 | The Two Noble Kinsmen |  |
Scæna Secunda.
Enter Palamon, and Arcite.Arcite.
Dear Palamon, dearer in Love than Blood
And our prime Cosin, yet unhard'ned in
The Crimes of nature; Let us leave the City
Thebs, and the temptings in't, before we further
Sully our gloss of youth,
And here to keep in abstinence we shame
As in Incontinence; for not to swim
I'th' aid o'th' current, were almost to sink,
At least to frustrate striving, and to follow
The common stream, 't would bring us to an Eddy
Where we should turn or drown; if labour through,
Our gain but life, and weakness.
Pal.
Your advice
Is cry'd up with example; what strange ruins
Since first we went to School, may we perceive
Walking in Thebs? Skars, and bare weeds
The gain o'th' Martialist, who did propound
To his bold ends, honor, and golden Ingots,
Which though he won, he had not, and now flurted
By peace, for whom he fought, who then shall offer
To Mars's so scorn'd Altar? I doe bleed
When such I meet, and wish great Juno would
Resume her antient fit of jealousie
To get the Soldier work, that peace might purge
For her repletion, and retain anew
Her charitable heart now hard, and harsher
Than strife, or war could be.
Arcite.
Are you not out?
Meet you no ruin, but the Soldier in
The crancks and turns of Thebs? you did begin
As if you met decaies of many kinds:
Perceive you none, that do arouse your pity
But th'unconsider'd Soldier?
Pal.
Yes, I pity
Decaies where-e'er I find them, but such most
That sweating in an honourable toil
Are paid with Ice to cool 'em.
Arcite.
'Tis not this
I did begin to speak of, this is virtue
Of no respect in Thebs, I spake of Thebs
How dangerous if we will keep our honors,
It is for our residing, where every evil
Hath a good colour; where ev'ry seeming good's
A certain evil, where not to be ev'n jump
As they are, here were to be strangers, and
Such things to be meer Monsters.
Pal.
'Tis in our power,
(Unless we fear that Apes can Tutor's) to
428
Affect anothers gate, which is not catching
Where there is faith, or to be fond upon
Anothers way of speech, when by mine own
I may be reasonably conceiv'd; sav'd too,
Speaking it truly; why am I bound
By any generous bond to follow him
Follows his Taylor, haply so long, until
The follow'd, make pursuit? or let me know,
Why mine own Barber is unblest, with him
My poor Chinn too, for 'tis not Cizard just
To such a Favorites glass: What Cannon is there
That does command my Rapier from my hip
To dangle't in my hand, or to goe tip toe
Before the street be foul? either I am
The fore-horse in the Team, or I am none
That draw i'th' sequent trace: these poor slight sores,
Need not a Plantain; That which tips my bosome
Almost to th'heart's,
Arcite.
Our Uncle Creon.
Pal.
He,
A most unbounded Tyrant, whose successes
Makes Heaven unfear'd, and villany assured
Beyond its power: there's nothing, almost puts
Faith in a Feavor, and deifies alone
Voluble chance, who only attributes
The faculties of other Instruments
To his own Nerves and act; Commands men service,
And what they win in't, boot and glory on;
That fears not to harm; good, dares not; Let
The bloud of mine that's sibbe to him, be suckt
From me with Leeches, let them break and fall
Off me with that corruption.
Arc.
Clear spirited Cosin
Let's leave his Court, that we may nothing share,
Of his loud infamy: for our milk,
Will relish of the pasture, and we must
Be vile, or disobedient, not his kinsmen
In blood, unless in quality.
Pal.
Nothing truer:
I think the ecchoes of his shames have deaf't
The ears of heav'nly Justice: widdows cries
Descend again into their throats, and have not
Due audience of the gods: Valerius
Enter Valerius.
Val.
The King calls for you; yet be leaden-footed
Till his great rage be off him. Phebus when
He broke his whipstock, and exclaim'd against
The Horses of the Sun, but whisper'd to
The loudness of his fury.
Pal.
Small winds shake him,
But what's the matter?
Val.
Theseus (who where he threats appals,) hath sent
Deadly defiance to him, and pronounces
Ruin to Thebs, who is at hand to seal
The promise of his wrath.
Arc.
Let him approach:
But that we fear the gods in him, he brings not
A jot of terror to us; yet what man
Thirds his own worth (the case is each of ours)
When that his actions dregg'd, with mind assur'd
'Tis bad he goes about.
Pal.
Leave that unreason'd.
Our services stand now for Thebs, not Creon,
Yet to be neutral to him, were dishonor;
Rebellious to oppose: therefore we must
With him stand to the mercy of our Fate,
Who hath bounded our last minute.
Arc.
So we must;
Ist sed this wars afoot? or it shall be
On fail of some condition.
Val.
'Tis in motion
The intelligence of state came in the instant
With the defier.
Pol.
Let's to the King, who, were he
A quarter carrier of that honor, which
His enemy came in, the bloud we venture
Should be as for our health, which were not spent,
Rather laid out for purchase: but alas
Our hands advanc'd before our hearts, what will
The fall o'th' stroke do damage?
Arci.
Let th'event,
That never-erring Arbitrator, tell us
When we know all our selves, and let us follow
The becking of our chance.
Exeunt.
| The Two Noble Kinsmen | |