William Shakespeare - The Complete Works of William Shakespeare

Then I will trust a sickely appetite,

That loathes even as it longs; but, sure, my Sister,

If I were ripe for your perswasion, you

Have saide enough to shake me from the Arme

Of the all noble Theseus, for whose fortunes

I will now in, and kneele with great assurance,

That we, more then his Pirothous, possesse

The high throne in his heart.

EMILIA.

I am not

Against your faith; yet I continew mine. [Exeunt. Cornets.]

Scaena 4. (A field before Thebes. Dead bodies lying on the ground.)

[A Battaile strooke within: Then a Retrait: Florish. Then

Enter Theseus (victor), (Herald and Attendants:) the three

Queenes meete him, and fall on their faces before him.]

1. QUEEN.

To thee no starre be darke.

2. QUEEN.

Both heaven and earth

Friend thee for ever.

3. QUEEN.

All the good that may

Be wishd upon thy head, I cry Amen too’t.

THESEUS.

Th’imparciall Gods, who from the mounted heavens

View us their mortall Heard, behold who erre,

And in their time chastice: goe and finde out

The bones of your dead Lords, and honour them

With treble Ceremonie; rather then a gap

Should be in their deere rights, we would supply’t.

But those we will depute, which shall invest

You in your dignities, and even each thing

Our hast does leave imperfect: So, adiew,

And heavens good eyes looke on you. What are those? [Exeunt

Queenes.]

HERALD.

Men of great quality, as may be judgd

By their appointment; Sone of Thebs have told’s

They are Sisters children, Nephewes to the King.

THESEUS.

By’th Helme of Mars, I saw them in the war,

Like to a paire of Lions, smeard with prey,

Make lanes in troopes agast. I fixt my note

Constantly on them; for they were a marke

Worth a god’s view: what prisoner was’t that told me

When I enquired their names?

HERALD.

Wi’leave, they’r called Arcite and Palamon.

THESEUS.

Tis right: those, those. They are not dead?

HERALD.

Nor in a state of life: had they bin taken,

When their last hurts were given, twas possible [3. Hearses

ready.]

They might have bin recovered; Yet they breathe

And haue the name of men.

THESEUS.

Then like men use ‘em.

The very lees of such (millions of rates)

Exceede the wine of others: all our Surgions

Convent in their behoofe; our richest balmes

Rather then niggard, waft: their lives concerne us

Much more then Thebs is worth: rather then have ‘em

Freed of this plight, and in their morning state

(Sound and at liberty) I would ‘em dead;

But forty thousand fold we had rather have ‘em

Prisoners to us then death. Beare ‘em speedily

From our kinde aire, to them unkinde, and minister

What man to man may doe—for our sake more,

Since I have knowne frights, fury, friends beheastes,

Loves provocations, zeale, a mistris Taske,

Desire of liberty, a feavour, madnes,

Hath set a marke which nature could not reach too

Without some imposition: sicknes in will

Or wrastling strength in reason. For our Love

And great Appollos mercy, all our best

Their best skill tender. Leade into the Citty,

Where having bound things scatterd, we will post [Florish.]

To Athens for(e) our Army [Exeunt. Musicke.]

Scaena 5. (Another part of the same.) [Enter the Queenes with the Hearses of their Knightes, in a

Funerall Solempnity, &c.]

Vrnes and odours bring away,

Vapours, sighes, darken the day;

Our dole more deadly lookes than dying;

Balmes, and Gummes, and heavy cheeres,

Sacred vials fill’d with teares,

And clamors through the wild ayre flying.

Come all sad and solempne Showes,

That are quick-eyd pleasures foes;

We convent nought else but woes.

We convent, &c.

3. QUEEN.

This funeral path brings to your housholds grave:

Ioy ceaze on you againe: peace sleepe with him.

2. QUEEN.

And this to yours.

1. QUEEN.

Yours this way: Heavens lend

A thousand differing waies to one sure end.

3. QUEEN.

This world’s a Citty full of straying Streetes, And Death’s the market place, where each one meetes. [Exeunt severally.]

Actus Secundus.

Scaena 1. (Athens. A garden, with a prison in the background.)

[Enter Iailor, and Wooer.]

IAILOR.

I may depart with little, while I live; some thing I may cast to you, not much: Alas, the Prison I keepe, though it be for great ones, yet they seldome come; Before one Salmon, you shall take a number of Minnowes. I am given out to be better lyn’d then it can appeare to me report is a true Speaker: I would I were really that I am deliverd to be. Marry, what I have (be it what it will) I will assure upon my daughter at the day of my death.

WOOER.

Sir, I demaund no more then your owne offer, and I will estate

your

Daughter in what I have promised.

IAILOR.

Wel, we will talke more of this, when the solemnity is past. But have you a full promise of her? When that shall be seene, I tender my consent.

[Enter Daughter.]

WOOER.

I have Sir; here shee comes.

IAILOR.

Your Friend and I have chanced to name you here, upon the old busines: But no more of that now; so soone as the Court hurry is over, we will have an end of it: I’th meane time looke tenderly to the two Prisoners. I can tell you they are princes.

DAUGHTER.

These strewings are for their Chamber; tis pitty they are in prison, and twer pitty they should be out: I doe thinke they have patience to make any adversity asham’d; the prison it selfe is proud of ‘em; and they have all the world in their Chamber.

IAILOR.

They are fam’d to be a paire of absolute men.

DAUGHTER.

By my troth, I think Fame but stammers ‘em; they stand a greise above the reach of report.

IAILOR.

I heard them reported in the Battaile to be the only doers.

DAUGHTER.

Nay, most likely, for they are noble suffrers; I mervaile how they would have lookd had they beene Victors, that with such a constant Nobility enforce a freedome out of Bondage, making misery their Mirth, and affliction a toy to jest at.

IAILOR.

Doe they so?

DAUGHTER.

It seemes to me they have no more sence of their Captivity, then I of ruling Athens: they eate well, looke merrily, discourse of many things, but nothing of their owne restraint, and disasters: yet sometime a devided sigh, martyrd as ‘twer i’th deliverance, will breake from one of them; when the other presently gives it so sweete a rebuke, that I could wish my selfe a Sigh to be so chid, or at least a Sigher to be comforted.

WOOER.

I never saw ‘em.

IAILOR.

The Duke himselfe came privately in the night,

[Enter Palamon, and Arcite, above.]

and so did they: what the reason of it is, I know not: Looke, yonder they are! that’s Arcite lookes out.

DAUGHTER.

No, Sir, no, that’s Palamon: Arcite is the lower of the twaine; you may perceive a part of him.

IAILOR.

Goe too, leave your pointing; they would not make us their object; out of their sight.

DAUGHTER.

It is a holliday to looke on them: Lord, the diffrence of men!

[Exeunt.]

Scaena 2. (The prison)

[Enter Palamon, and Arcite in prison.]

PALAMON.

How doe you, Noble Cosen?

ARCITE.

How doe you, Sir?

PALAMON.

Why strong inough to laugh at misery,

And beare the chance of warre, yet we are prisoners,

I feare, for ever, Cosen.

ARCITE.

I beleeve it,

And to that destiny have patiently

Laide up my houre to come.