William Shakespeare - The Complete Works

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THE TWO NOBLE KINSMEN Act 1 Scene 1 (Music. Enter Hymen with a torch burning, a Boy in a white robe before, singing and strewing flowers. After Hymen, a nymph encompassed in her tresses, bearing a wheaten garland. Then Theseus between two other nymphs with wheaten chaplets on their heads. Then Hippolyta, the bride, led by Pirithous and another holding a garland over her head, her tresses likewise hanging. After her, Emilia holding up her train. Then Artesius [and other attendants]) Boy (sings during procession) l1l Roses, their sharp spines being gone, l2l Not royal in their smells alone, l3l But in their hue; l4l Maiden pinks, of odour faint, l5l Daisies smell-less, yet most quaint, l6l And sweet thyme true; l7l Primrose, first-born child of Ver, l8l Merry springtimeÆs harbinger, l9l With harebells dim; l10l Oxlips, in their cradles growing, l11l Marigolds, on deathbeds blowing, l12l LarkÆs-heels trim; l13l All dear natureÆs children sweet, l14l Lie fore bride and bridegroomÆs feet, (He strews flowers) l15l Blessing their sense. l16l Not an angel of the air, l17l Bird melodious, or bird fair, l18l Is absent hence. l19l The crow, the slandÆrous cuckoo, nor l20l The boding raven, nor chough hoar, l21l Nor chattÆring pie, l22l May on our bridehouse perch or sing, l23l Or with them any discord bring, l24l But from it fly. (Enter three Queens in black, with veils stained, with imperial crowns. The First Queen falls down at the foot of Theseus; the Second falls at the foot of Hippolyta; the Third, before Emilia) l25l First Queen (to Theseus) For pityÆs sake and true gentilityÆs, l26l Hear and respect me. Second Queen (to Hippolyta) For your motherÆs sake, l27l And as you wish your womb may thrive with fair ones, l28l Hear and respect me. Third Queen (to Emilia) l29l Now for the love of him whom Jove hath marked l30l The honour of your bed, and for the sake l31l Of clear virginity, be advocate l32l For us and our distresses. This good deed l33l Shall raze you out oÆ thÆ Book of Trespasses l34l All you are set down there. l35l Theseus (to First Queen) Sad lady, rise. Hippolyta (to Second Queen) Stand up. Emilia (to Third Queen) No knees to me. l36l What woman I may stead that is distressed l37l Does bind me to her. l38l Theseus (to First Queen) WhatÆs your request? Deliver you for all. First Queen (kneeling still) l39l We are three queens whose sovereigns fell before l40l The wrath of cruel Creon; who endured l41l The beaks of ravens, talons of the kites, l42l And pecks of crows in the foul fields of Thebes. l43l He will not suffer us to burn their bones, l44l To urn their ashes, nor to take thÆ offence l45l Of mortal loathsomeness from the blest eye l46l Of holy Phoebus, but infects the winds l47l With stench of our slain lords. O pity, Duke! l48l Thou purger of the earth, draw thy feared sword l49l That does good turns to thÆ world; give us the bones l50l Of our dead kings that we may chapel them; l51l And of thy boundless goodness take some note l52l That for our crownΦd heads we have no roof, l53l Save this, which is the lionÆs and the bearÆs, l54l And vault to everything. Theseus Pray you, kneel not: l55l I was transported with your speech, and suffered l56l Your knees to wrong themselves. I have heard the fortunes l57l Of your dead lords, which gives me such lamenting l58l As wakes my vengeance and revenge for Æem. l59l King Capaneus was your lord: the day l60l That he should marry youùat such a season l61l As now it is with meùI met your groom l62l By MarsÆs altar. You were that time fair, l63l Not JunoÆs mantle fairer than your tresses, l64l Nor in more bounty spread her. Your wheaten wreath l65l Was then nor threshed nor blasted; fortune at you l66l Dimpled her cheek with smiles; Hercules our kinsmanù l67l Then weaker than your eyesùlaid by his club. l68l He tumbled down upon his Nemean hide l69l And swore his sinews thawed. O grief and time, l70l Fearful consumers, you will all devour. l71l First Queen (kneeling still) O, I hope some god, l72l Some god hath put his mercy in your manhood, l73l Whereto heÆll infuse power and press you forth l74l Our undertaker. Theseus O no knees, none, widow: (The First Queen rises) l75l Unto the helmeted Bellona use them l76l And pray for me, your soldier. Troubled I am. (He turns away) l77l Second Queen (kneeling still) Honoured Hippolyta, l78l Most dreaded Amazonian, that hast slain l79l The scythe-tusked boar, that with thy arm, as strong l80l As it is white, wast near to make the male l81l To thy sex captive, but that this, thy lordù l82l Born to uphold creation in that honour l83l First nature styled it inùshrunk thee into l84l The bound thou wast oÆerflowing, at once subduing l85l Thy force and thy affection; soldieress, l86l That equally canst poise sternness with pity, l87l Whom now I know hast much more power on him l88l Than ever he had on thee, who owÆst his strength, l89l And his love too, who is a servant for l90l The tenor of thy speech; dear glass of ladies, l91l Bid him that we, whom flaming war doth scorch, l92l Under the shadow of his sword may cool us. l93l Require him he advance it oÆer our heads. l94l Speak Æt in a womanÆs key, like such a woman l95l As any of us three. Weep ere you fail. l96l Lend us a knee: l97l But touch the ground for us no longer time l98l Than a doveÆs motion when the headÆs plucked off. l99l Tell him, if he iÆ thÆ blood-sized field lay swollÆn, l100l Showing the sun his teeth, grinning at the moon, l101l What you would do. Hippolyta Poor lady, say no more. l102l I had as lief trace this good action with you l103l As that whereto I am going, and never yet l104l Went I so willing way. My lord is taken l105l Heart-deep with your distress. Let him consider. l106l IÆll speak anon. (The Second Queen rises) Third Queen (kneeling still to Emilia) O, my petition was l107l Set down in ice, which by hot grief uncandied l108l Melts into drops; so sorrow, wanting form, l109l Is pressed with deeper matter. Emilia Pray stand up: l110l Your grief is written in your cheek. Third Queen O woe, l111l You cannot read it there; there, through my tears, l112l Like wrinkled pebbles in a glassy stream, l113l You may behold Æem. (The Third Queen rises) Lady, lady, alackù l114l He that will all the treasure know oÆ thÆ earth l115l Must know the centre too; he that will fish l116l For my least minnow, let him lead his line l117l To catch one at my heart. O, pardon me: l118l Extremity, that sharpens sundry wits, l119l Makes me a fool. Emilia Pray you, say nothing, pray you. l120l Who cannot feel nor see the rain, being in Æt, l121l Knows neither wet nor dry. If that you were l122l The ground-piece of some painter, I would buy you l123l TÆ instruct me Ægainst a capital grief, indeed l124l Such heart-pierced demonstration; but, alas, l125l Being a natural sister of our sex, l126l Your sorrow beats so ardently upon me l127l That it shall make a counter-reflect Ægainst l128l My brotherÆs heart, and warm it to some pity, l129l Though it were made of stone. Pray have good comfort. l130l Theseus Forward to thÆ temple. Leave not out a jot l131l OÆ thÆ sacred ceremony. First Queen O, this celebration l132l Will longer last and be more costly than l133l Your suppliantsÆ war. Remember that your fame l134l Knolls in the ear oÆ thÆ world: what you do quickly l135l Is not done rashly; your first thought is more l136l Than othersÆ laboured meditance; your premeditating l137l More than their actions. But, O Jove, your actions, l138l Soon as they move, as ospreys do the fish, l139l Subdue before they touch. Think, dear Duke, think l140l What beds our slain kings have. Second Queen What griefs our beds, l141l That our dear lords have none. Third Queen None fit for thÆ dead. l142l Those that with cords, knives, drams, precipitance, l143l Weary of this worldÆs light, have to themselves l144l Been deathÆs most horrid agents, human grace l145l Affords them dust and shadow. First Queen But our lords l146l Lie blistÆring fore the visitating sun, l147l And were good kings, when living. Theseus It is true, l148l And I will give you comfort to give your dead lords graves, l149l The which to do must make some work with Creon. l150l First Queen And that work presents itself to thÆ doing. l151l Now Ætwill take form, the heats are gone tomorrow. l152l Then, bootless toil must recompense itself l153l With its own sweat; now heÆs secure, l154l Not dreams we stand before your puissance l155l Rinsing our holy begging in our eyes l156l To make petition clear. Second Queen Now you may take him, l157l Drunk with his victory. Third Queen And his army full l158l Of bread and sloth. Theseus Artesius, that best knowest l159l How to draw out, fit to this enterprise l160l The primÆst for this proceeding and the number l161l To carry such a business: forth and levy l162l Our worthiest instruments, whilst we dispatch l163l This grand act of our life, this daring deed l164l Of fate in wedlock. First Queen (to the other two Queens) Dowagers, take hands; l165l Let us be widows to our woes; delay l166l Commends us to a famishing hope. All Three Queens Farewell. l167l Second Queen We come unseasonably, but when could grief l168l Cull forth, as unpanged judgement can, fittÆst time l169l For best solicitation? Theseus Why, good ladies, l170l This is a service whereto I am going l171l Greater than any warùit more imports me l172l Than all the actions that I have foregone, l173l Or futurely can cope. First Queen The more proclaiming l174l Our suit shall be neglected when her arms, l175l Able to lock Jove from a synod, shall l176l By warranting moonlight corslet thee! O when l177l Her twinning cherries shall their sweetness fall l178l Upon thy tasteful lips, what wilt thou think l179l Of rotten kings or blubbered queens? What care l180l For what thou feelÆst not, what thou feelÆst being able l181l To make Mars spurn his drum? O, if thou couch l182l But one night with her, every hour in Æt will l183l Take hostage of thee for a hundred, and l184l Thou shalt remember nothing more than what l185l That banquet bids thee to. Hippolyta (to Theseus) Though much unlike l186l You should be so transported, as much sorry l187l I should be such a suitorùyet I think l188l Did I not by thÆ abstaining of my joy, l189l Which breeds a deeper longing, cure their surfeit l190l That craves a present medicine, I should pluck l191l All ladiesÆ scandal on me. (Kneels) Therefore, sir, l192l As I shall here make trial of my prayers, l193l Either presuming them to have some force, l194l Or sentencing for aye their vigour dumb, l195l Prorogue this business we are going about, and hang l196l Your shield afore your heartùabout that neck l197l Which is my fee, and which I freely lend l198l To do these poor queens service. All Three Queens (to Emilia) O, help now, l199l Our cause cries for your knee. Emilia (kneels to Theseus) If you grant not l200l My sister her petition in that force l201l With that celerity and nature which l202l She makes it in, from henceforth IÆll not dare l203l To ask you anything, nor be so hardy l204l Ever to take a husband. Theseus Pray stand up. (They rise) l205l I am entreating of myself to do l206l That which you kneel to have me.ùPirithous, l207l Lead on the bride: get you and pray the gods l208l For success and return; omit not anything l209l In the pretended celebration.ùQueens, l210l Follow your soldier. (To Artesius) As before, hence you, l211l And at the banks of Aulis meet us with l212l The forces you can raise, where we shall find l213l The moiety of a number for a business l214l More bigger looked. (Exit Artesius) (To Hippolyta) Since that our theme is haste, l215l I stamp this kiss upon thy current lipù l216l Sweet, keep it as my token. (To the wedding party) Set you forward, l217l For I will see you gone. l218l (To Emilia) Farewell, my beauteous sister.ùPirithous, l219l Keep the feast full: bate not an hour on Æt. Pirithous Sir, l220l IÆll follow you at heels. The feastÆs solemnity l221l Shall want till your return. Theseus Cousin, I charge you l222l Budge not from Athens. We shall be returning l223l Ere you can end this feast, of which, I pray you, l224l Make no abatement.ùOnce more, farewell all. (Exeunt Hippolyta, Emilia, Pirithous, and train towards the temple) l225l First Queen Thus dost thou still make good the tongue oÆ thÆ world. l226l Second Queen And earnÆst a deity equal with Marsù l227l Third Queen If not above him, for l228l Thou being but mortal makÆst affections bend l229l To godlike honours; they themselves, some say, l230l Groan under such a mastÆry. Theseus As we are men, l231l Thus should we do; being sensually subdued l232l We lose our human title. Good cheer, ladies. l233l Now turn we towards your comforts. (Flourish. Exeunt)