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  • Title: Troilus and Cressida (Folio 1, 1623)
  • Editor: William Godshalk

    • ISBN: 1-55058-301-8

    Copyright Internet Shakespeare Editions. This text may be freely used for educational, non-proift purposes; for all other uses contact the Coordinating Editor.
    Author: William Shakespeare
    Editor: William Godshalk
    Peer Reviewed

    Troilus and Cressida (Folio 1, 1623)

    Enter Hecter and Andromache.
    And. When was my Lord so much vngently temper'd,
    To stop his eares against admonishment?
    3200Vnarme, vnarme, and doe not fight to day.
    Hect. You traine me to offend you: get you gone.
    By the euerlasting gods, Ile goe.
    And. My dreames will sure proue ominous to the day.
    Hect. No more I say. Enter Cassandra.
    3205Cassa. Where is my brother Hector?
    And. Here sister, arm'd, and bloudy in intent:
    Consort with me in loud and deere petition:
    Pursue we him on knees: for I haue dreampt
    Of bloudy turbulence; and this whole night
    3210Hath nothing beene but shapes, and formes of slaughter.
    Cass. O, 'tis true.
    Hect. Ho? bid my Trumpet sound.
    Cass. No notes of sallie, for the heauens, sweet brother.
    Hect. Begon I say: the gods haue heard me sweare.
    3215Cass. The gods are deafe to hot and peeuish vowes;
    They are polluted offrings, more abhord
    Then spotted Liuers in the sacrifice.
    And. O be perswaded, doe not count it holy,
    To hurt by being iust; it is as lawfull:
    3220For we would count giue much to as violent thefts,
    And rob in the behalfe of charitie.
    Cass. It is the purpose that makes strong the vowe;
    But vowes to euery purpose must not hold:
    Vnatme sweete Hector.
    3225Hect. Hold you still I say;
    Mine honour keepes the weather of my fate:
    Life euery man holds deere, but the deere man
    Holds honor farre more precious, deere, then life.
    Enter Troylus.
    3230How now yong man? mean'st thou to fight to day?
    And. Cassandra, call my father to perswade.
    Exit Cassandra.
    Hect. No faith yong Troylus; doffe thy harnesse youth:
    I am to day ith'vaine of Chiualrie:
    3235Let grow thy Sinews till their knots be strong;
    And tempt not yet the brushes of the warre.
    Vnarme thee, goe; and doubt thou not braue boy,
    Ile stand today, for thee, and me, and Troy.
    Troy. Brother, you haue a vice of mercy in you;
    3240Which better fits a Lyon, then a man.
    Hect. What vice is that? good Troylus chide me for it.
    Troy. When many times the captiue Grecian fals,
    Euen in the fanne and winde of your faire Sword:
    You bid them rise, and liue.
    3245Hect. O 'tis faire play.
    Troy. Fooles play, by heauen Hector.
    Hect. How now? how now?
    Troy. For th'loue of all the gods
    Let's leaue the Hermit Pitty with our Mothers;
    3250And when we haue our Armors buckled on,
    The venom'd vengeance ride vpon our swords,
    Spur them to ruthfull worke, reine them from ruth.
    Hect. Fie sauage, fie.
    Troy. Hector, then 'tis warres.
    3255Hect. Troylus, I would not haue you fight to day.
    Troy. Who should with-hold me?
    Not fate, obedience, nor the hand of Mars,
    Beckning with fierie trunchion my retire;
    Not Priamus, and Hecuba on knees;
    3260Their eyes ore-galled with recourse of teares;
    Nor you my brother, with your true sword drawne
    Oppos'd to hinder me, should stop my way:
    But by my ruine.
    Enter Priam and Cassandra.
    3265Cass. Lay hold vpon him Priam, hold him fast:
    He is thy crutch; now if thou loose thy stay,
    Thou on him leaning, and all Troy on thee,
    Fall
    Troylus and Cressida.
    Fall all together.
    Priam. Come Hector, come, goe backe:
    3270Thy wife hath dreampt: thy mother hath had visions;
    Cassandra doth foresee; and I my selfe,
    Am like a Prophet suddenly enrapt,
    to tell thee that this day is ominous:
    Therefore come backe.
    3275Hect. AEneas is a field,
    And I do stand engag'd to many Greekes,
    Euen in the faith of valour, to appeare
    This morning to them.
    Priam. I, but thou shalt not goe,
    3280Hect. I must not breake my faith:
    You know me dutifull, therefore deare sir,
    Let me not shame respect; but giue me leaue
    To take that course by your consent and voice,
    Which you doe here forbid me, Royall Priam.
    3285Cass. O Priam, yeelde not to him.
    And. Doe not deere father.
    Hect. Andromache I am offended with you:
    Vpon the loue you beare me, get you in.
    Exit Andromache.
    3290Troy. This foolish, dreaming, superstitious girle,
    Makes all these bodements.
    Cass. O farewell, deere Hector:
    Looke how thou diest; looke how thy eye turnes pale:
    Looke how thy wounds doth bleede at many vents:
    3295Harke how Troy roares; how Hecuba cries out;
    How poore Andromache shrils her dolour forth;
    Behold distraction, frenzie, and amazement,
    Like witlesse Antickes one another meete,
    And all cry Hector, Hectors dead: O Hector!
    3300Troy. Away, away.
    Cas. Farewell: yes, soft: Hector I take my leaue;
    Thou do'st thy selfe, and all our Troy deceiue. Exit.
    Hect. You are amaz'd, my Liege, at her exclaime:
    Goe in and cheere the Towne, weele forth and fight:
    3305Doe deedes of praise, and tell you them at night.
    Priam. Farewell: the gods with safetie stand about
    thee. Alarum.
    Troy. They are at it, harke: proud Diomed, beleeue
    I come to loose my arme, or winne my sleeue.
    3310Enter Pandar.
    Pand. Doe you heare my Lord? do you heare?
    Troy. What now?
    Pand. Here's a Letter come from yond poore girle.
    Troy. Let me reade.
    3315Pand. A whorson tisicke, a whorson rascally tisicke,
    so troubles me; and the foolish fortune of this girle, and
    what one thing, what another, that I shall leaue you one
    o'th's dayes: and I haue a rheume in mine eyes too; and
    such an ache in my bones; that vnlesse a man were curst,
    3320I cannot tell what to thinke on't. What sayes shee
    there?
    Troy. Words, words, meere words, no matter from
    the heart;
    Th'effect doth operate another way.
    3325Goe winde to winde, there turne and change together:
    My loue with words and errors still she feedes;
    But edifies another with her deedes.
    Pand. Why, but heare you?
    Troy. Hence brother lackie; ignomie and shame
    3330Pursue thy life, and liue aye with thy name.
    ALarum. Exeunt.
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