The Two Noble Kinsmen
Act IV, Scene 2

A room in the palace.

W. J. Rolfe, 1898

0. Enter Emilia alone, with two pictures.

Emilia

1 - 55

1. Yet I may bind those wounds up, that must open
2. And bleed to death for my sake else. I’ll choose,
3. And end their strife. Two such young handsome men
4. Shall never fall for me; their weeping mothers,
5. Following the dead-cold ashes of their sons,
6. Shall never curse my cruelty. Good heaven,
7. What a sweet face has Arcite! If wise Nature,
8. With all her best endowments, all those beauties
9. She sows into the births of noble bodies,
10. Were here a mortal woman, and had in her
11. The coy denials of young maids, yet doubtless
12. She would run mad for this man. What an eye,
13. Of what a fiery sparkle and quick sweetness,
14. Has this young prince! Here Love himself sits smiling.
15. Just such another wanton Ganymede
16. Set Jove afire with, and enforc’d the god
17. Snatch up the goodly boy and set him by him,
18. A shining constellation. What a brow,
19. Of what a spacious majesty, he carries,
20. Arch’d like the great-ey’d Juno’s, but far sweeter,
21. Smoother than Pelops’ shoulder! Fame and Honor
22. Methinks from hence, as from a promontory
23. Pointed in heaven, should clap their wings and sing
24. To all the under world the loves and fights
25. Of gods and such men near ’em. Palamon
26. Is but his foil, to him, a mere dull shadow;
27. He’s swarth and meager, of an eye as heavy
28. As if he had lost his mother; a still temper,
29. No stirring in him, no alacrity,
30. Of all this sprightly sharpness, not a smile.
31. Yet these that we count errors may become him:
32. Narcissus was a sad boy, but a heavenly.
33. O, who can find the bent of woman’s fancy?
34. I am a fool, my reason is lost in me;
35. I have no choice, and I have lied so lewdly
36. That women ought to beat me. On my knees
37. I ask thy pardon: Palamon, thou art alone
38. And only beautiful, and these the eyes,
39. These the bright lamps of beauty, that command
40. And threaten Love, and what young maid dare cross ’em?
41. What a bold gravity, and yet inviting,
42. Has this brown manly face! O Love, this only
43. From this hour is complexion. Lie there, Arcite,
44. Thou art a changeling to him, a mere gypsy,
45. And this the noble body. I am sotted,
46. Utterly lost. My virgin’s faith has fled me;
47. For if my brother but even now had ask’d me
48. Whether I lov’d, I had run mad for Arcite;
49. Now if my sister—more for Palamon.
50. Stand both together: now, come ask me, brother—
51. Alas, I know not! Ask me now, sweet sister—
52. I may go look! What a mere child is fancy,
53. That having two fair gauds of equal sweetness,
54. Cannot distinguish, but must cry for both!
0. Enter Gentleman.
55. How now, sir?

Gentleman

56 - 57

56.               From the noble Duke your brother,
57. Madam, I bring you news. The knights are come.

Emilia

58

58. To end the quarrel?

Gentleman

59

59.                     Yes.

Emilia

60 - 67

60.      Would I might end first!
61. What sins have I committed, chaste Diana,
62. That my unspotted youth must now be soil’d
63. With blood of princes? And my chastity
64. Be made the altar where the lives of lovers—
65. Two greater and two better never yet
66. Made mothers joy—must be the sacrifice
67. To my unhappy beauty?

0. Enter Theseus, Hippolyta, Pirithous, and Attendants.

Theseus

68 - 72

68.                       Bring ’em in
69. Quickly, by any means, I long to see ’em.—
70. Your two contending lovers are return’d,
71. And with them their fair knights. Now, my fair sister,
72. You must love one of them.

Emilia

73 - 74

73.                            I had rather both,
74. So neither for my sake should fall untimely.

Theseus

75

75. Who saw ’em?

Pirithous

76

76.              I a while.

Gentleman

77

77.            And I.

0. Enter First Messenger.

Theseus

78

78. From whence come you, sir?

First Messenger

79

79.                            From the knights.

Theseus

80 - 81

80.                   Pray speak,
81. You that have seen them, what they are.

First Messenger

82 - 98

82.                                         I will, sir,
83. And truly what I think. Six braver spirits
84. Than these they have brought (if we judge by the outside)
85. I never saw nor read of. He that stands
86. In the first place with Arcite, by his seeming
87. Should be a stout man, by his face a prince
88. (His very looks so say him), his complexion
89. Nearer a brown than black; stern, and yet noble,
90. Which shows him hardy, fearless, proud of dangers.
91. The circles of his eyes show fire within him,
92. And as a heated lion, so he looks;
93. His hair hangs long behind him, black and shining
94. Like ravens’ wings; his shoulders broad and strong,
95. Arm’d long and round, and on his thigh a sword
96. Hung by a curious baldrick, when he frowns
97. To seal his will with. Better, o’ my conscience,
98. Was never soldier’s friend.

Theseus

99

99. Thou hast well describ’d him.

Pirithous

100 - 101

100.                               Yet a great deal short,
101. Methinks, of him that’s first with Palamon.

Theseus

102

102. Pray speak him, friend.

Pirithous

103 - 123

103.                         I guess he is a prince too,
104. And if it may be, greater; for his show
105. Has all the ornament of honor in’t.
106. He’s somewhat bigger than the knight he spoke of,
107. But of a face far sweeter; his complexion
108. Is, as a ripe grape, ruddy. He has felt
109. Without doubt what he fights for, and so apter
110. To make this cause his own. In ’s face appears
111. All the fair hopes of what he undertakes,
112. And when he’s angry, then a settled valor
113. (Not tainted with extremes) runs through his body,
114. And guides his arm to brave things. Fear he cannot,
115. He shows no such soft temper. His head’s yellow,
116. Hard-hair’d, and curl’d, thick twin’d like ivy-tods,
117. Not to undo with thunder. In his face
118. The livery of the warlike maid appears,
119. Pure red and white, for yet no beard has blest him;
120. And in his rolling eyes sits victory,
121. As if she ever meant to crown his valor.
122. His nose stands high, a character of honor;
123. His red lips, after fights, are fit for ladies.

Emilia

124

124. Must these men die too?

Pirithous

125 - 129

125.                         When he speaks, his tongue
126. Sounds like a trumpet. All his lineaments
127. Are as a man would wish ’em, strong and clean.
128. He wears a well-steel’d axe, the staff of gold.
129. His age some five and twenty.

First Messenger

130 - 133

130.                               There’s another,
131. A little man, but of a tough soul, seeming
132. As great as any. Fairer promises
133. In such a body yet I never look’d on.

Pirithous

134

134. O, he that’s freckle-fac’d?

First Messenger

135 - 136

135.                             The same, my lord.
136. Are they not sweet ones?

Pirithous

137

137.                          Yes, they are well.

First Messenger

138 - 157

138.                     Methinks,
139. Being so few and well dispos’d, they show
140. Great and fine art in nature. He’s white-hair’d,
141. Not wanton white, but such a manly color
142. Next to an auburn; tough and nimble set,
143. Which shows an active soul; his arms are brawny,
144. Lin’d with strong sinews; to the shoulder-piece
145. Gently they swell, like women new conceiv’d,
146. Which speaks him prone to labor, never fainting
147. Under the weight of arms; stout-hearted, still,
148. But when he stirs, a tiger. He’s grey-ey’d,
149. Which yields compassion where he conquers; sharp
150. To spy advantages, and where he finds ’em,
151. He’s swift to make ’em his. He does no wrongs,
152. Nor takes none. He’s round-fac’d, and when he smiles
153. He shows a lover, when he frowns, a soldier.
154. About his head he wears the winner’s oak,
155. And in it stuck the favor of his lady.
156. His age some six and thirty. In his hand
157. He bears a charging-staff emboss’d with silver.

Theseus

158

158. Are they all thus?

Pirithous

159

159.                    They are all the sons of honor.

Theseus

160 - 161

160. Now as I have a soul I long to see ’em.
161. Lady, you shall see men fight now.

Hippolyta

162 - 167

162.                                    I wish it,
163. But not the cause, my lord. They would show
164. Bravely about the titles of two kingdoms.
165. ’Tis pity love should be so tyrannous.
166. O my soft-hearted sister, what think you?
167. Weep not, till they weep blood. Wench, it must be.

Theseus

168 - 170

168. You have steel’d ’em with your beauty.—Honor’d friend,
169. To you I give the field; pray order it,
170. Fitting the persons that must use it.

Pirithous

171

171.                                       Yes, sir.

Theseus

172 - 174

172. Come, I’ll go visit ’em. I cannot stay—
173. Their fame has fir’d me so—till they appear.
174. Good friend, be royal.

Pirithous

175

175.                        There shall want no bravery.

Emilia

176 - 177

176. Poor wench, go weep, for whosoever wins
177. Loses a noble cousin for thy sins.

0. Exeunt.