Imatges de pàgina
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Drawing all things to it. I'll go in, and weep ;Pan. Do, do.

Cres. 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. [Exeunt.

SCENE III.

The same. Before Pandarus' house.

Enter PARIS, TROILUS, ENEAS, DEIPHOBUS, ANTENOR, and DIOMEDes.

Par. It is great morning; and the hour prefix'd Of her delivery to this valiant Greek

Comes fast upon. Good my brother Troilus,

Tell you the lady what she is to do,

And haste her to the purpose.

Walk into her house;

Troi.
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 offering to it his own heart.
Par. I know what 'tis to love;
And would, as I shall pity, I could help!
Please you, walk in, my lords.

[Exit.

[Exeunt.

The same.

SCENE IV.

A room in Pandarus' house.

Enter PANDARUS and CRESSIDA.

Pan. Be moderate, be moderate.

Cres. 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 temporise 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.

Pan. Here, here, here he comes.-Ah sweet ducks!

Cres. O Troilus! Troilus!

[embracing him. Pan. What a pair of spectacles is here! Let me O heart,'-as the goodly saying

embrace too.

is,

O heart, O 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 never was 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 ?

Troi. Cressid, I love thee in so strain'd a purity, That the bless'd gods (as angry with my fancy, More bright in zeal than the devotion which Cold lips blow to their deities) take thee from me. Cres. Have the gods envy?

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Pan. Ay, ay, ay, ay; 'tis too plain a case.

Cres. And is it true, that I must go from Troy? Troi. A hateful truth.

Cres.

What, and from Troilus too?

Troi. From Troy and Troilus.
Cres.

Is it possible?

Troi. And suddenly; where injury of chance
Puts back leave-taking, justles roughly by
All time of pause, rudely beguiles our lips
Of all rejoindure, forcibly prevents
Our lock'd embrasures, strangles our dear vows
Even in the birth of our own laboring 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 thievery up, he knows not how :
As many farewells as be stars in heaven,

With distinct breath and consign'd1 kisses to them,
He fumbles up into a loose adieu;

1 Sealed.

And scants us with a single famish'd kiss,
Distasted with the salt of broken tears.

En. [within.] My lord! is the lady ready?
Troi. Hark! you are call'd. Some say, the
Genius so

Cries Come!' to him that instantly must die.

Bid them have patience: she shall come anon. Pan. Where are my tears? rain, to lay this wind, or my heart will be blown up by the root!

Cres. I must then to the Greeks?
Troi.

[Exit Pandarus.

No remedy. Cres. A woful Cressid 'mongst the merry Greeks! When shall we see again?

Troi. Hear me, my love: be thou but true of

heart,

Cres. I true? how now? what wicked deem 2 is

this?

Troi. Nay, we must use expostulation kindly, For it is parting from us.

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I speak not, Be thou true,' as fearing thee;
For I will throw my glove to Death himself,
That there's no maculation 3 in thy heart:

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But, Be thou true,' say I, to fashion in
My sequent protestation: be thou true,
And I will see thee.

Cres. O, you shall be exposed, my lord, to dangers

1 Interrupted.

2 Surmise.

3 Spot, taint.

As infinite as imminent! but I'll be true.

Troi. And I'll grow friend with danger. Wear this sleeve.

Cres. And you this glove. When shall I see

you?

Troi. I will corrupt the Grecian sentinels,

To give thee nightly visitation.

But yet, be true.

Cres.

O heavens !-be true, again?

Troi. Hear why I speak it, love :

:

1

The Grecian youths are full of quality; 1

They're 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.

Cres.

O heavens! you love me not.

Troi. 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 preg

nant:

But I can tell, that in each grace of these

There lurks a still and dumb-discoursive devil,

1 Highly accomplished.

An old dance.

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