tine craft of thy caduceus; if ye take not that little Ther. Here is such patchery, such juggling, and little less than little wit from them that they have! such knavery! all the argument is, a cuckold, and which short-armed ignorance itself knows is so a whore; A good quarrel, to draw emulous fac abundant scarce, it will not in circumvention de- tions, and bleed to death upon. Now the dry ser liver a fly from a spider, without drawing their pigo on the subject! and war, and lechery, con massy irons, and cutting the web. After this, the found all! vengeance on the whole camp! or, rather, the boneache! for that, methinks, is the curse dependent on those that war for a placket. I have said my prayers; and devil, envy, say Amen.-What, ho! my lord Achilles ! Enter Patroclus. Patr. Who's there? Thersites? Good Thersites, come in and rail. Ther. If I could have remembered a gilt counterfeit, thou wouldest not have slipped out of my contemplation: but it is no matter; Thyself upon thyself! The common curse of mankind, folly and ignorance, be thine in great revenue! heaven bless thee from a tutor, and discipline come not near thee! Let thy blood be thy direction till thy death! then if she, that lays thee out, says-thou art a fair corse, I'll be sworn and sworn upon't, she never shrouded any but lazars. Amen.-Where's Achilles? Patr. What, art thou devout? wast thou in prayer? Ther. Ay; the heavens hear me ! Enter Achilles. Achil. Who's there? Patr. Thersites, my lord. Achil. Where, where?-Art thou come! Why, my cheese, my digestion, why hast thou not served thyself in to my table so many meals? Come; what's Agamemnon? Ther. Thy commander, Achilles;-Then tell me, Patroclus, what's Achilles? Patr. Thy lord, Thersites; Then tell me, I pray thee, what's thyself? Ther. Thy knower, Patroclus; Then tell me, Patr. That mayest tell, that knowest. Ther. I'll decline the whole question. Agamem- Ther. Peace, fool; I have not done. [Exit. Agam. Where is Achilles? Ajax. Yes, lion-sick, sick of proud heart: you may call it melancholy, if you will favour the man; but, by my head, 'tis pride: But why, why? let him show us a cause.-A word, my lord. [Takes Agamemnon aside. Nest. Then will Ajax lack matter, if he have lost his argument. Ulyss. No, you see, he is his argument, that has his argument; Achilles. Nest. All the better; their fraction is more our wish, than their faction: But it was a strong composure, a fool could disunite. Ulyss. The amity, that wisdom knits not, folly may easily untie. Here comes Patroclus. Re-enter Patroclus. Nest. No Achilles with him. Ulyss. The elepirant hath joints, but none for courtesy: his legs are legs for necessity, not for flexure. Patr. Achilles bids me say-he is much sorry, Ther. Agamemnon is a fool; Achilles is a fool; Thersites is a fool; and, as aforesaid, Patroclus is a fool. Achil. Derive this; come. Ther. Agamemnon is a fool to offer to command Achilles; Achilles is a fool to be commanded of Agamemnon; Thersites is a fool to serve such a fool; and Patroclus is a fool positive. Patr. Why am I a fool? Ther. Make that demand of the prover.-It ficeth me, thou art. Look you, who comes here? Enter Agamemnon, Ulysses, Nestor, Diomedes, and Ajax. Here tend the savage strangeness11 he puts on; Achil. Patroclus, I'll speak with nobody;- His humorous predominance; yea, watch כן (1) The wand of Mercury, which is wreathed (6) Rebuked, rated. with serpents. (2) Passions, natural propensities. (s) Leprous persons. (4) Envious. (5) Tetter, scab. (7) Appendage of rank or dignity. (8) Subject. (10) Attend. (9) Exercise. (11) Shyness. (12) Subscribe, obey. (13) Fits of lunacy. Agam. In second voice we'll not be satisfied, We come to speak with him.-Ulysses, enter. [Exit Ulysses. Agam. O, no, you shall not go. Ajax. An he be proud with me, I'll pheeze' his pride: Ajar. What is he more than another? Agam. No more than what he thinks he is. Ajax. Is he so much? Do you not think, he Let me go to him. thinks himself a better man than I am? Agam. No question. Ajar. Will you subscribe his thought, and sayhe is? Agam. No, noble Ajax; you are as strong, as valiant, as wise, no less noble, much more gentle, and altogether more tractable. Ajax. Why should a man be proud? How doth pride grow? I know not what pride is. Agam. Your mind's the clearer, Ajax, and your virtues the fairer. He that is proud, eats up himself: pride is his own glass, his own trumpet, his own chronicle; and whatever praiseth itself but in the deed, devours the deed in the praise. Ajar. I do hate a proud man, as I hate the engendering of toads. Nest. And yet he loves himself: Is it not strange? [Aside. Re-enter Ulysses. Ulyss. Achilles will not to the field to-morrow. Again. What's his excuse? Ulyss. He doth rely on none; But carries on the stream of his dispose, Without observance or respect of any, In will peculiar and in self-admission. Agam. Why will he not, upon our fair request, Untent his person, and share the air with us? Ulyss. Things small as nothing, for request's sake only, He makes important: Possess'd he is with greatness; Agam. Let Ajax go to him. Ulyss. O Agamemnon, let it not be so! We'll consecrate the steps that Ajax makes When they go from Achilles: Shall the proud lord, That bastes his arrogance with his own seam ;2 And never suffers matter of the world Enter his thoughts,-save such as do revolve And ruminate himself,-shall he be worshipp'd Of that we hold an idol more than he? No, this thrice-worthy and right valiant lord Must not so stale his palm, nobly acquir'd; Nor, by my will, assubjugate his merit, As amply titled as Achilles is, By going to Achilles : (1) Approbation. VOL II. Ulyss. Not for the worth that hangs upon tour quarrel. Ajax. A paltry, insolent fellow, Nest. Himself! jar. Can he not be sociable ? Ulyss. How he describes [Aside. The raven [Aside. I will let his humours blood. Ajax. patient. Ajax. An all men Were o'my mind,Ulyss. [Aside. Wit would be out of fashion. [Aside. Ajar. He should not bear it so, He should eat swords first: Shall pride carry it? [Aside. He'd have ten shares. Pour in, pour in; his ambition is dry. Here is a man-But 'tis before his face Wherefore should you so? He is not emulous," as Achilles is. Ulyss. Know the whole world, he is as valiant. Ajar. A whoreson dog, that shall palter thus with us! I would, he were a Trojan ! Bull-bearing Milo his addition' yield To sinewy Ajax. I will not praise thy wisdom, Which, like a bourn, a pale, a shore, confines Paris from the prince Troilus: I will make a complimental assault upon him, for my business seeths. Serv. Sodden business! there's a stewed phrase, Thy spacious and dilated parts: Here's Nestor,—indeed! He must, he is, he cannot but be wise:- Shall I call you father? Nest. Ay, my good son. Dio. Be rul'd by him, lord Ajax. Ulyss. There is no tarrying here; the hart Achilles Keeps thicket. Please it our great general Fresh kings are come to Troy: To-morrow, ACT III. SCENE I.-Troy. A room in Priam's palace. Enter Pandarus and a Servant. Pan. Friend! you! pray you, a word: Do not you follow the young lord Paris? Serv. Ay, sir, when he goes before me. Pan. You do depend upon a noble gentleman; I must needs praise him. Serv. The lord be prais'd! Pan. You know me, do you not? Pan. Friend, know me better; I am the lord Pandarus. Serv. I hope, I shall know your honour better. Serv. You are in the state of grace. [Music within. Pan. Grace! not so, friend; honour and lordship are my titles:-What music is this? Serv. I do but partly know, sir; it is music in parts. Pan. Know you the musicians? Serv. Wholly, sir. Pan. Who play they to? Serv. To the hearers, sir. Pan. At whose pleasure, friend? Serv. At mine, sir, and theirs that love music. Pan. Friend, we understand not one another; I am too courtly, and thou art too cunning: At whose request do these men play? Serv. That's to't, indeed, sir: Marry, sir, at the request of Paris my lord, who is there in person; with him, the mortal Venus, the heart-blood of beauty, love's invisible soul, Pan. Who, my cousin, Cressida ? Serv. No, sir, Helen; Could you not find out that by her attributes? Pan. It should seem, fellow, that thou hast not Been the lady Cressida. I come to speak with (1) Titles. (2) Stream, rivudet. (3) Boils. Enter Paris and Helen, attended. Pan. Fair be to you, my lord, and to all this fair company! fair desires, in all fair measure, fairly guide them! especially to you, fair queen! fair thoughts be to your fair pillow! Helen. Dear lord, you are full of fair words. Pan. You speak your fair pleasure, sweet queen.Fair prince, here is good broken music. Par. You have broke it, cousin and, by my life, you shall make it whole again; you shall piece it out with a piece of your performance :-Nell, he is full of harmony. Pan. Truly, lady, no. Helen. O, sir, Pan. Rude, in sooth; in good sooth, very rude. Par. Well said, my lord! well, you say so in fits." Pan. I have business to my lord, dear queen:My lord, will you vouchsafe me a word? Helen. Nay, this shall not hedge us out: we'll hear you sing, certainly. Pan. Well, sweet queen, you are pleasant with me.-But (marry) thus, my lord, my dear lord, and most esteemed friend, your brother Troilus Helen. My lord Pandarus; honey-sweet lord, himself most affectionately to you. Pan. Go to, sweet queen, go to;-commends Helen. You shall not bob us out of our melody; If you do, our melancholy upon your head! Pan. Sweet queen, sweet queen; that's a sweet queen, i'faith. Helen. And to make a sweet lady sad, is a sour offence. Pan. Nay, that shall not serve your turn; that shall it not, in truth, la. Nay, I care not for such words, no, no.-And, my lord, he desires you, that, if the king call for him at supper, you will make his excuse. Helen. My lord Pandarus, Pan. What says my sweet queen,--my very very sweet queen. Par. What exploit's in hand? where sups he to-night. Helen. Nay, but my lord,—— Pan. What says my sweet queen ?-My cousin will fall out with you. You must not know where he sups. Par. I'll lay my life, with my disposer Cressida. Pan. No, no, no such matter, you are wide;' come, your disposer is sick. Par. Well, I'll make excuse. Pan. Ay, good my lord. Why should you sayCressida ? no, your poor disposer's sick. Par. I spy. Pan. You spy! what do you spy?—Come, give me an instrument.-Now, sweet queen. Helen. Why, this is kindly done. Pan. My neice is horribly in love with a thing you have, sweet queen. Helen. She shall have it, my lord, if it be not my lord Paris. Pan. He! no, she'll none of him; they two are twain. Helen. Falling in, after falling out, may make them three. Pan. Come, come, I'll hear no more of this; I'll sing you a song now. Parts of a song. Wide of your mark Helen. Ay, ay, pr'ythee now. sweet lord, thou hast a fine forehead. Pan. Ay, you may, you may. By my troth, Pan. Have you seen my cousin? Tro. No, Pandarus: I stalk about her door, Like a strange soul upon the Stygian banks Helen. Let thy song be love: this love will un- Staying for waftage. O, be thou my Charon, do us all. O Cupid, Cupid, Cupid! Pan. Love! ay, that it shall, i'faith And give me swift transportance to those fields, Where I may wallow in the lily beds Par. Ay, good now, love, love, nothing but love. Propos'd for the deserver! O gentle Pandarus, Pan. In good troth, it begins so: Love, love, nothing but love, still more ! But tickles still the sore. These lovers cry-Oh! oh! they die! Yet that which seems the wound to kill, Oh! oh! a while, but ha! ha! ha! Oh! oh! groans out for ha! ha! ha! Hey ho! From Cupid's shoulder pluck his painted wings, And fly with me to Cressid! Pan. Walk here i'the orchard, I'll bring her That enchants my sense; What will it be, I fear it much; and I do fear besides, Re-enter Pandarus. Helen. In love, 'faith, to the very tip of the nose. Par. He eats nothing but doves, love; and that breeds hot blood, and hot blood begets hot thoughts, Pan. She's making her ready, she'll come straight: and hot thoughts beget hot deeds, and hot deeds is you must be witty now. She does so blush, and love. Tetches her wind so short, as if she were frayed Pan. Is this the generation of love? hot blood, with a sprite: I'll fetch her. It is the prettiest hot thoughts, and hot deeds?-Why, they are vipers: villain :-she fetches her breath as short as a newIs love a generation of vipers? Sweet lord, who's ta'en sparrow. a-field to-day? [Erit Pandarus. Tro. Even such a passion doth embrace my bosom: My heart beats thicker than a feverous pulse: Par. Hector, Deiphobus, Helenus, Antenor, and all the gallantry of Troy: I would fain have arm'd to-night, but my Nell would not have it so. chance my brother Troilus went not? Helen. He hangs the lip at something ; know all, lord Pandarus. hear Pan. Not I, honey-sweet queen--I long to how they sped to-day.-You'll remember your brother's excuse. Par. To a hair. Pan. Farewell, sweet queen. [Exit [A retreat sounded. Par. They are come from field: let us to Priam's hall, To greet the warriors. Sweet Helen, I must woo you To help unarm our Hector : his stubborn buckles, With these your white enchanting fingers touch'd, Shall more obey, than to the edge of steel, Or force of Greekish sinews: you shall do more Yea, what he shall receive of us in duty, Par. Sweet, above thought I love thee. [Exe. SCENE II.-The same. Pandarus' orchard. Enter Pandarus and a Servant, meeting. Pan. How now? where's thy master? at my cousin Cressida's? Serv. No, sir; he stays for you to conduct him thither. Enter Pandarus and 'Cressida. Pan. Come, come, what need you blush? shame's a baby.-Here she is now: swear the oaths now to her, that you have sworn to me.-What, are you gone again? you must be watched ere you be made tame, must you? Come your ways, come your ways; an you draw backward, we'll put you i'the fills,Why do you not speak to her?-Come, draw this curtain, and let's see your picture. Alas, the day, how loath you are to offend day-light! an 'twere dark, you'd close sooner. So, so; rub on, and kiss the mistress. How now? a kiss in feefarm ? build there, carpenter; the air is sweet. Nay, you shall fight your nearts out, ere I part you. The falcon as the tercel,' for all the ducks i'the river: go to, go to. Tro. You have bereft me of all words, lady. Pan. Words pay no debts, give her deeds: but she'll bereave you of the deeds too, if she call your activity in question. What billing again? Here's -In witness whereof the parties interchangeablyCome in, come in; I'll go get a fire. [Exit Pan. Cres. Will you walk in, my lord? thus. Tro. What should they grant? what makes this pretty abruption? What too curious dreg espies my sweet lady in the fountain of our love? Cres. More dregs than water, if my fears have eyes. Tro. Fears make devils cherubims; they never see truly. (3) The tercel is the male and the falcon the female hawk. Cres. Blind fear, that seeing reason leads, finds safer footing than blind reason stumbling without fear: To fear the worst, oft cures the worst. Tro. O, let my lady apprehend no fear: in all I am asham'd;-O heavens! what have I done?- Pan. Leave! an you take leave till to-morrow morning, Cres. Pray you, content you. Tro. Nothing, but our undertakings; when we vow to weep seas, live in fire, eat rocks, tame tigers; thinking it harder for our mistress to devise imposition enough, than for us to undergo any difficulty Yourself. imposed. This is the monstruosity in love, lady,— that the will is infinite, and the execution confined; that the desire is boundless, and the act a slave to limit. Cres. They say, all lovers swear more performance 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 monsters? Tro. Are they such? such 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' shall be humble. Few words to fair faith: Troilus shall be such to Cressid, as what envy can say worst, shall be a mock for his truth; and what truth can speak truest, not truer than Troilus. Cres. Will you walk in, my lord? Re-enter Pandarus. Pan. What, blushing still? have you not done talking yet? Cres. Well, uncle, what folly I commit, I dedi cate 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, chide me for it. Tro. You know now your hostages; your uncle's word, and my firm faith. Pan. Nay, I'll give my word for her too; our Prince Troilus, I have lov'd you night and day Tro. Why was my Cressid then so hard to win? Tro. And shall, albeit sweet music issues thence. Cres. My lord, I do bescech you, pardon me; 'Twas not my purpose, thus to beg a kiss: Cres. Let me go and try: You cannot shun I have a kind of self resides with you; Cres. Perchance, my lord, I show more craft than And fell so roundly to a large confession, I Might be affronted with the match and weight Cres. Prophet may you be! If I be false or swerve a hair from truth, As air, as water, wind, or sandy earth, Pan. Go to, a bargain made: seal it, seal it; I'll be the witness.-Here I hold your hand; here, my cousin's. If ever you prove false one to another, since I have taken such pains to bring you to gether, let all pitiful goers-between be called to the world's end after my name, call them all-Pandars; let all inconstant men be Troiluses, all false (4) Comparison. (5) Conclude it. |