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- Edition: Two Noble Kinsmen
Two Noble Kinsmen (Quarto, 1634)
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The Two Noble
Kinsmen.
36Actus Primus.
37Enter Hymen with a Torch burning: a Boy, in a white
38Robe before singing, and strewing Flowres: After Hymen,
39a Nimph, encompast in her Tresses, bearing a wheaten Gar-
40land. Then Theseus betweene two other Nimphs with
41wheaten Chaplets on their heades. Then Hipolita the Bride,
42 lead by Theseus, and another holding a Garland over her
43 head (her Tresses likewise hanging.) After her Emilia hol-
44ding up her Traine.
47Not royall in their smels alone,
48But in their hew.
49Maiden Pinckes, of odour faint,
51And sweet Time true.
53Merry Spring times Herbinger,
54With her bels dimme.
55Oxlips, in their Cradles growing,
56Mary-golds, on death beds blowing,
57Larkes-heeles trymme.
B
59Ly fore Bride and Bridegroomes feete Strew Flowers.
61Not an angle of the aire,
62Bird melodious, or bird faire,
63Is absent hence.
64The Crow, the slaundrous Cuckoe, nor
65The boding Raven, nor Clough hee
66Nor chattring Pie,
68Or with them any discord bring
69But from it fly.
70Enter 3. Queenes in Blacke, with vailes staind, with impe-
71 riall Crownes. The 1. Queene fals downe at the foote of
72 Theseus; The 2. fals downe at the foote of Hypolita. The
733. before Emilia.
77And as you wish your womb may thrive with faire ones,
793. Qu. Now for the love of him whom Iove hath markd
80The honour of your Bed, and for the sake
81Of cleere virginity, be Advocate
84All you are set downe there.
86Hypol. Stand up.
87Emil. No knees to me.
89Does bind me to her.
92The wrath of cruell Creon; who endured
93The Beakes of Ravens, Tallents of the Kights,
And
The Two Noble Kinsmen.
94And pecks of Crowes, in the fowle feilds of Thebs.
100Thou purger of the earth, draw thy feard Sword
101That does good turnes to'th world; give us the Bones
102Of our dead Kings, that we may Chappell them;
103And of thy boundles goodnes take some note
104That for our crowned heades we have no roofe,
105Save this which is the Lyons, and the Beares,
106And vault to every thing.
107Thes. Pray you kneele not,
109Your knees to wrong themselves; I have heard the fortunes
110Of your dead Lords, which gives me such lamenting
111As wakes my vengeance, and revenge for 'em.
112King Capaneus, was your Lord the day
114As now it is with me, I met your Groome,
115By Marsis Altar, you were that time faire;
116Not Iunos Mantle fairer then your Tresses,
117Nor in more bounty spread her. Your wheaten wreathe
120(Then weaker than your eies) laide by his Club,
121He tumbled downe upon his Nenuan hide
123Fearefull consumers, you will all devoure.
125Some God hath put his mercy in your manhood
127Our undertaker.
128Thes. O no knees, none Widdow,
129Vnto the Helmeted-Belona use them,
130And pray for me your Souldier.
131Troubled I am. turnes away.
B 2 2. Qu.
The Two Noble Kinsmen.
1322. Qu. Honoured Hypolita
135As it is white, wast neere to make the male
136To thy Sex captive; but that this thy Lord
137Borne to uphold Creation, in that honour
142Whom now I know hast much more power on him
144And his, Love too: who is a Servant for
145The Tenour of the Speech. Deere Glasse of Ladies
147Vnder the shaddow of his Sword, may coole us:
148Require him he advance it ore our heades;
149Speak't in a womans key: like such a woman
150As any of us three; weepe ere you faile; lend us a knee;
151But touch the ground for us no longer time
152Then a Doves motion, when the head's pluckt off:
154Showing the Sun his Teeth; grinning at the Moone
155What you would doe.
157I had as leife trace this good action with you
158As that whereto I am going, and never yet
159Went I so willing, way. My Lord is taken
161Ile speake anon.
163Set downe in yce, which by hot greefe uncandied
165Is prest with deeper matter.
167Your greefe is written in your cheeke.
1683. Qu. O woe,
169You cannot reade it there; there through my teares,
Like
The Two Noble Kinsmen.
171You may behold 'em (Lady, Lady, alacke)
172He that will all the Treasure know o'th earth
174For my least minnow, let him lead his line
175To catch one at my heart. O pardon me,
177Makes me a Foole.
179Who cannot feele, nor see the raine being in't,
180Knowes neither wet, nor dry, if that you were
181The ground-peece of some Painter, I would buy you
183Such heart peirc'd demonstration; but alas
184Being a naturall Sister of our Sex
187My Brothers heart, and warme it to some pitty
188Though it were made of stone: pray have good comfort.
189Thes. Forward to'th Temple, leave not out a Iot
190O'th sacred Ceremony.
1911. Qu. O This Celebration
193Your Suppliants war: Remember that your Fame
194Knowles in the care, o'th world: what you doe quickly,
196Then others laboured meditance: your premeditating
199Subdue before they touch, thinke, deere Duke thinke
200What beds our slaine Kings have.
2012. Qu. What greifes our beds
202That our deere Lords have none.
204Those that with Cordes, Knives, drams precipitance,
205Weary of this worlds light, have to themselves
206Beene deathes most horrid Agents, humaine grace
2081. Qu. But our Lords
B3 Lie
The Two Noble Kinsmen. 6]
210And were good Kings, when living.
211Thes. It is true. and I will give you comfort,
212To give your dead Lords graves:
215Now twill take forme, the heates are gone to morrow.
219Wrinching our holy begging in our eyes
220To make petition cleere.
2212. Qu. Now you may take him,
222Drunke with his victory.
2233. Qu. And his Army full
224Of Bread, and sloth.
227The prim'st for this proceeding, and the number
230This grand act of our life, this daring deede
231Of Fate in wedlocke.
2321. Qu. Dowagers, take hands
233Let us be Widdowes to our woes, delay
234Commends us to a famishing hope.
235All. Farewell.
239Thes. Why good Ladies,
240This is a service, whereto I am going,
241Greater then any was; it more imports me
242Then all the actions that I have foregone,
243Or futurely can cope.
2441. Qu. The more proclaiming
246Able to locke Iove from a Synod, shall
By
The Two Noble Kinsmen.
247By warranting Moone-light corslet thee, oh when
249Vpon thy tastefull lips, what wilt thou thinke
250Of rotten Kings or blubberd Queenes, what care
252To make Mars spurne his Drom. O if thou couch
253But one night with her, every howre in't will
254Take hostage of thee for a hundred, and
255Thou shalt remember nothing more, then what
256That Banket bids thee too.
257Hip. Though much unlike
260Did I not by th'abstayning of my joy
261Which breeds a deeper longing, cure their surfeit
263All Ladies scandall on me. Therefore Sir
264As I shall here make tryall of my prayres,
266Or sentencing for ay their vigour dombe,
267Prorogue this busines, we are going about, and hang
268Your Sheild afore your Heart, about that necke
269Which is my ffee, and which I freely lend
271All Queens. Oh helpe now
272Our Cause cries for your knee.
273Emil. If you grant not
274My Sister her petition in that force,
275With that Celerity, and nature which
276Shee makes it in: from henceforth ile not dare
278Ever to take a Husband.
280I am entreating of my selfe to doe
281That which you kneele to have me; Pyrithous
282Leade on the Bride; get you and pray the Gods
284In the pretended Celebration: Queenes
Follow
The Two Noble Kinsmen.
285Follow your Soldier (as before) hence you
286And at the banckes of Anly meete us with
288The moytie of a number, for a busines,
291Sweete keepe it as my Token; Set you forward
293Farewell my beauteous Sister: Pyrithous
294Keepe the feast full, bate not an howre on't.
295Pirithous. Sir
297Shall want till your returne.
299Boudge not from Athens; We shall be returning
300Ere you can end this Feast; of which I pray you
301Make no abatement; once more farewell all.
3043. Qu. If not above him, for
308Thes. As we are men
311Now turne we towards your Comforts. Exeunt.