William Shakespeare: The Complete Works 2nd Edition (349 page)
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Authors: William Shakespeare
Tags: #Drama, #Literary Criticism, #Shakespeare
BOOK: William Shakespeare: The Complete Works 2nd Edition
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CRESSIDA (to Troilus)
Did not I tell you? Would he were knocked i’th’ head.
⌈
One knocks within
⌉
Who’s that at door?—Good uncle, go and see.—
My lord, come you again into my chamber.
You smile and mock me, as if I meant naughtily.
⌈
One knocks within
⌉
Who’s that at door?—Good uncle, go and see.—
My lord, come you again into my chamber.
You smile and mock me, as if I meant naughtily.
TROILUS Ha ha!
CRESSIDA
Come, you are deceived, I think of no such thing.
One knocks within
How earnestly they knock! Pray you come in.
I would not for half Troy have you seen here.
One knocks within
How earnestly they knock! Pray you come in.
I would not for half Troy have you seen here.
Exeunt
⌈
Troilus and Cressida
⌉
⌈
Troilus and Cressida
⌉
PANDARUS Who’s there? What’s the matter? Will you beat down the door?
He opens the door
. ⌈
Enter Aeneas
⌉
How now, what’s the matter?
AENEAS Good morrow, lord, good morrow.
PANDARUS
Who’s there? My Lord Aeneas? By my troth,
I knew you not. What news with you so early?
I knew you not. What news with you so early?
AENEAS
Is not Prince Troilus here?
PANDARUS Here? What should he do here?
AENEAS
Come, he is here, my lord. Do not deny him.
It doth import him much to speak with me.
It doth import him much to speak with me.
PANDARUS Is he here, say you? It’s more than I know, I’ll be sworn. For my own part, I came in late. What should he do here?
AENEAS
Whoa! Nay, then. Come, come, you’ll do him wrong
Ere you are ware. You’ll be so true to him
To be false to him. Do not you know of him,
But yet go fetch him hither. Go. ⌈
Exit Pandarus
⌉
Ere you are ware. You’ll be so true to him
To be false to him. Do not you know of him,
But yet go fetch him hither. Go. ⌈
Exit Pandarus
⌉
Enter Troilus
TROILUS How now, what’s the matter?
AENEAS
My lord, I scarce have leisure to salute you,
My matter is so rash. There is at hand
Paris your brother and Deiphobus,
The Grecian Diomed, and our Antenor
Delivered to us—and for him forthwith,
Ere the first sacrifice, within this hour,
We must give up to Diomedes’ hand
The Lady Cressida.
My matter is so rash. There is at hand
Paris your brother and Deiphobus,
The Grecian Diomed, and our Antenor
Delivered to us—and for him forthwith,
Ere the first sacrifice, within this hour,
We must give up to Diomedes’ hand
The Lady Cressida.
TROILUS Is it so concluded?
AENEAS
By Priam and the general state of Troy.
They are at hand, and ready to effect it.
They are at hand, and ready to effect it.
TROILUS How my achievements mock me.
I will go meet them—and, my Lord Aeneas,
We met by chance: you did not find me here.
We met by chance: you did not find me here.
AENEAS
Good, good, my lord: the secrecies of nature
Have not more gift in taciturnity.
Have not more gift in taciturnity.
Exeunt
4.3Enter Pandarus and Cressida
PANDARUS Is’t possible? No sooner got but lost. The devil take Antenor! The young prince will go mad. A plague upon Antenor! I would they had broke’s neck.
CRESSIDA How now? What’s the matter? Who was here?
PANDARUS Ah, ah!
CRESSIDA Why sigh you so profoundly? Where’s my lord?
Gone? Tell me, sweet uncle, what’s the matter?
PANDARUS Would I were as deep under the earth as I am above.
CRESSIDA O the gods! What’s the matter?
PANDARUS Pray thee, get thee in. Would thou hadst ne’er been born. I knew thou wouldst be his death. O poor gentleman! A plague upon Antenor!
CRESSIDA Good uncle, I beseech you on my knees; I beseech you, what’s the matter?
PANDARUS Thou must be gone, wench, thou must be gone. Thou art changed for Antenor. Thou must to thy father, and be gone from Troilus. ‘Twill be his death. ’Twill be his bane. He cannot bear it.
CRESSIDA
O you immortal gods! I will not go.
PANDARUS Thou must.
CRESSIDA
I will not, uncle. I have forgot my father.
I know no touch of consanguinity,
No kin, no love, no blood, no soul, so near me
As the sweet Troilus. O you gods divine,
Make Cressid’s name the very crown of falsehood
If ever she leave Troilus. Time, force, and death
Do to this body what extremity you can,
But the strong base and building of my love
Is as the very centre of the earth,
Drawing all things to it. I’ll go in and weep—
I know no touch of consanguinity,
No kin, no love, no blood, no soul, so near me
As the sweet Troilus. O you gods divine,
Make Cressid’s name the very crown of falsehood
If ever she leave Troilus. Time, force, and death
Do to this body what extremity you can,
But the strong base and building of my love
Is as the very centre of the earth,
Drawing all things to it. I’ll go in and weep—
PANDARUS Do, do.
CRESSIDA
Tear my bright hair, and scratch my praised cheeks,
Crack my clear voice with sobs, and break my heart
With sounding ‘Troilus’. I will not go from Troy.
Crack my clear voice with sobs, and break my heart
With sounding ‘Troilus’. I will not go from Troy.
Exeunt
4.4Enter Paris, Troilus, Aeneas, Deiphobus, Antenor, and Diomedes
PARIS
It is great morning, and the hour prefixed
Of her delivery to this valiant Greek
Comes fast upon us. Good my brother Troilus,
Tell you the lady what she is to do,
And haste her to the purpose.
Of her delivery to this valiant Greek
Comes fast upon us. Good my brother Troilus,
Tell you the lady what she is to do,
And haste her to the purpose.
TROILUS
Walk into her house.
I’ll bring her to the Grecian presently—
And to his hand when I deliver her,
Think it an altar, and thy brother Troilus
A priest, there off’ring to it his own heart.
I’ll bring her to the Grecian presently—
And to his hand when I deliver her,
Think it an altar, and thy brother Troilus
A priest, there off’ring to it his own heart.
PARIS I know what ’tis to love,
And would, as I shall pity, I could help.—
Please you walk in, my lords? ⌈
Exeunt
⌉
4.5Please you walk in, my lords? ⌈
Exeunt
⌉
Enter Pandarus and Cressida
PANDARUS Be moderate, be moderate.
CRESSIDA
Why tell you me of moderation?
The grief is fine, full, perfect that I taste,
And violenteth in a sense as strong
As that which causeth it. How can I moderate it?
If I could temporize with my affection
Or brew it to a weak and colder palate,
The like allayment could I give my grief.
My love admits no qualifying dross;
No more my grief, in such a precious loss.
The grief is fine, full, perfect that I taste,
And violenteth in a sense as strong
As that which causeth it. How can I moderate it?
If I could temporize with my affection
Or brew it to a weak and colder palate,
The like allayment could I give my grief.
My love admits no qualifying dross;
No more my grief, in such a precious loss.
Enter Troilus
PANDARUS Here, here, here he comes. Ah, sweet ducks!
CRESSIDA (
embracing him
) O Troilus, Troilus!
embracing him
) O Troilus, Troilus!
PANDARUS What a pair of spectacles is here! Let me
embrace you too. ‘O heart‘, as the goodly saying is,
‘O heart, heavy heart,
Why sigh’st thou without breaking?’
where he answers again
‘Because thou canst not ease thy smart
By friendship nor by speaking.’
There was never a truer rhyme. Let us cast away
nothing, for we may live to have need of such a verse.
We see it, we see it. How now, lambs?
‘O heart, heavy heart,
Why sigh’st thou without breaking?’
where he answers again
‘Because thou canst not ease thy smart
By friendship nor by speaking.’
There was never a truer rhyme. Let us cast away
nothing, for we may live to have need of such a verse.
We see it, we see it. How now, lambs?
TROILUS
Cressid, I love thee in so strained a purity
That the blest gods, as angry with my fancy—
More bright in zeal than the devotion which
Cold lips blow to their deities—take thee from me.
That the blest gods, as angry with my fancy—
More bright in zeal than the devotion which
Cold lips blow to their deities—take thee from me.
CRESSIDA Have the gods envy?
PANDARUS Ay, ay, ay, ay, ’tis too plain a case.
CRESSIDA
And is it true that I must go from Troy?
TROILUS
A hateful truth.
CRESSIDA What, and from Troilus too?
TROILUS
From Troy and Troilus.
CRESSIDA Is’t possible?
TROILUS
And suddenty—where injury of chance
Puts back leave-taking, jostles roughly by
All time of pause, rudely beguiles our lips
Of all rejoindure, forcibly prevents
Our locked embrasures, strangles our dear vows
Even in the birth of our own labouring breath.
We two, that with so many thousand sighs
Did buy each other, must poorly sell ourselves
With the rude brevity and discharge of one.
Injurious Time now with a robber’s haste
Crams his rich thiev’ry up, he knows not how.
As many farewells as be stars in heaven,
With distinct breath and consigned kisses to them,
He fumbles up into a loose adieu
And scants us with a single famished kiss,
Distasted with the salt of broken tears.
Puts back leave-taking, jostles roughly by
All time of pause, rudely beguiles our lips
Of all rejoindure, forcibly prevents
Our locked embrasures, strangles our dear vows
Even in the birth of our own labouring breath.
We two, that with so many thousand sighs
Did buy each other, must poorly sell ourselves
With the rude brevity and discharge of one.
Injurious Time now with a robber’s haste
Crams his rich thiev’ry up, he knows not how.
As many farewells as be stars in heaven,
With distinct breath and consigned kisses to them,
He fumbles up into a loose adieu
And scants us with a single famished kiss,
Distasted with the salt of broken tears.
Enter Aeneas
AENEAS My lord, is the lady ready?
TROILUS (
to Cressida
)
to Cressida
)
Hark, you are called. Some say the genius so
Cries ‘Come!’ to him that instantly must die.
⌈
To Pandarus
⌉ Bid them have patience. She shall come
anon.
Cries ‘Come!’ to him that instantly must die.
⌈
To Pandarus
⌉ Bid them have patience. She shall come
anon.
PANDARUS Where are my tears? Rain, to lay this wind, or my heart will be blown up by the root.
⌈
Exit with Aeneas
⌉
Exit with Aeneas
⌉
CRESSIDA
I must then to the Grecians.
TROILUS No remedy.
CRESSIDA
A woeful Cressid ’mongst the merry Greeks!
When shall we see again?
When shall we see again?
TROILUS
Hear me, my love: be thou but true of heart—
CRESSIDA
I true? How now! What wicked deem is this?
TROILUS
Nay, we must use expostulation kindly,
For it is parting from us.
I speak not ‘Be thou true’ as fearing thee—
For I will throw my glove to Death himself
That there’s no maculation in thy heart—
But ‘Be thou true’ say I, to fashion in
My sequent protestation: ‘Be thou true,
And I will see thee’.
For it is parting from us.
I speak not ‘Be thou true’ as fearing thee—
For I will throw my glove to Death himself
That there’s no maculation in thy heart—
But ‘Be thou true’ say I, to fashion in
My sequent protestation: ‘Be thou true,
And I will see thee’.
CRESSIDA
O you shall be exposed, my lord, to dangers
As infinite as imminent. But I’ll be true.
As infinite as imminent. But I’ll be true.
TROILUS
And I’ll grow friend with danger. Wear this sleeve.
CRESSIDA
And you this glove. When shall I see you?
TROILUS
I will corrupt the Grecian sentinels
To give thee nightly visitation.
But yet, be true.
To give thee nightly visitation.
But yet, be true.
CRESSIDA O heavens! ’Be true’ again!
TROILUS Hear why I speak it, love.
The Grecian youths are full of quality,
Their loving well composed, with gifts of nature
flowing,
And swelling o’er with arts and exercise.
How novelty may move, and parts with person,
Alas, a kind of godly jealousy—
Which I beseech you call a virtuous sin—
Makes me afeard.
Their loving well composed, with gifts of nature
flowing,
And swelling o’er with arts and exercise.
How novelty may move, and parts with person,
Alas, a kind of godly jealousy—
Which I beseech you call a virtuous sin—
Makes me afeard.
CRESSIDA O heavens, you love me not!
TROILUS
Die I a villain then!
In this I do not call your faith in question
So mainly as my merit. I cannot sing,
Nor heel the high lavolt, nor sweeten talk,
Nor play at subtle games—fair virtues all,
To which the Grecians are most prompt and
pregnant.
But I can tell that in each grace of these
There lurks a still and dumb-discoursive devil
That tempts most cunningly. But be not tempted.
In this I do not call your faith in question
So mainly as my merit. I cannot sing,
Nor heel the high lavolt, nor sweeten talk,
Nor play at subtle games—fair virtues all,
To which the Grecians are most prompt and
pregnant.
But I can tell that in each grace of these
There lurks a still and dumb-discoursive devil
That tempts most cunningly. But be not tempted.
CRESSIDA Do you think I will?
TROILUS
No, but something may be done that we will not,
And sometimes we are devils to ourselves,
When we will tempt the frailty of our powers,
Presuming on their changeful potency.
And sometimes we are devils to ourselves,
When we will tempt the frailty of our powers,
Presuming on their changeful potency.
AENEAS (
within
)
within
)
Nay, good my lord!
TROILUS Come, kiss, and let us part.
PARIS ⌈
art the door
⌉
art the door
⌉
Brother Troilus?
TROILUS
Good brother, come you hither,
And bring Aeneas and the Grecian with you.
And bring Aeneas and the Grecian with you.
⌈
Exit Paris
⌉
Exit Paris
⌉
CRESSIDA My lord, will you be true?
TROILUS
Who, I? Alas, it is my vice, my fault.
Whiles others fish with craft for great opinion,
I with great truth catch mere simplicity;
Whilst some with cunning gild their copper crowns,
With truth and plainness I do wear mine bare.
Whiles others fish with craft for great opinion,
I with great truth catch mere simplicity;
Whilst some with cunning gild their copper crowns,
With truth and plainness I do wear mine bare.
Enter Paris, Aeneas, Antenor, Deiphobus, and Diomedes
Fear not my truth. The moral of my wit
Is ‘plain and true!’; there’s all the reach of it.—
Welcome, Sir Diomed. Here is the lady
Which for Antenor we deliver you.
At the port, lord, I’ll give her to thy hand,
And by the way possess thee what she is.
Entreat her fair, and by my soul, fair Greek,
If e’er thou stand at mercy of my sword,
Name Cressid, and thy life shall be as safe
As Priam is in Ilium.
Is ‘plain and true!’; there’s all the reach of it.—
Welcome, Sir Diomed. Here is the lady
Which for Antenor we deliver you.
At the port, lord, I’ll give her to thy hand,
And by the way possess thee what she is.
Entreat her fair, and by my soul, fair Greek,
If e’er thou stand at mercy of my sword,
Name Cressid, and thy life shall be as safe
As Priam is in Ilium.
DIOMEDES
Fair Lady Cressid,
So please you, save the thanks this prince expects.
The lustre in your eye, heaven in your cheek,
Pleads your fair usage; and to Diomed
You shall be mistress, and command him wholly.
So please you, save the thanks this prince expects.
The lustre in your eye, heaven in your cheek,
Pleads your fair usage; and to Diomed
You shall be mistress, and command him wholly.
TROILUS
Grecian, thou dost not use me courteously,
To shame the zeal of my petition towards thee
In praising her. I tell thee, lord of Greece,
She is as far high-soaring o’er thy praises
As thou unworthy to be called her servant.
I charge thee use her well, even for my charge;
For, by the dreadful Pluto, if thou dost not,
Though the great bulk Achilles be thy guard
I’ll cut thy throat.
To shame the zeal of my petition towards thee
In praising her. I tell thee, lord of Greece,
She is as far high-soaring o’er thy praises
As thou unworthy to be called her servant.
I charge thee use her well, even for my charge;
For, by the dreadful Pluto, if thou dost not,
Though the great bulk Achilles be thy guard
I’ll cut thy throat.
DIOMEDES
O be not moved, Prince Troilus.
Let me be privileged by my place and message
To be a speaker free. When I am hence
I’ll answer to my lust. And know you, lord,
I’ll nothing do on charge. To her own worth
She shall be prized; but that you say ‘Be’t so’,
I’ll speak it in my spirit and honour ‘No!’
Let me be privileged by my place and message
To be a speaker free. When I am hence
I’ll answer to my lust. And know you, lord,
I’ll nothing do on charge. To her own worth
She shall be prized; but that you say ‘Be’t so’,
I’ll speak it in my spirit and honour ‘No!’
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