The Two Noble Kinsmen

vouch’d his oracle, and to Arcite gave
The grace of the contention: so the deities
Have show’d due justice.⁠—Bear this hence. Palamon

O cousin,
That we should things desire, which do cost us
The loss of our desire! that naught could buy
Dear love but loss of dear love!

Theseus

Never fortune
Did play a subtler game: the conquer’d triumphs,
The victor has the loss; yet in the passage
The gods have been most equal. Palamon,
Your kinseman hath confess’d the right o’ the lady
Did lie in you; for you first saw her, and
Even then proclaim’d your fancy; he restor’d her,
As your stol’n jewel, and desir’d your spirit
To send him hence forgiven: the gods my justice
Take from my hand, and they themselves become
The executioners. Lead your lady off;
And call your lovers from the stage of death,
Whom I adopt my friends. A day or two
Let us look sadly, and give grace unto
The funeral of Arcite; in whose end
The visages of bridegrooms we’ll put on,
And smile with Palamon; for whom an hour,
But one hour since, I was as dearly sorry
As glad of Arcite, and am now as glad
As for him sorry.⁠—O you heavenly charmers,
What things you make of us! For what we lack
We laugh, for what we have are sorry; still
Are children in some kind. Let us be thankful
For that which is, and with you leave dispute
That are above our question.⁠—Let’s go off,
And bear us like the time. Flourish. Exeunt.

Epilogue

I would now ask ye how ye like the play; But, as it is with school-boys, cannot say I’m cruel fearful. Pray, yet stay a while And let me look upon ye. No man smile? Then it goes hard, I see. He that has Lov’d a young handsome wench, then, show his face⁠— ’Tis strange if none be here⁠—and, if he will Against his conscience, let him hiss, and kill Our market. ’Tis in vain, I see, to stay ye: Have at the worst can come, then! Now what say ye? And yet mistake me not; I am not bold; We have no such cause. If the tale we’ve told⁠— For ’tis no other⁠—any way content ye⁠— For to that honest purpose it was meant ye⁠— We have our end; and ye shall have ere long, I dare say, many a better, to prolong Your old loves to us. We and all our might Rest at your service: gentlemen, good night. Flourish.

Colophon

The Two Noble Kinsmen
was published in 1613 by
William Shakespeare and John Fletcher.

This ebook was produced for
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and is based on a transcription produced in 1998 by
Christopher Hapka
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The cover page is adapted from
The Death of Decius Mus,
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