The History of Troilus and Cressida: ACT IV , SCENE II. The same. Court of Pandarus' house.

The History of Troilus and Cressida: ACT IV


	Introduction

	PROLOGUE

	ACT I

	ACT II

	ACT III

	ACT IV

		SCENE I. Troy. A street.

		SCENE II. The same. Court of Pandarus' house.

		SCENE III. The same. Street before Pandarus' house.

		SCENE IV. The same. Pandarus' house.

		SCENE V. The Grecian camp. Lists set out.

	ACT V

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SCENE II. The same. Court of Pandarus' house.

Enter TROILUS and CRESSIDA

TROILUS

Dear, trouble not yourself: the morn is cold.

CRESSIDA

Then, sweet my lord, I'll call mine uncle down;
He shall unbolt the gates.

TROILUS

      Trouble him not;
5     To bed, to bed: sleep kill those pretty eyes,
      And give as soft attachment to thy senses
      As infants' empty of all thought!

CRESSIDA

Good morrow, then.

TROILUS

I prithee now, to bed.

CRESSIDA

10 Are you a-weary of me?

TROILUS

      O Cressida! but that the busy day,
      Waked by the lark, hath roused the ribald crows,
      And dreaming night will hide our joys no longer,
      I would not from thee.

CRESSIDA

15 Night hath been too brief.

TROILUS

      Beshrew the witch! with venomous wights she stays
      As tediously as hell, but flies the grasps of love
      With wings more momentary-swift than thought.
      You will catch cold, and curse me.

CRESSIDA

20    Prithee, tarry:
      You men will never tarry.
      O foolish Cressid! I might have still held off,
      And then you would have tarried. Hark!
      there's one up.

PANDARUS

25 (Within) What, 's all the doors open here?

TROILUS

It is your uncle.

CRESSIDA

A pestilence on him! now will he be mocking:
I shall have such a life!

Enter PANDARUS

PANDARUS

How now, how now! how go maidenheads? Here, you
30 maid! where's my cousin Cressid?

CRESSIDA

Go hang yourself, you naughty mocking uncle!
You bring me to do, and then you flout me too.

PANDARUS

To do what? to do what? let her say
what: what have I brought you to do?

CRESSIDA

35 Come, come, beshrew your heart! you'll ne'er be good,
Nor suffer others.

PANDARUS

      Ha! ha! Alas, poor wretch! ah, poor capocchia!
      hast not slept to-night? would he not, a naughty
      man, let it sleep? a bugbear take him!

CRESSIDA

40 Did not I tell you? Would he were knock'd i' the head!

Knocking within

      Who's that at door? good uncle, go and see.
      My lord, come you again into my chamber:
      You smile and mock me, as if I meant naughtily.

TROILUS

Ha, ha!

CRESSIDA

45 Come, you are deceived, I think of no such thing.

Knocking within

How earnestly they knock! Pray you, come in:
I would not for half Troy have you seen here.

Exeunt TROILUS and CRESSIDA

PANDARUS

Who's there? what's the matter? will you beat
down the door? How now! what's the matter?

Enter AENEAS

AENEAS

50 Good morrow, lord, good morrow.

PANDARUS

Who's there? my Lord AEneas! By my troth,
I knew you not: what news with you so early?

AENEAS

Is not Prince Troilus here?

PANDARUS

Here! what should he do here?

AENEAS

55 Come, he is here, my lord; do not deny him:
It doth import him much to speak with me.

PANDARUS

      Is he here, say you? 'tis more than I know, I'll
      be sworn: for my own part, I came in late. What
      should he do here?

AENEAS

60    Who!--nay, then: come, come, you'll do him wrong
      ere you're ware: you'll be so true to him, to be
      false to him: do not you know of him, but yet go
      fetch him hither; go.

Re-enter TROILUS

TROILUS

How now! what's the matter?

AENEAS

65    My lord, I scarce have leisure to salute you,
      My matter is so rash: there is at hand
      Paris your brother, and Deiphobus,
      The Grecian Diomed, and our Antenor
      Deliver'd to us; and for him forthwith,
70    Ere the first sacrifice, within this hour,
      We must give up to Diomedes' hand
      The Lady Cressida.

TROILUS

Is it so concluded?

AENEAS

By Priam and the general state of Troy:
75 They are at hand and ready to effect it.

TROILUS

      How my achievements mock me!
      I will go meet them: and, my Lord AEneas,
      We met by chance; you did not find me here.

AENEAS

Good, good, my lord; the secrets of nature
80 Have not more gift in taciturnity.

Exeunt TROILUS and AENEAS

PANDARUS

      Is't possible? no sooner got but lost? The devil
      take Antenor! the young prince will go mad: a
      plague upon Antenor! I would they had broke 's neck!

Re-enter CRESSIDA

CRESSIDA

How now! what's the matter? who was here?

PANDARUS

85 Ah, ah!

CRESSIDA

Why sigh you so profoundly? where's my lord? gone!
Tell me, sweet uncle, what's the matter?

PANDARUS

Would I were as deep under the earth as I am above!

CRESSIDA

O the gods! what's the matter?

PANDARUS

90    Prithee, get thee in: would thou hadst ne'er been
      born! I knew thou wouldst be his death. O, poor
      gentleman! A plague upon Antenor!

CRESSIDA

Good uncle, I beseech you, on my knees! beseech you,
what's the matter?

PANDARUS

95    Thou must be gone, wench, thou must be gone; thou
      art changed for Antenor: thou must to thy father,
      and be gone from Troilus: 'twill be his death;
      'twill be his bane; he cannot bear it.

CRESSIDA

O you immortal gods! I will not go.

PANDARUS

100 Thou must.

CRESSIDA

      I will not, uncle: I have forgot my father;
      I know no touch of consanguinity;
      No kin no love, no blood, no soul so near me
      As the sweet Troilus. O you gods divine!
105   Make Cressid's name the very crown of falsehood,
      If ever she leave Troilus! Time, force, and death,
      Do to this body what extremes you can;
      But the strong base and building of my love
      Is as the very centre of the earth,
110   Drawing all things to it. I'll go in and weep,--

PANDARUS

Do, do.

CRESSIDA

      Tear my bright hair and scratch my praised cheeks,
      Crack my clear voice with sobs and break my heart
      With sounding Troilus. I will not go from Troy.

Exeunt

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