ACT I. SCENE I.-Troy.-Before PRIAM's Palace. an she be not, she has the mends in her own hands. Tro. Good Pandarus! How now, Pandarus? Pan. I have had my labour for my travel; illthought ou of her, and ill-thought on of you: gone between and between, but small thanks for my labour. Tre. 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, Fierce to their skill, and to their fierceness vaan she were a black-a-moor; 'tis all one to me. Tro. The Greeks are strong, and skilful to their strength, liant; But I am weaker than a woman's tear, 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? Tro. Say I, she is not fair? Pan. I do not care whether you do or no. She's 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,- Tro. Sweet Pandarus, Pun. Pray you, speak no more to me; I will Pan. Ay, the grinding; but you must tarry leave all as I found it, and there an end. the bolting. Pan. Well, she looked yesternight fairer than ever 1 saw her look, or any woman else. Tro. I was about to tell thee,-When my heart, As wedged with a sigh, would rive in twain, Lest Hector or my father should perceive me, I have (as when the sun doth light a storm,) Buried this sigh in wrinkle of a simile: But sorrow that is couch'd in secming gladness, Is like that mirth fate tarns 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; seizure [Exit PANDARUS. An Alarum. Tro. Peace, you ungracious clamours! peace, rude sounds! Fools on both sides! Helen must needs be fair, Our doubtful hope, our convoy, and our bark. Alarum. Enter ÆNEAS. Ene. How now, prince Troilus ? wherefore not afield? Tro. Because not there. This woman's answer sorts ⚫ For womanish it is to be from thence. Ene. That Paris is returned home, and hurt. Ene. Troilus, by Menelaus. Tro. Let Paris bleed: 'us but a scar to Cres. Who were those went by? Alex. Queen Hecuba, and Helen. Cres. And whither go they? Alex. Up to the eastern tower, Whose height commands as subject all the vale To see the battle. Hector, whose patience Is as a virtue fix'd, to-day was mov'd: He chid Andromache, and struck his armourer; And, like as there were husbandry in war, Before the sun rose he was harness'd light, And to the field goes he; where every flower Did as a prophet weep what it foresaw In Hector's wrath. Cres. What was his cause of anger ↑ • Is becoming, Alex. The noise goes, this: There is among the Greeks A lord of Trojan blood, nephew to Hector; CTES. Good; And what of him t Alex. They say he is a very man per se,' And stands alone. Cres. So do all men; unless they are drunk, sack, or have no legs. Alex. This man, lady, hath robbed many beasts of their particular additions: he is as valiant as the lion, churlish as the bear, slow as the elephant: a man into whom nature hath so crouded bamours, that his valour is crushed into folly, bus folly sauced with discretion: there is no man bath a virtue that he hath not a glimpse of; nor any man an attaint, but he carries some stain of at 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 sinile, make Hector angry? Aler. 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? Aler. Madam, your uncle Pandarus. Pan. Good morrow, cousin Cressid: What do you talk of!-Good morrow, Alexander.-How do you, cousin? When were you at Ilium ? Cres. This morning, uncle. Pan. What were you talking of when I came Was Hector armed, and gone, ere ye came, to Thum↑ Helen was not up, was she? Cres. Hector was gone; but Helen was not up. Pan. E'en so; Hector was stirring early. Cres. That were we talking of, and of his Pun. True, be was so; I know the cause too; he'll lay about him to-day, I can tell them that: and there is Troilas will not come far behind bm; let them take heed of Troilus; I can tell Then that too. Cres. What, is he angry too? Pax. Who, Troilus ? Troilus is the better man of the two. Cres. ( Jupiter! there's no comparison. Pan. Well, I say, Troilus is Troilus. be is not Hector. Pan. 'Faith, to say truth, brown and not brown. Cres. To say the truth, true and not true. 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 compassed window, -and, you know, he has not past three or four hairs on his chin. Cres. Indeed, a tapster's arithmetic may soon bring bis 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? + 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 clo ven? Pan. Why, you know, 'tis dimpled: I think, his smiling becomes him better than any man in all Phrygia. Cres. Oh! 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 mar vellons white band, 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. But there was such laughing ;-Queen Hecuba laughed, that her eyes ran o'er. Cres. With mill-stones. t 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 Cres. What was his answer ? Cres. Can Helenus fight, uncle ? Pan Helenus? no;-yes, he'll fight indifferent well:-1 marvel, where Troilus is 1--Hark !— do you not hear the people cry, Troilus ?—HeOres. What sneaking fellow comes yonder ? TROILUS passes over. Pan. That's true; make no question of that.lenus is a priest. 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 Pan. Where? yonder? that's Deiphobus: one, quoth he; pluck it out and give it him.Tis Troilus! there's a inan, niece!-Hem!But, there was such laughing! and Helen so Brave Troilus! the prince of chivalry! blushed, and Paris so chated, and all the rest so laughed, that it passed.* Cres. So let it now; for it has been a great while going by. Cres. Peace, for shame, peace! lus-look well upon him, niece; look you, how Pan. Mark him; note him ;-0 brave Troihis sword is bloodied, and his helm⚫ more Pan. Well, cousin, I told you a thing yester-hack'd than Hector's; And how he looks, and day; 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. Pan. That's Æneas; Is not that a brave man ? 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 yon, that; There's a fellow !-Go thy way, Hector ;-There's a brave man, niece.-0 brave Hector 1-Look, how he looks! there's a countenance: Is't not a brave man? Cres. Oh! a brave man! how he goes!—O admirable youth! he ne'er saw Forces pass over the stage. 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. Pun. Achilles? a dray man, a porter, a very camel. Cres. Well, well. 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, virtne, 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 date in the pye,-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 my wit, to defend my wiles; upon my secrecy, to 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 swel Pan. Is a not? It does a man's heart good-past hiding, and then it is past watching. 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. an Pan. Swords? any thing, he cares not: 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 Troi-But more in Troilus thousand fold I see us is:-That's Helenus;-I think he went not Than in the glass of Pandar's praise may be; forth to-day :-That's Helenus. Exceeded all bounds. • Helmet. † As if 'twere. An ingredient in all ancient pastry. A metaphor from the art of defence. Yet hold I off. Women are angels, wooing: Men prize the thing ungain'd more than it is: Nothing of that shall from mine eyes appear. [Exit. SCENE III.-The Grecian Camp.-Before Trumpets. Enter AGAMEMNON, NESTOR, What grief hath set the jaundice on your cheeks? asters As rous'd with rage, with rage doth sympathize, Thou great commander, nerve, and bone of sway, Heart of our numbers, soul and only spirit tree ears On which heaven rides,) knit all the Greekish [both,To his experienc'd tongue,-yet let it please dis-Thou great,-and wise,-to hear Ulysses speak. Agam. Speak, prince of Ithaca; and be't of less expect Grow in the veins of actions highest rear'd; stand; Sith every action that hath gone before, That gav't surmised shape. Why then, you Do you with cheeks abash'd behold our works; But the protractive trials of great Jove. coward, The wise and fool, the artist and unread, That matter needless, of importless burden, down, [ter, And the great Hector's sword had lack'd a masBut for these instances. The speciality of rule hath been neglected; When that the general is not like the hive, The unworthiest shows as fairly in the mask. and Observe degree, priority, and place, Nest. With due observance of thy godlike Great Agamemnon, Nestor shall apply Be many shallow bauble boats dare sail Bet the ruffian Boreas once enrage The strong ribb'd bark through liquid moun- Banding between the two moist elements, Se weak untimber'd sides but even now The herd hath more annoyance by the brize, ¶ Insisture, course, proportion, season, form, In evil mixture, to disorder wander, rors, Divert and crack, rend and deracinate ¶ Which is the ladder of all high designs, Degrees in schools, and brotherhoods ** in cities, Force should be right; or, rather, right and I With an imperial voice, many are infect. too. Then every thing includes itself in power, And appetite, a universal wolf, So doubly seconded with will and power, And, last, eat up himself. Great Agamemnon, And this neglection of degree it is, That by a pace goes backward, with a purpose And 'tis this fever that keeps Troy on foot, Nest. Most wisely hath Ulysses here dis- The fever whereof all our power is sick. crowns The sinew and the forehand of our host,- Grows dainty of his worth, and in his tent Lies mocking our designs: With him Patroclus, Breaks scurril jests; And with ridiculous and awkward action He pageants + us. Sometime, great Agamemnon, Such to-be-pitied and o'er-wrested | seeming Cries-Excellent!-'tis Agamemnon just.- As he, being dress'd to some oration. Arming to answer in a night alarm. clus Or give me ribs of steel! I shall split all • Army. ↑ Supreme. Beyond the truth. Ajax is grown self-will'd; and bears his head (A slave, whose gall coins slanders like a mint,) Ulyss. They tax our policy, and call it cow- Count wisdom as no member of the war; But that of hand: the still and mental parts,- sure Of their observant toil, the enemies' weight,— They call this-bed-work, mappery, closet-war : Or those, that with the fineness of their souls Nest. Let this be granted, and Achilles' [Trumpet sounds. Agam. What trumpet ? look, Menelaus. Enter ENEAS. Men. From Troy. Agam. What would you 'fore our tent? Great Agamemnon's tent, I pray? Ene. May one, that is a herald and a prince, Agam. With surety stronger than Achilles' arm, 'Fore all the Greekish heads, which with one voice Call Agamemnon head and general. Ene. Fair leave, and large security. How may Ene. Ay; ask, that I might waken reverence, Which is that god in office, guiding men? Are ceremonious courtiers. Æne. Courtiers as free, as debonair, unarm❜d, Good arms, strong joints, true swords; and, Nothing so full of heart. But peace, Æneas, But what the repining enemy commends, Agam. Sir, you of Troy, call you yourself Ene. Ay, Greek, that is my name. |