Speeches (Lines) for FIRST COUNTRYMAN in "The Two Noble Kinsmen"

ARCITE. [Enter Arcite.]
Banished the kingdom? 'Tis a benefit,
A mercy I must thank 'em for; but banished
The free enjoying of that face I die for,
O, 'twas a studied punishment, a death
Beyond imagination--such a vengeance
That, were I old and wicked, all my sins
Could never pluck upon me. Palamon,
Thou hast the start now; thou shalt stay and see
Her bright eyes break each morning 'gainst thy
window
And let in life into thee; thou shalt feed
Upon the sweetness of a noble beauty
That nature ne'er exceeded nor ne'er shall.
Good gods, what happiness has Palamon!
Twenty to one he'll come to speak to her,
And if she be as gentle as she's fair,
I know she's his. He has a tongue will tame
Tempests and make the wild rocks wanton.
Come what can come,
The worst is death. I will not leave the kingdom.
I know mine own is but a heap of ruins,
And no redress there. If I go, he has her.
I am resolved another shape shall make me
Or end my fortunes. Either way I am happy.
I'll see her and be near her, or no more.

[Enter four Country people, and one with
a garland before them.]

[Arcite steps aside.]

FIRST COUNTRYMAN. My masters, I'll be there, that's certain.

FOURTH COUNTRYMAN. Why, then, have with you, boys.
'Tis but a chiding. Let the plough play today; I'll
tickle 't out of the jades' tails tomorrow.

FIRST COUNTRYMAN. I am sure to have my wife as jealous
as a turkey, but that's all one. I'll go through;
let her mumble.

FOURTH COUNTRYMAN. All the boys in Athens blow wind
i' th' breech on 's. And here I'll be and there I'll be,
for our town, and here again, and there again. Ha,
boys, hey for the weavers!

FIRST COUNTRYMAN. This must be done i' th' woods.

ARCITE. Not far, sir.
Are there such games today?

FIRST COUNTRYMAN. Yes, marry, are there,
And such as you never saw. The Duke himself
Will be in person there.

FOURTH COUNTRYMAN. Well, sir,
Take your own time.--Come, boys.

FIRST COUNTRYMAN. [aside to the others]
My mind misgives
me. This fellow has a vengeance trick o' th'
hip. Mark how his body's made for 't.

SCHOOLMASTER. [Enter a Schoolmaster and six Countrymen,
one dressed as a Bavian.]
Fie, fie, what tediosity and disinsanity
is here among you! Have my rudiments been labored
so long with you, milked unto you, and, by a
figure, even the very plum broth and marrow of
my understanding laid upon you, and do you still
cry "Where?" and "How?" and "Wherefore?" You
most coarse-frieze capacities, you jean judgments,
have I said "Thus let be" and "There let be"
and "Then let be" and no man understand me? Proh
deum, medius fidius, you are all dunces! Forwhy,
here stand I; here the Duke comes; there are you,
close in the thicket; the Duke appears; I meet him
and unto him I utter learned things and many figures;
he hears, and nods, and hums, and then cries
"Rare!" and I go forward. At length I fling my cap
up--mark there! Then do you as once did Meleager
and the boar--break comely out before him;
like true lovers, cast yourselves in a body decently,
and sweetly, by a figure, trace and turn, boys.

FIRST COUNTRYMAN. And sweetly we will do it, Master Gerald.

SECOND COUNTRYMAN. And little Luce with the white legs, and bouncing Barbary.

FIRST COUNTRYMAN. And freckled Nell, that never failed her master.

SCHOOLMASTER. An eel and woman, a learned poet
says, unless by th' tail and with thy teeth thou hold,
will either fail. In manners, this was false position.

FIRST COUNTRYMAN. A fire ill take her! Does she flinch now?

THIRD COUNTRYMAN. There's a dainty madwoman, master,
comes i' th' nick, as mad as a March hare. If we
can get her dance, we are made again. I warrant
her, she'll do the rarest gambols.

FIRST COUNTRYMAN. A madwoman? We are made, boys.