SCENE IV.
An apartment in Pandarus' house.
Enter Pandarus, and Cressida.
Pan.
Be moderate, be moderate.
Cre.
Why tell you me of moderation?
9 note
The grief is fine, full, perfect, that I taste,
-- 109 --
And violenteth in a sense as strong
As that which causeth it: How can I moderate it?
If I could temporize with my affection,
Or brew it to a weak and colder palate,
The like allayment could I give my grief:
My love admits no qualifying dross;
No more my grief, in such a precious loss.
Enter Troilus.
Pan.
Here, here, here he comes.—Ah sweet ducks!
Cre.
O Troilus! Troilus!
Pan.
What a pair of spectacles is here! Let me
embrace too: O heart,—as the goodly saying is,—
&lblank; o heart, o heavy heart,
Why sigh'st thou without breaking?
where he answers again,
Because thou canst not ease thy smart,
By friendship, nor by speaking.
There never was a truer rhyme. Let us cast away
nothing, for we may live to have need of such a verse;
we see it, we see it.—How now, lambs?
Troi.
Cressid, I love thee in so 1 notestrain'd a purity,
That the blest gods—as angry with my fancy,
More bright in zeal than the devotion which
Cold lips blow to their deities—take thee from me.
-- 110 --
Cre.
Have the gods envy?
Pan.
Ay, ay, ay, ay; 'tis too plain a case.
Cre.
And is it true, that I must go from Troy?
Troi.
A hateful truth.
Cre.
What, and from Troilus too?
Troi.
From Troy, and Troilus.
Cre.
Is it possible?
Troi.
And suddenly; where injury of chance
Puts back leave-taking, justles roughly by
All time of pause, rudely beguiles our lips
Of all rejoindure, forcibly prevents
Our lock'd embrasures, strangles our dear vows
Even in the birth of our own labouring breath:
We two, that with so many thousand sighs
Did buy each other, must poorly sell ourselves
With the rude brevity and discharge of one.
Injurious time now, with a robber's haste,
Crams his rich thievery up, he knows not how:
As many farewels as be stars in heaven,
With distinct breath and consign'd kisses to them,
He fumbles up into a loose adieu;
And scants us with a single famish'd kiss,
Distasted with the salt of broken tears.9Q1032
Æneas [within.]
My lord! is the lady ready?
Troi.
Hark! you are call'd: Some say, the Genius so
Cries, Come! to him that instantly must die.—
Bid them have patience; she shall come anon.
Pan.
Where are my tears? rain, to lay this wind,
Or my heart will be blown up by the root.
[Exit Pan.
Cre.
I must then to the Grecians?
Troi.
No remedy.
Cre.
A woeful Cressid 'mongst the merry Greeks2 note!—
When shall we see again?
-- 111 --
Troi.
Hear me, my love: Be thou but true of heart,—
Cre.
I true! how now? what wicked deem is this?
Troi.
Nay, we must use expostulation kindly,
For it is parting from us:—
I speak not, be thou true, as fearing thee;
3 noteFor I will throw my glove to death himself,
That there's no maculation in thy heart:
But, be thou true, say I, to fashion in
My sequent protestation; be thou true,
And I will see thee.
Cre.
O, you shall be expos'd, my lord, to dangers
As infinite as imminent! but, I'll be true.
Troi.
And I'll grow friend with danger. Wear this sleeve.
Cre.
And you this glove. When shall I see you?
Troi.
I will corrupt the Grecian centinels,
To give thee nightly visitation.
But yet, be true.
Cre.
O heavens!—be true, again?
Troi.
Hear why I speak it, love: The Grecian youths
Are well compos'd, with gifts of nature flowing,
And swelling o'er with arts and exercise;9Q1033
How novelties may move, and parts 4 notewith person,
Alas, a kind of godly jealousy
(Which, I beseech you, call a virtuous sin)
Makes me afeard.
Cre.
O heavens! you love me not.
Troi.
Die I a villain then!
In this I do not call your faith in question,
So mainly as my merit: I cannot sing,
-- 112 --
Nor heel the high lavolt5 note, nor sweeten talk,
Nor play at subtle games; fair virtues all,
To which the Grecians are most prompt and pregnant:
But I can tell, that in each grace of these
There lurks a still and dumb-discoursive devil,
That tempts most cunningly: but be not tempted.
Cre.
Do you think, I will?
Troi.
No.
But something may be done, that we will not:
And sometimes we are devils to ourselves,
When we will tempt the frailty of our powers,
Presuming on their changeful potency.
Æneas [within.]
Nay, good my lord,—
Troi.
Come, kiss; and let us part.
Paris [within.]
Brother Troilus!
Troi.
Good brother, come you hither;
And bring Æneas, and the Grecian, with you.
Cre.
My lord, will you be true?
Troi.
Who I? alas, it is my vice, my fault:
While others fish with craft for great opinion,
I with great truth 6 notecatch mere simplicity;
Whilst some with cunning gild their copper crowns,
With truth and plainness I do wear mine bare.
Fear not my truth; 7 note
the moral of my wit
Is—plain, and true,—there's all the reach of it.
-- 113 --
Enter Æneas, Paris, and Diomed.
Welcome, sir Diomed! here is the lady,
Whom for Antenor we deliver you:
At the port1 note, lord, I'll give her to thy hand;
And, by the way, 2 notepossess thee what she is.
Entreat her fair; and, by my soul, fair Greek,
If e'er thou stand at mercy of my sword,
Name Cressid, and thy life shall be as safe
As Priam is in Ilion.
Dio.
Fair lady Cressid,
So please you, save the thanks this prince expects:
The lustre in your eye, heaven in your cheek,
Pleads your fair usage; and to Diomed
You shall be mistress, and command him wholly.
Troi.
Grecian, thou dost not use me courteously,
3 note
To shame the zeal of my petition to thee,
In praising her: I tell thee, lord of Greece,
She is as far high-soaring o'er thy praises,
As thou unworthy to be call'd her servant.
-- 114 --
I charge thee, use her well, even for my charge;
For, by the dreadful Pluto, if thou dost not,
Though the great bulk Achilles be thy guard,
I'll cut thy throat.
Dio.
O, be not mov'd, prince Troilus:
Let me be privileg'd by my place, and message,
To be a speaker free; when I am hence,
I'll answer to 4 note
my lust: And know you, lord,
I'll nothing do on charge: to her own worth
She shall be priz'd; but that you say—be't so,
I speak it in my spirit and honour,—no.
Troi.
Come, to the port.—I'll tell thee, Diomed,
This brave shall oft make thee to hide thy head.—
Lady, give me your hand; and, as we walk,
To our own selves bend we our needful talk.
[Exeunt Troilus and Cressid. Sound trumpet.
Paris.
Hark! Hector's trumpet.
Æne.
How have we spent this morning!
The prince must think me tardy and remiss,
That swore to ride before him to the field.
Paris.
'Tis Troilus' fault: Come, come, to field with him.
5 noteDio.
Let us make ready straight.
Æne.
Yea, with a bridegroom's fresh alacrity,
Let us address to tend on Hector's heels:
The glory of our Troy doth this day lie
On his fair worth, and single chivalry.
[Exeunt.
-- 115 --
Samuel Johnson [1778], The plays of William Shakspeare. In ten volumes. With the corrections and illustrations of various commentators; to which are added notes by Samuel Johnson and George Steevens. The second edition, Revised and Augmented (Printed for C. Bathurst [and] W. Strahan [etc.], London) [word count] [S10901].
