Part 5

3. QUEEN. This funeral path brings to your housholds grave: Ioy ceaze on you againe: peace sleepe with him.

2. QUEEN. And this to yours.

1. QUEEN. Yours this way: Heavens lend A thousand differing waies to one sure end.

3. QUEEN. This world’s a Citty full of straying Streetes, And Death’s the market place, where each one meetes. [Exeunt severally.]

Actus Secundus.

Scaena 1. (Athens. A garden, with a prison in the background.)

IAILOR. I may depart with little, while I live; some thing I may cast to you, not much: Alas, the Prison I keepe, though it be for great ones, yet they seldome come; Before one Salmon, you shall take a number of Minnowes. I am given out to be better lyn’d then it can appeare to me report is a true Speaker: I would I were really that I am deliverd to be. Marry, what I have (be it what it will) I will assure upon my daughter at the day of my death.

WOOER. Sir, I demaund no more then your owne offer, and I will estate your Daughter in what I have promised.

IAILOR. Wel, we will talke more of this, when the solemnity is past. But have you a full promise of her? When that shall be seene, I tender my consent.

WOOER. I have Sir; here shee comes.

IAILOR. Your Friend and I have chanced to name you here, upon the old busines: But no more of that now; so soone as the Court hurry is over, we will have an end of it: I’th meane time looke tenderly to the two Prisoners. I can tell you they are princes.

DAUGHTER. These strewings are for their Chamber; tis pitty they are in prison, and twer pitty they should be out: I doe thinke they have patience to make any adversity asham’d; the prison it selfe is proud of ’em; and they have all the world in their Chamber.

IAILOR. They are fam’d to be a paire of absolute men.

DAUGHTER. By my troth, I think Fame but stammers ’em; they stand a greise above the reach of report.

IAILOR. I heard them reported in the Battaile to be the only doers.

DAUGHTER. Nay, most likely, for they are noble suffrers; I mervaile how they would have lookd had they beene Victors, that with such a constant Nobility enforce a freedome out of Bondage, making misery their Mirth, and affliction a toy to jest at.

IAILOR. Doe they so?

DAUGHTER. It seemes to me they have no more sence of their Captivity, then I of ruling Athens: they eate well, looke merrily, discourse of many things, but nothing of their owne restraint, and disasters: yet sometime a devided sigh, martyrd as ’twer i’th deliverance, will breake from one of them; when the other presently gives it so sweete a rebuke, that I could wish my selfe a Sigh to be so chid, or at least a Sigher to be comforted.

WOOER. I never saw ’em.

IAILOR. The Duke himselfe came privately in the night,

and so did they: what the reason of it is, I know not: Looke, yonder they are! that’s Arcite lookes out.

DAUGHTER. No, Sir, no, that’s Palamon: Arcite is the lower of the twaine; you may perceive a part of him.

IAILOR. Goe too, leave your pointing; they would not make us their object; out of their sight.

DAUGHTER. It is a holliday to looke on them: Lord, the diffrence of men!

Scaena 2. (The prison)

PALAMON. How doe you, Noble Cosen?

ARCITE. How doe you, Sir?

PALAMON. Why strong inough to laugh at misery, And beare the chance of warre, yet we are prisoners, I feare, for ever, Cosen.