Therefore, Sir, As I shall here make tryall of my prayres, Either presuming them to have some force, Or sentencing for ay their vigour dombe: Prorogue this busines we are going about, and hang Your Sheild afore your Heart, about that necke Which is my ffee, and which I freely lend To doe these poore Queenes service.
ALL QUEENS.
Oh helpe now, Our Cause cries for your knee.
EMILIA.
If you grant not [Kneeling.] My Sister her petition in that force, With that Celerity and nature, which Shee makes it in, from henceforth ile not dare To aske you any thing, nor be so hardy Ever to take a Husband.
THESEUS.
Pray stand up. I am entreating of my selfe to doe That which you kneele to have me. Pyrithous, Leade on the Bride; get you and pray the Gods For successe, and returne; omit not any thing In the pretended Celebration. Queenes, Follow your Soldier. As before, hence you [to Artesius] And at the banckes of Aulis meete us with The forces you can raise, where we shall finde The moytie of a number, for a busines More bigger look't. Since that our Theame is haste, I stamp this kisse upon thy currant lippe; Sweete, keepe it as my Token. Set you forward, For I will see you gone. [Exeunt towards the Temple.] Farewell, my beauteous Sister: Pyrithous, Keepe the feast full, bate not an howre on't.
PERITHOUS.
Sir, Ile follow you at heeles; The Feasts solempnity Shall want till your returne.
THESEUS.
Cosen, I charge you Boudge not from Athens; We shall be returning Ere you can end this Feast, of which, I pray you, Make no abatement; once more, farewell all.
1. QUEEN.
Thus do'st thou still make good the tongue o'th world.
2. QUEEN.
And earnst a Deity equal with Mars.
3. QUEEN.
If not above him, for Thou being but mortall makest affections bend To Godlike honours; they themselves, some say, Grone under such a Mastry.
THESEUS.
As we are men, Thus should we doe; being sensually subdude, We loose our humane tytle. Good cheere, Ladies. [Florish.] Now turne we towards your Comforts. [Exeunt.]
Scaena 2. (Thebs).
[Enter Palamon, and Arcite.]
ARCITE.
Deere Palamon, deerer in love then Blood And our prime Cosen, yet unhardned in The Crimes of nature; Let us leave the Citty Thebs, and the temptings in't, before we further Sully our glosse of youth: And here to keepe in abstinence we shame As in Incontinence; for not to swim I'th aide o'th Current were almost to sincke, At least to frustrate striving, and to follow The common Streame, twold bring us to an Edy Where we should turne or drowne; if labour through, Our gaine but life, and weakenes.
PALAMON.
Your advice Is cride up with example: what strange ruins Since first we went to Schoole, may we perceive Walking in Thebs? Skars, and bare weedes The gaine o'th Martialist, who did propound To his bold ends honour, and golden Ingots, Which though he won, he had not, and now flurted By peace for whom he fought: who then shall offer To Marsis so scornd Altar? I doe bleede When such I meete, and wish great Iuno would Resume her ancient fit of Ielouzie To get the Soldier worke, that peace might purge For her repletion, and retaine anew Her charitable heart now hard, and harsher Then strife or war could be.
ARCITE.
Are you not out? Meete you no ruine but the Soldier in The Cranckes and turnes of Thebs? you did begin As if you met decaies of many kindes: Perceive you none, that doe arowse your pitty But th'un-considerd Soldier?
PALAMON.
Yes, I pitty Decaies where ere I finde them, but such most That, sweating in an honourable Toyle, Are paide with yce to coole 'em.
ARCITE.
Tis not this I did begin to speake of: This is vertue Of no respect in Thebs; I spake of Thebs How dangerous if we will keepe our Honours, It is for our resyding, where every evill Hath a good cullor; where eve'ry seeming good's A certaine evill, where not to be ev'n Iumpe As they are, here were to be strangers, and Such things to be, meere Monsters.
PALAMON.