Imatges de pàgina
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fee your picture. Alas the day, how loth you are to offend daylight? an 'twere dark you'd close fooner. So, fo, rub on, and kiss the mistress; how now, a kifs in fee-farm? build there carpenter, the air is fweet. Nay, you shall fight your hearts out ere I part you. The faulcon has the tercel, for all the ducks i'th' river: go to, go to.

Troi. You have bereft me of all words, lady.

Pan. Words pay no debts, give her deeds: but she'll bereave you of deeds too, if the call your activity in question: what, billing again? here's in witness whereof the parties interchangeably -- come in, come in, I'll go get a fire.

Cre. Will you walk in, my lord?

[Exit Pan.

Troi. O Creffida, how often have I wisht me thus ? Cre. Wisht, my lord! the gods grant ----O, my O, my lord. Troi. What should they grant; what makes this pretty abruption? what too curious dreg efpies my fweet lady in the fountain of our love?

Cre. More dregs than water, if my fears have eyes.

Troi. Fears make devils of cherubins, they never fee truly. Cre. Blind fear which feeing reafon leads, finds fafer footing than blind reason ftumbling without fear. To fear the worst, oft cures the worse.

Troi. O let my lady apprehend no fear, in all Cupid's pageant there is presented no monster.

Cre. Nor nothing monftrous neither?

Troi. Nothing but our undertakings, when we vow to weep seas, live in fire, eat rocks tame tygers; thinking it harder for our mistress to devife impofition enough, than for us to undergo any difficulty impofed. This is the monftrofity in love, lady, that the will is infinite, and the execution confin'd; that the defire is boundless, and the act a flave to limit.

Cre. They say all lovers swear more performance than they are able, and yet reserve an ability that they never perform:

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vowing more than the perfection of ten; and discharg ing less than the tenth part of one. They that have the voice of lions, and the act of hares, are they not monsters?

Troi. Are there fuch? fuch are not we: praise us as we are tasted, allow us as we prove: our head shall go bare, 'till merit crown it; no perfection in reversion shall have a praise in present; we will not name desert before his birth, and being born, his addition fhall be humble; few words to fair faith. Troilus fhall be fuch to Creffida; as what envy can fay worst, fhall be a mock for his truth; and what truth can speak trueft, not truer than Troilus. Cre. Will you walk in, my lord?

SCENE V.

Enter Pandarus.

Pan. What, blushing still have you not done talking yet? Cre. Well, uncle, what folly I commit, I dedicate to you. Pan. I thank for that; you if my lord get a boy of you, you'll give him me; be true to my lord; if he flinch, chide me for it. Troi. You know now your hoftages; your uncle's word and my firm faith.

:

Pan. Nay, I'll give my word for her too; our kindred, though they be long ere they are woo'd, they are conftant being won: they are burrs, I can tell you, they'll stick where they are thrown. Cre. Boldness comes to me now, and brings me heart: Prince Troilus, I have lov'd you night and day,

For many weary months.

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Troi. Why was my Crefid then fo hard to win?
Cre. Hard to feem won: but I was won, my lord,
With the first glance that ever---- pardon me
If I confefs much, you will play the tyrant:
I love you now, but not till now, so much
But I might master it.--- in faith I lie--

My

My thoughts were like unbridled children, grown
Too head-strong for their mother; fee we fools,
Why have I blabb'd? who shall be true to us
When we are fo unfecret to our felves?
But though I lov'd you well, I woo'd you not,
And yet good faith I wisht my self a man:
Or that the women had mens privilege

Of speaking first. Sweet, bid me hold my tongue,
For in this rapture I fhall furely fpeak

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The thing I shall repent; fee, fee, your filence
(Cunning in dumbness) from my weakness draws
My very foul of counfel. Stop my mouth.

Troi. And fhall, albeit fweet mufick iffues thence.
Pan. Pretty, i'faith.

Cre. My lord, I do beseech you pardon me; 'Twas not my purpose thus to beg a kiss:

I am afham'd;

151

O heav'ns, what have I done!---

For this time will I take my leave, my lord.

Troi. Your leave, fweet Creffid?

[Kiffing.

Pan.. Leave! an you take leave 'till to-morrow-morning-

Cre. Pray you, content you.
Troi. What offends you, lady?
Cre. Sir, mine own company.
Troi. You cannot fhun your felf.

Cre. Let me go try:

I have a kind of felf refides with you:
But an unkind self, that it self will leave,

To be another's fool. Where is

my wit?

I would be gone: I speak I know not what.

Troi. Well know they what they speak, that fpeak so wifely.

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Cre.

Cre. Perchance, my lord, I flew more craft than love,
And fell fo roundly to a large confeffion,

To angle for your thoughts: but you are wise,
Or else you love not: To be wife and love,
Exceeds man's might, and dwells with gods above.
Troi. O that I thought it could be in a woman;
(As if it can, I will prefume in you,)

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To feed for ay her lamp and flames of love,
To keep her conftancy in plight and youth,
Out-living beauties outward, with a mind
That doth renew fwifter than blood decays.
Oh that perswasion could but thus convince me,
That my integrity and truth to you

Might be affronted with the match and weight
Of fuch a winnow'd purity in love:

How were I then up-lifted! but alas,
I am as true as truth's fimplicity,
And fimpler than the infancy of truth.
Cre. In that I'll war with you.

Troi. O virtuous fight!

True fwains in love fhall in the world to come
Approve their truths by Troilus; when their rhimes,
Full of proteft, of oath, and big compare,
'Want fimilies: truth tired with iteration,
As true as steel, as planets to the moon,
As fun to day, as turtle to her mate,

I

As ir'on to adamant, as earth to th center:

Yet after all comparisons of truth,

(As truth's authentick author to be cited)

As true as Troilus fhall crown up the verse
And fanctifie the numbers.

Cre. Prophet may you be!

If I be falfe, or fwerve a hair from truth,

I

• plantage.

• When

• When time is old and hath forgot it self,
When water-drops have worn the ftones of Troy,
And blind oblivion swallow'd cities up,

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And mighty states characterless are grated let memory,

To dusty nothing; yet

From false to false, among false maids in love, Upbraid my falsehood; when they've said as false 'As air, as water, wind, as fandy earth;

'As fox to lamb, as wolf to heifer's calf.;
Pard to the hind, or step-dame to her fon;

Yea let them fay, to stick the heart of falsehood,
As falfe as Creffid.

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Pan. Go to, a bargain made: seal it, seal it, I'll be the witnefs. Here I hold your hand; here my coufin's; if ever you prove false to one another, fince I have taken fuch pains to bring you together, let all pitiful goers-between be call'd to the world's end after my name: call them all Pandars; let all conftant men. be Troilus's, all falfe women Creffida's, and all brokers between Pandars: fay Amen.

Troi. Amen.

Cre. Amen.

Pan. Amen. Whereupon I will fhew you a chamber, which bed, because it shall not speak of your pretty encounters, press it to death: away.

And Cupid grant all tongue-ty'd maidens here,
Bed, chamber, Pandar, to provide this geer.

[Exeunt.

SCENE

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