PROLOGUE. I The Princes orgillous, their high blood chaf'd, Have to the Port of Athens fent their ships, With wanton Paris fleeps; and That's the Quarrel. And the deep drawing Barks do there difgorge Their warlike fraughtage. Now on Dardan plains, Their brave Pavilions. Priam's fix Gates i' th' City, (1) And Antenorides,) with mafy staples Dardan, and Timbria, Helias, Chetas, Trojen, And correfponfive and fulfilling bolts Stirre up the Sons of Troy.] This has been a most miserably mangled Paffage, thro' all the Editions: corrupted at once into falfe Concord, and falfe Reafoning. Priam's fix-gated City firre up the Sons of Troy ?———Here's a Verb plural govern'd of a Nominative fingular. But that is easily remedied. The next queftion to be ask'd, is, In what Sense a City having fix ftrong gates, and those well barr'd and bolted, can be faid to fir up its Inhabitants? unless they may be fuppos'd to derive fome Spirit from the Strength of their Fortifications. But this could not be the Poet's Thought. He must mean, I take it, that the Greeks had pitch'd their Tents upon the Plains before Troy; and that the Trojans were fecurely barricaded within the Walls and Gates of their City. This Senfe my Correction restores. To sperre, or spar, from the old Teutonic Word, (fperren) fignifies, to fhut up, defend by Bars, &c. And 1 And correfponfive and fulfilling bolts, Now expectation tickling skittish fpirits To tell you, (fair Beholders) that our Play Like, or find fault, do, as your pleafures are Now good, or bad, 'tis but the chance of war. Helen, Wife to Menelaus, in love with Paris. Caffandra, Daughter to Priam, a Prophetess. Creffida, Daughter to Calchas, in love with Troilus. Alexander, Creffida's Man. Boy, Page to Troilus. Trojan and Greek Soldiers, with other Attendants. SCENE, Troy; and the Grecian Camp, before it. Troilus and Creffida. A C T I. SCENE, the Palace in Troy. Enter Pandarus and Troilus. TROILU S. ALL here my varlet; I'll unarm again. That find fuch cruel battle here within? none. Pan. Will this geer ne'er be mended? Troi. The Greeks are strong, and skilful to their ftrength, Fierce to their skill, and to their fierceness valiant. Pan. Well, I have told you enough of this: for my part, I'll not meddle nor make any farther. He, that will have a cake out of the wheat, muft needs tarry the grinding. Tro. Have I not tarried? Pan. Ay, the grinding; but you must tarry the boulting. 04 Troi. |