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The Two Noble Kinsmen: Act V, Scene 4

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The Two Noble Kinsmen
Act V, Scene 4

A place near the Lists. A block prepared.

W. J. Rolfe, 1898

  1. A block ready. Enter Palamon and his Knights pinion’d,
  2. Jailer, Executioner, etc., Guard.

Palamon

1 - 15
  1. There’s many a man alive that hath outliv’d
  2. The love o’ th’ people, yea, i’ th’ self-same state
  3. Stands many a father with his child. Some comfort
  4. We have by so considering: we expire,
  5. And not without men’s pity; to live still,
  6. Have their good wishes; we prevent
  7. The loathsome misery of age, beguile
  8. The gout and rheum, that in lag hours attend
  9. For grey approachers; we come towards the gods
  10. Young and unwapper’d, not halting under crimes
  11. Many and stale. That sure shall please the gods
  12. Sooner than such, to give us nectar with ’em,
  13. For we are more clear spirits. My dear kinsmen,
  14. Whose lives (for this poor comfort) are laid down,
  15. You have sold ’em too too cheap.

First Knight

16 - 20
  1.                                  What ending could be
  2. Of more content? O’er us the victors have
  3. Fortune, whose title is as momentary
  4. As to us death is certain. A grain of honor
  5. They not o’erweigh us.

Second Knight

21 - 23
  1.                        Let us bid farewell;
  2. And with our patience anger tott’ring Fortune,
  3. Who at her certain’st reels.

Third Knight

24
  1.                              Come! Who begins?

Palamon

25 - 31
  1. Ev’n he that led you to this banquet shall
  2. Taste to you all.
  3. To the Jailer.
  4.                   Ah ha, my friend, my friend,
  5. Your gentle daughter gave me freedom once;
  6. You’ll see’t done now forever. Pray how does she?
  7. I heard she was not well; her kind of ill
  8. Gave me some sorrow.

Jailer

32 - 33
  1.                      Sir, she’s well restor’d,
  2. And to be married shortly.

Palamon

34 - 38
  1.                            By my short life,
  2. I am most glad on’t. ’Tis the latest thing
  3. I shall be glad of, prithee tell her so.
  4. Commend me to her, and to piece her portion
  5. Tender her this.
  1. Gives purse.

First Knight

39
  1.                  Nay, let’s be offerers all.

Second Knight

40
  1. Is it a maid?

Palamon

41 - 43
  1.               Verily I think so,
  2. A right good creature, more to me deserving
  3. Than I can quite or speak of.

All Three Knights

44
  1.                               Commend us to her.
  1. They give their purses.

Jailer

45
  1. The gods requite you all, and make her thankful!

Palamon

46 - 47
  1. Adieu; and let my life be now as short
  2. As my leave-taking.
  1. Lies on the block.

Third Knight

48
  1.                     Lead, courageous cousin.

Both First and Second Knights

49
  1. We’ll follow cheerfully.
  1. A great noise within crying “Run! Save! Hold!”
  1. Enter in haste a Messenger.

Second Messenger

50
  1. Hold, hold! O, hold, hold, hold!
  1. Enter Pirithous in haste.

Pirithous

51 - 54
  1. Hold ho! It is a cursed haste you made
  2. If you have done so quickly. Noble Palamon,
  3. The gods will show their glory in a life
  4. That thou art yet to lead.

Palamon

55 - 56
  1.                            Can that be, when
  2. Venus I have said is false? How do things fare?

Pirithous

57 - 58
  1. Arise, great sir, and give the tidings ear
  2. Palamon rises.
  3. That are most dearly sweet and bitter.

Palamon

59 - 60
  1.                                        What
  2. Hath wak’d us from our dream?

Pirithous

61 - 98
  1.                               List then: your cousin,
  2. Mounted upon a steed that Emily
  3. Did first bestow on him—a black one, owing
  4. Not a hair-worth of white, which some will say
  5. Weakens his price, and many will not buy
  6. His goodness with this note; which superstition
  7. Here finds allowance—on this horse is Arcite
  8. Trotting the stones of Athens, which the calkins
  9. Did rather tell than trample; for the horse
  10. Would make his length a mile, if’t pleas’d his rider
  11. To put pride in him. As he thus went counting
  12. The flinty pavement, dancing as ’twere to th’ music
  13. His own hoofs made (for as they say from iron
  14. Came music’s origin), what envious flint,
  15. Cold as old Saturn, and like him possess’d
  16. With fire malevolent, darted a spark,
  17. Or what fierce sulphur else, to this end made,
  18. I comment not—the hot horse, hot as fire,
  19. Took toy at this, and fell to what disorder
  20. His power could give his will, bounds, comes on end,
  21. Forgets school-doing, being therein train’d,
  22. And of kind manage; pig-like he whines
  23. At the sharp rowel, which he frets at rather
  24. Than any jot obeys; seeks all foul means
  25. Of boist’rous and rough jad’ry, to disseat
  26. His lord that kept it bravely. When nought serv’d,
  27. When neither curb would crack, girth break, nor diff’ring plunges
  28. Disroot his rider whence he grew, but that
  29. He kept him ’tween his legs, on his hind hoofs
  30. On end he stands,
  31. That Arcite’s legs, being higher than his head,
  32. Seem’d with strange art to hang. His victor’s wreath
  33. Even then fell off his head; and presently
  34. Backward the jade comes o’er, and his full poise
  35. Becomes the rider’s load. Yet is he living,
  36. But such a vessel ’tis that floats but for
  37. The surge that next approaches. He much desires
  38. To have some speech with you. Lo he appears.
  1. Enter Theseus, Hippolyta, Emilia, Arcite in a chair.

Palamon

99 - 103
  1. O miserable end of our alliance!
  2. The gods are mighty, Arcite. If thy heart,
  3. Thy worthy, manly heart, be yet unbroken,
  4. Give me thy last words; I am Palamon,
  5. One that yet loves thee dying.

Arcite

104 - 109
  1. Take Emilia,
  2. And with her all the world’s joy. Reach thy hand;
  3. Farewell. I have told my last hour; I was false,
  4. Yet never treacherous. Forgive me, cousin.
  5. One kiss from fair Emilia.—’Tis done.
  6. Take her. I die.
  1. Dies.

Palamon

110
  1.                  Thy brave soul seek Elysium!

Emilia

111 - 113
  1. I’ll close thine eyes, prince; blessed souls be with thee!
  2. Thou art a right good man, and while I live,
  3. This day I give to tears.

Palamon

114
  1.                           And I to honor.

Theseus

115 - 125
  1. In this place first you fought; ev’n very here
  2. I sund’red you. Acknowledge to the gods
  3. Our thanks that you are living.
  4. His part is play’d, and though it were too short,
  5. He did it well; your day is length’ned, and
  6. The blissful dew of heaven does arrouse you.
  7. The powerful Venus well hath grac’d her altar,
  8. And given you your love. Our master Mars
  9. Hath vouch’d his oracle, and to Arcite gave
  10. The grace of the contention So the deities
  11. Have show’d due justice.—Bear this hence.
  1. Arcite is carried out.

Palamon

126 - 129
  1.                                           O cousin,
  2. That we should things desire which do cost us
  3. The loss of our desire! That nought could buy
  4. Dear love but loss of dear love!

Theseus

130 - 155
  1.                                  Never fortune
  2. Did play a subtler game. The conquer’d triumphs,
  3. The victor has the loss; yet in the passage
  4. The gods have been most equal. Palamon,
  5. Your kinsman hath confess’d the right o’ th’ lady
  6. Did lie in you, for you first saw her, and
  7. Even then proclaim’d your fancy. He restor’d her
  8. As your stol’n jewel, and desir’d your spirit
  9. To send him hence forgiven. The gods my justice
  10. Take from my hand, and they themselves become
  11. The executioners. Lead your lady off;
  12. And call your lovers from the stage of death,
  13. Whom I adopt my friends. A day or two
  14. Let us look sadly, and give grace unto
  15. The funeral of Arcite, in whose end
  16. The visages of bridegrooms we’ll put on
  17. And smile with Palamon; for whom an hour,
  18. But one hour since, I was as dearly sorry
  19. As glad of Arcite; and am now as glad
  20. As for him sorry. O you heavenly charmers,
  21. What things you make of us! For what we lack
  22. We laugh, for what we have are sorry, still
  23. Are children in some kind. Let us be thankful
  24. For that which is, and with you leave dispute
  25. That are above our question. Let’s go off,
  26. And bear us like the time.
  1. Flourish. Exeunt.
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