Pyri. Sir,
I'll follow you at heels; The Feasts solemnity
Shall want till your return.
Thes. Cosin I charge you
Budge not from Athens; we shall be returning
E'r you can end this Feast; of which I pray you
Make no abatement; once more farewel all.
1 Qu. Thus dost thou still make good the tongue o'th' world.
[2] Qu. And earnst a Deity equal with Mars.
3 Qu. If not above him, for
Thou being but mortal, makest affections bend
To godlike honors; they themselves some say
Groan under such a Mast'ry.
Thes. As we are men
Thus should we doe, being sensually subdu'd
We loose our humane Title; good cheer Ladies. Florish.
Now turn we towards our Comforts. [Exeunt.
Scæna Secunda.
Enter Palamon, and Arcite.
Arcite. Dear Palamon, dearer in Love than Blood
And our prime Cosin, yet unhard'ned in
The Crimes of nature; Let us leave the City
Thebs, and the temptings in't, before we further
Sully our gloss of youth,
And here to keep in abstinence we shame
As in Incontinence; for not to swim
I' th' aid o'th' current, were almost to sink,
At least to frustrate striving, and to follow
The common stream, 't would bring us to an Eddy
Where we should turn or drown; if labour through,
Our gain but life, and weakness.
Pal. Your advice
Is cry'd up with example; what strange ruins
Since first we went to School, may we perceive
Walking in Thebs! Skars, and bare weeds
The gain o'th' Martialist, who did propound
To his bold ends, honor, and golden Ingots,
Which though he won, he had not, and now flurted
By peace, for whom he fought, who then shall offer
To Mars's so scorn'd Altar? I doe bleed
When such I meet, and wish great Juno would
Resume her antient fit of jealousie
To get the Soldier work, that peace might purge
For her repletion, and retain anew
Her charitable heart now hard, and harsher
Than strife, or war could be.