Have given you this knight. He is a good one

As ever struck at head. ⌈To Arcite and Emilia⌉ Give me

your hands.

(To Arcite) Receive you her, (to Emilia) you him: (to

both) be plighted with

A love that grows as you decay.

ARCITE

Emilia,

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 (to Emilia)

O lovèd 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’th’ world too godlike. His behaviour

So charmed me that, methought, Alcides was

To him a sow of lead. If I could praise

Each part of him to th‘all I have spoke, your Arcite

Did not lose by’t; for he that was thus good,

Encountered yet his better. I have heard

Two emulous Philomels beat the ear o’th’ 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 fared

Good space between these kinsmen, till heavens did

Make hardly one the winner. (To Arcite) Wear the

garland

With joy that you have won.—For the subdued,

Give them our present justice, since I know

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. (To Arcite) 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?

O all you heavenly powers, where is your mercy?

But that your wills have said it must be so,

And charge me live to comfort this unfriended,

This miserable prince, that cuts away

A life more worthy from him than all women,

I should and would die too.

HFPPOLYTA

Infinite pity

That four such eyes should be so fixed on one

That two must needs be blind for’t.

THESEUS So it is.

Exeunt

5.6 Enter, guarded, Palamon and his three Knights pinioned; enter with them the Jailer and an executioner with block and axe

PALAMON

There’s many a man alive that hath outlived

The love o’th’ people; yea, i’th’ selfsame 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 unwappered, not halting under crimes

Many and state—that sure shall please the gods

Sooner than such, to give us nectar with ’em,

For we are more clear spirits. My dear kinsmen,

Whose lives for this poor comfort are laid down,

You have sold ’em too too cheap.

FIRST 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.

SECOND KNIGHT

Let us bid farewell, And with our patience anger tott’ring fortune,

Who at her certain’st reels.

THIRD KNIGHT Come, who begins?

PALAMON

E’en he that led you to this banquet shall

Taste to you all. (To the jailer) Aha, my friend, my

friend,

Your gentle daughter gave me freedom once;

You’ll see’t done now for ever. Pray, how does she?

I heard she was not well; her kind of ill

Gave me some sorrow.

JAILER

Sir, she’s well restored

And to be married shortly.

PALAMON

By my short life,

I am most glad on’t. ’Tis the latest thing

I shall be glad of. Prithee, tell her so;

Commend me to her, and to piece her portion

Tender her this.

He gives his purse

FIRST KNIGHT

Nay, let’s be offerers all.

SECOND KNIGHT

Is it a maid?

PALAMON

Verily, I think so—

A right good creature more to me deserving

Than I can quit or speak of.

ALL THREE KNIGHTS Commend us to her.

They give their purses

JAILER

The gods requite you all, and make her thankful.

PALAMON

Adieu, and let my life be now as short

As my leave-taking.

He lies on the block

FIRST KNIGHT

Lead, courageous cousin.

SECOND and THIRD KNIGHTS We’ll follow cheerfully.

A great noise within: crying, ‘Run! Save! Hold!’

Enter in haste a Messenger

MESSENGER Hold! Hold! O, hold! Hold! Hold!

Enter Pirithous in haste

PIRITHOUS

Hold, ho! It is a cursèd haste you made

If you have done so quickly! Noble Palamon,

The gods will show their glory in a life

That thou art yet to lead.

PALAMON

Can that be,

When Venus, I have said, is false? How do things