The Arden Shakespeare Complete Works
Page 560
He looked all grace and success and he is
Doubtless the prim’st of men. I prithee, run
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And tell me how it goes.
[Shout, and cornets; cries of ‘ A Palamon!’]
SERVANT Still ‘Palamon’!
EMILIA Run and enquire. Exit Servant.
Poor servant, thou hast lost.
Upon my right side still I wore thy picture,
PALAMON’s on the left. Why so, I know not;
I had no end in’t else; chance would have it so.
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On the sinister side the heart lies. Palamon
Had the best-boding chance.
[Another cry and shout within, and cornets.]
This burst of clamour
Is sure th’end o’th’ combat.
Enter Servant.
SERVANT They said that Palamon had Arcite’s body
Within an inch o’th’ pyramid, that the cry
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Was general, ‘A Palamon!’ But anon
Th’assistants made a brave redemption and
The two bold titlers at this instant are
Hand to hand at it.
EMILIA Were they metamorphosed
Both into one! – O, why? There were no woman
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Worth so composed a man: their single share,
Their nobleness peculiar to them, gives
The prejudice of disparity, value’s shortness,
To any lady breathing.
[Cornets. Cry within, ‘ Arcite! Arcite!’]
More exulting?
‘Palamon’ still?
SERVANT Nay, now the sound is ‘Arcite!’
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EMILIA I prithee, lay attention to the cry.
[Cornets; a great shout and cry, ‘ Arcite! Victory!’]
Set both thine ears to th’ business.
SERVANT The cry is
‘Arcite and victory!’ Hark! ‘Arcite! Victory!’
The combat’s consummation is proclaim’d
By the wind instruments.
EMILIA Half-sights saw
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That Arcite was no babe. God’s lid, his richness
And costliness of spirit looked through him; it could
No more be hid in him than fire in flax,
Than humble banks can go to law with waters
That drift winds force to raging. I did think
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Good Palamon would miscarry, yet I knew not
Why I did think so. Our reasons are not prophets
When oft our fancies are. [Cornets.]
They are coming off.
Alas, poor Palamon!
Enter THESEUS, HIPPOLYTA, PIRITHOUS, ARCITE (as victor) and attendants.
THESEUS Lo, where our sister is in expectation,
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Yet quaking and unsettled. – Fairest Emily,
The gods by their divine arbitrament
Have given you this knight; he is a good one
As ever struck at head. Give me your hands:
Receive you her, you him, be plighted with
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A love that grows as you decay.
ARCITE Emilia,
To buy you, I have lost what’s dearest to me,
Save what is bought; and yet I purchase cheaply,
As I do rate your value.
THESEUS O, loved sister,
He speaks now of as brave a knight as e’er
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Did spur a noble steed. Surely the gods
Would have him die a bachelor, lest his race
Should show i’th world too godlike. His behaviour
So charmed me that methought Alcides was
To him a sow of lead. If I could praise
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Each part of him to th’all I have spoke, your Arcite
Did not lose by’t. For he that was thus good
Encountered yet his better. I have heard
Two emulous Philomels beat the ear o’th’ night
With their contentious throats, now one the higher,
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Anon the other, then again the first,
And by and by out-breasted, that the sense
Could not be judge between ’em. So it fared
Good space between these kinsmen, till heavens did
Make hardly one the winner.
[to Arcite] Wear the garland
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With joy that you have won. – For the subdued,
Give them our present justice, since I know
Their lives but pinch ’em. Let it here be done.
The scene’s not for our seeing; go we hence,
Right joyful, with some sorrow.
[to Arcite] Arm your prize;
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I know you will not loose her. – Hippolyta,
I see one eye of yours conceives a tear,
The which it will deliver. [Flourish.]
EMILIA Is this winning?
O, all you heavenly powers, where is your mercy?
But that your wills have said it must be so,
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And charge me live to comfort this unfriended,
This miserable prince, that cuts away
A life more worthy from him than all women,
I should and would die too.
HIPPOLYTA Infinite pity
That four such eyes should be so fixed on one
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That two must needs be blind for’t.
THESEUS So it is. Exeunt.
5.4 Enter PALAMON and his Knights, pinioned; Jailer, executioner, guard and others, carrying a block and axe.
PALAMON There’s many a man alive that has outlived
The love o’th’ people; yea, i’th’ selfsame state
Stands many a father with his child. Some comfort
We have by so considering. We expire
And not without men’s pity; to live still,
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Have their good wishes. We prevent
The loathsome misery of age, beguile
The gout and rheum that in lag hours attend
For grey approachers; we come towards the gods
Young and unwappered, not halting under crimes
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Many and stale. That sure shall please the gods,
Sooner than such, to give us nectar with ’em,
For we are more clear spirits.
[to Knights] My dear kinsmen,
Whose lives for this poor comfort are laid down,
You have sold ’em too, too cheap.
1KNIGHT What ending could be
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Of more content? O’er us the victors have
Fortune, whose title is as momentary
As to us death is certain. A grain of honour
They not o’erweigh us.
2KNIGHT Let us bid farewell
And with our patience anger tottering Fortune,
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Who at her certain’st reels. [They embrace.]
3KNIGHT Come, who begins?
PALAMON E’en he that led you to this banquet shall
Taste to you all. [to Jailer] Aha, my friend, my friend,
Your gentle daughter gave me freedom once;
You’ll see’t done now forever. Pray, how does she?
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I heard she was not well; her kind of ill
Gave me some sorrow.
JAILER Sir, she’s well restored
And to be married shortly.
PALAMON By my short life,
I am most glad on’t. ’Tis the latest thing
I shall be glad of; prithee, tell her so.
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Commend me to her and, to piece her portion,
Tender her this. [Gives him his purse.]
1KNIGHT Nay, let’s be offerers all.
2KNIGHT Is it a maid?
PALAMON Verily I think so.
A right good creature, more to me deserving
Than I c
an ’quite or speak of.
THE KNIGHTS [to Jailer] Commend us to her.
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[They give their purses.]
JAILER
The gods requite you all and make her thankful.
PALAMON Adieu; and let my life be now as short
As my leave-taking. [He lays his head on the block.]
1KNIGHT Lead, courageous cousin.
2, 3 KNIGHT We’ll follow cheerfully.
[A great noise within, crying, ‘ Run, save, hold!’]
Enter in haste a Messenger.
MESSENGER Hold, hold! O, hold, hold, hold!
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Enter PIRITHOUS in haste.
PIRITHOUS Hold, ho! It is a cursed haste you made
If you have done so quickly! – Noble Palamon,
The gods will show their glory in a life
That thou art yet to lead.
PALAMON Can that be,
When Venus, I have said, is false? How do things fare?
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PIRITHOUS Arise, great sir, and give the tidings ear
That are most rarely sweet and bitter.
PALAMON What
Hath waked us from our dream?
PIRITHOUS List, then. Your cousin,
Mounted upon a steed that Emily
Did first bestow on him, a black one, owing
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Not a hair-worth of white, which some will say
Weakens his price and many will not buy
His goodness with this note – which superstition
Here finds allowance – on this horse is Arcite
Trotting the stones of Athens, which the calkins
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Did rather tell than trample; for the horse
Would make his length a mile, if ’t pleased his rider
To put pride in him. As he thus went counting
The flinty pavement, dancing as ’twere to th’ music
His own hoofs made (for, as they say, from iron
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Came music’s origin), what envious flint,
Cold as old Saturn and, like him, possessed
With fire malevolent, darted a spark,
Or what fierce sulphur else, to this end made,
I comment not. The hot horse, hot as fire,
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Took toy at this and fell to what disorder
His power could give his will; bounds, comes on end,
Forgets school-doing, being therein trained
And of kind manage; pig-like he whines
At the sharp rowell, which he frets at rather
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Than any jot obeys; seeks all foul means
Of boist’rous and rough jad’ry to disseat
His lord, that kept it bravely. When nought served –
When neither curb would crack, girth break, nor diff ’ring plunges
Disroot his rider whence he grew, but that
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He kept him ’tween his legs – on his hind hoofs
On end he stands,
That Arcite’s legs, being higher than his head,
Seemed with strange art to hang. His victor’s wreath
Even then fell off his head and presently
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Backward the jade comes o’er and his full poise
Becomes the rider’s load. Yet is he living,
But such a vessel ’tis, that floats but for
The surge that next approaches. He much desires
To have some speech with you. Lo, he appears.
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Enter THESEUS, HIPPOLYTA, EMILIA, ARCITE carried in a chair.
PALAMON O miserable end of our alliance!
The gods are mighty. Arcite, if thy heart,
Thy worthy, manly heart, be yet unbroken,
Give me thy last words. I am Palamon,
One that yet loves thee dying.
ARCITE Take Emilia
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And, with her, all the world’s joy. Reach thy hand;
Farewell. I have told my last hour. I was false
Yet never treacherous. Forgive me, cousin.
One kiss from fair Emilia. [Emilia kisses Arcite.]
’Tis done.
Take her. I die.
PALAMON Thy brave soul seek Elysium!
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[Arcite dies.]
EMILIA
I’ll close thine eyes, Prince; blessed souls be with thee.
Thou art a right good man and, while I live,
This day I give to tears.
PALAMON And I to honour.
THESEUS In this place first you fought: e’en very here
I sundered you. Acknowledge to the gods
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Our thanks that you are living.
His part is played and, though it were too short,