The Two Noble Kinsmen | Page 9

for ever, Cosen.
ARCITE.
I beleeve it,?And to that destiny have patiently?Laide up my houre to come.
PALAMON.
O Cosen Arcite,?Where is Thebs now? where is our noble Country??Where are our friends, and kindreds? never more?Must we behold those comforts, never see?The hardy youthes strive for the Games of honour?(Hung with the painted favours of their Ladies,?Like tall Ships under saile) then start among'st 'em?And as an Eastwind leave 'en all behinde us,?Like lazy Clowdes, whilst Palamon and Arcite,?Even in the wagging of a wanton leg?Out-stript the peoples praises, won the Garlands,?Ere they have time to wish 'em ours. O never?Shall we two exercise, like Twyns of honour,?Our Armes againe, and feele our fyry horses?Like proud Seas under us: our good Swords now?(Better the red-eyd god of war nev'r wore)?Ravishd our sides, like age must run to rust,?And decke the Temples of those gods that hate us:?These hands shall never draw'em out like lightning,?To blast whole Armies more.
ARCITE.
No, Palamon,?Those hopes are Prisoners with us; here we are?And here the graces of our youthes must wither?Like a too-timely Spring; here age must finde us,?And, which is heaviest, Palamon, unmarried;?The sweete embraces of a loving wife,?Loden with kisses, armd with thousand Cupids?Shall never claspe our neckes, no issue know us,?No figures of our selves shall we ev'r see,?To glad our age, and like young Eagles teach 'em?Boldly to gaze against bright armes, and say:?'Remember what your fathers were, and conquer.'?The faire-eyd Maides, shall weepe our Banishments,?And in their Songs, curse ever-blinded fortune,?Till shee for shame see what a wrong she has done?To youth and nature. This is all our world;?We shall know nothing here but one another,?Heare nothing but the Clocke that tels our woes.?The Vine shall grow, but we shall never see it:?Sommer shall come, and with her all delights;?But dead-cold winter must inhabite here still.
PALAMON.
Tis too true, Arcite. To our Theban houndes,?That shooke the aged Forrest with their ecchoes,?No more now must we halloa, no more shake?Our pointed Iavelyns, whilst the angry Swine?Flyes like a parthian quiver from our rages,?Strucke with our well-steeld Darts: All valiant uses?(The foode, and nourishment of noble mindes,)?In us two here shall perish; we shall die?(Which is the curse of honour) lastly?Children of greife, and Ignorance.
ARCITE.
Yet, Cosen,?Even from the bottom of these miseries,?From all that fortune can inflict upon us,?I see two comforts rysing, two meere blessings,?If the gods please: to hold here a brave patience,?And the enjoying of our greefes together.?Whilst Palamon is with me, let me perish?If I thinke this our prison.
PALAMON.
Certeinly,?Tis a maine goodnes, Cosen, that our fortunes?Were twyn'd together; tis most true, two soules?Put in two noble Bodies--let 'em suffer?The gaule of hazard, so they grow together--?Will never sincke; they must not, say they could:?A willing man dies sleeping, and all's done.
ARCITE.
Shall we make worthy uses of this place?That all men hate so much?
PALAMON.
How, gentle Cosen?
ARCITE.
Let's thinke this prison holy sanctuary,?To keepe us from corruption of worse men.?We are young and yet desire the waies of honour,?That liberty and common Conversation,?The poyson of pure spirits, might like women?Wooe us to wander from. What worthy blessing?Can be but our Imaginations?May make it ours? And heere being thus together,?We are an endles mine to one another;?We are one anothers wife, ever begetting?New birthes of love; we are father, friends, acquaintance;?We are, in one another, Families,?I am your heire, and you are mine: This place?Is our Inheritance, no hard Oppressour?Dare take this from us; here, with a little patience,?We shall live long, and loving: No surfeits seeke us:?The hand of war hurts none here, nor the Seas?Swallow their youth: were we at liberty,?A wife might part us lawfully, or busines;?Quarrels consume us, Envy of ill men?Grave our acquaintance; I might sicken, Cosen,?Where you should never know it, and so perish?Without your noble hand to close mine eies,?Or praiers to the gods: a thousand chaunces,?Were we from hence, would seaver us.
PALAMON.
You have made me?(I thanke you, Cosen Arcite) almost wanton?With my Captivity: what a misery?It is to live abroade, and every where!?Tis like a Beast, me thinkes: I finde the Court here--?I am sure, a more content; and all those pleasures?That wooe the wils of men to vanity,?I see through now, and am sufficient?To tell the world, tis but a gaudy shaddow,?That old Time, as he passes by, takes with him.?What had we bin, old in the Court of Creon,?Where sin is Iustice, lust and ignorance?The vertues of the great ones! Cosen Arcite,?Had not the loving gods found this place for us,?We had died as they doe, ill old men, unwept,?And had their Epitaphes, the peoples Curses:?Shall I say more?
ARCITE.
I would heare you still.
PALAMON.
Ye shall.?Is there record of any two that lov'd?Better then we doe, Arcite?
ARCITE.
Sure, there cannot.
PALAMON.
I doe not thinke it possible our friendship?Should ever leave us.
ARCITE.
Till our deathes it cannot;
[Enter Emilia and her woman (below).]
And after death