Pan. Walk here i' th' orchard. I will bring her [Exit Pandarus. Troi. I'm giddy; expectation whirls me round; Th' imaginary relish is fo fweet,

ftraight.

That it enchants my fenfe; what will it be,
When that the watry palate taftes, indeed,
Love's thrice-reputed nectar? death, I fear me;
Swooning deftruction, or fome joy too fine,
Too fubile-potent, 3 tun'd too fharp in fweetness,
For the capacity of my ruder powers;

I fear it much, and I do fear befides,
That I fhall lofe diftinction in my joys;
As doth a battle, when they charge on heaps
The flying enemy.

Re-enter Pandarus.

Pan. She's making her ready, fhe'll come ftraight, You must be witty now. She does fo blufh, and fetches her wind fo fhort, as if he were fraid with a fprite, I'll bring her. It is the prettieft villain. She fetches her breath as fhort as a new-ta'en fparrow. [Exit Pandarus, Troi. Ev'n fuch a paffion doth embrace my bofom: My heart beats thicker than a fev'rous pulse; And all my pow'rs do their beftowing lofe, Like vaffalage at unawares encountring The eye of Majefty.

Enter Pandarus and Creffida.

Pan. Come, come; what need you blufh? Shame's

a baby. Here he is now.

3-and 100 sharp in Sweetness.] So the folio and all modern editions; but the quarto more ac

curately,

Swear the oaths now to

-tun'd too fharp in fweetness.

her,

her, that you have fworn to me. What, are you gone again? you must be watch'd ere you be made tame, muft you? Come your ways, come your ways; if you draw backward, we'll put you i' th' files.-Why do you not speak to her? Come, draw this curtain, and let's fee your picture. [Snatching her mak.] Alas the day, how loth you are to offend day-light? an 'twere dark, you'd clofe fooner. So, fo, rub on, and kifs the Miftrefs. How now, a kifs in fee-farm? Build there, carpenter, the air is sweet. Nay, you shall 5 The faulcon fight your hearts out, ere I part you. as the tercel, for all the ducks i' th' river.

to.

Go to, go Troi. You have bereft me of all words, lady. Pan. Words pay no debts, give her deeds: but fhe'll bereave you of deeds too, if fhe call your activity in queftion. What, billing again? here's, in witnefs whereof the parties interchangeably come in, I'll go get a fire. Cre. Will you walk in, my Lord? Troi. O Creffida, how often have I wisht me thus ? Cre. Wifht, my Lord! the Gods grant my Lord.

-Come in, [Exit Pandarus.

O

Troi. What fhould 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, find fafer

footing than blind reafon ftumbling without fear. To fear the worst, oft cures the worse.

Troi. O let my lady apprehend no fear; in all Capid's Pageant there is prefented no monster.

Cre. Nor nothing monstrous neither?

Troi. Nothing, but our Undertakings; when we vow to weep feas, live in fire, eat rocks, tame tygers; thinking it harder for our mistress to devife impofition erough, 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 fay, all lovers fwear more performance than they are able; and yet referve an ability, that they never perform: vowing more than the perfection of ten, and difcharging less than the tenth part of one. They that have the voice of lions, and the act of hares, are they not monsters ?

6

Troi. Are there fuch? fuch are not we. Praife us as we are tafted, allow us as we prove: our head fhall go bare, 'till merit crown it; no perfection in reverfion fhall have a praife in prefent; we will not name defert before his birth, and, being born, 7 his addition fhall be humble; few words to fair faith. Troilus fhall be fuch to Creffida, as what envy can fay worst, shall be a mock for his truth; and what truth can speak trueft, not truer than Troilus.

Cre. Will you walk in, my Lord?

6 our bead fall go bare, till me rit crown it; I cannot forbear to obferve, that the quarto reads thus: Our head shall go bare, till merit lower part no affection, in we verfion, &c. Had there been

no other copy, how could this have been corrected? The true reading is in the folio.

7 bis addition ball be bumble 】 We will give him no high or pompous titles.

SCENE

Pan. What, blushing ftill? Have you not done talking yet?

Cre. Well, uncle, what folly I commit, I dedicate to you.

Pan. I thank you for that; if my Lord get a boy of you, you'll give him me. he flinch, chide me for it.

Be true to my
Be true to my Lord; if

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.

Troi. Why was my Creffid 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, fo much
But I might mafter it-in faith, I lye

My thoughts were, like unbridled children, grown
Too headstrong for their mother. See, we fools!
Why have I blabb'd? who shall be true to us,
When we are so unfecret to ourselves?
But though I lov'd you well, I woo'd you not;
And yet, good faith, I wifht myself a man,
Or that we women had men's privilege,

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

The thing I fhall repent. Sce, fee, your filence

4

Cunning

Cunning in dumbnefs, from my weakness draws
My very foul of counfel. Stop my mouth.

Troi. And fhall, albeit fweet mufick iffues thence.

Pan. Pretty, i'faith.

[Kiffing.

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

I am afham'd;-O heavens, what have I done?-
For this time will I take my leave, my Lord.
Troi. Your leave, fweet Creffid?

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 yourself.
Cre. Let me go and try.

I have a kind of felf refides with you:
But an unkind felf, that itfelf will leave,
To be another's fool. Where is my wit?
I would be gone. I fpeak, I know not what.
Trci. Well know they what they speak, that fpeak
fo wifely.

Cre. Perchance, my Lord, I fhew more craft than

love,

And fell fo roundly to a large confeffion,

8

To angle for your thoughts: but you are wife,

Or else you love not; to be wife and love,
Exceeds man's might, that dwells with Gods above.

8 but you are wife, Or else you love not: To be wife and love, Exceeds man's might, &c.] I read,

Exceeds man's might,

Creffida, in return to the phrafe given by Troilus to her wisdom, replies, That lovers are never wife; that it is beyond the power of man to bring love and wisdom to

but we're not wife, Or elfe we love not; to be wife a union. and love,