TROILUS AND CRESSIDA. THE PROLOGUE. From isles of Greece IN Troy there lies the scene. And the deep-drawing barks do there disgorge TROILUS AND CRESSIDA.] See note (1). THE PROLOGUE. In Troy...of war.] Omitted in Q. Ritson and Steevens (1793), suggest that it is not Shakespeare's. 2. orgulous] Steevens. orgillous Ff. 8. immures] emures F1. Fr 12. barks] F3F4. barkes F2. barke 15. six-gated city] six gates i' th' 16. Timbria, Helias, Chetas, 17. Antenorides] Theobald. Ante- 18. fulfilling] full-filling Theobald conj. 5 ΙΟ 15 Sperr up the sons of Troy. Now expectation, tickling skittish spirits, To tell you, fair beholders, that our play Like, or find fault; do as your pleasures are: ACT I. SCENE I. Troy. Before Priam's palace. Enter PANDARUS and TROILUS. Tro. Call here my varlet; I'll unarm again: Pan. Will this gear ne'er be mended? Tro. The Greeks are strong and skilful to their strength, Fierce to their skill and to their fierceness valiant, But I am weaker than a woman's tear, Tamer than sleep, fonder than ignorance, 19. Sperr] Sperre Theobald. Stirre Troy. Before Priam's palace.] CaF,F2. Stirr F3. Stir F4. Sperrs Capell. Sparr Collier MS. 28. Beginning in the] 'Ginning i th' Theobald. away] om. Pope. 31. Now good or bad] Now good, now bad or Or good or bad Capell conj. pell. Troy. Rowe. The Palace in Enter...] Enter Troilus, arm'd; 4. Trojan] F4. Troian F,F,F3. 10. sleep] sheep Rann. 20 25 30 5. ΙΟ Less valiant than the virgin in the night, And skilless as unpractised infancy. Pan. Well, I have told you enough of this: for my part, I'll not meddle nor make no farther. He that will have a cake out of the wheat must needs tarry the grinding. Tro. Have I not tarried? Pan. Ay, the grinding; but you must tarry the bolting. Pan. Ay, the bolting; but you must tarry the leavening. Pan. Ay, to the leavening; but here's yet in the word 'hereafter,' the kneading, the making of the cake, the heating of the oven, and the baking; nay, you must stay the cooling too, or you may chance to burn your lips. Tro. Patience herself, what goddess e'er she be, Doth lesser blench at sufferance than I do. At Priam's royal table do I sit; 15 20 25 And when fair Cressid comes into my thoughts, So, traitor! When she comes!'-When is she thence? Pan. Well, she looked yesternight fairer than ever I saw her look, or any woman else. 30 Tro. I was about to tell thee:-when my heart, As wedged with a sigh, would rive in twain, comes? when is she thence? Rowe (ed. 30, 31. Well...else.] Prose in Pope. 32. thee: when] thee,-when Capell. thee when Q. thee, when Ff. 35. a storm] Rowe. a scorne Q. a-scorne FF2. a-scorn F3F4. 35 But sorrow, that is couch'd in seeming gladness, Pan. An her hair were not somewhat darker than Helen's-well, go to-there were no more comparison between the women: but, for my part, she is my kinswoman; I would not, as they term it, praise her: but I would somebody had heard her talk yesterday, as I did. I will not dispraise your sister Cassandra's wit, but Tro. O Pandarus! I tell thee, Pandarus,When I do tell thee, there my hopes lie drown'd, Reply not in how many fathoms deep They lie indrench'd. I tell thee, I am mad 40 45 In Cressid's love: thou answer'st she is fair;' Pour'st in the open ulcer of my heart 50 Her eyes, her hair, her cheek, her gait, her voice, 39. An] Rowe (ed. 2). And QFf. 41. women:] women! Q. women. Ff. women,Capell. 42. praise her] Q. praise it Ff. 47. fathoms] F4. fadomes QF,F2F3. 48. indrench'd] intrench'd Rowe. 48, 49. mad...love:] mad..love. Ff. madde:...loue? Q. 50. Pour'st] F4. powr'st F,F,F3. powrest Q. Pour'st...heart] Transpose to follow line 58, Barry conj. 50-52. heart Her......Handlest] heart, Her...Handest Rowe (ed. 2). heart; Her...gate, her voice, Handlest Pope. heart Her...voice; Handlest Theobald. heart Her...gait; her voice Handl'st Capell. 52. Handlest] Hand less Jackson conj. discourse, O, that her hand,] bald conj. discourse:-0 that her 52-56. O, that...... ploughman:] harsh and spirit...] harsh, to th' spirit... Hanmer. harsh (and spite of sense) Warburton. harsh, in spirit... Capell. 57. As And S. Walker conj. 55 The knife that made it. Pan. I speak no more than truth. Tro. Thou dost not speak so much. Pan. Faith, I'll not meddle in't. Let her be as she is: if she be fair, 'tis the better for her; an she be not, she has the mends in her own hands. Tro. Good Pandarus, how now, Pandarus! Pan. I have had my labour for my travail; ill-thought on of her, and ill-thought on of you: gone between and between, but small thanks for my labour. 60 65 Tro. What, art thou angry, Pandarus? what, with me? 70 Pan. Because she's kin to me, therefore she's not so fair as Helen: an she were not kin to me, she would be as fair on Friday as Helen is on Sunday. But what care I? I care not an she were a black-a-moor; 'tis all one to me. Tro. Say I she is not fair? Pan. I do not care whether you do or no. She's a fool to stay behind her father; let her to the Greeks; and so I'll tell her the next time I see her: for my part, I'll meddle nor make no more i' the matter. Pan. Pray you, speak no more to me: I will leave all as I found it, and there an end, [Exit. An alarum. 75 80 Tro. Peace, you ungracious clamours! peace, rude sounds! 85 Fools on both sides! Helen must needs be fair, When with your blood you daily paint her thus. It is too starved a subject for my sword. But Pandarus-O gods, how do you plague me! 90 |