Troilus and Cressida by William Shakespeare

Act 4 - Scene 4

The same. Pandarus’ house.

Pandarus : Be moderate, be moderate.

Cressida : Why tell you me of moderation? [p]The grief is fine, full, perfect,
that I taste, [p]And violenteth in a sense as strong [p]As that which
causeth it: how can I moderate it? [p]If I could temporize with my
affection, [p]Or brew it to a weak and colder palate, [p]The like
allayment could I give my grief. [p]My love admits no qualifying
dross; [p]No more my grief, in such a precious loss.

Pandarus : Here, here, here he comes. [p][Enter TROILUS] [p]Ah, sweet ducks!

Cressida : O Troilus! Troilus!

Pandarus : What a pair of spectacles is here! [p]Let me embrace too. 'O heart,'
as the goodly saying is, [p]'--O heart, heavy heart, [p]Why sigh'st
thou without breaking? [p]where he answers again, [p]'Because thou
canst not ease thy smart [p]By friendship nor by speaking.' [p]There
was never a truer rhyme. Let us cast away [p]nothing, for we may live
to have need of such a [p]verse: we see it, we see it. How now,
lambs?

Troilus : Cressid, I love thee in so strain'd a purity, [p]That the bless'd
gods, as angry with my fancy, [p]More bright in zeal than the devotion
which [p]Cold lips blow to their deities, take thee from me.

Cressida : Have the gods envy?

Pandarus : Ay, 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 it possible?

Troilus : And suddenly; where injury of chance [p]Puts back leave-taking,
justles roughly by [p]All time of pause, rudely beguiles our
lips [p]Of all rejoindure, forcibly prevents [p]Our lock'd embrasures,
strangles our dear vows [p]Even in the birth of our own labouring
breath: [p]We two, that with so many thousand sighs [p]Did buy each
other, must poorly sell ourselves [p]With the rude brevity and
discharge of one. [p]Injurious time now with a robber's haste [p]Crams
his rich thievery up, he knows not how: [p]As many farewells as be
stars in heaven, [p]With distinct breath and consign'd kisses to
them, [p]He fumbles up into a lose adieu, [p]And scants us with a
single famish'd kiss, [p]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 [p]Cries 'come' to him
that instantly must die. [p]Bid them have patience; she shall come
anon.

Pandarus : Where are my tears? rain, to lay this wind, or [p]my heart will be
blown up by the root.

Cressida : I must then to the Grecians?

Troilus : No remedy.

Cressida : A woful Cressid 'mongst the merry Greeks! [p]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, [p]For it is parting from
us: [p]I speak not 'be thou true,' as fearing thee, [p]For I will
throw my glove to Death himself, [p]That there's no maculation in thy
heart: [p]But 'be thou true,' say I, to fashion in [p]My sequent
protestation; be thou true, [p]And I will see thee.

Cressida : O, you shall be exposed, my lord, to dangers [p]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, [p]To give thee nightly
visitation. [p]But yet be true.

Cressida : O heavens! 'be true' again!

Troilus : Hear while I speak it, love: [p]The Grecian youths are full of
quality; [p]They're loving, well composed with gifts of
nature, [p]Flowing and swelling o'er with arts and exercise: [p]How
novelty may move, and parts with person, [p]Alas, a kind of godly
jealousy-- [p]Which, I beseech you, call a virtuous sin-- [p]Makes me
afeard.

Cressida : O heavens! you love me not.

Troilus : Die I a villain, then! [p]In this I do not call your faith in
question [p]So mainly as my merit: I cannot sing, [p]Nor heel the high
lavolt, nor sweeten talk, [p]Nor play at subtle games; fair virtues
all, [p]To which the Grecians are most prompt and pregnant: [p]But I
can tell that in each grace of these [p]There lurks a still and
dumb-discoursive devil [p]That tempts most cunningly: but be not
tempted.

Cressida : Do you think I will?

Troilus : No. [p]But something may be done that we will not: [p]And sometimes we
are devils to ourselves, [p]When we will tempt the frailty of our
powers, [p]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; [p]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: [p]Whiles others fish with
craft for great opinion, [p]I with great truth catch mere
simplicity; [p]Whilst some with cunning gild their copper
crowns, [p]With truth and plainness I do wear mine bare. [p]Fear not
my truth: the moral of my wit [p]Is 'plain and true;' there's all the
reach of it. [p][Enter AENEAS, PARIS, ANTENOR, DEIPHOBUS,] [p]and
DIOMEDES] [p]Welcome, Sir Diomed! here is the lady [p]Which for
Antenor we deliver you: [p]At the port, lord, I'll give her to thy
hand, [p]And by the way possess thee what she is. [p]Entreat her fair;
and, by my soul, fair Greek, [p]If e'er thou stand at mercy of my
sword, [p]Name Cressida and thy life shall be as safe [p]As Priam is
in Ilion.

Diomedes : Fair Lady Cressid, [p]So please you, save the thanks this prince
expects: [p]The lustre in your eye, heaven in your cheek, [p]Pleads
your fair usage; and to Diomed [p]You shall be mistress, and command
him wholly.

Troilus : Grecian, thou dost not use me courteously, [p]To shame the zeal of my
petition to thee [p]In praising her: I tell thee, lord of
Greece, [p]She is as far high-soaring o'er thy praises [p]As thou
unworthy to be call'd her servant. [p]I charge thee use her well, even
for my charge; [p]For, by the dreadful Pluto, if thou dost
not, [p]Though the great bulk Achilles be thy guard, [p]I'll cut thy
throat.

Diomedes : O, be not moved, Prince Troilus: [p]Let me be privileged by my place
and message, [p]To be a speaker free; when I am hence [p]I'll answer
to my lust: and know you, lord, [p]I'll nothing do on charge: to her
own worth [p]She shall be prized; but that you say 'be't so,' [p]I'll
speak it in my spirit and honour, 'no.'

Troilus : Come, to the port. I'll tell thee, Diomed, [p]This brave shall oft
make thee to hide thy head. [p]Lady, give me your hand, and, as we
walk, [p]To our own selves bend we our needful talk.

Paris : Hark! Hector's trumpet.

Aeneas : How have we spent this morning! [p]The prince must think me tardy and
remiss, [p]That sore 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, [p]Let us address to tend on
Hector's heels: [p]The glory of our Troy doth this day lie [p]On his
fair worth and single chivalry.

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