [2. Hearses ready

with Palamon: and Arcite: the 3. Queenes. Theseus: and his

Lordes ready.]

Their intertangled rootes of love; but I

And shee I sigh and spoke of were things innocent,

Lou’d for we did, and like the Elements

That know not what, nor why, yet doe effect

Rare issues by their operance, our soules

Did so to one another; what she lik’d,

Was then of me approov’d, what not, condemd,

No more arraignment; the flowre that I would plucke

And put betweene my breasts (then but beginning

To swell about the blossome) oh, she would long

Till shee had such another, and commit it

To the like innocent Cradle, where Phenix like

They dide in perfume: on my head no toy

But was her patterne; her affections (pretty,

Though, happely, her careles were) I followed

For my most serious decking; had mine eare

Stolne some new aire, or at adventure humd on

From musicall Coynadge, why it was a note

Whereon her spirits would sojourne (rather dwell on)

And sing it in her slumbers. This rehearsall

(Which ev’ry innocent wots well comes in

Like old importments bastard) has this end,

That the true love tweene Mayde, and mayde, may be

More then in sex idividuall.

HIPPOLITA.

Y’are out of breath

And this high speeded pace, is but to say

That you shall never like the Maide Flavina

Love any that’s calld Man.

EMILIA.

I am sure I shall not.

HIPPOLITA.

Now, alacke, weake Sister,

I must no more beleeve thee in this point

(Though in’t I know thou dost beleeve thy selfe,)