Two Noble Kinsmen (Oxford 1908)/Act 1/Scene 1

Actus Primus.

[Scaena 1.] (Athens.  Before a temple.)

[Enter Hymen with a Torch burning: a Boy, in a white Robe before singing, and strewing Flowres: After Hymen, a Nimph, encompast in her Tresses, bearing a wheaten Garland. Then Theseus betweene two other Nimphs with wheaten Chaplets on their heades. Then Hipolita the Bride, lead by Pirithous, and another holding a Garland over her head (her Tresses likewise hanging.)  After her Emilia holding up her Traine. (Artesius and Attendants.)]

The Song, [Musike.]

Roses their sharpe spines being gon, Not royall in their smels alone, But in their hew. Maiden Pinckes, of odour faint, Dazies smel-lesse, yet most quaint And sweet Time true.

Prim-rose first borne child of Ver, Merry Spring times Herbinger, With her bels dimme. Oxlips, in their Cradles growing, Mary-golds, on death beds blowing, Larkes-heeles trymme.

All deere natures children sweete, Ly fore Bride and Bridegroomes feete, [Strew Flowers.] Blessing their sence. Not an angle of the aire, Bird melodious, or bird faire, Is absent hence.

The Crow, the slaundrous Cuckoe, nor The boding Raven, nor Chough hore Nor chattring Pie, May on our Bridehouse pearch or sing, Or with them any discord bring, But from it fly.

[Enter 3. Queenes in Blacke, with vailes staind, with imperiall Crownes. The 1. Queene fals downe at the foote of Theseus; The 2. fals downe at the foote of Hypolita. The 3. before Emilia.]

1. QUEEN.

For pitties sake and true gentilities, Heare, and respect me.

2. QUEEN.

For your Mothers sake, And as you wish your womb may thrive with faire ones, Heare and respect me.

3. QUEEN

Now for the love of him whom Iove hath markd The honour of your Bed, and for the sake Of cleere virginity, be Advocate For us, and our distresses. This good deede Shall raze you out o'th Booke of Trespasses All you are set downe there.

THESEUS.

Sad Lady, rise.

HIPPOLITA.

Stand up.

EMILIA.

No knees to me. What woman I may steed that is distrest, Does bind me to her.

THESEUS.

What's your request? Deliver you for all.

1. QUEEN.

We are 3. Queenes, whose Soveraignes fel before The wrath of cruell Creon; who endured The Beakes of Ravens, Tallents of the Kights, And pecks of Crowes, in the fowle feilds of Thebs. He will not suffer us to burne their bones, To urne their ashes, nor to take th' offence Of mortall loathsomenes from the blest eye Of holy Phoebus, but infects the windes With stench of our slaine Lords. O pitty, Duke: Thou purger of the earth, draw thy feard Sword That does good turnes to'th world; give us the Bones Of our dead Kings, that we may Chappell them; And of thy boundles goodnes take some note That for our crowned heades we have no roofe, Save this which is the Lyons, and the Beares, And vault to every thing.

THESEUS.

Pray you, kneele not: I was transported with your Speech, and suffer'd Your knees to wrong themselves; I have heard the fortunes Of your dead Lords, which gives me such lamenting As wakes my vengeance, and revenge for'em, King Capaneus was your Lord: the day That he should marry you, at such a season, As now it is with me, I met your Groome, By Marsis Altar; you were that time faire, Not Iunos Mantle fairer then your Tresses, Nor in more bounty spread her. Your wheaten wreathe Was then nor threashd, nor blasted; Fortune at you Dimpled her Cheeke with smiles: Hercules our kinesman (Then weaker than your eies) laide by his Club, He tumbled downe upon his Nemean hide And swore his sinews thawd: O greife, and time, Fearefull consumers, you will all devoure.

1. QUEEN.

O, I hope some God, Some God hath put his mercy in your manhood Whereto heel infuse powre, and presse you forth Our undertaker.

THESEUS.

O no knees, none, Widdow, Vnto the Helmeted Belona use them, And pray for me your Souldier. Troubled I am. [turnes away.]

2. QUEEN.

Honoured Hypolita, Most dreaded Amazonian, that hast slaine The Sith-tuskd Bore; that with thy Arme as strong As it is white, wast neere to make the male To thy Sex captive, but that this thy Lord, Borne to uphold Creation in that honour First nature stilde it in, shrunke thee into The bownd thou wast ore-flowing, at once subduing Thy force, and thy affection: Soldiresse That equally canst poize sternenes with pitty, Whom now I know hast much more power on him Then ever he had on thee, who ow'st his strength And his Love too, who is a Servant for The Tenour of thy Speech: Deere Glasse of Ladies, Bid him that we, whom flaming war doth scortch, Vnder the shaddow of his Sword may coole us: Require him he advance it ore our heades; Speak't in a womans key: like such a woman As any of us three; weepe ere you faile; Lend us a knee; But touch the ground for us no longer time Then a Doves motion, when the head's pluckt off: Tell him if he i'th blood cizd field lay swolne, Showing the Sun his Teeth, grinning at the Moone, What you would doe.

HIPPOLITA.

Poore Lady, say no more: I had as leife trace this good action with you As that whereto I am going, and never yet Went I so willing way. My Lord is taken Hart deepe with your distresse: Let him consider: Ile speake anon.

3. QUEEN.

O my petition was [kneele to Emilia.] Set downe in yce, which by hot greefe uncandied Melts into drops, so sorrow, wanting forme, Is prest with deeper matter.

EMILIA.

Pray stand up, Your greefe is written in your cheeke.

3. QUEEN.

O woe, You cannot reade it there, there through my teares&mdash; Like wrinckled peobles in a glassie streame You may behold 'em. Lady, Lady, alacke, He that will all the Treasure know o'th earth Must know the Center too; he that will fish For my least minnow, let him lead his line To catch one at my heart. O pardon me: Extremity, that sharpens sundry wits, Makes me a Foole.

EMILIA.

Pray you say nothing, pray you: Who cannot feele nor see the raine, being in't, Knowes neither wet nor dry: if that you were The ground-peece of some Painter, I would buy you T'instruct me gainst a Capitall greefe indeed&mdash; Such heart peirc'd demonstration; but, alas, Being a naturall Sifter of our Sex Your sorrow beates so ardently upon me, That it shall make a counter reflect gainst My Brothers heart, and warme it to some pitty, Though it were made of stone: pray, have good comfort.

THESEUS.

Forward to'th Temple, leave not out a Iot O'th sacred Ceremony.

1. QUEEN.

O, This Celebration Will long last, and be more costly then Your Suppliants war: Remember that your Fame Knowles in the eare o'th world: what you doe quickly Is not done rashly; your first thought is more Then others laboured meditance: your premeditating More then their actions: But, oh Iove! your actions, Soone as they mooves, as Asprayes doe the fish, Subdue before they touch: thinke, deere Duke, thinke What beds our slaine Kings have.

2. QUEEN.

What greifes our beds, That our deere Lords have none.

3. QUEEN.

None fit for 'th dead: Those that with Cordes, Knives, drams precipitance, Weary of this worlds light, have to themselves Beene deathes most horrid Agents, humaine grace Affords them dust and shaddow.

1. QUEEN.

But our Lords Ly blistring fore the visitating Sunne, And were good Kings, when living.

THESEUS.

It is true, and I will give you comfort, To give your dead Lords graves: the which to doe, Must make some worke with Creon.

1. QUEEN.

And that worke presents it selfe to'th doing: Now twill take forme, the heates are gone to morrow. Then, booteles toyle must recompence it selfe With it's owne sweat; Now he's secure, Not dreames we stand before your puissance Wrinching our holy begging in our eyes To make petition cleere.

2. QUEEN.

Now you may take him, drunke with his victory.

3. QUEEN.

And his Army full of Bread, and sloth.

THESEUS.

Artesius, that best knowest How to draw out fit to this enterprise The prim'st for this proceeding, and the number To carry such a businesse, forth and levy Our worthiest Instruments, whilst we despatch This grand act of our life, this daring deede Of Fate in wedlocke.

1. QUEEN.

Dowagers, take hands; Let us be Widdowes to our woes: delay Commends us to a famishing hope.

ALL.

Farewell.

2. QUEEN.

We come unseasonably: But when could greefe Cull forth, as unpanged judgement can, fit'st time For best solicitation.

THESEUS.

Why, good Ladies, This is a service, whereto I am going, Greater then any was; it more imports me Then all the actions that I have foregone, Or futurely can cope.

1. QUEEN.

The more proclaiming Our suit shall be neglected: when her Armes Able to locke Iove from a Synod, shall By warranting Moone-light corslet thee, oh, when Her twyning Cherries shall their sweetnes fall Vpon thy tastefull lips, what wilt thou thinke Of rotten Kings or blubberd Queenes, what care For what thou feelst not? what thou feelst being able To make Mars spurne his Drom. O, if thou couch But one night with her, every howre in't will Take hostage of thee for a hundred, and Thou shalt remember nothing more then what That Banket bids thee too.

HIPPOLITA.

Though much unlike [Kneeling.] You should be so transported, as much sorry I should be such a Suitour; yet I thinke, Did I not by th'abstayning of my joy, Which breeds a deeper longing, cure their surfeit That craves a present medcine, I should plucke All Ladies scandall on me. Therefore, Sir, As I shall here make tryall of my prayres, Either presuming them to have some force, Or sentencing for ay their vigour dombe: Prorogue this busines we are going about, and hang Your Sheild afore your Heart, about that necke Which is my ffee, and which I freely lend To doe these poore Queenes service.

ALL QUEENS.

Oh helpe now, Our Cause cries for your knee.

EMILIA.

If you grant not [Kneeling.] My Sister her petition in that force, With that Celerity and nature, which Shee makes it in, from henceforth ile not dare To aske you any thing, nor be so hardy Ever to take a Husband.

THESEUS.

Pray stand up. I am entreating of my selfe to doe That which you kneele to have me. Pyrithous, Leade on the Bride; get you and pray the Gods For successe, and returne; omit not any thing In the pretended Celebration. Queenes, Follow your Soldier. As before, hence you [to Artesius] And at the banckes of Aulis meete us with The forces you can raise, where we shall finde The moytie of a number, for a busines More bigger look't. Since that our Theame is haste, I stamp this kisse upon thy currant lippe; Sweete, keepe it as my Token. Set you forward, For I will see you gone. [Exeunt towards the Temple.] Farewell, my beauteous Sister: Pyrithous, Keepe the feast full, bate not an howre on't.

PERITHOUS.

Sir, Ile follow you at heeles; The Feasts solempnity Shall want till your returne.

THESEUS.

Cosen, I charge you Boudge not from Athens; We shall be returning Ere you can end this Feast, of which, I pray you, Make no abatement; once more, farewell all.

1. QUEEN.

Thus do'st thou still make good the tongue o'th world.

2. QUEEN.

And earnst a Deity equal with Mars.

3. QUEEN.

If not above him, for Thou being but mortall makest affections bend To Godlike honours; they themselves, some say, Grone under such a Mastry.

THESEUS.

As we are men, Thus should we doe; being sensually subdude, We loose our humane tytle. Good cheere, Ladies. [Florish.] Now turne we towards your Comforts. [Exeunt.]