Antenor, Trojan commanders. PERSONS REPRESENTED. Thersites, a deformed and scurrilous Grecian. Alexander, servant to Cressida. Servant to Troilus; Servant to Paris; Servant to Diomedes. Helen, wife to Menelaus. Andromache, wife to Hector. Calchas, a Trojan priest, taking part with the Cassandra, daughter to Priam; a prophetess. Greeks. Cressida, daughter to Calchas. Trojan and Greek Soldiers, and Attendants. Scene, Troy, and the Grecian Camp before it. IN Troy, there lies the scene. From isles of SCENE 1-Troy. Before Priam's palace. En Greece The princes orgulous, their high blood chaf'd, And the deep-drawing barks do there disgorge Now expectation, tickling skittish spirits, (1) Proud, disdainful. (2) Freight. (3) Shut. (4) Avaunt, what went before. ter Troilus armed, and Pandarus. Troilus. CALL here my varlet,5 I'll unarm again: Tro. The Greeks are strong, and skilful to their strength, Fierce to their skill, and to their fierceness valiant; Pan. Well, I have told you enough of this: for my part, I'll not meddle nor make no further. He, that will have a cake out of the wheat, must tarry the grinding. Tro. Have I not tarried? Pan. Ay, the grinding; but you must tarry the bolting. Tro. Have I not tarried? Pan. Ay, the bolting; but you must tarry the leavening. Tro. Still have I tarried. you must stay the cooling too, or you may chance || Fools on both sides! Helen must needs be fair, to burn your lips. Tro. Patience herself, what goddess e'er she be, And when fair Cressid comes into my thoughts, thence? When is she Pan. Well, she looked yesternight fairer than ever I saw her look, or any woman else. Tro. I was about to tell thee,- When my heart, As wedged with a sigh, would rive2 in twain; Lest Hector or my father should perceive me, I have (as when the sun doth light a storm,) Bury'd this sigh in wrinkle of a smile : But sorrow, that is couch'd in seeming gladness, Is like that mirth fate turns to sudden sadness. Pan. An her hair were not somewhat darker than Helen's, (well, go to,) there were no more comparison between the women,-But, for my part, she is my kinswoman; I would not, as they term it, praise her, But I would somebody had heard her talk yesterday, as I did. I will not dispraise your sister Cassandra's wit; but Tro. O Pandarus! I tell thee, Pandarus- Her eyes, her hair, her cheek, her gait, her voice; When with your blood you daily paint her thus. It is too starv'd a subject for my sword. Ene. How now, prince Troilus? wherefore not Tro. Because not there; This woman's answer For womanish it is to be from thence. Ene. That Paris is returned home, and hurt. Jne. Paris is gor'd with Menelaus' horn. [Alarum. ne. Hark! what good sport is out of town today! Tro. Better at home, if would I might, were But, to the sport abroad;-Are you bound thither? Come, go we then together. [Exe. Hard as the palm of ploughmen! This thou tell'st|| SCENE II.—The same. A street. Enter Cres me, As true thou tell'st me, when I say-I love her; Pan. I speak no more than truth. Pan. 'Faith, I'll not meddle in't. Let her be as she is if she be fair, 'tis better for her; an she be not, she has the mends in her own hands. sida and Alexander. Cres. Who were those went by? Queen Hecuba, and Helen. Tro. Good Pandarus! How now, Pandarus? Pan. I have had my labour for my travail; ill-Before the sun rose, he was harness'd light, thought on of her, and ill-thought on of you: gone And to the field goes he; where every flower between and between, but small thanks for my la- Did, as a prophet, weep what it foresaw bour. In Hector's wrath. Cres. What was his cause of anger? Alex. The noise goes, this: There is among the Greeks Tro. What, art thou angry, Pandarus? what, with me? Pan. Because she is kin to me, therefore, she's not so fair as Helen: an she were not kin to me, she would be as fair on Friday, as Helen is on Sunday. But what care I? I care not, an she were a black-a-moor; 'tis all one to me. Tro. Say I, she is not fair? She's Pan. I do not care whether you do or no. a fool to stay behind her father; let her to the Greeks; and so I'll tell her the next time I see her: for my part, I'll meddle nor make no more in the matter. Tro. Pandarus, Pan. Not I. Tro. Sweet Pandarus, A lord of Trojan blood, nephew to Hector; Cres. Cres. So do all men; unless they are drunk, sick, or have no legs. Alex. This man, lady, hath robbed many beasts of their particular additions;5 he is as valiant as the lion, churlish as the bear, slow as the elephant: a man into whom nature hath so crowded humours, that his valour is crushed into folly, his folly sauced with discretion: there is no man hath a virtue that he hath not a glimpse of; nor any man an attaint, but he carries some stain of it: he is melancholy without cause, and merry against the hair: He hath the joints of every thing: but every thing so out of joint, that he is a gouty Briareus, many hands and no use; or purblind Argus, all eyes and no sight. Cres. But how should this man, that makes me smile, make Hector angry? Alex. They say, he yesterday coped Hector in the battle, and struck him down: the disdain and shame whereof hath ever since kept Hector fasting and waking Enter Pandarus. Cres. Who comes here? Alex. Madam, your uncle Pandarus. Cres. Hector was gone; but Helen was not up. says here. anger. ? Cres. So he Pan. True, he was so; I know the cause too; he'll lay about him to-day, I can tell them that and there is Troilus will not come far behind him; let them take heed of Troilus; I can tell them that Pan. Well, I say, Troilus is Troilus. Cres. Then you say as I say; for, I am sure, he is not Hector. Pan. No, nor Hector is not Troilus, in some degrees. Cres. 'Tis just to each of them; he is himself. were, Cres. So he is. Cres. No, but brown. Pan. 'Faith, to say truth, brown and not brown. Cres. Then, Troilus should have too much: if she praised him above, his complexion is higher than his; he having colour enough, and the other higher, is too flaming a praise for a good complexion. I had as lief, Helen's golden tongue had commended Troilus for a copper nose. Pan. I swear to you, I think Helen loves him better than Paris. Cres. Then she's a merry Greek, indeed. Pan. Nay, I am sure she does. She came to him the other day into a compassed1 window,--and, you know, he has not past three or four hairs on his chin. Cres. Indeed, a tapster's arithmetic may soon bring his particulars therein to a total. Pan. Why, he is very young and yet will he, within three pound, lift as much as his brother Hector. Cres. Is he so young a man, and so old a lifter?2 Pan. But, to prove to you that Helen loves him; -she came, and puts me her white hand to his cloven chin, Cres. Juno have mercy!-How came it cloven? Pan. Why, you know, 'tis dimpled: I think, his smiling becomes him better than any man in all Phrygia. Cres. O, he smiles valiantly. Pan. Does he not? Cres. O yes, an 'twere a cloud in autumn. Pan. Why, go to then :-But to prove to you that Helen loves Troilus, Cres. Troilus will stand to the proof, if you'll prove it so. Pan. Troilus? why, he esteems her no more than I esteem an addle egg. Cres. If you love an addle egg as well as you love an idle head, you would eat chickens i'the shell. Pan. I cannot choose but laugh, to think how she tickled his chin;-Indeed, she has a marvellous white hand, I must needs confess. Cres. Without the rack. Pan. And she takes upon her to spy a white hair on his chin. Cres. Alas, poor chin! many a wart is richer. Pan. 'Condition, I had gone barefoot to India. Hecuba laughed, that her eyes ran o'er. Cres. He is not Hector. Pan. Himself? no, he's not himself.-'Would 'a were himself! Well, the gods are above; Time must friend, or end: Well, Troilus, well,-I would, my heart were in her body!-No, Hector is not a better man than Troilus. Cres. Excuse me. Pan. He is elder. Cres. Pardon me, pardon me. Pan. The other's not come to't; you shall tell me another tale, when the other's come to't. Hector shall not have his wit this year. Cres. He shall not need it, if he have his own. Cres. No matter. Pan. Nor his beauty. Cres 'Twould not become him, his own's better. Pan. You have no judgment, niece: Helen her. self swore the other day, that Troilus, for a brown favour, (for so 'tis, I must confess,)-Not brown Cres. With mill-stones.3 Pan. And Cassandra laughed. Cres. But there was a more temperate fire under the pot of her eyes;-Did her eyes run o'er too? Pan. And Hector laughed. Cres. At what was all this laughing? Pan. Marry, at the white hair that Helen spied on Troilus' chin. Cres. An't had been a green hair, I should have laughed too. Pan. They laughed not so much at the hair, as at his pretty answer. Cres. What was his answer? Pan. Quoth she, Here's but one and fifty hairs on your chin, and one of them is white. Čres. This is her question. Pan. That's true; make no question of that. One and fifty hairs, quoth he, and one white: That white hair is my father, and all the rest are his sons. Jupiter! quoth she, which of these hairs is Paris my husband? The forked one, quoth he; pluck it out, and give it him. But, there was (1) Bow. (2) Thief. (3) A proverbial saying. such laughing! and Helen so blushed, and Paris neither. VOL. II. 21 so chafed, and all the rest so laughed, that it passed.'|| not hear the people cry, Troilus?-Helenus is a Cres. So let it now; for it has been a great while going by. Pan. Well, cousin, I told you a thing yesterday; think on't. Cres. So I do. Pan. I'll be sworn, 'tis true; he will weep you, an 'twere? a man born in April. Cres. And I'll spring up in his tears, an 'twere a nettle against May. [A Retreat sounded. Pan. Hark, they are coming from the field Shall we stand up here, and see them, as they pass toward Ilium? good niece, do; sweet niece Cressida. Cres. At your pleasure. Pan. Here, here, here's an excellent place; here we may see most bravely: I'll tell you them all by their names, as they pass by; but mark Troilus above the rest. Eneas passes over the stage. Cres. Speak not so loud. Pan. That's Æneas; Is not that a brave man? he's one of the flowers of Troy, I can tell you; But mark Troilus; you shall see anon. Cres. Who's that? Antenor passes over. Pan. That's Antenor; he has a shrewd wit, I can tell you; and he's a man good enough: he's one o'the soundest judgments in Troy, whosoever, and a proper man of person :- When comes Troilus? I'll show you Troilus anon; if he see me, you shall see him nod at me. Cres. Will he give you the nod? Cres. If he do, the rich shall have more. Hector passes over. Pan. That's Hector, that, that, look you, that; There's a fellow!-Go thy way, Hector;-There's a brave man, niece.-O brave Hector!-Look, how he looks! there's a countenance: Is't not a brave man? Cres. O, a brave man! priest. Cres. What sneaking fellow comes yonder? Pan. Where? yonder? that's Deiphobus: 'Tis Troilus! there's a man, niece!-Hem! brave Troilus! the prince of chivalry! Cres. Peace, for shame, peace! Pan. Mark him; note him;-O brave Troilus!— look well upon him, niece; look you, how his sword is bloodied, and his helm1 more hack'd than Hec tor's; And how he looks, and how he goes!-O admirable youth! he ne'er saw three and twenty. Go thy way, Troilus, go thy way; had I a sister were a Grace, or a daughter a goddess, he should take his choice. O admirable man! Paris?—Paris is dirt to him; and, I warrant, Helen, to change, would give an eye to boot. Forces pass over the stage. Cres. Here come more. Pan. Asses, fools, dolts! chaff and bran, chaff and bran! porridge after meat! I could live and die i'the eyes of Troilus. Ne'er look, ne'er look: the eagles are gone; crows and daws, crows and daws! I had rather be such a man as Troilus, than Agamemnon and all Greece. Cres. There is among the Greeks, Achilles; a better man than Troilus. Pan. Achilles? a drayman, a porter, a very camel. Pan. Well, well?-Why, have you any discretion? have you any eyes? Do you know what a man is? Is not birth, beauty, good shape, discourse, manhood, learning, gentleness, virtue, youth, liberality, and such like, the spice and salt that season a man? Cres. Ay, a minced man: and then to be baked with no dates in the pie,-for then the man's date is out. Pan. You are such a woman! one knows not at what ward you lie. Cres. Upon my back, to defend my belly; upon Pan. Is 'a not? It does a man's heart good-my wit, to defend my wiles; upon my secrecy, to Look you what hacks are on his helmet: look you yonder, do you see? look you there! There's no jesting there's laying on; take't off who will, as they say there be hacks! Cres. Be those with swords? Paris passes over. Pan. Swords? any thing, he cares not: an the devil come to him, it's all one: By god's lid it does one's heart good:-Yonder comes Paris, yonder comes Paris: look ye yonder, niece; Is't not a gallant man too, is't not?-Why, this is brave now. Who said, he came hurt home to-day? he's not hurt why this will do Helen's heart good now. Ha! 'would I could see Troilus now!-you shall see Troilus anon. Cres. Who's that? Helenus passes over. Pan. That's Helenus;-I marvel, where Troilus is:-That's Helenus ;-I think he went not forth today-That's Helenus. Cres. Can Helenus fight, uncle? Pan. Helenus? no;-yes, he'll fight indifferent well:-I marvel, where Troilus is!-Hark; do you defend mine honesty; my mask, to defend my beauty; and you, to defend all these: and at all these wards I lie, at a thousand watches. Pan. Say one of your watches. Cres. Nay, I'll watch you for that; and that's one of the chiefest of them too: if I cannot ward what I would not have hit, I can watch you for telling how I took the blow; unless it swell past hiding, and then it is past watching. Pan. You are such another! Enter Troilus' Boy. Boy. Sir, my lord would instantly speak with you Boy. At your own house; there he unarms him. Pan. I'll be with you, niece, by and by. Pan. Ay, a token from Troilus. (1) Went beyond bounds. (2) As if 'twere. (5) Dates were an ingredient in ancient pastry 1 But more in Troilus thousand fold I see Men prize the thing ungain'd more than it is: And, flies fled under shade, Why, then, the thing of courage, As rous'd with rage, with rage doth sympathize, [To Agamemnon. And thou most reverend for thy stretch'd-out life,→ [To Nestor. Then though my heart's content firm love doth bear,|| The which,—most mighty for thy place and sway, What grief hath set the jaundice on your cheeks? But the protractive trials of great Jove, But let the ruffian Boreas once enrage (1) Twisted and rambling, (3) Joined by affinity. (4) The throne. (5) The daughter of Neptune. (6) The gad-fly that stings cattle. (7) Expectation. That matter needless, of importless burden, Ulyss. Troy, yet upon his basis, had been down, And the great Hector's sword had lack'd a master, But for these instances. The specialty of rules hath been neglected: Observe degree, priority, and place, In evil mixture to disorder wander, What plagues, and what portents? what mutiny? |