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The Two Noble Kinsmen - Act 1, scene 4
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The Two Noble Kinsmen - Act 1, scene 4Act 1, scene 4
Scene 4
Synopsis:
A victorious Theseus bids farewell to the three queens just as Palamon and Arcite are brought in wounded on stretchers. Theseus insists that doctors tend to them quickly so that he may imprison them.
Cornets. A battle struck within; then a retreat.Flourish. Then enter, ⌜through one door,⌝ Theseus,
victor, ⌜accompanied by Lords and Soldiers.
Entering through another door,⌝ the three Queens
meet him, and fall on their faces before him.
FIRST QUEEN
0555 To thee no star be dark!
SECOND QUEEN 0556 Both heaven and Earth
0557 Friend thee forever.
THIRD QUEEN 0558 All the good that may
0559 5 Be wished upon thy head, I cry “Amen” to ’t!
THESEUS
0560 Th’ impartial gods, who from the mounted heavens
0561 View us their mortal herd, behold who err
0562 And, in their time, chastise. Go and find out
0563 The bones of your dead lords and honor them
0564 10 With treble ceremony; rather than a gap
0565 Should be in their dear rites, we would supply ’t;
p.
45
0566
But those we will depute which shall invest0567 You in your dignities and even each thing
0568 Our haste does leave imperfect. So, adieu,
0569 15 And heaven’s good eyes look on you.Queens exit.
⌜Enter a Herald and Soldiers bearing Palamon
and Arcite on biers.⌝
0570 What are those?
HERALD
0571 Men of great quality, as may be judged
0572 By their appointment. Some of Thebes have told ’s
0573 They are sisters’ children, nephews to the King.
THESEUS
0574 20 By th’ helm of Mars, I saw them in the war,
0575 Like to a pair of lions, smeared with prey,
0576 Make lanes in troops aghast. I fixed my note
0577 Constantly on them, for they were a mark
0578 Worth a god’s view. What prisoner was ’t that told me
0579 25 When I enquired their names?
HERALD 0580 ⌜Wi’⌝ leave, they’re called
0581 Arcite and Palamon.
THESEUS 0582 ’Tis right; those, those.
0583 They are not dead?
HERALD
0584 30 Nor in a state of life. Had they been taken
0585 When their last hurts were given, ’twas possible
0586 They might have been recovered. Yet they breathe
0587 And have the name of men.
THESEUS 0588 Then like men use ’em.
0589 35 The very lees of such, millions of rates,
0590 Exceed the wine of others. All our surgeons
0591 Convent in their behoof; our richest balms,
0592 Rather than niggard, waste. Their lives concern us
0593 Much more than Thebes is worth. Rather than have
0594 40 ’em
p.
47
0595
Freed of this plight, and in their morning state,0596 Sound and at liberty, I would ’em dead.
0597 But forty-thousandfold we had rather have ’em
0598 Prisoners to us than Death. Bear ’em speedily
0599 45 From our kind air, to them unkind, and minister
0600 What man to man may do—for our sake, more,
0601 Since I have known frights, fury, friends’ behests,
0602 Love’s provocations, zeal, a mistress’ task,
0603 Desire of liberty, a fever, madness,
0604 50 Hath set a mark which nature could not reach to
0605 Without some imposition, sickness in will
0606 ⌜O’er-wrestling⌝ strength in reason. For our love
0607 And great Apollo’s mercy, all our best
0608 Their best skill tender.—Lead into the city,
0609 55 Where, having bound things scattered, we will post
0610 To Athens ⌜’fore⌝ our army.
Flourish. They exit.