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6 
 
THE TWO NOBLE KINSMEN. 
 
 LIBRARY 
 
 , ,f P 2] I8H5 ! 
 
 WRITTEN BY[ //(vr'f (][' fflfs 5]\Tff!pT)Tp;) I 
 THE MEMORABLE WORTHIES OF THEIR TIME,' ' '" ' 
 
 Mr. JOHN FLETCHER and ) 
 
 " >• Gent. 
 
 Mr. WILLIAM SHAKESPEARE, ) 
 
 Edited, with Notes, 
 
 By 
 
 WILLIAM J. ROLFE, A.M., 
 
 FORMERLY HEAD MASTER OF THE HIGH SCHOOL, CAMBRIDGE, MASS. 
 
 WITH BNGRA VINGS. 
 
 NEW YORK: 
 
 HARPER & BROTHERS', PUBLISHERS, 
 
 FRANKLIN SQUARE. 
 1884. 
 

 \9 
 
 ENGLISH 
 
 CLASSICS. 
 
 Edited by WM. 
 
 J. ROLFE, A.M. 
 
 Illustrated. i6mo, Cloth, 56 cents per 
 
 volume ; Paper, 40 cents per volume. 
 
 Shakespeake's Works. 
 
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 Richard II. 
 
 Henry VI. Part II. 
 
 Henry IV. Part I. 
 
 Henry VI. Part IIL 
 
 Henry IV. Part II. 
 
 Pericles, Prince of Tyre. 
 
 Henry V. 
 
 The Two Noble Kinsmen. 
 
 Richard TIT. 
 
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PREFACE. 
 
 I HAVE included The Two Noble Kinsmen in this edition of Shake- 
 speare's works because, as I have said below (see p. 21), he appears to 
 have some share in the composition of the play. I have nothing to 
 add here to the discussion of that question except a few paragraphs 
 from Mr. Halliwell-Phillipps's Outlines of the Life of Shakespeare (2d ed. 
 1882), which would have been included in the Introduction if I had 
 seen them in time. He states concisely "the main external testimonies 
 on each side of the question ;" and among the " reasons for believing 
 that the great dramatist had no share whatever in the composition" are 
 the following: 
 
 " I. When John Waterson, in October, 1646, transferred to Humphrey 
 Moseley his copyright interests in three plays— 77?^ Elder Brother, Mon- 
 sieur Thomas, and The Two Noble Kinsmen — the undivided authorship 
 of all of them is distinctly assigned to Fletcher in the register, the third 
 appearing there under the title of The Noble Kinsman. The Fletcherian 
 authorship of the two other dramas is undisputed ; and if Waterson 
 really believed that Shakespeare had written part of the last, there seems 
 no reason why the name of the great dramatist should not have been 
 given in the entry of the assignment. ... 2. In a list of books printed for 
 Moseley, which is inserted at the end of some copies of Shirley's Six 
 New Playes, 1653, occurs ' the Two Noble Kinsmen, a comedy written 
 by Francis Beaumont and John Fletcher, gent, in 4°.' The same entry 
 is met with the following year in a similar list of the works of the same 
 publisher, these announcements singularly contrasting with his trading 
 anxiety to use the name of Shakespeare improperly in other instances. 
 It should be carefully recollected <hat Moseley was specially connected 
 with the works of Beaumont and Fletcher, so that his evidence, valueless 
 in a question of Shakespearian* authorship, is most likely important in 
 regard to the works of the former dramatists. ... 5. The absence of con- 
 temporary evidence that Shakespeare and Fletcher were acquainted with 
 each other. ... 7. The direct evidence of Leonard Digges, about the year 
 1623, of Shakespeare's aversion to any kind of literary partnership, so 
 that he even carefully avoided the then common practice of availing 
 himself of scenes written for him by other dramatists. — 8. The parallel 
 
vi PREFACE. 
 
 instance of * the History of Cardenio by Mr. Fletcher and Shakespeare ' 
 having been entered by Moseley on the registers of the Stationers' Com- 
 pany in the year 1653. — 9. Finally, the extreme improbability of a dram- 
 atist of Shakespeare's unrivalled power and rapidity of composition en- 
 tering, at the maturest period of his reputation, into the joint-authorship 
 of a play with a much younger writer, and of the latter having in such a 
 case the assurance to be palpably imitating him, both characterially and 
 verbally, in his portion of the work." 
 
 It will be noted- that most of these arguments, while they tend to dis- 
 prove the theory (adopted by Hickson, Skeat, Hudson, and others) that 
 Shakespeare and Fletcher worked together or according to some " part- 
 nership " plan, do not affect the more probable theory (of Dyce, Stack, 
 Furnivall, Fleay, and others) that Fletcher filled out after his own fashion 
 a play left incomplete by Shakespeare. 
 
 In editing the play, I have made free use, as the frequent acknowl- 
 edgments in the Notes will show, of the valuable editions by Littledale 
 and Skeat ; and I have been almost entirely dependent upon them for the 
 collation of the early texts. 
 
 The text is somewhat " expurgated," but less than in Knight's " Picto- 
 rial " edition, and much less than in Skeat's, which is intended for school 
 use. In this country the play may be read in colleges, but is not likely 
 to be taken up in the preparatory schools. 
 
CONTENTS. 
 
 PAGE 
 
 Introduction to The Two Noble Kinsmen 9 
 
 I. The History of the Play 9 
 
 II. The Sources of the Plot 24 
 
 III. Critical Comments on the Play 26 
 
 THE TWO NOBLE KINSMEN . . , 45 
 
 Act 1 47 
 
 " II 66 
 
 " III 87 
 
 " IV 114 
 
 " V 129 
 
 Notes 151 
 
John Fletcher. 
 
PANATHENAIC PROCESSION. FROM THE FRIEZE OF THE PARTHENON. 
 
 INTRODUCTION 
 
 TO 
 
 THE TWO NOBLE KINSMEN. 
 
 I. THE HISTORY OF THE PLAY. 
 
 The Two Noble Kinsmen was first printed, so far as we 
 know, in 1634, in quarto form and with the following title- 
 page (as given in the New Shakspere Society reprint, edited 
 by Littledale) : 
 
 THE I TWO I NOBLE | KINSMEN: | Presented at 
 
 the Blackfriers | by the Kings Maiesties servants, | with 
 
 great applause : | Written by the memorable Worthies | of 
 
 , . ^. I ( My ^ohn Fletcher, and ") ^ ^ -d • ^ j 
 
 their time: \ ^.rrrr-yi- c^r I . ^ Gent. Printed 
 
 I (. My Willtam Shakspeare. ) 
 
 at London by Tho. Cotes, for John Waterson : \ and are to 
 
 be sold at the signe of the Crowne \ in Pauls Church-yard. 
 
 1634. 
 
 The two copies of this edition collated by Mr. Littledale 
 
 differ occasionally, indicating that it was revised while go- 
 
lO THE TWO NOBLE KINSMEN. 
 
 ing through the press.* It was printed, as Skeat notes, 
 from a prompter's copy; for it contains a few marginal 
 notes that refer to the representation of the play. We 
 learn from these that the name of the actor who took the 
 part of the Messenger in iv. 2 was Curtis \ and that two of 
 the Attendants in v. 3 were Curtis and T. Tucke. 
 
 The play also appeared in the 2d (1679) edition of 
 Beaumont and Fletcher's dramas, being one of "no fewer 
 than Seventeen Plays more than were in the former" (the 
 ist folio, of 1647), as the preface tells us.t It is not gener- 
 ally included in editions of Shakespeare', but may be found 
 in Knight's (vol. of "Doubtful Plays"), Dyce's (2d. and 
 later eds.), the " Leopold," and Hudson's ( " Harvard " ed.). 
 
 That two hands are to be seen in The Two Noble Kins- 
 men is now generally agreed, and that one of these is 
 Fletcher's cannot be doubted. It is also pretty certain that 
 Shakespeare had something to do with the composition of 
 the play; but just how much is a question on which the 
 critics differ widely. 
 
 Charles Lamb, in his English Dramatic Poets (1808), se- 
 lects from this play nearly all of i. i, part of i. 3, and the 
 dialogue between Palamon and Arcite before Emilia enters 
 in ii. 2. This last scene, he says, " bears indubitable marks 
 of Fletcher ; the two which precede it give strong counte- 
 nance to the tradition that Shakespeare had a hand in this 
 
 * For an interesting account of variations in old copies of the same 
 edition, see Mr. W. A. Wright's "Golden Treasury" ed. oi Bacon's Es- 
 says (London, 1863), p. 350. 
 
 t Dyce, in the 2d ed. of his Shakespeare (vol. viii. p. 117) says that 
 "it is printed also in the folios of Shakespeare, 1664 and 1685;" and, 
 as Littledale notes, the slip is not corrected in his 3d ed. (1876). Mr. 
 W. C. Hazlitt repeats the mistake in his ed. of Hazlitt's Literature of 
 the Age of Elizabeth (London, 1870) ; and so does Hudson (though he 
 mentions only the 1664 folio) in his "Harvard" ed. (vol. xix. p. 129). 
 We find it also in Ulrici's Shakespeare' s Dramatic Art (3d ed., translated 
 by Schmitz, 1876), vol. ii. p. 403. 
 
INTRODUCTION. . n 
 
 play." These and other passages, he adds, "have a luxu- 
 riance in them which strongly resembles Shakespeare's 
 manner in those parts of his plays where, the progress of 
 the interest being subordinate, the poet was at leisure for 
 description." • 
 
 Coleridge, as reported in his Table-Talk (1833), said: "I 
 have no doubt whatever that the first act and the first 
 scene of the second act of The Two Noble Kinsmen are 
 Shakespeare's ;" and later he writes (Harper's ed. of Works, 
 vol. iv. p. 219): "On comparing the prison scene of Pala- 
 mon and Arcite, ii. 2, with the dialogue between the same 
 speakers, i. 2, I can scarcely retain a doubt as to the first 
 act's having been written by Shakespeare." The construc- 
 tion of the blank verse, he adds, " proves beyond all doubt 
 an intentional imitation, if not the proper hand, of Shake- 
 speare. . . . On the other hand, the harshness of many of 
 these very passages, a harshness unrelieved by any lyrical 
 inter-breathings, and still more the want of profundity in 
 the thoughts, keep me from an absolute decision." 
 
 In 1833, Professor William Spalding, of Edinburgh, pub- 
 lished a Letter on Shakespeare's Authorship of the Two Noble 
 Kinsmen (reprinted by the New Shakspere Society, in 1876), 
 which is the most elaborate discussion of the subject that 
 has yet appeared. Mr. Furnivall gives the following ab- 
 stract of it in his Introduction to the " Leopold " Shake- 
 speare (p. xcviii.) : 
 
 "Professor Spalding contrasts the broken and pauseful 
 versification of Shakspere with Fletcher's smoother end- 
 stopped and double-ending lines. He finds in The Two Noble 
 Kinsmen many of Shakspere's images and his very words, 
 as well as the energy, obscurity, abruptness, and brevity of 
 his late plays, while in other parts of the play he shows that 
 there is the diffuseness, the amplification, and delicacy of 
 Fletcher. As instances of Shakspere's metaphors he quotes 
 ' what man thirds his own worth ?' ' Let us be widows to 
 
12 THE TWO NOBLE KINSMEN. 
 
 our woes;' *Our kind air, to them unkind;' 'Her arms shall 
 corslet thee;' 'unpang'd judgment;' 
 
 " ' Our Reasons are not prophets, 
 When oft our Fancies are ;' 
 
 " 'Give us the bones 
 Of our dead kings that we may chapel them ;' 
 
 and the like. Then he finds in one part of the play the 
 active imagination of Shakspere, hardly ever indulging in 
 lengthened description, whereas in other parts or scenes are 
 Fletcher's poverty of metaphor and his romantic and pict- 
 uresque descriptions. He contrasts, too, Shakspere's treat- 
 ment of mythology with Fletcher's, and shows the difference 
 in the two poets. Then he contrasts Shakspere's tendency 
 to reflection, and his active and inquiring thought, his prac- 
 tical worldly wisdom, the mass of general truths he puts into 
 his writing, with the want of these characteristics in Fletch- 
 er. Shakspere's faults of conceit and quibbles, too, with 
 their resistless force, he contrasts with the slow elegance 
 and want of pointedness in Fletcher, who is also almost 
 guiltless of plays on words. Then he shows how Shak- 
 spere differs from Fletcher in his personification of Grief 
 and Time, Strife and War, Peace and Love, Mercy and 
 Courage, Reason and Fancy, etc. He also shows what a 
 firm grasp of imagery Shakspere has as contrasted with 
 Fletcher, and again how the choice of the simple story must 
 have been Shakspere's, who belonged to the old school, 
 and not Fletcher's, who belonged to the new school of in- 
 volved and invented plots. Shakspere relied on charac- 
 terization and avoided spectacles. He kept in this play 
 the two moving passions of Love and Jealousy always 
 in the front, which Fletcher could not have done. The 
 harmony of its parts was, too, an idea beyond Fletcher's. 
 The shrewdness and good sense of the characters were 
 so likewise. And, on the whole, Professor Spalding con- 
 
INTROD UCTION. 
 
 13 
 
 eluded that Shakspere wrote act i., act iii. sc. i, and act 
 V. except sc. 2." 
 
 Later, as Mr. Furnivall points out, Professor Spalding 
 modified his own early judgment. In the Edmburgh Re- 
 view for July, 1840 (p. 468), he stated that his opinion "is 
 not so decided as it once was ;" and in the same periodical 
 for July, 1847 (P- 57^); ^^ declared that "the question of 
 Shakespeare's share in this play is really insoluble." 
 
 Hallam doubted whether Shakespeare had a share in the 
 play. He says {Literature of Europe, vol. iii. p. 318, Amer. 
 ed.) : " The 2wo Noble Kinsmen is a play that has been 
 honoured by a tradition of Shakespeare's concern in it. 
 The evidence as to this is the title-page of the first edition ; 
 which, though it may seem much at first sight, is next to 
 nothing in our old drama, full of misnomers of the kind. 
 The editors of Beaumont and Fletcher have insisted upon 
 what they take for marks of Shakespeare's style ; and 
 Schlegel, after 'seeing no reason for doubting so probable 
 an opinion,' detects the spirit of Shakespeare in a certain 
 ideal purity which distinguishes this from other plays of 
 Fletcher, and in the conscientious fidelity"* with which it 
 follows the Knighfs Tale in Chaucer. The Two Noble Kins- 
 nieji has much of that elevated sense of honour, friend- 
 ship, fidelity, and love, which belongs, I think, more charac- 
 teristically to Fletcher, who had drunk at the fountain of 
 Castilian romance, than to one in whose vast mind this con- 
 ventional morality of particular classes was subordinated to 
 the universal nature of man. In this sense Fletcher is al- 
 ways, in his tragic compositions, a very ideal poet. The 
 subject itself is fitter for him than for Shakespeare. In the 
 
 * Skeat remarks: "This 'conscientious fidelity' is not always con- 
 spicuous ; the authors follow Chaucer when they please. It is well 
 worth remarking that the confusion in act iv. sc. 2, where the descri])- 
 tions, copied from Chaucer, are applied to the wrong persons, occurs in 
 a scene which was almost certainly written by Fletcher." 
 
14 THE TWO NOBLE KINSMEN. 
 
 language and conduct of this play, with great deference to 
 better and more attentive critics, I see imitations of Shake- 
 speare rather than such resemblances as denote his power- 
 ful stamp. The madness of the gaoler's daughter, where 
 some have imagined they saw the master-hand, is doubtless 
 suggested by that of Ophelia, but with an inferiority of taste 
 and feeling which it seems impossible not to recognize. 
 The painful and degrading symptom of female insanity, 
 which Shakespeare has touched with his gentle hand, is 
 dwelt upon by Fletcher with all his innate impurity. Can 
 any one believe that the former would have written the last 
 scene in which the gaoler's daughter appears on the stage ?" 
 
 In a foot-note Hallam refers to Spalding's Letter, but in- 
 timates that he is not convinced by it; and in a later note 
 (1847), alluding to Dyce's concurrence with Spalding as 
 to the share of Shakespeare in the play, he says : *' The 
 hypothesis of a joint production is open to much difficulty, 
 which Mr. Dyce hardly removes." 
 
 In April, 1847, a very able paper on this question by Mr, 
 S. Hickson was published in the Westminster Review (re- 
 printed in the Transactions of the New Shaks. Soc. for 1874, 
 p. 25"*^ fol.). The result of his inquiry is summed up thus : 
 " It is that the play of The Two Noble Kinsmen is one to 
 which Shakespeare possesses a better title than can be 
 proved for him to Pericles ; that to him belong its entire 
 plan and general arrangement : but that, perhaps for want 
 of time to complete it by a day named, and probably by 
 way of encouragement to a young writer of some promise, 
 he availed himself of the assistance of Fletcher to fill up 
 a portion of the outline." Mr. Hickson assigns to Shake- 
 speare the whole of act i. except perhaps some 20 or 30 
 lines in sc. 2 ; act ii. sc. i ; act iii. sc. i and 2 ; act iv. sc. 3 ; 
 and act v. except sc. 2.* It follows that, with the partial 
 
 * Mr. Hickson's and Prof. Spalding's papers are both freely quoted 
 in the Notes below. 
 
INTR OD UC no AT. 
 
 15 
 
 exception of Arcite, every character, even to the Doctor who 
 makes his appearance near the end of act iv., was introduced 
 by Shakespeare. "We have here then," adds Mr. Hick- 
 son, " not only the framework of the play, but the ground- 
 work of each character ; in each case we find that Shake- 
 speare goes first, and Fletcher follows ; and even then we 
 find that the latter is the most successful in the parts where 
 he had Chaucer for a guide." 
 
 Fleay (Trans. New Shaks. Soc. 1874, p. 61^, and Manual, 
 p. 172) confirms Mr. Hickson's division by metrical tests. 
 The two prose scenes (ii. i and iv. 3) he assigns to Shake- 
 speare, because " Fletcher never wrote prose in any of his 
 plays." In the Shakespeare portion of the verse, the pro- 
 portion of lines having double endings is only 10 in 35, 
 while in the Fletcher portion it is 10 in 18. The former 
 average is exactly that of the latter part of Shakespeare's 
 career (the time of the Winter's Tale) ; while the latter ex- 
 actly agrees with that deduced from an examination of all 
 the undoubted works of Fletcher. Of lines consisting of 
 only four feet, there is but one in the Shakespeare portion 
 (1124 lines); but in the Fletcher portion (1398 lines) there 
 are 19. 
 
 Knight (in the paper from which we quote in the " Criti- 
 cal Comments" below) holds that " Fletcher, for the most 
 part, wrote the scenes which the best critical opinions con- 
 cur in attributing to him ;" and that " he had a coadjutor 
 who produced for the most part the scenes attributed to 
 Shakspere, but this coadjutor was not Shakspere himself." 
 He then attempts to prove that Chapman was the second 
 author ; but, so far as we are aware, he has had no follower 
 in this opinion. 
 
 Dyce says : " For my own part, I believe that Shakespeare 
 wrote all those portions of the play which Mr. Spalding as- 
 signs to him, though I conceive that in some places they 
 may have been altered and interpolated by Fletcher." 
 
1 6 THE TWO NOBLE KINSMEN. 
 
 He thinks that Shakespeare's contributions to the play are 
 " stamped everywhere with the manner of his later years," 
 but they nevertheless existed before Fletcher's were written 
 — "in other words, that the two poets did not work on it 
 simultaneously." 
 
 Ward {English Dramatic Literature^ vol. i. p. 466) considers 
 that the internal evidence is certainly very strong in favour 
 of Dyce's theory ; but he is inclined to think after all that 
 the play is mainly if not entirely Fletcher's. " At the most," 
 he says, " I should be ready to suppose that Shakspeare aided 
 the young dramatist in the opening of the play." 
 
 Skeat, in his edition of The Two Noble Kinsmen (Cam- 
 bridge, 1875), accepts Hickson's division of the play as 
 " probably right in the main." He adds : " The only scenes 
 that seem to me doubtful are iii. 2, iv. 3, and certain parts 
 of V. I. These have all been claimed for Shakespeare, but 
 I am not convinced about them. But in all the other scenes 
 the marks of partnership are sufficiently distinct. It must 
 surely be admitted that there were two authors ; that their 
 respective portions have been rightly assigned to them ; and 
 that one of those authors, the one who had the least to in- 
 vent, was Fletcher. The whole of the real conduct of the 
 play, the introduction of all the more important characters, 
 the beginning and the ending of the piece, are due to a 
 greater mind and an abler artist. Why should we hesitate 
 to suppose that that artist was Shakespeare ? ... It is easy 
 also to see the principle upon which the division of the play 
 was made. Shakespeare took the more important share, be- 
 gan the play, started all the principal characters, and left 
 Fletcher nothing to do but to fill up the easier portions, 
 where he had Chaucer to guide him, or else had merely to 
 continue what was begun, or lastly, could introduce a morris- 
 dance and some countrymen by way of filling a gap. Ob- 
 viously, the original division of labour was, that they should 
 write the alternate acts ; Shakespeare taking the ist, 3d, and 
 
INTRO D UCTION, 1 7 
 
 5th acts, and Fletcher the 2d and 4th. This was slightly 
 varied in the end, but the principle was not really altered. 
 Shakespeare wrote all the ist act, the first and most impor- 
 tant part of the 3d act, and all of the 5th act but one scene ; 
 but he also helped Fletcher (in all probability) by starting 
 the 2d act for him \ which Fletcher repaid by contributing 
 a scene to act v." 
 
 After referring to the opinion once held by Knight that 
 *' Shakespeare left a portion of the play, which, after his 
 death, was completed by Fletcher," Skeat remarks that 
 " there is really a sort of truth in it," and adds : " I cannot 
 resist the conviction that the play, in the exact form in which 
 we have it, was revised by Fletcher (or another ?) after Shake- 
 speare's death ; and that he did to some extent, here and 
 there, alter some phrases at his pleasure. I think he may 
 have done so, for instance, in v. i ; and perhaps the Song at 
 the very beginning of the play is such a piece as he might 
 have added. The Prologue and Epilogue may be his j or 
 indeed, they may hav^e been added by a third person. . . . 
 The simple and natural order of things would be somewhat 
 of the following description. The authors would roughly 
 divide the work, write contemporaneously, fit the scenes to- 
 gether, and the play would be acted. In case of repetition 
 after an interval of time, nothing would be more natural 
 than that it should be to some extent revised ; and for the 
 revision, one author would suffice. This is, accordingly, the 
 theory which I offer, and which agrees, in the main, with 
 the general result of the opinions of most critics. Suppose 
 Shakespeare and Fletcher to have written the Two Noble 
 Kinsmen in conjunction in 161 2, and the play oiHenry VIII. 
 in 1613 ; after which Shakespeare retires from his labours, 
 not to live long afterwards. The play proving a favourite 
 one — as seems to have been the case — Fletcher revises it, 
 not altering much perhaps, but adding a few lines here and 
 there ; and at last, after he also is dead, the play is printed 
 
 B 
 
1 8 THE TWO NOBLE KINSMEN. 
 
 from an acting copy, representing it in its latest form. This 
 will account for all the circumstances of the case, whilst 
 merely requiring the supposition that things took their nat- 
 ural and easiest course." 
 
 Prof. J. K. Ingram, in a paper read before the New Shak- 
 spere Society, Nov. 13, 1874 (see Transactions^ p. 442 fol.), 
 says : "The answer to the question, Who was the author of 
 the non-Fletcherian portion of the play ? does not force itself 
 on my mind with the same clear evidence as the convic- 
 tion that the non - Shaksperian part of Henry VIII. is by 
 Fletcher. The choice of the story, in which the passion is, 
 after all, of an artificial kind, the toleration of the ' trash' 
 which abounds in the underplot, the faintness of the char- 
 acterization, and, in general, the absence, except in occa- 
 sional flashes, of the splendid genius which shows itself all 
 through the last period of Shakspere, I have always found 
 very perplexing. In reading the (so-called) Shaksperian part 
 of the play, I do not often feel myself in contact with a mind 
 of the first order. Still, it is certain that there is much in it 
 that is like Shakspere, and some things that are worthy of 
 him at his best; that the. manner, in general, is more that 
 of Shakspere than of any other contemporary dramatist; and 
 that the system of verse is one which we do not find in 
 any other, whilst it is, in all essentials, that of Shakspere's 
 last period. I cannot name any one else who could have 
 written this portion of the play. ... If Shakspere be — as 
 we seem forced to believe — the author of the part of The 
 Two Nodle Kitismen now usually attributed to him, this will 
 take its place in the series of his works between the Win- 
 ter's Tale and Henry VI W 
 
 Mr. J. Herbert Stack, in a paper printed in the Appendix 
 of the New Shaks. Soc. ed. of Spalding's letter (p. 113 fol.), 
 takes the ground that the play is not mainly Shakespeare's 
 because, though founded on a poem which is "delicate and 
 noble," it is itself "coarse and trivial ;" because Shake- 
 
INTROD UCTION. 
 
 19 
 
 speare never introduces " love between persons of very dif- 
 ferent rank" (in the cases of Ophelia and Hamlet, Viola 
 and the Duke, Rosalind and Orlando, Helena and Bertram, 
 "gentlehood unites all") \ and because of the un- Shake- 
 spearian features, like " the cold, coarse balancing of Emilia 
 between the two men," the final marriage of the Gaoler's 
 Daughter (" as destructive of our sympathy as if Ophelia 
 had been saved from drowning by the grave-digger and 
 married to Horatio at the end of the piece "), the " poor 
 pedantry" of Gerrold, the "forced and feeble fun of the 
 rustics," and " the sternness of Theseus brutal and un- 
 touched by final gentleness as in Chaucer." Besides, the 
 underplot is managed with a clumsiness which is in marked 
 contrast to " the skill with which Shakespeare interweaves 
 the two plots and brings together the principal and inferior 
 personages ;" here the underplot is not interwoven with the 
 main plot. " It might be altogether omitted without affect- 
 ing the story. Theseus, Emilia, Hippolyta, Arcite, Palamon, 
 never exchange a word with the group of Gaoler's Daughter, 
 Wooer, Brother, Two Friends, and Doctor." In conclusion, 
 Mr. Stack is inclined to the opinion " that Shakespeare 
 selected the subject, began the play, wrote many passages, 
 had no underplot, and generally left it in a skeleton state ; 
 that Fletcher, not Shakespeare, is answerable for all the 
 departures from Chaucer, for all the underplot, and for the 
 revised play as it stands." 
 
 Furnivall, quoting this last sentence, says ("Leopold" ed. 
 p. xcix.) : "This is as far as any one can rightly go, I think. 
 My present feeling is to substitute ' some ' for ' many ' in the 
 passage above, and to suggest that Beaumont, or some one 
 who modelled himself on the run-on lines of Shakspere's 
 later time, as Fletcher did on the extra-syllable lines, wrote 
 much of the work in this play assigned by Spalding (at first) 
 and Hickson to Shakspere." He also remarks (p. xcviii.) : 
 "While reading Professor Spalding's enthusiastic and able 
 
20 
 
 THE TWO NOBLE KINSMEN. 
 
 argument, backed by his well-chosen quotations, it is difficult 
 to resist his conclusions. But when you turn to the play 
 and read it by yourself or aloud with a party of friends, then 
 you begin to doubt. Professor Spalding himself hesitated 
 on further reflection, as we have seen. He was from the 
 first obliged to admit that in Shakspere's specialty, charac- 
 terization, the play was weak. He could not have denied 
 that whereas in one part the character of Chaucer's Emilia, 
 the huntress seeking no marriage-bed, is rightly seized, in 
 another she is turned into a kind of foolish waiting-maid, 
 not knowing which of her suitors she loves, and fearing that 
 Palamon may be wounded and get his figure spoiled : 
 
 * Arcite may win me, 
 And yet may Palamon wound Arcite to 
 The spoiling of his figure. Oh, what pity 
 Enough for such a chance !' 
 
 If the student accepts the theory of Shakspere's taking any- 
 thing like a half share in the play, he must yet allow that 
 portions of his work and conception were afterwards spoiled 
 by Fletcher. The comparison of Chaucer's Knighfs Tale^ 
 the source of the play, with the play itself, is in no way to 
 Chaucer's discredit. The fear expressed in the Prologue 
 that Chaucer's bones might shake on hearing a possible 
 hiss at the play on its first production has a certain justifi- 
 cation. That the play opens finely with the woes of the 
 three queens, that Palamon's speech in the temple (act v.) 
 is very fine, one gladly admits. But there is nothing else 
 to match Chaucer's description of the foes engaged in the 
 tournament, of the adornments of the building where it was 
 held ; nor can the sketch of Emilia in the play be set for 
 a minute beside Chaucer's lovely picture of Emilia in the 
 garden. The repulsiveness of the under-plot, whose details 
 are due to Fletcher, detracts terribly from the effect of the 
 play as a whole." 
 
 Mr. Harold Littledale, whose edition of the play (pub- 
 
INTRODUCTION. 21 
 
 lished by the New Shakspere Society in 1876) is the best 
 we have, agrees with Mr. Stack, though " hesitating to ex- 
 press a firm opinion on the matter." He suggests that pos- 
 sibly Shakespeare "worked on the 1594 play as a basis." 
 
 Mr. Swinburne, in his Study of Shakespeare (London, 
 1880), accepts "the masterly decision of Mr. Dyce." In 
 the portions of the play ascribed to Shakespeare he sees 
 the poet's hand at its best ; but he has no patience with 
 " the pestilent abuse and perversion to which Fletcher has 
 put the perhaps already superfluous hints or sketches by 
 Shakespeare for an episodical under-plot, in his transmuta- 
 tion of Palamon's love-stricken and luckless deliverer into 
 the disgusting burlesque of a mock Ophelia." 
 
 Mr. Hudson, the most recent editor of the play, adopts 
 Hickson's division. He believes that Shakespeare and 
 Fletcher worked together here as in Henry VIII. ^ and he 
 sees no marked differences of style in the Shakespearian 
 portions of the two plays, such as would indicate any wide 
 interval in the times of writing, though The Two Noble Kins- 
 men may be somewhat the earlier of the two. The non- 
 appearance of the present play in the folio of 1623 "may 
 well have grown from an arrangement for dividing between 
 the authors the fruit of their joint labours." 
 
 For our own part, we wish that the question were as simple 
 as in the case of He?iry VIII. , but we do not find it so. We 
 were at first ready to agree with Spalding and Hickson — 
 with the latter rather than the former on the points as to 
 which they differ — but on more careful study of the play, 
 we find ourself wavering, as Spalding did, and coming to 
 regard the problem as " really insoluble." Shakespeare ap- 
 pears to have had a share in the play, but it is impossible 
 to decide just what it was, or how it came about. If he and 
 Fletcher worked together, as they perhaps did on Henry 
 VIII, the date of its composition cannot be far from 1612 ; 
 but though the metrical analysis tends to confirm this date, 
 
22 THE TWO NOBLE KINSMEN. 
 
 the weightier internal evidence is against it. Even in his 
 Letter Spalding admits that in characterization, " Shake- 
 speare's special excellence," the play is v^^eak. In this 
 respect it reminds us of his earliest rather than his latest 
 work. If it really belongs to the period of the Tempest 
 and the Winter's Tale and Henry VIII. ^ we see no alterna- 
 tive but to suppose (with Dyce, Furnivall, and others) that 
 the Shakespearian part has been more or less worked over 
 by Fletcher and wofully marred in the operation. 
 
 To say this, however, is not to say that the play is a poor 
 one. If it is not worthy to be ranked with Shakespeare's 
 latest and best work, it may nevertheless claim a high place 
 in the dramatic literature of the time. Professor Spalding 
 well says in the Edmburgh Review article (July, 1847) from 
 which we have already quoted : 
 
 "Be the authorship whose it may. The T^vo Noble Kins- 
 men is undoubtedly one of the finest dramas in the volumes 
 before us [Dyce's ed. of Beaumont and Fletcher]. It con- 
 tains passages which, in dramatic vigour and passion, yield 
 hardly to anything — perhaps to nothing — in the whole col- 
 lection ; while for gorgeousness of imagery, for delicacy of 
 poetic feeling, and for grace, animation, and strength of lan- 
 guage, we doubt whether there exists, under the names of 
 our authors, any drama that comes near to it. Never has 
 any theme enjoyed the honours which have befallen the 
 semi-classical legend of Palamon and Arcite. Chosen as 
 the foundation of chivalrous narrative by Boccaccio, Chau- 
 cer, and Dryden, it has furnished one of the fairest of the 
 flowers that compose the dramatic crown of Fletcher, while 
 from that flower, perhaps, leaves might be plucked to dec- 
 orate another brow which needs them not. 
 
 " If the admirers of Fletcher could vindicate for him the 
 fifth act of this play, they would entitle him to a still higher 
 claim upon our gratitude, as the author of a series of scenes 
 as picturesquely conceived, and as poetically set forth, as 
 
INTRO D UCTION. 
 
 23 
 
 any that our literature can boast. Dramatically considered, 
 these scenes are very faulty : perhaps there are but two of 
 them that have high dramatic merits — the interrupted ex- 
 ecution of Palamon, and the preceding scene, in which 
 Emilia, left in the forest, hears the tumult of the battle, and 
 receives successive reports of its changes and issue. But 
 as a gallery of poetical pictures, as a cluster of images sug- 
 gestive alike to the imagination and the feelings, as a cabi- 
 net of jewels whose lustre dazzles the eye and blinds it to 
 the unskilful setting, — in this light there are few pieces com- 
 parable to the magnificent scene before the temples, where 
 the lady and her lovers pray to the gods ; and the patheti- 
 cally solemn close of the drama, admirable in itself, loses 
 only when we compare it with the death of Arcite in Chau- 
 cer's masterpiece, ' the Iliad of the middle ages.' " 
 
 We may add that, among the German critics, Ulrici ad- 
 mits that "the diction has a touch of Shakespeare's style;" 
 but considers that the difference between the supposed 
 Shakespearian portions and the rest of the play "is not 
 sufficiently great to exclude the possibility that a poet of 
 such eminent talent as Fletcher might, in one of his earlier 
 works (for the play cannot, probably, be dated later than 
 about 1608-9), have taken some of Shakespeare's characters 
 as his models, and for a time come under Shakespeare's in- 
 fluence — as the plagiarism from Hamlet proves ; further, that 
 he might even have succeeded in imitating Shakespeare's 
 style in single features of diction, nay, that he might even 
 have succeeded in striking a tone kindred to Shakespeare's 
 own in whole portions of the play. " This, he thinks, is more 
 likely than that Shakespeare wrote scenes and whole acts 
 which, in substance, stand in direct contradiction to the 
 spirit and character of his own compositions."^ 
 
 Gervinus says that Shakespeare may possibly have adapted 
 
 * Shakespeare's Dramatic Art, translated by L. D. Schmitz (3d ed. 
 1876), vol. ii. p. 409. 
 
24 THE TWO NOBLE KINSMEN. 
 
 the old* play of 1594, and Fletcher, making use of Shake- 
 speare's additions, may have remodelled this same old play 
 into The Two Noble Kinsmen ; "but that Shakespeare ever 
 could have taken a hearty interest in the subject is to be 
 denied with the greatest certainty from one single consider- 
 ation ; for never have his sound ethics had to do with such 
 conventional points of honour in the style of the dramatic 
 Romanticists of Spain as those upon which the relation be- 
 tween Palamon and Arcite, the two noble cousins (the cen- 
 tral point of the whole play), turns." He is therefore "of 
 Staunton's opinion, who is as little inclined to impute to 
 Shakespeare a share in this as in any other of the plays 
 falsely awarded to him,"* 
 
 Ward (vol. i. p. 467) states that H. von Friesen (in Shake- 
 speare yahrhich^\Q>\. i., 1865) has also taken the ground that 
 Shakespeare could not have been " associated in the pro- 
 duction of a play so different from the works of his maturity." 
 
 II. THE SOURCES OF THE PLOT. 
 
 The story of the play, as the prologue states, is taken 
 from Chaucer, who gives it in his Knightes Tale. He got it, 
 as he acknowledges, from the Teseide of Boccaccio, who calls 
 it a very old story (" una antichissima storia "). The names 
 in it indicate that it was originally from the Greek (cf. Mr. 
 Hales's letter in the London Academy, Jan. 17, 1874). 
 
 It had been dramatized in English twice at least before 
 the time of Shakespeare, though there is no ground what- 
 ever for supposing that the authors of The Two Noble Kins- 
 men were indebted to either of the earlier plays. In 1566 
 a drama called Falcemon and Arcyte, by Richard Edwardes, 
 was performed before Queen Elizabeth at Oxford. Wood's 
 account in the Athence Oxofiie?ises mentions the play several 
 times, but the following passages, communicated to Nicholls, 
 
 * Shakeipeare- Commentaries, translated by Bunnett (ed. of 1875), P- 
 828. 
 
INTRODUCTION. 
 
 25 
 
 the historian of Elizabeth's Progresses, by Mr. Giitch, from 
 Wood's MSS., are more detailed, and clearly show that Ed- 
 wardes's play and the play before us must have differed so 
 materially as to make it almost certain that the authors of 
 the latter can have known nothing of the former. Part of 
 the play was performed on Sept. 2, 1566, when a scaffolding 
 fell, and three lives were lost. Wood continues : " Sept. 4, 
 1566. At night the Queen was present at the other part 
 of the play of Palcemon and Arcyte, which should have been 
 acted the night before, but deferred because it was late 
 when the Queen came from disputations at St. Mary's. 
 When the play was ended, she called for Mr. Edwards, the 
 author and gave him very great thanks, with promises of 
 reward, for his pains : then making a pause, said to him and 
 her retinue standing about her, this relating to part of the 
 play: 'By Palaemon, I warrant he dallieth not in love when 
 he was in love indeed ; by Arcyte, he was a right martial 
 knight, having a sweet countenance, and a manly face ; by 
 Trecatio, God's pity, what a knave it is ; by Perithous, 
 throwing St. Edward's rich cloak into the funeral fire, which 
 a stander-by would have stayed by the arm with an oath, 
 he knoweth his part, I warrant' In the said play was 
 acted a cry of hounds in the Quadrant, upon the train of a 
 fox in the hunting of Theseus, with which the young scholars, 
 who stood in the windows, were so much taken (supposing 
 it was real), that they cried out, ' Now, now ! — there, there ! 
 — he's caught, he's caught !' All which the Queen merrily 
 beholding, said, ' O, excellent ! those boys, in very troth, are 
 ready to leap out of the windows to follow the hounds !' 
 .... In the acting of the said play there was a good 
 part performed by the Lady Amelia, who, for gathering her 
 flowers prettily in a garden there represented, and singing 
 sweetly in the time of March, received eight angels for a 
 gracious reward by her Majesty's command," etc. 
 
 Of the other old play we know nothing except (from 
 
2 6 THE TWO NOBLE KINSMEN. 
 
 Henslowe's Diary) that it was entitled Palamon afid Arstit, 
 and was acted several times at the Newington Theatre in 
 1594. Collier conjectures that it was based upon the play 
 of 1566, and that it was in turn remodelled by Shakespeare, 
 who introduced into it the matter afterwards "employed by 
 Fletcher in the play as it was printed in 1634;" but this is 
 speculating rather wildly on the mere mention of a play in 
 a manager's list.* 
 
 The origin of the underplot cannot be traced. There is 
 no hint of it in Chaucer, and we have no reason to suppose 
 that it came from the play of 1594. It may have been the 
 invention of the authors. 
 
 III. CRITICAL COMMENTS ON THE PLAY. 
 
 [From Knight'' s ^^ Pictorial Shakspere.''''\\ 
 
 The Kfiightes Tale of Chaucer opens with the return to 
 
 Athens of the " duke that highte Theseus," after he had 
 
 " conquer'd all the regne of Feminie, 
 That whilom was ycleped Scythia, 
 And wedded the freshe queen Hypolita, 
 And brought her home with him to his countrey 
 With muchel glory and great solempnitie, 
 And eke her younge sister Emelie." 
 
 The Two Noble Kmsfnen opens with Theseus at Athens, in 
 the company of Hippolyta and her sister, proceeding to the 
 
 * Hickson, by the way, ascribes this speculation to Dyce, who quotes 
 it from Collier only to condemn it ; and Skeat in turn apparently mis- 
 understands Hickson, who, he says, " needlessly assumes that Henslowe 
 is here referring to The Two Noble Kinsmen.'''' What Hickson says, 
 after finding fault with "Dyce" (that is, Collier) for "arguing upon a 
 hypothetical play [Shakespeare's supposed revision of the one men- 
 tioned by Henslowe] which, so far as we know, never existed," is this : 
 "In Henslowe's Diary we find the following entry: '17 of September, 
 1594, ne Rd at palamon and arsett Ijs ;' we have the Ttvo Noble Kinsmen 
 before us : and there is not a tittle of evidence besides." 
 
 t Doubtful Flays, etc. (2d ed. 1867), p. 171 fol. We select the passages 
 that give the analysis of the play as compared with The Kfiightes Tale. 
 
INTRODUCTIONr 27 
 
 celebration of his marriage with the "dreaded Amazonian." 
 Their bridal procession is interrupted by the 
 
 " three queens, whose sovereigns fell before 
 The wrath of cruel Creon." 
 
 In Chaucer the suppliants are a more numerous company. 
 As Theseus was approaching Athens, 
 
 " He was ware, as he cast his eye aside, 
 Where that there kneeled in the highe way 
 A company of ladies tway and tway. 
 Each after other, clad in clothes black ; 
 But such a cry and such a woe they make, 
 That in this world n'is creature living 
 That ever heard such another waimenting." 
 
 Briefly they tell their tale of woe, and as rapidly does the 
 chivalrous duke resolve to avenge their wrongs : 
 
 " And right anon, withouten more abode. 
 His banner he display'd, and forth he rode 
 To Thebes ward, and all his host beside." 
 
 The Queen and her sister remained at Athens. Out of this 
 rapid narration, which occupies little more than a hundred 
 lines in Chaucer, has the first scene of The Two Noble Kins- 
 men been constructed. Assuredly, the reader who opens 
 that scene for the first time will feel that he has lighted 
 upon a work of no ordinary power. The mere interruption 
 of the bridal procession by the widowed queens — the con- 
 trast of their black garments and their stained veils with the 
 white robes and wheaten chaplets and hymeneal songs with 
 wdiich the play opens — is a noble dramatic conception ; but 
 the poet, whoever he be, possesses that command of appro- 
 priate language which realizes all that the imagination can 
 paint of a dramatic situation and movement ; there is noth- 
 ing shadowy or indistinct, no vague explanations, no trivial 
 epithets. When the First Queen says — 
 
28 THE TWO NOBLE KINSMEN. 
 
 " Oh, pity, duke ! 
 TAou purger of the earth, draw thy fear'd sword, 
 That does good turns to the world ; give us the bones 
 Of our dead kings, that we may chapel them :" 
 
 we know that the thoughts which belong to her condition are 
 embodied in words of no common significancy. When the 
 Second Queen, addressing Hippolyta," the soldieress," says — 
 
 " Speak't in a woman's key, like such a woman 
 As any of us three ; weep ere you fail ; 
 Lend us a knee ; 
 
 But touch the ground for us no longer time 
 Than a dove^s motion, when the head'' s plucW d offP 
 
 we feel that the poet not only wields his harmonious lan- 
 guage with the decision of a practised artist, but exhibits the 
 nicer touches which attest his knowledge of natural feelings, 
 and employs images which, however strange and unfamiliar, 
 are so true that we wonder they never occurred to us before, 
 but at the same time so original that they appear to defy 
 copying or imitation. The whole scene is full of the same 
 remarkable word-painting. There is another quality which 
 it exhibits, which is also peculiar to the highest order of 
 minds — the ability to set us thinking — to excite that just 
 and appropriate reflection which might arise of itself out of 
 the exhibition of deep passions and painful struggles and 
 resolute self-denials, but which the true poet breathes into 
 us without an effort, so as to give the key to our thoughts, 
 but utterly avoiding those sententious moralizings which are 
 sometimes deemed to be the province of tragedy. When 
 the Queens commend the surrender which Theseus makes 
 of his affections to a sense of duty, the poet gives us the 
 philosophy of such heroism in a dozen words spoken by 
 1 heseus : .< ^^ ^^^ ^^^ ^^^^^^^ 
 
 Thus should we do ; being sensually stibdued. 
 We lose our hutnan title."" 
 
 The first appearance, in Chaucer, of Palamon and Arcite 
 
INTRO D UCTION. 
 
 29 
 
 is when they lie wounded on the battle-field of Thebes. In 
 The Two Noble Kinsmen the necessary conduct of the story, 
 as a drama, requires that the principal personages should be 
 exhibited to us before they become absorbed in the main 
 action. It is on such occasions as these that a dramatist 
 of the highest order makes his characters reveal themselves, 
 naturally and without an effort; and yet so distinctly, that 
 their individual identity is impressed upon the mind, so as 
 to combine with the subsequent movement of the plot. The 
 second scene oi The Two Noble Kinsmen appears to us some- 
 what deficient in this power. It is written with great energy; 
 but the two friends are energetic alike: we do not precisely 
 see which is the more excitable, the more daring, the more 
 resolved, the more generous. We could change the names 
 of the speakers without any material injury to the propriety 
 of what they speak. Take, as an opposite example, Hermia 
 and Helena, in A Midsummer-Nighf s Dream, where the dif- 
 ferences of character scarcely required to be so nicely de- 
 fined. And yet in description the author of The Two Noble 
 Kinsmen makes Palamon and Arcite essentially different : 
 
 " Arcite is gently visag'd : yet his eye 
 Is like an engine bent, or a sharp weapon 
 In a soft sheath ; mercy and manly courage 
 Are bedfellows in his visage. Palamon 
 Has a most menacing aspect ; his brow 
 Is grav'd, and seems to bury what it frowns on ; 
 Yet sometimes 't is not so, but alters to 
 The quality of his thoughts -, long time his eye 
 Will dwell upon his object ; melancholy 
 Becomes him nobly ; so does Arcite's mirth ; 
 But Palamon's sadness is a kind of mirth, 
 So mingled, as if mirth did make him sad. 
 And sadness, merry ; those darker humours that ^ 
 
 Stick misbecomingly on others, on him 
 Live in fair dwelling." 
 
 This is noble writing; and it is quite sufficient to enable the 
 stage representation of the two characters to be well defined. 
 
30 THE TWO NOBLE KINSMEN. 
 
 Omit it, and omit the recollections of it in the reading, and 
 we doubt greatly whether the characters themselves realize 
 this description ; they are not self-evolved and manifested. 
 The third scene, also, is a dramatic addition to the tale of 
 Chaucer. It keeps the interest concentrated upon Hippo- 
 lyta, and especially Emilia; it is not essential to the action, 
 but it is a graceful addition to it. It has the merit, too, of 
 developing the character of Emilia, and so to reconcile us 
 to the apparent coldness with which she is subsequently 
 content to receive the triumphant rival, whichever he be, as 
 her husband. The Queen and her sister talk of the friend- 
 ship of Theseus and Perithous. Emilia tells the story of her 
 own friendship, to prove 
 
 " That the true love 'tween maid and maid may be 
 More than in sex dividual." 
 
 This, in some sort, modifies the subsequent position of Emilia, 
 " bride-habited, but maiden-hearted." Her description of 
 her early friendship has been compared to the celebrated 
 passage in A Midsummer- Nighf s Dream : 
 
 " Is all the counsel that we two have shar'd," etc. 
 
 In Chaucer, Theseus makes swift work with Creon and 
 with Thebes : 
 
 " With Creon, which that was of Thebes king, 
 He fought, and slew him manly as a knight 
 In plain bataille, and put his folk to flight ; 
 And by assault he won the city after. 
 And rent adown both wall, and spar, and rafter ; 
 And to the ladies he restor'd again 
 The bodies of their husbands that were slain. 
 To do th' obsequies, as was then the guise." 
 
 It is in the battle-field that Palamon and Arcite are discov- 
 ered wounded : 
 
 *' Not fully quick ne fully dead they were. 
 But by their cote-armure and by their gear 
 The heralds knew them well in special." 
 
INTRODUCTION, 31 
 
 The incident is literally followed in the play, where the 
 herald says, in answer to the question of Theseus, " They 
 are not dead ?" — 
 
 *' Nor in a state of life : had they been taken 
 When their last hurts were given, 't was possible 
 They might have been recover'd ; yet they breathe, 
 And have the name of men." 
 
 In Chaucer, Theseus is to the heroic friends a merciless 
 
 conqueror : 
 
 " He full soon them sent 
 To Athenes, for to dwellen in prison 
 Perpetual, he n'olde no ransom." 
 
 But in The Two Noble Kinsmen he would appear to exhibit 
 himself as a generous foe, who, having accomplished the 
 purposes of his expedition, has no enmity with the honest 
 defenders of their country : 
 
 " The very lees of such, millions of rates 
 Exceed the wine of others ; all our surgeons 
 Convent in their behoof; our richest balms, 
 Rather than niggard, waste ! their lives concern us 
 Much more than Thebes is worth." 
 
 The fifth scene of The Two Noble Kinsmen is a scenic 
 expansion of a short passage in Chaucer : 
 
 " But it were all too long for to devise 
 The greate clamour and the waimenting 
 Which that the ladies made at the brenning 
 Of the bodies." 
 
 The epigrammatic ending of the scene is perhaps familiar 
 to many : 
 
 " This world's a city, full of straying streets ; 
 And death's the market-place, where each one meets." 
 
 Pursuing the plan with which we set out, of following the 
 course of Chaucer's story, we pass over all those scenes 
 and parts of scenes which may be called the underplot. 
 
22 THE TWO NOBLE KINSMEN. 
 
 Such in the second act is the beginning of scene i. In 
 Chaucer we learn that — 
 
 " in a tow'r, in anguish and in woe, 
 Dwellen this Palamon and eke Arcite 
 For evermore there may no gold them quite." 
 
 The old romantic poet reserves his dialogue for the real 
 business of the story, when the two friends, each seeing Emilia 
 from the prison-window, become upon the instant defying 
 rivals for her love. This incident is not managed with more 
 preparation by the dramatist ; but the prelude to it exhibits 
 the two young men consoling each other under their adverse 
 fortune, and making resolutions of eternal friendship. . . . 
 
 We are now arrived at a part of the tale where the poetry 
 of Chaucer assumes the dramatic form. The description of 
 Emilia walking in the garden, the first sight of her by Pala- 
 mon, and his imaginative love, the subsequent prostration 
 of his heart before the same vision by Arcite — are all told 
 with wonderful spirit by the old poet. The entire passage 
 is too long for extract, but we give some lines which will 
 show that the energy of Chaucer imposed no common task 
 of rivalry upon him who undertook to dramatize this scene 
 of passion : 
 
 " This Palamon gan knit his browes tway. 
 * It were,' quod he, ' to thee no great honour 
 For to be false, ne for to be traytour 
 To me, that am thy cousin and thy brother 
 Ysworn full deep, and each of us to other, 
 That never for to dien in the pain. 
 Till that the death departen shall us twain, 
 Neither of us in love to hinder other, 
 Ne in none other case, my leve brother ; 
 But that thou shouldest truly further me 
 In every case as I should further thee. 
 This was thine oath, and mine also, certain ; 
 I wot it well, thou dar'st it not withsain : 
 Thus art thou of my counsel out of doubt, 
 And now thou wouldest falsely been about 
 
INTRODUCTION. 33 
 
 To love my lady, whom I love and serve, 
 And ever shall till that my hearte sterve. 
 
 " * Now certes, false Arcite, thou shalt not so : 
 I lov'd her first, and tolde thee my woe 
 As to my counsel, and my brother sworn 
 To further me as I have told beforn. 
 For which thou art ybounden as a knight 
 To helpen me, if it lie in thy might, 
 Or elles art thou false I dare well say'n.' 
 
 " This Arcita fully proudly spake again. 
 * Thou shalt,' quod he, ' be rather false than I, 
 And thou art false, I tell thee utterly 
 For par amour I lov'd her first ere thou.' " 
 
 It is a remarkable circumstance that one of the conditions 
 of the friendship of the young men — the chivalric bond, 
 
 " Neither of us in love to hinder other," — 
 
 SO capable of dramatic expansion, has been passed over by 
 the writer of this scene in J'he Two Noble Kinsmen. The 
 story is followed in Arcite being freed; but in Chaucer he 
 returns to Thebes, and after a long absence comes to the 
 court of Theseus in disguise. The unity of time is preserved 
 in the drama, by making him a victor in athletic sports, and 
 thus introduced to the favour of Theseus and the service of 
 Emilia. In Chaucer, Palamon, after seven years' durance, 
 
 " By helping of a friend brake his prison." 
 
 The Gaoler's Daughter is a parasitical growth around the 
 old vigorous tree. 
 
 Palamon is fled to the woods. Arcite has ridden to the 
 fields to make his May-garland ; and his unhappy friend, 
 fearful of pursuit, hears him, unknown, sing — 
 
 " O Maye, with all thy flowres and thy green, 
 Right welcome be thou faire freshe May; 
 I hope that I some green here getten may." 
 
 The old poet continues, with his inimitable humour : 
 
 C 
 
34 THE TWO NOBLE KINSMEN. 
 
 " When that Arcite had roamed all his fill, 
 And sungen all the roundel lustily, 
 Into a study he fell suddenly, 
 As do these lovers in their quainte gears, 
 Now in the crop, and now down in the breres. 
 Now up, now down, as bucket in a well." 
 
 The lover gives utterance to his lamentations ; his rival 
 hears him, and starts out of the bushes with, " False Arcite, 
 false traitor!" Arcite proposes that they should determine 
 their contention by mortal combat on the following day : 
 
 " Here I will be founden as a knight, 
 And bringen harness right enough for thee ; 
 And choose the best, and leave the worst for me : 
 And meat and drinke this night will I bring." 
 
 The corresponding scene in The Two Noble Kinsmen is 
 finely written. There is a quiet strength about it which 
 exhibits very high art. . . . The third scene, where Arcite 
 comes to Palamon " with meat, wine, and files," is merely 
 the carrying out of the action promised in the previous in- 
 terview. It is unnecessary for the dramatic movement. . . . 
 The combat itself takes place in the sixth scene. The 
 passage in Chaucer upon which this scene is founded pos- 
 sesses all his characteristic energy. The hard outline which 
 it presents is in some degree a natural consequence of its 
 force and clearness : 
 
 " And in the grove, at time and place yset, 
 This Arcite and this Palamon been met. 
 Tho changen gan the colour of their face ; 
 Right as the hunter in the regne of Thrace 
 That standeth at a gappe with a spear, 
 When hunted is the lion or the bear, 
 And heareth him come rushing in the greves, 
 And breaking both the boughes and the leaves, 
 And think'th, ' Here com'th my mortal enemy, 
 Withouten fail he must be dead or I ; 
 For either I must slay him at the gap. 
 Or he must slay me, if that me mishap.' 
 
INTRODUCTION. 35 
 
 So fareden they in changing of their hue, 
 As far as either of them other knew. 
 There n'as no good day, ne no sakiing, 
 But straight withouten wordes rehearsing, 
 Everich of them help to armen other 
 As friendly as he were his owen brother ; 
 And after that with sharpe speares strong 
 They foinden each at other wonder long." 
 
 It is upon the "everich of them help to armen other" that 
 the dramatist has founded the interchange of courtesies be- 
 tween the two kinsmen. . . . The interruption to the combat 
 by Theseus and his train; the condemnation of the rivals 
 by the duke ; the intercession of Hippolyta and EmiHa ; 
 and the final determination that the knights should depart, 
 and within a month return accompanied by other knights 
 to contend in bodily strength for the fair prize — these inci- 
 dents are founded pretty closely upon Chaucer, with the 
 exception that the elder poet does not make Theseus de- 
 cree that the vanquished shall die upon the block. The 
 scene has no marked deviation in style from that which 
 precedes it. 
 
 The supposed interval of time during the absence of the 
 knights is filled up by Chaucer with some of the finest 
 descriptions which can be found amongst the numberless 
 vivid pictures which his writings exhibit. In The Two No- 
 ble Kinsmen the whole of the fourth act is occupied with the 
 progress of the underplot; with the exception of the second 
 scene, which commences with the long and not very dramatic 
 soliloquy of Emilia upon the pictures of her two lovers, and 
 is followed by an equally undramatic description by a mes- 
 senger of the arrival of the princes and of the qualities of 
 their companions. This description is founded upon Chaucer. 
 We pass on to the fifth act. 
 
 Chaucer has wonderfully described the temples of Venus, 
 of Mars, and of Diana. The dramatist has followed him in 
 making Arcite address himself to Mars, Palamon to Venus, 
 
36 THE TWO NOBLE KINSMEN. 
 
 and Emilia to Diana. Parts of tiiese scenes are without all 
 doubt the finest passages of the play, surpassed by very few 
 things indeed within their own poetical range. The ad- 
 dresses of Arcite to Mars, and of Emilia to Diana, possess 
 a condensation of thought, a strength of imagery, and a maj- 
 esty of language, almost unequalled by the very highest 
 masters of the art ; but they as properly belong to the epic 
 as to the dramatic division of poetry. The invocation of 
 Palamon to Venus, although less sustained and less pleasing, 
 is to our minds more dramatic : it belongs more to romantic 
 poetry. The nobler invocations are cast in a classical mould. 
 The combat scene is not presented on the stage. The ab- 
 sence of it is certainly managed with very great skill. Emilia 
 refuses to be present j she is alone ; the tumult is around 
 her ; rumour upon rumour is brought to her ; she attempts 
 to analyze her own feelings ; and we must say that she 
 appears to be thinking more of herself than is consistent 
 with a very high conception of female excellence. Arcite is 
 eventually the victor. Palamon and his friends appear on 
 the scaffold, prepared for death. Then comes the catastrophe 
 of Arcite's sudden calamity in the hour of triumph ; and this 
 again is description. The death of Arcite is told by Chaucer 
 with great pathos; and the address of the dying man to 
 Emilia is marked by truth and simplicity infinitely touch- 
 ing: 
 
 " What is this world ? what asken men to have ? 
 Now with his love, now in his colde grave — 
 Alone — withouten any company. 
 Farewell, my sweet, farewell, mine Emily ! 
 And softe take me in your armes tway 
 For love of God, and hearkeneth what I say. 
 I have here with my cousin Palamon 
 Had strife and rancour many a day agone 
 For love of you, and for my jealousy ; 
 And Jupiter to wis my soule gie, 
 To speaken of a servant properly, 
 With alle circumstances truely, 
 
INTRODUCTION. 37 
 
 That is to say, truth, honour, and knighthead. 
 
 Wisdom, humbless, estate, and high kindred. 
 
 Freedom, and all that longeth to that art, 
 
 So Jupiter have of my soule part, 
 
 As in this world right now ne know I none 
 
 So worthy to be lov'd as Palamon, 
 
 That serveth you, and will do all his life ; 
 
 And if that ever ye shall be a wife, 
 
 Forget not Palamon, the gentle manP 
 
 The dramatic poet falls short of this : 
 
 " Take Emilia, 
 And with her all the world's joy. Reach thy hand ; 
 Farewell ! I have told my last hour. I was false. 
 Yet never treacherous. Forgive me, cousin ! — 
 One kiss from fair Emilia ! — 'T is done : 
 Take her. I die !" 
 
 \From WariVs '■'■English Dramatic Literature.^'' ^ 
 The Two Noble Kinsmen was, according to its publisher 
 of 1634 and the opinion of several critics, written conjointly 
 by Fletcher and Shakespeare. Sceptical as I remain with 
 regard to this statement [cf p. 16 above], I am the more 
 anxious to advert to the many beauties of this " tragi-com- 
 edy," as it originally appears to have been called, doubtless 
 because of its (imperfectly) "happy ending." For the comic 
 element is very slight, being in the main confined to a scene 
 (iii. 5) which is not without reminiscences both of the Mid- 
 summer- Nighf s Dream^ and more particularly of Lovers La- 
 bour ^s Lost, the schoolmaster Gerrold being evidently a copy 
 of Holofernes. The main story is of course that of Chau- 
 cer's Knightes Tale ; but though the divergences in the plot 
 are slight, there are other differences of far greater sig- 
 nificance. Chaucer's poem was founded on the Teseide of 
 Boccaccio ; but it is by no means a translation, for of the 
 lines composing it only an eighth or less are said to be 
 
 * A History of English Dramatic Literature, by A. W. Ward, A.M. 
 (London, 1875), vol. ii. p. 232. 
 
33 
 
 THE TWO NOBLE KINSMEN. 
 
 translated from the original. The drama inevitably reduces 
 the length in time of the action ; it omits (likewise inevita- 
 bly) many of the vivid descriptions of the poem (for exam- 
 ple, that of the three temples and much of the tournament), 
 and discreetly abbreviates the conduct of the catastrophe. 
 The supernatural machinery (skilfully enough interwoven 
 with the action by Chaucer) it leaves aside altogether, ex- 
 cept in the incidents of the temple scenes (v. 1-3). On the 
 other hand, it substitutes for Chaucer's in itself very striking 
 description of the two cousins silently arming one another 
 for their mutual combat, a most effective dialogue between 
 them (iii. 6). What is of more importance, the drama de- 
 velops with greater fulness the character of Emily, which 
 Chaucer treats rather lightly;"^ and introduces the entirely 
 new and exceedingly pathetic character of the Gaoler's 
 Daughter, whose unrequited love liberates Palamon from 
 prison. The earlier scenes in which the poor child dis- 
 closes her hopeless but irresistible love are very touching; 
 and her first loss of reason is very powerfully depicted ; 
 though afterwards (not to speak of too obvious reminis- 
 cences of Ophelia) this episode is drawn out at too great 
 length and in the end degraded. The play abounds in 
 beauties of detail, and as a whole is a most successful solu- 
 tion of the difficult problem of converting an epos into a 
 drama, chiefly by the proper means of elaborating the 
 characterization. The close is as unsatisfactory in the 
 drama as in the poem ; indeed, more so in the former than in 
 the latter, for Chaucer's philosophy helps to reconcile us to 
 the unequal fates of the two kinsmen as a matter of destiny. 
 Palamon should have killed himself over Arcite's corpse, 
 and Emily resumed her vows of virginity. 
 
 * In one passage indeed, with a genial cynicism not unusual to him, 
 when in a mood of " heresie ayenst the law " of Love : 
 " For women, as to speken in commune, 
 They folwen all the favour of fortune." 
 
INTRODUCTION. 39 
 
 ^Comments on the Play by F. G. Fleay, M.A.*] 
 The composition of this play by Shakespeare and Fletch- 
 er was, nearly without error, analyzed by Weber ; though 
 his unostentatious work has been eclipsed by that of later 
 critics. The correct division is, as I have shown by metri- 
 cal tests: Shakespeare — i. 1-5, ii. la (which should, as in 
 the old editions, form a separate scenet), iii. i, iv. 3, v. i 
 (except lines 1-17, which are Fletcher's, as I ought to have 
 pointed out before this), v. 3, 4. Fletcher's scenes are from 
 ii. id to ii. 5,$ iii. 2 to iv. 2, v. 2, and the 17 lines mentioned 
 above. But it has always been felt that, although the same 
 two hands were employed as in Henry VIIL^ the results 
 were not correspondent. This residuary problem is not 
 soluble by metrical testing : we must have recourse to dif- 
 ferent considerations. 
 
 It is clear that this play was printed from a play-house 
 manuscript, because in i. 3 there are stage-directions in the 
 margin, "2 Hearses ready with Palamon and Arcite; the 
 3 Queenes, Theseus and his Lordes ready ;" and again in iii. 
 5, "Knock for Schoole," etc. In the Prologue we are also 
 told this was a new play. Whatever further indications can 
 be found, then, in the quarto as to date will apply to the 
 original production, and not to a revival. Now in iv. 2 we 
 find "Enter Messenger. Curtis." Curtis was then the name 
 of the actor who took the Messenger's part. The only Cur- 
 tis known among actors in Fletcher's time is Curtis Gre- 
 ville, member of Lady Elizabeth's Players in 1622; of the 
 Palsgrave's in the same year ; of the King's in October, 
 1626, when Massinger's Roman Actor was performed. This 
 
 * After the preceding pages were in type, this paper was sent us by 
 Mr. Fleay, with permission to use it in this edition. 
 
 t We have made it a separate scene in this edition, as Knight, Little- 
 dale, and Hudson do. 
 
 } That is, scenes 2-6, according to the numbering of this edition. 
 
40 THE TWO NOBLE KINSMEN. 
 
 gives us as date for our play 1623-1626, which agrees with 
 Dyce's opinion that Fletcher's part was written at the close 
 of his career. But we can get closer than this. 
 
 In August, 1624, the King's Players were in difficulties 
 about Middleton's Game of Chess. 
 
 On June 24, 1625, their patent was granted to the King's 
 Players by Charles L, on condition that they should not 
 perform in London till the number of plague-infested per- 
 sons should be less than forty in the week. 
 
 Charles I. had succeeded to the throne on March 27, and 
 a cloak, etc., had been distributed to each of the King's 
 Players, including three not named in the patent, and fifteen 
 in all, clearly the whole company. Greville's name is not 
 on this list. 
 
 The last notice of the Palsgrave's Players is on Novem- 
 ber 3, 1624. The company probably broke up about the 
 time of Charles's accession, and was succeeded by the com- 
 pany of the Fortune. Greville would seem to have taken 
 the first opportunity of joining the King's Players, perhaps 
 immediately after March 27, 1625 ; certainly before Novem- 
 ber, 1626. This brings our limits very close. 
 
 Again, the Prologue was clearly one of Fletcher's own 
 modest compositions ; for, had it been written after his 
 death, there would have been a flourish about him in it 
 (compare the prologues to The Elder Brother., Lover's Prog- 
 ress, and others written after that event) : and in this Prol- 
 ogue we read 
 
 " If this play do not keep 
 A little dull time from us, we perceive 
 Our losses fall so thick, we needs must leave." 
 
 This is in anticipation of the inhibition to act during the 
 prevalence of the plague : the losses were the small at- 
 tendance during the sickly time coming just after the trou- 
 ble about Middleton's play. They did actually leave Lon- 
 don in July because of the plague ; and Fletcher left this 
 life in August by the same disease. 
 
INTRO D UCTION. 
 
 41 
 
 We now get as limits of date March 27, 1625, and June 
 24, 1625, Fletcher's last complete play having been licensed 
 October 19, 1624. This was Rule a Wife and Have a Wife. 
 We are now justified in concluding that as about April, 1625, 
 the plague began to threaten, and Greville had not joined 
 the company on March 27th, we cannot be wrong in abso- 
 lutely fixing the date at about Easter (April 17th). We 
 may even guess the day as Easter Monday (April i8th), as 
 on that day new plays fi'equently appeared. 
 
 We can now get rid of many difficulties. The play was 
 not included in the 1623 folio because it did not exist. 
 The editors of that folio were not so careless as is supposed. 
 They omitted Pericles., indeed, but how could they help it 
 while Rowley and Wilkins, joint authors and owners of 
 copyright, were still alive ? ' They omitted Edward III. be- 
 cause it is very likely that Shakespeare never claimed his 
 share in a play that had been acted, not at a regular the- 
 atre, but '' about the city of London " in the plague-year of 
 1593. As for this play, I have no doubt they gave it to 
 Fletcher to complete, just as they did Timon of Athens to 
 Cyril Tourneur, but he did not get it done in time. For 
 the care exercised in such cases compare the instance of 
 Fletcher's Wild- Goose Chase. 
 
 Among minor matters confirming this conclusion, note 
 that the prologue was spoken at Blackfriars ; had Fletcher 
 and Shakespeare jointly produced the play on the stage, it 
 would have been spoken at the Globe : also the use of the 
 title Noble, which was a fashion just coming in at that time. 
 Thus Massinger's Bondman was entered as The Noble 
 Bondman in December, 1623 j and other instances are 
 Massinger's Noble Choice, Fletcher's Noble Gentleman^ the 
 Noble Ravishers, Rowley's Noble Spanish Soldier, originally 
 entered as the Spanish Soldier, Sharpe's Noble Stranger, and 
 Glapthorne's Noble Trial. All these occur between 1623 
 and 1636, and in no earlier instance does the word Noble 
 occur in a title. 
 
42 
 
 THE TWO NOBLE KINSMEN. 
 
 Now for the case of Henry VIII. This play was being 
 acted in 1613 when the Globe was burned. It was then a 
 new play, and the allusions to its second title, "All is True," 
 in the prologue written by Fletcher, show that our present 
 copy is the one then produced. Fletcher from the latter part 
 of 161 1 till the early part of 1613 was writing with Beau- 
 mont for the Children of the Revels. Beaumont then ceased 
 to write, and Fletcher returned to the King's Company. 
 Hence Henry VIII. was probably his first play for them 
 after his return. But this also was in all probability not a 
 case of joint composition any more than the Kinsmen. Had 
 Shakespeare continued to work after 161 1 (the latest date 
 for the Wmter's Tale), he would hardly have taken two 
 years to finish two plays. He probably began these in 
 161 1 (1612 at latest), and for reasons unknown to us gave 
 up work suddenly. However this may be, the differences in 
 Fletcher's handling of the two plays are fully accounted for 
 by the different dates of work. 
 
 I cannot conclude without noticing the epochs marked 
 by these plays : the one coincident with the retirement of 
 Beaumont, Marston, Chapman, and Shakespeare, the begin- 
 ning of Massinger's career, the burning of the Globe, the 
 abolition of Whitefriars, the marriage of the Palatine ; the 
 other, with the deaths of Rowley, Middleton, and Fletcher, 
 the end of the theatrical career of Dekker and Webster, the 
 beginning of Ford's, the epoch of many theatrical changes, 
 and the accession of a new King. 
 
 Finally, we have in these two plays the very latest work 
 of our two most influential dramatists ; the one in all senses 
 the great playwright of the stage in Blackfriars, the other the 
 still greater poet of the Globe. One marks the end of the 
 Silver, the other of the Golden, Age of our theatre : after 
 them came the Brazen Age of Ford, Massinger, and Shirley, 
 again to be succeeded by the Iron Age of the men of the 
 Restoration. 
 
THE TWO NOBLE KINSMEN. 
 
DRAMATIS PERSONS. 
 
 Theseus, duke of Athens. 
 PiRiTHOus, an Athenian general. 
 Artesius, an Athenian captain. 
 
 . ' > nephews to Creon, king of Thebes. 
 
 Arcite, j ^ > o 
 
 Valerius, a Theban nobleman. 
 
 Six Knights. 
 
 A Herald. 
 
 A Gaoler. 
 
 Wooer to the Gaoler's Daughter. 
 
 A Doctor. 
 
 Brother to the Gaoler. 
 
 Friends to the Gaoler. 
 
 A Gentleman. 
 
 Gerrold, a schoolmaster. 
 
 HippoLYTA, bride to Theseus. 
 
 Emilia, her sister. 
 
 Three Queens. 
 
 The Gaoler's Daughter, 
 
 Waiting-woman to Emilia. 
 
 Countrymen, Messengers, a man personating 
 Hymen, Boy, Executioners, Guard, and At- 
 tendants. Country Wenches, and women per- 
 sonating Nymphs. 
 
 Scene: Athe?is and the neighbour- 
 hood; and z« part of the first act, " -" - 
 Thebes and the tieighbotirhood. - -■ 
 
 ^? 'I x.;.-^. 
 
GRECIAN HORSEMEN. FKOM THE FRIEZE OF THE PARTHENON. 
 
 PROLOGUE. 
 
 New plays and maidenheads are near akin ; 
 
 Much follow'd both, for both much money gi'en, 
 
 If they stand sound and well : and a good play, 
 
 Whose modest scenes blush on his marriage-day, 
 
 And shake to lose his honour, is like her 
 
 That, after holy tie and first night's stir. 
 
 Yet still is modesty, and still retains 
 
 More of the maid to sight than husband's pains. 
 
 We pray our play may be so ; for I'm sure 
 
 It has a noble breeder and a pure, 
 
 A learned, and a poet never went 
 
 More famous yet 'twixt Po and silver Trent. 
 
 Chaucer, of all admir'd, the story gives ; 
 
 There constant to eternity it lives. 
 
 If we let fall the nobleness of this. 
 
 And the first sound this child hear be a hiss, 
 
 How will it shake the bones of that good man, 
 
46 
 
 THE TWO NOBLE KINSMEN. 
 
 And make him cry from under ground, ' O, fan 
 
 From me the witless chaff of such a writer 
 
 That blasts my bays, and my fam'd works makes lighter 20 
 
 Than Robin Hood !' This is the fear we bring ; 
 
 For, to say truth, it were an endless thing, 
 
 And too ambitious, to aspire to him. 
 
 Weak as we are, and almost breathless swim 
 
 In this deep water, do but you hold out 
 
 Your helping hands, and we shall tack about. 
 
 And something do to save us : you shall hear 
 
 Scenes, though below his art, may yet appear 
 
 Worth two hours' travail. To his bones sweet sleep ! 
 
 Content to you ! — If this play do not keep 30 
 
 A little dull time from us, we perceive 
 
 Our losses fall so thick, we needs must leave. \Flourish. 
 
 AN AMAZON. 
 
ACT I. 
 
 Scene I. Athens. Before a Temple. 
 
 Ejiter Hymen, with a torch burning; a Boy, in a white robe., 
 before, singing and strewing flowers ; after Hymen, a Nymph, 
 
 , encompassed in her tresses, bearing a wheaten garland ; then 
 Theseus, between two other Nymphs with wheaten chaplets 
 on their heads ; then Hippolyta, &he bride, led by Piri- 
 THOUS, and another holdhig a garland over her head, her 
 tresses likewise hangiftg; after her, Emilia, holding up her 
 train; Artesius and Attendants, 
 
 The Song. 
 
 Roses, their sharp spines being gone, 
 Not royal in their smells alone. 
 
 But in their hue; 
 Maiden pinks, of odour faint, 
 Daisies smell-less, yet most quaint, 
 
 And sweet thyme true ; 
 
 {Music. 
 
48 THE TWO NOBLE KINSMEN. 
 
 Primrose, first-horn child of Ver, 
 Merry spring-time's harbinger. 
 
 With her bells dim ; 
 Oxlips in their cradles growing, lo 
 
 Marigolds on death-beds blowing. 
 
 Larks'' -heels trim; 
 
 All dear Nature^ s children sweet. 
 Lie fore bride and bridegroom'' s feet. 
 
 Blessing their sense I [Strewing flowers. 
 Not an angel of the air. 
 Bird melodious, or bird fair, 
 
 Be absent hence I 
 
 The crow, the- slanderous cuckoo, nor 
 
 The boding raven, nor chough hoar, 20 
 
 Nor chattering pie. 
 May on our bride- house perch or sing. 
 Or with the7tt any discord bring, 
 
 But from it fly / 
 
 Enter three Queens, iti black, with veils stained, and with im- 
 perial crowns. The First Queen falls down at the foot of 
 Theseus; the Second falls down at the foot of Hifvoj^yta ; 
 the Third before Emilia. 
 
 1 Queen. For pity's sake and true gentility's, 
 Hear and respect me ! 
 
 2 Queen. For your mother's sake, 
 And as you wish yourself may thrive with fair ones, 
 Hear and respect me ! 
 
 3 Queen. Now for the love of him whom Jove hath 
 
 mark'd 
 The honour of your bed, and for the sake 30 
 
 Of clear virginity, be advocate 
 For us, and our distresses ! This good deed 
 
ACT /. SCENE I. 49 
 
 Shall raze you out o' the book of trespasses 
 All you are set down there. 
 
 Theseus. Sad lady, rise. 
 
 Hippolyta. Stand up. 
 
 Emilia. No knees to me ! 
 
 What woman I may stead that is distress'd 
 Does bind me to her. 
 
 Theseus. What 's your request? Deliver you for all. 
 
 I Queen. We are three queens, whose sovereigns fell 
 before 
 The wrath of cruel Creon , who endure 40 
 
 The beaks of ravens, talons of the kites, 
 And pecks of crows, in the foul fields of Thebes. 
 He will not suffer us to burn their bones. 
 To urn their ashes, nor to take the offence 
 Of mortal loathsomeness from the blest eye 
 Of holy Phoebus, but infects the winds 
 With stench of our slain lords. O, pity, duke! 
 Thou purger of the earth, draw thy fear'd sword. 
 That does good turns to the world; give us the bones 
 Of our dead kings, that we may chapel them ! 50 
 
 And, of thy boundless goodness, take some note 
 That for our crowned heads we have no roof 
 Save this, which is the lion's and the bear's, 
 And vault to everything ! 
 
 Theseus. Pray you, kneel not; 
 
 I was transported with your speech, and suffer'd 
 Your knees to wrong themselves. I have heard the fortunes 
 Of your dead lords, which gives me such lamenting 
 As wakes my vengeance and revenge for 'em. 
 King Capaneus was your lord: the day 
 That he should marry you, at such a season 60 
 
 As now it is with me, I met your groom 
 By Mars's altar; you were that time fair, 
 Not Juno's mantle fairer than your tresses, 
 
 D . 
 
so 
 
 THE TWO ATOBLE KINSMEN. 
 
 Nor in more bounty spread her; your wheaten wreath 
 
 Was then nor thresh'd nor blasted; Fortune at you 
 
 Dimpled her cheek with smiles ; Hercules our kinsman — 
 
 Then weaker than your eyes — laid by his club; 
 
 He tumbled down upon his Nemean hide, 
 
 And swore his sinews thaw'd. O grief and time, 
 
 Fearful consumers, you will all devour ! 70 
 
 1 Queen. O, I hope some god, 
 
 Some god hath put his mercy in your manhood, 
 Whereto he '11 infuse power, and p^ess you forth 
 Our undertaker ! 
 
 Theseus. O, no knees, none, widow! 
 
 Unto the helmeted Bellona use them. 
 And pray for me, your soldier. — 
 Troubled I am. \Turns away. 
 
 2 Queen. Honour'd Hippolyta, 
 Most dreaded Amazonian, that hast slain 
 
 The scythe-tusk'd boar; that, with thy arm as strong 
 
 As it is white, wast near to make the male 80 
 
 To thy sex captive, but that this thy lord — 
 
 Born to uphold creation in that honour 
 
 First nature styl'd it in — shrunk thee into 
 
 The bound thou wast o'erflowing, at once subduing 
 
 Thy force and thy affection ; soldieress, 
 
 That equally canst poise sternness with pity; 
 
 Who now, I know, hast much more power -on him 
 
 Than e'er he had on thee ; who ow'st his strength 
 
 And his love too, who is a servant for 
 
 The tenour of thy speech ; dear glass of ladies, 90 
 
 Bid him that we, whom flaming war doth scorch, 
 
 Under the shadow of his sword may cool us ; 
 
 Require him he advance it o'er our heads. 
 
 Speak 't in a woman's key, like such a woman 
 
 As any of us three ; weep ere you fail ; 
 
 Lend us a knee ; 
 
ACT I. SCENE I. 
 
 51 
 
 But touch the ground for us no longer time 
 
 Than a dove's motion when the head 's pluck'd off; 
 
 Tell him, if he i' the blood-siz'd field lay swoln, 
 
 Showing the sun his teeth, grinning at the moon, 100 
 
 What you would do! 
 
 Hippolyta. Poor lady, say no more; 
 
 I had as lief trace this good action with you 
 As that whereto I 'm going, and ne'er yet 
 Went I so willing way. My lord is taken 
 Heart-deep with your distress: let him consider; 
 I '11 speak anon. 
 
 3 Queen. O, my petition was [Kneels to Emilia. 
 
 Set down in ice, which, by hot grief uncandied, 
 Melts into drops; so sorrow, wanting form, 
 Is press'd with -deeper matter. 
 
 Emilia. Pray stand up; 
 
 Your grief is written in your cheek. 
 
 3 Queen. O, woe ! no 
 
 You cannot read it there;, there, through my tears. 
 Like wrinkled pebbles in a glassy stream. 
 You may behold 'em ! Lady, lady, alack. 
 He that will all the treasure know o' the earth, 
 Must know the centre too; he that will fish 
 For my least minnow, let him lead his line 
 To catch one at my heart. O, pardon me! 
 Extremity, that sharpens sundry wits, 
 Makes me a fool. 
 
 Emilia. Pray you, say nothing, pray you ; 
 
 Who cannot feel nor see the rain, being in 't, «o 
 
 Knows neither wet nor dry. If that you were 
 The ground-piece of some painter, I would buy you, 
 T' instruct me 'gainst a capital grief indeed, — 
 Such heart-pierc'd demonstration ! — but, alas, 
 Being a natural sister of our sex. 
 Your sorrow beats so ardently upon me, 
 
52 
 
 THE TWO NOBLE KINSMEN. 
 
 That it shall make a counter-reflect 'gainst 
 My brother's heart, and warm it to some pity- 
 Though it were made of stone; pray have good comfort! 
 
 Theseus. Forward to the temple! leave not out a jot 130 
 O' the sacred ceremony. 
 
 1 Queen. O, this celebration 
 Will longer last, and be more costly, than 
 
 Your suppliants' war! Remember that your fame 
 Knolls in the ear o' the world. What you do quickly 
 Is not done rashly; your first thought is more 
 Than others' labour'd meditance; your premeditating 
 More than their actions ; but — O Jove ! — your actions, 
 Soon as they move, as ospreys do the fish. 
 Subdue before they touch. Think, dear duke, think 
 What beds our slain kings have! 
 
 2 Queen. What griefs our beds, 
 That our dear lords have none! 
 
 3 Queen. None fit for the dead ! mi 
 Those that, with cords, knives, drams, precipitance, 
 Weary of this world's light, have to themselves 
 
 Been death's most horrid agents, human grace 
 Afibrds them dust and shadow — 
 
 I Quee7i. But our lords 
 
 Lie blistering fore the visitating sun, 
 And were good kings when living. 
 
 Theseus. It is true : 
 
 And I will give you comfort, 
 To give your dead lords graves ; the which to do 
 Must make some work with Creon. 150 
 
 I Queen. And that work now presents itself to the 
 doing; 
 Now 't will take form ; the heats are gone to-morrow. 
 Then bootless toil must recompense itself 
 With it's own sweat; now he 's secure. 
 Not dreams we stand before your puissance, 
 
ACT I. SCENE I. 
 
 53 
 
 Rinsing our holy begging in our eyes, 
 To make petition clear. 
 
 2 Queen. Now you may take him, 
 Drunk with his victory — 
 
 3 Queen. And his army full 
 Of bread and sloth. 
 
 Theseus. Artesius, that best know'st 
 
 How to draw out, fit to this enterprise, i6a 
 
 The prim'st for this proceeding, and the number 
 To carry such a business, forth and levy 
 Our worthiest instruments; whilst we despatch 
 This grand act of our life, this daring deed 
 Of fate in wedlock ! 
 
 1 Queen. Dowagers, take hands ! 
 Let us be widows to our woes! Delay 
 Commends us to a famishing hope. 
 
 All the Queens. Farewell! 
 
 2 Queen. We come unseasonably; but when could grief 
 Cull forth, as unpang'd judgment can, fitt'st time 
 
 For best solicitation "i 
 
 Theseus. Why, good ladies, 170 
 
 This is a service, whereto I am going, 
 Greater than any war; it more imports me 
 Than all the actions that I have foregone, 
 Or futurely can cope. 
 
 I Queen. The more proclaiming 
 
 Our suit shall be neglected. When her arms. 
 Able to lock Jove from a synod, shall 
 By warranting moonlight corslet thee, O, when 
 Her twinning cherries shall their sweetness fall 
 Upon thy tasteful lips, what wilt thou think 
 Of rotten kings or blubber'd queens? what care iSo 
 
 For what thou feel'st not, what thou feel'st being able 
 To make Mars spurn his drum ? O, if thou couch 
 But one night with her, every hour in 't will 
 
^4 THE TWO NOBLE KINSMEN. 
 
 Take hostage of thee for a hundred, and 
 Thou shalt remember nothing more than what 
 That banquet bids thee to ! 
 
 Hippolyta. {Kneeling to Theseus) Though much unlike 
 You should be so transported, as much sorry 
 I should be such a suitor, yet I think, 
 Did I not, by the abstaining of my joy, 
 
 Which breeds a deeper longing, cure their surfeit 19° 
 
 That craves a present medicine, I should pluck 
 All ladies' scandal on me. Therefore, sir, 
 As I shall here make trial of my prayers, 
 Either presuming them to have some force. 
 Or sentencing for aye their vigour dumb. 
 Prorogue this business we are going about, and hang 
 Your shield afore your heart, about that neck 
 Which is my fee, and which I freely lend 
 To do these poor queens service. 
 
 All Queens. O, help now! \To Emilia. 
 
 Our cause cries for your knee. 
 
 Emilia. {Kfieeling to Theseus) If you grant not 200 
 
 My sister her petition, in that force. 
 With that celerity and nature, which 
 She makes it in, from henceforth I '11 not dare 
 To ask you any thing, nor be so hardy 
 Ever to take a husband. 
 
 Theseus. Pray stand up! 
 
 \Hippolyta and Emilia rise. 
 I am entreating of myself to do 
 That which you kneel to have me. — Pirithous, 
 Lead on the bride. Get you and pray the gods 
 For success and return; omit not anything 
 In the pretended celebration. — Queens, zro 
 
 Follow your soldier. — As before, hence you, [to.ArtesiUs. 
 And at the banks of Aulis meet us with 
 The forces you can raise, where we shall find 
 
ACT I. SCENE IT. 55 
 
 The moiety of a number, for a business 
 
 More bigger look'd. — {To Hippolytd) Since that our theme 
 
 is haste. 
 I stamp this kiss upon thy currant lip ; 
 Sweet, keep it as my token ! — {To Artesius) Set you forward ; 
 For I will see you gone. — \Exit Artesius. 
 
 Farewell, my beauteous sister! — Pirithous, 
 Keep the feast full ; bate not an hour on 't ! 
 
 Pirithous. Sir, 220 
 
 I '11 follow you at heels; the feast's solemnity 
 Shall v/ant till your return. 
 
 Theseus. Cousin, I charge you, 
 
 Budge 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! 
 
 \Hippolyta^ Emilia, Pirithous, Hymen, Boy, 
 Nymphs, and Attendants enter the temple. 
 
 1 Queen. Thus dost thou still make good 
 The tongue o' the world — 
 
 2 Queen. And earn'st a deity 
 Equal with Mars — 
 
 3 Queen. If not above him ; for, 
 Thou, being but mortal, mak'st affections bend 
 
 To godlike honours ; they themselves, some say, 230 
 
 Groan under such a mastery. 
 
 Theseus. As we are men, 
 
 Thus should we do; being sensually subdued, 
 We lose our human title. Good cheer, ladies! 
 Now turn we towards your comforts. \Flourish. Exeunt. 
 
 Scene II. Thebes. The Court of the Palace. 
 Enter Palamon and Arcite. 
 Arcite. Dear Palamon, dearer in love than blood. 
 And our prime cousin, yet unharden'd in 
 
-5 THE TWO NOBLE KINSMEN. 
 
 The crimes of nature, let us leave the city, 
 
 Thebes, 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' the aid o' the current were almost to sink, 
 
 At least to frustrate striving ; and to follow 
 
 The common stream, 't would bring us to an eddy lo 
 
 Where we should turn or drown ; if labour through, 
 
 Our gain but life and weakness. 
 
 Palamon. Your advice 
 
 Is cried up with example. What strange ruins. 
 Since first we went to school, may we perceive 
 Walking in Thebes ! scars and bare weeds, 
 The gain o' the martialist, who did propound 
 To his bold ends honour and golden ingots, 
 AVhich, 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 do bleed 20 
 
 When such I meet, and wish great Juno would 
 Resume her ancient fit of jealousy. 
 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 cranks and turns of Thebes ? You did begin 
 As if you met decays of many kinds; 
 
 Perceive you none that do arouse your pity 30 
 
 But the unconsidered soldier? 
 
 Palamon. Yes; I pity 
 
 Decays where'er I find them; but such most 
 That, sweating in an honourable toil, 
 Are paid with ice to cool 'em. 
 
ACT I. SCENE IL 
 
 57 
 
 Arcite. 'T is not this 
 
 I did begin to speak of; this is virtue 
 Of no respect in Thebes. I spake of Thebes, 
 How dangerous, if we will keep our honours, 
 It is for our residing; where every evil 
 Hath a good colour; where every seeming good 's 
 A certain evil; where not to be even jump 40 
 
 As they are here, were to be strangers, and 
 Such things to be mere monsters. 
 
 Palamon. It is in our power — 
 
 Unless we fear that apes can tutor 's — to 
 Be masters of our manners. What need I 
 Affect another's gait, which is not catching 
 Where there is faith ? or to be fond upon 
 Another's 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 50 
 
 Follows his tailor, haply so long until 
 The follow'd make pursuit? Or let me know 
 Why mine own barber is unbless'd, with him 
 My poor chin too, for 't is not scissar'd just 
 To such a favourite's glass ? What canon is there 
 That does command my rapier from my hip, 
 To dangle 't in my hand, or to go tip-toe 
 Before the street be foul ? Either I am 
 The fore-horse in the team, or I am none 
 That draw i' the sequent trace. These poor slight sores 60 
 Need not a plantain ; that which rips my bosom, 
 Almost to the heart, 's — 
 
 Arcite. Our uncle Creon. 
 
 Palamon. He, 
 
 A most unbounded tyrant, whose successes 
 Makes heaven unfear'd, and villany assur'd 
 Beyond its power there 's nothing; almost puts 
 
58 
 
 THE TWO NOBLE KINSMEN. 
 
 Faith in a fever, and deifies alone 
 
 Voluble cliance; who only attributes 
 
 The faculties of other instruments 
 
 To his own nerves and act; commands men's service, 
 
 And what they win in 't, boot and glory; one 70 
 
 That fears not to do harm, good dares not. Let 
 
 The blood of mine that 's sib to him be suck'd 
 
 From me with leeches ! let them break and fall 
 
 Off me with that corruption ! 
 
 Arcite. Clear-spirited cousin, 
 
 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. 
 
 Palamon. Nothing truer ! 
 
 I think the echoes of his shames have deaf 'd 80 
 
 The ears of heavenly justice ; widows' cries 
 Descend again into their throats, and have not 
 Due audience of the gods. — Valerius ! 
 
 Enter Valerius. 
 
 Valerius. The king calls for you ; yet be leaden-footed 
 Till his great rage be off him. Phoebus, when 
 He broke his whipstock and exclaim'd against 
 The horses of the sun, but whisper'd, to 
 The loudness of his fury. 
 
 Palamon. Small winds shake him; 
 
 But what 's the matter ? 
 
 Valerius. Theseus — who, where he threats, appals — hath 
 sent 90 
 
 Deadly defiance to him, and pronounces 
 Ruin to Thebes; who is at hand to seal 
 The promise of his wrath. 
 
 Arcite. Let him approach ! 
 
ACT I. SCENE III. 59 
 
 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 action 's dregg'd with mind assur'd 
 'T is bad he goes about ? 
 
 Palamon. Leave that unreason'd ; 
 
 Our services stand now for Thebes, not Creon. 
 Yet to be neutral to him were dishonour, loo 
 
 Rebellious to oppose ; therefore we must 
 With him stand to the mercy of our fate, 
 Who hath bounded our last minute. 
 
 A r cite. So we must. — 
 
 Is 't said this war 's afoot ? or it shall be, 
 On fail of some condition ? 
 
 Valerius. 'T is in motion ; 
 
 The intelligence of state came in the instant 
 With the defier. 
 
 Palamon. Let 's to the king, who, were he 
 
 A quarter carrier of that honour which 
 His enemy comes in, the blood we venture 
 Should be as for our health; which were not spent, no 
 
 Rather laid out for purchase : but, alas. 
 Our hands advanc'd before our hearts, what will 
 The fall o' the stroke do damage ? 
 
 Arcite. Let the event, 
 
 That never-erring arbitrator, tell us 
 When we know all ourselves; and let us follow 
 The becking of our chance. \Exeunt. 
 
 Scene III. Before the Gates of Athens. 
 
 Enter Pirithous, Hippolyta, and Emilia. 
 
 Pirithous. No further ! 
 
 Hippolyta. Sir, farewell ! Repeat my wishes 
 
 To our great lord, of whose success I dare not 
 
5o THE TWO NOBLE KINSMEN. 
 
 Make any timorous question ; yet I wish him 
 Excess and overflow of power, an 't miglit be, 
 To dare ill-dealing fortune. Speed to him ; 
 Store never hurts good governors. 
 
 Firithous. Though I know 
 
 His ocean needs not my poor drops, yet they 
 Must yield their tribute there. — My precious maid, 
 Those best affections that the heavens infuse f^ 
 
 In their best-temper'd pieces keep enthron'd ' lo 
 
 In your dear heart ! , 
 
 Emilia. Thanks, sir. Remember me 
 
 To our all-royal brother, for whose speed 
 The great Bellona I '11 solicit ; and 
 Since, in our terrene state, petitions are not 
 Without gifts understood, I '11 offer to her 
 What I shall be advis'd she likes. Our hearts 
 Are in his army, in his tent. 
 
 Hippolyta. In 's bosom ! 
 
 We have been soldiers, and we cannot weep 
 When our friends don their helms or put to sea, 
 Or tell of babes broach'd on the lance, or women 20 
 
 That have sod their infants in — and after eat them — 
 The brine they wept at killing 'em ; then if 
 You stay to see of us such spinsters, we 
 Should hold you here for ever. 
 
 Pirithoiis. Peace be to you, 
 
 As I pursue this war ! which shall be then 
 Beyond further requiring. \Exit. 
 
 Emilia. How his longing 
 
 Follows his friend ! Since his depart his sports, 
 Though craving seriousness and skill, pass'd slightly 
 His careless execution, where nor gain 
 
 Made him regard, or loss consider; but 30 
 
 Playing one business in his hand, another 
 Directing in his head, his mind nurse equal 
 
ACT I. SCENE III. 6 1 
 
 To these so differing twins. Have you observ'd him 
 Since our great lord departed ? 
 
 Hippolyta. With much labour, 
 
 And I did love him for 't. They two have cabin'd 
 In many as dangerous as poor a corner, 
 Peril and want contending; they have skiif'd 
 Torrents, whose roaring tyranny and power 
 I' the least of these was dreadful ; and they have 
 Fought out together, where death's self was lodg'd, 40 
 
 Yet fate hath brought them off. Their knot of love 
 Tied, weav'd, entangled, with so true, so long, 
 And with a finger of so deep a cunning, 
 May be outworn, never undone. I think 
 Theseus cannot be umpire to himself, 
 Cleaving his conscience into twain, and doing 
 Each side like justice, which he loves best. 
 
 Emilia. Doubtless 
 
 There is a best, and reason has no manners 
 To say it is not you. I was acquainted 
 Once with a time, when I enjoy'd a playfellow; 50 
 
 You were at wars when she the grave enrich'd. 
 Who made too proud the bed, took leave o' the moon — 
 Which then look'd pale at parting — when our count 
 Was each eleven. 
 
 Hippolyta. 'T was Flavina. 
 
 Emilia. Yes. 
 
 You talk of Pirithous' and Theseus' love : 
 Theirs has more ground, is more maturely seasoned, 
 More buckled with strong judgment, and their needs 
 The one of th' other may be said to water 
 Their intertangled roots of love; but I 
 
 And she I sigh and spoke of were things innocent, 60 
 
 Lov'd for we did, and, like the elements 
 That know not what nor why, yet do effect 
 Rare issues by their operance, our souls 
 
62 THE TWO NOBLE KINSMEN. 
 
 Did so to one another. What she lik'd, 
 
 Was then of me approv'd; what not, condemn'd, 
 
 No more arraignment. The flower that I would pluck 
 
 And put between my breasts — then but beginning 
 
 To swell about the blossom — she would long 
 
 Till she had such another, and commit it 
 
 To the like innocent cradle, where phcenix-like 70 
 
 They died in perfume. On my head no toy 
 
 But was her pattern ; her affections — pretty, 
 
 Though happily her careless wear — I follow'd 
 
 For my most serious decking. Had mine ear 
 
 Stol'n some new air, or at adventure humm'd one 
 
 From musical coinage, why, it was a note 
 
 Whereon her spirits would sojourn — rather dwell on — 
 
 And sing it in her slumbers. This rehearsal — 
 
 Which, every innocent wots well, comes in 
 
 Like old importment's bastard — has this end, 80 
 
 That the true love 'tween maid and maid may be 
 
 More than in sex dividual. 
 
 Hippolyta. You 're out of breath ; 
 
 And this high-speeded pace is but to say. 
 That you shall never, like the maid Flavina, 
 Love any that 's call'd man. 
 
 Emilia. I am sure I shall not. 
 
 Hippolyta. Now, alack, weak sister, 
 I must no more believe thee in this point — • 
 Though in 't I know thou dost believe thyself — 
 Than I will trust a sickly appetite, 
 
 That loathes even as it longs. But sure, my sister, ^o 
 
 If I were ripe for your persuasion, you 
 Have said enough to shake me from the arm 
 Of the all-noble Theseus; for whose fortunes 
 I will now in and kneel, with great assurance, 
 That we, more than his Pirithous, possess 
 The high throne in his heart. 
 
ACT I. SCENE IV. 63 
 
 Emilia. I am not 
 
 Against your faith ; yet I continue mine. [Exeunt. 
 
 Scene IV". A Field before Thebes. 
 Cornets. A battle struck within; then a retreat; then a flour- 
 ish. Then enter Theseus, victor; the three Queens meet 
 him, and fall on their faces before him. 
 
 1 Queen. To thee no star be dark ! 
 
 2 Queen. Both heaven and earth 
 Friend thee for ever ! 
 
 3 Queen. All the good that may 
 Be wish'd upon thy head, I cry amen to 't ! 
 
 Theseus. The impartial gods, who from the mounted heavens 
 View us their mortal herd, behold who err, 
 And in their time chastise. Go and find out 
 The bones of your dead lords, and honour them 
 With treble ceremony. Rather than a gap 
 Should be in their dear rites, we would supply 't. 
 But those we will depute which shall invest 10 
 
 You in your dignities, and even each thing 
 Our haste does leave imperfect. So adieu, 
 And heaven's good eyes look on you ! — What are those ? 
 
 \Exeunt Queens. 
 
 Herald. Men of great quality, as may be judg'd 
 By their appointment; some of Thebes have told 's 
 They are sisters' children, nephews to the king. 
 
 Theseus. ^^ the helm of Mars, I saw them in the war, 
 Like to a pair of lions smear'd with prey. 
 Make lanes in troops aghast; I fix'd my note 
 Constantly on them, for they were a mark 20 
 
 Worth a god's view. What was 't that prisoner told me, 
 When I inquir'd their names } 
 
 Herald. We learn, they're call'd 
 
 Arcite and Palamon. 
 
64 THE TWO NOBLE KINSMEN. 
 
 Theseus. 'T is right ; those, those. 
 
 They are not dead ?. 
 
 Herald. Nor in a state of Hfe : had they been taken 
 When their last hurts were given, 't was possible 
 They might have been recover'd; yet they breathe, 
 And have tlie name of men. 
 
 Theseus. Then Uke men use 'em ; 
 
 The very lees of such, millions of rates 
 
 Exceed the wine of others. All our surgeons 30 
 
 Convent in their behoof; our richest balms, 
 Rather than niggard, waste : their lives concern us 
 Much more than Thebes is worth. Rather than have 'em 
 Freed of this plight, and in their morning state, 
 Sound and at liberty, I would 'em dead ; 
 But, forty thousand fold, we had rather have 'em 
 Prisoners to us than death. Bear 'em speedily 
 From our kind air — to them unkind — and minister 
 What man to man may do; for our sake, more: 
 Since I have known fight's fury, friends' behests, 40 
 
 Love's provocations, zeal, a mistress' task, 
 Desire of liberty, a fever, madness. 
 Hath set a mark — which nature could not reach to 
 Without some imposition — , sickness in will, 
 Or wrestling strength in reason. For our love 
 And great Apollo's mercy, all our best 
 Their best skill tender! — Lead into the city; 
 Where having bound things scatter'd, we will post 
 To Athens fore our army. \Flourish. Exeunt. 
 
ACT I. SCENE V. 6$ 
 
 Scene V. Another Fart of the Field. 
 
 Enter the Queens with the hearses of their husbands in a 
 funeral solemnity^ etc. 
 
 Song. 
 
 Urns a?id odours bring away I 
 
 Vapours^ sighs, darken the day / 
 Our dole more deadly looks than dying; 
 
 Balms, and gmns, and heavy cheers, 
 
 Sacred vials fiWd with tears, 
 And clamours through the wild air flying! 
 
 Come, all sad and solemn shows. 
 
 That are quick-eyed pleasure' s foes ! 
 
 We co?ive?it nought else but woes. 
 
 We conve7it, etc. lo 
 
 3 Queen. This funeral path brings to your household's 
 grave. 
 Joy seize on you again ! Peace sleep with him ! 
 
 2 Queen. And this to yours ! 
 
 I Queen. Yours this way ! Heavens lend 
 
 A thousand differing ways to one sure end ! 
 
 3 Queen. This world 's a city full of straying streets, 
 And death 's the market-place, where each one meets. 
 
 \Exeunt severally. 
 
 E 
 
- ^:-^^""'i£i^.-^ 
 
 EMILIA AND HER WAITING-WOMAN. 
 
 ACT 11. 
 
 Scene I. Athens. A Garden, with a Castle in the back- 
 ground. 
 
 Enter Gaoler and Wooer. 
 
 Gaoler. I may depart with little, while I live ; something 
 I may cast to you, not much. Alas, the prison I keep, 
 though it be for great ones, yet they seldom come ; before 
 one salmon, you shall take a number of minnows. I am 
 given out to be better lined than it can appear to me report 
 is a true speaker ; I would I were really that I am delivered 
 to be ! Marry, what I have — be it what it will — I will assure 
 upon my daughter at the day of my death. 
 
 Wooer. Sir, I demand no more than your own ofifer; and 
 I will estate your daughter in what I have promised. lo 
 
ACT 11. SCENE I. 67 
 
 Gaoler. Well, we will talk more of this when the solem- 
 nity is past. But have you a full promise of her ? When 
 that shall be seen, I tender my consent. 
 
 Wooer. I have, sir. Here she comes. 
 
 Enter Gaoler's Daughter, with rushes. 
 
 Gaoler. Your friend and I have chanced to name you 
 here, upon the old business: but no more of that now. So 
 soon as the court-hurry is over, we will have an end of it. I* 
 the mean time, look tenderly to the two prisoners. I can 
 tell you they are princes. ig 
 
 Daughter. These strewings are for their chamber. 'T is 
 pity they are in prison, and 't were pity they should be out. 
 I do think they have patience to make any adversity ashamed ; 
 the prison itself is proud of 'em, and they have all the world 
 in their chamber. 
 
 Gaoler. They are famed to be a pair of absolute men. 
 
 Daughter. By my troth, I think fame but stammers 'em ; 
 they stand a grise above the reach of report. 
 
 Gaoler. I heard them reported in the battle to be the only 
 doers. 29 
 
 Daughter. Nay, most likely; for they are noble sufferers. 
 I marvel how they would have looked, had they been vic- 
 tors, that with such a constant nobility enforce a freedom 
 out of bondage, making misery their mirth, and affliction a 
 toy to jest at. 
 
 Gaoler. Do they so "i 
 
 Daughter. It seems to me, they have no more sense of 
 their captivity, than I of ruling Athens ; they eat well, look 
 merrily, discourse of many things, but nothing of their own 
 restraint and disasters. Yet sometime a divided sigh, mar- 
 tyred as 't were i' the deliverance, will break from one of 
 them ; when the other presently gives it so sweet a rebuke, 
 that I could wish myself a sigh to be so chid, or at least a 
 sigher to be comforted. 43 
 
68 THE TWO NOBLE KINSMEN. 
 
 Wooer. I never saw 'em. 
 
 Gaoler. The duke himself came privately in the night, 
 and so did they; what the reason of it is, I know not. — 
 \Palainon and Arcite appear at a window^ above\ Look, yon- 
 der they are ! that 's Arcite looks out. 
 
 Daughter. No, sir, no; that's Palamon. Arcite is the 
 lower of the twain ; you may perceive a part of him. 50 
 
 Gaoler. Go to, leave your pointing ! They would not 
 make us their object ; out of their sight ! 
 
 Daughter. It is a holiday to look on them ! Lord, the 
 difference of men ! [Exeunt. 
 
 Scene 1 1. A Room in the Prison. 
 Enter Palamon and Arcite. 
 
 Palamofi. How do you, noble cousin ? 
 
 Arcite. How do you, sir ? 
 
 Palamon. Why, strong enough to laugh at misery. 
 And bear the chance of war yet. We are prisoners 
 I fear for ever, cousin. 
 
 Arcite. I believe it; 
 
 And to that destiny have patiently 
 Laid up my hour to come. 
 
 Palamon. O, cousin Arcite, 
 
 Where is Thebes now? where is our noble country? 
 Where are our friends and kindreds ? Never more 
 Must we behold those comforts ; never see 
 The hardy youths strive for the games of honour, 10 
 
 Hung with the painted favours of their ladies. 
 Like tall ships under sail ; then start amongst 'em, 
 And, as an east wind, leave 'em all behind us 
 Like lazy clouds, whilst Palamon and Arcite, 
 Even in the wagging of a wanton leg, 
 Outstripp'd the people's praises, won the garlands, 
 Ere they have time to wish 'em ours. O, never 
 
ACT II. SCENE II. 69 
 
 Shall we two exercise, like twins of honour, 
 
 Our arms again, and feel our fiery horses 
 
 Like proud seas under us ! Our good swords now — 20 
 
 Better the red-eyed god of war ne'er wore — 
 
 Ravish'd our sides, like age, must run to rust, 
 
 And deck the temples of those gods that hate us ; 
 
 These hands shall never draw 'em out like lightning, 
 
 To blast whole armies, more ! 
 
 Arcite. No, Palamon, 
 
 Those hopes are prisoners with us : here we are, 
 And here the graces of our youths must wither, 
 Like a too-timely spring \ here age must find us, 
 And, which is heaviest, Palamon, unmarried ; 
 The sweet embraces of a loving wife, 30 
 
 Loaden with kisses, arm'd with thousand Cupids, 
 Shall never clasp our necks; no issue know us. 
 No figures of ourselves shall we e'er see, 
 To glad our age, and like young eagles teach 'em 
 Boldly to gaze against bright arms, and say, 
 * Remember what your fathers were, and conquer !' 
 The fair-eyed maids shall weep our banishments. 
 And in their songs curse ever-blinded Fortune, 
 Till she for shame see what a wrong she has done 
 To youth and nature. This is all our world j 40 
 
 We shall know nothing here but one another. 
 Hear nothing but the clock that tells our woes ; 
 The vine shall grow, but we shall never see it; 
 Summer shall come, and with her all delights, 
 But dead-cold winter must inhabit here still. 
 
 Palamon. 'T is too true, Arcite. To our Theban hounds. 
 That shook the aged forest with their echoes, 
 No more now must we halloo; no more shake 
 Our pointed javelins, whilst the angry swine 
 Flies like a Parthian quiver from our rages, 50 
 
 Stuck with our well-steel'd darts ! All valiant uses — 
 
70 THE TWO NOBLE KINSMEN. 
 
 The food and nourishment of noble minds — 
 In us two here shall perish ; we shall die — 
 Which is the curse of honour — lazily, 
 Children of grief and ignorance. 
 
 Arcite. Yet, cousin. 
 
 Even from the bottom of these miseries, 
 From all that fortune can inflict upon us, 
 I see two comforts rising, two mere blessings, 
 If the gods please to hold here, — a brave patience. 
 And the enjoying of our griefs together. 60 
 
 Whilst Palamon is with me, let me perish 
 If I think this our prison ! 
 
 Pala7non. Certainly, 
 
 *T is a main goodness, cousin, that our fortunes 
 Were twin'd together: 't is most true, two souls 
 Put in two noble bodies, let 'em suffer 
 The gall of hazard, so they grow together. 
 Will never sink; they must not; say they could, 
 A willing man dies sleeping, and all 's done. 
 
 Arcite. Shall we make worthy uses of this place. 
 That all men hate so much ? 
 
 Palamon. How, gentle cousin ? 70 
 
 Arcite. Let ^s think this prison holy sanctuary. 
 To keep us from corruption of worse men. 
 We are young, and yet desire the ways of honour, 
 That liberty and common conversation. 
 The poison of pure spirits, might, like women, 
 Woo us to wander from. What worthy blessing 
 Can be, but our imaginations 
 May make it ours ? and here being thus together, 
 We are an endless mine to one another; 
 We are one another's wife, ever begetting 80 
 
 New births of love; we are father, friends, acquaintance; 
 We are, in one another, families; 
 I am your heir, and you are mine; this place 
 
ACT 11, SCENE II. 
 
 71 
 
 Is our inheritance ; no hard oppressor 
 
 Dare take this from us ; here, with a little patience, 
 
 We shall live long, and loving ; no surfeits seek us ; 
 
 The hand of war hurts none here, nor the seas 
 
 Swallow their youth. Were we at liberty, 
 
 A wife might part us lawfully, or business ; 
 
 Quarrels consume us ; envy of ill men 90 
 
 Grave our acquaintance ; I might sicken, cousin, 
 
 Where you should never know it, and so perish 
 
 Without your noble hand to close mine eyes, 
 
 Or prayers to the gods : a thousand chances, 
 
 Were we from hence, would sever us. 
 
 Palamon. You have made me — • 
 
 I thank you, cousin Arcite — almost wanton 
 With my captivity \ what a misery 
 It is to live abroad, and everywhere ! 
 'T is like a beast, methinks ! I find the court here, 
 I am sure, a more content j and all those pleasures, 100 
 
 That woo the wills of men to vanity, 
 I see through now; and am sufficient 
 To tell the world, 't is but a gaudy shadow. 
 That old Time, as he passes by, takes with him. 
 What had we been, old in the court of Creon, 
 Where sin is justice, lust and ignorance 
 The virtues of the great ones ! Cousin Arcite, 
 Had not the loving gods found this place for us. 
 We had died as they do, ill old men, unwept. 
 And had their epitaphs, the people's curses. no 
 
 Shall I say more? 
 
 Arcite. I would hear you still. 
 
 Palamon. Ye shall. 
 
 Is there record of any two that lov'd 
 Better than we do, Arcite ? 
 
 Arcite. Sure, there cannot. 
 
 Palamon. I do not think it possible our friendship 
 Should ever leave us. 
 
 r 
 
y2 THE TWO NOBLE KINSMEN. 
 
 Arcite. Till our deaths it cannot; 
 
 And after death our spirits shall be led 
 To those that love eternally. Speak on, sin 
 
 Enter Emilia and Waiting-woman, below. 
 
 Emilia. This garden has a world of pleasures in 't. 
 What flower is this ? 
 
 Waiting-woman. 'T is call'd narcissus, madam. 
 
 Emilia. That was a fair boy certain, but a fool 120 
 
 To love himself; were there not maids enough? 
 
 Arcite. Pray, forward. 
 
 Palamon. Yes. 
 
 Emilia. Or were they all hard-hearted t 
 
 Waiting-woman. They could not be to one so fair. 
 
 Emilia. Thou wouldst not ? 
 
 Waiting-woman. I think I should not, madam. 
 
 Emilia. That 's a good wench ; 
 
 But take heed to your kindness though ! 
 
 Waiting-woman. Why, madam ? 
 
 Emilia. Men are mad things. 
 
 Arcite. Will ye go forward, cousin ? 
 
 Emilia. Canst thou not work such flowers in silk, wench ? 
 
 Waiting-woman. Yes. 
 
 Emilia. I '11 have a gown full of 'em ; and of these ; 
 This is a pretty colour : will 't not do 
 Rarely upon a skirt, wench ? 
 
 Waiting-woman. Dainty, madam. 130 
 
 Arcite. Cousin ! Cousin ! How do you, sir ? Why, Pala- 
 mon ! 
 
 Palamon. Never till now I was in prison, Arcite. 
 
 Arcite. Why, what 's the matter, man ? 
 
 Palamon. Behold, and wonder ! 
 
 By heaven, she is a goddess ! 
 
 Arcite. Ha ! 
 
 Palamon. Do reverence ! 
 
 She is a goddess, Arcite ! 
 
ACT 11. SCENE I J. 
 
 73 
 
 Emilia. Of all flowers 
 
 Methinks a rose is best. 
 
 Waiting-woman. Why, gentle madam ? 
 
 Emilia. It is the very emblem of a maid ; 
 For when the west wind courts her gently, 
 How modestly she blows, and paints the sun 
 With her chaste blushes ! when the north comes near her, 
 Rude and impatient, then, like chastity, 141 
 
 She locks her beauties in her bud again. 
 And leaves him to base briers. 
 
 Arcite. She is wondrous fair ! 
 
 Falamon. She is all the beauty extant ! 
 
 Emilia. The sun grows high ; let 's walk in. Keep these 
 flowers j 
 We '11 see how near art can come near their colours. 
 
 \Exit with Waiting-woman. 
 
 Palamon. What think you of this beauty ? 
 
 Arcite. 'T is a rare one. 
 
 Pala?non. Is 't but a rare one ? 
 
 Arcite. Yes, a matchless beauty. 
 
 Falamon. Might not a man well lose himself, and love 
 her? 
 
 Arcite. I cannot tell what you have done ; I have, 130 
 
 Beshrew mine eyes for 't ! Now I feel my shackles. 
 
 Pala7non. You love her then ? 
 
 Arcite. Who would not ? 
 
 Palamon. And desire her ? 
 
 Arcite. Before my liberty. 
 
 Palamon. I saw her first. 
 
 Arcite. That 's nothing. 
 
 Palamon. But it shall be. 
 
 Arcite. I saw her too. 
 
 Palamon. Yes ; but you must not love her. 
 
 Arcite. I will not, as you do, to worship her, 
 As she is heavenly and a blessed goddess : 
 
74 
 
 THE TWO NOBLE KINSMEN. 
 
 I love her as a woman, to enjoy her ; 
 So both may love. 
 
 Palamon. You shall not love at all. 
 
 Arcite. Not love at all ? who shall deny me ? 160 
 
 Palamon. I that first saw her ; I that took possession 
 First with mine eye of all those beauties in her 
 Reveal'd to mankind ! If thou lovest her, 
 Or entertain'st a hope to blast my wishes, 
 Thou art a traitor, Arcite, and a fellow 
 False as thy title to her ; friendship, blood, 
 And all the ties between us I disclaim. 
 If thou once think upon her ! 
 
 Arcite. Yes, I love her ; 
 
 And if the lives of all my name lay on it, 
 I must do so ; I love her with my soul. 170 
 
 If that will lose ye, farewell, Palamon ! 
 I say again, I love ; and, in loving her, maintain 
 I am as worthy and as free a lover, 
 And have as just a title to her beauty, 
 As any Palamon, or any living 
 That is a man's son. 
 
 Palamon. Have I call'd thee friend ? 
 
 Arcite. Yes, and have found me so. Why are you mov'd 
 thus ? 
 Let me deal coldly with you : am not I 
 Part of your blood, part of your soul ? you have told me 
 That I was Palamon, and you were Arcite. 180 
 
 Palamon. Yes. 
 
 Arcite. Am not I liable to those affections. 
 Those joys, griefs, angers, fears, my friend shall suffer? 
 
 Palamon. Ye may be. 
 
 Arcite. Why then would you deal so cunningly. 
 
 So strangely, so unlike a noble kinsman, 
 To love alone ? Speak truly; do you think me 
 Unworthy of her sight ? 
 
ACT II. SCENE II. 75 
 
 Falamon. No ; but unjust 
 
 If thou pursue that sight. 
 
 Arcite. Because another 
 
 First sees the enemy, shall I stand still, 
 And let mine honour down, and never charge ? 190 
 
 Palamon. Yes, if he be but one. 
 
 Arcite. But say that one 
 
 Had rather combat me ? 
 
 Palamon. Let that one say so, 
 
 And use thy freedom ; else, if thou pursuest her, 
 Be as that cursed man that hates his country, 
 A branded villain ! 
 
 Arcite. You are mad. 
 
 Palamon. I must be, 
 
 Till thou art worthy, Arcite ; it concerns me ; 
 And, in this madness, if I hazard thee 
 And take thy life, I deal but truly. 
 
 Arcite. Fie, sir ! 
 
 You play the child extremely : I will love her, 
 I must, I ought to do so, and I dare ; 200 
 
 And all this justly. 
 
 Palamon. O, that now, that now, 
 
 Thy false self and thy friend had but this fortune. 
 To be one hour at liberty, and grasp 
 Our good swords in our hands I I ^d quickly teach thee 
 What 't were to filch affection from another ! 
 Thou art baser in it than a cutpurse ! 
 Put but thy head out of this window more. 
 And, as I have a soul, I '11 nail thy life to \ ! 
 
 Arcite. Thou dar'st not,fool; thou canst not; thou art feeble. 
 Put my head out ! I '11 throw my body out, 210 
 
 And leap the garden, when I see her next. 
 And pitch between her arms, to anger thee. 
 
 Palamon. No more ! the keeper 's coming; I shall liv^e 
 To knock thy brains out with my shackles. 
 
 Arcite. Do ! 
 
76 THE TWO NOBLE KINSMEN, 
 
 Enter Gaoler. 
 
 Gaoler, By your leave, gentlemen. 
 
 Palamon. Now, honest keeper ? 
 
 Gaoler. Lord Arcite, you must presently to the duke \ 
 The cause I know not yet. 
 
 Arcite. I am ready, keeper. 
 
 Gaoler. Prince Palamon, I must awhile bereave you 
 Of your fair cousin's company. \Exit with Arcite. 
 
 Palamon. And me too. 
 
 Even when you please, of life. — Why is he sent for? 220 
 
 It may be, he shall marry her; he 's goodly. 
 And like enough the duke hath taken notice 
 Both of his blood and body. But his falsehood ! 
 Why vshould a friend be treacherous ? If that 
 Get him a wife so noble and so fair, 
 Let honest men ne'er love again ! Once more 
 I would but see this fair one. — Blessed garden. 
 And fruit and flowers more blessed, that still blossom 
 As her bright eyes shine on ye ! Would I were, 
 For all the fortune of my life hereafter, 230 
 
 Yon little tree, yon blooming apricock ! 
 How I would spread, and fling my wanton arms 
 In at her window ! I would bring her fruit 
 Fit for the gods to feed on % youth and pleasure, 
 Still as she tasted, should be doubled on her; 
 And, if she be not heavenly, I would make her 
 So near the gods in nature, they should fear her; 
 And then I am sure she would love me. — 
 
 Re-enter Gaoler. 
 
 How now, keeper ! 
 Where 's Arcite ? 
 
 Gaoler. Banish'd. Prince Pirithous 
 
 Obtain'd his liberty; but never more, 240 
 
ACT If. SCENE IL 77 
 
 Upon his oath and life, must he set foot 
 Upon this kingdom. 
 
 Palamon. He 's a blessed man ! 
 
 He shall see Thebes again, and call to arms 
 The bold young men that, when he bids 'em charge, 
 Fall on like fire. Arcite shall have a fortune, 
 If he dare make himself a worthy lover. 
 Yet in the field to strike a battle for her ; 
 And if he lose her then, he 's a cold coward. 
 How bravely may he bear himself to win her. 
 If he be noble Arcite, thousand ways ! ztp 
 
 Were I at liberty, I would do things 
 Of such a virtuous greatness that this lady, 
 This blushing virgin, should take manhood to her, 
 And seek to ravish me ! 
 
 Gaoler. My lord, for you 
 
 I have this charge too — 
 
 Palamon. To discharge my life ? 
 
 Gaoler. No; but from this place to remove your lord- 
 ship j 
 The windows are too open. 
 
 Palamon. Devils take 'em, 
 
 That are so envious to me ! Prithee, kill me ! 
 
 Gaoler. And hang for 't afterward ? 
 
 Palamon. By this good light. 
 
 Had I a sword, I 'd kill thee ! 
 
 Gaoler. Why, my lord ? 260 
 
 Palamon. Thou bring'st such pelting scurvy news con- 
 tinually, 
 Thou art not worthy life ! I will not go. 
 
 Gaoler. Indeed you must, my lord. 
 
 Palamon. May I see the garden ? 
 
 Gaoler. No. 
 
 Palamon. Then I am resolv'd I will not go. 
 
 Gaoler. I must 
 
^8 THE TWO NOBLE KINSMEN. 
 
 Constrain you then; and, for you are dangerous, 
 
 I '11 clap more irons on you. 
 
 , Palamon. Do, good keeper ! 
 
 I '11 shake 'em so, ye shall not sleep; 
 
 I '11 make ye a new morris ! Must I go ? 
 
 Gaoler. There is no remedy. 
 
 Palamon. Farewell, kind window ! 
 
 May rude wind never hurt thee ! — O my lady, 271 
 
 If ever thou hast felt what sorrow was. 
 Dream how I suffer ! — Come, now bury me. [Exeunt 
 
 Scene III. The Country near Athens. 
 
 Enter Arcite. 
 
 Arcite. Banish'd thr kingdom ? 'T is a benefit, 
 A mercy I must thank 'em for; but banish'd 
 The free enjoying of that face I die for, 
 O, 't was a studied punishment, a death 
 Beyond imagination ! such a vengeance 
 That, were I old and wicked, all my sins 
 Could never pluck upon me. — Palamon, 
 Thou hast the start now ; thou shalt stay and see 
 Her bright eyes break each morning 'gainst thy window, 
 And let in life into thee; thou shalt feed 10 
 
 Upon the sweetness of a noble beauty, 
 That nature ne'er exceeded, nor ne'er shall. 
 Good gods, what happiness has Palamon ! 
 Twenty to one, he '11 come to speak to her ; 
 And, if she be as gentle as she 's fair, 
 I know she 's his ; he has a tongue will tame 
 Tempests, and make the wild rocks wanton. Come what 
 
 can come. 
 The worst is death ; I will not leave the kingdom. 
 I know mine own is but a heap of ruins. 
 And no redress there; if I go, he has her. 20 
 
ACT IL SCEiVE III. yg 
 
 r 
 
 I am resolv'd ; another shape shall make me, 
 Or end my fortunes ; either way, I 'm happy : 
 I '11 see her, and be near her, or no more. 
 
 Enter four Countrymen; ofie with a garland before them. 
 
 1 Countryman. My masters, I '11 be there, that 's certain. 
 
 2 Countryman. And 1 '11 be there. 
 
 3 Countryman. And I, 
 
 4 Countryman. Why then, have with ye, boys, 't is but a 
 
 chiding; 
 Let the plough play to day! I '11 tickle 't out 
 Of the jades' tails to-morrow ! 
 
 1 Countryman. I am sure 
 To have my wife as jealous as a turkey : 
 
 But that 's all one; I '11 go through, let her mumble. 30 
 
 3 Countryman. Do we all hold against the Maying? 
 
 4 Countryman. Hold ! what should ail us .'' 
 
 3 Countryman. Areas will be there. 
 
 2 Countryman. And Sennois, 
 
 And Rycas ; and three better lads ne'er danc'd 
 Under green tree; and ye know what wenches, ha! 
 But will the dainty domine, the schoolmaster, 
 Keep touch, do you think ? for he does all, ye know. 
 
 3 Countryman. He '11 eat a horn-book, ere he fail ; go to ! 
 The matter 's too far driven between 
 
 Him and the tanner's daughter, to let slip now ; 40 
 
 And she must see the duke, and she must dance too. 
 
 4 Coufitryman. Shall we be lusty ? 
 
 2 Countrymafi. Here I '11 be, 
 
 And there I '11 be, for our town ; and here again. 
 And there again ! Ha, boys, heigh for the weavers ! 
 
 1 Countryman. This must be done i' the woods. 
 
 4 Countryman. O, pardon me ! 
 
 2 Comitryman. Byany means; our thing of learning says so; 
 Where he himself will edify the duke 
 
8o THE TWO NOBLE KINSMEN. 
 
 Most parlously in our behalfs: he 's excellent i' the woods; 
 Bring him to th' plains, his learning makes no cry. 
 
 3 Coufitryman. We '11 see the sports ; then every man to 
 
 's tackle ! 50 
 
 And, sweet companions, let 's rehearse by any means, 
 Before the ladies see us, and do sweetly, 
 And God knows what may come on 't. 
 
 4 Countryman. Content; the sports 
 Once ended, we '11 perform. Away, boys, and hold ! 
 
 Arcite. By your leaves, honest friends; pray you, whither 
 go you .'' 
 
 4 Countrymafi. Whither ? why, what a question 's that ! 
 
 Arcite. Yes, 't is a question 
 
 To me that know not. 
 
 3 Cou?itryma?i. To the games, my friend. 
 
 2 Countryman. Where were you bred, you know it not .-* 
 
 Arcite. Not far, sir. 
 
 Are there such games to-day? 
 
 \ Countryman. Yes, marry, are there; 
 
 And such as you ne'er saw: the duke himself 60 
 
 Will be in person there. 
 
 Arcite. What pastimes are they ? 
 
 2 Countryman. Wrestling and running. — 'T is a pretty 
 
 fellow. 
 
 3 Countryman. Thou wilt not go along ? 
 
 Arcite. Not yet, sir, 
 
 4 Countryman. Well, sir. 
 Take your own time. — Come, boys ! 
 
 1 Countryman. My mind misgives me 
 This fellow has a vengeance trick o' the hip ; 
 
 Mark, how his body 's made for 't! 
 
 2 Countryman. I '11 be hang'd though 
 If he dare venture; hang him, plum-porridge ! 
 
 He wrestle ? He roast eggs ! Come, let 's be gone, lads. 
 
 \^Exeunt Countrymen. 
 
ACT 11. SCENE IV. gl 
 
 Arcite. This is an offer'd opportunity 
 I durst not wish for. Well I could have wrestled, 70 
 
 The best men call'd it excellent; and run 
 Swifter than wind upon a field of corn, 
 Curling the wealthy ears, e'er flew. I '11 venture, 
 And in some poor disguise be there ; who knows 
 Whether my brows may not be girt with garlands, 
 And happiness prefer me to a place 
 Where 1 may ever dwell in sight of her ? \Exit. 
 
 Scene IV. Athens. A Room in the Prison. 
 
 Enter Gaoler's Daughter. 
 
 Daughter. Why should I love this gentleman ? 'T is odds 
 He never will affect me ; I am base. 
 My father the mean keeper of his prison, 
 And he a prince: to marry him is hopeless, 
 To be his whore is witless. Out upon 't ! 
 What pushes are we wenches driven to, 
 When fifteen once has found us ! First, I saw him ; 
 I, seeing, thought he was a goodly man ; 
 He has as much to please a woman in him — 
 If he please to bestow it so — as ever 10 
 
 These eyes yet look'd on: next, I pitied him; 
 And so would any young wench, o' my conscience, 
 That ever dream'd, or vow'd her maidenhead 
 To a young handsome man : then, I lov'd him ! 
 Extremely lov'd him, infinitely lov'd him ! 
 And yet he had a cousin, fair as he too; 
 But in my heart was Palamon, and there. 
 Lord, what a coil he keeps ! To hear him 
 Sing in an evening, what a heaven it is ! 
 And yet his songs are sad ones. Fairer spoken 20 
 
 Was never gentleman; when I come in 
 To bring him water in a morning, first 
 
 F 
 
82 THE TWO NOBLE KINSMEN. 
 
 He bows his noble body, then salutes me thus : 
 
 ' Fair gentle maid, good morrow ! may thy goodness 
 
 Get thee a happy husband !' Once he kiss'd me; 
 
 I lov'd my lips the better ten days after : 
 
 Would he would do so every day ! He grieves much, 
 
 And me as much to see his misery. 
 
 What should I do, to make him know I love him ? 
 
 For I would fain enjoy him : say I ventur'd 30 
 
 To set him free ? what says the law then ? 
 
 Thus much for law, or kindred ! I will do it, 
 
 And this night or to-morrow he shall love me. \Exit. 
 
 Scene V. Ati Open Place in Athens. A short flourish of 
 cornets^ and shouts within. 
 
 Enter Theseus, Hippolyta, PirithouSj Emilia ; Arcite, 
 disguised, wearing a garland ; and Countrymen. 
 
 Theseus. You have done worthily ; I have not seen, 
 Since Hercules, a man of tougher sinews. 
 Whate'er you are, you run the best and wrestle, 
 That these times can allow. 
 
 Arcite. I am proud to please you. 
 
 Theseus. What country bred you ? 
 
 Arcite. This j but far off, prince. 
 
 Theseus. Are you a gentleman ? 
 
 Arcite. My father said so. 
 
 And to those gentle uses gave me life. 
 
 Theseus. Are you his heir ? 
 
 Arcite. His youngest, sir. 
 
 Theseus. Your father, 
 
 Sure, is a happy sire then. What proves you? 
 
 Arcite. A little of all noble qualities : 10 
 
 I could have kept a hawk, and well have halloo'd 
 To a deep cry of dogs; I dare not praise 
 My feat in horsemanship, yet they that knew me 
 
ACT II. SCENE V. 83 
 
 Would say it was my best piece ; last, and greatest, 
 I would be thought a soldier. 
 
 Theseus. You are perfect, 
 
 Ph'ithous. Upon my soul, a proper man ! 
 
 Emilia. He is so. 
 
 Pirithous. How do you like him, lady ? 
 
 Hippolyta. I admire him ; 
 
 I have not seen so young a man so noble. 
 If he say true, of his sort. 
 
 Emilia. Believe, 
 
 His mother was a wondrous handsome woman ; 20 
 
 His face methinks goes that way. 
 
 Hippolyta. But his body 
 
 And fiery mind illustrate a brave father. 
 
 Pirithous. Mark how his virtue, like a hidden sun, 
 Breaks through his baser garments ! 
 
 Hippolyta. He 's well got, sure. 
 
 Theseus. What made you seek this place, sir ? 
 
 Arcite. Noble Theseus, 
 
 To purchase name, and do my ablest service 
 To such a well-found wonder as thy worth ; 
 For only in thy court, of all the world. 
 Dwells fair-eyed Honour. 
 
 Pirithous. All his words are worthy. 
 
 Theseus. Sir, we are much indebted to your travail, 30 
 
 Nor shall you lose your wish. — Pirithous, 
 Dispose of this fair gentleman. 
 
 Pirithous. Thanks, Theseus. — 
 
 Whate'er you are, you 're mine ; and I shall give you 
 To a most noble service, — to this lady. 
 This bright young virgin : pray observe her goodness. 
 You 've honour'd her fair birthday with your virtues. 
 And, as your due, you 're hers ; kiss her fair hand, sir. 
 
 Arcite. Sir, you 're a noble giver. — Dearest beauty, 
 Thus let me seal my vow'd faith ! when your servant — 
 
34 THE TWO NOBLE KINSMEN. 
 
 Your most unworthy creature — but offends you, 40 
 
 Command him die, he shall. 
 
 E?nilia. That were too cruel. 
 
 If you deserve well, sir, I shall soon see 't : 
 You 're mine; and somewhat better than your rank 
 I '11 use you. 
 
 Pirithous. I '11 see you furnish'd: and because you say 
 You are a horseman, I must needs entreat you 
 This afternoon to ride ; but 't is a rough one. 
 
 Arcite. I like him better, prince ; I shall not then 
 Freeze in my saddle. 
 
 Theseus. Sweet, you must be ready — 
 
 And you, Emilia — and you, friend — and all — 50 
 
 To-morrow, by the sun, to do observance 
 To flowery May, in Dian's wood. — Wait well, sir. 
 Upon your mistress ! — Emily, I hope 
 He shall not go afoot. 
 
 Emilia. That were a shame, sir. 
 
 While i have horses. — Take your choice ; and what 
 You want at any time, let me but know it. 
 If you serve faithfully, I dare assure you 
 You '11 find a loving mistress. 
 
 Arcite. If I do not, 
 
 Let me find that my father ever hated, — 
 Disgrace and blows ! 
 
 Theseus. Go, lead the way; you've won it; 60 
 
 It shall be so ; you shall receive all dues 
 Fit for the honour you have won ; 't were wrong else. — 
 Sister, beshrew my heart, you have a servant, 
 That, if I were a woman, would be master ; 
 But you are wise. 
 
 Emilia. I hope too wise for that, sir. 
 
 [^Flourish. Exeunt. 
 
ACT II. SCENE VI. 8$ 
 
 Scene VI. Before the Prison. 
 
 Enter Gaoler's Daughter. 
 
 Daughter. Let all the dukes and all the devils roar, 
 He is at liberty! I 've ventur'd for him j 
 And out I have brought him to a little wood 
 A mile hence. I have sent him where a cedar, 
 Higher than all the rest, spreads like a plane 
 Fast by a brook; and there he shall keep close, 
 Till I provide him files and food, for yet 
 His iron bracelets are not off. O Love, 
 What a stout-hearted child thou art! My father 
 Durst better have endur'd cold iron than done it. lo 
 
 I love him beyond love and beyond reason, 
 Or wit, or safety. I have made him know it: 
 I care not ; I am desperate. If the law 
 Find me, and then condemn me for 't, some wenches. 
 Some honest-hearted maids, will sing my dirge, 
 And tell to memory my death was noble, 
 Dying almost a martyr. That way he takes, 
 I purpose, is my way too j sure he cannot 
 Be so unmanly as to leave me here ! 
 
 If he do, maids will not so easily 20 
 
 Trust men again : and yet he has not thank'd me 
 For what I have done ; no, not so much as kiss'd me ; 
 And that, methinks, is not so well ; nor scarcely 
 Could I persuade him to become a freeman, 
 He made such scruples of the wrong he did 
 To me and to my father. Yet, I hope, 
 When he considers more, this love of mine 
 Will take more root within him : let him do 
 What he will with me, so he use me kindly ! 
 For use me so he shall, or I '11 proclaim him, 3° 
 
 And to his face, no man. I '11 presently 
 
86 
 
 THE TWO NOBLE KINSMEN. 
 
 Provide him necessaries, and pack my clothes up, 
 
 And where there is a patch of ground I '11 venture, 
 
 So he be with me ; by him, like a shadow, 
 
 I '11 ever dwell. Within this hour the whoo-bub 
 
 Will be all o'er the prison ; I am then 
 
 Kissing the man they look for. — Farewell, father! 
 
 Get many more such prisoners and such daughters, 
 
 And shortly you may keep yourself. Now to him I 
 
 \Exit. 
 
 THE PROPYL^A AT ATHENS. 
 
What ignorant and mad-malicious traitors 
 Are you. that, 'gainst the tenour of my laws, 
 Are making battle? (iii. 6. 134). 
 
 ACT III. 
 
 Scene I. A Forest. Cornets in sundry places. Noise and 
 hallooing, as of People a- Maying. 
 
 Enter Arcite. 
 
 Arcite. The duke has lost Hippolyta; each took 
 A several laund. This is a solemn rite 
 They owe bloom'd May, and the Athenians pay it 
 To the heart of ceremony. — O queen Emilia, 
 Fresher than May, sweeter 
 Than her gold buttons on the boughs, or all 
 Th' enamell'd knacks o' the mead or garden! yea, 
 We challenge too the bank of any nymph, 
 
88 THE TWO NOBLE KINSMEN. 
 
 That makes the stream seem flowers; thou, O jewel 
 
 O' the wood, o' the world, hast likewise bless'd a place lo 
 
 With thy sole presence ! In thy rumination 
 
 That I, poor man, might eftsoons come between, 
 
 And chop on some cold thought! — Thrice blessed chance, 
 
 To drop on such a mistress, expectation 
 
 Most guiltless on 't! Tell me, O lady Fortune- — 
 
 Next after Emily my sovereign — how far 
 
 I may be proud. She takes strong note of me. 
 
 Hath made me near her, and this beauteous morn, 
 
 The prim'st of all the year, presents me with 
 
 A brace of horses; two such steeds might well 20 
 
 Be by a pair of kings back'd, in a field 
 
 That their crowns' titles tried. Alas, alas, 
 
 Poor cousin Palamon, poor prisoner! thou 
 
 So little dream'st upon my fortune, that 
 
 Thou think'st thyself the happier thing, to be 
 
 So near Emilia! Me thou deem'st at Thebes, 
 
 And therein wretched, although free ; but if 
 
 Thou knew'st my mistress breath'd on me, and that 
 
 I ear'd her language, liv'd in her eye, O coz. 
 
 What passion would enclose thee ! 
 
 Enter Palamon out of a bush, with his shackles ; he lends his 
 
 fist at Arcite. 
 
 Palamon. Traitor kinsman! 30 
 
 Thou shouldst perceive my passion, if these signs 
 Of prisonment were off me, and this hand 
 But owner of a sword ! By all oaths in one, 
 I, and the justice of my love, would make thee 
 A confess'd traitor ! O thou most perfidious 
 That ever gently look'd ! the void'st of honour 
 . That e'er bore gentle token! falsest cousin 
 That ever blood made kin ! call'st thou her thine? 
 I '11 prove it in my shackles, with these hands 
 
ACT III. SCENE I. 89 
 
 Void of appointment, that thou Hest, and art 40 
 
 A very thief in love, a chaffy lord. 
 
 Nor worth the name of villain ! Had I a sword, 
 
 And these house-clogs away — 
 
 Arcite. Dear cousin Palamon — 
 
 - Palamon. Cozener Arcite, give me language such 
 As thou hast show'd me feat! 
 
 Arcite. Not finding in 
 
 The circuit of my breast any gross stuff 
 To form me like your blazon, holds me to 
 This gentleness of answer: 't is your passion 
 That thus mistakes ; the which, to you being enemy, 
 Cannot to me be kind. Honour and honesty 50 
 
 I cherish and depend on, howsoe'er 
 You skip them in me, and with them, fair coz, 
 I '11 maintain my proceedings. Pray be pleas'd 
 To show in generous terms your griefs, since that 
 Your question 's with your equal, who professes 
 To clear his own way with the mind and sword 
 Of a true gentleman. 
 
 Palamon. That thou durst, Arcite ! 
 
 Arcite. My coz, my coz, you have been well advertis'd 
 How much I dare ; you 've seen me use my sword 
 Against the advice of fear. Sure, of another 60 
 
 You would not hear me doubted, but your silence 
 Should break out, though i' the sanctuary. 
 
 Palamon. Sir, 
 
 I 've seen you move in such a place, which well 
 Might justify your manhood; you were call'd- 
 A good knight and a bold : but the whole week 's not fair, 
 If any day it rain. Their valiant temper 
 Men lose when they incline to treachery; 
 And then they fight like compell'd bears, would fly 
 Were they not tied. 
 
 Arcite. Kinsman, you might as well 
 
QO THE TWO NOBLE KINSMEN. 
 
 Speak this, and act it in your glass, as to 7° 
 
 His ear which now disdains you. 
 
 Palamon. Come up to me! 
 
 Quit me of these cold gyves, give me a sword, 
 Though it be rusty, and the charity 
 Of one meal lend me ; come before me then, 
 A good sword in thy hand, and do but say 
 That Emily is thine, I will forgive 
 The trespass thou hast done me, yea, my life, 
 If then thou carry 't; and brave souls in shades, 
 That have died manly, which will seek of me 
 Some news from earth, they shall get none but this, so 
 
 That thou art brave and noble. 
 
 Arcite. Be content; 
 
 Again betake you to your hawthorn-house. 
 With counsel of the night, I will be here 
 With wholesome viands; these impediments 
 Will I file off; you shall have garments, and 
 Perfumes to kill the smell o' the prison ; after. 
 When you shall stretch yourself, and say but, ' Arcite, 
 I am in plight !' there shall be at your choice 
 Both sword and armour. 
 
 Palamon. O you heavens, dares any 
 
 So noble bear a guilty business? None ^o 
 
 But only Arcite ; therefore none but Arcite 
 In this kind is so bold. 
 
 Arcite. Sweet Palamon — 
 
 Palamon. I do embrace you, and your offer: for 
 Your offer do- 't I only, sir ; your person. 
 Without hypocrisy, I may not wish 
 More than my sword's edge on 't. ^Horns winded within. 
 
 Arcite. You hear the horns ; 
 
 Enter your musit, lest this match betwean 's 
 Be cross'd ere met. Give me your hand; farewell! 
 I '11 bring you every needful thing ; I pray you 
 Take comfort, and be strong. 
 
ACT III. SCENE IL gj 
 
 Palamon. Pray hold your promise, loo 
 
 And do the deed with a bent brow. Most certain 
 You love me not; be rough with me, and pour 
 This oil out of your language. By this air, 
 I could for each word give a cuff, my stomach 
 Not reconcil'd by reason ! 
 
 Arcite. Plainly spoken ! 
 
 Yet pardon me hard language: when I spur 
 My horse, I chide him not; content and anger 
 
 \Horns winded again. 
 In me have but one face. — Hark, sir! they call 
 The scatter'd to the banquet; you must guess 
 I have an office there. 
 
 Palamon. Sir, your attendance "o 
 
 Cannot please heaven; and I know your office 
 Unjustly is achiev'd. 
 
 Arcite. I 've a good title, 
 
 I am persuaded ; this question, sick between 's, 
 By bleeding must be cur'd. I am a suitor 
 That to your sword you will bequeath this plea, 
 And talk of it no more. 
 
 Palamon. But this one word: 
 
 You are going now to gaze upon my mistress; 
 For, note you, mine she is — 
 
 Arcite. Nay, then — 
 
 Palamon. Nay, pray you ! — 
 
 You talk of feeding me to breed me strength: 
 You are going now to look upon a sun 15-0 
 
 That strengthens what it looks on; there you have 
 A vantage o'er me; but eiyoy it till 
 I may enforce my remedy. Farewell! \^ExeHnt. 
 
92 THE TWO NOBLE KINSMEN. 
 
 Scene 1 1. Another Fart of the Forest. 
 
 Enter Gaoler's Daughter. 
 
 Daughter. He has mistook the brake I meant, is gone 
 After his fancy. 'T is now well-nigh morning; 
 No matter! would it were perpetual night, 
 And darkness lord o' the world! — Hark! 't is a wolf; 
 In me hath grief slain fear, and, but for one thing, . 
 I care for nothing, and that 's Palamon. 
 I reck not if the wolves would jaw me, so 
 He had this file. What if I halloo'd for him? 
 I cannot halloo ; if I whoop'd, what then? 
 If he not answer'd, I should call a wolf, lo 
 
 And do him but that service. I have heard 
 Strange howls this livelong night; why may 't not be 
 They have made prey of him? He has no weapons. 
 He cannot run ; the jingling of his gyves 
 Might call fell things to listen, who have in them 
 A sense to know a man unarm'd, and can 
 Smell where resistance is. I '11 set it down 
 He 's torn to pieces ; they howl'd many together, 
 And then they fed on him : so much for that! 
 Be bold to ring the bell ; how stand I then ? 20 
 
 All 's char'd when he is gone. No, no, I lie, 
 My father 's to be hang'd for his escape ; 
 Myself to beg, if I priz'd life so much 
 As to deny my act ; but that I would not, 
 Should I try death by dozens ! — I am mop'd : 
 Food took I none these two days — 
 Sipp'd some water. I have not clos'd mine eyes, 
 Save when my lids scour'd off their brine. Alas, 
 Dissolve, my life ! let not my sense unsettle, 
 Lest I should drown, or stab, or hang myself! 30 
 
 O state of nature, fail together in me, 
 Since thy best props are warp'd! — So! which way now? 
 
ACT in. SCENE III. 92 
 
 The best way is the next way to a grave ; 
 
 Each errant step beside is torment. Lo, 
 
 The moon is down, the crickets chirp, the screech-owl 
 
 Calls in the dawn ! all offices are done, 
 
 Save what I fail in ; but the point is this, 
 
 An end, and that is all ! [Exit. 
 
 Scene III. The same Part of the Forest as in Scene I. 
 
 Enter Arcite, with fneat, wine, fles, etc. 
 Arcite. I should be near the place. — Ho, cousin Palamon ! 
 
 Enter Palamon. 
 
 Palamoti. Arcite? 
 
 Arcite. The same; I 've brought you food 
 
 and files. 
 Come forth, and fear not; here 's no Theseus. 
 
 Palamon. Nor none so honest, Arcite. 
 
 Arcite. That 's no matter ; 
 
 We '11 argue that hereafter. Come, take courage; 
 You shall not die thus beastly ; here, sir, drink. 
 I know you 're faint; then I '11 talk further with you. 
 
 Palamon. Arcite, thou mightst now poison me. 
 
 Arcite. I might; 
 
 But I must fear you first. Sit down ; and, good now. 
 No more of these vain parleys ! Let us not, lo 
 
 Having our ancient reputation with us. 
 Make talk for fools and cowards. To your health ! [Drinks. 
 
 Palamon. Do. 
 
 Arcite. Pray, sit down then ; and let me entreat you, 
 
 By all the honesty and honour in you, 
 No mention of this woman ! 't will disturb us; 
 We shall have time enough. 
 
 Palamon. Well, sir, I '11 pledge you. [Drinks. 
 
 Arcite. Drink a good hearty draught; it breeds good 
 blood, man. 
 Do not you feel it thaw you .? 
 
04 THE TWO NOBLE KINSMEN. 
 
 Palamon. Stay ; I '11 tell you 
 
 After a draught or two more. 
 
 Arcite. Spare it not ; 
 
 The duke has more, coz. Eat now. 
 
 Palamon. Yes. 
 
 Arcite. I am glad 20 
 
 You have so good a stomach. 
 
 Palamon. I am gladder 
 
 I have so good meat to 't. 
 
 Arcite. Is 't not mad lodging 
 
 Here in the wild woods, cousin? 
 
 Palamon. Yes, for them 
 
 That have wild consciences. 
 
 Arcite. How tastes your victuals? 
 
 Your hunger needs no sauce, I see. 
 
 Palamon. Not much ; 
 
 But if it did, yours is too tart, sweet cousin. 
 What is this? 
 
 Arcite. Venison. 
 
 Palamon. 'T is a lusty meat. 
 
 Give me more wine: here, Arcite, to the wenches 
 We have known in our days! The lord-steward's daugh- 
 ter; 
 Do you remember her ? 
 
 Arcite. After you, coz. 30 
 
 Palamon. She lov'd a black-hair'd man. 
 
 Arcite. She did so; well, sir? 
 
 Palamon. And I have heard some call him Arcite; and — 
 
 Arcite. Out with it, faith ! 
 
 Pala?non. She met him in an arbour : 
 
 What did she there, coz? play o' the virginals? = 
 
 Arcite. Something she did, sir. 
 
 Palamon. Made her groan a month for 't ; 
 
 Or two, or three, or ten. 
 
 Arcite. The marshal's sister 
 
ACT III. SCENE IV. 95 
 
 Had her share too, as I remember, cousin, 
 Else there be tales abroad ; you '11 pledge her ? 
 
 Palamon. Yes. 
 
 Arcite. A pretty brown wench 't is ! There was a time 
 When young men went a-hunting, and a wood, 40 
 
 And a broad beech ; and thereby hangs a tale. — 
 Heigh-ho ! 
 
 Palamon. For Emily, upon my life ! Fool, 
 Away with this strain'd mirth ! I say again. 
 That sigh was breath'd for Emily ! Base cousin, 
 Dar'st thou break first ? 
 
 Arcite. You are wide. 
 
 Palamon. By heaven and earth, 
 
 There 's nothing in thee honest ! 
 
 Arcite. Then I '11 leave you ; 
 
 You are a beast now. 
 
 Palamon. As thou mak'st me, traitor. 
 
 Arcite. There 's all things needful, — files, and shirts, and 
 perfumes. 
 I '11 come again some two hours hence, and bring 
 That that shall quiet all. 
 
 Palamon. A sword and armour ? so 
 
 Arcite. Fear me not. You are now too foul ; farewell ! 
 Get off your trinkets ; you shall want nought. 
 
 Palamon. Sirrah — 
 
 Arcite. I '11 hear no more ! \Exit. 
 
 Palamon. If he keep touch, he dies for 't. \Exit. 
 
 Scene IV. Another Part of the Forest. 
 Enter Gaoler's Daughter. 
 Daughter. I 'm very cold ; and all the stars are out too, 
 The little stars, and all that look like aglets : 
 The sun has seen my folly. Palamon ! 
 Alas, no ; he 's in heaven ! — Where am I now ? — 
 
96 THE TWO NOBLE KINSMEN. 
 
 Yonder 's the sea, and there 's a ship ; how 't tumbles ! 
 
 And there 's a rock lies watching under water ; 
 
 Now, now, it beats upon it ! now, now, now ! 
 
 There 's a leak sprung, a sound one ; how they cry ! 
 
 Run her before the wind, you '11 lose all else ! 
 
 Up with a course or two, and tack about, boys ! lo 
 
 Good night, good night; y' are gone ! — I 'm very hungry : 
 
 Would I could find a fine frog ! he would tell me 
 
 News from all parts o' the world ; then would I make 
 
 A carack of a cockle-shell, and sail 
 
 By east and north-east to the King of Pigmies, 
 
 For he tells fortunes rarely. Now my father, 
 
 Twenty to one, is truss'd up in a trice 
 
 To-morrow morning ; I '11 say never a word. 
 
 [Sings] For I '// cut my green coat afoot above my knee ; 
 
 And I '// clip my yellow locks an inch below mine e'e. 20 
 
 Hey^ nonny, nonny, nonny. 
 He V buy me a white cut, forth for to ride. 
 And I ^11 go seek him through the world that is so wide. 
 Hey, nonny, nonny, nonny. 
 
 O for a prick now, like a nightingale, 
 
 To put my breast against ! I shall sleep like a top else. \Exit. 
 
 Scene V. Another Part of the Forest. 
 
 Enter Gerrold, /^z^r Countrymen as morris-dancers, another 
 
 as the B2Lvia.n,fve Wenches, and a Taborer. 
 
 G err old. Fie, fie ! 
 What tediosity and disensanity 
 Is here among ye ! Have my rudiments 
 Been labour'd so long with ye, milk'd unto ye, 
 And, by a figure, even the very plum-broth 
 And marrow of my understanding laid upon ye, 
 And do you still cry * where,' and ' how,' and 'wherefore V 
 You most coarse frize capacities, ye jane judgments. 
 
ACT HI. SCENE V. 
 
 97 
 
 Have I said ' thus let be,' and ' there let be/ 
 
 And ' then let be,' and no man understand me? lo 
 
 Proh Deum, medius fidius, ye are all dunces ! 
 
 For why, here stand I; here the duke comes ; there are you, 
 
 Close in the thicket ; the duke appears, I meet him, 
 
 And unto him I utter learned things, 
 
 And many figures ; he hears, and nods, and hums, 
 
 And then cries ' rare !' and I go forward ; at length 
 
 I fling my cap up ; mark there ! then do you. 
 
 As once did Meleager and the boar, 
 
 Break comely out before him, like true lovers, 
 
 Cast yourselves in a body decently, 20 
 
 And sweetly, by a figure, trace and turn, boys ! 
 
 1 Coimtrynian. And sweetly we will do it, master Gerrold. 
 
 2 Countryma7i. Draw up the company. Where 's the la- 
 
 borer ? 
 
 3 Coufitryfnan. Why, Timothy ! 
 
 Taborer. Here, my mad boys ; have at ye ! 
 
 Gerrold. But I say, where 's their women ? 
 
 4 Coimtrynian. Here 's Friz and Maudlin, 
 
 2 Countryman. And little Luce with the white legs, and 
 
 bouncing Barbar}^ 
 I Countryman. And freckled Nell; that never failed her 
 
 master. 
 Gerrold. Where be your ribands, maids .? Swim with your 
 bodies, 
 And carry it sweetly and deliverly; 
 
 And now and then a favour and a frisk ! 30 
 
 Nell. Let us alone, sir. 
 Gerrold. Where 's the rest o' the music ? 
 
 3 Countrymaji. Dispers'd as you commanded. 
 
 Gerrold. Couple, then, 
 
 And see what 's wanting. Where 's the Bavian 1 — 
 My friend, carry your tail without offence 
 Or scandal to the ladies; and be sure 
 
 G 
 
98 THE TWO NOBLE KINSMEN. 
 
 You tumble with audacity and manhood; 
 And when you bark, do it with judgment. 
 
 Bavian. Yes, sir. 
 
 Gerrold. Quousque tandem? Here is a woman want- 
 ing! 
 
 4 Countryman. We may go whistle ; all the fat 's i' the fire ! 
 
 Gerrold. We have, 40 
 
 As learned authors utter, wash'd a tile ; 
 We have been fatuus, and labour'd vainly. 
 
 2 Countryman. This is that scornful piece, that scurvy 
 
 hilding, 
 That gave her promise faithfully she would 
 Be here. Cicely the sempster's daughter ! 
 The next gloves that I give her shall be dog-skin ; 
 Nay, an she fail me once — You can tell. Areas, 
 She swore, by wine and bread, she would not break. 
 
 Gerrold. An eel and woman, 
 A learned poet says, unless by the tail 50 
 
 And with thy teeth thou hold, will either fail. 
 In manners this was false position. 
 
 I Countryman. A fire-ill take her ? does she flinch now ? 
 
 3 Coutttryman. What 
 Shall we determine, sir? 
 
 Gerrold. Nothing ; 
 
 Our business is become a nullity. 
 Yea, and a woeful and a piteous nullity, 
 
 4 Countryman. Now, when the credit of our town lay on it, 
 Now to be frampal ! 
 
 Go thy ways ; I '11 remember thee, I '11 fit thee ! 
 
 Enter Gaoler's Daughter, and sings. 
 
 The George alow came from the souths 60 
 
 F?'o?n the coast of Barbary-a ; 
 And there he met with brave gallants of war. 
 
 By one, by two, by three- a. 
 
ACT III. SCENE V. 99 
 
 Well haiPd, well hair d, you Jolly gallants / 
 
 And whither now are you bound-a 'i 
 O, let 7tie have your company 
 
 Till I come to the Sound-a / 
 The7'e was three fools fell out about an how let ; 
 The one said it was an owl, 
 
 The other he said nay, 7° 
 
 The third he said it was a hawk, 
 And her bells were cut away. 
 3 Countryman. There 's a dainty mad woman, master, 
 Comes i' the nick, — as mad as a March hare ! 
 If we can get her dance, we are made again ; 
 I warrant her she '11 do the rarest gambols ! 
 
 1 Countryman. A mad woman ! We are made, boys. 
 Gerrold. And are you mad, good woman ? 
 
 Daughter. I 'd be sorry else ; 
 
 Give me your hand. 
 
 Gerrold. Why t 
 
 Daughter. I can tell your fortune : 
 
 You are a fool. Tell ten. I have pos'd him. Buz ! 80 
 
 Friend, you must eat no white bread ; if you do, 
 Your teeth will bleed extremely. Shall we dance, ho ? 
 I know you ; you 're a tinker : sirrah tinker — 
 
 Gerrold. Dii boni ! 
 A tinker, damsel ? 
 
 Daughter. Or a conjurer : 
 
 Raise me a devil now, and let him play 
 * Qui passa ' o' the bells and bones ! 
 
 Gerrold. Go, take her, 
 
 And fluently persuade her to a peace. 
 Et opus exegi, quod nee lovis ira, nee ignis — 
 Strike up, and lead her in. 
 
 2 Countryman. Come, lass, let 's trip it ! 90 
 Daughter. I '11 lead. 
 
 3 Countryman. Do, do. \Wind horns. 
 
ipo THE TWO NOBLE KINSMEN. 
 
 Gerrold. Persuasively and cunningly; away, boys ! 
 I hear the horns ; give me some meditation, 
 And mark your cue. — \Exeunt all but Gerrold. 
 
 Pallas inspire me ! 
 
 Enter Theseus, Pirithous, Hippolyta, Emilia, Arcite, 
 
 and traifi. 
 
 Theseus. This way the stag took. 
 
 Gerrold. Stay, and edify ! 
 
 Theseus. What have we here ? 
 
 Pirithous. Some country sport, upon my life, sir. 
 
 Theseus. Well, sir, go forward ; we will edify. — 
 Ladies, sit down ! we '11 stay it. 
 
 Gerrold. Thou doughty duke, all hail ! — All hail, sweet 
 ladies ! loo 
 
 Theseus. This is a cold beginning. 
 
 Gerrold. If you but favour, our country pastime made is. 
 We are a few of those collected here, 
 That ruder tongues distinguish villager ; 
 And to say verity, and not to fable, 
 We are a merry rout, or else a rable, 
 Or company, or, by a figure, choris. 
 That fore thy dignity will dance a morris. 
 And I, that am the rectifier of all, 
 
 By title Pedagogus, that let fall no 
 
 The birch upon the breeches of the small ones, 
 And humble with a ferula the tall ones, 
 Do here present this machine, or this frame ; 
 And, dainty duke, whose doughty dismal fame 
 From Dis to Daedalus, from post to pillar. 
 Is blown abroad, help me, thy poor well-wilier, 
 And with thy twinkling eyes look right and straight 
 Upon this mighty morr — of mickle weight — 
 — is now comes in, which being glued together 
 Makes morris, and the cause that we came hither, 120 
 
ACT III. SCENE V. loi 
 
 The body of our sport, of no small study, 
 
 I first appear, though rude, and raw, and muddy, 
 
 To speak, before thy noble grace, this tenour ; 
 
 At whose great feet I offer up my penner. 
 
 The next, the Lord of May and Lady bright, 
 
 The Chambermaid and Servingman, by night 
 
 That seek out silent hanging ; then mine host 
 
 And his fat spouse, that welcomes to their cost 
 
 The galled traveller, and with a beck'ning 
 
 Informs the tapster to inflame the reck'ning; 130 
 
 Then the beast-eating Clown, and next the Fool, 
 
 The Bavian, with long tail and eke long tool ; 
 
 Cum multis aliis that make a dance : . ^ 
 
 Say ay, and all shall presently advance. 
 
 Theseus. Ay, ay, by any means, dear domine ! 
 
 Pirithous. Produce. 
 
 Gerrold. Intrate, filii ! Come forth, and foot it. 
 
 Enter the four Countrymen, the Bavian, the Taborer, the five 
 Wenches and the Gaoler's Daughter, with others of both 
 sexes. They dance a morris. After ivhich Gerrold speaks 
 the Epilogue. 
 
 Ladies, if we have been merry. 
 
 And have pleas 'd ye with a derry, 
 
 And a derry, and a down, 140 
 
 Say the schoolmaster 's no clown. — 
 
 Duke, if we have pleas'd thee too. 
 
 And have done as good boys should do, 
 
 Give us but a tree or twain 
 
 For a Maypole, and again, 
 
 Ere another year run out. 
 
 We '11 make thee laugh, and all this rout. 
 Theseus. Take twenty, domine. — How does my sweet- 
 heart .'' 
 Hippolyta. Never so. pleas'd, sir. 
 
102 THE TWO NOBLE KINSMEN. 
 
 Emilia. 'T was an excellent dance ; and, for a preface, 
 I never heard a better. 
 
 Theseus. Schoolmaster, I thank you. — is' 
 
 One see 'em all rewarded. 
 
 Firithous. And here 's something 
 
 To paint your pole withal. \Gives money. 
 
 Theseus. Now to our sports again ! 
 
 Gerrold. May the stag thou hunt'st stand long, 
 And thy dogs be swift and strong! 
 May they kill him without lets, 
 And the ladies eat his doucets ! — 
 Come, we are all made ! — Dii Deaeque omnes ! [ Wind horns. 
 Ye have danc'd rarely, wenches ! \Exeunt. 
 
 Scene VI. The same Part of the Forest as iti Scene FIT. 
 
 Enter Palamon from the bush. 
 
 Palamon. About this hour my cousin gave his faith 
 To visit me again, and with him bring 
 Two swords and two good armours ; if he fail. 
 He 's neither man nor soldier. When he left me, 
 I did not think a week could have restor'd 
 My lost strength to me, I was grown so low 
 And crest-fallen with my wants ; I thank thee, Arcite, 
 Thou art yet a fair foe, and I feel myself, 
 With this refreshing, able once again 
 
 To out-dure danger. To delay it longer lo 
 
 Would make the world think, when it comes to hearing, 
 That I lay fatting like a swine, to fight. 
 And not a soldier. Therefore this blest morning 
 Shall be the last, and that sword he refuses. 
 If it but hold, I kill him with ; 't is justice : 
 So, love and fortune for me ! — O, good morrow ! 
 
ACT III. SCENE VI. 
 
 103 
 
 Enter Arcite, with armours and swords, 
 
 Arcite. Good morrow, noble kinsman ! 
 
 Falamon. I have put you 
 
 To too much pains, sir. 
 
 Arcite. That too much, fair cousin, 
 
 Is but a debt to honour, and my duty. 
 
 Palamon. Would you were so in all, sir ! I could wish ye 
 As kind a kinsman as you force me find 21 
 
 A beneficial foe, that my embraces 
 Might thank ye, not my blows. 
 
 A7'dte. I shall think either, 
 
 Well done, a noble recompense. 
 
 Falamon. Then I shall quit you. 
 
 Arcite. Defy me in these fair terms, and you shew 
 More than a mistress to me ; no more anger, 
 As you love any thing that 's honourable ! 
 We were not bred to talk, man \ when we are arm'd, 
 And both upon our guards, then let our fury, 
 Like meeting of two tides, fly strongly from us ! 30 
 
 And then to whom the birthright of this beauty 
 Truly pertains — without upbraidings, scorns, 
 Despisings of our persons, and such poutings, 
 Fitter for girls and schoolboys — will be seen. 
 And quickly, yours or mine. Will 't please you arm, sir? 
 Or if you feel yourself not fitting yet. 
 And furnish'd with your old strength, I '11 stay, cousin, 
 And every day discourse you into health. 
 As I am spar'd : your person I am friends with, 
 And I could wish I had not said I lov'd her, 40 
 
 Though I had died \ but, loving such a lady. 
 And justifying my love, I must not fly from 't. 
 
 Falamon. Arcite, thou art so brave an enemy, 
 That no man but thy cousin 's fit to kill thee. 
 I 'm well and lusty ] choose your arms. 
 
I04 THE TWO NOBLE KINSMEN. 
 
 Arcite. Choose you, sir. 
 
 Falamon. Wilt thou exceed in all, or dost thou do it 
 To make me spare thee ? 
 
 Arcite. If you think so, cousin, 
 
 You are deceiv'd ; for, as I am a soldier, 
 I will not spare you ! 
 
 Falamofi. That 's well said. 
 
 Arcite, You '11 find it. 
 
 Palamo7i. Then, as I am an honest man, and love so 
 
 AVith all the justice of affection, 
 I '11 pay thee soundly ! This I '11 take. 
 
 Arcite. That 's mine then ; 
 
 I '11 arm you first. \Proceeds to arm Falamon. 
 
 Falamon. Do. Pray thee, tell me, cousin. 
 
 Where gott 'st thou this good armour ? 
 
 Arcite. 'T is the duke's ; 
 
 And, to say true, I stole it. — Do I pinch you ? 
 
 Falamon. No. 
 
 Arcite. Is 't not too heavy ? 
 
 Falamo7i. I have worn a lighter ; 
 
 But I shall make it serve. 
 
 Ai'cite. I '11 buckle 't close. 
 
 Falamon. By any means. 
 
 Arcite. You care not for a grand-guard ? 
 
 Falamon. No, no ; we '11 use no horses ; I perceive 6o 
 
 You 'd fain be at that fight. 
 
 Arcite. I am indifferent. 
 
 Falamon. Faith, so am I. Good cousin, thrust the buckle 
 Through far enough. 
 
 Arcite. I warrant you. 
 
 Falamo?t. My casque now. 
 
 A?rite. Will you fight bare-arm'd ? 
 
 Falamon. We shall be the nimbler. 
 
 Arcite. But use your gauntlets though : those are o' the 
 least; 
 Prithee take mine, good cousin. 
 
ACT III. SCENE VL 105 
 
 Palamon. Thank you, Arcite. 
 
 How do I look ? am I fallen much away ? 
 
 Arcite. Faith, very little ; love has us'd you kindly. 
 
 Falamon. I '11 warrant thee I '11 strike home. 
 
 Arcite. Do, and spare not ! 
 
 I '11 give you cause, sweet cousin. 
 
 Palamon {arming Arcite). Now to you, sir. 70 
 
 Methinks this armour 's very like that, Arcite, 
 Thou wor'st that day the three kings fell, but lighter. 
 
 Arcite. That was a very good one ; and that day, 
 I well remember, you outdid me, cousin. 
 I never saw such valour ; when you charg'd ' 
 Upon the left wing of the enemy, 
 I spurr'd hard to come up, and under me 
 I had a right good horse. 
 
 Fala?non. You had indeed ; 
 
 A bright bay, I remember. 
 
 A7rite. Yes. But all 
 
 Was vainly labour'd in me ; you outwent me, 8c 
 
 Nor could my wishes reach you : yet a little 
 I did by imitation. 
 
 Palamon. More by virtue ; 
 
 You are modest, cousin. 
 
 Arcite. When I saw you charge first, 
 
 Methought I heard a dreadful clap of thunder 
 Break from the troop. 
 
 Palamon. But still before that flew 
 
 The lightning of your valour. Stay a little ! 
 Is not this piece too strait ? 
 
 Arcite. No, no ; 't is well. 
 
 Palamon. I would have nothing hurt thee but my sword ; 
 A bruise would be dishonour. 
 
 Arcite. Now I am perfect. 
 
 Pala77ion. Stand off then ! 
 
 Arcite. Take my sword ; I hold it better. 
 
lo6 THE TWO NOBLE KINSMEN. 
 
 Palamo?i. I thank ye, no ; keep it, your life lies on it. ci 
 Here 's one, if it but hold, I ask no more 
 For all my hopes. My cause and honour guard me ! 
 
 Arcite. And me my love ! Is there aught else to say? 
 
 \They bow several ways ; then advance and stand. 
 
 Palamofi. This only, and no more: thou art mine aunt's son, 
 And that blood we desire to shed is mutual j 
 In me thine, and in thee mine : my sword 
 Is in my hand, and, if thou killest me, 
 The gods and I forgive thee. If there be 
 A place prepar'd for those that sleep in honour, loo 
 
 I wish his we^ry soul that falls may win it. 
 Fight bravely, cousin ; give me thy noble hand. 
 
 Arcite. Here, Palamon; this hand shall never more 
 Come near thee with such friendship. 
 
 Palamon. I commend thee. 
 
 Arcite. If I fall, curse me, and say I was a coward j 
 For none but such dare die in these just trials. 
 Once more farewell, my cousin ! 
 
 Palamon. Farewell, Arcite ! 
 
 \They fight. Ho?'ns ivithin; they stand. 
 
 Arcite. Lo, cousin, lo ! our folly has undone us ! 
 
 Palamon. Why ? 
 
 Arcite. This is the duke, a-hunting as I told you ; no 
 
 If we be found, we are wretched. O, retire, 
 P'or honour's sake and safety, presently 
 Into your bush again, sir ! We shall find 
 Too many hours to die in. Gentle cousin, 
 If you be seen, you perish instantly. 
 For breaking prison ; and I, if you reveal me. 
 For my contempt : then all the world will scorn us, 
 And say we had a noble difference, 
 But base disposers of it. 
 
 Palamon. No, no, cousin ; 
 
 I will no more be hidden, nor put off 120 
 
ACT III. SCENE VL 107 
 
 This great adventure to a second trial. 
 I know your cunning, and I know your cause. 
 He that faints now, shame take him ! Put thyself 
 Upon thy present guard — 
 
 Arcite. You are not mad ? 
 
 Palamon. Or I will make the advantage of this hour 
 Mine own; and what to come shall threaten me, 
 I fear less than my fortune. Know, weak cousin, 
 I love Emilia; and in that I '11 bury 
 Thee, and all crosses else. 
 
 Arcite. Then come what can come. 
 
 Thou shalt know, Palamon, I dare as well 130 
 
 Die, as discourse or sleep ; only this fears me, 
 The law will have the honour of our ends. 
 Have at thy life ! 
 
 Palamon. Look to thine own well, Arcite ! 
 
 [They fight again. Horns. 
 
 Enter Theseus, Hippolyta, Emilia, Pirithous, and trai?i. 
 
 Theseus. What ignorant and mad-malicious traitors 
 Are you, that, 'gainst the tenour of my laws, 
 Are making battle, thus like knights appointed, 
 Without my leave, and officers of arms "i 
 By Castor, both shall die ! 
 
 Palamon. Hold thy word, Theseus ! 
 
 We are certainly both traitors, both despisers 
 Of thee and of thy goodness: I am Palamon, 140 
 
 That cannot love thee, he that broke thy prison ; 
 Think well what that deserves ! and this is Arcite; 
 A bolder traitor never trod thy ground, 
 A falser ne'er seem'd friend: this is the man 
 Was begg'd and banish'd ; this is he contemns thee, 
 And what thou dar'st do ; and in this disguise, 
 Against thine own edict, follows thy sister, 
 That fortunate bright star, the fair Emilia — 
 
io8 THE TWO NOBLE KINSMEN. 
 
 Whose servant, if there be a right in seeing, 
 
 And first bequeathing of the soul to, justly 150 
 
 I am — and, which is more, dares think her his ! 
 
 This treachery, like a most trusty lover, 
 
 I call'd him now to answer. If thou beest, 
 
 As thou art spoken, great and virtuous, 
 
 The true decider of all injuries, 
 
 Say, ' Fight again !' and thou shalt see me, Theseus, 
 
 Do such a justice thou thyself wilt envy : 
 
 Then take my life ! I '11 woo thee to 't. 
 
 Pirithoiis. O heaven, 
 
 What more than man is this ! 
 
 Theseus. I 've sworn. 
 
 Arcite. We seek not 
 
 Thy breath of mercy, Theseus ! 'T is to me i6o 
 
 A thing as soon to die as thee to say it, 
 And no more mov'do Where this man calls me traitor, 
 Let me say thus much : if in love be treason, 
 In service of so excellent a beauty — 
 As I love most, and in that faith will perish. 
 As I have brought my life here to confirm, it. 
 As I have serv'd her truest, worthiest. 
 As I dare kill this cousin that denies it — 
 So let me be most traitor, and ye please me. 
 For scorning thy edict, duke, ask that lady 17c 
 
 Why she is fair, and why her eyes command me 
 Stay here to love her ? and if she say traitor, 
 I am a villain fit to lie unburied. 
 
 Palanion. Thou shalt have pity of us both, O Theseus, 
 If unto neither thou show mercy ; stop, 
 As thou art just, thy noble ear against us; 
 As thou art valiant, for thy cousin's soul, 
 Whose twelve strong labours crown his memory. 
 Let 's die together, at one instant, duke ! 
 Only a little let him fall before me, 180 
 
 That I may tell my soul he shall not have her. 
 
ACT TIL SCENE VI. 1 09 
 
 Theseus. I grant your wish ; for, to say true, your cousin 
 Has ten times more offended, for I gave him 
 More mercy than you found, sir, your offences 
 Being no more than his. — None here speak for 'em ! 
 For ere the sun set, both shall sleep for ever. 
 
 Hippolyta. Alas, the pity ! now or never, sister, 
 Speak, not to be denied ; that face of yours 
 Will bear the curses else of after ages 
 For these lost cousins. 
 
 Emilia. In my face, dear sister, 19c 
 
 I find no anger to 'em, nor no ruin ; 
 The misadventure of their own eyes kill 'em : 
 Yet that I will be woman and have pity. 
 My knees shall grow to the ground but I '11 get mercy. 
 Help me, dear sister ! in a deed so virtuous 
 The powers of all women will be with us. — 
 Most royal brother — 
 
 Hippolyta. Sir, by our tie of marriage — 
 
 Ei7iilia. By your own spotless honour — 
 
 Hippolyta. By that faith, 
 
 That fair hand, and that honest heart you gave me — 
 
 Emilia. By that you would have pity in another, 200 
 
 By your own virtues infinite — 
 
 Hippolyta. By valour, 
 
 By all the chaste nights I have ever pleas'd you — 
 
 Theseus. These are strange conjurings ! 
 
 Pirithous. Nay, then, I '11 in too ! — 
 
 By all our friendship, sir, by all our dangers. 
 By all you love most, — wars, and this sweet lady — 
 
 Emilia. By that you would have trembled to deny 
 A blushing maid — 
 
 Hippolyta. By your own eyes, by strength, 
 
 In which you swore I went beyond all women. 
 Almost all men, and yet I yielded, Theseus — 
 
 Pirithous. To crown all this, by your most noble soul, 210 
 Which cannot want due mercy, I beg first ! 
 
no THE TWO NOBLE KINSMEN. 
 
 Hippolyta. Next hear my prayers ! 
 
 Emilia. Last, let me entreat, sir ! 
 
 Pirithous. For mercy ! 
 
 Hippolyta, Mercy ! 
 
 Emilia. Mercy on these princes! 
 
 2"heseus. Ye make my faith reel ; say I felt 
 Compassion to 'em both, how would you place it ? 
 
 Emilia. Upon their lives; but with their banishments. 
 
 Theseus. You are a right woman, sister! you have pity. 
 But want the understanding where to use it. 
 If you desire their lives, invent a way 
 
 Safer than banishment. Can these two live, 220 
 
 And have the agony of love about 'em. 
 And. not kill one another.? Every day 
 They'd fight about you, hourly bring your honour 
 In public question with their swords. Be wise then, 
 And here forget 'em ; it concerns your credit, 
 And my oath equally : I have said, they die ! 
 Better they fall by the law than one another. 
 Bow not my honour. 
 
 Emilia. O my noble brother, 
 
 That oath was rashly made, and in your anger; 
 Your reason will not hold it : if such vows 230 
 
 Stand for express will, all the world must perish. 
 Beside, I have another oath 'gainst yours, 
 Of more authority, I 'm sure more love ; 
 Not made in passion neither, but good heed. 
 
 Theseus. What is it, sister ? 
 
 Pirithous. Urge it home, brave lady ! 
 
 Emilia. That you would ne'er deny me anything 
 Fit for my modest suit and your free granting. 
 I tie you to your word now; if ye fail in 't, 
 Think bow you maim your honour ; 
 
 For now I am set a-begging, sir, I am deaf 240 
 
 To all but your compassion. How their lives 
 
ACT III. SCENE VL m 
 
 Might breed the ruin of my name's opinion ! 
 
 Shall any thing that loves me perish for me ? 
 
 That were a cruel wisdom ; do men proin 
 
 The straight young boughs that blush with thousand blossoms, 
 
 Because they may be rotten ? O duke Theseus, 
 
 The goodly mothers that have groan'd for these, 
 
 And all the longing maids that ever lov'd, 
 
 If your vow siand, shall curse me and my beauty, 
 
 And, in their funeral songs for these two cousins, 250 
 
 Despise my cruelty and cry woe worth me, 
 
 Till I am nothing but the scorn of women. 
 
 For heaven's sake save their lives, and banish 'em ! 
 
 Theseus. On what conditions ? 
 
 Emilia. Swear 'em never more 
 
 To make me their contention, or to know me. 
 To tread upon thy dukedom, and to be, 
 Wherever they shall travel, ever strangers 
 To one another. 
 
 Palamon. I '11 be cut a-pieces 
 
 Before I take this oath ! Forget I love her ? 
 
 all ye gods, despise me then ! Thy banishment 25o 
 
 1 not mislike, so we may fairly carry 
 
 Our swords and cause along ; else never trifle, 
 But take our lives, duke ! I must love, and will; 
 And for that love must and dare kill this cousin. 
 On any piece the earth has. 
 
 Theseus. Will you, Arcite, 
 
 Take these conditions 1 
 
 Palamon. He 's a villain then ! 
 
 Pirithous. These are men ! 
 
 Arcite. No, never, dukej 't is worse to me than begging, 
 To take my life so basely. Though I think 
 I never shall enjoy her, yet I '11 preserve 270 
 
 The honour of affection, and die for her. 
 Make death a devil. 
 
112 THE TWO NOBLE KINSMEN. 
 
 Theseus. What may be done ? for now I feel compassion. 
 
 Pirithous. Let it not fall again, sir ! 
 
 Theseus. Say, Emilia, 
 
 If one of them were dead, as one must, are you 
 Content to take the other to your husband ? 
 They cannot both enjoy you. They are princes 
 As goodly as your own eyes, and as noble 
 As ever fame yet spoke of: look upon 'em, 
 And if you can love, end this difference ; 2S0 
 
 I give consent. — Are you content, too, princes ? 
 
 Both. With all our souls. 
 
 Theseus. He that she refuses 
 
 Must die then. 
 
 Both. Any death thou canst invent, duke. 
 
 Palamon. If I fall from that mouth, I fall with favour, 
 And lovers yet unborn shall bless my ashes. 
 
 Arcite. If she refuse me, yet my grave will wed me, 
 And soldiers sing my epitaph. 
 
 Theseus. Make choice then. 
 
 Emilia, I cannot, sir; they are both too excellent: 
 For me, a hair shall never fall of these men. 
 
 Hippolyta. What will become of 'em .'' 
 
 Theseus. Thus I ordain it; 
 
 And, by mine honour, once again it stands, 291 
 
 Or both shall die ! — You shall both to your country ; 
 And each, within this month, accompanied 
 With three fair knights, appear again in this place. 
 In which I '11 plant a pyramid : and whether. 
 Before us that are here, can force his cousin 
 By fair and knightly strength to touch the pillar. 
 He shall enjoy her; the other lose his head, 
 And all his friends ; nor shall he grudge to fall. 
 Nor think he dies with interest in this lady. 300 
 
 Will this content ye? 
 
 Palamon. Yes. — Here, cousin Arcite, 
 
 I am friends again till that hour. 
 
ACT III. SCENE VI. 
 
 113 
 
 Arcite. I embrace ye. 
 
 Theseus. Are you content, sister ? 
 
 Ejnilia. Yes ; I must, sir. 
 
 Else botli miscarry. 
 
 Theseus. Come, shake hands again then ; 
 
 And take heed, as you are gentlemen, this quarrel 
 Sleep till the hour prefix'd, and hold your course. 
 
 Pala7non. We dare not fail thee, Theseus. 
 
 Theseus. Come, I '11 give ye 
 
 Now usage like to princes and to friends. 
 When ye return, who wins, I '11 settle here ; 
 Who loses, yet I '11 weep upon his bier. \Exeunt, 
 
 H 
 
ACT IV. 
 
 Scene I. Athens. A Room in the Prison. 
 Enter Gaoler and First Friend. 
 
 Gaoler. Hear you no more ? Was nothing said of me 
 Concerning the escape of Palamon ? 
 Good sir, remember ! 
 
 I Friend. Nothing that I heard ; 
 
ACT IV. SCENE I. 115 
 
 For I came home before the business 
 
 Was fully ended : yet I might perceive, 
 
 Ere I departed, a great likelihood 
 
 Of both their pardons ; for Hippolyta 
 
 And fair-eyed Emily upon their knees 
 
 Begg'd with such handsome pity, that the duke 
 
 Methought stood staggering whether he should follow 10 
 
 His rash oath or the sweet compassion 
 
 Of those two ladies ; and to second them, 
 
 That truly noble prince Pirithous, 
 
 Half his own heart, set in too, that I hope 
 
 All shall be well : neither heard I one question 
 
 Of your name or his scape. 
 
 Gaoler. Pray heaven, it hold so ! 
 
 Enter Second Friend. 
 
 2 Friend. Be of good comfort, man ! 1 bring you news, 
 Good news. 
 
 Gaoler. They 're welcome. 
 
 2 Friend. Palamon has cfear'd you 
 
 And got your pardon, and discover'd how 
 And by whose means he scap'd, which was your daughter's, 
 Whose pardon is procur'd too ; and the prisoner — 21 
 
 Not to be held ungrateful to her goodness- 
 Has given a sum of money to her marriage, 
 A large one, I '11 assure you. 
 
 Gaoler. Ye 're a good man 
 
 And ever bring good news. 
 
 1 Friend. How was it ended ? 
 
 2 Friend. Why, as it should be ; they that never begg'd 
 But they prevail'd had their suits fairly granted ; 
 
 The prisoners have their lives. 
 
 1 Friend. I knew 't would be so. 
 
 2 Friend. But there be new conditions, which you '11 hear of 
 At better time. 
 
Il6 THE TWO NOBLE KINSMEN. 
 
 Gaokr. I hope they are good. 
 
 2 Friend. They 're honourable ; 
 
 How good they '11 prove, I know not. 
 
 1 Friend. 'T will be known. 31 
 
 Enter Wooer. 
 
 Wooer. Alas, sir, where 's your daughter? 
 
 Gaoler. Why do you ask ? 
 
 Wooer. O, sir, when did you see her ? 
 
 2 Friend. How he looks ! 
 Gaoler. This morning. 
 
 Wooer. Was she well ? was she in health, sir ? 
 
 Where did she sleep ? 
 
 I Friend. These are strange questions. 
 
 Gaoler. I do not think she was very well; for, now 
 You make me mind her, but this very day 
 I ask'd her questions, and she answer'd me 
 So far from what she was, so childishly, 
 So sillily, as if she were a fool, 40 
 
 An innocent; and I was very angry. 
 But what of her, sir ? 
 
 Wooer. Nothing but my pity; 
 
 But you must know it, and as good by me 
 As by another that less loves her. 
 
 Gaoler. Well, sir ? 
 
 1 Friend. Not right ? 
 
 2 Friend. Not well 1 
 
 Wooer. No, sir, not well ; 
 
 'Tis too true, she is mad. 
 
 I Friend. It cannot be. 
 
 Wooer. Believe, you '11 find it so. 
 
 Gaoler. I half suspected 
 
 What you have told me ; the gods comfort her ! 
 Either this was her love to Palamon, 
 
 Or fear of my miscarrying on his scape, 50 
 
 Or both. 
 
AC 7^ IV. SCEiVE I, , 117 
 
 Wooer. 'T is likely. 
 
 Gaoler. But why all this haste, sir ? 
 
 Wooer. I '11 tell you quickly. As I late was angling 
 In the great lake that lies behind the palace, 
 From the far shore, thick-set with reeds and sedges, 
 As patiently I was attending sport, 
 I heard a voice, a shrill one, and attentive 
 I gave my ear ; when I might well perceive 
 'T was one that sung, and, by the smallness of it, 
 A boy or woman. I then left my angle 
 To his own skill, came near, but yet perceiv'd not 60 
 
 Who made the sound, the rushes and the reeds 
 Had so encompass'd it. I laid me down. 
 And listen'd to the words she sung; for then, 
 Through a small glade cut by the fishermen, 
 I saw it was your daughter. 
 
 Gaoler. Pray go on, sir ! 
 
 Wooer. She sung much, but no sense j only I heard her 
 Repeat this often : ' Palamon is gone. 
 Is gone to the wood to gather mulberries ; 
 I '11 find him out to-morrow.' 
 
 I Friend. Pretty soul ! 
 
 Wooer. ' His shackles will betray him, he '11 be taken ; 70 
 And what shall I do then ? I '11 bring a bevy, 
 A hundred black-eyed maids that love as I do. 
 With chaplets on their heads of daffodillies, 
 With cherry lips, and cheeks of damask roses, 
 And all we '11 dance an antic fore the duke. 
 And beg his pardon.' Then she talk'd of you, sir; 
 That you must lose your head to-morrow morning, 
 And she must gather flowers to bury you. 
 And see the house made handsome. Then she sung 
 Nothing but 'Willow, willow, willow;' and between 80 
 
 Ever was, ' Palamon, fair Palamon !' 
 And ' Palamon was a tall young man !' The place 
 
Il8 THE TWO NOBLE KINSMEN. 
 
 Was knee-deep where she sat ; her careless tressed 
 
 A wreath of bulrush rounded ; about her stuck 
 
 Thousand fresh water-flowers of several colours ; 
 
 That methought she appeared like the fair nymph 
 
 That feeds the lake with waters, or as Iris 
 
 Newly dropt down from heaven. Rings she made 
 
 Of rushes that grew by, and to 'em spoke 
 
 The prettiest posies, — ' Thus our true love ^s tied,' go 
 
 'This you may lose, not me,' and many a one ; 
 
 And then she wept, and sung again, and sigh'd, 
 
 And with the same breath smil'd and kiss'd her hand. 
 
 2 Friend. Alas, what pity 't is 1 
 
 Wooer. I made in to her ; 
 
 She saw me, and straight sought the flood; I sav'd her. 
 And set her safe to land ; when presently 
 She slipt away, and to the city made 
 With such a cry and swiftness that, believe me. 
 She left me far behind her. Three or four 
 I saw from far off cross her, one of 'em loo 
 
 I knew to be your brother; where she stay'd. 
 And fell, scarce to be got away : I left them with her. 
 And hither came to tell you. Here they are ! 
 
 Enter Gaoler's Brother, Daughter, and others. 
 
 Daughter. [Sings] May you never more enjoy the light, 
 etc. 
 Is not this a fine song? 
 
 Brother. O, a very fine one I 
 
 Daughter. I can sing twenty more. 
 
 Brother. I think you can. 
 
 Daughter. Yes, truly can I ; I can sing ' The Broom,' 
 And 'Bonny Robin.' Are not you a tailor? 
 
 Brother. Yes. 
 
 Daughter. Where 's my wedding-gown ? 
 
 Brother. I '11 bring it to-morrow. 
 
ACT IV. SCENE L 1 19 
 
 Daughter. Do, very rarely; 1 must be abroad else, no 
 To call the maids, and pay the minstrels. 
 
 [Sings] Ofai?', O sweet, etc. 
 
 Brother. You must even take it patiently. 
 
 Gaoler. *T is true. 
 
 Daughter. Good even, good men ! Pray did you ever 
 hear 
 Of one young Palamon ? 
 
 Gaoler. Yes, wench, we know him. 
 
 Daughter. Is 't not a fine young gentleman ? 
 
 Gaoler. 'T is love ! 
 
 Brother. By no means cross her; she is then distemper'd 
 Far worse than now she shews. 
 
 I Friend. Yes, he 's a fine man. 
 
 Daughter. O, is he so ? You have a sister ? 
 
 I Friend. Yes. 
 
 Daughter. But she shall never have him, tell her so, 120 
 For a trick that I know ; y' had best look to her, 
 For if she see him once, she 's gone, she 's done 
 And undone in an hour. All the young maids 
 Of our town are in love with him ; but I laugh at 'em. 
 And let 'em all alone : is 't not a wise course ? 
 
 I Friend. Yes. 
 
 Daughter. They come from all parts of the dukedom to 
 him ; 
 I '11 warrant ye — 
 
 Gaoler. She 's lost. 
 
 Past all cure ! 
 
 Brother. Heaven forbid, man ! 129 
 
 Daughter. Come hither ; you 're a wise man. 
 
 1 Friend. Does she know him ? 
 
 2 Friend. No ; would she did ! 
 
 Daughter. You 're .master of a ship t 
 
 Gaoler. Yes. 
 
 Daughter. Where 's your compass ? 
 
120 THE TWO NOBLE KINSMEN. 
 
 ^ Gaoler. Here. 
 
 Daughter. Set it to the north ; 
 
 And now direct your course to the wood, where Palamon 
 Lies longing for me ; for the tackling 
 Let me alone : come, weigh, my hearts, cheerly ! 
 
 All. Owgh, owgh, owgh ! 't is up, the wind is fair ; 
 Top the bowling; out with the mainsail ! 
 Where 's your whistle, master ? 
 
 Brother. Let 's get her in. 
 
 Gaoler. Up to the top, boy ! 
 : Brother. Where 's the pilot ? 
 
 1 Friend. Here. 
 Daughter. What kenn'st thou? 
 
 2 Friend. A fair wood. 140 
 Daughter. Bear for it, master ; tack about ! 
 
 [Sings] When Cynthia with her borrowed lights etc. [Exeunt. 
 
 Scene II. Athens. A Room in the Palace. 
 
 Enter Emilia, with two pictures. 
 
 Emilia. Yet I may bind those wounds up, that must open 
 And bleed to death for my sake else. I '11 choose. 
 And end their strife ; two such young handsome men 
 Shall never fall for me : their weeping mothers. 
 Following the dead-cold ashes of their sons. 
 Shall never curse my cruelty. Good heaven, 
 What a sweet face has Arcite ! If wise Nature, 
 With all her best endowments, all those beauties 
 She sows into the births of noble bodies. 
 Were here a mortal woman, and had in her 10 
 
 The coy denials of young maids, yet doubtless 
 She would run mad for this man. What an eye. 
 Of what a fiery sparkle and quick sweetness. 
 Has this young prince ! here Love himself sits smiling; 
 Just such another wanton Ganymede 
 
ACT IV. SCENE 11. 12 1 
 
 Set Jove afire with, and enforc'd the god 
 
 Snatch up the goodly boy, and set him by hmi, 
 
 A shining constellation. What a brow, 
 
 Of what a spacious majesty, he carries, 
 
 Arch'd like the great-eyed Juno's, but far sweeter, 20 
 
 Smoother than Pelops' shoulder ! Fame and Honour, 
 
 Methinks, from hence, as from a promontory 
 
 Pointed in heaven, should clap their wings, and sing 
 
 To all the under-world the loves and fights 
 
 Of gods and such men near 'em. Palamon 
 
 Is but his foil; to him, a mere dull shadow; 
 
 He 's swarth and meagre, of an eye as heavy 
 
 As if he had lost his mother; a still temper, 
 
 No stirring in him, no alacrity; 
 
 Of all this sprightly sharpness, not a smile. — 30 
 
 Yet these that we count errors, may become him; 
 
 Narcissus was a sad boy, but a heavenly. 
 
 O, who can find the bent of woman's fancy? 
 
 1 am a fool, my reason is lost in me ; 
 
 I have no choice, and I have lied so lewdly 
 
 That women ought to beat me. — On my knees 
 
 I ask thy pardon, Palamon ! Thou art alone. 
 
 And only beautiful ; and these the eyes. 
 
 These the bright lamps of beauty, that command 
 
 And threaten Love, and what young maid dare cross 'em? 40 
 
 What a bold gravity, and yet inviting, 
 
 Has this brown manly face ! O Love, this only 
 
 From this hour is complexion. Lie there, Arcite ! 
 
 Thou art a changeling to him, a mere gipsy, 
 
 And this the noble body. — I am sotted. 
 
 Utterly lost ! my virgin's faith has fled me ! 
 
 For if my brother but e'en now had ask'd me 
 
 Whether I lov'd, I had run mad for Arcite ; 
 
 Now if my sister, more for Palamon. — 
 
 Stand both together !^ — Now come, ask me, brother; — 50 
 
122 THE TWO NOBLE KINSMEN. 
 
 Alas, I know not ! — Ask me now, sweet sister; — 
 I may go look !' — What a mere child is fancy, 
 That, having two fair gawds of equal sweetness, 
 Cannot distinguish, but must cry for both ! — 
 
 Enter a Gentleman. 
 
 How now, sir? 
 
 Gentleman. From the noble duke your brother, 
 Madam, I bring you news : the knights are come ! 
 
 Emilia. To end the quarrel ? 
 
 Gentleman. Yes. 
 
 Emilia. Would I might end first ! 
 
 What sins have I committed, chaste Diana, 
 That my unspotted youth must now be soil'd 
 With blood of princes ? and my chastity 60 
 
 Be made the altar, where the lives of lovers — 
 Two greater and two better never yet 
 Made mothers joy — must be the sacrifice 
 To my unhappy beauty? 
 
 Enter Theseus, Hippolyta, Pirithous, and Attendants. 
 
 Theseus. Bring 'em in 
 
 Quickly, by any means ! I long to see 'em. — 
 Your two contending lovers are return'd. 
 And with them their fair knights ; now, my fair sister, 
 You must love one of them. 
 
 Ejnilia. I had rather both, 
 
 So neither for my sake should fall untimely. 
 
 Theseus. Who saw 'em ? 
 
 Firithous. I a while. 
 
 Gentleman. And I. 70 
 
 Enter Messenger. 
 
 Theseus. From whence come you, sir ? 
 
 Messenger. From the knights. 
 
ACT IF. SCENE II. 1 23 
 
 Theseus. Pray speak, 
 
 You that have seen them, what- they are. 
 
 Messenger. I will, sir, 
 
 And truly what I think. Six braver spirits 
 Than these they have brought — if we judge by the outside — 
 I never saw nor read of. He that stands 
 In the first place with Arcite, by his seeming 
 Should be a stout man, by his face a prince, — 
 His very looks so say him ; his complexion 
 Nearer a brown than black; stern, and yet noble. 
 Which shows him hardy, fearless, proud of dangers; 80 
 
 The circles of his eyes show fire within him. 
 And as a heated lion, so he looks; 
 His hair hangs long behind him, black and shining 
 Like ravens' wings; his shoulders broad and strong; 
 Arm'd long and round: and on his thigh a sword 
 Hung by a curious baldrick, when he frowns 
 To seal his will with ; better, o' my conscience, 
 Was never soldier's friend. 
 
 Theseus. Thou hast well describ'd him. 
 
 Pirithous. Yet a great deal short, 
 
 Methinks, of him that 's first with Palamon. 90 
 
 Theseus. Pray speak him, friend. 
 
 Pirithous. I guess he is a prince too. 
 
 And, if it may be, greater; for his show 
 Has all the ornament of honour in 't. 
 He 's somewhat bigger than the knight he spoke of, 
 But of a face far sweeter; his complexion 
 Is, as a ripe grape, ruddy ; he has felt, 
 Without doubt, what he fights for, and so apter 
 To make this cause his own ; in 's face appears 
 All the fair hopes of what he undertakes ; 
 And when he 's angry, then a settled valour, 100 
 
 Not tainted with extremes, runs through his body. 
 And guides his arm to brave things ; fear he cannot, 
 
124 
 
 THE TWO NOBLE KINSMEN. 
 
 He shows no such soft temper, flis head 's yellow, 
 
 Hard-hair'd, and curl'd, thick twin'd, like ivy-tods, 
 
 Not to undo with thunder; in his face 
 
 The livery of the warlike maid appears, 
 
 Pure red and white, for yet no beard has blest him ; 
 
 And in his rolling eyes sits Victory, 
 
 As if she ever meant to crown his valour; 
 
 His nose stands high, a character of honour; no 
 
 His red lips, after fights, are fit for ladies. — 
 
 Emilia. Must these men die too ? 
 
 Pirithous. When he speaks, his tongue 
 
 Sounds like a trumpet ; all his lineaments 
 Are as a man would wish 'em, strong and clean ; 
 He wears a well-steel'd axe, the staff of gold ; 
 His age some five-and-twenty. 
 
 Messenger. There 's another, 
 
 A little man, but of a tough soul, seeming 
 As great as any ; fairer promises 
 In such a body yet I never look'd on. ng 
 
 Pirithous. O, he that 's freckled-fac'd ? 
 
 Messenger. The same, my lord ; 
 
 Are they not sweet ones ? 
 
 Pirithous. Yes, they 're well. 
 
 Messenger. Methinks, 
 
 Being so few and well dispos'd, they show 
 Great and fine art in nature. He 's white-hair'd, 
 Not wanton-white, but such a manly colour 
 Next to an auburn ; tough, and nimble-set. 
 Which shews an active soul ; his arms are brawny, 
 Lin'd with strong sinews ; to the shoulder-piece 
 Gently they swell, like women new-conceiv'd, 
 Which speaks him prone to labour, never fainting 
 Under the weight of arms ; stout-hearted, still, 130 
 
 But, when he stirs, a tiger ; he 's grey-eyed, 
 Which yields compassion where he conquers ; sharp 
 
ACT IV. SCENE III. 
 
 125 
 
 To spy advantages, and where he finds 'em 
 
 He 's swift to make 'em his; he does no wrongs, 
 
 Nor takes none ; he 's round-fac'd, and when he smiles 
 
 He shows a lover, when he frowns a soldier. 
 
 About his head he wears the winner's oak, 
 
 And in it stuck the favour of his lady ; 
 
 His age, some six-and-thirty. In his hand 
 
 He bears a charging-staff, emboss'd with silver. 140 
 
 Theseus. Are they all thus ? 
 
 Pirithous. They 're all the sons of honour. 
 
 Theseus. Now, as I have a soul, I long to see 'em ! — 
 Lady, you shall see men fight now. 
 
 Hippolyta. I wish it. 
 
 But not the cause, my lord : they would shew 
 Bravely about the titles of two kingdoms ; 
 'T is pity love should be so tyrannous. — 
 Oh, my soft-hearted sister, what think you ? 
 Weep not, till they weep blood, wench ! it must be. 
 
 Theseus. You have steel'd 'em with your beauty. — Honour'd 
 friend. 
 To you I give the field ; pray order it 150 
 
 Fitting the persons that must use it ! 
 
 Pirithous. Yes, sir. 
 
 Theseus. Come, I '11 go visit 'em ; I cannot stay — 
 Their fame has fir'd me so — till they appear. 
 Good friend, be royal ! 
 
 Pirithous. There shall want no braver}^ 
 
 Emilia. Poor wench, go weep ; for whosoever wins 
 Loses a noble cousin for thy sins. \Exeu?tf. 
 
 Scene III. Athens. A Room in the Prison. 
 
 Enter Gaoler, Wooer, and Doctor. 
 
 Doctor. Her distraction is more at some time of the moon 
 than at other some, is it not .'' 
 
126 THE TWO NOBLE KINSMEN. 
 
 Gaoler, She is continually in a harmless distemper ; sleeps 
 little, altogether without appetite, save often drinking; 
 dreaming of another world, and a better ; and what broken 
 piece of matter soe'er she 's about, the name Palamon lards 
 it ; that she farces every business withal, fits it to every 
 question. — Look, where she comes ! you shall perceive her 
 behaviour. 9 
 
 Enter Daughter. 
 
 Daughter. I have forgot it quite ; the burden on 't was 
 ' down-a down-a ;' and penned by no worse man than Ge- 
 raldo, Emilia's schoolmaster : he 's as fantastical, too, as 
 ever he may go upon 's legs ; for in the next world will Dido 
 see Palamon, and then will she be out of love with ^neas. 
 
 Doctor. What stuff 's here ! poor soul ! 
 
 Gaoler. Even thus all day long. 
 
 Daughter. Now for this charm, that I told j^ou of: you 
 must bring a piece of silver on the tip of your tongue, or no 
 ferry; then if it be your chance to come where the blessed 
 spirits are — there 's a sight now! — we maids that have our 
 livers perished, cracked to pieces with love, we shall come 
 there, and do nothing all day long but pick flowers with 
 Proserpine ; then will I make Palamon a nosegay ; then 
 let him — mark me — then — 24 
 
 Doctor. How prettily she 's amiss ! note her a little further. 
 
 Daughter. Faith, I '11 tell you ; sometime we go to barley- 
 break, we of the blessed. Alas, 't is a sore life they have i' 
 the other place, such burning, hissing, howling, chattering, 
 cursing ! O, they have shrewd measure ! Take heed : if one 
 be mad, or hang or drown themselves, thither they go, Jupiter 
 bless us ! and there shall they be put in a cauldron of lead 
 and usurers' "grease, amongst a whole million of cutpurses, 
 and there boil like a gammon of bacon that will never be 
 enough. 34 
 
 Doctor. How she continues this fancy! 'T is not an en- 
 graffed madness, but a most thick and profound melancholy. 
 
ACT IV. SCENE III. 
 
 127 
 
 Daughter. To hear there a proud lady and a proud city- 
 wife howl together ! I were a beast, an I 'd call it good 
 sport ! 
 [Sings] / will he true, my stars, my fate, etc. \Exit Daughter. 
 
 Gaoler. What think you of her, sir ? 
 
 Doctor. I think she has a perturbed mind, which I cannot 
 minister to. 
 
 Gaoler. Alas, what then ? 44 
 
 Doctor. Understand you she ever affected any man ere 
 she beheld Palamon ? 
 
 Gaoler. I was once, sir, in great hope she had fixed her 
 liking on this gentleman, my friend. 
 
 Wooer. I did think so too ; and would account I had a 
 great pen'worth on 't, to give half my state, that both she 
 and I at this present stood unfeignedly on the same terms. 
 
 Doctor. That intemperate surfeit of her eye hath dis- 
 tempered the other senses ; they may return, and settle 
 again to execute their preordained faculties ; but they are 
 now in a most extravagant vagary. This you must do: con- 
 fine her to a place where the light may rather seem to steal 
 in than be permitted. Take upon you, young sir, her friend, 
 the name of Palamon ; say you come to eat with her, and 
 to commune of love ; this will catch her attention, for this 
 her mind beats upon ; other objects, that are inserted 
 'tween her mind and eye, become the pranks and friskings 
 of her madness. Sing to her such green songs of love as 
 she says Palamon hath sung in prison ; come to her, stuck 
 in as sweet flowers as the season is mistress of, and thereto 
 make an addition of some other compounded odours which 
 are grateful to the sense : all this shall become Palamon, for 
 Palamon can sing, and Palamon is sweet, and every good 
 thing. Desire to eat with her, carve her, drink to her, and 
 still among intermingle your petition of grace and accept- 
 ance into her favour \ learn what maids have been her com- 
 panions and play-feres ; and let them repair to her with 
 
128 
 
 THE TWO NOBLE KINSMEN. 
 
 Palamon in their mouths, and appear with tokens, as if 
 they suggested for him. It is a falsehood she is in, which is 
 with falsehoods to be combated. This may bring her to 
 eat, to sleep, and reduce what is now out of square in her 
 into their former law and regiment. I have seen it approved, 
 how many times I know not j but to make the number more, 
 I have great hope in this. I will, between the passages of 
 this project, come in with my appliance. Let us put it in 
 execution, and hasten the success, which, doubt not, will 
 bring forth comfort. \Exeunt, 
 
THE DEATH OF ARCITE. 
 
 ACT V. 
 
 Scene I. Athens. An Opeii Space before the Temples of 
 Mars, Venus ^ and Diana. 
 
 ^;//<?r Theseus, Pirithous, Hippolyta, dr//// Attendants. 
 Theseus. Now let 'em enter, and before the gods 
 Tender their holy prayers ! Let the temples 
 Burn bright with sacred fires, and the altars 
 In hallow'd clouds commend their swelling incense 
 To those above us ! Let no due be wanting ! 
 
 [Flourish of corfiets. 
 They have a noble work in hand, will honour 
 The very powers that love 'em. 
 
 Efiter Palamon, Arcite, and their Knights. 
 Pirithous. Sir, they enter. 
 
130 THE TWO NOBLE KINSMEN. 
 
 Theseus. You valiant and strong-hearted enemies, 
 You xo^?\ germane foes, that this day come 
 To blow the nearness out that flames between ye, 10 
 
 Lay by your anger for an hour, and dove-like 
 Before the holy altars of your helpers, 
 The all-fear'd gods, bow down your stubborn bodies. 
 Your ire is more than mortal : so your help be ! 
 And as the gods regard ye, fight with justice ! 
 I '11 leave you to your prayers, and betwixt ye 
 I part my wishes. 
 
 Firithous. Honour crown the worthiest! 
 
 [Exeunt Theseus and train. 
 
 Palamon. The glass is running now that cannot finish 
 Till one of us expire : think you but thus, — 
 That, were there aught in me which strove to shew 2c 
 
 Mine enemy in this business, were 't one eye 
 Against another, arm oppress'd by arm, 
 I would destroy the offender ; coz, I would, 
 Though parcel of myself : then from this gather 
 How I should tender you. 
 
 Arcite. I am in labour 
 
 To push your name, your ancient love, our kindred, 
 Out of my memory ; and i' the self-same place 
 To seat something I would confound : so hoist we 
 The sails that must these vessels port even where 
 The heavenly Li miter pleases ! 
 
 Palamoft. You speak well. 36 
 
 Before I turn, let me embrace thee, cousin. \They embrace. 
 This I shall never do again. 
 
 Arcite. One farewell ! 
 
 Palamon. Why, let it be so ; farewell, coz ! 
 
 Arcite. Farewell, sfr \- — 
 
 ^Exeunt Palamon and his Knights. 
 Knights, kinsmen, lovers, yea, my sacrifices. 
 True worshippers of Mars, whose spirit in you 
 
ACT V. SCEiVE I. 
 
 131 
 
 Expels the seeds of fear, and the apprehension 
 
 Which still is father of it, go with me 
 
 Before the god of our profession. There 
 
 Require of him the hearts of lions, and 
 
 The breath of tigers, yea, the fierceness too ; 40 
 
 Yea, the speed also, — to go on, I mean, 
 
 Else wish we to be snails. You know my prize 
 
 Must be dragg'd out of blood ; force and great feat 
 
 Must put my garland on, where she will stick 
 
 The queen of flowers. Our intercession, then, 
 
 Must be to him that makes the camp a cestron 
 
 Brimm'd with the blood of men ; give me your aid, 
 
 And bend your spirits towards him. — 
 
 \They advaiice to the altar of Mars ^ and fall on their 
 
 faces ; then kneel. 
 Thou mighty one, that with thy power hast turn'd 
 Green Neptune into purple ; whose approach 50 
 
 Comets prewarn ; whose havoc in vast field 
 Unearthed skulls proclaim ; whose breath blows down 
 The teeming Ceres' foison ; who dost pluck 
 With hand armipotent from forth blue clouds 
 The mason'd turrets ; that both mak'st and break'st 
 The stony girths of cities ; me, thy pupil, 
 Young'st follower of thy drum, instruct this day 
 With military skill, that to thy laud 
 I may advance my streamer, and by thee 
 Be styl'd the lord o' the day. Give me, great Mars, 60 
 
 Some token of thy pleasure. 
 
 \Here they fall on their faces as before^ and there is 
 
 heard clanging of armour, with a short thunder, as 
 
 the burst of a battle, itf hereupon they all rise, and bow 
 
 to the altar. 
 O great corrector of enormous times, 
 Shaker of o'er-rank states, thou grand decider 
 Of dusty and old titles, that heal'st with blood 
 
132 THE TWO NOBLE KINS ME xV. 
 
 The earth when it is sick, and cur'st the world 
 
 O' the plurisy of people, I do take 
 
 Thy signs auspiciously, and in thy name 
 
 To my design march boldly ! — Let us go. [Jixeunf. 
 
 Re-enter Palamon and his Knights. 
 
 Palamon. Our stars must glister with new fires, or be 
 To-day extinct ; our argument is love, 7° 
 
 Which if the goddess of it grant, she gives 
 Victory too : then blend your spirits with mine, 
 You whose free nobleness do make my cause 
 Your personal hazard. To the goddess Venus 
 Commend we our proceeding, and implore 
 Her power unto our party ! — 
 
 \Here ihey advance to the altar of Venus, and fall on their 
 faces ; then kneel. _, 
 
 Hail, sovereign queen of secrets ! who hast power 
 To call the fiercest tyrant from his rage, 
 And weep unto a girl ; that hast the might 
 Even with an eye-glance to choke Mars's drum, 8° 
 
 And turn the alarm to whispers ; that canst make 
 A cripple flourish with his crutch, and cure him 
 Before Apollo ; that mayst force the king 
 To be his subject's vassal, and induce 
 Stale gravity to dance ; the polled bachelor, 
 Whose youth, like wanton boys through bonfires. 
 Have skipt thy flame, at seventy thou canst catch, 
 And make him, to the scorn of his hoarse throat, 
 Abuse young lays of love. What godlike power 
 Hast thou not power upon ? To Phoebus thou 9© 
 
 Add'st flames, hotter than his ; the heavenly fires 
 Did scorch his mortal son, thine him ; the huntress, 
 All moist and cold, some say, began to throw 
 Her bow away and sigh. Take to thy grace 
 Me thy vow'd soldier, who do bear thy yoke 
 
ACT V. SCENE I. 
 
 133 
 
 As 't were a wreath of roses, yet is heavier 
 
 Than lead itself, stings more than nettles. I 
 
 Have never been foul-mouth'd against thy law, 
 
 Ne'er reveal'd secret, for I knew none, — would not, 
 
 Had I kenn'd all that were ; I never practis'd 100 
 
 Upon man's wife, nor would the libels read 
 
 Of liberal wits ; I never at great feasts 
 
 Sought to betray a beauty, but have blush'd 
 
 At simpering sirs that did ; I have been harsh 
 
 To large confessors, and have hotly ask'd them 
 
 If they had mothers. I had one, a woman, 
 
 And women 't were they wrong'd. I knew a man 
 
 Of eighty winters — this I told them — who 
 
 A lass of fourteen brided. 'T was thy power 
 
 To put life into dust; the aged cramp no 
 
 Had screw'd his square foot round, 
 
 The gout had knit his fingers into knots, 
 
 Torturing convulsions from his globy eyes 
 
 Had almost drawn their spheres, that what was life 
 
 In him seem'd torture. This anatomy 
 
 Had by his young fair fere a boy, and I 
 
 Believ'd it was his, for she swore it was. 
 
 And who would not believe her.'' Brief, I am 
 
 To those that prate, and have done, no companion ; 
 
 To those that boast, and have not, a defier ; 120 
 
 To those that would, and cannot, a rejoicer; 
 
 Yea, him I do not love that tells close offices 
 
 The foulest way, nor names concealments in 
 
 The boldest language : such a one I am. 
 
 And vow that lover never yet made sigh 
 
 Truer than I. O, then, most soft sweet goddess, 
 
 Give me the victory of this question, which 
 
 Is true love's merit, and bless me with a sign 
 
 Of thy great pleasure ! 
 
 S^Here music is heard ^ doves are seen to flutter; they 
 fall again upon their faces ^ then on their knees. 
 
134 
 
 THE TWO NOBLE KINSMEN. 
 
 O thou that from eleven to ninety reign'st 130 
 
 In mortal bosoms, whose chase is this world, 
 
 And we in herds thy game, I give thee thanks 
 
 For this fair token, which, being laid unto 
 
 Mine innocent true heart, arms in assurance 
 
 My body to this business ! — Let us rise 
 
 And bow before the goddess; time comes on. 
 
 \7'hey bow, then exeunt. 
 
 Still wusic of 7'ecords. Efiter Emilia in white., her hair about 
 her shoulders, and wearing a wheaten wreath ; 07u i?t white 
 holding up her train, her hair stuck with flo7vers ; one before 
 her carrying a silver hind, in which is conveyed incense and 
 sweet odours, which being set upon the altar of Diana, her 
 Maids standifzg aloof she sets f re to it; then they curtsy and 
 kneel. 
 
 Emilia. O sacred, shadowy, cold, and constant queen, 
 Abandoner of revels, mute, contemplative, 
 Sweet, solitary, white as chaste, and puje 
 As wind-fann'd snow, who to thy female knights 140 
 
 Allow'st no more blood than will make a blush^ 
 ^ Which is their order's robe, ] here, thy priest, 
 Am humbled fore thine altar ! O, vouchsafe, 
 With that thy rare green eye — which never yet 
 Beheld thing maculate — look on thy virgin ! 
 And, sacred silver mistress, lend thine ear — 
 Which ne'er heard scurril term, into whose port 
 Ne'er enter'd wanton sound — ^lo my petition, 
 Season'd with holy fear! This is my last 
 Of vestal office; I 'm bride-habited, 150 
 
 But maiden-hearted ; a husband I have pointed, 
 But do not know him; out of two I should 
 Choose one, and pray for his success, but I 
 Am guiltless of election; of mine eyes, 
 Were I to lose one — they are equal precious — 
 
ACT V. SCENE IL 135 
 
 I could doom neither; that which perish'd should 
 
 Go to 't unsentenc'd: therefore, most modest queen, 
 
 He, of the two pretenders, that best loves me 
 
 And has the truest title in 't, let him 
 
 Take off my wheaten garland, or else grant 160 
 
 The file and quality I hold I may 
 
 Continue in thy band. — 
 
 \IIere the hind vanishes under the altar, and in the 
 
 place ascends a rose-tree, having one rose upon it. 
 See what our general of ebbs and flows 
 Out from the bowels of her holy altar 
 With sacred act advances ! But one rose ! 
 If well inspir'd, this battle shall confound 
 Both these brave knights, and I, a virgin flower, 
 Must grow alone, unpluck'd. 
 
 [Ifere is heard a sudden twang of instruments, and 
 
 the rose falls fro77i the tree, which va7iishes under 
 
 the altar. 
 The flower is fallen, the tree descends ! — O mistress, 
 Thou here dischargest me ! I shall be gather'd, 170 
 
 I think so; but I know not thine own will: 
 Unclasp thy mystery ! — I hope she 's pleas'd ; 
 Her signs were gracious. \They curtsy, and exeunt. 
 
 Scene II. A Roojn in the Prison. 
 
 Ejiter Doctor, Gaoler, and Wooer in the habit of Palamon. 
 
 Doctor. Has this advice I told you done any good upon 
 
 her? 
 Wooer. O, very much: the maids that kept her com- 
 pany 
 Have half persuaded her that I am Palamon ; 
 W^ithin this half-hour she came smiling to me, 
 And ask'd me what I 'd eat, and when I 'd kiss her. 
 I told her presently, and kiss'd her twice. 
 
136 THE TWO NOBLE KINSMEN. 
 
 Doctor. 'T was well done; twenty times had been far bet- 
 ter, 
 For there the cure lies mainly. 
 
 Wooer. Then she told me 
 
 She would watch with me to-night, for well she knew 
 What hour my fit would take me. 
 
 Doctor. Let her do so. 10 
 
 Wooer. She would have me sing. 
 
 Doctor. You did so ? 
 
 Wooer. No. 
 
 Doctor. 'T was very ill done, then ; 
 You should observe her every way. 
 
 Wooer. Alas ! 
 
 I have no voice, sir, to confirm her that way. 
 
 Doctor. That's all one, if ye make a noise; 
 If she entreat again, do any thing; 
 Lie with her, if she ask you. 
 
 Gaoler. Ho there, doctor ! 
 
 Doctor. Yes, in the way of cure. 
 
 Gaoler. But first, by your leave, 
 
 I' the way of honesty. 
 
 Doctor. That 's but a niceness; 
 
 Ne'er cast your child away for honesty. 20 
 
 Cure her first this way; then, if she '11 be honest, 
 She has the path before her. 
 
 Gaoler. Thank you, doctor. 
 
 Doctor. Pray, bring her in, 
 And let 's see how she is. 
 
 Gaoler. I will, and tell her 
 
 Her Palamon stays for her; but, doctor, 
 Methinks you are i' the wrong still. \Exit. 
 
 Doctor. Go, go ; 
 
 You fathers are fine fools : her honesty ! 
 An we should give her physic till we find that — 
 
 Wooer. Why, do you think she is not honest, sir.? 
 
ACT V. SCENE 11. 
 
 137 
 
 Doctor. How old is she ? 
 
 Wooer. She 's eighteen. 
 
 Doctor. She may be ; 
 
 But that 's all one, 't is nothing to our purpose. 31 
 
 Whate'er her father says, if you perceive 
 Her mood inclining that way that I spoke of, 
 Videlicet, the way of flesh — you have me ? 
 
 Wooer. Yes, very well, sir. 
 
 Enter Gaoler, Daughter, and Maid. 
 
 Gaoler. Come; your love Palamon stays for you, child; 
 And has done this long hour, to visit you. 
 
 Daughter. I thank him for his gentle patience; 
 He 's a kind gentleman, and I am much bound to him. 
 Did you ne'er see the horse he gave me ? 
 
 Gaoler. Yes. 40 
 
 Daughter. How do you like him ? 
 
 Gaoler. He 's a very fair one. 
 
 Daughter. You never saw him dance.'' 
 
 Gaoler. No. 
 
 Daughter. I have often : 
 
 He dances very finely, very comely ; 
 And, for a jig, come cut and long tail to him ! 
 He turns ye like a top. ~" 
 
 Gaoler. That 's fine indeed. 
 
 Daughter. He '11 dance the morris twenty mile an hour, — 
 And that will founder the best hobby-horse, 
 If I have any skill, in all the parish, — 
 And gallops to the tune of ' Light o' Love;' 
 What think you of this horse ? 
 
 Gaoler. Having these virtues, 50 
 
 I think he might be brought to play at tennis. 
 
 Daughter. Alas, that 's nothing ! 
 
 Gaoler. Can he write and read too. 
 
 Daughter. Avery fair hand, and casts himself the accounts 
 
138 
 
 THE TWO NOBLE KINSMEN. 
 
 Of all his hay and provender; that hostler 
 Must rise betime that cozens him. You know 
 The chestnut mare the duke has ? 
 
 Gaoler. Very well. 
 
 Daughter. She is horribly in love with him, poor beast; 
 But he is like his master, coy and scornful. 
 
 Gaoler. What dowry has she ? 
 
 Daughter. Some two hundred bottles, 
 
 And twenty strike of oats: but he '11 ne'er have her; 60 
 
 He lisps in 's neighing, able to entice 
 A miller's mare; he '11 be the death of her. 
 
 Doctor. What stuff she utters ! 
 
 Gaoler. Make curtsy ; here your lover comes. 
 
 Wooer. Pretty soul, 
 
 How do ye ? That 's a fine maid ! there 's a curtsy ! 
 
 Daughter. Yours to command, i' the way of honesty. 
 How far is 't now to the end o' the world, my masters ? 
 
 Doctor. Why, a day's journey, wench. 
 
 Daughter. Will you go with me ? 
 
 Wooer. What shall we do there, wench ? 
 
 Daughter. ■ Why, play at stool-ball. 
 
 What is there else to do ? 
 
 Wooer. I am content, 70 
 
 If we shall keep our wedding there. 
 
 Daughter. 'T is true ; 
 
 For there, I will assure 3^ou, we shall find 
 Some blind priest for the purpose, that will venture 
 To marry us, for here they are nice and foolish; 
 Besides, my father must be hang'd to-morrow, 
 And that would be a blot i' the business. 
 Are not you Palamon ? 
 
 Wooer. Do not you know me ? 
 
 Daughter. Yes; but you care not for me; I have noth- 
 ing 
 But this poor petticoat and two coarse smocks. 
 
ACT V. SCENE 11. 
 
 139 
 
 Wooer. That 's all one; I will have you. 
 
 Daughter. Will you surely ? 
 
 Wooer. Yes, by this fair hand, will I. 
 
 Daughter. We '11 to bed then. 
 
 Wooer. Even when you will. \Kisses her. 
 
 Daughter. O, sir, you 'd fain be nibbling ! 
 
 Wooer. Why do you rub my kiss off.'' 
 
 Daughter. 'T is a sweet one, 
 
 And will perfume me finely against the wedding. — 84 
 
 Is not this your cousin Arcite? 
 
 Doctor. Yes, sweetheart ; 
 
 And I am glad my cousin Paiamon 
 Has made so fair a choice. 
 
 Daughter. Do you think he '11 have me ? 
 
 Doctor. Yes, without doubt. 
 
 Da^ighter. Do you think so too ? 
 
 Gaoler. Yes. 
 
 Daicghter. We shall have many children, — Lord, how 
 y' are grown ! 
 My Paiamon I hope will grow too, finely, 9c 
 
 Now he 's at liberty ; alas, poor chicken ! 
 He was kept down with hard meat and ill lodging. 
 But I will kiss him up again. 
 
 Enter a Messenger. 
 
 Messenger. What do you here ? you '11 lose the noblest 
 sight 
 That e'er was seen. 
 
 Gaoler. Are they i' the field ? 
 
 Messenger. They are ; 
 
 You bear a charge there too. 
 
 Gaoler. I '11 away straight. — 
 
 I must even leave you here. 
 
 Doctor. Nay, we '11 go with you ; 
 
 I will not lose the sight. 
 
I40 1^^^ '^^O NOBLE KINSMEN. 
 
 Gaoler. How did you like her ? 
 
 Doctor. I '11 warrant you, within these three or four days 
 I '11 make her right again,— You must not from her, loo 
 
 But still preserve her in this way. 
 
 Wooer. I will. 
 
 Doctor. Let 's get her in. 
 
 Wooer. Come, sweet, we '11 go to dinner ; 
 
 And then we 'II play at cards. [Exeunt. 
 
 Scene III. A Fart of the Forest, near the Flace of Combat. 
 Enter Theseus, Hippolyta, Emilia, Pirithgus, and At- 
 tendants. 
 
 Emilia. I '11 no step further. 
 
 Firithoiis. Will you lose this sight? 
 
 Ej?iilia. I had rather see a wren hawk at a fly 
 Than this decision : every blow that falls 
 Threats a brave life; each stroke laments 
 The place whereon it falls, and sounds more like 
 A bell than blade. I will stay here, — 
 It is enough my hearing shall be punish'd 
 With what shall happen, 'gainst the which there is 
 No dealing but to hear, — not taint mine eye 
 With dread sights it may shun. 
 
 Firithous. Sir, my good lord, lo 
 
 Your sister will no further. 
 
 Theseus. O, she must ! 
 
 She shall see deeds of honour in their kind. 
 Which sometime show well, pencill'd ; nature now 
 Shall make and act the story, the belief 
 Both seal'd with eye and ear. You must be present; 
 You are the victor's meed, the price and garland 
 To crown the question's title. 
 
 Emilia. Pardon me; 
 
 If I were there, I 'd wink. 
 
ACT V. SCENE III, 
 
 141 
 
 Theseus. You must be there ; 
 
 This trial is as 't were i' the night, and you 
 The only star to shine. • 
 
 Emilia. I am extinct; 20 
 
 There is but envy in that light which shews 
 The one the other. Darkness, which ever was 
 The dam of Horror, who does stand accurs'd 
 Of many mortal millions, may even now, 
 By casting her black mantle over both, 
 That neither could find other, get herself 
 Some part of a good name, and many a murther 
 Set off whereto she 's guilty. 
 
 Hippolyta. You must go. 
 
 E7nilia. In faith, I will not. 
 
 Theseus. Why, the knights must kindle 
 
 Their valour at your eye; know, of this war 30 
 
 You are the treasure, and must needs be by 
 To give the service pay. 
 
 Emilia. Sir, pardon me; 
 
 The title of a kingdom may be tried 
 Out of itself. 
 
 Theseus. Well, well, then, at your pleasure ! 
 Those that remain with you could wish their office 
 To any of their enemies. 
 
 Hippolyta. Farewell, sister ! 
 
 I am like to know your husband fore yourself, 
 By some small start of time ; he whom the gods 
 Do of the two know best, I pray them he 
 Be made your lot ! 40 
 
 \Exeunt all except Emilia and some of the Attendants. 
 
 Emilia. Arcite is gently visag'd, yet his eye 
 Is like an engine bent, or a sharp weapon 
 In a soft sheath ; mercy and manly courage 
 Are bedfellows in his visage. Palamon 
 Has a most menacing aspect; his brow 
 
142 THE TWO NOBLE KINSMEN: 
 
 Is grav'd, and seems to bury what it frowns on : 
 
 Yet sometimes 't is not so, but alters to 
 
 The quality of his thoughts; long time his eye 
 
 Will dwell upon his object. Melancholy 
 
 Becomes him nobly; so does Arcite's mirth: 50 
 
 But Palamon's sadness is a kind of mirth, 
 
 So mingled as if mirth did make him sad. 
 
 And sadness merry ; those darker humours that 
 
 Stick misbecomingiy on others, on him 
 
 Live in fair dwelling. — 
 
 \Cornets. Trumpets sound as to a charge. 
 Hark, how yon spurs to spirit do incite 
 The princes to their proof! Arcite may win me; 
 And yet may Palamon wound Arcite, to 
 The spoiling of his figure. O, what pity 
 Enough for such a chance ! If I were by, 60 
 
 I might do hurt; for they would glance their eyes 
 Toward my seat, and in that motion might 
 Omit a ward, or forfeit an offence, 
 Which crav'd that very time: it is much better 
 
 \Cornets. Cry within, ' A Palamon !' 
 I am not there ; O, better never born 
 Than minister to such harm ! — What is the chance? 
 
 Servant. The cry 's ' A Palamon.' 
 
 Emilia. Then he has won. 'T was ever likely; 
 He look'd all grace and success, and he is 
 Doubtless the prim'st of men. I prithee run, 70 
 
 And tell me how it goes. 
 
 \_Shout, and cornets ; cry, ' A Palamon !' 
 
 Servant. Still ' Palamon.' 
 
 Emilia. Run and inquire. — Y^^^^ Servafit.'] Poor ser- 
 vant, thou hast lost ! 
 Upon my right side still I wore thy picture, 
 Palamon's on the left : why so, I know not; 
 I had no end in 't else; chance would have it so. 
 
 \^ Another cry and shout within, and cornets. 
 
ACT V. SCENE HI. 
 
 143 
 
 On the sinister side the heart lies ; Palamon 
 
 Had the best-boding chance. This burst of clamour 
 
 Is, sure, the end o' the combat. 
 
 Re-enter Servant. 
 
 Servant. They said that Palamon had Arcite's body 
 Within an inch o' the pyramid, that the cry 80 
 
 Was general 'A Palamon;' but anon, 
 The assistants made a brave redemption, and 
 The two bold tilters at this instant are 
 Hand to hand at it. 
 
 Emilia. Were they metamorphos'd 
 
 Both into one — O, why, there were no woman 
 Worth so compos'd a man ! Their single share, 
 Their nobleness peculiar to them, gives 
 The prejudice of disparity, value's shortness, 
 
 \Cor?tets. Cry within^ ' Arcite, Arcite !' 
 To any lady breathing. — More exulting ! 
 ' Palamon ' still ? 
 
 Servant. Nay, now the sound is 'Arcite.' 90 
 
 Emilia. I prithee lay attention to the cry ; 
 
 \^Cornets. A great shout and cry, ' Arcite, victory 1' 
 Set both thine ears to the business. 
 
 Servant. The cry is 
 
 * Arcite, and victory !' Hark ! ' Arcite, victory !' 
 The combat's consummation is proclaim'd 
 By the wind-instruments. 
 
 Eitiilia. Half-sights saw 
 
 That Arcite was no babe ; God's lid, his richness 
 And costliness of spirit look'd through him ! it could 
 No more be hid in him than fire in flax. 
 Than humble banks can go to law with waters 
 That drift-winds force to raging. I did think ico 
 
 Good Palamon would miscarry ; yet I knew not 
 Why I did think so: our reasons are not prophets, 
 
144 ^-^^ 7"^<^ NOBLE KINSMEN. 
 
 When oft our fancies are. They 're coming off; 
 
 Alas, poor Palamon ! \Corneis, 
 
 Enter Theseus, Hippolyta, Pirithous, Arcite as victor, 
 
 Attendants, etc. 
 
 Theseus. Lo, where our sister is in expectation, 
 Yet quaking and unsettled ! — Fairest Emily, 
 The gods, by their divine arbitrement. 
 Have given you this knight; he is a good one 
 As ever struck at head. — Give me your hands ! 
 Receive you her, you him ; be plighted with no 
 
 A love that grows as you decay ! 
 
 Arcite. Emily, 
 
 To buy you I have lost what 's dearest to me, 
 Save what is bought ; and yet I purchase cheaply, 
 As I do rate your value. 
 
 Theseus. O, lov'd sister, 
 
 He speaks now of as brave a knight as e'er 
 Did spur a noble steed ; surely the gods 
 Would have him die a bachelor, lest his race 
 Should show i' the world too godlike ! His behaviour 
 So charm'd me, that methought Alcides was 
 To him a sow of lead ; if I could praise 120 
 
 Each part of him to the all I 've spoke, your Arcite 
 Did not lose by 't, for he that was thus good 
 Encounter'd yet his better. I have heard 
 Two emulous Philomels beat the ear o' the night. 
 With their contentious throats, now one the higher. 
 Anon the other, then again the first, 
 And by and by out-breasted, that the sense 
 Could not be judge between 'em ; so it far'd 
 Good space between these kinsmen, till heavens did 
 Make hardly one the winner. — Wear the garland 130 
 
 With joy that you have won ! — For the subdued, 
 Give them our present justice, since I know 
 
ACT V. SCENE IV. 
 
 145 
 
 Their lives but pinch 'em ; let it here be done. 
 The scene 's not for our seeing ; go we hence, 
 Right joyful, with some sorrow ! — Arm your prize; 
 I know you will not lose her. — Hippolyta, 
 I see one eye of yours conceives a tear, 
 The which it will deliver. {^Flourish. 
 
 Emilia. Is this winning? 
 
 all you heavenly powers, where is your mercy ? 
 
 But that your wills have said it must be so, 140 
 
 And charge me live to comfort this unfriended, 
 
 This miserable prince, that cuts away 
 
 A life more worthy from him than all women, 
 
 1 should and would die too. 
 
 Hippolyta. Infinite pity. 
 
 That four such eyes should be so fix'd on one 
 That two must needs be blind for 't ! 
 
 Theseus. So it is. \^Exeunt. 
 
 Scene IV. The same Part of the Forest as in Act III. Scene VI. 
 Efiter Palamon a7td his Knights pinioned, Gaoler, Execu- 
 tioner, and Guard. 
 Palamon. There 's many a man alive that hath outliv'd 
 The love o' the people ; yea, i' the self-same state 
 Stands many a father with his child. Some comfort 
 We have by so considering; we expire, 
 And not without men's pity; to live still 
 Have their good wishes ; we prevent 
 The loathsome misery of age, beguile 
 The gout and rheum, that in lag hours attend 
 For grey approachers; we come towards the gods 
 Young and unwapper'd, not halting under crimes to 
 
 Many and stale ; that, sure, shall please the gods 
 Sooner than such, to give us nectar with 'em, 
 For we are more clear spirits. My dear kinsmen, 
 
146 
 
 THE TWO NOBLE KINSMEN. 
 
 Whose lives for this poor comfort are laid down, 
 You 've sold 'em too-too cheap. 
 
 1 Knight. What ending could be 
 Of more content ? O'er us the victors have 
 Fortune, whose title is as momentary 
 
 As to us death is certain ; a grain of honour 
 They not o'erweigh us. 
 
 2 Knight. Let us bid farewell, 
 
 And with our patience anger tottering Fortune, 20 
 
 Who, at her certain'st, reels. 
 
 3 Knight. Come ; who begins ? 
 Falamon. Even he that led you to this banquet shall 
 
 Taste to you all. — Ah ha, my friend, my friend ! 
 
 Your gentle daughter gave me freedom once ; 
 
 You '11 see 't done now for ever. Pray, how does she ? 
 
 I heard she was not well ; her kind of ill 
 
 Gave me some sorrow. 
 
 Gaoler. Sir, she 's well restor'd. 
 
 And to be married shortly. 
 
 Falamon. By my short life, 
 
 I am most glad on 't ! 'T is the latest thing 
 I shall be glad of; prithee, tell her so: 30 
 
 Commend me to her, and, to piece her portion, 
 Tender her this. [Gives a purse. 
 
 1 Knight. Nay, let 's be offerers all. 
 
 2 Knight. Is, it a maid.'' 
 
 Falamon. Verily, I think so; 
 
 A right good creature, more to me deserving 
 Than I can quit or speak of. 
 
 All Knights. Commend us to her. \Give their purses. 
 
 Gaoler. The gods requite you all, 
 
 And make her thankful ! 
 
 Falamon. Adieu ! and let my life be now as short 
 As my leave-taking. \Lays his head on the block. 
 
 I Knight. Lead, courageous cousin. 
 
ACT V. SCENE IV. 147 
 
 2 Knight. We '11 follow cheerfully. 
 
 \^A great noise within, crying., ' Run, save, hold !' 
 
 Enter in haste a Messenger. 
 Messenger. Hold, hold ! O, hold, hold, hold ! 40 
 
 Enter Pirithous in haste. 
 
 Pirithoiis. Hold, ho ! it is a cursed haste you made, 
 If you have done so quickly. — Noble Palamon, 
 The gods will shew their glory in a life 
 That thou art yet to lead. 
 
 Palamon. Can that be, when 
 
 Venus I 've said is false 1 How do things fare .'' 
 
 Firithoiis. Arise, great sir, and give the tidings ear 
 That are most dearly sweet and bitter ! 
 
 Palamon. What 
 
 Hath wak'd us from our dream? [Palamon rises. 
 
 Pirithous. List then ! Your cousin, 
 
 Mounted upon a steed that Emily 
 
 Did first bestow on him, — a black one, owing 50 
 
 Not a hair-worth of white, which some will say 
 Weakens his price, and many will not buy 
 His goodness with this note \ which superstition 
 Here finds allowance, — on this horse is Arcite, 
 Trotting the stones of Athens, which the calkins 
 Did rather tell than trample : for the horse 
 Would make his length a mile, if 't pleas'd his rider 
 To put pride in him : as he thus went counting 
 The flinty pavement, dancing as 't were to the music 
 His own hoofs made — for, as they say, from iron 60 
 
 Came music's origin — what envious flint. 
 Cold as old Saturn, and like him possess'd 
 With fire malevolent, darted a spark. 
 Or what fierce sulphur else, to this end made, 
 I comment not; the hot horse, hot as fire, 
 
148 ^-^^ ^^O NOBLE KINSMEN. 
 
 Took toy at this, and fell to what disorder 
 
 His power could give his will, bounds, comes on end, 
 
 Forgets school-doing, being therein trained, 
 
 And of kind manage ; pig-like be whines 
 
 At the sharp rowel, which he frets at rather 70 
 
 Than any jot obeys; seeks all foul means 
 
 Of boisterous and rough jadery, to disseat 
 
 His lord that kept it bravely. When nought serv'd, 
 
 When neither curb would crack, girth break, nor differing 
 
 plunges 
 Disroot his rider whence he grew, but that 
 He kept him *tween his legs, on his hind hoofs 
 On end he stands, 
 
 That Arcite's legs, being higher than his head, 
 Seem'd with strange art to hang ; his victor's wreath 
 Even then fell off his head, and presently 80 
 
 Backward the jade comes o'er, and his full poise 
 Becomes the rider's load. Yet is he living; 
 But such a vessel 't is that floats but for 
 The surge that next approaches : he much desires 
 To have some speech with you. Lo, he appears ! 
 
 Enter Theseus, Hippolyta, Emilia, aiid Arcite borne in a 
 
 chair. 
 
 Palamon. O miserable end of our alliance ! 
 The gods are mighty ! — Arcite, if thy heart, 
 Thy worthy manly heart, be yet unbroken, 
 Give me thy last words ; I am Palamon, 
 One that yet loves thee dying. 
 
 Arcite. Take Emilia, 90 
 
 And with her all the world's joy. Reach thy hand; 
 Farewell ! I 've told my last hour. I was false, 
 Yet never treacherous ; forgive me, cousin ! — 
 One kiss from fair Emilia ! \Kisses her.~\ — 'T is done : 
 Take her. I die ! [^Dies. 
 
AC 7' V. SCENE IV. 149 
 
 Palamon. Thy brave soul seek Elysium ! 
 
 Emilia. I '11 close thine eyes, prince ; blessed souls be 
 with thee ! 
 Thou art a right good man ; and, while I live, 
 This day I give to tears. 
 
 Palamon. And I to honour. 
 
 Theseus. In this place first you fought ; even very here 
 I sunder'd you : acknowledge to the gods 100 
 
 Your thanks that you are living. 
 His part is play'd, and, though it were too short, 
 He did it well ; your day is lengthen'd, and 
 The blissful dew of heaven does arrose you. 
 The powerful Venus well hath grac'd her altar, 
 And given you your love ; our master Mars 
 Has vouch'd his oracle, and to Arcite gave 
 The grace of the contention : so the deities 
 Have show'd due justice. — Bear this hence. 
 
 Palamon. O cousin. 
 
 That we should things desire which do cost us xio 
 
 The loss of our desire ! that nought could buy 
 Dear love but loss of dear love ! 
 
 Theseus. Never fortune 
 
 Did play a subtler game : the conquer'd triumphs, 
 The victor has the loss ; yet in the passage 
 The gods have been most equal. Palamon, 
 Your kinsman hath confess'd the right o' the lady 
 Did lie in you, for you first saw her and 
 Even then proclaim'd your fancy ; he restor'd her, 
 As your stolen jewel, and desir'd your spirit 
 To send hiai hence forgiven. The gods my justice 120 
 
 Take from my hand, and they themselves become 
 The executioners. Lead your lady off; 
 And call your lovers from the stage of death, 
 Whom I adopt my friends. A day or two 
 Let us look sadly, and give grace unto 
 
ISO 
 
 THE TWO NOBLE KINSMEN, 
 
 The funeral of Arcite ; in whose end 
 
 The visages of bridegrooms we '11 put on, 
 
 And smile with Palamon, for whom an hour, 
 
 But one hour since, I was as dearly sorry 
 
 As glad of Arcite, and am now as glad 130 
 
 As for him sorry. — O you heavenly charmers. 
 
 What things you make of us ! For what we lack 
 
 We laugh, for what we have are sorry ; still 
 
 Are children in some kind, t'^et us be thankful 
 
 For that which is,^nd with you leave dispute, 
 
 That are above our question. — Let 's go off, 
 
 And bear us like the time. {Flourish. Exeunt. 
 
 EPILOGUE. 
 
 I would now ask ye how ye like the play; 
 
 But, as it is with school-boys, cannot say 
 
 I am cruel-fearful. Pray, yet stay a while, 
 
 And let me look upon ye. No man smile ? 
 
 Then it goes hard, I see. — He that has 
 
 Lov'd a young handsome wench, then, shew his face — 
 
 'T is strange if none be here — and, if he will 
 
 Against his conscience, let him hiss and kill 
 
 Our market ! 'T is in vain, I see, to stay ye ; 
 
 Have at the worst can come, then ! Now, what say ye? 10 
 
 And yet mistake me not : I am not bold ; 
 
 We 've no such cause. — If the tale we have told — 
 
 For 't is no other — any way content ye — 
 
 For to that honest purpose it was meant ye — 
 
 We have our end ; and ye shall have ere long, 
 
 I dare say, many a better, to prolong 
 
 Your old loves to us. We, and all our might. 
 
 Rest at your service; gentlemen, good night ! [Flourish. 
 
NOTES, 
 
ABBREVIATIONS USED IN THE NOTES. 
 
 Abbott (or Gr.), Abbott's Shakesj>earian Grammar (third edition). 
 A. S., Anglo-Saxon. 
 
 A. v., Authorized Version of the Bible (1611). 
 
 B. and F., Beaumont and Fletcher. 
 B. J., Ben Jonson. 
 
 Camb. ed., " Cambridge edition" of Shakespeare, edited by Clark and Wright. 
 
 Cf. {confer), compare. 
 
 Clarke, " Cassell's Illustrated Shakespeare," edited by Charles and Mary Cowden- 
 Clarke (London, n. d.). 
 
 Coll., Collier (second edition). 
 
 Coll. MS., Manuscript CoiTections of Second Folio, edited by Collier. 
 
 Colman, 1778 ed. of B. and F., with notes by Colman, Reed, et al. 
 
 D., Dyce (second edition). 
 
 H., Hudson (" Harvard" edition). 
 
 Halliwell, J. O. Halliwell (folio ed. of Shakespeare). 
 
 Id. {idern), the same. 
 
 K., Knight (second edition). 
 
 L., H. Littledale's ed. of The Two Noble Kinsviett (London, 1876). 
 
 Nares, Glossary, edited by Halliwell and Wright (London, 1859). 
 
 Pro!., Prologue. 
 
 S., Shakespeare. 
 
 Schmidt, A. Schmidt's Shakespeare- Lexico7t (Berlin, 1874). 
 
 Sk., Rev. W. W. Skeat's ed. of The Two Noble Kinsmen (Cambridge, 1875). 
 
 Sr., Singer. 
 
 St., Staunton. 
 
 Theo. , Theobald. 
 
 Tonson, 171 1 ed. of B. and F., published by Jacob Tonson (London). 
 
 v., Verplanck. 
 
 W., R. Grant White. 
 
 Walker, Wm. Sidney Walker's Critical Examination of the Text of Shakespeare 
 (London, i860). 
 
 Warb., Warburton. 
 
 Wb., Webster's Dictionary (revised quarto edition of 1879). 
 
 Weber, Henry Weber's ed. of B. and F. {1812). 
 
 Wore, Worcester's Dictionary (quarto edition). 
 
 The abbreviations of the names of Shakespeare's Plays will be readily understood ; as 
 T. N. for Twelfth Night, Cor. for Coriola?ms, 3 Hen. VI. for The Third Part of King 
 Henry the Sixth, etc. P. P. refers to The Passiotiate Pilgrim ; V. and A . to Venus 
 and Adonis ; L. C. to Lover' s Complaint ; and Sonn. to the Sonnets. 
 
 When the abbreviation of the name of a play is followed by a reference to page, 
 Rolfe's edition of the play is meant. 
 The numbers of the lines (except for the present play) are those of the " Globe " 6d. 
 
NOTES. 
 
 THE PARTHENON AT ATHENS. 
 
 PROLOGUE. 
 
 This prologue is certainly not Shakespeare's. It is probably by 
 Fletcher. " Several of his favourite images are employed in it, and the 
 general style resembles that of his undoubted prologues " (L.). K. omits 
 the whole of it, and Sk. the first twelve lines. 
 
 24 25 Weak . . . wnier. The quarto joins this to what precedes, put- 
 tin^ a period after water. The arrangement in the text is due to D. 
 
 26. Tack. The reading of the folio;* the quarto has "taice. 
 
 29. Travail. The old eds. have "travell" or "travel." Cf. A. W. 
 P- 153- 
 
 * That is, the 1679 folio of B. and F. See p. 10 above. 
 
154 
 
 NOTES. 
 
 ACT I. 
 
 Scene I. — The critics generally agree that this scene is Shake- 
 speare's ; but Dowden, Nicholson, L., Furnivall, and H. assign the Song 
 to Fletcher, to whom it probably belongs. 
 
 The old stage-direction makes the bride " led by Pirithous ;" corrected 
 by Theo.* 
 
 On her tresses likewise hanging, Nicholson (quoted by L.) says : " This 
 appearance of the bride in dishevelled hair, apparently a classic custom, 
 betokened virginity, and was in use up to Jacobian times at least." He 
 cites the reference to the marriage of the Coyntess of Essex to Somerset 
 in A. Wilson's Life of James L: " She, thinking all the world ignorant 
 of her slie practices, hath the impudence to appear in the habit of a Vir- 
 gin, with her hair pendent almost to her feet; which Ornament of her 
 body (though a fair one) could not cover the deformities of her soul." 
 
 The ivheaten garland " seems to have been worn as an emblem of fer- 
 tility, and perhaps also of peace — the causer of plenty " (L.). 
 
 The .S'^;/^is " evidently intended to be sung by the Boy, who also strews 
 flowers, as indicated in the stage-direction and at line 15 " (Sk.). 
 
 4. Maiden pinks. Fresh pinks. L. thinks the reference may be to 
 "the Matted Pinck" of Bacon's Essay Of Gardens, wYi&ve it is specially 
 commended for its odour. Miller {Gardener's Diet.) describes a kind 
 oi Dianthiis as "the small creeping or Maiden Pink, commonly called 
 the mated Pink by seedsmen." Sk. says that this is the Diattthus vir- 
 i^inens, but the name is probably modern. We may add that S. refers to 
 the pink only once (in R. and J. ii. 4. 61) and then figuratively. 
 
 5. S7nell-less yet most qztaint. Furnivall says : " I cannot get over 
 Chaucer's daisies being called 'smell-less yet most quaint:' the epithets 
 seem to me not only poor but pauper, implying entire absence of fancy 
 and imagination." ^//rt'/«/=" trim, neat " (Sk.). 
 
 6 Thyme. Spelt " time " in the quarto -, as in M. N. D. ii. i. 249 and 
 0th. i. 3. 326, in the early eds. 
 
 7. Primrose, first-born child of Ver. Alluding, as Sk. says (in a note 
 sent to L., correcting that given in his own ed.) "to the apparent ety- 
 mology of the French name for the \)x\vi\xo'a&, primevere,^'' which was sup- 
 posed to be =pri?fia veris. It is rather ■=^pri7n7ila veris, if taken from the 
 Latin ; but Brachet supposes it to be the Italian primavera. The usual 
 spelling in old writers is prii?ie-rose ; as in Bacon's Essay Of Gardens. 
 
 9. With her bells dim. Sk. (followed by H.) reads "hairbells dim." 
 This, as L. remarks, " is very ingenious and supported by strong pre- 
 sumptive evidence ;" but he goes on to show that the old reading is 
 
 * That is, in the 1750 ed. of B. and F., edited by Theobald, Seward, and Sympson. 
 L. says of it : " Theobald, who died before the edition had advanced very far, has left 
 a few good notes ; Sympson's are occasionally presentable, but as for Seward — Seward 
 ' never deviates into sense. ' ' ' Coleridge asks : ' ' Did the name of criticism ever descend 
 so low as in the hands of those two fools and knaves, Seward and Sympson?" Again he 
 apostrophizes the former thus: "Mr. Seward! Mr. Seward! you may be, and I trust 
 you are, an angel ; but you were an ass." 
 
ACT I. SCENE I. 155 
 
 probably right. Sk. says that the system requires the accent on the 
 second syllable ; but L. replies that' " the irregularity of the number 
 of syllables and the words used in these third lines rather indicate 
 that there is but ojie emphatic word in the line." Besides, as he adds, 
 there is " an important strtcciural obstacle " to the arrangement of Sk. 
 " Looking through the song, we see one half (three lines exactly) of each 
 stanza occupied by one idea, and the remaining half devoted to a group 
 of objects ;" and " the change would destroy this designed symmetry." 
 Sk. also objects that bells " makes no sense " as applied to X-ho. prmtrose ; 
 but S. uses it of the cowslip in Temp. v. I. 89, and both old and modern 
 poets often make (^t-//^ blossom. Dim is as appropriate an epithet for 
 the pritnrose as pale in W. T. iv. 4. 122 and Cymb. iv. 2. 221 ; but it is 
 not so suitable for the harebell {Campatiula rotuiidifolia) or the blue-bell 
 {Agrapkis mitans), which Sk. thinks to be probably the flower meant here. 
 "Violets dim" in W. T. iv, 4. 120 (see our ed. p. 192) is not a parallel 
 case, as dim seems there to be = retiring, modest, "half-hidden from the 
 eye." 
 
 10. Oxlips. "The greater cowslip, Privitda elatior" (Schmidt). Cf. 
 M. N. D. p. 149. 
 
 Cradles. Mr. Furnivall wrote to Dr. R. C. A. Prior, author oi Popular 
 Nanies of British Plants, for an explanation of this word and of the allu- 
 sion to death-beds in the next line, and got the reply : " I am quite at a 
 loss for the meaning of cradles and death-beds ;" but Mr. William Whale 
 of the Egham Nurseries answered the same inquiry thus : " The root- 
 leaves of the oxlip are cradle-shaped, but circular instead of long. The 
 growth of the leaves would certainly give one an idea of the stem and 
 oxlip flowers being lodged in a cradle [? saucer]. I have seen the mari- 
 gold (the Calendula officinalis, or medicinal marigold, not the African or 
 French sorts which are now so improved and cultivated in gardens) in 
 my boyish days frequently placed on coffins ; and in a warm death-room 
 they would certainly flower." L. quotes Per. iv. i. 16 : 
 
 " and marigolds 
 Shall as a carpet hang upon thy grave 
 While summer days do last." 
 
 Cf. W. T. p. 191. On death-beds blo7ving may mean planted on graves, 
 as it is said they still are in Wales, and probably elsewhere. 
 
 12. Larks'' -heels. " Not the same as larkspur, as one might suppose, 
 but a kind of nasturtium, the Tropceohim mimis'''' (Sk.). The name was, 
 however, sometimes used loosely for larkspur. Cotgrave, s. v. Aloiiette, 
 has: "Pied d''alouefte, the herb Larks -spur. Larks -claw. Larks - heel, 
 Larkes-toes, Monkshood." 
 
 16. Angel. " Literally, a messenger (Gk. ayyEKog), but here prettily 
 used to signify a bird. The same use of the word occurs in Massinger's 
 Virgin Martyr, ii. 2, where the Roman eagle is spoken of as ' the Roman 
 angel.'' The idea is as old as Homer, who uses the expression olinivhv, 
 raxi'v dyyeXov {Iliad, xxiv. 292). Observe, too, that angel implies a bird 
 of good omen, to the exclusion of such ill-omened birds as the crow, the 
 cuckoo, and the raven " (Sk.). 
 
1^6 
 
 NOTES. 
 
 19. Slanderous. Because supposed to tell tales of unfaithful wives. 
 Cf. L. L. L. V. 2. 908 : 
 
 "The cuckoo, then, on every tree, 
 Mocks married men," etc. 
 
 See also M. N. D. iii. i. 134 and A. W. i. 3, 67 ; and cf. M. W. p. 143. 
 
 20. The boding raven. Cf. T. mid C.w.2. 191 and Otk. iv. i. 22. 
 Chough hoar. The quarto has " dough hee," and the folio " dough 
 
 he;" corrected by Seward. Cf. M. N. D. iii. 2. 21 ; and see Temp. p. 
 127. Charles Lamb wanted to read 
 
 '* The crow, the slanderous cuckoo, 
 The boding raven, nor the chough" 
 
 (the pronunciation choo is said to be still heard in the North of England), 
 and L. prefers this to " Seward's very feeble bit of tinkering." He objects 
 to hoar that it is " a purely descriptive epithet, and utterly devoid of any 
 symbolic meaning, while all the rest have some reference to the require- 
 ments of the case." It may be added that the emendation makes the 
 verse very clumsy ; but \i nor at the end of 19 is right, this is inevitable, 
 whatever rhyming word may be supplied, 
 
 21. Chattering pie. Cf. 3 Hen. VI. v. 6. 47 : "And chattering pies in 
 dismal discords sung." 
 
 22. Bride-house. Nares quotes N'omenclator, 1585 : " A bride-house, 
 as when a hall or other large place is provided to keepe the bridall in, 
 when the dvvelling house is not of sufficient roome to serve the turne ;" 
 and the old Taming of a Shreiv: 
 
 "Why come, man, we shall good cheere 
 Anon at the bride house," 
 
 24. Walker asks : " Is the Epithalamium broken off by the entrance 
 of the Queens? It seems unfinished; and it is more natural, I think, 
 that it should be interrupted." 
 
 25. Gentility. Gentle birth; as in A. Y. L. i. I. 22 : "mines my gen- 
 tility with my education." 
 
 33. Raze you. Erase for you. Cf. Gr. 220. 
 
 34. All you, etc. All for which you, etc. 
 
 36. Stead. Assist. See M. of V. p. 133, note on May you stead me? 
 
 40. Endure. The quarto has "endured," and the folio "endur'd;" 
 corrected by Mason. 
 
 In Chaucer Creon is " of Thebes kyng," as here. 
 
 41. Talons. Spelt " Tallents " in the quarto. Cf. the pun in Z. L. L, 
 iv. 2. 64, and see our ed. p. 146. 
 
 For the grouping of birds of prey, cf. J. C. v. i. 85 : "ravens, crows, 
 and kites." 
 
 44. Urn. Cf. inurn''d in Ham. i. 4. 49. Spalding notes the Shake- 
 spearian character of the verb, as of chapel in 50 below. See Gr. 290 
 (cf. p. 5). 
 
 45. Eye Of holy Phoebus. Cf. Hen. V. iv. I. 290 : "Sweats in the eye 
 of Phoebus," and A. and C. iv. 8. 29 : " holy Phoebus' car." 
 
 47. Duke. Cf M. N. D. i. i. 19 : " Theseus, our renowned duke ;" and 
 see our ed. p. 125. 
 
ACT I. SCENE I. 1157 
 
 48. Purger. Cf. J. C. ii. I. 180: "We shall be call'd purgers, not 
 murtherers." Spalding remarks that "verbal names expressing the 
 agent . . . are in an especial manner frequent with Shakespeare, who 
 invents them to preserve his brevity, and always applies them with great 
 force and quaintness." 
 
 55. Transported. Rapt; as in Temp. i. 2. 76. "Theseus means that 
 he would have bidden her rise sooner, only that he was so carried away 
 by her story as to make him unobservant of her attitude" (Sk.). 
 
 58. Vengeance and revenge. The tautology is apparently emphatic. 
 Cf. Rich. II. iv. I. 67 : "shall render vengeance and revenge." 
 
 59. Capaneus. " Four syllables, accented on the first and third. Chau- 
 cer also has it as four syllables, but accents it on the second and fourth. 
 Properly, it has but three syllables, being the Gk. Y^aTTuvi-vQ. Capaneus 
 was one of the seven heroes who marched from Argos against Thebes. 
 The story is that he was struck by lightning as he was scaling the walls, 
 because he had dared to defy Zeus ; and, whilst his body was burning, 
 his wife Evadne leaped into the flames and destroyed herself. The story 
 in Chaucer and in this play is somewhat different, as Evadne answers to 
 the First Queen" (Sk.). 
 
 64. Spread her. Overspread her, cover her. Seward ("stupidly," as L. 
 says) would omit her, but, as Sk, remarks, "this does not improve either 
 the sense or the metre ; the introduction of an extra syllable at a pause 
 in the verse is no blemish, but a beauty." Cf. Or. 454. H. omits her. 
 
 66. Kins7nan. Sk. quotes the Life of Theseus in '^oxiWs, Plutarch : 
 " They were neere kinsmen, being cosins remoued by the mothers side. 
 For ^thra [Theseus' mother] was the daughter of Pitheus, and Alcmena, 
 the mother of Hercules, was the daughter of Lysidices, the which was 
 halfe sister to Pitheus, both [being] children of Pelops and of his wife 
 Hippodamia." Cf. M. N. D. v. 1.47 : "In glory of my kinsman Her- 
 cules." Sk. says that '■'■ Hercules is apparently a dissyllable here;" but 
 it should certainly have its ordinary pronunciation, the light extra sylla- 
 ble not marring the measure. 
 
 68. Nemean. The early eds. have " Nenuan ;" corrected by Seward. 
 For the pronunciation, cf Ham. i. 4. 83 and L. L. L. iv. i. 90. See Ham, 
 p. 195. 
 
 73. Whereto. In addition to which. Cf thereto in W. T. \. 2. 391, 0th. 
 ii. I. 133, and Cymb. iv. 4. 33. 
 
 74. Our 7inde7'taker. The man to undertake the work of avenging us. 
 S. uses the word only twice {T. N. iii. 4. 349 and 0th. \v. 1. 224), and in 
 both instances with a meaning similar to this. Sk. quotes Fletcher, Lovers 
 Progress, i. i : " First, for the undertaker, I am he ;" Hallam, Const. Hist, 
 of Eng.: "Neville, and others who, like him, professed to understand the 
 temper of the commons, and to facilitate the King's dealings with them, 
 were called undertakers ;^^ and Spectator, No. 432 : " I find you are a gen- 
 eral undertaker," etc. 
 
 75. Bellona. For the allusion to the Roman goddess of war, zi. Macb. 
 \. 2. 54: "Bellona's bridegroom." See our ed. p. 155. 
 
 80. Wast near to make, etc. " ' Didst nearly make the male sex cap- 
 tive to thine own sex, had it not been that this lord of thine, Theseus — 
 
158 
 
 NOTES. 
 
 who was born to keep created things in the same relative position of 
 honour in which nature first appointed them — caused thee to shrink back 
 within the bound which thou wast overflowing.' Creation properly means 
 all created things, but is here used with particular reference to human 
 beings. Cf. Gen. iii. i6 " (Sk.). StyVd ?V= fixed the style or rank of it. 
 
 87. Whonozv, [know. The quarto has " Whom" for Who ; corrected 
 by D. The old reading may have been a " confusion of construction." 
 Cf. K. John, p. 166, note on Whom. 
 
 For pozver on, cf. T. G\ of V. iii. I. 238 : " power upon my life ;" Cymb. 
 V. 5. 418 : " The power that I have on you is to spare you," etc. 
 
 88. Ow'st. Ownest, possessest ; as in v. 4. 50 below. Cf. Rich. II. p. 
 204. 
 
 89. Servant. Sk. remarks : " Servant is used not quite in the modern 
 sense, but in the old sense of an obedient and devoted lover ; see iii. 6. 
 149 below. It is the proper antithesis of mistress. Thus, in Beaumont 
 and Fletcher's Philaster, iii. 2, Philaster addresses Arethusa as ' my dear- 
 est mistress^ whereupon Arethusa replies with ' my dearest servant.'' The 
 best comment upon this is furnished by the words of Theseus in Chau- 
 cer's Knightes Tale., 956 — 
 
 ' For in my Xyvs\& a sertiauut was I oon. 
 And therfor, sine I know of tones peyne,'' etc." 
 
 For — 'a.s regards ; as often in S. Cf. Gr. 149. Seward (followed by II.) 
 changed yi'r to " to." 
 
 90. Glass of ladies. "A Shakespeare fancy," as Spalding notes. Cf. 
 IIa?n. iii. I. 161 : "The glass of fashion;" and see our ed. p. 219. Cf. 
 also Hen. V. p. 152, note on The mirror, etc. 
 
 93. Require hifn he advance it. Ask him to raise it. On advance, cf. 
 Cor. p. 210 ; and for require, see on v. i. 39 below. 
 
 98. Than a dove''s motion, etc. L. quotes R. of L. /[^"j : "Like to a 
 new-kill'd bird she trembling lies." 
 
 99. Blood-siz'd. Cf. Ham. ii. 2. 484 : "o'er-sized with coagulate gore " 
 (that is, covered as with size or glue). 
 
 102. / had as lief, etc. I would as soon follow out this good work 
 with you as the marriage ceremony to which I am bound, though I never 
 yet went so willingly as to that. For had as lief, see A. Y. L. p. 139. 
 
 107. Uncandied. Thawed, dissolved. Cf. " candied with ice " in T. 
 of A. iv. 3. 226, and discandy (=thaw) in A. and C. iii. 13. 165 and iv. 
 12. 22. ' 
 
 108. So sorrozv, etc. " So sorrow, lacking shape (that is, power of ex- 
 pression), is oppressed with still greater occasion for it" (Sk.) ; or sor- 
 row becomes the deeper for being unable to utter itself. 
 
 111. There, through viy tears, etc. There you see it only imperfectly, 
 as pebbles appear distorted in the running brook. Wrinkled, to our 
 thinking, is peculiarly expressive, Seward changes there to "here" — 
 in my heart (with appropriate gesture). 
 
 112. Glassy. The early eds. have "glass" or "glasse;" corrected by 
 Seward. 
 
 113. May behold ''ei7i. D. and H. read "it" for ''em. In our opinion 
 the change to the plural is to be explained by the intervening /^^/V^'j- ; 
 
ACT 1. SCENE I. 159 
 
 but Nicholson thinks it is made "either because she is thinking of her 
 eyes as ostents of her grief, or, what is much the same, because she is 
 thinking of the grief in either eye, and therefore griefs.^'' Sk. compares 
 the use oi tkeir = \ris, in iii. 5. 128 below. 
 
 114. He that will, etc. "He who desires to discover all the world's 
 wealth must dig deeply towards its centre; he who would win the least 
 good- will from me must let his search descend to my heart, like one who, 
 fishing for minnows, so loads his line with lead as to make it sink deeply. 
 The simile is intentionally strained and far-fetched, to denote the queen's 
 distress ; as explained in the next sentence" (Sk.). 
 
 118. Extremity, etc. L. quotes B. and F., Honest Mail's Fortune, iii. I ; 
 
 -'Cunning Calamity, 
 That others' gross wits uses to refine, 
 When I most need it, dulls the edge of mine." 
 
 122. Ground-piece. Perhaps =study for a picture, sketch ^S^.). L. 
 thinks ground may be =surface, and "^r^^/;;z<:/-//>^^ = pictured as distin- 
 guished from sculptured work, superficial seeming ; or (2) gro2tnd=io\\\\- 
 dation [cL gi'ound-work) znd grouj/d-piere = model, subject matter; or (3) 
 ^;'<7//«^/= principal, main, chief, and groztful-Jjieee = m3.sterpiecQ ; or (4) 
 ground^foW, dull 'ground' of a picture, as contrasted with the glare 
 and prominence of her sorrow." In any case, " seeming and l>eing are 
 contrasted." 
 
 132. Lonoer. The old eds. have "long ;" corrected by Seward. 
 
 134. Knolls. Cf A. V. L. ii. 7. 114: "where bells have knoll'd to 
 church." See our ed. p. 166. 
 
 135. Your first thought, etc. Sk. remarks: "Possibly suggested by a 
 passage in North's Plutarch, immediately preceding that quoted in the 
 note to 66 above : ' For then he did manifestly open himselfe, and he felt 
 the like passion in his heart which Themistocles long time afterwards 
 endured when he said, that the victorie and triumph of Miltiades would 
 not let him sleepe. For euen so, the wonderful admiration which The- 
 seus had of Hercules courage made him in the night that he neuer 
 dreamed but of his noble acts and doings, and in the daytime, pricked 
 forward with emulation and enuie of his glory, he determined with him- 
 selfe one day to do the like, and the rather because they were neere 
 kinsmen,' etc. Again, in the same Life of Theseus, ed. 1612, p. 15, we 
 read: ' Others say . . . that he was at the iourney of Cholchide [Colchis] 
 with Tason, and that he did helpe Meleager to kil the wild bore of Caly- 
 donia : from whence, as they say, this prouerbe came : Not without The- 
 seus ; meaning that such a thing was not done without great helpe of an- 
 other. Howbeit it is certaine that Theseus selfe did many famous acts 
 without aide of any man, and that for his valiantnesse this prouerbe came 
 in vse, which is spoken : This is another Theseus. Also he did helpe 
 Adrastus, king of the Argives, to recouer the bodies of those that were 
 slaine in the battell before the city of Thebes.' " 
 
 136. Meditance. Premeditation ; not found elsewhere in S. 
 
 138. As ospreys, etc. Cf. Cor. iv. 7. 34 : " As is the osprey to the fish," 
 etc. See the note in our ed. p. 261. Here, as there, the spelling is as- 
 tray in the old eds. 
 
i6o NOTES. 
 
 142. Cords, knives, drams, precipitance. That is, hanging, stabbing, 
 poison, leaping down a precipice. K. and Sk. read "cords', knives', 
 drams' precipitance;" making /7-^^z}!'//«;z^^ = " headlong haste, desperate 
 rashness." The early eds. have no comma after drajns. Sk. compares 
 Cymb. V. 5. 213 and Otk. iii. 3. 388. 
 
 1430 Weary of this world'' s light. Sk. quotes Virgil, ^n. vi. 434 : 
 
 " Proxima deinde tenent moesti loca, qui sibi letum 
 Insontes peperere manu, lucenique perosi 
 Proiecere animas." 
 
 146. Visitating. Surveying. Sk. cites Cotgrave, Fr. Did. : " Visiter, 
 to visit, or go to see ; to view, survey, overlook, oversee." Visit is often 
 similarly used in S. ; as in Temp. i. 2. 308, M.for M. iii. i. 46, iii. 2. 272, 
 Z. L. L. V. 2. 861, etc. 
 
 149. To give. By giving ; " one of the commonest constructions in 
 S." Cf. iii. I. 25 below ; and see Gr. 356. 
 
 152. Noiu U will take form, etc. That is, "Strike while the iron is 
 hot " and can be shaped, not wait till it is cold, when you will sweat to 
 no purpose in trying to make it take form. 
 
 154. It's. See W. T. p. 155. In i. 2. 65 below, the quarto has " its." 
 Secure. Careless, unguarded. See Ham. p. 196. 
 
 155. N'ot dreams. Seward and H. change Not to " Nor." 
 
 156. Rinsing. The early eds. have " wrinching," which, as L. notes, is 
 " probably phonetic." In Hejt. VIII. i. i. 167, the ist folio has " wrench- 
 ing." There is no other instance of the word in S. 
 
 158. Full of bread. Cf. Ham. iii. 3. 80. Sk. quotes Ezek. xvi. 49. 
 
 159. " Artesius must be supposed to be an Athenian captain, present 
 on the stage, though no speech is assigned to him, and his entrance and 
 exit are alike unnoticed in the old copies. Theseus addresses him again 
 in 211 ; and the proper time for his exit is at 218 " (Sk.). 
 
 D. and H. take^/" to be the verb, and point the passage thus : 
 
 " Artesius, that best know'st 
 How to draw out, fit to this enterprise 
 The prim'st for this proceeding, and the number 
 To carry such a business; forth and levy," etc. 
 
 AVe prefer (with Sk. and L.) to follow the early eds. 
 
 165. Take hands. " Let us join hands and depart together; intended 
 as an expression of despair" (Sk.). 
 
 166. Let us be widows to our woes. Hickson cites this as an example 
 of Shakespeare's " certain boldness of metaphor, carried sometimes to 
 that extreme that it requires a considerable effort of the understanding 
 to follow it." It is certainly far from clear, but we think it means. Let 
 us continue to weep over our woes, as we do over our husbands ; we 
 have no hope here. Sk. says : " Perhaps this obscure expression inti- 
 mates that they would not have even the opportunity of mourning at 
 their husbands' tombs. Having no memorials of their husbands to point 
 to, they had but their woes to shew that they were widows." L. explains 
 it thus : " Let us be widows to our woes, as well as to our husbands ; for 
 as Creon has left our dead lords unburied, so our woes have been left 
 unburied by Theseus." 
 
ACT I. SCENE I. ^ 1 6 1 
 
 172. War, The early eds. have " was ;" corrected by Theo. Itnforls 
 = concerns. 
 
 1 76. Lock. Detain by embraces. For sytiod as applied to an assem- 
 bly of the gods, see Cor. p. 266, or A. V. L. p. 173. 
 
 177. Corslet. See on «^'«, 44 above. 
 
 178. Twinning. The early eds. have "twyning" or "twining;" cor- 
 rected by Theo. Cf. B. and F., Night- Walker, iii. 6 : 
 
 "Let me suffer death 
 If in my apprehension two twinn'd cherries 
 Be more akin than her lips to Maria's;" 
 
 and Pkiiaster, ii. 2 : " they are two twinn'd cherries " (referring to lips). 
 Fall. Let fall ; as often in S. Cf. y. C. p- 169, 
 
 179. Tasteful. Not found elsewhere in S. Richardson quotes Cra- 
 shdiVi, Tk£ Flaming H-eari : 
 
 *' Say, all ye wise and well-pierc'd hearts, 
 That live and die amidst her darts, 
 What is 't your tastefjd spirits do prove, 
 In that rare life of her, and 1-ove ?" 
 
 180. Blubber'' d. "The reader ought to recollect that formerly this 
 word did not convey the somewhat ludicrous idea which it does at pres- 
 ent" (D.). The only other instance of it in the text of S. (it is found in 
 a stage-direction in 2 Hen. IV. ii. 4. 421) is in R. and J. iii. 3. 87, where it 
 is put into the mouth of the Nurse. For the form, see Gr. 374 (cf. 290). 
 
 186. Tlwugh viuch mdike, etc. " Though I think it very improbable 
 that you should be so transported as she describes, and equally sorry 
 that I should urge such a petition as I now proceed to make " (Sk.). H. 
 reads " much I like," which seems unmaidenly. 
 
 190. Siir/eiL Sickness, from excess of grief, 
 
 195. Or sentencing^ etc " Or forever condemning their power to si- 
 lence " (Sk,)- H. explains it : " Or concl»ding them to be forever with- 
 out force, or no better than speechless," 
 
 209. Success, Accented on the first syllable. Cf. v, 3. 69 below. 
 
 210. Pretended, Intended. See Macb. p. 202 (note on Pretence), or 
 T. G. of V. p, 136. 
 
 211. Follow your soldier, etc. The early eds, point the line thus: 
 *' Follow your Soldier (as before) hence you ;" corrected by Mason. 
 
 212. Aidis. The early eds. have "Anly;" corrected by Theo. H. 
 adopts Heath's conjecture of "Ilisse" (=Ilyssus), assuming that the 
 name of a river is required; but bank (as Sk. and L. note) is often ap- 
 plied to the sea-shore. See i Hen. IV. iii, i. 45, 2 Hen. VI. iii- 2. 83, Rick. 
 III. iv. 4. 525, Sonii. 56. II, etc. 
 
 214. Moiety. Part ; not necessarily a hal£ See Hatn. p. 174. 
 
 215, More bigger look\L " Which was expected to have been a greater 
 one. We are to suppose that Theseus had planned some great expedi- 
 tion, to be undertaken after his marriage-feast was over, and had col- 
 lected part of an army for that purpose. He now intends to march 
 against Thebes, the taking of which he looked upon as easy, without 
 completing that army to its full number " (Sk.). For the double com- 
 parative, see Gr. II ; and for the form of look'd, cf, blubber'' d\n 180 above. 
 
 L 
 
i62 ' NOTES. 
 
 2i6. Sdifup . . . cnri-ant . . . token. There is a play upon the words as 
 applied to coin. 
 
 222. Wiint. Lack, be incomplete. H. adopts Seward's conjecture of 
 *' wait." Sk. remarks : " The suggestion is a poor one ; he must have 
 forgotten the common use of ivajit in our old dramatists.'- Cf. T. 
 ofS. iii. 2. 4, etc. On solemnity, cf. A. W. ii. 3. 187, T. of S. iii. 2. 103, 
 etc. 
 
 230. They themselves. That is, the gods, who are sometimes slaves to 
 their passions. 
 
 233. Hinnaii. The quarto has "humane." Cf. Macb. p. 218. Hu- 
 vian title — iho. right to the name of man. 
 
 Spalding says of this scene : " It has sometimes Shakespeare's identi- 
 cal images and words ; it has his quaint force and sententious brevity, 
 crowding thoughts and fancies into the narrowest space, and submitting 
 to obscurity in preference to feeble dilation ; it has sentiments enunci- 
 ated with reference to subordinate relations, which other writers would 
 have expressed with less grasp of thought; it has even Shakespeare's 
 alliteration, and one or two of his singularities in conceit; it has clear- 
 ness in the images taken separately, and confusion from the prodigality 
 with which one is poured out after another, in the heat and hurry of im- 
 agination ; it has both fulness of illustration, and a variety which is drawn 
 from the most distant sources ; and it has, thrown over all, that air of 
 originality and that character of poetry, the principle of which is often 
 hid when their presence and effect are most quickly and instinctively 
 perceptible." 
 
 Hickson remarks: "The first thing that seems to indicate the pres- 
 ence of the mind of Shakespere is the clearness with which, in the first 
 scene, we are put in possession of the exact state of affairs at the open- 
 ing of the play, without any circumlocution or long-winded harangues, 
 but naturally and dramatically. And, indeed, one of the most striking 
 characteristics of Shakespere is, if we may so express it, the downright 
 honesty of his genius, that disdains anything like trick or mystery. This 
 is almost peculiar to Shakespere. Where, in his works, as much is re- 
 vealed at the very opening as is necessary to the understanding of the 
 plot, we find, in the works of other dramatists, as much kept back as 
 possible ; and we are continually greeted with some surprise or starded 
 with some unexpected turn in the conduct of the piece." 
 
 Scene II. — i. Dearer in love than blood. Sk. contrasts this with 
 Ham. i. 2. 65 : "A little more than kin, and less than kind." 
 
 2. Prifne. Chief, first in our love. 
 
 6. We shame. H. reads "were shame." 
 
 8. /' the aid d' the airrent. With the stream. "What Arcite means 
 to urge as a reason for their quitting Thebes is, that, if they struggled 
 against the current of the fashion (which is denoted by «^/ swimming in 
 the aid of it), their striving would answer no purpose; and that, if they 
 followed the common stream, it would lead them to an eddy where they 
 would either be drowned or reap no advantage from their labouring 
 through it but life and weakness" (Mason). 
 
ACT I. SCENE II. 165 
 
 13. Ruins. " Not material ruins of houses, but wrecks of men, that 
 is, men who are but wrecks of their former selves. Palamon is follow- 
 ing up the idea started by Arcite, that the men in Thebes were mostly- 
 coming to ruin. Hence the word tvalkiug may just as well agree with 
 riihis as refer to Palamon himself; and he goes on to say that he sees 
 upon them little else but scars and bare garments (such being the com- 
 mon meaning oi weeds in our old authors) ; and these scars are all that 
 the martialists (or men fond of war) really gain, though hoping to win 
 honour and money. Observe the phrase ' when such I meet ' in 21 ; and 
 so in 27 " (Sk.). There can be no doubt, we think, that walking refers to 
 ruins. For weeds, cf. M. N. D. p. 149. Z?ar£' = threadbare. L. notes 
 that martialist is not used elsewhere by S., while B. and F. have the 
 word twice. 
 
 18. Had not. "Did not get for himself, for it went to the captain. 
 Cf. 34 below " (Sk.). 
 
 Fiurted. Scorned ; used by S. only in the compound flurt-gills {R. 
 and y. ii. 4. 162), but rather common in B. and F. 
 
 22. Jealousy. Referring to the origin of the Trojan war. 
 
 24. For her repletion. L. makes this ^against her repletion, as a rem- 
 edy for it (Gr. 154) ; but we do not see why it may not mean on account 
 of it. Repletion is not used elsewhere by S. 
 
 i't'^/«z« = " employ, take into service; as in Hen. VITT. i. 2. 192" (L.). 
 H. adopts Heath's conjecture of" reclaim." Sk. suggests '* regain ;" but, 
 as L. says, regain ane^v would be =gain anew anew. 
 
 28. Cranks. Winding streets. 
 
 40. Even jump. Just exactly. Cf. Ham.^. 172. 
 
 41. As they are here, etc. Weber and Sk. follow the oM eds. in putting 
 the comma after <z;r, joining here to what comes after. The sense is the 
 same, and the rhythm better, with the pointing in the text. 
 
 42. And Such things to be mere monsters. " And to be such things (as 
 they are) were to be mere monsters" (Nicholson). Weber makes the 
 words a mere expansion of what precedes: "we should be here (in 
 Thebes) strangers, and such things as would be considered mere (that is, 
 absolute) monsters, or things out of the common track of human cus- 
 toms." On mere in this sense, cf. Temp.\). 1 11, note on We are merely 
 cheated, etc. On the form of the passage, cf. 7 fol. above : " for not to 
 swim," etc. 
 
 46. Faith. Self-reliance. 
 
 48. Conceiv'd. Understood. Cf. Lear, p. 235. 
 
 ^i. Follows. For the ellipsis of 7e^/z^, see Gr. 244. 
 
 52. Make pursuit. There is a play upon this phrase, which means to 
 prosecute, or bring a suit against, as well as to follow. 
 
 54. For. Because. Gr. 151. 
 
 61. Plantain. For the use of plaintain leaves for wounds and bruises, 
 see R. and J. p. 147. 
 
 63. Whose successes, etc. K. adopts Heath's conjecture of " success," 
 and some change Makes to " Make." L. says that "it is only ignorance 
 of Shakespearian usage that has led editors to admit any change in either 
 the noun or the verb here." Cf. Gr. 333. 
 
164 
 
 NOTES. 
 
 65. I/s, See on i. i. 154 above. Who is understood htiort puts ; it is 
 expressed two lines below. 
 
 67. Attributes. Accented on the first syllable. The word is found 
 elsewhere in S. only in A. W. iii. 6. 64, where it occurs in prose. L. 
 accents voluble on the penult, but this is not absolutely necessary. The 
 word is used here in the etymological sense of "inconstant, fickle " (Latin 
 volubilis, from volvere^ to roll). Cf. the noun in Holland's Pliny: "The 
 heaven bendeth and inclineth toward the centre, but the earth goeth 
 from the centre, whiles the world, with continuall volubilitie and turning 
 about it, driveth the huge and excessive globe thereof into the forme of a 
 round ball." 
 
 69. Men''s. The old eds. have "men ;" corrected by Seward. 
 
 70. Glory ; one, etc. Some copies of the quarto (cf. p. 9 above) read 
 "glory on That feares," others put a semicolon after "on." Seward, 
 followed by most of the editors, reads " glory too ;" but, as Ingram sug- 
 gested, the old "on " is =0He, as not unfrequently. In i. 3. 75 below, the 
 quarto has " humd on." In Z. Z. Z. iv, 3. 142, the folio reads " On her. 
 haires were Gold, Christall the others eyes," etc. 
 
 72, Sib. Akin, related. See He7t. VIII. p. 205, note on Gossip. 
 
 74. Clear -spirited. Sk. quotes Milton, Lycidas, 70: "Fame is the 
 spur which the clear spirit doth raise." See also v. 4. 13 below. 
 
 76. Our. Metrically a dissyllable. Gr. 480. 
 
 79. lu blood unless in qiiaiity. " Not in kin, unless in kind'''' (L.). Cf. 
 
 M.ofV.\\.z.\'^'. 
 
 " But though I am a daughter to his blood, 
 I am not to his manners." 
 
 See also i above. 
 
 85. Phoebus, etc. Sk. remarks : " The allusion is probably to the story 
 of Phaethon in Ovid ; the day after Phaethon's death, Phoebus could 
 hardly be persuaded to drive the chariot of the sun once more, and 
 wreaked some of his anger upon the horses, which he lashed severely. 
 Cf.i^^/. ii. 398: 
 
 * CoUigit ameutes et adhuc terrore paventes 
 Phoebus equos: stimuloque dolens et verbere saevitl 
 Saevit enim, natumque obiectat et imputat illis.' " 
 
 86. Whipstock. The English editors think it necessary to explain this 
 as " the handle of a whip ;" but the word is in common use in this coun- 
 try. 
 
 87. To. In comparison with. Gr. 187. 
 
 88. Small tvinds shake him. L. prints this as an exclamation (which it 
 certainly is not), and cites as a parallel Cymb. ii. 3. 136 : " The south-fog 
 rot him !" 
 
 95. Yet what man, tic. " The meaning is, what man can exert a third 
 part of his powers when his mind is clogged with a consciousness that he 
 fights in a bad cause ?" (Mason). 
 
 103. Who. Referring to fate. " The writer was no doubt thinking of 
 the personified Fates, especially of Atropos, the Fate who cuts the thread 
 of life " (Sk.). 
 
ACT T. SCENE III. 165 
 
 106. Intelligence. Sk. says that this is = messenger, as in K. John, iv. 
 2. 116: " O, where hath our intelligence been drunk?" but we see no 
 necessity for explaining it so here, and in K. John the figure is similar to 
 that in Macb. i. 7. 35 : " Was the hope drunk," etc. Intelligence is no 
 more used concretely than care in the next line : 
 
 "O, where hath our intelligence been drunk? 
 Where hath it slept? Where is my mother's care. 
 That such an army could be drawn in France, 
 And she not hear of it ?' ' 
 
 107. Who^ were he. H. omits who. 
 
 109. Comes. The quarto has " come," the folio " came ;" corrected by 
 Colman. 
 
 112. Our hands advanced, etc. If we lift our hands when we have no 
 heart for the fight, etc. Cf. Warwick's description of his soldiers in 
 3 Hen. VI. ii. i. 130 fol. : 
 
 "Their weapons like to lightning came and went; 
 Our soldiers' — like the night-owl's lazy flight, 
 Or like an idle thrasher with a flail — 
 Fell gently down, as if they struck their friends. 
 I cheer' d them up with justice of our cause, 
 With promise of high pay and great rewards. 
 But all in vain; they had no heart to fight ^ 
 And we in them no hope to win the day." 
 
 For afl'z/^;/^^^/— uplifted, see on i. i. 93 above. 
 
 116. Becking. Beckoning ; as in K. John, iii. 3. 13, and A. and C. iv. 
 12. 26. 
 
 Spalding says of this scene : " Its broken versification points out 
 Shakespeare ; the quaintness of some conceits is his ; and several of the 
 phrases and images have much of his pointedness, brevity, or obscurity. 
 The scene, though not lofty in tone, does not want interest, and contains 
 some extremely original illustrations." 
 
 Hickson thinks "that either Shakespeare and Fletcher wrote the 
 scene in conjunction, or that it was originally written by Fletcher, and 
 afterwards revised and partly re-written by Shakespeare." 
 
 L., after quoting these opinions, asks : " Does it not therefore appear 
 more likely that the view put forward by Spalding, and upheld by Dyce, 
 Skeat, and Swinburne — that Shakespeare was the first sketcher of the 
 piece, Fletcher the 'padder;' that the play is 'gilt o'er-dusted,' rather 
 than 'dust that is a little gilt' — gives after all the true explanation of 
 the mystery ?" 
 
 Scene III. — i. No further. "Pirithous is going to follow Theseus to 
 the war, and, taking leave of Hippolyta and Emilia at the gates of Athens, 
 bids them accompany him no further " (Sk.). 
 
 5. Dare. The early eds. have "dure," which Seward changed to 
 " cure." Dare was the conjecture of Sympson and Heath. The latter, 
 as quoted by D., remarks : " The words excess and overjioiv of power re- 
 late not to the success of Theseus just before mentioned, but to the rein- 
 forcement Pirithous was on the point of leading to join his army. And 
 the sense is — Though I dare not question the success of my lord even 
 
i66 NOTES. 
 
 with the troops he has, yet I wish him rather excess and overflow of 
 power, more force than is necessary, that, if possible, he may defy Fortune 
 to disappoint him." Nicholson (quoted by L.) thinks that dare is used 
 in "the fowling and hawking sense of terrifying a bird till it lay still and 
 subdued, or, not daring flight, fled crouching on the ground." Cf. He)i. V. 
 p. 176, note on Dare the field. 
 
 7. His ocean, etc. Weber quotes A. and C. iii. 12. 8-10. 
 
 ID. Pieces. Works, creations. In---\\\lo ; as often. 
 
 12. Speed. Success, fortune. Cf. 7! ^6". p. 143. 
 
 14. Terrene. Cf. A. and C. iii. 13. 153 : " our terrene moon." 
 
 20. Broach'' d. Spitted. Cf. Hen. V. v. prol. 32 : " Bringing rebellion 
 broached on his sword," etc. Sk. quotes Hen. V. iii. 3. 38. 
 
 21. Sod. Seethed, boiled. Cf R. of L. 1592 : " Sod in tears," etc. 
 H. " improves " the arrangement of the passage thus : 
 
 " or women that 
 Have sod their infants in the brine they wept 
 At kiUing 'em, and often eat them," etc. 
 
 24. Peace be to yon, etc. " Peace be to you as long as I pursue this war ; 
 when that is ended, we shall not need to pray for it " (Mason). 
 
 27. Depart. For the noun, see T. G. of V. p. 152. 
 
 Sports. Amusements, diversions ; referring to the festivities which 
 Pirithous had charge of (Sk.). 
 
 31. Playing one. The cpiarto has "ore " for one, a misprint which the 
 folio changes to "o'er." The correction is Mason's. "The business 
 which Pirithous was executing with his hand was the conducting of the 
 festivities; that which he directed in his head was the preparation for 
 war" (Sk.). 
 
 36. /^j- dangerous as poor. As dangerous as it was poor. Some put a 
 comma after dangerous. 
 
 37. They have skiff d, etc. "They have passed in a slight bark over 
 torrents whose roaring tyranny and power, even when at the minimum 
 of fury, were dreadful " (Weber). 
 
 43. Cunning. Skill. Cf T. of S. p. 127, or Ham. p. 257. 
 
 53. Count. That is, of years. 
 
 58. The quarto has here the following "warning" in the margin: 
 "2. Hearses ready with Palamon : and Arcite : the 3. Queenes. The- 
 seus; and his Lordes ready." This is one of the indications that the 
 quarto was set up from an acting copy of the play. Cf. pp. 10, 39 
 above. 
 
 61. For we did. Because we did. See on i. 2. 54 above. 
 
 63. Operance. Operation. We find operant in T. of A. iv. 3. 25 and 
 Ham. iii. 2. 184. 
 
 66. N'o more arraignment. That is, without further trial. 
 
 67. Then hct beginning. The early eds. have " breasts, oh (then but be- 
 ginning," etc. L. thinks that the parenthesis may be an interpolation 
 of Fletcher's. He adds: "The statement cannot be objected to physi- 
 ologically, but it certainly seems a superfluous piece of information from 
 a dramatic point of view." 
 
 11. Toy. Bit of finery. Cf ^. Z". iv. 4. 326 : "Any toys for your head?" 
 
ACT I. SCENE IIL 167 
 
 72. Her affections. " What she affected, or liked " (K.). 
 
 73. I'hoiigh happily her careless wear. The quarto reads " Though hap- 
 pely, her careles, were," and the folio "Though happily, her careless, 
 were ;" corrected by Colman, who paraphrases the passage thus : " Her 
 fancy (which was sure to be pretty, even in her most careless dress) I 
 copied in my most studied adornments." For /^aZ/z'/y^haply, see 2 Hen. 
 VL p. 164, or Gr. 42. 
 
 75. One. The early eds. have " on," which was an old spelling oi one. 
 Cf. T. G. of V. p. 129. See also on i. 2. 70 above. 
 
 78. Ihis rehearsal, etc. The quarto (followed essentially by the folio) 
 reads : 
 
 " This rehearsall 
 (Which fury-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 individuall." 
 
 The correction oi every innocent for "fury-innocent" is Lamb's; and 
 dividual for " individual " is due to Seward and Sympson. The meaning 
 of the expression, Zz/^<? t*/^ iniportmenfs bastard, is not clear; but the 
 editors have perhaps tried to find too much in it. Weber explains the 
 whole passage thus: "This rehearsal of our affections (which every in- 
 nocent well knows comes in like the mere bastard, the faint shadow of the 
 true import, the real extent of our natural affections) has this end," etc. 
 L. gives it thus: "The end of this long relation, as every innocent is 
 aware, comes in like the ' illegitimate conclusion ' of a long story told very 
 consequentially." This is better than Weber's exegesis, because simpler 
 and more in keeping with the playful tone of the parenthesis. Mason 
 took importnient to be =the French emportetnent, "which signifies pas- 
 sion or transport," and made the parenthesis " (Which fury innocent, wot 
 I well, comes in Like old emportment's bastard)," which he paraphrased 
 as follows : " the innocent enthusiasm of which, I well know, comes in 
 like the spurious offspring, the faint resemblance of the passion I formerly 
 felt for Flavina," etc. Innocent, of course, is —idiot ; as in A. W. iv. 3. 
 213, Per. iv. 3. 17, etc. 
 
 Sk. remarks here : " This beautiful passage is unfortunate in one re- 
 spect ; for it suggests a comparison with the well-known lines in the 
 M. N. D. iii. 2. 203, where Helena uses very similar language : 
 ' Both warbling of one song, both in one key,' etc. 
 
 There is a remarkable parallel passage in Fletcher's play of the Lover'^s 
 Progress, ii. I, descriptive of the love of two male friends : 
 
 ' Both brought up from our infancy together, 
 One company, one friendship, and one exercise 
 Ever affecting, one bed holding us, 
 One grief and one joy parted still between us. 
 More than companions, twins in all our actions. 
 We grew up till we were men, held one heart still. 
 Time call'd us on to arms ; we were one soldier, 
 Alike we sought our dangers and our honours, 
 Gloried alike one in another's nobleness.' 
 
 " The word dividual here merely means different, and seems to have been 
 
1 68 NOTES, 
 
 used to round off the description. In Milton it means separable, and 
 occurs in the Areopagitica, ed. Hales, p. 39, 1. 25, as well as in the P. L. 
 vii. 382, xii. 85. Richardson has also the following quotation containing 
 the word (from Brooke's Universal Beauty) : 
 
 'While through the pores nutritive portions tend, 
 Their equal ahment dividual share, 
 And similar to kindred parts adhere.'" 
 
 Spalding says of this scene that much of it " has Shakespeare's 
 stamp deeply cut upon it," and that it is " probably all his." Hickson 
 also praises it highly, as showing "the judgment of Shakespeare." He 
 adds : " The friendship of Theseus and Pirithous becomes a natural in- 
 troduction to the object of friendship in general, and female friendship in 
 particular ; and, in this light, the character of Emilia is shown so simple, 
 so pure, yet so fervent, that we justify and account for her irresolution and 
 inability to decide between the rivals, both of whom she admires without 
 actually loving either. It is a scene, in fact, necessary to that perfection 
 of character and consistency of purpose which but one writer of the age 
 attained. Struck out, the play would still be intelligible, as no part of the 
 action would thereby be lost ; but Emilia would straightway sink into one 
 of those conventional characters that strange circumstances throw into the 
 power of the dramatist, and, judged by any other than his own peculiar 
 standard, would certainly have little claim upon our respect." 
 
 Scene IV. — On a battle struck in the stage direction, cf. Hen. V. ii. 4. 
 54: " When Cressy battle fatally was struck ;" and see our ed. p. 160. 
 
 II. Even. Make even. Cf. A. W. p. 140, note on To even yotir con- 
 tent. 
 
 13. What are those ? Who are those ? Gr. 254. Here Theseus per- 
 ceives the bodies of Palamon and Arcite. They are brought in "on 
 hearses;" but no stage-direction appears in the old copies, as the " warn- 
 ing" in the margin at i. 3. 58 above was sufficient. D. (followed by H.) 
 wrongly adds to the heading of the scene, ^^ Dead bodies lying on the 
 ground ; among the7n Palamon and Arcite.'''' 
 
 15. Appointment. Accoutrement. Cf. Ham. p. 253. See also iii. i. 40 
 below. 
 
 18. Smear''d. Some copies of the quarto (see p. 9 above) have 
 "smeard," others "succard." L. compares Cor. i. 6. 69. 
 
 19. Make lanes. Cut their way through. Cf. 3 Hen. VI. i. 4. 9 : " Three 
 times did Richard make a lane to me." 
 
 21. What was ^t that prisoner, etc. The early eds. have "What pris- 
 oner was 't that ;" corrected by D. 
 
 22. We learn. The early eds. have "We leave ;" corrected by Heath. 
 K. and Sk. follow Seward in reading " With leave." D; at first gave 
 " Wi' leave," but afterwards adopted Heath's conjecture. L. is inclined 
 to think "leave " = " 'lieve " (believe). 
 
 31. Convent. Call together ; as in i. 5. 10 below. Cf. T. IV. p. 169. 
 
 40. Since I have known, etc. This is the great crtix of the play, and 
 has been the subject of much emendation and discussion. The quarto 
 (followed essentially by the folio) reads : 
 
ACT I. SCENE IV. 1 69 
 
 " Since I have knowne frights, fury, friends, beheastes, 
 Loves, provocations, zeale, a mistris Taske, 
 Desire of liberty, a feavour, madnes, 
 Hath set a marke which nature could not reach too 
 Without some imposition, sicknes in will 
 Or wrastling strength in reason, for our Love," etc 
 
 Seward transposed the line, Sickness hi will, etc., after madness, and 
 g?iv& friends^ behests and Love'' s provocations, and suggested " 'T hath " for 
 Hath. Heath would read " fights, fury " (for which D. givtsjioht^sfury) 
 and " Have " for Hath. D. also reads "zeal in a mistress' task," which 
 Sk. adopts. H. has "zeal in misery's task," and "They've" for Hath. 
 He adopts Seward's transposition and readings, and says : " The idea 
 running through the passage seems to be that the several things men- 
 tioned, ix oxxi fighf s fury to strength in reason, all crave or aim at some- 
 thing higher than man's natural powers can accomplish, unless specially 
 stimulated thereto by moral and religious incitements. So Theseus pro- 
 ceeds to urge upon his subordinates oar love and great Apollo's mercy as 
 motives for outdoing themselves in order to effect the matter in ques- 
 tion." But surely this is a strange preamble to such an appeal. If the 
 thought had passed through the mind of Theseus at the time, he would 
 not have paused to utter it. There is more of the clergyman than of the 
 critic in this interpretation. 
 
 Sk. says : " I do not see that the transposition suggested by Seward 
 is necessary, or that it helps us in any way. With a slighter mending, 
 we can do better. It is clear that friends should be a genitive case, 
 coupled as it is with Love'' s provocations ; and the '&\iggt'&\\oxi fighf s fury 
 is a great improvement upon i\iQ fights, fury of the old editions. The 
 introduction of /;/ after zeal, as proposed by Mr. Dyce, is also a happy 
 thought. But there we may as well stop. I understand the word that 
 before Hath, nothing being commoner in our dramatists than the omis- 
 sion of the relative ; and I retain Hath, without altering it, as some have 
 done, to Have. I interpret it thus : ' For I have known the fury of fight, 
 the requisitions of friends, the provocations of love, the zeal employed in 
 executing a mistress's task, or the desire of liberty — to be (or, to amount 
 to) a fever or a madness, which has proposed an aim (for endeavours) 
 which the man's natural strength could not attain to, without at least 
 some forcing, or some fainting of the will, or some severe struggle in the 
 mind.' This is at least as good as any previous explanations, and further 
 discussion of so difficult a passage would be useless. Imposition means 
 demand or requirement, in an excessive degree." 
 
 The reading and pointing in the text are those of L, except that he 
 retains the old "frights, fury." His explanation, which, if not perfectly 
 satisfactory, has the merit of simplicity, and also of connecting the pas- 
 sage naturally and appropriately with the context, is as follows : " The- 
 seus directs that the prisoners shall be removed from all sights that 
 might be suggestive of their captivity and so hinder their recovery, since 
 he knows that, among other causes, desire of liberty hath sometimes pro- 
 duced a degree of mental apathy or delirium {set a mark oi sickness in 
 will or wrestling strength itt reason) which could only be combated by 
 practising some deception {jiature could not reach to, etc.). Compare 
 
lyo NOTES. 
 
 what the Doctor says of the Daughter's wrestling strength in reason (in 
 her case produced by love's provocations), iv. 3. 73 below : ' It is a false- 
 hood she is in, which is with falsehoods to be combated.'''''' The singular 
 Juith is used because the subjects govern it separately, not collectively. 
 
 46. Our best. That is, our best physicians. 
 
 Spalding says of this scene that its phraseology is " like Shakespeare's, 
 being brief and energetic, and in one or two instances passing into quib- 
 bles." Hickson considers that it " bears the marks of Shakespeare's 
 hand too strongly to be mistaken." 
 
 Scene V. — 3. Dole. Dolour, grief. Cf. A. V. L. p. 143. 
 
 4. Heavy cheers. Sad faces. Yox cheer, 'S.G.t M. of V.^.\i^2.. 
 
 6. Wild. For this poetical epithet H. substitutes Walker's tame con- 
 jecture of " wide." 
 
 ID. Convent. See on i. 4. 31 above. 
 
 II. HousehohVs grave. The quarto has "housholds grave," the folio 
 " houshold graver." 
 
 15, 16. This world 'j a city, etc. This couplet is found on old grave- 
 stones in England and Scotland, with slight variations and with addi- 
 tional lines ; as in the following (given by L.) from Abernethy : 
 
 " The world 's a city 
 Full of streets, 
 And death 's a market 
 That every one meets ; 
 But if life were a thing 
 That money could buy, 
 The poor could not live 
 And the rich would not die" 
 
 Southey, in his Commonplace Books, gives the following as an epitaph 
 at Worpleton : 
 
 *' Life is a city full of crooked streets, 
 And Death the Marketplace where all men meets. 
 If life were a merchandize which men could buy, 
 The rich would purchase it, and only the poor would die." 
 
 Spalding assigns this scene to Shakespeare ; Hickson is in doubt 
 about it, but inclines to the same opinion. To L. the evidence seems to 
 point the other way. The epithet quick-eyed does not occur once in S. ; 
 and the whole tone of the song is Pletcherian. 
 
 ACT II. 
 
 Scene I. — i. Depart ivith. Part with. See JiT. John, p. 150. 
 
 5. Better lined. " Better off," better furnished with property. Sk. 
 compares Macb. i. 3. 112. See our ed. p. 164. L. quotes Cleveland, 
 Works, p. 93 : " But though he came alone, yet well lin'd it seems, 
 with 133/. 8./." 
 
 6. Delivered. " Given out," reported. 
 12. Of her. From her. Gr. 165. 
 
ACT II. SCENE IT. 
 
 171 
 
 20. Strezvings. Rushes to strew the floor. See Rich. 11.^. 167, note 
 on The presence strewed. 
 
 25. Absolute. Complete, perfect. Cf. Ham. v. 2. in : "an absolute 
 gentleman ;" and see also He7i. V. p. 170. 
 
 26. Stammers ^em. " Speaks stammeringly concerning them, does 
 them but small justice" (Sk.). 
 
 27. Grise. Step, grade. See 0th. p. 165. The quarto has " greise," 
 the folio "grief." Nares quotes from William Thomas's Hist, of Italy, 
 1561, H 2 : " certain skaffolds of borde, with grices or steppes one above 
 another." Sk. cites Way's note at p. 209 of the Promptorium Parvu- 
 loritm, which has " Grece, or tredyl, or steyre. Graihis.^'' We find in 
 Wiclif, Exod. XX. 26 : " thou schalt not stye [ascend] by grees to myn 
 auter," and the singular form gree is also found, meaning a step. Some 
 have supposed that grise is a mere corruption of the plural oi gree. 
 
 28. In the battle. Modifying doers, not reported. 
 41. Presently. Immediately. See Cy?nb.Y>. 184. 
 
 46. And so did they. Explaining why the Wooer had not seen them. 
 
 53. lord, the difference of men ! Sk. quotes Lear, iv. 2. 26 : " O, the 
 difference of man and man !" 
 
 Spalding gives this scene (as he does all the underplot) to Fletcher ; 
 but Hickson is firm in the belief that it is Shakespeare's. The fact that 
 it is in prose is against its being Fletcher's ; and so is the fact that it 
 does not fit exactly with the next scene, which is certainly his. In this 
 scene the kinsmen are referred to as if in conversation, but in the next 
 they begin with mutual salutations. There the Daughter speaks of them 
 as having no sense of their captivity and as discoursing nothing of their 
 own restraint and disasters, while here they discourse of nothing else. 
 
 Scene II. — Weber, D., and Sk. make this scene a continuation of the 
 preceding ; but the quarto distinguishes the two. Cf p. 35 above. 
 17. Have. H. adopts Dyce's conjecture of "had." 
 
 21. Wore. The old eds. have " were ;" corrected by Seward. D. reads 
 " ware." 
 
 22. Ravish' d. Snatched from. The old eds. have " Bravishd ;" cor- 
 rected by Seward. 
 
 28. Too-timely. Too early, too forward. Yox timely = t2ix\y,c(. C. of E. 
 i. I. 139: "my timely death." 
 
 31. Loaden. For the form, cf. i Hen. IV. p. 140. 
 
 51. Stuck. The early eds. have " Strucke" or " Struck." The emenda- 
 tion is due to Heath, and is favoured by the comparison of the swine to 
 a quiver. For the allusion to the Parthian custom of shooting as they 
 fled, cf Cymb. i. 6. 20 : " Or, like the Parthian, I shall flying fight." 
 Uses — exercises. 
 
 54, Lazily. The old eds. have " lastly," which is explained as =" worst 
 of all ;" but the measure as well as the sense of the context favours 
 Seward's emendation of " lazily." 
 
 58. Mere. Absolute. See Temp.'p. iii, note on We are merely cheated, 
 etc. 
 
 63. Main goodness. " Special piece of good luck " (Sk.). 
 
172 
 
 NOTES. 
 
 64. 'Iwin'd. The old eds. have "twyn'd" or "twinM;" but perhaps 
 we should read " twinn'd," with Seward, K., and L., as that word was 
 often spelled with one n. See on i. i. 178 above. Weber, D., Sk., and 
 H. have twiji'd. 
 
 74. Conversation. Intercourse with others. 
 
 91. Grave. Bury, destroy. The old eds. have "Crave," which L. de- 
 fends. Grave is due to D., and is adopted by Sk. and H. Theo. suggests 
 " Craze," Sympsou «' Carve," Mason " Cleave," and Heath " Raze." 
 
 100. A more conte^it. A greater content than there. For j?tore, see 
 Gr. 17. 
 
 112. Record. The noun is often accented by Elizabethan writers on 
 the last syllable. Cf. Ham. p. 197. 
 
 118. This garden, etc. The old eds. give this line to Arcite ; corrected 
 by Seward. 
 
 122. Forward. That is, go on with what you were saying. " Palamon 
 had said above, ' you shall hear me ;' and now Arcite is eagerly waiting 
 to hear the remainder of his speech. Palamon, engrossed in watching 
 Emilia, pays little attention, and merely says 'yes,' without adding more. 
 Hence Arcite's repeated remonstrance below, ' Will you go forward, 
 cousin .'" And again he says, ' Cousin ! how do you, sir ? why, Pala- 
 mon ' — supposing, for the moment, that Palamon is seized with a fit of 
 illness. Cf. iii. 5. 98 below " (Sk.). 
 
 138. Gently. A trisyllable here. Gr. 477. Cf. iv. i. in below. 
 
 142. She locks her heatdies in her bud again. Cf Keats, St. Agnes'' Eve: 
 " As though a rose should shut, and be a bud again." Sk. also notes 
 this poetic parallel. 
 
 146. Can cofne near. H. changes near to "to." 
 
 156-159. I will not, etc. L. compares L. L. L. iv. 3. 64 : 
 
 "A woman I forswore; but I will prove, 
 Thou being a goddess, I forswore not thee : 
 My vow was earthly, thou a heavenly love ; 
 Thy grace Iseing gain'd cures all disgrace in me." 
 
 163. Mankind. Accented on the first syllable ; as it is by S., except 
 in T. of A. (Schmidt). 
 
 171, 172. If that will lose ye, etc. H. gives, without note or comment : 
 
 " If that will lose ye, farewell, Palamon ! I say 
 Again, I love her; and, in loving her, maintain," etc. 
 
 The addition of "her" in 172 was suggested by Walker, who would 
 
 arrange thus : 
 
 " I say again 
 I love her; and, in loving her, maintain," etc 
 
 191. If he be hit one. "That is, if the enemy be but a single person. 
 The ' enemy,' in this instance, is Emilia. Arcite's reply is — suppose the 
 enemy would prefer to fight with me; that is, suppose Emilia were to 
 prefer me. Palamon rejoins that, in that case, Arcite would be free to 
 love ; othertoise, he looks upon him as a villain " (Sk.). 
 
 215. Enter Gaoler. In the old theatre the platform of the stage would 
 be the garden, while the raised balcony at the back would be the interior 
 
ACT IL SCENE III. 
 
 173 
 
 of the prison, where Palamon and Arcite are, and where the Gaoler now 
 enters. 
 
 231. Apricock. Apricot; the old spelling. Qi. Rich. II.'^.i^']. 
 
 261. Pelting. Paltry. See M. N. D. p. 142. 
 
 269. Morris. That is, morris-dance. Cf. iii. 5 below, where one is in- 
 troduced. 
 
 Spalding remarks that " this scene, if it be Fletcher's, is among the 
 very finest he ever wrote." Hickson says that " with all its beautiful 
 poetry, it does not exhibit dramatic power." 
 
 Scene III. — 10. Into thee. H. has " unto thee ;" but whether it is a 
 misprint or an emendation we cannot say. 
 
 21. Another shape. That is, a disguise. On 7nake nie, cf. 0th. v. I. 4: 
 " It makes us, or it mars us," etc. 
 
 26. Have with ye. I '11 be with you. See A. Y. L. p. 146. 
 
 31. Hold. Hold to our engagement. 
 
 35. Ye know. The old eds. have "yet know ;" corrected by Seward. 
 
 37. Keep totuh. Keep his appointment ; a phrase of doubtful origin. 
 Nicholson says that it probably came from the custom of shaking hands 
 on a bargain or agreement. Cf. the old word handfast. 
 
 38. Horn-book. The child's primer, which at first was a single leaf set 
 in a frame of wood, and covered with horn to keep it from being soiled 
 or torn. See Chambers, ^^'c/^ ^Z?a;j/j-, vol. i. p. 47. Cf. Z. Z. Z. v. i. 49: 
 *' he teaches boys the horn-book." 
 
 43. For our town. That is, for its credit or honour. 
 
 44. Weavers. Probably =singers here. For the reputation of weavers 
 as singers, see i Hen. IV. p. 165, or T. P/. p. 137. 
 
 46. By any means. By all means ; as in iii. 5. 134 below. For says 
 the old eds. have "sees ;" corrected by Seward. 
 
 48. Farlonsly. Amazingly. See M. A^. P. p. 155, or Gr. 461. 
 
 49. Makes no cry. Makes no noise, amounts to nothing. 
 
 50. Tackle. " Equipments, things prepared for the occasion " (Sk.). 
 65. Trick d' the hip. Trick in wrestling. Sk. says : " The reference is 
 
 not to the hip of the vanquished wrestler, as some think, but^to that of 
 the victor. If a wrestler can succeed in hitching his hip in a certain way 
 under his adversary's body, he may often succeed in throwing with almost 
 irresistible violence. This is the ' trick of the hip ' referred to here and 
 by Shakespeare." Cf. M. of V. i. 3. 42, iv. i. 334, and 0th. ii. i. 314. For 
 the use of vengeance, cf. Cor. ii. 2.6: " he's vengeance proud ;" and see 
 our ed. p. 227. 
 
 68. He roast eggs! "A contemptuous expression, intimating the speak- 
 er's doubt as to Arcite's capacity even for cooking an egg. The phrase 
 ' like an ill-roasted egg, all on one side ' is in A. Y. L. iii. 2. 38. It looks as 
 if eggs were sometimes roasted, like apples, before the fire, and required 
 turning at intervals. Ray gives the phrase ' 1 have eggs on the spit ' as 
 a common proverb, adding that it means ' I am very busy. Eggs, if they 
 be well roasted, require much turning.' Two more proverbs are ' Set a 
 fool to roast eggs, and a wise man to eat them ;' and ' There goes some 
 reason to the roasting of eggs'" (Sk.). 
 
174 NOTES. 
 
 73. E'er flew. The old eds. have " never flew," which Sk. thinks may- 
 be what the author wrote. Cf. Gr. 406. 
 
 76. Happiness. Good luck. 
 
 As Spalding says, "neither this scene nor the following have anything 
 in them worthy of particular notice." 
 
 Scene IV. — 2. Affect. Love. See Much Ado, p. 124. 
 
 18. Coih Ado, stir. See Much Ado, p. 146, or M. N. D. p. 168. 
 
 20. Fairer spoken. See Gr. 374 (cf. 294). 
 
 Scene V. — 4. Allotv. Approve, praise. L. quotes Webster, Westward 
 Ho, iii. 4 : " they allow my wit for it extremely." 
 
 7. Gave me life. H. adopts Seward's conjecture of " my " for me. 
 
 9. Proves yon. That is, to be a gentleman. Sire is here a dissyllable ;' 
 XxV^t fires in V. 1.3 below. Gr. 480. 
 
 12. Deep cry. "Deep-mouthed" {T.ofS.'iwA. i. 18) pack. See Cor. 
 p. 248. 
 
 16. Proper. Comely. ^e.e. M. of V.Y).iT,2,Vi0ie, on A proper mati'spictzire. 
 
 24. Baser garments. It will be borne in mind that Arcite is disguised 
 as a countryman. 
 
 26. Pnrchase. Win, gain. Cf. y^. KZ. p. 177. 
 
 51. To do observance, etc. Cf. M. N'. D. i. i. 167 : " To do observance 
 to a morn of May." 
 
 65. Wise. Discreet. 
 
 Scene VI. — Devils roar. "Probably we have here a relic of the old 
 mysteries. Cf. Rich. III. iv. 4. 75, Hen. V. iv. 4. 75 [see our ed. p. 179], 
 etc." (L.). . _ 
 
 33. Patch. The old eds. have "path." The emendation is Dr. Ingle- 
 by's, and is adopted by L. Cf. Ham. iv. 4. 18. 
 
 35. Whoo-bub. Hubbub. See W. T. p. 204. 
 
 ACT JII. 
 
 Scene I. — 2. Laund. Lawn, glade. The old eds. have "land." 
 Lanndvf2iS suggested by D. Cf. 3 He/i. VI. iii. I. 2 : " For through this 
 laund anon the deer will come ;" and see our ed. p. 154. Sk. cites Chau- 
 cer, Kn. T. 833 : " And to the launde he rydeth him ful ryghte." Sev- 
 ^r^/=separate. 
 
 6. Buttons. Buds. Cf. Ham. i. 3. 40. 
 
 7. Knacks. Knick-knacks. Cf. W. T. p. 199. 
 
 10. Place. The old eds. have " pace ;" corrected by Seward. 
 
 12. Eftsoons. Soon after ; used again in Per. v. i. 256. 
 
 13. Chop. " Exchange, make an exchange. Arcite means, Oh ! that I 
 might, whilst thou art meditating, come between, soon after some cold or 
 sober thought, and make an exchange, by changing those cold thoughts 
 to thoughts of love !" (Sk.), 
 
ACT III. SCENE I. 
 
 175 
 
 36. Void'' St. The old eds. have *' voydes ;" corrected by Sympson. 
 
 37. Gentle token. The mark or badge of gentle birth. 
 
 40. Appointment. Accoutrement, weapons. See on i. 4. 15 above. 
 
 • 42. Nor worth. L. conjectures "not worth," which may be right. 
 
 • 43. House-clogs. That is, his fetters. 
 
 44. Cozener. Cf. the similar play on cousin in I Hen. IV. i. 3. 254 ; and 
 for other instances see our ed. p. 155. 
 
 45. As thou hast show'd me feat. That is, in keeping with your behav- 
 iour. 
 
 47. Your blazon. Your description. " The original sense of blason in 
 Old French was simply a shield; then it came to mean a coat-of-arms, 
 which is still the sense it has in French ; then, in English only, it passed 
 on to the sense of description of arms, and even to description in a gen- 
 eral sense, as in Ham. i. 5. 21, Micch Ado, ii. i. 307 " (Sk.). 
 
 52. Skip them. Ignore their existence. 
 ' 54. Griefs. Grievances ; as often. Cf. i Hen. IV. p. 192. 
 
 58. Advertised. Accented on the second syllable ; as it is regularly in 
 S. Cf. Rick. Ill p. 235. 
 
 68. CompelVd. Accented on the first syllable because followed by a 
 noun so accented. See Schmidt, p. 1413 fol. Cf. M.for M. ii. 4. 57 : "I 
 talk not of your soul ; our compell'd sins," etc. 
 
 On the passage, cf. Macb. v. 7. i : 
 
 "They have tied me to a stake; I cannot fly, 
 But, bear-like, I must fight the course." 
 
 72. Qiiit me of these cold gyves. Free me from these iron fetters. Cf. 
 Cymb. p. 215, note on 14. 
 
 74. Come before me then, etc. Sk. cites Macb. iv. 3. 234 : 
 
 *' Within my sword's length set him ; if he scape 
 Heaven forgive him too!" 
 
 83. With counsel of the night. When the approach of night tells me 
 that I may safely do it. Sk., who makes (rd'w;/j(?/=" assistance," consid- 
 ers it " rather a bold phrase ;" but the transition from advice to assist- 
 ance is an easy one. 
 
 86. The smell 6' the prison. This gives us a hint of the "unsanitary" 
 condition of prisons in the poet's time. Sk. refers to iii. 3. 48, 51 below. 
 
 88. In plight. In condition for the combat. Cf. T. and Cm. 2. 168: 
 " To keep her constancy in plight," etc. 
 
 89. Dares. The reading of the quarto, and, to our thinking, preferable 
 to the "dare" of the folio and the modern editors (except L.). 
 
 90. Business. Changed by D. and H. to "baseness." Sk. has " nobly " 
 for noble. 
 
 The meaning is, "Dares any one who shews himself so noble be capa- 
 ble of aught base.'' None, save Arcite, could be so; and therefore in 
 proportion to the height of his generosity is the depth of his base- 
 ness" (L.). 
 
 97. Musit. The early eds. have " Musicke " or " Musick ;" corrected 
 by K. Nares defines miisit-AS, "the opening in a hedge through which a 
 hare, or other beast of sport, is accustomed to pass." Cf. V. and A. 683 : 
 
176 
 
 NOTES. 
 
 ' The many musits through the which he goes 
 Are like a labyrinth, to amaze his foes ;' ' 
 
 where a hunted hare is referred to. Here the word is == hiding-place, 
 loi. Befit brow. That is, a frowning or angry brow. Cf. i Hen. VI. 
 
 V. 3. 34 : " See how the ugly wench doth bend her brows !" and 3 Hen. 
 
 VI. V. 2. 19 : "And who durst smile when Warwick bent his brow ?" 
 104. My stomach, etc. That is, if my stomach were not, etc. Sk. 
 
 thinks that stomach is " probably ^inclination, used much as we now use 
 palate ; the oil did not suit his palate and he could scarcely persuade 
 himself to like it." The word may, however, be ^resentment (cf. Leaj'^ 
 p. 254), as some explain it. 
 
 112. / V^. The old eds. have "If;" corrected by Seward. 
 
 114. Bleeding. For the figure, cf. Rich. II. i. i. 157, 2 Hen. IV. iv. i. 
 5* etc. 
 
 Scene II. — i. Brake. The old eds, have " Beake " or " Beak ;" cor- 
 rected by Weber (the conjecture of Theo.). Sympson suggested " brook," 
 and Seward reads "beck" ( = brook). Cf. ii. 6. 6 above. Sk. remarks : 
 "Just above (iii. 1.30) we have — 'Enter Palamon out of a bush.'' And 
 again below (iii. 6. 1 13) we have — ' into your btish again !' We may 
 compare also Arcite's expression — 'your hawthorn-house ' (iii. I. 82) with 
 Shakespeare's expression — ' This green plot shall be our stage, this haw- 
 thoxn-brake our tiring-house ' {M. N. D. iii. I. 3), and again, ' enter into 
 that brake'' in the same scene, 'j'].^'' 
 
 5. But for one thing. H. reads "but one thing," as '■''for serves no 
 purpose but to mar both sense and rhythm." The change does not im- 
 prove the measure, and mars the sense by shifting the accent from one to 
 thing. 
 
 7. Reck. The quarto has " wreake," as the word is sometimes spelled 
 in the early eds. of S. So reckless is sometimes spelled " wreakless." The 
 v^xhjaw is not found elsewhere in S. 
 
 19. Fed. The quarto has " feed," 
 
 20. Be bold to ring the bell. " You may, without hesitation, begin to 
 toll the bell for him ; that is, he is certainly dead " (Sk.). H. thinks the 
 reference is probably to " the bell of the prison, which will be rung as an 
 alarm-signal when Palamon is found to have escaped." 
 
 21. All 'j chared. The deed is done. For the noun chare (the Yankee 
 " chore"), see A. and C. p. 210. Sk. says : " The present passage is par- 
 ticularly well illustrated by the old proverb, given in Hazlitt's collection, 
 *That char is r/za!rV(that business is done), as the good wife said when 
 she had hanged her husband.' In the Marriage of Wit and Science (Haz- 
 litt's Old Plays, ii. 375), we have — 
 
 'This char is char'd well now, Ignorance, my son, 
 Thou seest.all this, how featly it is done.' 
 
 We also find, in B. and F., the spelling chewre ; as in Love's Cnre, iii. 2 : 
 * Here 's two cheivres chewr\l.^ " 
 
 25. Mofd. Moping, stupid. Cf. Ham. p. 237. 
 
 26, 27. Food took I none, etc. We follow the old eds. except in the 
 
ACT III. SCENE III. 177 
 
 pointing. Cf. iv. 3. 4 below. Sympson conjectured " 'cept some water." 
 Seward filled up a supposed gap thus : 
 
 " Food took I none these two days, only sipt 
 Some water, two nights I Ve not clos'd my eyes," etc. 
 
 D. (followed by Sk. and H.) reads : 
 
 "Food took I none these two days; once, indeed, 
 I sipp'd some water; I've not clos'd mine eyes," etc. 
 
 H. has, however, " have " for " I 've." L. says : " It is possible that 
 some words have dropped out ; guessing can avail little in such a case." 
 
 28. Brine. The old eds. have " bine ;" corrected by Tonson. Cf. i. 
 3. 22 above. 
 
 29. Lest I should droxvji, etc. " The enumeration of deaths should be 
 noticed, and their connection with insanity " (L.). Cf. i. i. 142 and iv. 3. 
 30 below ; also Temp. iii. 3. 58. 
 
 31. State of nature. " Natural reasoning power" (Sk.). Cf. Lear, i. 4. 
 290 and Macb. i. 3. 140. 
 
 Together. Apparently = altogether ; otherwise it seems a strange word 
 here. We wonder that somebody has not suggested "fall together" 
 (^collapse). 
 
 33. Next. Nearest. Cf. W.T.]). 181. 
 
 35. Crickets . . . screech-ozvl. Sk. quotes Macb. ii. 2. 16: "I heard the 
 owl scream and the crickets cry." 
 
 36. All offices are done, etc. " All the duties of the day and night are 
 done, and a new day is beginning; I alone have failed to give Palamon 
 the file I brought for him, which might have saved him" (Sk.). 
 
 Spalding, who assigns this scene (with all the underplot) to Fletcher, 
 says that there is " some pathos in several parts of the soliloquy, but lit- 
 tle vigour in the expression, or novelty in the thoughts." Hickson re- 
 marks : " It is to this scene that we referred by anticipation as giving an 
 instance of Shakespeare's judgment. It can hardly be said to explain 
 any necessary circumstance ; . . . but it supplies the due gradation be- 
 tween a mind diseased and madness ; and in connection with another 
 scene at which we shall shortly arrive, it displays a depth of insight into 
 the psychological character of this state only exceeded by Shakespeare 
 himself, in Lear. Let our readers observe in particular the unselfish 
 anxiety for Palamon's safety, and her subsequent terror at her own dis- 
 ordered senses. The introduction of the popular notion that wild beasts 
 'have a sense to know a man unarm'd' is quite a Shakespearian illus- 
 tration ; and we do not know an instance of finer drawing than this of 
 her imagination painting, as absolute reality, the subject of her first fear. 
 From this conviction (of Palamon's death) we come naturally to the con- 
 cluding lines, beyond which the next step is madness." 
 
 Scene III. — 6. Beastly. Like a beast. Cf. Cymb. iii. 3. 40 : " We are 
 beastly, subtle as the fox for prey," etc. For the adverbial use, cf. A. 
 and C. p. 178. 
 
 34. Virginals. " A keyed instrument, somewhat like a small piano- 
 forte, probably so called because used by young girls " (Nares). It was 
 
 M 
 
178 
 
 NOTES. 
 
 VIRGINAL. 
 
 sometimes called a fair of virginals ; as in Dekker's GuPs Hornbooke: 
 "leap up and down like the nimble jacks of a i>air of virginals." See 
 also Harper''s Mag. vol. Iviii. p. 857. The noun is not used by S. (this 
 scene is not his), but virginalling occurs in W. T. i. 2. 125. 
 
 41. Thereby hangs a tale. Cf M. W. i. 4. 159, T. of S. iv. I. 60, A. Y. L. 
 ii. 7. 28, etc. 
 
 45. Break. That is, break our agreement. 
 
 51. Fear me not. Fear not for me. Cf. M.for M. iv. i. 70, etc. 
 
 53. Keep touch. See on ii. 3. 37 above. 
 
 " This is one of those scenes by the introduction of which Fletcher 
 succeeded in spoiling a good play " ( L. ). Spalding says : " In most 
 respects the scene is not very characteristic of either writer, but leans 
 towards Fletcher ; and one argument for him might be drawn from an 
 interchange of sarcasms between the two kinsmen, in which they retort 
 on 'each other former amorous adventures : such a dialogue is quite like 
 Fletcher's men of gaiety ; and needless degradation of his principal 
 characters is a fault of which Shakespeare is not guilty." 
 
 Hickson says : " The 3d scene, without any doubt, is by Fletcher. 
 Arcite brings 'food and files' to Pal anion ; and, after some patter of 
 early reminiscences between them utterly out of character, they sepa- 
 rate." 
 
 Scene IV. — 2. Aglets. " Properly, tags to laces, or ( as here ) the 
 bright tops or heads of such tags" (Sk.); or "spangles" (L.). Coles 
 
ACT III. SCENE IV. 
 
 179 
 
 {Latin Did.) gives both " An Aglet (tag of a point), (Evamentiim lignlce,^'' 
 and also " An Aglet (a little plate of metal), Bractea, Bracteola''' C(. 
 Spenser, F. Q. ii. 3. 26 : 
 
 "yclad, for heat of scorching aire, 
 
 All in a silken camus lilly-white, 
 
 Purfled upon with many a folded plight, 
 
 Which all above besprinckled was throughout 
 
 With golden aygulets, that glistred bright, 
 
 Like twinckling starres." 
 
 See also 71 ^6". p. 138, note on Aglet-baby. 
 
 9. Run. The early eds. have " Vpon " or " Upon." Seward reads 
 " Up with," and Weber (followed by D. and H.) " Spoom " (Theo. had 
 suggested " Spoon "), which they explain as =" let her spoom." Rtm is 
 the emendation of Sk., who says : " The old text has 'Upon her,' where 
 the first two letters are clearly due to the repetition of the Up of the next 
 line ; and the most likely word is one which shall be a short monosylla- 
 ble, ending with n. Nearly all the modern editions read Spoom her^ 
 from a conjecture of Weber's, founded on the fact that spoom occurs in 
 Beaumont and Fletcher's Double Marriage, ii. i ; but the word spoom, in 
 that passage, is an intransitive verb, meaning to sail steadily, and is a 
 mere variation, apparently, of spume (foam), as if the sense were to throw 
 up foam. Nares remarks: 'an attempt has been made to introduce 
 spoom into the Two Noble Kinsmen, iii. 4, but with small critical judg- 
 ment' " 
 
 10. Course. A name applied to the large lower sails of a ship. See 
 Temp. p. Ill, note on Set her two courses. 
 
 14. Carack. A large ship. See 0th. p. 160. Sk. says : " Cotgrave 
 has * Carraque, the huge ship termed a Carricke.' Cf. Span, carraca, Ital. 
 caracca, a ship of heavy burden." 
 
 15. Pigmies. "A fabulous people, said to be of the height oi2ipygme 
 (TTvynrj), or 13^ inches, mentioned by Homer {Iliad, iii. 5) as dwelling 
 on the shores of Ocean, and at times subject to attacks by cranes. 
 Dwarfs have often been credited with supernatural powers, especially in 
 Northern mythology" (Sk.). Cf Mtich Ado, ii. i. 278. 
 
 19. Sk. suggests that this Sotig may have been part of an old ballad. 
 He compares The N^ut-broivn Maid : 
 
 " Lo yet, before, ye must do more, 
 Yf ye wyll go with me : 
 As cut your here up by your ere, 
 Your kyrtel by the kne." 
 
 22. He 's. A vulgar contraction of he shall, still in use in the North of 
 England. Cf. Gr. 461. See also Lear, p. 248, note on 220. Sk. (as 
 quoted by L.) suggests that it be printed lie s\ 
 
 For cut as applied to a horse, see i Hen. IV. p. 156, or T. N'. p. 139 
 (note on Call me cut). Cf also v. 2. 44 below. ■• 
 
 25. O for a prick now, etc. Allusions to the old idea that the night- 
 ingale presses her breast against a thorn while singing are very common 
 in the poets. Cf. Z*. P. 379 : 
 
 " Everything did banish moan, 
 Save the nightingale alone ; 
 
l8o NOTES. 
 
 She, poor bird, as all forlorn, 
 
 Lean'd her breast up-till a thorn, 
 
 And there sung the doleful!" st ditty," etc. 
 
 Hickson says of this scene : "there is some affectation of nautical lan- 
 guage (why, Heaven only knows), and the rest is mere incoherent non- 
 sense." Spalding has nothing of importance to say about it. 
 
 Scene V. — The Baviaft. A character sometimes introduced into the 
 morris -dance, dressed up as a baboon. He performed some pantomimic 
 tumbling, with occasional barking like a dog. Cf. 33-37 below. 
 
 2. Tediosity and disensanity are the pedantic coinage of the School- 
 master. 
 
 L. compares The Spanish Curate, iii. 2 : 
 
 " I have taught these twenty years, 
 Preach'd spoonmeat to ye, that a child might swallow. 
 Yet ye are blockheads still." 
 
 8. Prize. A coarse woollen cloth (cf. 0th. p. 173), 2iSjane was a cheap 
 cotton one. For the latter the old eds. have "jave;" corrected by D. 
 Seward has "sleave" (cf. Macb. p. 191), and K. "jape." 
 
 II. Mediiis fidius. "An old Latin oath, apparently short for me dius 
 Fidiiis adtjivet, may the divine Fidius help me ! \{ fidius stands ior filius, 
 then it means, may the divine son of Jupiter help me ! The reference, in 
 that case, is most likely to the god Hercules " (Sk.). 
 
 18. Meleager. The hero who slew the monstrous boar in the woods of 
 Calydon. Cf. 2 Hen. VI. p. 153, note on 231. 
 
 21. Trace. A term in dancing. L. quotes several instances of the 
 noun ; as Spenser, Shep. Kal. June : " trimly trodden traces ;" Handfid 
 of Pleasant Delites : "Yet daunceth on the trace," etc. 
 
 29. Deliverly. Nimbly. Under the adjective, Nares quotes Holinshed : 
 "nimble, leane, and deliver men;" and, again: "all of them- being tall, 
 quicke, and deliver persons," etc. 
 
 38. Quousque tandem ? How long ? evidently from Cicero's ist Ora- 
 tion against Catiline : " Quousque tandem abutere, Catilina, patientia 
 nostra ?" 
 
 41. Wash''d a tile. Laboured in vain. " It is a Latin proverb, laterem 
 lavare, and occurs in Terence, Phormio, i. 4. 9. There is a similar proverb 
 in Greek, ttKivOovq ttXvvhv, to wash bricks " (Sk.). 
 
 42. Patuus. Foolish. 
 
 43. Hilding. A term of contempt. See R. and J. p. 172. 
 
 45. Sempster. Sempstress ; which word has a double feminine affix, 
 -ster being originally feminine, as it still is in spinster. Cf. the old play 
 of The Roaring Girl (quoted by Nares) : 
 
 "6". A sempster speak with me, sayst thou?. 
 N. Yes, sir, she 's there viva, voce.'''' 
 
 48. Wine and bread. That is, the sacrament. Cf. R. and J. iii. 5. 177 : 
 " God's bread ! it makes me mad." 
 
 Break. That is, break her promise. H. has " brake," which is probably 
 a misprint. 
 
 49. An eel and tvoman, etc. Sk. says: "In Hazlitt's Collection of 
 
ACT III. SCENE V. i8i 
 
 Proverbs we find * There is as much hold of his words as of a wet eel by 
 the tail.' Who the 'learned poet' is, I cannot say. Plautus [Fseiidolus, 
 ii. 4. 56) has ' anguilla est, elabitur.' " 
 
 53. A fire-ill take her ! " Pox take her !" (Nares). Cf. T. of A, iv. 3. 
 "142. Seward reads "feril" (=ferule), and Sk. "wildfire." 
 
 58. Frampal. Pettish, perverse. We find the ioxva frampold in M. W.. 
 ii. 2. 94. See our ed. p. 146. 
 
 60. Alow. Low down ; " possibly referring to the appearance of a ship 
 on the horizon" (Sk.). Quite as likely, as L. suggests, it is a mere ex- 
 clamation. 
 
 67. / cojne. The early eds. omit /, which was supplied by Jonson. 
 Weber reads " we come." 
 
 68. Howlet. Owlet. See Macb. p. 228. 
 
 '] /^. r the nick. That is, in the nick of time. 
 
 80. Tell ten. Count ten. *' It was a trial of idiocy to make the person 
 count his fingers " (Weber). For tell, cf. Temp. p. 123. See also v. 4. 56 
 below. 
 
 For buz as an interjection of impatience when one is about to tell what 
 is already known, see Hani. p. 208, or Macb. p. 243. 
 
 87. Qui passa. Here passes (Italian) ; unexplained in this connection. 
 It may be the contracted name of some old tune. The bells are those of 
 the morris-dancers. For the bones as instruments of music, see M. N. D. 
 p. 173, note on The tongs and the bones. 
 
 88. To a peace. " To be quiet " (Sk.) ; or, perhaps, to an alliance with 
 us, to joining our dance (L.). Mason would read "a place," and Weber 
 suggests "a pace" ( = a dance). 
 
 89. Et opus exegi, etc. From Ovid, Met. xv. 871 : 
 
 " lamque opus exegi, quod nee lovis ira nee ignes 
 Nee poterit ferrum nee edax abolere vetustas. " 
 
 101. A cold beginning. A play on hail. Cf. L. L. L. v. 2. 339. Walker 
 cites Dekker, Old Fortunatus : 
 
 " ^ ndelocia. Brother, all hail ! 
 Shadow. There 's a rattling salutation." 
 
 L. adds, from The Faithful Friends, iii. 2 : 
 
 ^'^ Pergantus. All hail! 
 Learclnis. He begins to storm already." 
 
 and Cleveland, A zealons Discourse between the Persoii of the Parish and 
 Tabitha : 
 
 " Hail, Sister, to your snowy Breast — 
 The Word permitteth us to jeast," etc. 
 
 104. Distinguish villager. Mark as villagers or peasants. 
 
 106. Rable. The pedagogue's rhyming variation of rabble, as choris of 
 chorus. So in 113 he accents machine on the first syllable. 
 
 112. Ferula. Sk. says : " It was made of wood and shaped like a bat- 
 tledore, but with the bat much diminished, so as to be adapted for ad- 
 ministering a severe pat on the palm of the victim's hand. In a picture 
 called * The Schoolmaster,' by Gerard Douw, in the Fitzwilliam Museum, 
 
i82 NOTES. 
 
 Cambridge, it will be seen that the master holds di ferula in his left hand, 
 ready for use." 
 
 114. For the alliteration, cf. M. N. D, v. i. 147 ; and see our ed. p. 184. 
 
 118. Mickle. Much, great. Cf. R. and J. p. 169. 
 
 123. This tenonr. To this tenour, to this efifect. 
 
 124. Tenner. A pen-case, a case for holding pens (Nares) ; used here, 
 of course, as a symbol for what he has />enned. 
 
 125. Sk. remarks : " We have here a list of the characters in the Mor- 
 ris-dance — namely, the Lord of May, the Lady of May (also called Queen 
 of May, or Maid Marian), the Chambermaid, the Servingman, the Host, 
 the Hostess, etc. ; to which should be added the Bavian or Tumbler, and 
 the Clown or Jester, who was seldom absent from such festivities. By 
 putting together the account in this part of the scene and the preceding 
 part, we may make out the list of the twelve principal characters, six of 
 each sex, with the persons who took the parts : 
 
 " Ma/e. I. Lord of May ; 2. Servingman ; 3. Host ; 4. Clown ; 5. Ba- 
 vian ; 6. Taborer. 
 
 *■*■ Female. 7. Lady of May ; 8. Chambermaid; 9. Hostess; 10. il. 12. 
 Dancers. 
 
 "The parts may be thus distributed among the actors: 
 
 *■'■ Male. I. 2. 3. 4. First, Second, Third, and Fourth Countrymen; 5. A 
 fifth Countryman ; 6. A man named Timothy. 
 
 '■^Female. 7. Friz ; 8. Gaoler's Daughter, taking the place of Cicely (for 
 it is clearly the Second Countryman's partner who failed to appear) ; 9. 
 Maudlin; 10. Luce; 11. Barbary ; 12. Nell. 
 
 "In Beaumont and Fletcher's Knight of the Burning Testle, iv. 5, we 
 have 'Enter Ralph, dressed as a May-lord ;' he describes himself as hav- 
 ing a ' gilded staff, and crossed scarf.' " 
 
 127. Silent hanging. Tapestry, behind which to hide. Silent may be 
 = " that does not rustle " (Sk.). Cf. K. John, p. 163, note on Within the 
 arras. 
 
 128. Welcomes. Changed by most of the editors to " welcome," as In- 
 forms below to "Inform." L. remarks : "With Mr. Skeat, I have left 
 this passage as it stands in the old eds., objections to tht grammar seem- 
 ing hypercritical, and to a student of Dr. Ahhoit''s Shakes. Gr. almost ab- 
 surd." Their is also generally changed to " his ;" but the plural is im- 
 plied in traveller. 
 
 I'^i. Beast-eating. Mason conjectures " beef-eating." H. is probably 
 right in making it =eating like a beast. The Fool and the Bavian are of 
 course the same character. See on 125 above. 
 
 132. With long tail. H. prints " with long long tail" (a misprint?). 
 
 137. Intrate,filii, etc. The old eds. give this to ^^Tir.,''^ but Colman is 
 clearly right in transferring it to Gerrold. 
 
 139. Ye with. The old eds. have " thee with ;" corrected by Seward. 
 In 142 the quarto has " three" for thee. 
 
 156. Lets. Hindrances. Cf. T. of L. 330 : " these lets attend the time," 
 etc. 
 
 157. Doucets. "The testes of a deer;" a word not used by S., but 
 often by Fletcher and B. J. Cf. Nares. 
 
ACT III. SCENE VI. 183 
 
 Spalding refers to " the learned and high-fantaslical schoolmaster Ger- 
 rold" as "a personage who has the pedantry of Shakespeare's Holo- 
 fernes, without one solitary spark of his humour." Hickson says that 
 the scene is " not only imitation, but the imitation of a young and inex- 
 perienced writer." 
 
 Scene VI. — 10. Out-dtire. Outlast, endure; printed as two words in 
 the quarto. 
 
 22. Beneficial. Beneficent; as mC.o/E. i. i. 152, Hen. VIII. i. i. 56, 
 etc. 
 
 24. Quit. Requite ; as often in S. See Rich. II. p. 208, note on 43. Cf. 
 V. 4. 35 below. 
 
 30. Like meeting of two tides. Spalding notes Fletcher's "want of dis- 
 tinctness in grasping images, and inability to see fully either their pict- 
 uresque or their poetical relations;" in illustration of which he quotes 
 this passage and 83 fol. below : " When I saw you charge first," etc. 
 
 59. Grand-guard. A piece of defensive armour, of which the best de- 
 scription that we have seen is in Meyrick's Ajicient ArfJiozcr (quoted by 
 D.) : " It has over the breast, for the purpose of justing, what was called 
 the grand-garde, which is screwed on by three nuts, and protects the left 
 side, the edge of the breast, and the left shoulder." 
 
 82. Virtue. Valour (the Latin vi7-tus). Cf. Cor. p, 195. 
 
 87. Strait. Tight; as in Hen. V. iii. 7. 57: "your strait strossers," 
 etc. 
 
 106. For none but such, etc. Seward remarks : " Our scene lies rather 
 in the land oi knight-errantry than of Athens ; our authors follow Chau- 
 cer, and dress their heroes after the manners of his age, when trials by 
 the sword were thought just, and the conquered always supposed guilty 
 and held infamous." 
 
 112. Safety. The early eds. have "safely;" corrected by Seward. 
 
 131. Fears me. Frightens me. See M. of V. p. 137, or K. John, p. 147. 
 
 133. Have at thy life. " The usual exclamation of warning" (L.). 
 
 147. Thine own. The early eds. have " this owne " or " this own ;" 
 corrected by D. For the accent oi edict, cf. 170 below. See also M. N. D. 
 p. 129. 
 
 161. Soon. Easy, ready. 
 
 162. And no more mov'd. " And I am no more moved than thou 
 wouldst be in giving the order" (Sk.). ^//^r,?= whereas. See Gr. 134. 
 
 177. Thy cousin'' s soul. Referring to Hercules. See on i. i. 66 above. 
 
 192. Kill. The old reading, changed by some to " kills." For many 
 similar examples of the " confusion of proximity," see Gr. 412. 
 
 217. Right. Downright, true. Cf. A. V. L. p. 171, or Gr. 19. 
 
 228. Bow not. Do not try to bend or bring down. Cf. 2 Hen. IV. iii. 
 I. 73 : " necessity so bow'd the state," etc. 
 
 238. Fail. The old eds. have " fall," which L. retains. He quotes Dr. 
 Ingleby, who says : " Cf. 274 below : ' Let it not fall again, sir.' These 
 are remarkable instances of the use of this intransitive verb as a synonym 
 oifail. . . . Fall, of course, is the opposite of sticceed. Now our word for 
 this \sfail. Cf. Sir John Oldcastle : 'Alas ! poor rebels, there your aid 
 
i84 
 
 NOTES, 
 
 must fall.' There is also one example in The London Prodigal, and two 
 in Isaiah — xxxi. 3 and lix. 14, 15." 
 
 242. Name's opinion. The reputation of my name. The early eds. 
 have "name; opinion." The correction was suggested by Theo., and 
 is adopted by K., D., Sk., and H. L. reads "name, opinion !" and says : 
 " Opi7iion is emphatic, and is used here (as again by Fletcher) in the 
 sense of noio?-iety^ disrepute. Cf. Ihierry and Theodoret, ii. 2 : 
 
 " my fair reputation, 
 If I thrust into crowds, and seek occasions, 
 Suffers opinion.' " 
 
 D. points the passage thus : 
 
 "Think how you maim your honour 
 (For now I am set a-be^ing, sir, I am deaf 
 To all but your compassion) ; how their lives 
 Might breed the ruin of my name's opinion!" 
 
 Sk. says : " This can only mean — Think how you maim your honour ; 
 (for now that 1 begin to beg, I am deaf to all but your pity) ; think how 
 their lives, etc. But this makes no sense, and can only be made into 
 sense by altering lives into deaths ; and even then it is not clear why 
 their deaths should damage her good name, at any rate in her own es- 
 timation. I take the sentence to mean something very different — namely, 
 Think how you maim your honour ! [After which there is a pause ; 
 and then a new thought arises.] For now that I have begun to beg, 
 sir, I am deaf to all but your compassion ; (I am deaf to the thought) 
 how their lives may bring about the loss of my reputation. That this is 
 clearly right, may be seen from a perusal of 220-226." It seems to us 
 that this is the general idea of the passage, but that it is more simply 
 and directly brought out by the pointing in the text (given, without com- 
 ment, by H.), which makes Hozu their lives, etc., a contemptuous or indig- 
 nant exclamation, referring to what Theseus has said in 220-226. 
 
 244. Proin. The early eds. have "proyne" or " proyn ;" changed by 
 later editors to "prune" (of which it is an old form) until D. restored 
 it -AS, proin. He has been followed by Sk., L., and H. L. cites examples 
 of it from B. J., Milton {Comus, 378), Gascoigne, and Bacon {Essay 50). 
 
 248. That ever lov'd. D. and H. adopt Walker's conjecture of "lov'd 
 them," which is in keeping with "the Fletcherian rhythm," but unnec- 
 essary. 
 
 251. Woe worth me. Woe be to me. Sk. remarks: "The A. S. verb 
 weordian, to become, cognate with the German werden, once in very com- 
 mon use, now survives only in such phrases as ' woe worth thee,' or 
 ' woe worth the day.' " 
 
 258. Cut a-pieces. Cf. Hen. VII I. v. 4. 80 : " torn a-pieces." Gr. 24, 
 140. 
 
 272. Make death a devil. " Though you should make death as formi- 
 dable as a devil" (L.). Sk. considers the expression "obscure," and 
 suggests that it means " I will turn death into a horrible monster ;" but 
 L. is clearly right. 
 
 276. To your husband. For your husband. See Temp. p. 124, note on 
 A paragon to their gueefi. 
 
ACT IV. SCENE I. 
 
 185 
 
 284. From that month. By a sentence pronounced by her. 
 
 295. Fyratnid. Apparently ^pillar in the same sentence. Chaucer 
 mentions two stakes, one at each side of the lists (Sk.). 
 
 Whether. Which of the two. Cf. iv. 2. 48 below; also Matt. xxi. 31, 
 xxiii. 19. 
 
 299. And all his friends. Sk. remarks here: " Some readers have ex- 
 pressed surprise at the apparently strange doom of Theseus, in decree- 
 ing death not only to the principal, but to 'all his friends,' if worsted in 
 the combat. Chaucer does not, it is true, go so far as this; but it was 
 quite in accordance with the spirit of the age even in Fletcher's time. 
 Seward's note on the subject is much to the purpose : 'As to the prob- 
 ability of their procuring each three seconds upon such odd terms, it 
 may shock us to suppose any such gallant idiots ; but even so low as 
 our authors' age it was reckoned cowardice to refuse any man,. even a 
 stranger, to be a second in almost any duel whatever, of which there is 
 a most inimitable burlesque in [Beaumont and Fletcher's play of] The 
 Little French Lazvyer. Mankind were mad after knight-errantry; and 
 the reader must catch a little of the spirit himself, or he '11 lose a great 
 part of the beauties of this play ; he must kindle with the flames of 
 military glory, think life a small stake to hazard in such a combat, and 
 death desirable to the conquered as a refuge from shame.' In Beau- 
 mont and Fletcher's play of The Lover s Frogress, ii. 3, the seconds fight 
 as well as the principals. Perhaps the most striking instance is afforded 
 by the ferocious duel fought in Kensington Gardens, on the 15th of No- 
 vember, 1712; in which not only the principals. Lord Mohun and the 
 Duke of Hamilton, were both killed, but the seconds fought with fierce 
 hatred, though interrupted before either of them was slain. See Cham- 
 bers's Book of Days, ii. 583." 
 
 304. Miscarry. Perish. Cf T. N. p. 152. See also v. 3. loi below. 
 
 Spalding says that this scene " is a spirited and excellent one; but its 
 tone is Fletcher's, not Shakespeare's." Hickson considers it " of a much 
 higher character than either of the preceding " scenes. 
 
 ACT IV. 
 
 Scene I. — 4. Business. Here a trisyllable. 
 
 II. Compassion. A quadrisyllable. Gr. 479. 
 
 14. That I hope. So that I hope. Gr. 283. 
 
 16. Scape. "It is quite unnecessary to prefix an apostrophe, as Mr. 
 Knight does [so H. and others] ; it is a common old spelling " (Sk.). Cf. 
 Macb. p. 214, note on Scaped. In 20 below the quarto has " escapt." 
 
 35. Where did she sleep ? The early eds. have " When " for Where, 
 which was suggested by D. 
 
 37. Mind her. Think of her, call her to mind. Cf. Hen. V. iv. chor. 
 53 : " Minding true things by what their mockeries be." 
 
 41. Innocent. Idiot. See on i. 3. 79 above. 
 
 45. Not right. Not sane, not in her right mind. L. says that "the 
 
1 86 N07ES. 
 
 expression is still heard in Ireland in this sense." It is also common 
 enough in this country. 
 
 48. You have told. The early eds. omit have, which Seward supplied. 
 
 55. Attending. " Watching for, waiting for " (Sk.). 
 
 58. Smallness. Sk. quotes T. N. i. 4. 32 : 
 
 " thy small pipe 
 Is as the maiden's organ, shrill and sound." 
 
 Cf. M. W. i. I. 49 : " speaks small like a woman." 
 
 60. His. Its. Gr. 228. 
 
 64. Glade. Sometimes =an open track in the wood, as here one cut 
 through the reeds. 
 
 71. Bevy. Cf. Hen. VIII. i. 4. 4: " In all this noble bevy," etc. Wedg- 
 wood quotes Fiorio : ^^ Beva, a drinking ; a bevy, as of pheasants." 
 
 75. Antic. "An antique dance, a quaint dance" (Sk.). Antick and 
 antique are used interchangeably in the early eds. of S. Cf. M. N. D. p. 
 179. 
 
 80. Willow, xvillow, luillow. For this old song, see 0th. p. 203, note 
 
 °" 39- 
 
 89. Of rushes. Alluding to the rush-rings used in mock-marriages. 
 Cf. ^. W. p. 150, note on Tib''s rush for Tom''s fo7-efnger. 
 
 90. Posies. Short mottoes, often inscribed on rings, knives, etc. See 
 M. of V. p. 164. 
 
 91. Lose. The old eds. have " loose " (as in 77 above) ; but, as Sk. 
 and L. agree, it is only an old spelling for lose. 
 
 107. The Broom. A very popular old song. Weber quotes it from 
 an old interlude thus : 
 
 " Brome, brome on hill, 
 The gentle brome on hill, hill : 
 Brome, brome on Hive hill." etc. 
 
 108. Bonny Robin. Cf. Ham. iv. 5. 187 : " For bonny sweet Robin is 
 all tny joy ;" and see our ed. p. 252. 
 
 For the tailor making a wedding-gown^ cf. 2 Hen. IV. p. 177, note on A 
 womaiCs tailor. 
 
 lie. Rarely. Early; the reading of the old eds., changed by Weber 
 and others to "rearly," which is only another spelling of the word (L.). 
 Halliwell {Archaic Diet.) gives ra;v = early, as a Devonshire word. 
 
 111. Minstrels. A trisyllable. Gr. 477. Cf. /^z<r/^//«^ in 134 below. 
 
 112. O fair, O szveet, etc. D. notes that among " Certaine Sonets" at 
 the end of Sidney's Arcadia, ed. 1598, p. 474, we find one beginning — 
 " Oh faire, O sweet, when I do looke on thee," etc. 
 
 117. Means. The early eds. have "meane ;" corrected by Colman. In 
 the next line they have " For " for Far, which is found in Tonson. 
 
 135. Weigh. That is, weigh anchor. For cheerly — c)i\^^x\\y, cf. Temp. 
 i. I. 29 : " Cheerly, good hearts !" 
 
 136. Owgh, owgh, owgh. " Obviously intended to represent the sounds 
 uttered by sailors while weighing the anchor. The Gaoler and his friends 
 humour the daughter by pretending to do as she wishes them. When the 
 anchor is supposed to be weighed, they say — ■'/ is up !" (Sk.). 
 
ACT IV. SCENE /I, 187 
 
 137. Top. Raise or tighten. '* The bowling or bowline is used to keep 
 the weather-edge of a square sail tight forward, when the ship is close- 
 hauled " (Sk.). Cf. Pericles, p. 146. 
 
 140. Whai kenn'st thou ? What do you descry ? In the reply, L. sug- 
 gests that there is a play on wood or wode=ma.d. Cf. M.N. I), ii. 1. 192 : 
 "And here am I, and wode within this wood ;" and see our ed. p. 147. 
 
 Spalding remarks : " The 4th act may safely be pronounced wholly 
 Fletcher's. All of it, except one scene, is taken up by the episodical ad- 
 ventures of the Gaoler's Daughter ; and, while much of it is poetical, it 
 wants the force and originality, and, indeed, all the prominent features 
 of Shakespeare's manner, either of thought, illustration, or expression." 
 Hickson shows that the Gaoler's Daughter is not, as some have asserted, 
 a copy of Ophelia. "The description in this scene has a certain resem- 
 blance to the circumstances of the death of Ophelia, and was probably 
 written with that scene in view. It has no reference whatever to the 
 character of the Gaoler's Daughter, and it is the only circumstance in 
 the whole play common to her and to Ophelia." 
 
 Scene II. — 16. yove. The early eds. have " Love ;" corrected by 
 Seward. 
 
 It is strange, as L. notes, that D. and Sk. (and H. may be added) fol- 
 low Mason in making stich another refer to smile (implied in smiling), and 
 not io eye, as it clearly does. '■ 
 
 18. Constellation. The Greeks identified the zodiacal constellation 
 Aquarius with Ganymede. 
 
 21. Pelops'' shoulder. "Tantalus, the favourite of the gods, once in- 
 vited them to a repast, and on that occasion killed his own son Pelops, 
 and having boiled him, set the flesh before them that they might eat it. 
 But the immortal gods, knowing what it was, did not touch it ; Demeter 
 alone, being absorbed by grief for her lost daughter, consumed the shoul- 
 der of Pelops. Hereupon the gods ordered Hermes to put the limbs of 
 Pelops into a cauldron, and thereby restore him to life. When the process 
 was over, Clotho took him out of the cauldron, and as the shoulder con- 
 sumed by Demeter was wanting, the goddess supplied its place by one 
 made of ivory ; his descendants (the Pelopidae) as a mark of their origin, 
 were believed to have one shoulder as white as ivory " (Smith's Classical 
 Diet.). 
 
 Fame and Honour, etc. Sk. compares B. and F., Philaster, iv. 4 : 
 
 "Place me, some god, upon a pyramis 
 Higher than hills of earth, and lend a voice 
 Loud as your thunder to me, that from thence 
 I may discourse to all the underworld 
 The worth that dwells in him!" 
 
 27. Swarth. Swarthy. The word occurs in T. A. ii. 3. 72. For stuart, 
 see K. John, p. 152. 
 
 35. Lewdly. Wickedly. See 2 Hen. VI. p. 158. 
 
 38. These the eyes. The reading of the quarto, which Sk. retains. The 
 editors generally change the to " thy," as the folio does ; but Emilia is 
 supposed to be looking at the portrait. 
 
1 88 NOTES, 
 
 39, These. H. adopts Mason's " They're." 
 
 44. A changeling. Referring to the old notion that the fairies would 
 steal beautiful babies, and leave ugly elves in their place. Cf. M. N. D. 
 p. 138. For the contemptuous use oi gipsy ^ cf. R. and J. ii. 4. 44 : " Dido 
 a dowdy, Cleopatra a gipsy," etc. 
 
 45. Sotted. Besotted, infatuated. 
 
 46. Virgin^ s. Seward, D., and H. read " virgin." 
 
 48. Whether. Which of the two ; as in iii. 6. 295 above. 
 
 49. Now if my sister, etc. " And now, if my sister had asked me, I 
 should have said I was more inclined to Palamon " (Sk.). 
 
 52. Fancy. Love. See M. of V. p. 148. Cf. v. 3. 103 and v. 4. 118 
 below. 
 
 53. Gawds. Baubles, toys. Cf. M. N. D. p. 126. 
 
 63. Joy. Rejoice. Some editors have printed " mothers' joy." 
 67. Fair. H. adopts Walker's conjecture of " six." 
 74. These. The folio has " those," which some prefer. 
 81. Fire. The early eds. have " faire " or " fair ;" corrected in Heath's 
 MS. notes, and independently by D. Cf. Chaucer : 
 
 "The cercles of his eyen in his heed 
 They gloiveden bytwixe yelwe and reed, 
 And lyk a grifFoun lokede he aboute." 
 
 85. Arm''d long and round. Seward and H. read ** Arms long and 
 round ;" which of course is what is meant. 
 
 86. Baldrick. Belt. See Much Ado, p. 123. Curious =^?iSiOX2Xt, ele- 
 gant. Cf. Pericles, p. 135. 
 
 97. What he fights for. That is, love. 
 
 104. Ivy-tods. The eds. all have " ivy-tops," but, as L. says " tops " is 
 obviously a misprint for tods. " Ivy-tops " are not mentioned by any 
 writer, but ivy-tods (thick bushes of ivy) are often alluded to by B. and F. 
 
 105. Not to undo with thunder. Not to be destroyed by thunder. Sk. 
 remarks: "It was supposed that some plants were thunder-proof. In 
 the ' Poet-Prologue ' to Beaumont's Four Plays in One, we have the ex- 
 pression, ' thunder-fearless verdant bays.' " 
 
 106. The warlike maid. Probably referring to Pallas (Minerva). 
 
 109. Crown. The old eds. have "corect" or "correct;" corrected by 
 Seward. L. reads " court," which is perhaps to be preferred. In the 
 MS. it might easily be mistaken for " corect." 
 
 114. Clean. Sk. quotes L. L. L. v. 2, 642 : " Hector was not so clean- 
 timbered." 
 
 122. Well disposed. " Well placed or situated. It is evident that the 
 poet wishes to express that the few freckles on the hero's face were 
 rather becoming to him. This curious line is probably due to an at- 
 tempt to improve upon Chaucer" (Sk.). In the Knightes 7^/^, Emet- 
 rius is said to have "A few fraknes [freckles] in his face yspreynd" 
 [sprinkled]. 
 
 125. Auburn. Spelled " aborne " in the quarto. Cf. R. and jf. p. 163, 
 note on Young Abraham Cupid. 
 
 131. Grey-eyed. Cf. R. and J. p. 169. 
 
ACT IV. SCENE III. 189 
 
 132. Which yields compassion, etc. Which indicates that he will be 
 merciful to the vanquished. 
 
 137. The winner's oak. Probably alluding to "the oaken garland" 
 {Cor. ii. I. 137), or corona civica of the Romans. " For whosoever saveth 
 the life of a Roman, it is a manner among them to honour him with such 
 a garland" (North's Plutarch). See Cor. p. 171. 
 
 140. Charging - staff. Probably = lance. Sk. thinks that possibly a 
 warder (see Rich. II. p. 163) may be meant. 
 
 144. Seward (followed by Colman and H.) reads 
 
 " they would show bravely 
 Fighting about the titles," etc. 
 
 154. Bravery. Splendor, display. Cf. A. Y. L. p. 165. 
 
 Hickson calls this scene "Fletcher's masterpiece." Spalding says: 
 *' In the soliloquy of the lady, while the poetical spirit is well preserved, 
 the alternations of feeling are given with an abruptness and a want of 
 insight into the nicer shades of association, which resemble the extrava- 
 gant stage effects of the King and No King infinitely more than the del- 
 icate yet piercing glance with which Shakespeare looks into the human 
 breast in the Othello ; the language, too, is smoother and less powerful 
 than Shakespeare's, and one or two classical allusions are a little too 
 correct and studied for him." 
 
 Scene III. — 6. Lards it. Is mixed up with it. Cf. Ham. p. 247. 
 
 7. Farces. Fills ; literally, stuffs. Cf. Hen. V. iv. i. 280: "The farced 
 title running fore the king." Y ox forced in the same sense, see T. and C. 
 V. I. 64 : "wit larded with malice, and malice forced with wit." Cf. our 
 ed. p. 185. 
 
 II. Down-a. Cf. Ham. iv. 5. 170: "You must sing, Down a-dowiiy 
 and you call him a-down-a.'''' 
 
 13. Dido. Cf. A. and C. iv. 14. 53 : " Dido and her ^neas shall want 
 troops," etc. 
 
 18. Piece of silver. Alluding to the obolus which Charon was sup- 
 posed to demand for ferriage over the Styx, and which was placed in the 
 mouth of the corpse for that purpose. For references to Charon, cf. 
 Pich. III. i. 4. 46 and T. and C. iii. 2. 1 1. 
 
 20. Are — there ''s,ttc. The quarto has "as the'rs" and the folio "as 
 there 's ;" corrected by Mason. L. defends the old reading. 
 
 23. Proserpine. Cf. W. T. iv. 4. 116 and Tand C. ii. i. 37. 
 
 26. Barley-break. A rural game often alluded to in the old dramatists. 
 It was played in various ways, but generally in the South of England by 
 six persons, three of each sex. The general idea of it was that one couple 
 should try to catch the rest, when within certain boundaries, without let- 
 ting go each other's hands. Cf. Nares. 
 
 35. Engraffed. Rooted, deep-fixed. Cf. Lear, p. 177, note on Long- 
 ingraffed. 
 
 42. Perttcrbed mind, etc. Cf. Macb. v. 3. 40 : " Canst thou not minis- 
 ter to a mind diseas'd," etc. 
 
 50. A great pen'' wo7'th. A good bargain. Cf. W. T. iv. 4. 650 : " though 
 
IQO NOTES. 
 
 the pennyworth on his side be the worst" (that is, though he get the 
 worst of the bargain), etc. 
 
 For state=tsX2Xt, see M. of V.-^. 151, note on Estate. 
 
 62. Green. " Simple, silly " (Sk.). Cf. OtA. ii. i. 250, etc. 
 
 68. Carve her. Carve for her. Sk. remarks : " Mr. Knight inserted 
 for before her ; but the following extract from Beaumont and Fletcher's 
 play of Love''s Pilgrimage (i. i) will shew that the text is right as it stands : 
 
 ' Incubo. I '11 try your kid, 
 
 If he be sweet: he looks well. {Tastes it.'\ Yes; he is good. 
 I '11 carve you, sir. 
 
 Philippo. You use me too too princely; 
 
 Taste and carve too ! 
 
 I}iaibo. I love to do these offices.' 
 
 " And again in Beaumont's Poems (in Beaumont's and Fletcher's Works^ 
 ed. Dyce, xi. 483), we find the line, 
 
 ' Drink to him, carve hint, give him compliment. ' ' ' 
 
 For carving to [or for) a person as a mark of affection, see C. of E. p. 
 120, note on 117. The phrase was also applied to certain gestures of an 
 amorous sort (see M. W. p. 137, note on Carves), and H. may be right 
 in explaining it so here. The quarto has " crave her ;" corrected in the 
 folio. 
 
 69. Still among. All the while, ever with the rest. Walker compares 
 Sidney, Arcadia, book iv. : "And ever among she would sauce her 
 speech," etc. He cites other passages which do not seem to us paral- 
 lel ; as Spenser, F. Q. vi. 12. 11 : 
 
 " There they awhile together thus did dwell 
 In much delight and many joys among ;' ' 
 
 where it may be merely a transposition of "among many joys." Cf. Mil- 
 ton, Comtts, 1007 : 
 
 "Till free consent the gods among 
 Make her his eternal bride," etc. 
 
 None of the editors have quoted 2 H'e7i. IV. v. 3. 23 : 
 
 "And lusty lads roam here and there 
 So merrily, 
 And ever among so merrily." 
 
 71. Play feres. Playmates. Cf. Pericles, i. prol. 21 : "The king unto 
 him took a fere ;" and see our ed. p. 129. See also v. i. 116 below. 
 
 75. What is. Changed by Seward to "what are." 
 
 Out of square. L. quotes Edwardes, Damon and Pythias: "yet he is 
 far out of square." 
 
 76. Regitnent. Rule, government. Cf. A. and C. iii. 6. 95 : ** And 
 gives his potent regiment to a trull." 
 
 Approved. Proved. See Much Ado, p. 134. 
 
 80. Success. Issue, result. Cf. f. C. p. 151, note on Opinions of success. 
 
 Spalding gives this scene to Fletcher, to whom he assigns the entire 
 underplot of the play; but Hickson is satisfied that Shakespeare is the 
 author. He considers that it is like him " in style and language, and its 
 freedom from all the marks of imitation;" and especially in its "high 
 
ACT V. SCENE I. 
 
 191 
 
 moral purpose," viewing in it ** the natural punishment of the principal 
 character for her ill-governed desires, and the mode she took of gratify- 
 ing them." The " perfect coherence of the mad passages, and their per- 
 tinency to the general subject" (almost a test in itself), also stamp it as 
 Shakespeare's. 
 
 ACT V. 
 
 Scene I. — The critics are almost unanimous in assigning this act, 
 
 'with the exception of the 2d scene, to Shakespeare ; but Sk., L., and 
 
 Fleay (see p. 35 above) agree that Fletcher wrote the opening lines. L. 
 
 says that he had formed this opinion before Skeat's edition appeared. 
 
 There are 13 double endings in the first 17 lines. 
 
 3. Fires. A dissyllable ; as often. Gr. 480. Cf. bonfires in 86 below, 
 and sire in ii. 5. 9 above. 
 
 4. Sivellijig. Theo. conjectured " smelling." 
 
 9. Germane. Akin ; as in W. T. iv, 4. 802 : "those that are germane 
 to him ;" T. of A. iv. 3. 344 : " germane to the lion," etc. The early eds. 
 have "german," which is the same word ; as in cousin-german. Cf. hu- 
 mane and human (see Macb. p. 218). 
 
 10. To blow the nearness out, etc. Sk. says : " This line is somewhat 
 obscure. To blow out is to extinguish ; and, if nearness means nearness 
 in blood, the sense is — to extinguish that kinship that exists between 
 you." Probably, however, nearness refers rather to their friendship than 
 to their kinship. Dr. Ingleby (according to L.) conjectures "fierceness." 
 
 16. Prayers. A dissyllable ; as not unfrequently. Sk. cites M. W. v. 
 5. 54 : " That, ere she sleep, has thrice her prayers said." 
 
 25. Tender. Regard, treat. Cf. Rich. III. ii. 4. 72 : "As well I tender 
 you and all of yours," etc. See also Ham. p. 244. 
 
 28. Confound. Destroy. Cf. M. of V. p. i^i. 
 
 29. To7-t. It is doubtful, as Sk. says, whether this is here =bear, carry 
 {Fr. porter), or =bring into port. The latter seems to us the more prob- 
 able, though no other example has been fo-und of this sense. 
 
 30. Limiter. Arbiter or shaper of our destinies. 
 
 34. Lovers. Friends ; as in v. 4. 123 below. Cf. J. C. iii. 2. 13 : " Ro- 
 mans, countrymen, and lovers," etc. See also M. of V. p. 153. He calls 
 them sacrifices, because they are to die with him if defeated. 
 
 37. Father of ii. That is, the perception of danger which is ever the 
 cause of fear. The early eds. have " farther off it ;" corrected by Theo. 
 L. defends the old reading thus : '•^ Apprehension \% the perception of dan- 
 ger : this underlies fear, is therefore farther off than fear is; beyond it, 
 and so farther to reach and harder to eradicate." This is ingenious, but 
 father of it seems the more natural expression here. 
 
 39. Require. Ask, beseech. Cf. Hen. VIII. ii. 4. 144 : " In humblest 
 manner I require your highness," etc. See also i. i. 93 above. 
 
 44. Will stick. The early eds. have "stickes" or "sticks ;" corrected 
 by Seward. H. reads "shall stick;" and L. conjectures "on me, where 
 she sticks." 
 
192 
 
 NOTES. 
 
 46. Cestron. Cistern. Sk. notes that the word is spelled cesterne in 
 the ist folio in 0th. iv. 2. 62 and A. and C. ii. 5. 95. 
 49. Hast turti'd, etc. Cf. Macb. ii. 2. 61 : 
 
 " No, this my hand will rather 
 The multitudinous seas incarnadine, 
 Making the green one red." 
 
 The words whose approach were added by Seward, and something of 
 fche kind is evidently wanted. He adds : " that comets prewarn or fore- 
 tel wars is the vulgar as well as poetical creed ;" and he cites Milton, P. 
 L. ii. 708 : 
 
 "like a comet burn'd, 
 That fires the length of Ophiuchus huge 
 In the arctic sky, and from his horrid hair 
 Shakes pestilence and war.'' 
 
 51. Vast field. Probably ^boundless, wide-spread battle-fields ; though 
 it may have another sense of the Latin vastus, namely, desolated (L.). 
 
 53. Poison. Plenty. Cf. Temp. iv. I. no: "Earth's increase, foison 
 plenty" (the song of Ceres) ; and see our ed. p. 125. 
 
 54. Armipotent. The word is taken from Chaucer. Cf. Z. L. L. v. 2. 
 650, 657, and A. W. iv. 3. 265. The old eds. have " armenypotent " or 
 " armenipotent ;" corrected by Seward. 
 
 62. Enormous. Abnormal, disorderly. Cf. Lear, ii. 2. 176: "this 
 enormous state ;" and see our ed. p. 206. 
 
 66. Plurisy. Plethora, surplus. See Ham. p. 256. 
 
 68. In this invocation to Mars, if anywhere in the play, we have the 
 fine gold of Shakespeare with no admixture of Fletcher's baser metal. 
 As Hickson says, it is " unparalleled as an invocation," and " one of the 
 grandest examples of the application of circumstances to the character 
 of a power that we have ever met with." 
 
 69. Glister. S. does not use glisten. CL M.of V. p. 145. 
 
 73. Do. The plural is used because whose is plural. You whose free 
 nobleness do ifiake=yovi, who, in your free nobleness, do make. 
 
 79. And weep, etc. The reading of the early eds. Seward (followed by 
 all the editors except L.) reads "To weep ;" but, as L. remarks, " surely 
 the idea of enforcement is sufficiently plain to allow the old reading to 
 stand, and make him weep being the sense if expanded." Theo. conject- 
 ures "into a girl" — "till he become tender as a girl." Weep unto = 
 weep before, weep in imploring the favour of 
 
 83. Before Apollo. That is, sooner than Apollo, the god of medicine. 
 
 85. Polled. Shorn, bald-headed. The early eds. have " pould," which, 
 as L. notes, probably indicates the old pronunciation. Cf. Cor. iv. 5. 215, 
 where the folio has "poul'd." See our ed. p. 257. 
 
 86. Bonfires. A trisyllable. See on 3 above. 
 
 87. Skipt. Jumped over or through, unsinged by the fiame. Have 
 ( = has) is another example of "confusion of proximity." See on iii. 6. 
 192 above. " Skipping over bonfires was one of the customs observed 
 on Midsummer's Eve" (L.). 
 
 89. Abuse young lays. That is, "murder the songs," as we say (Sk.). 
 92. His mortal son. Phaethon, whose mother, Clymene, was a mortal. 
 
ACT V. SCENE /. 193 
 
 Cf. T. G.of V. p. 140, note on 153. 77?^ huntress is of course Diana, who 
 fell in love with Endymion. Cf. M. of V. v. i. 109. For moist, as ap- 
 plied to Diana or the moon, see Ham. p. 175, note on The moist star. 
 
 102. Liberal. Free-spoken, wanton. Cf. Ham. p. 258. 
 
 L. quotes here the following from Fletcher's Women Pleased, i. i : 
 
 "I never call'd a fool my friend, a madman, 
 That durst oppose his fame to all opinions, 
 His life to unhonest dangers ; I never lov'd him, 
 Durst know his name, that sought a virgin's ruin, 
 Nor took I pleasure in acquaintance 
 With men, that give as loose reins to their fancies 
 As the wild ocean to his raging fluxes; 
 A noble soul I twin witli," etc 
 
 105. Haiie hotly asked them, etc. Cf T. and C. v. 2. 130 : " Think we 
 had mothers," etc. Large=-\oosQ, licentious. Cf Mitch Ado, ii. 3. 206, 
 iv. I. 53 ; and see our ed. p. 139. 
 
 108. I knezv a man, etc. Furnivall (preface to New Shaks. Soc. ed. of 
 Spalding's Letter, p. vi.) asks: "Again, is it likely — and again, I say, at 
 the end of his career, with all his experience behind him — that Shak- 
 spere would make his hero Palamon publicly urge on Venus in his prayer 
 to her, that she was bound to protect him because he 'd believed a wan- 
 ton young wife's word that her old incapable husband was the father of 
 her child? Is this the kind of thing that the Shakspere of Imogen, of 
 Desdemona, of Queen Katherine, would put forward as the crown of his 
 life and work V Spalding refers to the passage as an " unpleasing sketch 
 of the deformity of decrepit old age," but believes it to be Shakespeare's, 
 as it is "largely impressed with his air of truth," etc. Hickson makes 
 no comments on the passage. 
 
 113. Gioby. Protruding. 
 
 114. That. So that ; as in v. 3. 26 below. Gr. 283. 
 
 115. Anatomy. Skeleton. Cf. IC. John, p. 160 (note on 40), or T. N. 
 p. 149. 
 
 116. Fere. Mate, bride. See on iv. 3. 71 above. 
 
 120. Defier. Apparently =one who despises or spurns. For the verb 
 in this sense, see K. John, p. 160. 
 
 122. Close. Private, secret. Cf. Rich. TIL p. 183. 
 
 123. Concealments. Things that should be concealed or kept secret. 
 126. Soft sweet. D. prints "soft-sweet." 
 
 131. Chase. Hunting-ground; as in 7! ^. ii.3. 255 : " Upon the north 
 side of this pleasant chase," etc. 
 
 137. In the stage-direction records is ^recorders, a kind of small flute 
 or flageolet. See M. N. D. p. 183. Still mnsic=soh music. 
 
 140. Wi7id-fann^d snow. Cf W. T. iv. 4. 375 : 
 
 "or the fann'd snow that's bolted 
 By the northern blasts twice o'er." 
 
 Sk. compares Cor. v. 3. 65. See also T of A^ iv. 3. 386, Ham. iii. i. 141, and 
 Cymb. ii. 5.^ 13. 
 
 Ow female knights, cf Much Ado, v. 3. 13 ; and see our ed. p. 169. 
 
 144. -Green eye. See the long note in R, and J. p. 198. 
 
 N 
 
194 NOTES. 
 
 145. Maailaie. Cf. L. L. L. i. 2. 97 : " Most maculate thoughts," etc. 
 
 i^j. Scurril. Scurrilous. Cf. Zl diz/r/ C i. 3. 148 : "scurril jests," etc. 
 
 Po7'f=ga.te. See Cor. p. 211. Theo. and Dr. Ingleby conjecture 
 " porch " (cf. Ham. i. 5. 63), but the figure is the same with either word. 
 
 151. I have pointed. That is, I have a husband pointed, or appointed, 
 for me. Y ox pointed, see T. of S. p. 148. 
 
 154. Of mine eyes. The early eds., and the modern ones down to that 
 of D., make these words limit election. 
 
 158. Prete7tders. "Aspirants; not in a bad sense" (Sk.). 
 
 161. File and quality. Position and office. 
 
 163. General of ebbs and flotus. That is, ruler of the tides. Sk. says 
 that this is "a very singular way of referring to the moon or Diana;" 
 but cf. Temp.Y. i. 270: "That could control the moon, make flows and 
 ebbs ; M. N. D. ii. i. 103 : " the moon, the governess of floods ;" i Hen. 
 JV. \. 2. 32 : "governed, as the sea is, by our noble and chaste mistress 
 the moon," etc. 
 
 165. Advances. Raises. See on i. i. 93 above. 
 
 167. A virgin flower, etc. Cf. M. N. I), i. i. 76 : 
 
 " But eartblier happier is the rose distill'd 
 Than that which, withering on the virgin thorn. 
 Grows, lives, and dies in single blessedness." 
 
 172. Unclasp. Unfold, reveal. Cf. Muck Ado,'}, i. 325: "unclasp my 
 heart," etc. 
 
 Scene II. — 17. Ho there, doctor! Mason would read "Hold there;" 
 but cf. V. 4. 41 below : " Hold, ho !" 
 
 20. Honesty. Chastity ; as often. Cf. Ham. p. 218, note on Honest. 
 
 34. Videlicet. That is to say ; as in M. W. i. i. 140, A. V. L. iv. i. 97, 
 etc. 
 
 44. Come att and long tail. A proverbial expression = whatever kind 
 may come. It seems to have been originally used of dogs with tails 
 clipped or undipped, but came to be applied to horses also. Cf. iii. 4. 
 22 above, and see M. /^. p. 155. 
 
 45. Turns ye. That is,y^r ye; the "ethical dative." See Gr, 220. 
 
 46. He 7/ dance, etc. There is perhaps an allusion to Banks's famous 
 horse. See L. L. L. p. 133, note on 52. 
 
 47. Hobby-horse. A figure in the morris-dances. See Ham. p. 225. 
 49. Light d' Love. A very popular dance-tune in the time of S. See 
 
 Much Ado, p. 150. 
 
 59. Bottles. Bundles of hay. See M. N. D. p. 173. 
 
 60. Strike. Strikes, or bushels ; still used in provincial English (Sk.). 
 Bailey calls the strike " four bushels ;" but, as L. suggests, this is probably 
 a slip for "four pecks.^'' The measure, however, like many others, may- 
 have varied in difl'erent localities. 
 
 62. A miller'' s mare. " A miller's mare, working round a beaten track 
 (to drive the mill), was perhaps proverbial for her steady-going atten- 
 tion to business" (L.). 
 
 69. Stool-ball. A game played with a ball and one or two stools, very 
 popular among young women. 
 
ACT V. SCENE III. 
 
 195 
 
 74. Nice. Scrupulous, punctilious. 
 
 82. O, sir, etc. Seward, Weber, and H. give this to the Gaoler. 
 
 Spalding says of this scene that it is "disgusting and imbecile in the 
 extreme," and " may be dismissed with a single quotation : ' What stufif 
 she utters !' " Hickson compares the scene with iv. 3 (ascribed to S.) : 
 " We must bear in mind the advice of the doctor in the former scene ; 
 he tells the wooer to take upon himself the name of Palamon, and to do 
 whatever shall become Palamon, still aiming to intermingle his petition 
 of grace and acceptance into her favour ; but it could never be imagined 
 from these directions that the 'union' was to take place under such cir- 
 cumstances. . . . The object sought was her restoration ; and in the last 
 scene of act v. the gaoler informs Palamon that his daughter 
 
 ' is well restor'd, 
 And shortly to be mamed.' 
 
 But turning to the second scene, we find the doctor saying, in reference 
 to the wooer's telling him he had 'kissed her twice,' 
 
 "T was well done; twenty times had been far better, 
 For there tlie cure lies mainly.' 
 
 That insight into the nature of his patient's disorder, displayed in so re- 
 markable a manner by the doctor in a former scene, in this has left him ; 
 and his business here seems to be to recommend and nurse up a sensual 
 idea into an alliance with better feelings. The daughter's brain still 
 'coins,' but the subjects are far-fetched, and have no relation to the 
 speaker's condition or state of mind, nor do they help the progress of the 
 play .... The former scene is in prose wholly, while this is in Fletcher's 
 verse ; but, in short, the tone and moral effect of the two scenes are so 
 different, the same characters have so altered an aspect, the language, 
 sentiments, and allusions are so unlike, that the case of any one who 
 can read and deliberately compare thein, and still believe them to be by 
 the same writer, we must give over as hopeless." 
 
 Scene III. — 6. / 7uill stay here, etc. The pointing is that of L., and 
 essentially the same as in the old eds. ; and the meaning is plain : I tvilt 
 stay hej e {. . .) not taint mine eye, etc. D. follows Weber in pointing thus : 
 
 "With what shall happen — 'gainst the which there is 
 No deafing — but to hear, not taint," etc. 
 
 H. reads " No deafing; but I dare not taint," etc. Biit to kear=so as 
 not to hear. See Gr. 122. 
 
 12. In their kind. In their nature, in reality; opposed to I>enciird=^ 
 painted. For kind, cf, A. W. p. 141, note on By kind. 
 
 16. Price. Prize, reward. Cf. 31 below. 
 
 17. Question's title. "The title in dispute, the right of the contro- 
 versy" (L. ). D. and H. read " questant's " ( cf. A. W. ii. i. 16) ; but 
 here, as L. remarks, there being two questants, to crown the questanfs 
 title (that is, the disputant's title) would be unmeaning. 
 
 18. Wink. Shut my eyes. Cf. Cymb. p. 182. 
 
 21. Envy. Malice. Cf. M.ofV. p. 151, note on Envious. 
 26. 7"hat. So that. See on v. i. 114 above. 
 
196 
 
 NOTES. 
 
 28. Set off. Offset, cancel. For to with guilty, see W. T. p. 202. 
 
 42. An ettgine bent. An engine of war ready for use. Bend, which is 
 proj^erly used only of a bow, is often applied to other warlike instruments. 
 Cf. K. John, ii. I. 37 : '* Our cannon shall be bent," etc. See also 3 Hen. 
 VI. V. I. 87, Rich. III. i. 2. 95, Lear, iv. 2. 74, etc. In the stage-direction 
 at iii. 1.30 above we have '■'■ bends his fist.'''' 
 
 45. Aspect. Regularly accented on the last syllable in S. Cf. Gr. 490. 
 
 46. GrmPd. Deeply furrowed. 
 
 49. His object. Its object. Gr. 228. 
 
 54. On hitn. The old eds. have "on them ;" corrected by Seward. 
 59. 7he spoiling of his figure. See p. 20 above. 
 
 63. Wai'd. Posture of defence. Cf. Temp. i. 2. 471 : "Come from 
 your ward," etc. Offence = '\Ao'^, or offensive movem.ent. 
 
 69. Success. Accented here on the first syllable. Cf. i. i. 209 above. 
 
 70. Prim' St. For the superlative, cf. Hen. VIII. ii. 4. 229 : " the primest 
 creature." For the contracted form (of which we have already had sev- 
 eral examples in this play), see Gr. 473. 
 
 72. Servant. Lover. Cf. i. i. 89 above. 
 
 75. In V else. Seward, Colman, and H. omit else. 
 
 80. Pyramid. See iii. 6. 295 above. 
 
 82. Redemption. Rescue (of Arcite). 
 
 83. Titters. The early eds. have "Tytlers," which L. explains as 
 *' contenders about a title, questants." He adds that there were eight 
 bold tillers, but only two bold titters. It seems to us more natural to call 
 Palamon and Arcite here the titters than the tillers. If there were such 
 a word as the latter, it ought to mean givers or possessors of titles rather 
 than contenders about them. The change to Tylters was first made by 
 Tonson, and all the eds. since have given titters. The original reading 
 seems to have been overlooked until L. called attention to it. 
 
 86. Their single share, etc. The share of nobleness belonging to each 
 puts any living woman at a disadvantage in the comparison, shows her 
 worth to be inferior. Line 87 is wanting in the folio, and was first re- 
 stored from the quarto by Colman. 
 
 95. Half-sights saw, etc. We still speak of "seeing with half an eye." 
 
 96. God's lid ! An oath commonly contracted into ''slid ! See M. N. 
 D. p. 155. Emilia swears more like Queen Elizabeth than "like a com- 
 fit-maker's wife," as Hotspur says. See i Hen. IV. p. 177, note on 
 249. 
 
 99. Go to law with. Cope with, defend themselves against. 
 
 10 1. Miscarry. See on iii. 6. 304 above. 
 
 103. Our fancies. Our affections, our love. See on iv. 2. 52 above. 
 
 119. Alcides. Hercules. Cf. M. of V. ii. i. 35, iii. 2. 55, T of S. i. 2. 
 260, etc. 
 
 120. A sow of lead. The word sow is used like //^ to denote a mass 
 of smelted metal. See Wb. Sk. compares 2 Hen. IV. i. i. 118. 
 
 124. Philo7nels. Nightingales ; as in R. of L. 1079, 1128, M. N. D. ii. 2. 
 12, etc. 
 
 127. Out-breasted. Outsung. Cf. ^;'(?^j-/= musical voice, in Z! iV. ii. 3. 
 20. See our ed. p. 136. 
 
ACT V. SCENE IV. 
 
 197 
 
 130. Hardly. After hard fighting. Cf. T. G. of V. ii. i. 115; "Now 
 trust me, madam, it came hardly off" (with difficulty), etc. 
 
 133. Piuch ''em. " Vex them. It was in the very spirit of chivalry 
 that a warrior should not care to survive defeat. This doom of Palamou 
 and his three knights would be revolting, if it were not that the specta- 
 tors might be expected to know enough of Chaucer's story to make them 
 suspect that the sentence would not really be executed. To which must 
 be added the consideration, that the spectators of plays in the time of 
 James I. could behold, almost unmoved, many things which we now shud- 
 der even to read " (Sk.). 
 
 135. Arm your prize. That is, take her in your arms, embrace her. 
 Cf. Cymb. iv. 2. 400 : " come, arm him." K. explains it rather tamely by 
 " Offer your arm to the lady you have won ;" and Mason says, " Take 
 her by the arm." 
 
 Spalding says of this scene, that the details "make it clear that Shake- 
 speare's hand was in it." He adds : " The greater part, it is true, is not 
 of the highest excellence ; but the vacillations of Emilia's feelings are 
 well and delicately given, some individual thoughts and words mark 
 Shakespeare, there is little of his obscure brevity, much of his thought- 
 fulness legitimately applied, and an instance or two of its abuse." 
 
 Scene IV. — 5. To live still. L. is in doubt whether still modifies live^ 
 or Have ; but it seems better to connect it with the former. 
 
 6. We prevent. Sk. reads " herein we prevent." 
 
 %. Rheum. Rheumatism. Qi.M.forM.m.i.T^w " Do curse the gout, 
 serpigo, and the rheum," etc. 
 
 Lag hours. Latter hours, or lingering hours ; or, perhaps, combining 
 the two meanings. Sk. quotes i Hen. IV. v. i. 23 : 
 
 " To entertain the lag-end of my life 
 With quiet hours." 
 
 Attend for grey approachei's = 2iW?dt aged comers towards the gods, or 
 those who die in old age. 
 
 ID. l/nwapper^d. " Unworn, not debilitated " (D.). In T.ofA.iv.T,. 
 38, we find wappen'd in the opposite sense (see our ed. p. 158) ; and it is 
 a question whether the original word is wappen or wapper. As Sk. says, 
 both are so rare that it is best to leave them unaltered. 
 
 II. That. " That is, who ; referring to zve in 9. In the next line stick 
 refers to the grey approachers '^ (Sk.). 
 
 13. Eor. Because ; as in i. 2. 54 above. For clear, see on i. 2. 74 
 above. 
 
 15. Too-too. See M. of V. p. 143. 
 
 20. Tottering Fortune. Signifying, as Fluellen says {Hen. V. iii. 6. 35), 
 " that she is turning, and inconstant, and mutability, and variation ; and 
 her foot, look you, is fixed upon a spherical stone, which rolls, and rolls, 
 and rolls." 
 
 23. Taste to you. Alluding to the ancient custom of having the king's 
 food tasted before it was served, as a precaution against poison. See 
 Rich. II, p. 220, note on Taste of it first. 
 
 35. Quit. Requite. Cf. iii. 6. 24 above. The old eds. have " quight ;" 
 
198 
 
 NOTES. 
 
 and L. thinks we should read "quite," which he takes to be a distinct 
 word from quit. 
 
 47. Dearly. The old eds. have "early;" corrected by Seward. Cf. 
 129 below ; and for the intensive use of the word, see A. Y. L. p. 147. 
 
 50. Oiviiig. Owning, having. See on i. i. 88 above. 
 
 53. Note. Stigma. Cf. R. of L. 208 : "sham'd with the note," etc. 
 
 54. Allowance. Authority, confirmation. 
 
 55. Calkins. Calks (or corks, as the word is often spelled and pro- 
 nounced), or the points in a horseshoe that prevent slipping. 
 
 56. Tell. Count ; as in iii. 5. 80 above. The calkins seemed to touch 
 the stones lightly, like the fingers in counting. 
 
 60. For, as they say, etc. Probably alluding to the story of Pythagoras 
 and the blacksmith's hammers. Cf. Longfellow, To a Child : 
 
 "As great Pythagoras of yore, 
 Standing beside the blacksmith's door, 
 And hearing the hammers, as they smote 
 The anvils with a different note, 
 Stole from the varying tones that hung 
 Vibrant on every iron tongue 
 The secret of the sounding wire, 
 And formed the seven-corded lyre." 
 
 Chappell says that the story is an absurd one, because " the tone of a bell 
 cannot be altered in pitch by changing the weight of its clapper." The 
 story is doubtless mythical, but if one wanted to defend it he might re- 
 ply that possibly the blacksmith and his men were hammering on different 
 anvils. It will be noted that Longfellow has " anvils." 
 
 62. Cold as old Saturn. A reference to the astrological descriptions 
 of the planet Saturn, which was called cold because the god for whom it 
 was named was represented as bearing the " frosty signs " of extreme old 
 age. Cf. Cymb. ii. 5. 12 : 
 
 "A pudency so rosy the sweet view on 't 
 Might well have warm'd old Saturn." 
 
 Here theyfr^ malevolent shows that the planet is meant. Cf. Much Ado, 
 p. 126, note on Bor7i nnder Satiir?i. 
 
 66. Toy. " A freak, a sudden whim. Cf. Philaster, v. 3 : * What if a 
 toy take 'em i' the heels now, and they run all away ?' and North's Plu- 
 tarch : ' When a mad mood or toy took him in the head ' " (Sk.). 
 
 69. Manage. Used, as often, in the technical sense of the management 
 or training of a horse. See M. of V. p. 153. 
 
 72. Jadery. "Jade's tricks" {Much Ado, i. I. 145, A. W. iv. 5. 64, 
 etc.). For Jade as applied to a vicious nag, cf. 81 below. For disseat, 
 cf. Macb. v. 3. 21. 
 
 77. On end he stands. The quarto prints thus : 
 
 " He kept him tweene his legges, on his hind hoofes 
 
 on end he stands 
 That Arcites leggs being higher then his head," etc. 
 
 This indicates either that the compositor could not make out the "copy," 
 or that the first part of the line somehow dropped out after it was put in 
 type. The sense, however, is complete, and it seems better to leave the 
 
ACT V, SCENE IV. 
 
 199 
 
 text as it is than to read " Quickly uprearing, so on end he stands," as 
 H. does. Sk. thinks that " the half-line is rather effective." * 
 
 81. Poise. Weight ; as in Lear, ii. i. 122 : " Occasions, noble Gloster, 
 of some poise ;" 0th. iii. 3. 82 : " full of poise and difficult weight," etc. 
 
 92. Told. Counted. Cf. 56 above. 
 
 / was false. " Seward remarks : ' I believe the reader will not easily 
 be convinced that Arcite had been false.' In fact, the dramatists have 
 forgotten to insert any instances of his falseness. The epithet 'false Ar- 
 cite ' is in the Knightes Tale, 287 ; but even Chaucer has not made it very 
 clear that Arcite really was so ; unless, indeed, we refer to his poem en- 
 titled Of queen Annelida and false Arcite'''' (Sk.). 
 
 98. Honour. That is, Arcite's obsequies. 
 
 loi. Yonr thanks. The old eds. have " Our thanks ;" corrected by D. 
 
 104. Arrose. Sprinkle (Fr. arroser). The old eds. have " arowze ;" 
 and Cotgrave spells the Fr. verb "arrouser." 
 
 108. Grace. Honour; as in 125 below. Ci. to do grace (i Hen. IV. 
 ii. I. 79, y. C. iii. 2. 62), /// grace of{M. N. D. iv. I. 139, Ham. i. 2. 124), etc. 
 
 109. Bear this hence. This direction to remove the body was proba- 
 bly inserted to suit the requirements of the old stage. See Ham. p. 242. 
 
 118. Fancy. Love. Cf. iv. 2. 52 above. 
 
 1^3. Lovers. Friends. See on v. i. 34 above. 
 
 126. /;/ whose end. At the end of which /?/;/<?r<^/. 
 
 131. Charmers. "That is, enchanters, ruling us at their will" (Sew- 
 ard). 
 
 135. And xvith you, etc. " Cease to dispute with you who are beyond 
 the reach of our expostulations" (Sk.). 
 
 137. Like the time. Sk. explains this, "as others do, by hiding our 
 griefs;" but it is clearly =as this sad time demands, referring to the 
 preparations for Arcite's funeral. Cf. K. John, v. 7. no : " O, let us pay 
 the time but needful woe." For the form of expression here, cf. Macb. 
 i. 5. 62 : " Look like the time." 
 
 Spalding says of this scene : " The manner is Shakespeare's, and 
 some parts are little inferior to his very finest passages." Hickson makes 
 no comment upon it. Swinburne believes that Shakespeare's work has 
 been interpolated and filled out by Fletcher. He says: "The scene is 
 opened by Shakespeare in his most majestic vein of meditative or moral 
 verse, pointed and coloured as usual with him alone by direct and abso- 
 lute aptitude to the immediate sentiment and situation of the speaker 
 and of no man else : then either Fletcher strikes in for a moment with 
 a touch of somewhat more Shakespearean tone than usual, or possibly 
 we have a survival of some lines' length, not unretouched by Fletcher, 
 from Shakespeare's first sketch for a conclusion of the somewhat calam- 
 itous and cumbrous underplot, which in any case was ultimately left for 
 
 * Since this note was in type, it has occurred to us that the words on e^td he stands 
 were perhaps interlined in the " copy " as a substitute for on his hind hoofs (the latter 
 being accidentally left without crossing out), and that we should read : 
 
 " He kept him 'tween his legs, on end he stands, 
 That Arcite's legs," etc. 
 
200 NOTES. 
 
 Fletcher to expand into such a shape and bring by such means to an end 
 as we may safely swear that Shakespeare would never have admitted; 
 then with the entrance and ensuing narrative of Pirithous we have none 
 but Shakespeare before us again, though it be Shakespeare undoubtedly 
 in the rough, and not as he might have chosen to present himself after 
 due revision, with rejection (we may well suppose) of this point and re- 
 adjustment of that ; then upon the arrival of the dying Arcite with his 
 escort there follows a grievous little gap, a flaw but pitifully patched by 
 Fletcher, whom we recognize at wellnigh his worst and weakest in Pala- 
 mon's appeal to his kinsman for a last word, ' if his heart, his woiihy^ 
 manly hearf (an exact and typical example of Fletcher's tragically pro- 
 saic and prosaically tragic dash of incurable commonplace), 'be yet un- 
 broken,' and in the flaccid and futile answer which fails so signally to 
 supply the place of the most famous and pathetic passage in all the mas- 
 terpiece of Chaucer; a passage to which even Shakespeare could have 
 added but some depth and grandeur of his own giving, since neither he 
 nor Dante's very self nor any other among the divinest of men could 
 have done more or better than match it for tender and true simplicity 
 of words more 'dearly sweet and bitter 'than the bitterest or sweetest of 
 men's tears. Then after the duly and properly conventional engage- 
 ment on the parts of Palamon and Emilia respectively to devote the an- 
 niversary 'to tears' and 'to honour,' the deeper tone returns for one 
 grand last time, grave at once and sudden and sweet as the full choral 
 opening of an anthem : the note which none could ever catch of Shake- 
 speare's very voice gives out the peculiar cadence that it alone can give 
 in the modulated instinct of a solemn change or shifting of the metrical 
 emphasis or ictus from one to the other of two repeated words — 
 
 'that nought could buy 
 Dear love but loss of dear love!' 
 
 That is a touch beyond the ear or the hand of Fletcher : a chord sound- 
 ed from Apollo's own harp after a somewhat hoarse and reedy wheeze 
 from the scrannel-pipe of a lesser player than Pan. Last of all, in words 
 worthy to be the latest left of Shakespeare's, his great and gentle The- 
 seus winds up the heavenly harmonies of his last beloved grand poem." 
 
 EPILOGUE. 
 
 2. Say. "Here say apparently means speak; and the simile seems 
 to consist in a comparison with schoolboys who are afraid to say their 
 lesson " (Sk.). 
 
 3. Cruel fearful. The cruel is a mere intensive. Cf. Hen. V. v. 2. 216 : 
 " I love thee cruelly." 
 
 12. The tale. Evidently, as L. notes, a reference to the source of the 
 play. We refers of course to the actors. 
 
 17. Loves. Plural because referring to more than one person. Cf. 
 Rich. IT. p. 206, note on Sights. 
 
INDEX OF WORDS AND PHRASES 
 EXPLAINED. 
 
 absolute (=perfect), 171. 
 abuse young lays, 192. 
 advance (=:^raise), 158, 165, 
 
 194. 
 advertised (accent), 175. 
 affect (=love), 174. 
 affections, 167. 
 aglets, 178. 
 Alcides, 196. 
 allow (=approve), 174- 
 allowance, 198. 
 alow, 181. 
 anatomy, 193. 
 angel (=bird), 155. 
 antic, 186. 
 any means, by, 1 73 . 
 a-pieces, 184. 
 appointment, 168, 175. 
 approved (^proved), 190. 
 apricock, 173. 
 arm your prize, 197. 
 armed long and round, 1S8. 
 armipotent, 192. 
 arraignment, no more, 166. 
 arrose, 199. 
 Artesius, 160. 
 as dangerous as poor, 166. 
 aspect (,accent), 196. 
 attend for grey approachers, 
 
 197. 
 attendmg, 186. 
 attributes (accent), 164. 
 auburn, 188. 
 Aulis, i6i. 
 
 baldrick, 188. 
 bare (=threadbare), 163. 
 barley-break, 189. 
 battle struck, i68. 
 Bavian, 180. 
 beast-eating, 182. 
 beastly, 177. 
 becking, 165. 
 Bellona, 157. 
 bends his fist, 196. 
 beneficial, 183. 
 bent brow, 176. 
 bent (engine), 196. 
 
 better lined, 170. 
 
 bevy, 186. 
 
 blazon, 175. 
 
 blood-siz'd, 158. 
 
 blow the nearness out, 191. 
 
 blubbered, 161. 
 
 bones (for music), i8i. 
 
 bonfires (trisyllable), 192. 
 
 Bonny Robin, 1S6. 
 
 bottles (of hay), 194. 
 
 bow not, 183. 
 
 bowling, 187. 
 
 brake, 176. 
 
 bravery, 189. 
 
 break, 178, 180. 
 
 bride-house, 156. 
 
 broached, 166. 
 
 Broom, The, 186. 
 
 business (trisyllable), 185. 
 
 but, 195. 
 
 buttons (=buds), 174. 
 
 buz, 181. 
 
 calkins, 198. 
 Capaneus (accent), 157. 
 carack, 179. 
 carve her, 190. 
 cestron, 192. 
 changeling, i88. 
 chapel (verb), 156. 
 chared, 176. 
 charging-staff, 189. 
 charmers, 199. 
 chase, 193. 
 cheers (=faces), 170. 
 chop (=exchange), 174. 
 choris, 181. 
 chough hoar, 156. 
 clean, 188. 
 
 clear-spirited, 164, 197. 
 close (:=secret), 193. 
 coil, 174. 
 
 cold as old Saturn, 198. 
 come cut and longtail, 194. 
 compassion (metre), 185. 
 compelled (accent), 175. 
 concealments, 193. 
 conceived, 163. 
 
 confound (:=destroy), 191. 
 convent (verb), 168, 170. 
 conversation, 172. 
 cords, drams, knives, etc., 
 
 160. 
 corslet (verb), 161. 
 counsel, 175. 
 count, 166. 
 course (=sail), 179. 
 cozener (play upon), 175. 
 cradles (of oxlips), 155. 
 cranks, 163. 
 creation, 158. 
 Creon, 156. 
 cruel-fearful, 200. 
 cry (=pack), 174. 
 cunning (=skill), 166. 
 curious (= elaborate), 188. 
 currant (play upon;, 162. 
 cut (= horse), 179, 194. 
 
 dare, 165. 
 dearly, 198. 
 defier, 193. 
 delivered, 170. 
 deliverly, 180. 
 depart (noun), 166. 
 depart (=;part), 170. 
 devils roar, 174. 
 Dido, 189. 
 dim, 155. 
 disensanity, 180. 
 disposed, 188. 
 disseat, 198. 
 
 distinguish villager, 181. 
 dividual, 167. 
 dole, 170. 
 doucets, 182. 
 down-a, 189. 
 duke, 156. 
 
 edict (accent), 183. 
 eftsoons, 174. 
 engine, 196. 
 engraffed, 189. 
 enormous, 192. 
 envy, 195. 
 et opus exegi, etc., 181. 
 
202 
 
 INDEX OF WORDS AND PHRASES EXPLAINED. 
 
 even (verb), i68. 
 even jump, 163. 
 eye of Phoebus, 156. 
 
 fairer spoken, 174. 
 
 faith (=:seif-reliance), 163. 
 
 fall (transitive), 161. 
 
 fancy (—love), 18S, 196, 199. 
 
 farces (=fills), 189. 
 
 fatuus, 1 80. 
 
 fear (=fear for), 178. 
 
 fear (=frighten), 183. 
 
 fere, 190, 193. 
 
 ferula, 181. 
 
 file and quality, 194. 
 
 fire-ill, 181. 
 
 fires (dissyllable), 191. 
 
 flurted, 163. 
 
 foison, 192. 
 
 for {=as regards), 158. 
 
 for ( = because), 163, 166, 
 
 197. 
 forward, 172. 
 frampal, 181. 
 frize, 180. 
 full of bread, 160. 
 
 gawds, 188. 
 
 general of ebbs and flows, 
 
 194. 
 gentility, 156. 
 gentle token, 175. 
 gently (trisyllable), 172. 
 germane, 191. 
 glade, 186. 
 glass of ladies, 1 58. 
 glister, 192. 
 globy, 193. _ 
 go to law with, 196. 
 God's lid, 196. 
 grace, 199. 
 grand-guard, 183. 
 grave (=bury), 172. 
 graved (^furrowed), 196. 
 green, 190. 
 green eye, 193. 
 grey-eyed, 188. 
 griefs (= grievances), 175. 
 grise, 171. 
 ground-piece, 159. 
 gyves, 175. 
 
 had as lief, 158. 
 hail (play upon), i8i. 
 half-sights, 196. 
 happily (= haply), 167. 
 happiness, 174. 
 hardly, 197. 
 have at thy life, 183. 
 have with j'e, 173. 
 he 's (^he shall), 179. 
 heavy (=sad), 170. 
 her bells dim, 154. 
 
 Hercules ( pronunciation ), 
 
 hilding, 180. 
 
 his (=its), 186, 196. 
 
 hoar (chough), 156. 
 
 hobby-horse, 194. 
 
 hold, 173. 
 
 honesty (^chastity), 194. 
 
 horn-book, 173. 
 
 house-clogs, 174. 
 
 howlet, 181. 
 
 human title, 162. 
 
 i' the nick, 181. 
 
 imports (=concems), 161. 
 
 in (^into), 166. 
 
 in plight, 175. 
 
 innocent (=idiot), 167, 185. 
 
 intelligence, 165. 
 
 it's, i6o. 
 
 its, 164. 
 
 ivy-tods, 188. 
 
 jadery, 198. 
 jane, 180. 
 jaw (verb), 176. 
 joy (—rejoice), 188. 
 jump (—just), 163. 
 
 keep touch, 173, 178. 
 
 kenn'st, 1S7. 
 
 kind (=nature), 195. 
 
 knacks, 174. 
 
 knights (female), 193. 
 
 knolls, 159. 
 
 lag hours, 197. 
 
 lards it, 189. 
 
 large (^loose), 193. 
 
 larks'-heels, 155. 
 
 laund, 174- 
 
 lets (noun), 182. 
 
 lewdly, 187. 
 
 liberal, 193. 
 
 Light o' Love, 194. 
 
 like the time, 199. 
 
 limiter, 191. 
 
 lined, 170. 
 
 loaden, 171. 
 
 lock, 161. 
 
 loose (=lose), 186. 
 
 lovers (=friends), 191. 
 
 loves, 200. 
 
 maculate, 194. 
 
 maiden pinks, 154- 
 
 main goodness, 171. 
 
 make death a devil, 184. 
 
 make lanes, 168. 
 
 make pursuit ( play upon ), 
 
 163. 
 makes no cry, 173. 
 manage (noun), 198. 
 
 mankind (accent), 172. 
 
 marigolds, 155. 
 
 niartialist, 163. 
 
 meditance, 159. 
 
 medius fidius, 180. 
 
 Meleager, 180. 
 
 mere (^absolute), 163, 171. 
 
 mickle, 182. 
 
 miller's mare, 194. 
 
 mind (=think of), 185. 
 
 minstrels (trisyllable), 186. 
 
 miscarry (=perish), 183, 196. 
 
 moiety, 161. 
 
 moped, 176. 
 
 more (=greater), 172. 
 
 more bigger looked, 161. 
 
 morris, 173, 1S2. 
 
 niusit, J 75. 
 
 name's opinion, 184- 
 JNemean (accent), 157. 
 next (^nearest), 177. 
 nice, 195. 
 
 not right (=insane), 185. 
 note (=stigma), 198. 
 
 O fair, O sweet (songl, 186. 
 offence (=blow), 196. 
 offices, 177. 
 old importment's bastard, 
 
 167. 
 on (—one), 164, 167. 
 on end he stands, 198. 
 operance, 166. 
 opinion (=reputaiion), 184. 
 ospreys, 159. 
 our (dissyllable), 164. 
 out of square, igo. 
 out-breasted, 196. 
 out-dure, 183. 
 owest (=ownest), 158, 198. 
 owgh, 186. 
 oxlips, 155. 
 
 parlously, 173. 
 
 peace, to a, 181. 
 
 Pelops' shoulder, 187. 
 
 pelting, 173. 
 
 pencilled (=painted), 195. 
 
 penner, 182. 
 
 pen'worth, 189. 
 
 Philomels, 196. 
 
 piece of silver, 189. 
 
 pieces (= works), 166. 
 
 Pigmies, 179. 
 
 pinch "em, 197. 
 
 plantain (for wounds), 163. 
 
 play-feres, 190. 
 
 plurisy, 192. 
 
 pointed (^appointed), 194. 
 
 poise (noun), 199. 
 
 polled, 192. 
 
 port (=gate), 194. 
 
INDEX OF WORDS AND PHRASES EXPLAINED. 
 
 203 
 
 port (verb), 191. 
 
 posies, 186. 
 
 power on, 158. 
 
 prayers t dissyllable), 191. 
 
 precipitance, 160. 
 
 presently, 171. 
 
 pretended (=intended), 161. 
 
 pretenders, 194. 
 
 price (=;reward), 195. 
 
 prime (=chief j, 162. 
 
 primrose, 154. 
 
 prim' St, 196. 
 
 proin, 184. 
 
 proper {=comely), 174. 
 
 Proserpine, 189. 
 
 purchase (^win), 174. 
 
 purger, 157. 
 
 pyramid, 185, 196. 
 
 quaint, 154. 
 question, 195. 
 qui passa, 181. 
 quit, 17s, 183, 197. 
 quousque tandem, etc., 180. 
 
 rable, i8r. 
 
 rarely, 186. 
 
 ravished, 171. 
 
 raze you, 156. 
 
 reck (spelling), 176. 
 
 record (accent), 172- 
 
 records (=recorders), 193. 
 
 redemption, 196. 
 
 regiment; igo. 
 
 repletion, 163. 
 
 require (=ask), 158, 191. 
 
 retain (= employ), 163. 
 
 rheum, 197. 
 
 right (=downright), 183. 
 
 rings of rushes, 186. 
 
 rinsing (spelling), 160. 
 
 roast eggs, 173. 
 
 ruins, 163. 
 
 run her, 179. 
 
 sacrifices, 191. 
 
 Saturn, 19S. 
 
 say (=speak), 200. 
 
 scape, 185. 
 
 scurril, 194. 
 
 secure (= careless), 160. 
 
 sempster, 180. 
 
 servant, 158, 196. 
 
 set off (—offset), 196. 
 
 several (:;^separate), 174- 
 
 sib, 164. 
 
 silent hanging, 182. 
 
 since I have known fight's 
 
 fury, etc., 168. 
 sire (.dissyllable), 174. 
 skip (=ignore), 175. 
 skipt, 192. 
 
 slanderous cuckoo, 156. 
 smallness (of voice), 1S6. 
 sod, 166. 
 
 soon (=easy), 183. 
 sotted, 188. 
 sow of lead, 196. 
 speed (=success), 166. 
 spoom, 179. 
 sports, 166. 
 spread her, 157. 
 stammers 'em, 171. 
 stamp (play upon), 162. 
 state (—estate), 190. 
 state of nature, 177. 
 stead (verb), 156, 
 still among, 190. 
 stomach, 176. 
 stool-ball, 194. 
 strait, 183. 
 stre wings, 171, 
 strike (measure), 194. 
 styl'd it, 158. 
 
 success (accent), 161, 196. 
 success (tissue), 190. 
 surfeit, 161. 
 swarth, 187. 
 synod, 161. 
 
 tackle, 173. 
 tailor (woman's), 186. 
 take hands, 160. 
 talons (spelling), 156. 
 taste to you, 197. 
 tasteful, 161. 
 tediosity, 180. 
 
 tell (=count), 181, 198, 199. 
 tender (verb), 191. 
 terrene, 166. 
 
 that ( = so that), 185, 193, 
 , 195- 
 
 thereby hangs a tale, 178. 
 this world 's a city, etc., 
 
 170. 
 Ihyine (spelling^, 154. 
 tilters, 196. 
 to ( = for), 184. 
 to (=in comparison with), 
 
 I together, 177. 
 
 I token (play upon), 162. 
 
 too-timely, 171. 
 too-too, 197. 
 top the bowling, 187. 
 tottering Fortune, 197. 
 touch, keep, 173, 178. 
 toy (=^ finery), 166. 
 toy (=whim), 198. 
 trace, 180. 
 transported, 157. 
 travail (spelling), 153. 
 trick o' the hip, 173. 
 twinning, 161. 
 
 uncandied, 158. 
 
 unclasp, 194. 
 
 undertaker, 157. 
 
 undo with thunder, 188. 
 
 unwappered, 197. 
 
 uin (verb), 156. 
 
 uses (—exercises), 171. 
 
 vast field, 193. 
 
 vengeance and revenge. 157. 
 
 vengeance (trick), 173. 
 
 Ver, 154. 
 
 videlicet, 194. 
 
 virginals, 177. 
 
 virtue (—valour), 1S3. 
 
 visitating, 160. 
 
 voluble, 164. 
 
 want (=lack), 162. 
 
 ward, 196. 
 
 washed a tile, 180. 
 
 weavers, 173. 
 
 weeds, 163. 
 
 weigh (anchor), 186. 
 
 well disposed, 188. 
 
 what (=who), 168. 
 
 wheaten garland, 154. 
 
 where (=whereas>, 183. 
 
 whereto, 157. 
 
 whether, 185, 188. 
 
 whipstock, 164. 
 
 who (omitted), 163, 164. 
 
 who (=which), 164. 
 
 whoo-bub, 174. 
 
 widows to our woes, 160. 
 
 Willow, willow, willow, 186. 
 
 wine and bread, 180. 
 
 wink ( = shut the eyes), 
 
 .195- 
 winner's oak, 189. 
 wise (= discreet), 174. 
 woe worth, 184- 
 wood (^mad), 187. 
 
THE WALLS OF ATHENS RESTORED- 
 
 
SHAKESPEARE. 
 
 WITH NOTES BY WM. J. ROLFE, A.M. 
 
 The Merchant of Venice. 
 
 The Tempest. 
 
 Julius Caesar. 
 
 Hamlet. 
 
 As You Like It. 
 
 Henry the Fifth. 
 
 Macbeth. 
 
 Henry the Eighth. 
 
 A Midsummer-Night's Dream. 
 
 Richard the Second. 
 
 llichard the Third. 
 
 Much Ado Ahout Nothing. 
 
 Antony and Cleopatra. 
 
 Eomeo and Juliet. 
 
 OtheUo. 
 
 Twelfth Night. 
 
 The Winter's Tale. 
 
 King John. 
 
 Henry IV. Part I. 
 
 Henry IV. Part II. 
 
 King Lear. 
 
 The Taming of the Shrew. 
 
 All 's Well That Ends Well. 
 
 Coriolanus. 
 
 Comedy of Errors. 
 
 Cymbeline. 
 
 Merry Wives of Windsor. 
 
 Measure for Measure. 
 
 Two Gentlemen of Verona. 
 
 Lore's Labour 's Lost. 
 
 Timon of Athens. 
 
 Henry VI. Part I. 
 
 Henry VI. Part II. 
 
 Henry VI. Part III. 
 
 Troilus and Cressida. 
 
 Pericles, Prince of Tyre. 
 
 The Two Noble Kinsmen. 
 
 Poems. 
 
 Sonnets. 
 
 Titus Andronicus. 
 
 Illustrated. 16mo, Cloth, 56 cts. per Vol. ; Paper, 40 cts. per Yol. 
 
 In the preparation of this edition of the EngHsh Classics it has been 
 the aim to adapt them for school and home reading, in essentially the 
 same way as Greek and Latin Classics are edited for educational pur- 
 poses. The chief requisites are a pure text (expurgated, if necessary), 
 and the notes needed for its thorough explanation and illustration. 
 
 Each of Shakespeare's plays is complete in one volume, and is pre- 
 ceded by an Introduction containing the " History of the Play," the 
 " Sources of the Plot," and *' Critical Comments on the Play." 
 
 From Horace Howard Furness, Ph.D., LL.D., Editor of the ^^JVeiv Vario- 
 rum Shakespeare.'''' 
 
 No one can examine these volumes and fail to be impressed with the 
 conscientious accuracy and scholarly completeness with which they ai^e 
 edited. The educational purposes for which the notes are written Mr. 
 Rolfe never loses sight of, but like "a well-experienced archer hits the 
 mark his eve doth level at." 
 
Rolfe's Shakespeare. 
 
 Fi'om F. J. FURNIVALL, Director of the New Shakspere Society, London. 
 
 The merit I see in Mr. Rolfe's school editions of Shakspere's Plays 
 over those most widely used in England is that Mr. Rolfe edits the plays 
 as works of a poet, and not only as productions in Tudor English. Some 
 editors think that all they have to do with a play is to state its source 
 and explain its hard words and allusions j they treat it as they would a 
 charter or a catalogue of household furniture, and then rest satisfied. 
 But Mr. Rolfe, while clearing up all verbal difficulties as carefully as any 
 Dryasdust, always adds the choicest extracts he can find, on the spirit 
 and special "note" of each play, and on the leading characteristics of its 
 chief personages. He does not leave the student without help in getting 
 at Shakspere's chief attributes, his characterization and poetic power. 
 And every practical teacher knows that while every boy can look out 
 hard words in a lexicon for himself, not one in a score can, unhelped, 
 catch points of and realize character, and feel and express the distinctive 
 individuality of each play as a poetic creation. 
 
 From Prof. Edward Dowden, LL.D., of the' University of Dublin^ 
 Author of ^^ Shakspere : His Mind and Art." 
 
 I incline to think that no edition is likely to be so useful for school and 
 home reading as yours. Your notes contain so much accurate instruc- 
 tion, with so little that is superfluous ; you do not neglect the aesthetic 
 study of the play ; and in externals, paper, type, binding, etc., you make 
 a book " pleasant to the eyes " (as well as " to be desired to make one 
 wise ") — no small matter, I think, with young readers and with old. 
 
 From Edwin A. Abbott, M.A., Author of ^^ Shakespearian Grammar.'''' 
 
 I have not seen any edition that compresses so much necessary infor- 
 mation into so small a space, nor any that so completely avoids the com- 
 mon faults of commentaries on Shakespeare — needless repetition, super- 
 fluous explanation, and unscholar-like ignoring of difficulties. 
 
 From Hiram Corson, M.A., Professor of Anglo-Saxoji and English 
 Literature, Cornell University, Ithaca, A''. V. 
 
 In the way of annotated editions of separate plays of Shakespeare, for 
 educational purposes, I know of none quite up to Rolfe's. 
 
Rolfe^s Shakespeare. 
 
 From Prof. F. J. Child, of Harvard University. 
 
 I read your " Merchant of Venice" with my class, and found it in every 
 respect an excellent edition. I do not agree with my friend White in the 
 opinion that Shalcespeare requires but few notes — that is, if he is to be 
 thoroughly understood. Doubtless he may be enjoyed, and many a hard 
 place slid over. Your notes give all the help a young student requires, 
 and yet the reader for pleasure will easily get at just what he wants. 
 You have indeed been conscientiously concise. 
 
 Under date of July 25, 1879, Prof. Child adds : Mr. Rolfe's editions 
 of plays of Shakespeare are very valuable and convenient books, whether 
 for a college class or for private study. I have used them with my 
 students, and I welcome every addition that is made to the series. They 
 show care, research, and good judgment, and are fully up to the time in 
 scholarship. I fully agree with the opinion that experienced teachers 
 have expressed of the excellence of these books. 
 
 From Rev. A. P. Peabody, D.D., Professor in Harvard University. 
 
 I regard your own woi'k as of the highest meiit, while you have turned 
 the labors of others to the best possible account. I want to have the 
 higher classes of our schools introduced to Shakespeare chief of all, and 
 then to other standard English authors ; but this cannot be done to ad- 
 vantage, unless under a teacher of equally rare gifts and abundant leisure, 
 or through editions specially prepared for such use. I trust that you 
 will have the requisite encouragement to proceed with a work so hap- 
 pily begun. 
 
 From the Examiner and Chronicle, IV. Y. 
 
 We repeat what we have often said, that there is no edition of Shake- 
 speare's which seems to us preferable to Mr. Rolfe's. As mere specimens 
 of the printer's and binder's art they are unexcelled, and their other 
 merits are equally high. Mr. Rolfe, having learned by the practical ex- 
 perience of the class-room what aid the average student really needs in 
 order to read Shakespeare intelligently, has put just that amount of aid 
 into his notes, and no more. Having said what needs to be said, he stops 
 there. It is a rare virtue in the editor of a classic, and we are propor- 
 tionately grateful for it. 
 
Rolfe^s Shakespeare. 
 
 From the N". V. Times. 
 
 This work has been done so well that it could hardly have been done 
 better. It shows throughout knowledge, taste, discriminating judgment, 
 and, what is rarer and of yet higher value, a sympathetic appreciation of 
 the poet's moods and purposes. 
 
 From the Pacific School Journal^ San Francisco. 
 
 This edition of Shakespeare's plays bids fair to be the most valuable 
 aid to the study of English literature yet published. For educational pur- 
 poses it is beyond praise. Each of the plays is printed in large clear type 
 and on excellent paper. Every difficulty of the text is clearly explained 
 by copious notes. It is remarkable how many new beauties one may dis- 
 cern in Shakespeare with the aid of the glossaries attached to these books. 
 . . . Teachers can do no higher, better work than to inculcate a love 
 for the best literature, and such books as these will best aid them in 
 cultivating a pure and refined taste. 
 
 From the Christian Union, N. Y. 
 
 Mr. W. J. Rolfe's capital edition of Shakespeare — by far the best edi- 
 tion for school and parlor use. We speak after some practical use of it 
 in a village Shakespeare Club. The notes are brief but useful ; and the 
 necessary expurgations are managed with discriminating skill. 
 
 From the Acade??iy, Lojidon. 
 
 Mr. Rolfe's excellent series of school-editions of the Plays of Shake- 
 speare. . . . Mr. Rolfe's editions differ from some of the English ones 
 in looking on the plays as something more than word-puzzles. They give 
 the student helps and hints on the characters and meanings of the plays, 
 while the word-notes are also full and posted up to the latest date. . . . 
 Mr. Rolfe also adds to each of his books a most useful " Index of Words 
 and Phrases explained." 
 
 Published by HARPER & BROTHERS, New York. 
 
 i^^^ Any of the above works will be sent by mail, postage prepaid, to any part of the 
 United States, on receipt of the Price. 
 
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