TROILUS AND CRESSIDA. PERSONS OF THE DRAMA. PRIAM, king of Troy : HECTOR, TROILUS, PARIS, DEIPHOBUS, HELENUS, ENEAS, ANTENOR, his sons. Trojan commanders. CALCHAS, a Trojan priest, taking part with the Greeks. PANDARUS, uncle to Cressida. MARGARELON, a bastard son of Priam. AGAMEMNON, the Grecian general: MENELAUS, his brother. ACHILLES, AJAX, ULYSSES, Grecian commanders. NESTOR, DIOMEDES, PATROCLUS, THERSITES, a deformed and scurrilous Grecian. ALEXANDER, servant to Cressida. Servant to Troilus; Servant to Paris; Servant to Diomedes. HELEN, wife to Menelaus. CASSANDRA, daughter to Priam; a prophetess. Trojan and Greek Soldiers, and Attendants. Scene,-Troy, and the Grecian Camp before it. TROILUS AND CRESSIDA. PROLOGUE. In Troy, there lies the scene. From isles of Greece The princes orgulous, their high blood chaf'd, Have to the port of Athens sent their ships, Fraught with the ministers and instruments Of cruel war: Sixty and nine, that wore Their crownets regal, from the Athenian bay Put forth toward Phrygia: and their vow is made, To ransack Troy; within whose strong immures The ravish'd Helen, Menelaus' queen, With wanton Paris sleeps; And that's the quarrel. And the deep-drawing barks do there disgorge Now expectation, tickling skittish spirits, Like, or find fault; do as your pleasures are; ACT I. SCENE I. Troy. Before Priam's Palace. Enter TROILUS armed, and PANDARUS. Tro. The Greeks are strong, and skilful to their strength, Fierce to their skill, and to their fierceness valiant: Pan. Well, I have told you enough of this: for my part, I'll not meddle nor make no further. He, that will have a cake out of the wheat, must tarry the grinding. Tro. Have I not tarried? Pan. Ay, the grinding; but you must tarry the bolting. Tro. Have I not tarried? Pan. Ay, the bolting; but you must tarry the leavening. Tro. Still have I tarried. Pan. Ay, to the leavening: but here's yet in the word-hereafter, the kneading, the making of the cake, the heating of the oven, and the baking; nay, you must stay the cooling too, or you may chance to burn your lips. Tro. Patience herself, what goddess e'er she be, Doth lesser blench at sufferance than I do. At Priam's royal table do I sit; And when fair Cressid comes into my thoughts, So, traitor!-when she comes!When is she thence ? Pan. Well, she looked yesternight fairer than ever I saw her look, or any woman else. Tro. I was about to tell thee,-When my heart, As wedged with a sigh, would rive in twain; Lest Hector or my father should perceive me, I have (as when the sun doth light a storm) Bury'd this sigh in wrinkle of a smile: |