*I have not seen so young a man so noble, *If he say true, of his sort. His mother was a wondrous handsome woman; *His face methinks goes that way.3 Hip. But his body And fiery mind illustrate a brave father. *Pir. Mark how his virtue, like a hidden sun, *Breaks through his baser garments! * Hip. He's well got, sure. Thes. What made you seek this place, sir? *Arc. *To purchase name, and do my ablest service *Pir. Noble Theseus, All his words are worthy. *Thes. Sir, we are much indebted to your travel, *Nor shall you lose your wish. · - Pirithous, *Dispose of this fair gentleman. Thanks, Theseus. — *Pir. *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. *Arc. Sir, you're a noble giver. [To EMILIA.] Dearest *beauty, *Thus let me seal my vow'd faith: [Kisses her hand.] when * your servant *Your most unworthy creature *Command him die, he shall. - but offends you, 8 His face argues or infers that he had a handsome mother. That were too cruel. Emi. *If you deserve well, sir, I shall soon see't: *Pir. I'll see you furnish'd; and, because you say *Arc. I like him better, Prince; I shall not, then, *Freeze in my saddle. *Thes. *And you, Emilia, Sweet, you must be ready, and you, friend, and all, — *To-morrow, by the sun, to do observance 4 --- sir, *To flowery May, in Dian's wood. — Wait well, X *Upon your mistress. - Emily, I hope *He shall not go a-foot *Emi. 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'll find a loving mistress. *Arc. If I do not, *Let me find that my father ever hated, *Disgrace and blows. *Thes. Go, lead the way; you've won it; *It shall be so you shall receive all dues *Fit for the honour you have won; 'twere wrong else. *Sister, beshrew my heart, you have a servant, *That, if I were a woman, would be master : *But you are wise. *Emi. I hope too wise for that, sir. - *[Flourish. Exeunt. 4 "Do observance" was the old phrase for celebrating May-day. See vol. iii. page 14, note 22. *SCENE VI. Athens. Before the Prison. *Enter Jailer's Daughter. *Daugh. Let all the dukes and all the devils roar, *He is at liberty: I've ventured for him; *And out I've brought him to a little wood *A mile hence: I have sent him, where a cedar, *What a stout-hearted child thou art! My father *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. *I purpose is my way too *Be so unmanly as to leave That way he takes, sure he cannot me here : *If he do, maids will not so easily *Trust men again: and yet he has not thank'd me *For what I've 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 5 Close is secret or hidden. So the word was commonly used. *What he will with me, so he use me kindly ;6 *Kissing the man they look for. Farewell, father! ACT III. SCENE I.- A Forest near Athens. Cornets in sundry places: noise and hallooing as of People a-Maying. Enter ARCITE. Arc. 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 O Queen Emilia, fresher than May, sweeter Than her gold buttons on the boughs, or all Th' enamell'd knacks 3 o' the mead or garden! yea, 6 An equivoque was doubtless intended in kindly. We have a like instance in King Lear. See vol. iii. page 131, note 15, and vol. xv. page 46, note 5. 1 Laund is an old word for lawn; here standing for what is sometimes called a glade, that is, a natural opening or open ground in a forest. See vol. ix. page 57, note 1. 2 That is, pay it in good earnest; carry out the observance to the fullest extent. 8 Knacks, here, seems to mean about the same as our knick-knacks. We challenge too the bank of any nymph, That makes the stream seem flowers; thou, O jewel That I, poor man, might eftsoons come between, And chop on some cold thought ?4 thrice-blessèd 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, What passion would enclose thee ! Enter PALAMON out of a bush, with his shackles: he bends his fist at ARCITE. To chop was sometimes used in the sense of an abrupt or sudden change. So Dryden, in The Hind and Panther: "Every hour your form is chopp'd and changed, like winds before a storm." In the text, it appears to have the sense of our word to pop; to light suddenly upon. Arcite is uttering a wish: "Would that I might presently chop on some cold thought!" And turn it to a warm one, is probably his meaning. There is some obscurity in what follows. Arcite had not the least expectation of lighting upon such a treasure as Emilia; so he regards it as a most lucky chance, and makes Fortune second only to Emilia in his thoughts, she has been so kind to him. 5 A battle-field where their titles to their crowns were to be tried. |