Troilus and Cressida

Act 4, Scene 2

Modern spelling. Stage directions omitted.

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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 senses
As infants empty of all thought!

CRESSIDA

Good morrow, then.

TROILUS

I now, to bed.

CRESSIDA

Are you aweary of me?

TROILUS

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

CRESSIDA

Night 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

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

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!

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 be good, nor suffer others.

PANDARUS

Ha, ha! Alas, poor wretch! Ah, poor capocchia! not slept tonight? 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!

CRESSIDA

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.

CRESSIDA

How earnestly they knock! Pray you come in:
I would not for half Troy have you seen here.

PANDARUS

Who’s there? What’s the matter? Will you beat down the door? How now? What’s the matter?

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 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 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 ; go.

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,
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.

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.

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 get in. Would hadst been born! I knew 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

must be gone, , must be gone; art chang’d for Antenor; must to 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

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.

All of Troilus and Cressida

Opening and close

Prologue,

Act 1

Act 1, Scene 1Act 1, Scene 2Act 1, Scene 3,

Act 2

Act 2, Scene 1Act 2, Scene 2Act 2, Scene 3,

Act 3

Act 3, Scene 1Act 3, Scene 2Act 3, Scene 3,

Act 4

Act 4, Scene 1Act 4, Scene 2Act 4, Scene 3Act 4, Scene 4Act 4, Scene 5,

Act 5

Act 5, Scene 1Act 5, Scene 2Act 5, Scene 3Act 5, Scene 4Act 5, Scene 5Act 5, Scene 6Act 5, Scene 7Act 5, Scene 8Act 5, Scene 9Act 5, Scene 10

Open Troilus and Cressida in the 1623 First Folio. See its words in the cloud.

Modern spelling for reading. The edition is public domain in the United States. Edition source.