The Two Noble Kinsmen | Page 5

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