The Two Noble Kinsmen

1 Cornets. A battle struck within; then a retreat. Flourish. Then enter,
2 Theseus, as victor, with a Herald, other Lords, and Soldiers. The three
3 Queens meet him and fall on their faces before him.
4 FIRST QUEEN.
5 To thee no star be dark!
6 SECOND QUEEN.
7 Both heaven and earth
8 Friend thee for ever!
9 THIRD QUEEN.
10 All the good that may
11 Be wished upon thy head, I cry “Amen” to ’t!
12 THESEUS.
13 Th’ impartial gods, who from the mounted heavens
14 View us their mortal herd, behold who err
15 And, in their time, chastise. Go and find out
16 The bones of your dead lords and honour them
17 With treble ceremony, rather than a gap
18 Should be in their dear rites, we would supply ’t,
19 But those we will depute which shall invest
20 You in your dignities and even each thing
21 Our haste does leave imperfect. So, adieu,
22 And heaven’s good eyes look on you.
23 [_Exeunt Queens._]
24 Enter a Herald and Soldiers bearing Palamon and Arcite on hearses.
25 What are those?
26 HERALD.
27 Men of great quality, as may be judged
28 By their appointment. Some of Thebes have told ’s
29 They are sisters’ children, nephews to the King.
30 THESEUS.
31 By th’ helm of Mars, I saw them in the war,
32 Like to a pair of lions, smeared with prey,
33 Make lanes in troops aghast. I fixed my note
34 Constantly on them, for they were a mark
35 Worth a god’s view. What prisoner was ’t that told me
36 When I enquired their names?
37 HERALD.
38 Wi’ leave, they’re called Arcite and Palamon.
39 THESEUS.
40 ’Tis right; those, those. They are not dead?
41 HERALD.
42 Nor in a state of life. Had they been taken
43 When their last hurts were given, ’twas possible
44 They might have been recovered; yet they breathe
45 And have the name of men.
46 THESEUS.
47 Then like men use ’em.
48 The very lees of such, millions of rates,
49 Exceed the wine of others. All our surgeons
50 Convent in their behoof; our richest balms,
51 Rather than niggard, waste. Their lives concern us
52 Much more than Thebes is worth. Rather than have ’em
53 Freed of this plight, and in their morning state,
54 Sound and at liberty, I would ’em dead;
55 But forty-thousandfold we had rather have ’em
56 Prisoners to us than death. Bear ’em speedily
57 From our kind air, to them unkind, and minister
58 What man to man may do, for our sake, more,
59 Since I have known frights, fury, friends’ behests,
60 Love’s provocations, zeal, a mistress’ task,
61 Desire of liberty, a fever, madness,
62 Hath set a mark which nature could not reach to
63 Without some imposition, sickness in will
64 O’er-wrestling strength in reason. For our love
65 And great Apollo’s mercy, all our best
66 Their best skill tender. Lead into the city,
67 Where, having bound things scattered, we will post
68 To Athens ’fore our army.
69 [_Flourish. Exeunt._]