Internet Shakespeare Editions

Author: William Shakespeare
Editor: William Godshalk
Peer Reviewed

Troilus and Cressida (Quarto 1, 1609)

of Troylus and Cresseida.
Pan. Why, you know tis dimpled,
I thinke his smyling becomes him better then any man in
all Phrigia. Cres. Oh he smiles valianty.
280Pan. Dooes hee not?
Cres. Oh yes, and twere a clowd in Autumne.
Pan. Why go to then, but to proue to you that Hellen
loues Troylus.
Cres. Troylus wil stand to thee proofe if youle prooue it so.
Pan. Troylus, why hee esteemes her no more then I e-
steeme an addle egge:
Cres. If you loue an addle egge as well as you loue an idle
head you would eate chickens ith shell.
290Pan. I cannot chuse but laugh to thinke how she ticled
his chin, indeed shee has a maruel's white hand I must needs
confesse.
Cres. Without the rack.
Pan. And shee takes vpon her to spie a white heare on
295his chinne.
Cres. Alas poore chin many a wart is ritcher.
Pan. But there was such laughing, Queene Hecuba laught
that her eyes ran ore.
Cres. With milstones.
300Pan. And Cassandra laught.
Cres. But there was a more temperate fire vnder the por
of her eyes: did her eyes run ore to?
Pan. And Hector laught.
Cres. At what was all this laughing.
305Pan. Marry at the white heare that Hellen spied on Troy-
lus chin.
Cres. And t'had beene a greene heare I should haue
laught too.
Pan. They laught not so much at the heare as at his pret-
310ty answere.
Cres, What was his answere?
Pan. Quoth shee heere's but two and fifty heires on your
chinne; and one of them is white.
Cres. This is her question.
315Pan. Thats true, make no question of that, two and fiftie
B heires