What woman I may stead, that is distrest, Does bind me to her.
Thes. What's your request? Deliver you for all. 1st. Qu. We are three queens, whose sovereigns before
The wrath of cruel Creon; who endure
The beaks of ravens, talons of the kites,
And pecks of crows, in the foul field of Thebes. He will not suffer us to burn their bones, To urn their ashes, nor to take th'offence Of mortal loathsomeness from the blest eye Of holy Phoebus, but infects the winds
With stench of our slain lords. Oh pity, duke, Thou purger of the earth, draw thy fear'd sword That does good turns to th' world; give us the bones Of our dead kings, that we may chapel them; 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 every thing.
Thes. Pray you kneel not.
I was transported with your speech, and suffer'd Your knees to wrong themselves: I have heard the for-
Of your dead lords, which gives me such lamenting, As wakes my vengeance and revenge for them. King Capaneus was your lord: the day That he should marry you, at such a season 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, Nor in more bounty spread her. Your wheaten wreath Was then not thrash'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 bide, And swore his sinews thaw'd. Oh grief, and time, Fearful consumers, you will all devour.
1st. Qu. Oh I hope some god,
Some god hath put his mercy in your manhood, Whereto he'll infuse power, and press you forth Our undertaker.
Thes. Oh, no knees, none, widow;
Unto the helmeted Bellona use them, And pray for me your soldier.
Troubled I am.
2d. Qu. Honour'd Hippolita,
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 To thy sex captive, but that this thy lord, Born to uphold creation in that honour First Nature stiled it in, shrunk thee into The bound thou wast o'erflowing, at once subduing Thy force and thy affection: Soldieress, That equally canst poize sternness with pity, Who now I know hast much more power on him Than ever he had on thee, who ow'st his strength And his love too; who is a servant for
The tenor of the speech: Dear glass of ladies, 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 e'er you fail; lend us a knee, But touch the ground for us no longer time
Than a dove's motion when the head's pluckt off: Tell him if he i'th' blood-ciz'd field lay swoln, Shewing the sun his teeth, grinning at the moon, What you would do.
Hip. Poor lady, say no more;
I had as lieve trace this good action with you, As that whereto I'm going, and never yet Went I so willing way. My lord is taken Heart-deep with your distress; let him consider; I'll speak anon.
3rd. Qu. to Emil. O my petition was Set down in ice, which by hot grief uncandied
Melts into drops, so sorrow wanting form Is prest with deeper matter.
Emil. Pray stand up,
Your grief is written in your cheek.
3rd. Qu. Oh woe,
You cannot read it there; there through my tears, Like wrinkled pebbles in a glassy stream,
You may behold them. Lady, lady, alack! He that will all the treasures know o'th' 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.
Emil. Pray you say nothing, pray you; Who cannot feel, nor see the rain, being in't, Knows neither wet, nor dry; if that
The ground-piece of some painter, I would buy you Tinstruct 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,
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. Thes. Forward to th' temple, leave not out a jot O'th' sacred ceremony.
1st. Qu. Oh this celebration
Will longer last, and be more costly than
Your suppliants war. Remember that your fame Knolls in the ear o'th' 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 oh Jove, your actions, Soon as they move, as Asprays do the fish,
Subdue before they touch. Think, dear duke, think, What beds our slain kings have.
2nd. Qu. What griefs our beds,
That our dear lords have none.
3rd. Qu. None fit for the dead:
Those that with cords, knives, drams, precipitance, Weary of this world's light, have to themselves Been death's most horrid agents, human grace Affords them dust and shadow.
1st. Qu. But our lords
Lie blistering 'fore the visitating sun, And were good kings when living.
Thes. 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. 1st. Qu. And that work presents itself to th' doing : Now 'twill take form, the heats are gone to-morrow, Then bootless toil must recompence itself With its own sweat; now he's secure, Not dreams we stand before your puissance, Rincing our holy begging in our eyes To make petition clear.
2nd. Qu. Now you may take him Drunk with his victory.
Thes. Artesis, that best knowest
How to draw out, fit to this enterprize
The prim'st for this proceeding, and the number To carry such a business forth; and levy Our worthiest instruments, whilst we dispatch This grand act of our life, this daring deed Of fate in wedlock.
1st. Qu. Dowagers, take hands; Let us be widows to our woes, delay Commends us to a famishing hope.
2nd. Qu. We come unseasonably.
Cull forth, as unpang'd judgment can, fit'st time
For best solicitation?
Thes. Why good ladies,
This is a service, whereto I am going,
Greater than any was; it more imports me Than all the actions that I have foregone,, Or futurely can cope.
1st. Qu. The more proclaiming
Our suit shall be neglected, when her arms, Able to lock Jove from a synod, shall By warranting moon-light corslet thee. Oh when Her twining cherries shall their sweetness fall Upon thy tasteful lips, what wilt thou think
Of rotten kings, or blubber'd queens? what care For what thou feel'st not? what thou feel'st being able To make Mars spurn his drum. Oh if thou couch But one night with her, every hour in't will
Take hostage of thee for a hundred, and
Thou shalt remember nothing more, than what That banquet bids thee to.
Hip. Though much unliking
You should be so transported, as much sorry I should be such a suitor, yet I think
Did I not by th' abstaining of my joy
Which breeds a deeper longing, cure their surfeit That craves a present med'cine, 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 Qu's. to Emil. Oh help now,
Our cause cries for your knee. Emil. If you grant not
My sister her petition in that force,
With that celerity and nature which
She makes it in, from henceforth I'll not dare
To ask you any thing, nor be so hardy Ever to take a husband.
Thes. Pray stand up.
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