Читать книгу The Two Noble Kinsmen - John Fletcher - Страница 7

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Scaena 3. (Before the gates of Athens.)

[Enter Pirithous, Hipolita, Emilia.]

PERITHOUS.

No further.

HIPPOLITA.

Sir, farewell; repeat my wishes

To our great Lord, of whose succes I dare not

Make any timerous question; yet I wish him

Exces and overflow of power, and't might be,

To dure ill-dealing fortune: speede to him,

Store never hurtes good Gouernours.

PERITHOUS.

Though I know

His Ocean needes not my poore drops, yet they

Must yeild their tribute there. My precious Maide,

Those best affections, that the heavens infuse

In their best temperd peices, keepe enthroand

In your deare heart.

EMILIA.

Thanckes, Sir. Remember me

To our all royall Brother, for whose speede

The great Bellona ile sollicite; and

Since in our terrene State petitions are not

Without giftes understood, Ile offer to her

What I shall be advised she likes: our hearts

Are in his Army, in his Tent.

HIPPOLITA.

In's bosome:

We have bin Soldiers, and wee cannot weepe

When our Friends don their helmes, or put to sea,

Or tell of Babes broachd on the Launce, or women

That have sod their Infants in (and after eate them)

The brine, they wept at killing 'em; Then if

You stay to see of us such Spincsters, we

Should hold you here for ever.

PERITHOUS.

Peace be to you,

As I pursue this war, which shall be then

Beyond further requiring. [Exit Pir.]

EMILIA.

How his longing

Followes his Friend! since his depart, his sportes

Though craving seriousnes, and skill, past slightly

His careles execution, where nor gaine

Made him regard, or losse consider; but

Playing one busines in his hand, another

Directing in his head, his minde, nurse equall

To these so diffring Twyns—have you observ'd him,

Since our great Lord departed?

HIPPOLITA.

With much labour,

And I did love him fort: they two have Cabind

In many as dangerous, as poore a Corner,

Perill and want contending; they have skift

Torrents whose roring tyranny and power

I'th least of these was dreadfull, and they have

Fought out together, where Deaths-selfe was lodgd,

Yet fate hath brought them off: Their knot of love,

Tide, weau'd, intangled, with so true, so long,

And with a finger of so deepe a cunning,

May be outworne, never undone. I thinke

Theseus cannot be umpire to himselfe,

Cleaving his conscience into twaine and doing

Each side like Iustice, which he loves best.

EMILIA.

Doubtlesse

There is a best, and reason has no manners

To say it is not you: I was acquainted

Once with a time, when I enjoyd a Play-fellow;

You were at wars, when she the grave enrichd,

Who made too proud the Bed, tooke leave o th Moone

(Which then lookt pale at parting) when our count

Was each eleven.

HIPPOLITA.

Twas Flaui(n)a.

EMILIA.

Yes.

You talke of Pirithous and Theseus love;

Theirs has more ground, is more maturely seasond,

More buckled with strong Iudgement and their needes

The one of th'other may be said to water [2. Hearses ready

with Palamon: and Arcite: the 3. Queenes. Theseus: and his

Lordes ready.]

Their intertangled rootes of love; but I

And shee I sigh and spoke of were things innocent,

Lou'd for we did, and like the Elements

That know not what, nor why, yet doe effect

Rare issues by their operance, our soules

Did so to one another; what she lik'd,

Was then of me approov'd, what not, condemd,

No more arraignment; the flowre that I would plucke

And put betweene my breasts (then but beginning

To swell about the blossome) oh, she would long

Till shee had such another, and commit it

To the like innocent Cradle, where Phenix like

They dide in perfume: on my head no toy

But was her patterne; her affections (pretty,

Though, happely, her careles were) I followed

For my most serious decking; had mine eare

Stolne some new aire, or at adventure humd on

From musicall Coynadge, why it was a note

Whereon her spirits would sojourne (rather dwell on)

And sing it in her slumbers. This rehearsall

(Which ev'ry innocent wots well comes in

Like old importments bastard) has this end,

That the true love tweene Mayde, and mayde, may be

More then in sex idividuall.

HIPPOLITA.

Y'are out of breath

And this high speeded pace, is but to say

That you shall never like the Maide Flavina

Love any that's calld Man.

EMILIA.

I am sure I shall not.

HIPPOLITA.

Now, alacke, weake Sister,

I must no more beleeve thee in this point

(Though in't I know thou dost beleeve thy selfe,)

Then I will trust a sickely appetite,

That loathes even as it longs; but, sure, my Sister,

If I were ripe for your perswasion, you

Have saide enough to shake me from the Arme

Of the all noble Theseus, for whose fortunes

I will now in, and kneele with great assurance,

That we, more then his Pirothous, possesse

The high throne in his heart.

EMILIA.

I am not

Against your faith; yet I continew mine. [Exeunt. Cornets.]