[Act 1, Scene 2]
Enter Cressid and her
man.
Cre.
Who were those went by?
Man.
[150]
Queene
Hecuba
Hellen.
Cre.
And whether go they?
Man.
Vp to the Easterne Tower,
Whose height commands as subiect all the vaile,
To see the battell:
Hector whose pacience,
[155]
Is as a Vertue fixt to day was mou'd:
He chides
Andromacheand stroke his
Armorer,
And like as there were husbandry in Warre
Before the Sunne rose, hee was harnest lyte,
And to the field goe's he; where euery flower
[160]
Did as a Prophet weepe what it forsaw,
In
Hectors wrath.
Cre.
What was his cause of anger?
Man.
The noise goe's this;
There is among the Greekes,
[165]
A Lord of Troian blood, Nephew to
Hector,
They call him
Aiax.
Cre.
Good; and what of him?
Man.
They say he is a very man
per se and stands
alone.
Cre.
So do all men, vnlesse they are drunke, sicke, or
[170]
haue no
legges.
Man.
This man Lady, hath rob'd many beasts of their
particular
additions, he is as valiant as the Lyon, churlish
as the Beare,
slow as the Elephant: a man into whom
nature hath so crowded
humors, that his valour is crusht
[175]
into folly, his folly sauced
with discretion: there is no
man hath a vertue, that he hath
not a glimpse of, nor a
ny man an attaint, but he
carries some staine of it. He is
melancholy without cause, and
merry against the haire,
hee hath the ioynts of euery thing,
but euery thing so
[180]
out ot ioynt, that hee is a gowtie
Briareus, many hands
and no vse; or
purblinded
Argus, all eyes and no sight.
Cre.
But how should this man that makes me smile,
make
Hector angry?
Man.
They say he yesterday cop'd
Hector in the
bat
[185]
tell and stroke him downe, the disdaind & shame
where
of, hath euer since kept
Hector fasting and waking.
Enter Pandarus.
Cre.
Who comes here?
Man.
Madam your Vncle
Pandarus.
Cre.
Hectors a gallant man.
Man.
[190]
As may be in the world Lady.
Pan.
What's that? what's that?
Cre.
Good morrow Vncle
Pandarus.
Pan.
Good morrow Cozen Cressid: what do you talke
of? good morrow
Alexander: how do you Cozen? when
[195]
were
you at Illium?
Cre.
This morning Vncle.
Pan.
What were you talking of when I came? Was
Hector arm'd and gon ere yea came to Illium?
Hellen was
not vp? was she?
Cre.
[200]
Hector was gone but
Hellen was not vp?
Pan.
E'ene so;
Hector was stirring early.
Cre.
That were we talking of and of his anger.
Pan.
Was he angry?
Cre.
So he faies here.
Pan.
[205]
True he was so; I know the cause too, heele lay
about him to day
I can tell them that, and there's
Troylus
will not come farre behind him, let them take heede of
Troylus; I can sell them that too.
Cre.
What is he angry too?
Pan.
[210]
Who
Troylus?
Troylus is the better man of the two.
Cre.
Oh
Iupiter; there's no comparison.
Pan.
What not betweene
Troylus and
Hector? do you
know a man if you see
him?
Cre.
[215]
I, if I euer saw him before and knew him.
Pan.
Well I say
Troylus is
Troylus.
Cre.
Then you say as I say,
For I am sure he is not
Hector.
Pan.
No not
Hector is not
Troylus in some degrees.
Cre.
[220]
'Tis iust, to each of them he is himselfe.
Pan.
Himselfe? alas poore
Troylus I would he
were.
Cre.
So he is.
Pan.
Condition I had gone bare‑foote to India.
Cre.
He is not
Hector.
Pan.
[225]
Himselfe? no? hee's not himselfe, would a were
himselfe: well,
the Gods are aboue, time must friend or
end: well
Troylus well, I would my heart were in her
bo
dy; no,
Hector is not abetter
man then
Troylus.
Cre.
Excuse me.
Pan.
[230]
He is elder.
Cre.
Pardon me, pardon me.
Pan.
Th'others not come too't, you shall tell me ano
ther tale
when th'others come too't
: Hector shall not
haue his will this yeare.
Cre.
[235]
He shall not neede it if he haue his owne.
Pan.
Nor his qualities.
Cre.
No matter.
Pan.
Nor his beautie.
Cre.
'Twould not become him, his own's better.
Pan.
[240]
You haue no iudgement Neece;
Hellen her selfe
swore th'other day, that
Troylus for a
browne fauour (for
so 'tis I must confesse) not browne
neither.
Cre.
No but browne.
Pan.
Faith to say truth, browne and not browne.
Cre.
[245]
To say the truth, true and not true.
Pan.
She prais'd his complexion aboue
Paris.
Cre.
Why
Paris hath colour inough.
Pan.
So, he has.
Cre.
Then
Troylus should haue too much, if she
prais'd
[250]
him aboue, his complexion is higher then his, he hauing
colour enough, and the other higher, is too flaming a
praise for a good complexion, I had as lieue
Hellens gol
den tongue had commended
Troylus for a copper nose.
Pan.
I sweare to you,
[255]
I thinke
Hellen loues him better then
Paris.
Cre.
Then shee's a merry Greeke indeed.
Pan.
Nay I am sure she does, she came to him th'other
day into the
compast window, and you know he has not
past three or foure
haires on his chinne.
Cres.
[260]
Indeed a Tapsters Arithmetique may soone
bring his particulars
therein, to a totall.
Pand.
Why he is very yong, and yet will he within
three pound lift as
much as his brother
Hector.
Cres.
Is he is so young a man, and so old a lifter?
Pan.
[265]
But to prooue to you that
Hellen loues him,
she
came and puts me her white hand to his clouen chin.
Cres.
Iuno haue mercy, how came it clouen?
Pan.
Why, you know 'tis dimpled,
I thinke his smyling becomes him
better then any man
[270]
in all Phrigia.
Cre.
Oh he smiles valiantly.
Pan.
Dooes hee not?
Cre.
Oh yes, and 'twere a clow'd in
Autumne.
Pan.
Why go to then, but to proue to you that
Hellen
[275]
loues
Troylus.
Cre.
Troylus wil stand to thee
Proofe, if
youle prooue it so.
Pan.
Troylus? why he esteemes her no more then I
e
steeme an addle egge.
Cre.
[280]
If you loue an addle egge as well as you loue an
idle head, you
would eate chickens i'th'shell.
Pan.
I can not chuse but laugh to thinke how she tick
led his
chin, indeed shee has a maruel's white hand I must
needs
confesse.
Cre.
[285]
Without the racke.
Pan.
And shee takes vpon her to spie a white haire on
his chinne.
Cre.
Alas poore chin? many a wart is richer.
Pand.
But there was such laughing, Queene
Hecuba
[290]
laught that her eyes ran ore.
Cre.
With Milstones.
Pan.
And
Cassandra laught,
Cre.
But there was more temperate fire vnder the pot
of her eyes: did
her eyes run ore too?
Pan.
[295]
And
Hector laught.
Cre.
At what was ail this laughing?
Pand.
Marry at the white haire that
Hellen spied on
Troylus chin.
Cres.
And t'had beene a greene haire, I should haue
[300]
laught too.
Pand.
They laught not so much at the haire, as at his
pretty
answere.
Cre.
What was his answere?
Pan.
Quoth shee, heere's but two and fisty haires on
[305]
your chinne; and
one of them is white.
Cre.
This is her question.
Pand.
That's true, make no question os that, two and
fiftie haires
quoth hee, and one white, that white haire is
my Father, and
all the rest are his Sonnes.
Iuipiter quoth
[310]
she, which of these haires is
Paris my
husband? The for
ked one quoth he, pluckt out and giue
it him: but there
was such laughing, and
Hellen so blusht, and
Paris so
chast, aod all the rest so laught, that it past.
Cre.
So let it now,
[315]
For is has beene a great while going by.
Pan.
Well Cozen,
I told you a thing yesterday, think on't.
Cre.
So I does.
Pand.
Ile be sworne 'tis true, he will weepe you
[320]
an'twere a man borne
in Aprill.
Sound a retreate.
Cres.
And Ile spring vp in his teares, an 'twere a nettle
against
May.
Pan.
Harke they are coming from the field, shal we
stand vp here and
see them, as they passe toward Illium,
[325]
good Neece do, sweet
Neece
Cressida.
Cre.
At your pleasure.
Pan.
Heere, heere, here's an excellent place, here we
may see most
brauely, Ile tel you them all by their names,
as they passe by,
but marke
Troylus aboue the rest,
Enter Æneas.
Cre.
[330]
Speake not so low'd.
Pan.
That's
Æneas, is not that a braue man,
hee's one
of the flowers of Troy I can you, but m
arke
Troylus; you
shall see anon.
Cre.
Who's that's?
Enter Antenor.
Pan.
[335]
That's
Antenor, he has a shrow'd wit I can
tell
you, and hee's a man good inough, hee's one o'th
soun
dest iudgement in Troy whosoeuer, and a proper man
of
person: when comes
Troylus?Ile shew
you
Troylus anon,
if hee see me, you
shall see him him nod at me.
Cre.
[340]
Will he giue you the nod?
Pan.
You shall see.
Cre.
If he do, the rich shall haue, more,
Enter Hector.
Pan.
That's
Hector, that, that, looke you, that
there's a
fellow. Goe thy way
Hector,
there's a braue man Neece,
[345]
O braue
Hector! Looke how hee lookes? there's a
coun
tenance; ist not a braue man?
Cre.
O braue man!
Pan.
Is a not? It dooes a mans heart good looke you
What hacks are on
his Helmet, looke you yonder, do you
[350]
see? Looke you there?
There's no iesting, laying on, tak't
off, who ill as they say,
there be hacks.
Cre.
Be those with Swords?
Enter Paris;
Pan.
Swords, any thing he cares not, and the diuell
come to him, it's
all one, by Gods lid it dooes ones heart
[355]
good. Yonder comes
Paris, yonder comes
Paris: looke
yee yonder Neece, ist not a gallant man
to, ist not? Why
this is braue now: who said he came hurt home
to day?
Hee's not hurt, why this will do
Hellens heart good
now, ha? Would I could see
Troylus now, you shall
Troy
lus
anon.
Cre.
Whose that?
Enter Hellenus.
Pan.
That's
Hellenus, 1 maruell where
Troylus is, that's
Helenus, I thinke he went not forth to day: that's
Hel
lenus
.
Cre.
[365]
Can
Hellenus fight Vncle?
Pan.
Hellenus no: yes heele fight indifferent,
well, I
maruell where
Troylus is; harke,
do you not haere the
people crie
Troylus?
Hellenus
is a Priest.
Cre.
What sneaking fellow comes yonder?
Enter Trylus.
Pan.
[370]
Where? Yonder? That's
Dæphobus. 'Tis
Troy
lus
! Ther's a man Neece,
hem : Braue
Troylus the Prince
of
Chiualrie.
Cre.
Peace, for shame peace.
Pand.
Marke him, not him: O braue
Troylus: looke
[375]
well vpon him Neece, looke you how his Sword is
blou
died, and his Helme more hackt then
Hectors, and how he
lookes, and how he goes. O admirable youth! he ne're
saw
three and twenty. Go thy way
Troylus, go thy
way,
had I a sister were a
Grace, or a
daughter a Goddesse, hee should take his choice, O'admirable man!
Paris? Paris
[380]
is durt to him, and I warrant,
Helento
change, would
giue money to boot.
Enter common Souldiers.
Cres.
Heere come more.
Pan.
Asses, fooles, dolts, chaffe and bran, chaffe and
bran; porredge
after meat. I could liue and dye i'th'eyes
[385]
of
Troylus. Ne're looke, ne're looke the Eagles are gon,
Crowes and Dawes, Crowes and Dawes: I had rather be
such a
man as
Troylus then
Agamemnon and all Greece.
Cres.
There is among the Greekes
Achilles, a better
man then
Troylus.
Pan.
[390]
Achilles? a Dray‑man, a Porter, a very
Camell.
Cres.
Well, well.
Pan.
Well, well? Why haue you any discretion? haue
you any eyes? Do
you know what a man is? Is not birth,
b
auty, good shape, discourse, manhood, learning,
gent
[395]
lenesse, vertue, youth, liberality, arid so forth:
the Spice,
and salt that seasons a man?
Cres.
I, a minc'd man, and then to be bak'd with no Date
in the pye,
for then the mans dates out.
Pan.
You are such another woman, one knowes not
[400]
at what ward you
lye.
Cres.
Vpon my backe, to defend my belly; vpon my
wit, to defend my
wiles; vppon my secrecy, to defend
mine honesty; my Maske, to
defend my beauty, and you
to defend all these: and at all these
wardes I lye at, at a
[405]
thousand watches.
Pan.
Say one of your watches.
Cres.
Nay Ile watch you for that, and that's one of
the cheefest of
them too: If I cannot ward what I would
not haue hit, I can
watch you for telling how I took the
[410]
blow, vnlesse it swell
past hiding, and then it's past wat
ching.
Enter Boy.
Pan.
You are such another.
Boy.
Sir, my Lord would instantly speake with you.
Pan.
Where?
Boy.
[415]
At your owne house.
Pan.
Good Boy tell him I come, I doubt he bee hurt.
Fare ye well good Neece.
Cres.
Adieu Vnkle.
Pan.
Ile be with you Neece by and by.
Cres.
[420]
To bring Vnkle.
Pan.
I, a token from
Troylus.
Cres.
By the same token. You are a Bawd.
Exit Pand.
Words, vowes, gifts, teares, & loues full sacrifice,
He offers in anothers enterprise:
[425]
But more in
Troylus thousand fold I see,
Then in the glasse of
Pandar's praise may
be;
Yet hold I off. Women are Angels wooing,
Things won are done, ioyes soule lyes in the dooing:
That she belou'd, knowes nought, that knowes not this;
[430]
Men prize the thing vngain'd, more then it is.
That she was neuer yet, that euer knew
Loue got so sweet, as when desire did sue:
Therefore this maxime out of loue I teach;
"
Atchieuement, is command;
vngai
'd,
beseech
.
[435]
That though my hearts Contents firme loue doth beare,
Nothing of that shall from mine eyes appeare.
Exit.
