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The Two Noble Kinsmen: Act III, Scene 1

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The Two Noble Kinsmen
Act III, Scene 1

A forest near Athens.

  1. Cornets in sundry places. Noise and hallowing, as people
  2. a-Maying.
  1. Enter Arcite alone.

Arcite

1 - 30
  1. The Duke has lost Hippolyta; each took
  2. A several land. This is a solemn rite
  3. They owe bloom’d May, and the Athenians pay it
  4. To th’ heart of ceremony. O queen Emilia,
  5. Fresher than May, sweeter
  6. Than her gold buttons on the boughs, or all
  7. Th’ enamell’d knacks o’ th’ mead or garden! Yea
  8. (We challenge too) the bank of any nymph,
  9. That makes the stream seem flowers! Thou, O jewel
  10. O’ th’ wood, o’ th’ world, hast likewise blest a place
  11. With thy sole presence. In thy rumination
  12. That I, poor man, might eftsoons come between
  13. And chop on some cold thought! Thrice-blessed chance,
  14. To drop on such a mistress, expectation
  15. Most guiltless on’t. Tell me, O Lady Fortune
  16. (Next after Emily my sovereign), how far
  17. I may be proud. She takes strong note of me,
  18. Hath made me near her; and this beauteous morn
  19. (The prim’st of all the year) presents me with
  20. A brace of horses; two such steeds might well
  21. Be by a pair of kings back’d, in a field
  22. That their crowns’ titles tried. Alas, alas,
  23. Poor cousin Palamon, poor prisoner, thou
  24. So little dream’st upon my fortune that
  25. Thou think’st thyself the happier thing to be
  26. So near Emilia. Me thou deem’st at Thebes,
  27. And therein wretched, although free. But if
  28. Thou knew’st my mistress breath’d on me, and that
  29. I ear’d her language, liv’d in her eye, O coz,
  30. What passion would enclose thee!
  1. Enter Palamon, as out of a bush, with his shackles; bends
  2. his fist at Arcite.

Palamon

31 - 44
  1.                                  Traitor kinsman,
  2. Thou shouldst perceive my passion, if these signs
  3. Of prisonment were off me, and this hand
  4. But owner of a sword! By all oaths in one,
  5. I, and the justice of my love, would make thee
  6. A confess’d traitor! O thou most perfidious
  7. That ever gently look’d! The void’st of honor
  8. That ev’r bore gentle token! Falsest cousin
  9. That ever blood made kin, call’st thou her thine?
  10. I’ll prove it in my shackles, with these hands
  11. Void of appointment, that thou li’st, and art
  12. A very thief in love, a chaffy lord,
  13. Nor worth the name of villain! Had I a sword,
  14. And these house-clogs away—

Arcite

45
  1.                             Dear cousin Palamon—

Palamon

46 - 47
  1. Cozener Arcite, give me language such
  2. As thou hast show’d me feat.

Arcite

48 - 60
  1.                              Not finding in
  2. The circuit of my breast any gross stuff
  3. To form me like your blazon, holds me to
  4. This gentleness of answer: ’tis your passion
  5. That thus mistakes, the which to you being enemy,
  6. Cannot to me be kind. Honor and honesty
  7. I cherish and depend on, howsoev’r
  8. You skip them in me, and with them, fair coz,
  9. I’ll maintain my proceedings. Pray be pleas’d
  10. To show in generous terms your griefs, since that
  11. Your question’s with your equal, who professes
  12. To clear his own way with the mind and sword
  13. Of a true gentleman.

Palamon

61
  1.                      That thou durst, Arcite!

Arcite

62 - 66
  1. My coz, my coz, you have been well advertis’d
  2. How much I dare; y’ave seen me use my sword
  3. Against th’ advice of fear. Sure, of another
  4. You would not hear me doubted, but your silence
  5. Should break out, though i’ th’ sanctuary.

Palamon

67 - 74
  1.                                            Sir,
  2. I have seen you move in such a place which well
  3. Might justify your manhood; you were call’d
  4. A good knight and a bold. But the whole week’s not fair
  5. If any day it rain. Their valiant temper
  6. Men lose when they incline to treachery,
  7. And then they fight like compell’d bears, would fly
  8. Were they not tied.

Arcite

75 - 77
  1.                     Kinsman, you might as well
  2. Speak this and act it in your glass, as to
  3. His ear which now disdains you.

Palamon

78 - 88
  1.                                 Come up to me,
  2. Quit me of these cold gyves, give me a sword
  3. Though it be rusty, and the charity
  4. Of one meal lend me; come before me then,
  5. A good sword in thy hand, and do but say
  6. That Emily is thine, I will forgive
  7. The trespass thou hast done me, yea, my life
  8. If then thou carry’t, and brave souls in shades
  9. That have died manly, which will seek of me
  10. Some news from earth, they shall get none but this—
  11. That thou art brave and noble.

Arcite

89 - 97
  1.                                Be content,
  2. Again betake you to your hawthorn house.
  3. With counsel of the night, I will be here
  4. With wholesome viands; these impediments
  5. Will I file off; you shall have garments, and
  6. Perfumes to kill the smell o’ th’ prison; after,
  7. When you shall stretch yourself, and say but, “Arcite,
  8. I am in plight,” there shall be at your choice
  9. Both sword and armor.

Palamon

98 - 101
  1.                       O you heavens, dares any
  2. So noble bear a guilty business? None
  3. But only Arcite; therefore none but Arcite
  4. In this kind is so bold.

Arcite

102
  1.                          Sweet Palamon—

Palamon

103 - 106
  1. I do embrace you and your offer. For
  2. Your offer do’t I only, sir; your person
  3. Without hypocrisy I may not wish
  4. More than my sword’s edge on’t.
  1. Wind horns off. Cornets.

Arcite

107 - 111
  1.                                 You hear the horns:
  2. Enter your musit, lest this match between ’s
  3. Be cross’d ere met. Give me your hand, farewell.
  4. I’ll bring you every needful thing. I pray you
  5. Take comfort and be strong.

Palamon

112 - 117
  1.                             Pray hold your promise;
  2. And do the deed with a bent brow. Most certain
  3. You love me not; be rough with me, and pour
  4. This oil out of your language. By this air,
  5. I could for each word give a cuff, my stomach
  6. Not reconcil’d by reason.

Arcite

118 - 124
  1.                           Plainly spoken,
  2. Yet pardon me hard language. When I spur
  3. My horse, I chide him not; content and anger
  4. In me have but one face.
  5. Wind horns within.
  6.                          Hark, sir, they call
  7. The scatter’d to the banquet. You must guess
  8. I have an office there.

Palamon

125 - 127
  1.                         Sir, your attendance
  2. Cannot please heaven, and I know your office
  3. Unjustly is achiev’d.

Arcite

128 - 132
  1.                       If a good title,
  2. I am persuaded this question, sick between ’s,
  3. By bleeding must be cur’d. I am a suitor
  4. That to your sword you will bequeath this plea,
  5. And talk of it no more.

Palamon

133 - 135
  1.                         But this one word:
  2. You are going now to gaze upon my mistress,
  3. For note you, mine she is—

Arcite

136
  1.                            Nay then—

Palamon

137 - 142
  1.           Nay, pray you—
  2. You talk of feeding me to breed me strength;
  3. You are going now to look upon a sun
  4. That strengthens what it looks on; there you have
  5. A vantage o’er me, but enjoy’t till
  6. I may enforce my remedy. Farewell.
  1. Exeunt severally.
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