Pandarus' house. Enter PANDARUS and CRESSIDA PANDARUS Be moderate, be moderate. CRESSIDA Why tell you me of moderation?
The grief is fine, full, perfect, that I taste, And violenteth in a sense as strong As that which causeth it: how can I moderate it?
If I could temporize with my affection, Or brew it to a weak and colder palate, The like allayment could I give my grief.
My love admits no qualifying dross;
No more my grief, in such a precious loss. PANDARUS Here, here, here he comes.
Enter TROILUS Ah, sweet ducks! 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 gods, 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 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 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 lose 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 the root.
Exit CRESSIDA I must then to the Grecians? TROILUS No remedy. CRESSIDA A woful 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 exposed, 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 while I speak it, love:
The Grecian youths are full of quality;
