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Troilus and Cressida (Folio 1, 1623)

Author: William Shakespeare
Editor: W. L. Godshalk
Peer Reviewed
Troylus and Cressida.
He is not emulous, as Achilles is.
1440Vlis. 'Know the whole world, he is as valiant.
Aia. A horson dog, that shal palter thus with vs, would
he were a Troian.
Nest. What a vice were it in Aiax now---
Ulis. If he were proud.
1445Dio. Or couetous of praise.
Vlis. I, or surley borne.
Dio. Or strange, or selfe affected.
Vl. Thank the heauens L. thou art of sweet composure;
Praise him that got thee, she that gaue thee sucke:
1450Fame be thy Tutor, and thy parts of nature
Thrice fam'd beyond, beyond all erudition;
But he that disciplin'd thy armes to fight,
Let Mars deuide Eternity in twaine,
And giue him halfe, and for thy vigour,
1455Bull-bearing Milo: his addition yeelde
To sinnowie Aiax: I will not praise thy wisdome,
Which like a bourne, a pale, a shore confines
Thy spacious and dilated parts; here's Nestor
Instructed by the Antiquary times:
1460He must, he is, he cannot but be wise.
But pardon Father Nestor, were your dayes
As greene as Aiax, and your braine so temper'd,
You should not haue the eminence of him,
But be as Aiax.
1465Aia. Shall I call you Father?
Ulis. I my good Sonne.
Dio. Be rul'd by him Lord Aiax.
Vlis. There is no tarrying here, the Hart Achilles
Keepes thicket: please it our Generall,
1470To call together all his state of warre,
Fresh Kings are come to Troy; to morrow
We must with all our maine of power stand fast:
And here's a Lord, come Knights from East to West,
And cull their flowre, Aiax shall cope the best.
1475Ag. Goe we to Counsaile, let Achilles sleepe;
Light Botes may saile swift, though greater bulkes draw
deepe.
Exeunt. Musicke sounds within.
Enter Pandarus and a Seruant.
Pan. Friend, you, pray you a word: Doe not you fol-
1480low the yong Lord Paris?
Ser. I sir, when he goes before me.
Pan. You depend vpon him I meane?
Ser. Sir, I doe depend vpon the Lord.
Pan. You depend vpon a noble Gentleman: I must
1485needes praise him.
Ser. The Lord be praised.
Pa. You know me, doe you not?
Ser. Faith sir, superficially.
Pa. Friend know me better, I am the Lord Pandarus.
1490Ser. I hope I shall know your honour better.
Pa. I doe desire it.
Ser. You are in the state of Grace?
Pa. Grace, not so friend, honor and Lordship are my
title: What Musique is this?
1495Ser. I doe but partly know sir: it is Musicke in parts.
Pa. Know you the Musitians.
Ser. Wholly sir.
Pa. Who play they to?
Ser. To the hearers sir.
1500Pa. At whose pleasur friend?
Ser. At mine sir, and theirs that loue Musicke.
Pa. Command, I meane friend.
Ser. Who shall I command sir?
Pa. Friend, we vnderstand not one another: I am too
1505courtly, and thou art too cunning. At whose request doe
these men play?
Ser. That's too't indeede sir: marry sir, at the request
of Paris my L. who's there in person; with him the mor-
tall Venus, the heart bloud of beauty, loues inuisible
1510soule.
Pa. Who? my Cosin Cressida.
Ser. No sir, Helen, could you not finde out that by
her attributes?
Pa. It should seeme fellow, that thou hast not seen the
1515Lady Cressida. I come to speake with Paris from the
Prince Troylus: I will make a complementall assault vpon
him, for my businesse seethes.
Ser. Sodden businesse, there's a stewed phrase indeede.

Enter Paris and Helena.

1520Pan. Faire be to you my Lord, and to all this faire com-
pany: faire desires in all faire measure fairely guide them,
especially to you faire Queene, faire thoughts be your
faire pillow.
Hel. Deere L. you are full of faire words.
1525Pan. You speake your faire pleasure sweete Queene:
faire Prince, here is good broken Musicke.
Par. You haue broke it cozen: and by my life you
shall make it whole againe, you shall peece it out with a
peece of your performance. Nel, he is full of harmony.
1530Pan. Truely Lady no.
Hel. O sir.
Pan. Rude in sooth, in good sooth very rude.
Paris. Well said my Lord: well, you say so in fits.
Pan. I haue businesse to my Lord, deere Queene: my
1535Lord will you vouchsafe me a word.
Hel. Nay, this shall not hedge vs out, weele heare you
sing certainely.
Pan. Well sweete Queene you are pleasant with me,
but, marry thus my Lord, my deere Lord, and most estee-
1540med friend your brother Troylus.
Hel. My Lord Pandarus, hony sweete Lord.
Pan. Go too sweete Queene, goe to.
Commends himselfe most affectionately to you.
Hel. You shall not bob vs out of our melody:
1545If you doe, our melancholly vpon your head.
Pan. Sweete Queene, sweete Queene, that's a sweete
Queene I faith---
Hel. And to make a sweet Lady sad, is a sower offence.
Pan. Nay, that shall not serue your turne, that shall it
1550not in truth la. Nay, I care not for such words, no, no.
And my Lord he desires you, that if the King call for him
at Supper, you will make his excuse.
Hel. My Lord Pandarus?
Pan. What saies my sweete Queene, my very, very
1555sweete Queene?
Par. What exploit's in hand, where sups he to night?
Hel. Nay but my Lord?
Pan. What saies my sweete Queene? my cozen will
fall out with you.
1560Hel. You must not know where he sups.
Par. With my disposer Cressida.
Pan. No, no; no such matter, you are wide, come your
disposer is sicke.
Par. Well, Ile make excuse.
1565Pan. I good my Lord: why should you say Cressida?
no, your poore disposer's sicke.
Par. I spie.
Pan. You