DOCTOR How her brain coins!

JAILER’S DAUGHTER Lords and courtiers that have got maids with child—they are in this place. They shall stand in fire up to the navel and in ice up to th’ heart, and there th’offending part burns, and the deceiving part freezes—in truth a very grievous punishment as one would think for such a trifle. Believe me, one would marry a leprous witch to be rid on’t, I’ll assure you.

DOCTOR How she continues this fancy! ’Tis not an engrafted madness, but a most thick and profound melancholy.

JAILER’S 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. One cries, ‘O this smoke!’, th‘other, ‘This fire!’; one cries, ‘O that ever I did it behind the arras!’, and then howls—th’other curses a suing fellow and her garden-house.

(Sings) ‘I will be true, my stars, my fate . . .’

Exit Daughter

JAILER (to the Doctor) What think you of her, sir?

DOCTOR I think she has a perturbed mind, which I cannot minister to.

JAILER Alas, what then?

DOCTOR Understand you she ever affected any man ere she beheld Palamon?

JAILER 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 penn’orth on’t to give half my state that both she and I, at this present, stood unfeignedly on the same terms. 66

DOCTOR That intemperate surfeit of her eye hath distempered 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: confine 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 friskins 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 acceptance into her favour. Learn what maids have been her companions and playferes, and let them repair to her, with 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’s now out of square in her into their former law and regiment. I have seen it approved, how many times I know not, 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

5.1 ⌈An altar prepared.⌉ Flourish. Enter Theseus, Pirithous, Hippolyta, 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 hallowed clouds commend their swelling incense

To those above us. Let no due be wanting.

Flourish of cornetts

They have a noble work in hand, will honour

The very powers that love ’em.

Enter Palamon with his three Knights ⌈at one door⌉, and Arcite with his three Knights ⌈at the other door⌉

PIRITHOUS

Sir, they enter.

THESEUS

You valiant and strong-hearted enemies,

You royal german foes that this day come

To blow that nearness out that flames between ye,

Lay by your anger for an hour and, dove-like,

Before the holy altars of your helpers,

The all-feared 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’ll leave you to your prayers, and betwixt ye

I part my wishes.

PIRITHOUS

Honour crown the worthiest.

Exit Theseus and his train

PALAMON (to Arcite)

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 show

Mine enemy in this business, were’t one eye

Against another, arm oppressed by arm,

I would destroy th’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’th’ selfsame place

To seat something I would confound. So hoist we

The sails that must these vessels port even where

The heavenly limiter pleases.

PALAMON

You speak well.

Before I turn, let me embrace thee, cousin—

This I shall never do again.

ARCITE One farewell.

PALAMON

Why, let it be so—farewell, coz.

ARCITE

Farewell, sir.

Exeunt Palamon and his three Knights

Knights, kinsmen, lovers—yea, my sacrifices,

True worshippers of Mars, whose spirit in you

Expels the seeds of fear and th’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,

Yea, the speed also—to go on, I mean,

Else wish we to be snails. You know my prize

Must be dragged out of blood—force and great feat

Must put my garland on me, where she sticks,

The queen of flowers. Our intercession, then,

Must be to him that makes the camp a cistern

Brimmed with the blood of men—give me your aid,

And bend your spirits towards him.

They kneel before the altar, ⌈fall on their faces, then on their knees again⌉

(Praying to Mars)

Thou mighty one,

That with thy power hast turned green Neptune into