Imatges de pàgina
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Pan. I will, fweet Queen. [Exit. Sound a Retreat. Par. They're come from field let us to Priam's Hall,

:

To greet the warriors-Sweet Helen. I muft woo you
To help unarm our Hector: his ftubborn buckles,
With these your white enchanting fingers toucht,
Shall more obey, than to the edge of fteel,
Or force of Greekish finews: you shall do more
Than all the island Kings, difarm great Hector.

Helen. 'Twill make us proud to be his fervant, Paris: Yea, what he fhall receive of us in duty

Gives us more palm in beauty than we have,

Yea, over-fhines ourself.

Par. Sweet, above thought I love thee.

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An Orchard to Pandarus's Houfe.

Enter Pandarus, and Troilus's Man.

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[Exeunt.

where's thy mafter? at my coufin Greffida's?

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Ser. No, Sir, he prays you to conduct him thither.

Enter Troilus.

Pán. O, here he comes; how now, how now?
Troi. Sirrah, walk off.

Pan. Have you feen my

coufin?

Troi. No, Pandarus: I ftalk about her door,

Like a strange foul upon the Stygian banks
Staying for waftage. O, be thou my Charon,
And give me fwift transportance to thofe fields,
Where I may wallow in the lily beds
Propos'd for the deferver! O gentle Pandarus,
From Cupid's fhoulder pluck his painted wings,
And fly with me to Creffid.

he Stays you-] We fhould read,he Prays you--

Pan.

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

That it enchants my sense: 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 fubtle-potent, and too fharp in sweetness,
For the capacity of my rude 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 blush, and fetches her wind fo fhort, as if the were fraid with a Sprite: I'll bring her. It is the prettieft villain, the 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 bestowing lose, Like vaffalage at unawares encountring The eye of Majesty.

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Pan.

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Enter Pandarus and Creffida.

OME, come; what need you blush? Shame's a baby. Here he is now: fwear the oaths now to 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 fpeak to her? Come, draw this curtain, and let's fee your picture. Alas the day, how loth you are to offend day-light? 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 fhall fight your hearts out, ere I part you. The faulcon as 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 fhe'll bereave you of deeds too, if fhe call your activity in question: what, billing again? here's, in witnefs whereof the parties interchangeably-come in, come in, I'll go get à fire. [Exit Pandarus.

Cre. Will you walk in, my lord?

Troi. O Creffida, how often have I wifht me thus ? Cre. Wifht, my lord! the Gods grant-O my

lord.

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 cherubims, they never fee truly.

Cre. Blind fear, which feeing reafon leads, finds fafer footing than blind reason ftumbling without fear. To fear the worft, oft cures the worse.

Troi. O, let my lady apprehend no fear; in all Cupid's Pageant there is prefented no monster Cre. Nor nothing monftrous neither?

Troi. Nothing, but our Undertakings; when we vow to weep feas, live in fire, eat rocks, tame tygers; thinking it harder for our miftrefs to devife impofition enough, than for us to undergo any difficulty impofed. This is the monftruofity 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

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than they are able; and yet reserve an ability, that they never perform: vowing more than the perfection of ten, and discharging less than the tenth part of one. They that have the voice of lions, and the act of hares, are they not monstrous?

Troi. Are there fuch? fuch are not we; praise us as we are tafted, allow us as we prove: our head shall go bare, till merit crown it; no perfection in reverfion fhall have a praise in prefent; we will not name defert before his birth, and, being born, his addition shall be humble; few words to fair truth. Troilus shall be fuch to Creffida, as what envy can say 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?

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HAT blufhing ftill? have you not done. talking yet

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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; be true to my lord; if he flinch, chidę 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 flick 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,
VOL. IX.

D

With

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 mafler it-in faith, I lie

My thoughts were, like unbridled children, grown
Too headstrong for their mother; fee, we fools!
Why have I blabb'd? who shall be true to us,
When we are fo unfecret to ourselves?

But though I lov'd you well, I woo'd you not;
And yet, good faith, I wisht myself a man:
Or that We women had men's privilege,
Of speaking firft. Sweet, bid me hold my tongue;
For in this rapture I fhall furely speak

The thing I fhall repent; fee, fee, your filence
(Cunning in dumbnefs) from my weaknefs draws
My very foul of counfel. Stop my mouth.
Troi. And fhall, albeit fweet mufic iffues thence.
[Kiffing.

Pan. Pretty, i'faith.

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 Craffid?

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 try:

I have a kind of felf refides with you:
But an unkind felf, that itself 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 speak
fo wifely.

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

love,

And

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