The Two Noble Kinsmen · John Fletcher
PROLOGVE.
Actus Primus. Scaena 1. (Athens. Before a temple.) [Enter Hymen with a Torch burning: a Boy, in a white Robe before singing, and strewing Flowres: After Hymen, a Nimph, encompast in her Tresses, bearing a wheaten Garland. Then Theseus betweene two other Nimphs with wheaten Chaplets on their heades. Then Hipolita the Bride, lead by Pirithous, and another holding a Garland over her head (her Tresses likewise hanging.) After her Emilia holding up her Traine. (Artesius and Attendants.)] The Song, [Musike.] Roses their sharpe spines being gon, Not royall in their smels alone, But in their hew. Maiden Pinckes, of odour faint, Dazies smel-lesse, yet most quaint And sweet Time true. Prim-rose first borne child of Ver, Merry Spring times Herbinger, With her bels dimme. Oxlips, in their Cradles growing, Mary-golds, on death beds blowing, Larkes-heeles trymme. All deere natures children sweete, Ly fore Bride and Bridegroomes feete, [Strew Flowers.] Blessing their sence. Not an angle of the aire, Bird melodious, or bird faire, Is absent hence. The Crow, the slaundrous Cuckoe, nor The boding Raven, nor Chough hore Nor chattring Pie, May on our Bridehouse pearch or sing, Or with them any discord bring, But from it fly. [Enter 3. Queenes in Blacke, with vailes staind, with imperiall Crownes. The 1. Queene fals downe at the foote of Theseus; The 2. fals downe at the foote of Hypolita. The 3. before Emilia.]
1. QUEEN. For pitties sake and true gentilities, Heare, and respect me. 2. QUEEN. For your Mothers sake, And as you wish your womb may thrive with faire ones, Heare and respect me. 3. QUEEN Now for the love of him whom Iove hath markd The honour of your Bed, and for the sake Of cleere virginity, be Advocate For us, and our distresses. This good deede Shall raze you out o’th Booke of Trespasses All you are set downe there. THESEUS. Sad Lady, rise. HIPPOLITA. Stand up. EMILIA. No knees to me. What woman I may steed that is distrest, Does bind me to her. THESEUS. What’s your request? Deliver you for all. 1. QUEEN. We are 3. Queenes, whose Soveraignes fel before The wrath of cruell Creon; who endured The Beakes of Ravens, Tallents of the Kights, And pecks of Crowes, in the fowle feilds of Thebs. He will not suffer us to burne their bones, To urne their ashes, nor to take th’ offence Of mortall loathsomenes from the blest eye Of holy Phoebus, but infects the windes With stench of our slaine Lords. O pitty, Duke: Thou purger of the earth, draw thy feard Sword That does good turnes to’th world; give us the Bones Of our dead Kings, that we may Chappell them; And of thy boundles goodnes take some note That for our crowned heades we have no roofe, Save this which is the Lyons, and the Beares, And vault to every thing.
THESEUS. Pray you, kneele not: I was transported with your Speech, and suffer’d Your knees to wrong themselves; I have heard the fortunes Of your dead Lords, which gives me such lamenting As wakes my vengeance, and revenge for’em, King Capaneus was your Lord: the day That he should marry you, at such a season, As now it is with me, I met your Groome, By Marsis Altar; you were that time faire, Not Iunos Mantle fairer then your Tresses, Nor in more bounty spread her. Your wheaten wreathe Was then nor threashd, nor blasted; Fortune at you Dimpled her Cheeke with smiles: Hercules our kinesman (Then weaker than your eies) laide by his Club, He tumbled downe upon his Nemean hide And swore his sinews thawd: O greife, and time, Fearefull consumers, you will all devoure. 1. QUEEN. O, I hope some God, Some God hath put his mercy in your manhood Whereto heel infuse powre, and presse you forth Our undertaker. THESEUS. O no knees, none, Widdow, Vnto the Helmeted Belona use them, And pray for me your Souldier. Troubled I am. [turnes away.]
2. QUEEN. Honoured Hypolita, Most dreaded Amazonian, that hast slaine The Sith-tuskd Bore; that with thy Arme as strong As it is white, wast neere to make the male To thy Sex captive, but that this thy Lord, Borne to uphold Creation in that honour First nature stilde it in, shrunke thee into The bownd thou wast ore-flowing, at once subduing Thy force, and thy affection: Soldiresse That equally canst poize sternenes with pitty, Whom now I know hast much more power on him Then ever he had on thee, who ow’st his strength And his Love too, who is a Servant for The Tenour of thy Speech: Deere Glasse of Ladies, Bid him that we, whom flaming war doth scortch, Vnder the shaddow of his Sword may coole us: Require him he advance it ore our heades; Speak’t in a womans key: like such a woman As any of us three; weepe ere you faile; Lend us a knee; But touch the ground for us no longer time Then a Doves motion, when the head’s pluckt off: Tell him if he i’th blood cizd field lay swolne, Showing the Sun his Teeth, grinning at the Moone, What you would doe. HIPPOLITA. Poore Lady, say no more: I had as leife trace this good action with you As that whereto I am going, and never yet Went I so willing way. My Lord is taken Hart deepe with your distresse: Let him consider: Ile speake anon.
3. QUEEN. O my petition was [kneele to Emilia.] Set downe in yce, which by hot greefe uncandied Melts into drops, so sorrow, wanting forme, Is prest with deeper matter. EMILIA. Pray stand up, Your greefe is written in your cheeke. 3. QUEEN. O woe, You cannot reade it there, there through my teares— Like wrinckled peobles in a glassie streame You may behold ’em. Lady, Lady, alacke, He that will all the Treasure know o’th earth Must know the Center too; he that will fish For my least minnow, let him lead his line To catch one at my heart. O pardon me: Extremity, that sharpens sundry wits, Makes me a Foole. EMILIA. Pray you say nothing, pray you: Who cannot feele nor see the raine, being in’t, Knowes neither wet nor dry: if that you were The ground-peece of some Painter, I would buy you T’instruct me gainst a Capitall greefe indeed— Such heart peirc’d demonstration; but, alas, Being a naturall Sifter of our Sex Your sorrow beates so ardently upon me, That it shall make a counter reflect gainst My Brothers heart, and warme it to some pitty, Though it were made of stone: pray, have good comfort. THESEUS. Forward to’th Temple, leave not out a Iot O’th sacred Ceremony. 1. QUEEN. O, This Celebration Will long last, and be more costly then Your Suppliants war: Remember that your Fame Knowles in the eare o’th world: what you doe quickly Is not done rashly; your first thought is more Then others laboured meditance: your premeditating More then their actions: But, oh Iove! your actions, Soone as they mooves, as Asprayes doe the fish, Subdue before they touch: thinke, deere Duke, thinke What beds our slaine Kings have.
2. QUEEN. What greifes our beds, That our deere Lords have none. 3. QUEEN. None fit for ’th dead: Those that with Cordes, Knives, drams precipitance, Weary of this worlds light, have to themselves Beene deathes most horrid Agents, humaine grace Affords them dust and shaddow. 1. QUEEN. But our Lords Ly blistring fore the visitating Sunne, And were good Kings, when living. THESEUS. It is true, and I will give you comfort, To give your dead Lords graves: the which to doe, Must make some worke with Creon. 1. QUEEN. And that worke presents it selfe to’th doing: Now twill take forme, the heates are gone to morrow. Then, booteles toyle must recompence it selfe With it’s owne sweat; Now he’s secure, Not dreames we stand before your puissance Wrinching our holy begging in our eyes To make petition cleere. 2. QUEEN. Now you may take him, drunke with his victory. 3. QUEEN. And his Army full of Bread, and sloth. THESEUS. Artesius, that best knowest How to draw out fit to this enterprise The prim’st for this proceeding, and the number To carry such a businesse, forth and levy Our worthiest Instruments, whilst we despatch This grand act of our life, this daring deede Of Fate in wedlocke. 1. QUEEN. Dowagers, take hands; Let us be Widdowes to our woes: delay Commends us to a famishing hope.
ALL. Farewell. 2. QUEEN. We come unseasonably: But when could greefe Cull forth, as unpanged judgement can, fit’st time For best solicitation. THESEUS. Why, good Ladies, This is a service, whereto I am going, Greater then any was; it more imports me Then all the actions that I have foregone, Or futurely can cope. 1. QUEEN. The more proclaiming Our suit shall be neglected: when her Armes Able to locke Iove from a Synod, shall By warranting Moone-light corslet thee, oh, when Her twyning Cherries shall their sweetnes fall Vpon thy tastefull lips, what wilt thou thinke Of rotten Kings or blubberd Queenes, what care For what thou feelst not? what thou feelst being able To make Mars spurne his Drom. O, if thou couch But one night with her, every howre in’t will Take hostage of thee for a hundred, and Thou shalt remember nothing more then what That Banket bids thee too. HIPPOLITA. Though much unlike [Kneeling.] You should be so transported, as much sorry I should be such a Suitour; yet I thinke, Did I not by th’abstayning of my joy, Which breeds a deeper longing, cure their surfeit That craves a present medcine, I should plucke All Ladies scandall on me. Therefore, Sir, As I shall here make tryall of my prayres, Either presuming them to have some force, Or sentencing for ay their vigour dombe: Prorogue this busines we are going about, and hang Your Sheild afore your Heart, about that necke Which is my ffee, and which I freely lend To doe these poore Queenes service.
ALL QUEENS. Oh helpe now, Our Cause cries for your knee. EMILIA. If you grant not [Kneeling.] My Sister her petition in that force, With that Celerity and nature, which Shee makes it in, from henceforth ile not dare To aske you any thing, nor be so hardy Ever to take a Husband. THESEUS. Pray stand up. I am entreating of my selfe to doe That which you kneele to have me. Pyrithous, Leade on the Bride; get you and pray the Gods For successe, and returne; omit not any thing In the pretended Celebration. Queenes, Follow your Soldier. As before, hence you [to Artesius] And at the banckes of Aulis meete us with The forces you can raise, where we shall finde The moytie of a number, for a busines More bigger look’t. Since that our Theame is haste, I stamp this kisse upon thy currant lippe; Sweete, keepe it as my Token. Set you forward, For I will see you gone. [Exeunt towards the Temple.] Farewell, my beauteous Sister: Pyrithous, Keepe the feast full, bate not an howre on’t. PERITHOUS. Sir, Ile follow you at heeles; The Feasts solempnity Shall want till your returne. THESEUS. Cosen, I charge you Boudge not from Athens; We shall be returning Ere you can end this Feast, of which, I pray you, Make no abatement; once more, farewell all.
1. QUEEN. Thus do’st thou still make good the tongue o’th world. 2. QUEEN. And earnst a Deity equal with Mars. 3. QUEEN. If not above him, for Thou being but mortall makest affections bend To Godlike honours; they themselves, some say, Grone under such a Mastry. THESEUS. As we are men, Thus should we doe; being sensually subdude, We loose our humane tytle. Good cheere, Ladies. [Florish.] Now turne we towards your Comforts. [Exeunt.] Scaena 2. (Thebs). [Enter Palamon, and Arcite.] ARCITE. Deere Palamon, deerer in love then Blood And our prime Cosen, yet unhardned in The Crimes of nature; Let us leave the Citty Thebs, and the temptings in’t, before we further Sully our glosse of youth: And here to keepe in abstinence we shame As in Incontinence; for not to swim I’th aide o’th Current were almost to sincke, At least to frustrate striving, and to follow The common Streame, twold bring us to an Edy Where we should turne or drowne; if labour through, Our gaine but life, and weakenes. PALAMON. Your advice Is cride up with example: what strange ruins Since first we went to Schoole, may we perceive Walking in Thebs? Skars, and bare weedes The gaine o’th Martialist, who did propound To his bold ends honour, and golden Ingots, Which though he won, he had not, and now flurted By peace for whom he fought: who then shall offer To Marsis so scornd Altar? I doe bleede When such I meete, and wish great Iuno would Resume her ancient fit of Ielouzie To get the Soldier worke, that peace might purge For her repletion, and retaine anew Her charitable heart now hard, and harsher Then strife or war could be.
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 Play-fellow; 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,) 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.
Ideas discussed in this chapter
Text from Project Gutenberg, public domain in the United States.