The Arden Shakespeare Complete Works

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The Arden Shakespeare Complete Works Page 548

by William Shakespeare


  5

  Store never hurts good governors.

  PIRITHOUS Though I know

  His ocean needs not my poor drops, yet they

  Must yield their tribute there.

  [to Emilia] My precious maid,

  Those best affections that the heavens infuse

  In their best-tempered pieces keep enthroned

  10

  In your dear heart.

  EMILIA Thanks, sir. Remember me

  To our all-royal brother, for whose speed

  The great Bellona I’ll solicit; and,

  Since in our terrene state petitions are not

  Without gifts understood, I’ll offer to her

  15

  What I shall be advised she likes. Our hearts

  Are in his army, in his tent –

  HIPPOLYTA In’s bosom.

  We have been soldiers and we cannot weep

  When our friends don their helms, or put to sea,

  Or tell of babes broached on the lance, or women

  20

  That have sod their infants in (and after eat them)

  The brine they wept at killing ’em. Then, if

  You stay to see of us such spinsters, we

  Should hold you here forever.

  PIRITHOUS Peace be to you

  As I pursue this war, which shall be then

  25

  Beyond further requiring. Exit.

  EMILIA How his longing

  Follows his friend! Since his depart, his sports,

  Though craving seriousness and skill, passed slightly

  His careless execution, where nor gain

  Made him regard or loss consider, but,

  30

  Playing one business in his hand, another

  Directing in his head, his mind nurse equal

  To these so-differing twins. Have you observed him,

  Since our great lord departed?

  HIPPOLYTA With much labour,

  And I did love him for’t. They two have cabined

  35

  In many as dangerous as poor a corner,

  Peril and want contending; they have skiffed

  Torrents whose roaring tyranny and power

  I’th’ least of these was dreadful; and they have

  Sought out together where Death’s self was lodged;

  40

  Yet fate hath brought them off. Their knot of love,

  Tied, weaved, entangled, with so true, so long,

  And with a finger of so deep a cunning,

  May be outworn, never undone. I think

  theseus cannot be umpire to himself,

  45

  Cleaving his conscience into twain and doing

  Each side like justice, which he loves best.

  EMILIA Doubtless,

  There is a best and reason has no manners

  To say it is not you. I was acquainted

  Once with a time when I enjoyed a play-fellow.

  50

  You were at wars when she the grave enriched,

  Who made too proud the bed – took leave o’th’ moon

  (Which then looked pale at parting) when our count

  Was each eleven.

  HIPPOLYTA ’Twas Flavina.

  EMILIA Yes.

  You talk of Pirithous’ and Theseus’ love.

  55

  Theirs has more ground, is more maturely seasoned,

  More buckled with strong judgement, and their needs

  The one of th’other may be said to water

  Their intertangled roots of love – but I

  And she I sigh and spoke of were things innocent,

  60

  Loved for we did and like the elements

  That know not what nor why, yet do effect

  Rare issues by their operance; our souls

  Did so to one another. What she liked

  Was then of me approved; what not, condemned –

  65

  No more arraignment. The flower that I would pluck

  And put between my breasts (then but beginning

  To swell about the blossom), O, she would long

  Till she had such another, and commit it

  To the like innocent cradle, where phoenix-like

  70

  They died in perfume. On my head no toy

  But was her pattern; her affections – pretty,

  Though happily her careless wear – I followed

  For my most serious decking; had mine ear

  Stol’n some new air or at adventure hummed one

  75

  From musical coinage, why, it was a note

  Whereon her spirits would sojourn – rather, dwell on,

  And sing it in her slumbers. This rehearsal,

  Which fury-innocent wots well, comes in

  Like old importment’s bastard, has this end:

  80

  That the true love ’tween maid and maid may be

  More than in sex dividual.

  HIPPOLYTA You’re out of breath!

  And this high-speeded pace is but to say

  That you shall never, like the maid Flavina,

  Love any that’s called man.

  EMILIA I am sure I shall not.

  85

  HIPPOLYTA Now, alack, weak sister,

  I must no more believe thee in this point,

  Though in’t I know thou dost believe thy self,

  Than I will trust a sickly appetite

  That loathes even as it longs. But sure, my sister,

  90

  If I were ripe for your persuasion, you

  Have said enough to shake me from the arm

  Of the all-noble Theseus – for whose fortunes

  I will now in and kneel, with great assurance

  That we, more than his Pirithous, possess

  95

  The high throne in his heart.

  EMILIA I am not

  Against your faith, yet I continue mine. Exeunt.

  1.4 Cornets. A battle struck within; then a retreat. Flourish. Then enter THESEUS as victor, with a Herald, other lords, and soldiers, PALAMON and ARCITE on hearses The three Queens meet him and fall on their faces before him.

  1QUEEN To thee no star be dark!

  2QUEEN Both heaven and earth

  Friend thee forever!

  3QUEEN All the good that may

  Be wished upon thy head, I cry ‘Amen’ to’t!

  THESEUS

  Th’impartial gods, who from the mounted heavens

  View us, their mortal herd, behold who err

  5

  And, in their time, chastise. Go and find out

  The bones of your dead lords and honour them

  With treble ceremony, rather than a gap

  Should be in their dear rites. We would supply’t,

  But those we will depute, which shall invest

  10

  You in your dignities and even each thing

  Our haste does leave imperfect. So adieu,

  And heaven’s good eyes look on you. Exeunt Queens.

  [Theseus notices the two hearses.] What are those?

  HERALD Men of great quality, as may be judged

  By their appointment. Some of Thebes have told’s

  15

  They are sisters’ children, nephews to the King.

  THESEUS By th’ helm of Mars, I saw them in the war,

  Like to a pair of lions, smeared with prey,

  Make lanes in troops aghast. I fixed my note

  Constantly on them, for they were a mark

  20

  Worth a god’s view. What prisoner was’t that told me

  When I enquired their names?

  HERALD Wi’ leave, they’re called

  Arcite and Palamon.

  THESEUS ’Tis right; those, those.

  They are not dead?

  HERALD Nor in a state of life. Had they been taken

  25

  When their last hurts were given, ’twas possible


  They might have been recovered; yet they breathe

  And have the name of men.

  THESEUS Then like men use ’em.

  The very lees of such, millions of rates,

  Exceed the wine of others. All our surgeons

  30

  Convent in their behoof; our richest balms,

  Rather than niggard, waste; their lives concern us

  Much more than Thebes is worth. Rather than have ’em

  Freed of this plight and in their morning state,

  Sound and at liberty, I would ’em dead;

  35

  But forty-thousandfold we had rather have ’em

  Prisoners to us than death. Bear ’em speedily

  From our kind air, to them unkind, and minister

  What man to man may do, for our sake – more,

  Since I have known frights, fury, friends’ behests,

  40

  Love’s provocations, zeal, a mistress’ task,

  Desire of liberty, a fever, madness,

  Hath set a mark which nature could not reach to

  Without some imposition, sickness in will

  O’er-wrestling strength in reason. For our love

  45

  And great Apollo’s mercy, all our best

  Their best skill tender. Lead into the city,

  Where having bound things scattered, we will post

  To Athens ’fore our army. Flourish. Exeunt.

  1.5 Music. Enter the Queens with the hearses of their knights, in a funeral solemnity.

  The Dirge.

  Urns and odours bring away;

  Vapours, sighs, darken the day;

  Our dole more deadly looks than dying –

  Balms and gums and heavy cheers,

  Sacred vials fill’d with tears,

  5

  And clamours through the wild air flying.

  Come, all sad and solemn shows

  That are quick-eyed Pleasure’s foes;

  We convent naught else but woes.

  We convent naught else but woes.

  10

  3QUEEN

  This funeral path brings to your household’s grave:

  Joy seize on you again; peace sleep with him.

  2QUEEN And this to yours.

  1QUEEN Yours this way. Heavens lend

  A thousand differing ways to one sure end.

  3QUEEN This world’s a city full of straying streets,

  15

  And death’s the market-place where each one meets.

  Exeunt severally.

  2.1 Enter Jailer and Wooer.

  JAILER I may depart with little while I live; something I

  may cast to you, not much. Alas, the prison I keep,

  though it be for great ones, yet they seldom come;

  before one salmon, you shall take a number of

  minnows. I am given out to be better lined than it can

  5

  appear to me report is a true speaker. I would I were

  really that I am delivered to be. Marry, what I have, be

  it what it will, I will assure upon my daughter at the

  day of my death.

  WOOER Sir, I demand no more than your own offer and

  10

  I will estate your daughter in what I have promised.

  JAILER Well, we will talk more of this when the

  solemnity is past. But have you a full promise of her?

  Enter the Jailer’s Daughter carrying rushes.

  When that shall be seen, I tender my consent.

  WOOER I have, Sir. Here she comes.

  15

  JAILER [to his Daughter] Your friend and I have chanced

  to name you here, upon the old business. But no more

  of that now; so soon as the court hurry is over, we will

  have an end of it. I’th’ meantime, look tenderly to the

  two prisoners. I can tell you, they are princes.

  20

  DAUGHTER These strewings are for their chamber. ’Tis

  pity they are in prison and ’twere pity they should be

  out. I do think they have patience to make any

  adversity ashamed. The prison itself is proud of ’em

  and they have all the world in their chamber.

  25

  JAILER They are famed to be a pair of absolute men.

  DAUGHTER By my troth, I think Fame but stammers

  ’em; they stand a grise above the reach of report.

  JAILER I heard them reported in the battle to be the only

  doers.

  30

  DAUGHTER Nay, most likely, for they are noble

  sufferers. I marvel how they would have looked had

  they been victors, that with such a constant nobility

  enforce a freedom out of bondage, making misery

  their mirth and affliction a toy to jest at.

  35

  JAILER Do they so?

 

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