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For best solicitation.

       THESEUS.

       Why, good Ladies,

       This is a service, whereto I am going,

       Greater then any was; it more imports me

       Then all the actions that I have foregone,

       Or futurely can cope.

       1. QUEEN.

       The more proclaiming

       Our suit shall be neglected: when her Armes

       Able to locke Iove from a Synod, shall

       By warranting Moone-light corslet thee, oh, when

       Her twyning Cherries shall their sweetnes fall

       Vpon thy tastefull lips, what wilt thou thinke

       Of rotten Kings or blubberd Queenes, what care

       For what thou feelst not? what thou feelst being able

       To make Mars spurne his Drom. O, if thou couch

       But one night with her, every howre in’t will

       Take hostage of thee for a hundred, and

       Thou shalt remember nothing more then what

       That Banket bids thee too.

       HIPPOLITA.

       Though much unlike [Kneeling.]

       You should be so transported, as much sorry

       I should be such a Suitour; yet I thinke,

       Did I not by th’abstayning of my joy,

       Which breeds a deeper longing, cure their surfeit

       That craves a present medcine, I should plucke

       All Ladies scandall on me. Therefore, Sir,

       As I shall here make tryall of my prayres,

       Either presuming them to have some force,

       Or sentencing for ay their vigour dombe:

       Prorogue this busines we are going about, and hang

       Your Sheild afore your Heart, about that necke

       Which is my ffee, and which I freely lend

       To doe these poore Queenes service.

       ALL QUEENS.

       Oh helpe now,

       Our Cause cries for your knee.

       EMILIA.

       If you grant not [Kneeling.]

       My Sister her petition in that force,

       With that Celerity and nature, which

       Shee makes it in, from henceforth ile not dare

       To aske you any thing, nor be so hardy

       Ever to take a Husband.

       THESEUS.

       Pray stand up.

       I am entreating of my selfe to doe

       That which you kneele to have me. Pyrithous,

       Leade on the Bride; get you and pray the Gods

       For successe, and returne; omit not any thing

       In the pretended Celebration. Queenes,

       Follow your Soldier. As before, hence you [to Artesius]

       And at the banckes of Aulis meete us with

       The forces you can raise, where we shall finde

       The moytie of a number, for a busines

       More bigger look’t. Since that our Theame is haste,

       I stamp this kisse upon thy currant lippe;

       Sweete, keepe it as my Token. Set you forward,

       For I will see you gone. [Exeunt towards the Temple.]

       Farewell, my beauteous Sister: Pyrithous,

       Keepe the feast full, bate not an howre on’t.

       PERITHOUS.

       Sir,

       Ile follow you at heeles; The Feasts solempnity

       Shall want till your returne.

       THESEUS.

       Cosen, I charge you

       Boudge 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.

       1. QUEEN.

       Thus do’st thou still make good the tongue o’th world.

       2. QUEEN.

       And earnst a Deity equal with Mars.

       3. QUEEN.

       If not above him, for

       Thou being but mortall makest affections bend

       To Godlike honours; they themselves, some say,

       Grone under such a Mastry.

       THESEUS.

       As we are men,

       Thus should we doe; being sensually subdude,

       We loose our humane tytle. Good cheere, Ladies. [Florish.]

       Now turne we towards your Comforts. [Exeunt.]

       Scaena 2. (Thebs).

       [Enter Palamon, and Arcite.]

       ARCITE.

       Deere Palamon, deerer in love then Blood

       And our prime Cosen, yet unhardned in

       The Crimes of nature; Let us leave the Citty

       Thebs, and the temptings in’t, before we further

       Sully our glosse of youth:

       And here to keepe in abstinence we shame

       As in Incontinence; for not to swim

       I’th aide o’th Current were almost to sincke,

       At least to frustrate striving, and to follow

       The common Streame, twold bring us to an Edy

       Where we should turne or drowne; if labour through,

       Our gaine but life, and weakenes.

       PALAMON.

       Your advice

       Is cride up with example: what strange ruins

       Since first we went to Schoole, may we perceive

       Walking in Thebs? Skars, and bare weedes

       The gaine o’th Martialist, who did propound

       To his bold ends honour, and golden Ingots,

       Which though he won, he had not, and now flurted

       By peace for whom he fought: who then shall offer

       To Marsis so scornd Altar? I doe bleede

       When such I meete, and wish great Iuno would

       Resume her ancient fit of Ielouzie

       To get the Soldier worke, that peace might purge

       For her repletion, and retaine anew

       Her charitable heart now hard, and harsher

       Then strife or war could be.

       ARCITE.

       Are you not out?

       Meete you no ruine but the Soldier in

       The Cranckes and turnes of Thebs? you did begin

       As if you met decaies of many kindes:

       Perceive you none, that doe arowse your pitty

       But th’un-considerd Soldier?

       PALAMON.

      

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