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Troilus and Cressida: Act 4 Scene 2

Scene II The same. 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 a-weary of me?

TROILUS

O Cressida! but that the busy day,

Waked by the lark, hath roused 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.

CRESSIDA

A pestilence on him! now will he be mocking:

I shall have such a life!

[Enter PANDARUS]

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! ah, 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' the head!

[Knocking within]

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 deceived, I think of no such thing.

[Knocking within]

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? 'tis 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're 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 nature

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

Prithee, 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! beseech you,

what's the matter?

PANDARUS

Thou must be gone, wench, thou must be gone; thou

art changed 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]