THE TWO NOBLE KINSMEN

Act 4 Scene 2

(Enter Emilia, with two pictures)
l1l	Emilia	 Yet I may bind those wounds up that must open
l2l		And bleed to death for my sake else—I’ll choose,
l3l		And end their strife. Two such young handsome men
l4l		Shall never fall for me# their weeping mothers
l5l		Following the dead cold ashes of their sons,
l6l		Shall never curse my cruelty. Good heaven,
l7l		What a sweet face has Arcite! If wise nature,
l8l		With all her best endowments, all those beauties
l9l		She sows into the births of noble bodies,
l10l		Were here a mortal woman and had in her
l11l		The coy denials of young maids, yet doubtless
l12l		She would run mad for this man. What an eye,
l13l		Of what a fiery sparkle and quick sweetness
l14l		Has this young prince! Here love himself sits smiling!
l15l		Just such another wanton Ganymede
l16l		Set Jove afire once, and enforced the god
l17l		Snatch up the goodly boy and set him by him,
l18l		A shining constellation. What a brow,
l19l		Of what a spacious majesty, he carries!
l20l		Arched like the great-eyed Juno’s, but far sweeter,
l21l		Smoother than Pelops’ shoulder! Fame and honour,
l22l		Methinks, from hence, as from a promontory
l23l		Pointed in heaven, should clap their wings and sing
l24l		To all the under world the loves and fights
l25l		Of gods, and such men near ’em. Palamon
l26l		Is but his foil# to him a mere dull shadow#
l27l		He’s swart and meagre, of an eye as heavy
l28l		As if he had lost his mother# a still temper,
l29l		No stirring in him, no alacrity,
l30l		Of all this sprightly sharpness, not a smile.
l31l		Yet these that we count errors may become him:
l32l		Narcissus was a sad boy, but a heavenly.
l33l		O, who can find the bent of woman’s fancy?
l34l		I am a fool, my reason is lost in me,
l35l		I have no choice, and I have lied so lewdly
l36l		That women ought to beat me. On my knees
l37l		I ask thy pardon, Palamon, thou art alone
l38l		And only beautiful, and these the eyes,
l39l		These the bright lamps of beauty, that command
l40l		And threaten love—and what young maid dare cross ’em?
l41l		What a bold gravity, and yet inviting,
l42l		Has this brown manly face? O, love, this only
l43l		From this hour is complexion. Lie there, Arcite,
l44l		Thou art a changeling to him, a mere gypsy,
l45l		And this the noble body. I am sotted,
l46l		Utterly lost—my virgin’s faith has fled me.
l47l		For if my brother, but even now, had asked me
l48l		Whether I loved, I had run mad for Arcite#
l49l		Now if my sister, more for Palamon.
l50l		Stand both together. Now come ask me, brother—
l51l		Alas, I know not# ask me now, sweet sister—
l52l		I may go look. What a mere child is fancy,
l53l		That having two fair gauds of equal sweetness,
l54l		Cannot distinguish, but must cry for both!
		(Enter a Gentleman)
l55l		How now, sir?
	Gentleman	From the noble Duke your brother,
l56l		Madam, I bring you news. The knights are come.
l57l	Emilia	To end the quarrel?
	Gentleman	Yes.
	Emilia	Would I might end first!
l58l		What sins have I committed, chaste Diana,
l59l		That my unspotted youth must now be soiled
l60l		With blood of princes, and my chastity
l61l		Be made the altar where the lives of lovers—
l62l		Two greater and two better never yet
l63l		Made mothers joy—must be the sacrifice
l64l		To my unhappy beauty?
		(Enter Theseus, Hippolyta, Pirithous, and attendants)
		
	Theseus	 Bring ’em in
l65l		Quickly, by any means, I long to see ’em.
		(Exit one or more)
l66l		(To Emilia)
		 Your two contending lovers are returned,
l67l		And with them their fair knights. Now, my fair sister,
l68l		You must love one of them.
	Emilia	I had rather both,
l69l		So neither for my sake should fall untimely.
		(Enter a Messenger)
l70l	Theseus	 Who saw ’em?
	Pirithous	I a while.
	Gentleman	And I.
l71l	Theseus	(to the Messenger)
		 From whence come you, sir?
	Messenger	From the knights.
	Theseus	Pray speak,
l72l		You that have seen them, what they are.
	Messenger	I will, sir,
l73l		And truly what I think. Six braver spirits
l74l		Than these they have brought, if we judge by the outside,
l75l		I never saw nor read of. He that stands
l76l		In the first place with Arcite, by his seeming,
l77l		Should be a stout man# by his face, a prince.
l78l		His very looks so say him: his complexion,
l79l		Nearer a brown than black, stern and yet noble,
l80l		Which shows him hardy, fearless, proud of dangers.
l81l		The circles of his eyes show fire within him,
l82l		And, as a heated lion, so he looks.
l83l		His hair hangs long behind him, black and shining,
l84l		Like ravens’ wings. His shoulders, broad and strong#
l85l		Armed long and round# and on his thigh a sword
l86l		Hung by a curious baldric, when he frowns
l87l		To seal his will with. Better, o’ my conscience,
l88l		Was never soldier’s friend.
l89l	Theseus	Thou hast well described him.
l90l	Pirithous	Yet a great deal short,
l91l		Methinks, of him that’s first with Palamon.
l92l	Theseus	Pray speak him, friend.
	Pirithous	I guess he is a prince too,
l93l		And, if it may be, greater—for his show
l94l		Has all the ornament of honour in ’t.
l95l		He’s somewhat bigger than the knight he spoke of,
l96l		But of a face far sweeter. His complexion
l97l		Is as a ripe grape, ruddy. He has felt,
l98l		Without doubt, what he fights for, and so apter
l99l		To make this cause his own. In ’s face appears
l100l		All the fair hopes of what he undertakes,
l101l		And when he’s angry, then a settled valour,
l102l		Not tainted with extremes, runs through his body
l103l		And guides his arm to brave things. Fear he cannot—
l104l		He shows no such soft temper. His head’s yellow,
l105l		Hard-haired and curled, thick twined: like ivy tods,
l106l		Not to undo with thunder. In his face
l107l		The livery of the warlike maid appears,
l108l		Pure red and white—for yet no beard has blessed him—
l109l		And in his rolling eyes sits victory,
l110l		As if she ever meant to court his valour.
l111l		His nose stands high, a character of honour#
l112l		His red lips, after fights, are fit for ladies.
l113l	Emilia	Must these men die too?
	Pirithous	When he speaks, his tongue
l114l		Sounds like a trumpet. All his lineaments
l115l		Are as a man would wish ’em—strong and clean.
l116l		He wears a well-steeled axe, the staff of gold.
l117l		His age, some five-and-twenty.
	Messenger	There’s another—
l118l		A little man, but of a tough soul, seeming
l119l		As great as any. Fairer promises
l120l		In such a body yet I never looked on.
l121l	Pirithous	O, he that’s freckle-faced?
	Messenger	The same, my lord.
l122l		Are they not sweet ones?
	Pirithous	Yes, they are well.
	Messenger	Methinks,
l123l		Being so few and well disposed, they show
l124l		Great and fine art in nature. He’s white-haired—
l125l		Not wanton white, but such a manly colour
l126l		Next to an auburn, tough and nimble set,
l127l		Which shows an active soul. His arms are brawny,
l128l		Lined with strong sinews—to the shoulder piece
l129l		Gently they swell, like women new-conceived,
l130l		Which speaks him prone to labour, never fainting
l131l		Under the weight of arms# stout-hearted, still,
l132l		But when he stirs, a tiger. He’s grey-eyed,
l133l		Which yields compassion where he conquers# sharp
l134l		To spy advantages, and where he finds ’em,
l135l		He’s swift to make ’em his. He does no wrongs,
l136l		Nor takes none. He’s round-faced, and when he smiles
l137l		He shows a lover# when he frowns, a soldier.
l138l		About his head he wears the winner’s oak,
l139l		And in it stuck the favour of his lady.
l140l		His age, some six-and-thirty. In his hand
l141l		He bears a charging staff embossed with silver.
l142l	Theseus	Are they all thus?
	Pirithous	They are all the sons of honour.
l143l	Theseus	Now as I have a soul, I long to see ’em.
l144l		(To Hippolyta)
		 Lady, you shall see men fight now.
	Hippolyta	I wish it,
l145l		But not the cause, my lord. They would show
l146l		Bravely about the titles of two kingdoms—
l147l		’Tis pity love should be so tyrannous.
l148l		(To Emilia)
		 O my soft-hearted sister, what think you?
l149l		Weep not till they weep blood. Wench, it must be.
l150l	Theseus	(to Emilia)
		 You have steeled ’em with your beauty.
		(To Pirithous)
		 Honoured friend,
l151l		To you I give the field: pray order it
l152l		Fitting the persons that must use it.
	Pirithous	Yes, sir.
l153l	Theseus	Come, I’ll go visit ’em—I cannot stay,
l154l		Their fame has fired me so. Till they appear,
l155l		Good friend, be royal.
	Pirithous	There shall want no bravery.
l156l	Emilia	(aside)
		 Poor wench, go weep—for whosoever wins
l157l		Loses a noble cousin for thy sins.
		(Exeunt)
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