Act IV, Scene 4

The same. 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 2430
  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; 2435
  No more my grief, in such a precious loss.

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

• Cressida. O Troilus! Troilus! 2440

[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? 2445
  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 2450
  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. 2455

• 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? 2460

• 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 2465
  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 2470
  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, 2475
  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 2480
  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,— 2490

• 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, 2495
  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 2500
  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. 2505
  But yet be true.

• Cressida. O heavens! 'be true' again!

• Troilus. Hear while I speak it, love:
  The Grecian youths are full of quality;
  They're loving, well composed with gifts of nature, 2510
  Flowing and swelling o'er with arts and exercise:
  How novelty may move, and parts with person,
  Alas, a kind of godly jealousy—
  Which, I beseech you, call a virtuous sin—
  Makes me afeard. 2515

• Cressida. O heavens! you love me not.

• Troilus. Die I a villain, then!
  In this I do not call your faith in question
  So mainly as my merit: I cannot sing,
  Nor heel the high lavolt, nor sweeten talk, 2520
  Nor play at subtle games; fair virtues all,
  To which the Grecians are most prompt and pregnant:
  But I can tell that in each grace of these
  There lurks a still and dumb-discoursive devil
  That tempts most cunningly: but be not tempted. 2525

• Cressida. Do you think I will?

• Troilus. No.
  But something may be done that we will not:
  And sometimes we are devils to ourselves,
  When we will tempt the frailty of our powers, 2530
  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; 2535
  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:
  Whiles others fish with craft for great opinion,
  I with great truth catch mere simplicity; 2540
  Whilst some with cunning gild their copper crowns,
  With truth and plainness I do wear mine bare.
  Fear not my truth: the moral of my wit
  Is 'plain and true;' there's all the reach of it.
  [Enter AENEAS, PARIS, ANTENOR, DEIPHOBUS,] 2545
  and DIOMEDES]
  Welcome, Sir Diomed! here is the lady
  Which for Antenor we deliver you:
  At the port, lord, I'll give her to thy hand,
  And by the way possess thee what she is. 2550
  Entreat her fair; and, by my soul, fair Greek,
  If e'er thou stand at mercy of my sword,
  Name Cressida and thy life shall be as safe
  As Priam is in Ilion.

• Diomedes. Fair Lady Cressid, 2555
  So please you, save the thanks this prince expects:
  The lustre in your eye, heaven in your cheek,
  Pleads your fair usage; and to Diomed
  You shall be mistress, and command him wholly.

• Troilus. Grecian, thou dost not use me courteously, 2560
  To shame the zeal of my petition to thee
  In praising her: I tell thee, lord of Greece,
  She is as far high-soaring o'er thy praises
  As thou unworthy to be call'd her servant.
  I charge thee use her well, even for my charge; 2565
  For, by the dreadful Pluto, if thou dost not,
  Though the great bulk Achilles be thy guard,
  I'll cut thy throat.

• Diomedes. O, be not moved, Prince Troilus:
  Let me be privileged by my place and message, 2570
  To be a speaker free; when I am hence
  I'll answer to my lust: and know you, lord,
  I'll nothing do on charge: to her own worth
  She shall be prized; but that you say 'be't so,'
  I'll speak it in my spirit and honour, 'no.' 2575

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

[Exeunt TROILUS, CRESSIDA, and DIOMEDES]

[Trumpet within]

• Paris. Hark! Hector's trumpet.

• Aeneas. How have we spent this morning!
  The prince must think me tardy and remiss,
  That sore to ride before him to the field. 2585

• Paris. 'Tis Troilus' fault: come, come, to field with him.

• Deiphobus. Let us make ready straight.

• Aeneas. Yea, with a bridegroom's fresh alacrity,
  Let us address to tend on Hector's heels:
  The glory of our Troy doth this day lie 2590
  On his fair worth and single chivalry.

[Exeunt]