Troilus and Cressida

ACT IV
Scene 2.

Troy. The 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;
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
Are you aweary of me?

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

CRESSIDA
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
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
[Within] What's all the doors open here?

TROILUS
It is your uncle.

Enter PANDARUS

CRESSIDA
A pestilence on him! Now will he be mocking.
I shall have such a life!

PANDARUS
How now, how now! How go maidenheads?
Here, you 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
Come, come, beshrew your heart! You'll ne'er be good,
Nor suffer others.

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

CRESSIDA
Did not I tell you? Would he were knock'd i' th' head!

[One knocks]

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
Come, you are deceiv'd, I think of no such thing.
[Knock]
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
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
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? It's more than I know, I'll be
sworn. For my own part, I came in late. What should he do here?

AENEAS
Who!-nay, then. Come, come, you'll do him wrong ere you are
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
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,
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.
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 neighbour Pandar
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
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
Pray thee, 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 I beseech you,
what's the matter?

PANDARUS
Thou must be gone, wench, thou must be gone; thou art
chang'd 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
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,
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,
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