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- Edition: Troilus and Cressida
Troilus and Cressida (Modern)
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2387.1[4.4]
2388Enter Pandarus and Cressida.
2389Pandarus
Be moderate, be moderate.
2390Cressida
Why tell you me of moderation?
2391The grief is fine, full, perfect that I taste,
2392And no less in a sense as strong
2393As that which causeth it. How can I moderate it?
2394If I could temporize with my affection,
2395Or brew it to a weak and colder palate,
2396The like allayment could I give my grief.
2397My love admits no qualifying cross,
10.1Enter Troilus.
2398No more my grief, in such a precious loss.
2399Pandarus
Here, here, here, he comes, a sweet duck.
2400Cressida
O Troilus, Troilus.
2401Pandarus
What a pair of spectacles is here? Let me embrace 2402too. "O heart," as the goodly saying is,
"O heart, heavy 2403heart,
Why sighest thou without breaking?"
where he 2404answers again:
"Because thou canst not ease thy smart
2405By friendship, nor by speaking."
There was never a truer rhyme; 2406let us cast away nothing, for we may live to have need 2407of such a verse. We see it; we see it. How now, lambs?
2408Troilus
Cressid, I love thee in so strange a purity
2409That the blest gods, as angry with my fancy --
2410More bright in zeal than the devotion which
2411Cold lips blow to their deities -- take thee from me.
2412Cressida
Have the gods envy?
2413Pandarus
Ay, ay, ay, ay, 'tis too plain a case.
2414Cressida
And is it true that I must go from Troy?
2415Troilus
A hateful truth.
2416Cressida
What? And from Troilus too?
2417Troilus
From Troy and Troilus.
2418Cressida
Is't possible?
2419Troilus
And suddenly, where injury of chance
2420Puts back leave-taking, jostles roughly by
2421All time of pause, rudely beguiles our lips
2422Of all rejoindure, forcibly prevents
2423Our locked embrasures, strangles our dear vows
2424Even in the birth of our own laboring breath.
2425We two, that with so many thousand sighs
2426Did buy each other, must poorly sell ourselves
2427With the rude brevity and discharge of one.
2428Injurious time, now with a robber's haste,
2429Crams his rich thiev'ry up, he knows not how.
2430As many farewells as be stars in heaven,
2431With distinct breath, and consigned kisses to them,
2432He fumbles up into a loose "adieu,"
2433And scants us with a single famished kiss,
2434Distasting with the salt of broken tears.
2435Aeneas.
Within My lord, is the lady ready?
2436Troilus
[To Cressida] Hark, you are called. Some say the genius so
2437Cries, "Come," to him that instantly must die. --
2438Bid them have patience. She shall come anon.
2439Pandarus
Where are my tears? Rain, to lay this wind,
2440Or my heart will be blown up by the root.
2441Cressida
I must then to the Grecians?
2442Troilus
No remedy.
2443Cressida
A woeful Cressid 'mongst the merry Greeks.
2444When shall we see again?
2445Troilus
Hear me, my love. Be thou but true of heart --
2446Cressida
I, true? How now? What wicked deem is this?
2447Troilus
Nay, we must use expostulation kindly,
2448For it is parting from us.
2449I speak not "be thou true" as fearing thee,
2450For I will throw my glove to death himself
2451That there's no maculation in thy heart,
2452But "be thou true," say I, to fashion in
2453My sequent protestation: "be thou true,
2454And I will see thee."
2455Cressida
Oh you shall be exposed, my lord, to dangers
2456As infinite as imminent, but I'll be true.
2457Troilus
And I'll grow friend with danger.
67.1[Troilus gives Cressida a sleeve.]
2458Wear this sleeve.
2459Cressida
[Cressida gives Troilus a glove.]
And you this glove. 2460When shall I see you?
2461Troilus
I will corrupt the Grecian sentinels
2462To give thee nightly visitation.
2463But yet, be true.
2464Cressida
O heavens. "Be true" again?
2465Troilus
Hear why I speak it, love.
2466The Grecian youths are full of quality,
2467Their loving, well composed with gift of nature,
2468Flowing and swelling o'er with arts and exercise.
2469How novelties may move, and parts with person,
2470Alas, a kind of godly jealousy --
2471Which I beseech you call a virtuous sin --
2472Makes me afraid.
2473Cressida
O heavens, you love me not.
2474Troilus
Die I a villain then.
2475In this I do not call your faith in question
2476So mainly as my merit. I cannot sing,
2477Nor heel the high lavolt, nor sweeten talk,
2478Nor play at subtle games -- fair virtues all,
2479To which the Grecians are most prompt and pregnant.
2480But I can tell that in each grace of these
2481There lurks a still and dumb-discoursive devil
2482That tempts most cunningly. But be not tempted.
2483Cressida
Do you think I will?
2484Troilus
No, but something may be done that we will not,
2485And sometimes we are devils to ourselves,
2486When we will tempt the frailty of our powers,
2487Presuming on their changeful potency.
2488Aeneas
Within Nay, good my lord --
2489Troilus
Come, kiss, and let us part.
2490Paris
Within Brother Troilus?
2491Troilus
Good brother, come you hither,
2492And bring Aeneas and the Grecian with you.
2493Cressida
My lord, will you be true?
2494Troilus
Who, I? Alas, it is my vice, my fault.
2495Whiles others fish with craft for great opinion,
2496I, with great truth, catch mere simplicity;
2497Whilst some with cunning gild their copper crowns,
2498With truth and plainness I do wear mine bare.
2499Enter [Diomed and] the Greeks [with Aeneas, Paris, Antenor, and Deiphobus following].
2500Fear not my truth; the moral of my wit
2501Is "plain and true": there's all the reach of it. --
2502Welcome, Sir Diomed. Here is the lady
2503Which for Antenor we deliver you.
2504At the port, lord, I'll give her to thy hand,
2505And by the way possess thee what she is.
2506Entreat her fair, and, by my soul, fair Greek,
2507If e'er thou stand at mercy of my sword,
2508Name Cressid, and thy life shall be as safe
2509As Priam is in Ilium.
2510Diomed
Fair lady Cressid,
2511So please you, save the thanks this prince expects.
2512The luster in your eye, heaven in your cheek,
2513Pleads your fair visage, and to Diomed
2514You shall be mistress and command him wholly.
2515Troilus
Grecian, thou dost not use me courteously
2516To shame the seal of my petition towards,
2517I praising her. I tell thee, lord of Greece,
2518She is as far high-soaring o'er thy praises
2519As thou unworthy to be called her servant.
2520I charge thee use her well, even for my charge,
2521For, by the dreadful Pluto, if thou dost not
2522(Though the great bulk Achilles be thy guard),
2523I'll cut thy throat.
2524Diomed
O be not moved, prince Troilus;
2525Let me be privileged by my place and message
2526To be a speaker free. When I am hence,
2527I'll answer to my lust. And know, my lord,
2528I'll nothing do on charge. To her own worth
2529She shall be prized. But that you say, "Be't so,"
2530I'll speak it in my spirit and honor, "No."
2531Troilus
Come to the port. -- I'll tell thee, Diomed,
2532This brave shall oft make thee to hide thy head. --
2533Lady, give me your hand, and, as we walk,
2534To our own selves bend we our needful talk.
2536Paris
Hark, Hector's trumpet.
2537Aeneas
How have we spent this morning?
2538The prince must think me tardy and remiss,
2539That swore to ride before him in the field.
2540Paris
'Tis Troilus's fault. Come, come, to field with him.
2542Deiphobus
Let us make ready straight.
2543Aeneas
Yea, with a bridegroom's fresh alacrity
2544Let us address to tend on Hector's heels.
2545The glory of our Troy doth this day lie
2546On his fair worth and single chivalry.
144.1[Exeunt Aeneas and Deiphobus.]