Page 1297 - Shakespeare - Vol. 4

EMILIA

No knees to me. [35]
What woman I may stead that is distressed
Does bind me to her.

THESEUS
What’s your request? Deliver you for all.

FIRST QUEEN

We are three queens, whose sovereigns fell before
The wrath of cruel Creon; who endured [40]
The beaks of ravens, talons of the kites,
And pecks of crows in the foul fields of Thebes.
He will not suffer us to burn their bones,

To urn their ashes, nor to take th’offence
Of mortal loathsomeness from the blest eye [45]
Of holy Phoebus, but infects the winds

With stench of our slain lords. O, pity, Duke!
Thou purger of the earth, draw thy feared sword
That does good turns to th’world; give us the bones
Of our dead kings, that we may chapel them; [50]
And of thy boundless goodness take some note

That for our crownèd heads we have no roof,
Save this which is the lion’s and the bear’s,
And vault to everything.

THESEUS
Pray you kneel not;

I was transported with your speech, and suffered [55]
Your knees to wrong themselves. I have heard the fortunes
Of your dead lords, which gives me such lamenting
As wakes my vengeance and revenge for ’em.

King Capaneus was your lord; the day
That he should marry you, at such a season [60]
As now it is with me, I met your groom.
By Mars’s altar, you were that time fair;

Not Juno’s mantle fairer than your tresses,
Nor in more bounty spread her; your wheaten wreath