The Two Noble Kinsmen

1 Enter Palamon and his Knights pinioned; Jailer, Executioner and Guard.
2 PALAMON.
3 There’s many a man alive that hath outlived
4 The love o’ th’ people; yea, i’ th’ selfsame state
5 Stands many a father with his child. Some comfort
6 We have by so considering. We expire,
7 And not without men’s pity; to live still,
8 Have their good wishes; we prevent
9 The loathsome misery of age, beguile
10 The gout and rheum that in lag hours attend
11 For gray approachers; we come towards the gods
12 Young and unwappered, not halting under crimes
13 Many and stale. That sure shall please the gods
14 Sooner than such, to give us nectar with ’em,
15 For we are more clear spirits. My dear kinsmen,
16 Whose lives for this poor comfort are laid down,
17 You have sold ’em too too cheap.
18 FIRST KNIGHT.
19 What ending could be
20 Of more content? O’er us the victors have
21 Fortune, whose title is as momentary,
22 As to us death is certain. A grain of honour
23 They not o’erweigh us.
24 SECOND KNIGHT.
25 Let us bid farewell;
26 And with our patience anger tottering Fortune,
27 Who at her certain’st reels.
28 THIRD KNIGHT.
29 Come; who begins?
30 PALAMON.
31 E’en he that led you to this banquet shall
32 Taste to you all.—Ah ha, my friend, my friend,
33 Your gentle daughter gave me freedom once;
34 You’ll see ’t done now for ever. Pray, how does she?
35 I heard she was not well; her kind of ill
36 Gave me some sorrow.
37 JAILER.
38 Sir, she’s well restored,
39 And to be married shortly.
40 PALAMON.
41 By my short life,
42 I am most glad on’t. ’Tis the latest thing
43 I shall be glad of; prithee, tell her so.
44 Commend me to her, and, to piece her portion,
45 Tender her this.
46 [_Gives him his purse._]
47 FIRST KNIGHT.
48 Nay let’s be offerers all.
49 SECOND KNIGHT.
50 Is it a maid?
51 PALAMON.
52 Verily, I think so.
53 A right good creature, more to me deserving
54 Then I can ’quite or speak of.
55 ALL KNIGHTS.
56 Commend us to her.
57 [_They give their purses._]
58 JAILER.
59 The gods requite you all, and make her thankful.
60 PALAMON.
61 Adieu; and let my life be now as short
62 As my leave-taking.
63 [_Lays his head on the block._]
64 FIRST KNIGHT.
65 Lead, courageous cousin.
66 SECOND AND THIRD KNIGHT.
67 We’ll follow cheerfully.
68 [_A great noise within crying “Run!” “Save!” “Hold!”_]
69 Enter in haste a Messenger.
70 MESSENGER.
71 Hold, hold! O hold, hold, hold!
72 Enter Pirithous in haste.
73 PIRITHOUS.
74 Hold, ho! It is a cursed haste you made
75 If you have done so quickly!—Noble Palamon,
76 The gods will show their glory in a life
77 That thou art yet to lead.
78 PALAMON.
79 Can that be,
80 When Venus, I have said, is false? How do things fare?
81 PIRITHOUS.
82 Arise, great sir, and give the tidings ear
83 That are most dearly sweet and bitter.
84 PALAMON.
85 What
86 Hath waked us from our dream?
87 PIRITHOUS.
88 List, then. Your cousin,
89 Mounted upon a steed that Emily
90 Did first bestow on him, a black one, owing
91 Not a hair-worth of white, which some will say
92 Weakens his price, and many will not buy
93 His goodness with this note, which superstition
94 Here finds allowance—on this horse is Arcite
95 Trotting the stones of Athens, which the calkins
96 Did rather tell than trample; for the horse
97 Would make his length a mile, if ’t pleased his rider
98 To put pride in him. As he thus went counting
99 The flinty pavement, dancing, as ’twere, to th’ music
100 His own hooves made—for, as they say, from iron
101 Came music’s origin—what envious flint,
102 Cold as old Saturn, and like him possessed
103 With fire malevolent, darted a spark,
104 Or what fierce sulphur else, to this end made,
105 I comment not; the hot horse, hot as fire,
106 Took toy at this and fell to what disorder
107 His power could give his will; bounds, comes on end,
108 Forgets school-doing, being therein trained
109 And of kind manage. Pig-like he whines
110 At the sharp rowel, which he frets at rather
111 Than any jot obeys; seeks all foul means
112 Of boist’rous and rough jad’ry to disseat
113 His lord that kept it bravely. When naught served,
114 When neither curb would crack, girth break, nor diff’ring plunges
115 Disroot his rider whence he grew, but that
116 He kept him ’tween his legs, on his hind hoofs
117 On end he stands
118 That Arcite’s legs, being higher than his head,
119 Seemed with strange art to hang. His victor’s wreath
120 Even then fell off his head and presently
121 Backward the jade comes o’er, and his full poise
122 Becomes the rider’s load. Yet is he living,
123 But such a vessel ’tis that floats but for
124 The surge that next approaches. He much desires
125 To have some speech with you. Lo, he appears.
126 Enter Theseus, Hippolyta, Emilia, Arcite in a chair.
127 PALAMON.
128 O miserable end of our alliance!
129 The gods are mighty. Arcite, if thy heart,
130 Thy worthy, manly heart, be yet unbroken,
131 Give me thy last words. I am Palamon,
132 One that yet loves thee dying.
133 ARCITE.
134 Take Emilia
135 And with her all the world’s joy. Reach thy hand;
136 Farewell. I have told my last hour. I was false,
137 Yet never treacherous. Forgive me, cousin.
138 One kiss from fair Emilia.
139 [_Emilia kisses Arcite._]
140 ’Tis done.
141 Take her. I die.
142 PALAMON.
143 Thy brave soul seek Elysium!
144 [_Arcite dies._]
145 EMILIA.
146 I’ll close thine eyes, Prince; blessed souls be with thee!
147 Thou art a right good man, and, while I live,
148 This day I give to tears.
149 PALAMON.
150 And I to honour.
151 THESEUS.
152 In this place first you fought; e’en very here
153 I sundered you. Acknowledge to the gods
154 Our thanks that you are living.
155 His part is played, and, though it were too short,
156 He did it well; your day is lengthened, and
157 The blissful dew of heaven does arrose you.
158 The powerful Venus well hath graced her altar,
159 And given you your love. Our master Mars,
160 Hath vouched his oracle, and to Arcite gave
161 The grace of the contention. So the deities
162 Have showed due justice.—Bear this hence.
163 PALAMON.
164 O cousin,
165 That we should things desire, which do cost us
166 The loss of our desire! That naught could buy
167 Dear love, but loss of dear love!
168 [_Arcite’s body is carried out._]
169 THESEUS.
170 Never Fortune
171 Did play a subtler game. The conquered triumphs;
172 The victor has the loss; yet in the passage
173 The gods have been most equal. Palamon,
174 Your kinsman hath confessed the right o’ th’ lady
175 Did lie in you, for you first saw her and
176 Even then proclaimed your fancy. He restored her
177 As your stol’n jewel and desired your spirit
178 To send him hence forgiven. The gods my justice
179 Take from my hand and they themselves become
180 The executioners. Lead your lady off
181 And call your lovers from the stage of death,
182 Whom I adopt my friends. A day or two
183 Let us look sadly, and give grace unto
184 The funeral of Arcite, in whose end
185 The visages of bridegrooms we’ll put on
186 And smile with Palamon; for whom an hour,
187 But one hour since, I was as dearly sorry
188 As glad of Arcite, and am now as glad
189 As for him sorry. O you heavenly charmers,
190 What things you make of us! For what we lack
191 We laugh, for what we have are sorry, still
192 Are children in some kind. Let us be thankful
193 For that which is, and with you leave dispute
194 That are above our question. Let’s go off
195 And bear us like the time.
196 [_Flourish. Exeunt._]
197 EPILOGUE
198 Enter Epilogue.
199 EPILOGUE
200 I would now ask ye how you like the play,
201 But, as it is with schoolboys, cannot say.
202 I am cruel fearful! Pray yet, stay a while,
203 And let me look upon ye. No man smile?
204 Then it goes hard, I see. He that has
205 Loved a young handsome wench, then, show his face—
206 ’Tis strange if none be here—and, if he will,
207 Against his conscience let him hiss, and kill
208 Our market. ’Tis in vain, I see, to stay ye.
209 Have at the worst can come, then! Now what say ye?
210 And yet mistake me not: I am not bold;
211 We have no such cause. If the tale we have told
212 For ’tis no other—any way content ye—
213 For to that honest purpose it was meant ye—
214 We have our end; and you shall have ere long,
215 I dare say, many a better, to prolong
216 Your old loves to us. We, and all our might,
217 Rest at your service. Gentlemen, good night.
218 [_Flourish. Exit._]
219 FINIS