The Complete Works of William Shakespeare Part 540

CRESSIDA. O Troilus! Troilus! [Embracing him]

PANDARUS. What a pair of spectacles is here! Let me embrace too. 'O heart,' as the goodly saying is, O heart, 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 was never 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!

TROILUS. Cressid, I love thee in so strain'd a purity That the bless'd G.o.ds, as angry with my fancy, More bright in zeal than the devotion which Cold lips blow to their deities, take thee from me.

CRESSIDA. Have the G.o.ds envy?

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

CRESSIDA. And is it true that I must go from Troy?

TROILUS. A hateful truth.

CRESSIDA. What, and from Troilus too?

TROILUS. From Troy and Troilus.

CRESSIDA. Is't possible?

TROILUS. 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 labouring 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'd kisses to them, He fumbles up into a loose adieu, And scants us with a single famish'd kiss, Distasted with the salt of broken tears.

AENEAS. [Within] My lord, is the lady ready?

TROILUS. 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.

PANDARUS. Where are my tears? Rain, to lay this wind, or my heart will be blown up by th' root? Exit CRESSIDA. I must then to the Grecians?

TROILUS. No remedy.

CRESSIDA. A woeful Cressid 'mongst the merry Greeks!

When shall we see again?

TROILUS. Hear me, my love. Be thou but true of heart- CRESSIDA. I true! how now! What wicked deem is this?

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

I speak not 'Be thou true' as fearing thee, For I will throw my glove to Death himself That there's no maculation in thy heart; But 'Be thou true' say I to fashion in My sequent protestation: be thou true, And I will see thee.

CRESSIDA. O, you shall be expos'd, my lord, to dangers As infinite as imminent! But I'll be true.

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

CRESSIDA. And you this glove. When shall I see you?

TROILUS. I will corrupt the Grecian sentinels To give thee nightly visitation.

But yet be true.

CRESSIDA. O heavens! 'Be true' again!

TROILUS. Hear why I speak it, love.

The Grecian youths are full of quality; They're loving, well compos'd with gifts of nature, And flowing o'er with arts and exercise.

How novelties may move, and parts with person, Alas, a kind of G.o.dly jealousy, Which I beseech you call a virtuous sin, Makes me afeard.

CRESSIDA. O heavens! you love me not.

TROILUS. 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 pregnant; But I can tell that in each grace of these There lurks a still and dumb-discoursive devil That tempts most cunningly. But be not tempted.

CRESSIDA. Do you think I will?

TROILUS. No.

But something may be done that we will not; And sometimes we are devils to ourselves, When we will tempt the frailty of our powers, Presuming on their changeful potency.

AENEAS. [Within] Nay, good my lord!

TROILUS. Come, kiss; and let us part.

PARIS. [Within] Brother Troilus!

TROILUS. Good brother, come you hither; And bring Aeneas and the Grecian with you.

CRESSIDA. My lord, will you be true?

TROILUS. Who, I? Alas, it is my vice, my fault!

Whiles others fish with craft for great opinion, I with great truth catch mere simplicity; Whilst some with cunning gild their copper crowns, With truth and plainness I do wear mine bare.

Enter AENEAS, PARIS, ANTENOR, DEIPHOBUS, and DIOMEDES

Fear not my truth: the moral of my wit Is 'plain and true'; there's all the reach of it.

Welcome, Sir Diomed! Here is the lady Which for Antenor we deliver you; At the port, lord, I'll give her to thy hand, And by the way possess thee what she is.

Entreat her fair; and, by my soul, fair Greek, If e'er thou stand at mercy of my sword, Name Cressid, and thy life shall be as safe As Priam is in Ilion.

DIOMEDES. Fair Lady Cressid, So please you, save the thanks this prince expects.

The l.u.s.tre in your eye, heaven in your cheek, Pleads your fair usage; and to Diomed You shall be mistress, and command him wholly.

TROILUS. Grecian, thou dost not use me courteously To shame the zeal of my pet.i.tion to the In praising her. I tell thee, lord of Greece, She is as far high-soaring o'er thy praises As thou unworthy to be call'd her servant.

I charge thee use her well, even for my charge; For, by the dreadful Pluto, if thou dost not, Though the great bulk Achilles be thy guard, I'll cut thy throat.

DIOMEDES. O, be not mov'd, Prince Troilus.

Let me be privileg'd by my place and message To be a speaker free: when I am hence I'll answer to my l.u.s.t. And know you, lord, I'll nothing do on charge: to her own worth She shall be priz'd. But that you say 'Be't so,'

I speak it in my spirit and honour, 'No.'

TROILUS. Come, to the port. I'll tell thee, Diomed, This brave shall oft make thee to hide thy head.

Lady, give me your hand; and, as we walk, To our own selves bend we our needful talk.

Exeunt TROILUS, CRESSIDA, and DIOMEDES [Sound trumpet]

PARIS. Hark! Hector's trumpet.

AENEAS. How have we spent this morning!

The Prince must think me tardy and remiss, That swore to ride before him to the field.

PARIS. 'Tis Troilus' fault. Come, come to field with him.

DEIPHOBUS. Let us make ready straight.

AENEAS. Yea, with a bridegroom's fresh alacrity Let us address to tend on Hector's heels.

The glory of our Troy doth this day lie On his fair worth and single chivalry. Exeunt

ACT IV. SCENE 5.

The Grecian camp. Lists set out

Enter AJAX, armed; AGAMEMNON, ACHILLES, PATROCLUS, MENELAUS, ULYSSES, NESTOR, and others

AGAMEMNON. Here art thou in appointment fresh and fair, Antic.i.p.ating time with starting courage.

Give with thy trumpet a loud note to Troy, Thou dreadful Ajax, that the appalled air May pierce the head of the great combatant, And hale him hither.

AJAX. Thou, trumpet, there's my purse.

Now crack thy lungs and split thy brazen pipe; Blow, villain, till thy sphered bias cheek Out-swell the colic of puff Aquilon'd.

Come, stretch thy chest, and let thy eyes spout blood: Thou blowest for Hector. [Trumpet sounds]

ULYSSES. No trumpet answers.

ACHILLES. 'Tis but early days.

Enter DIOMEDES, with CRESSIDA

AGAMEMNON. Is not yond Diomed, with Calchas' daughter?

ULYSSES. 'Tis he, I ken the manner of his gait: He rises on the toe. That spirit of his In aspiration lifts him from the earth.

AGAMEMNON. Is this the lady Cressid?

DIOMEDES. Even she.

AGAMEMNON. Most dearly welcome to the Greeks, sweet lady.

NESTOR. Our general doth salute you with a kiss.

ULYSSES. Yet is the kindness but particular; 'Twere better she were kiss'd in general.

NESTOR. And very courtly counsel: I'll begin.

So much for Nestor.

ACHILLES. I'll take that winter from your lips, fair lady.