that, if the king call for him at supper, you will make his excuse. Helen. My Lord Pandarus, Pan. What says my sweet quèen,—my very very sweet queen? Par. What exploit's in hand? where sups he to-night? Helen. Nay, but my lord, Pan. What says my sweet queen?--My cousin will fall out with you. You must not know where he sups *. Par. I'll lay my life, with my disposer 5 Cressida. Pan. No, no, no such matter, you are wide; come, your disposer is sick. Par. Well, I'll make excuse. Pan. Ay, good my lord. Why should you say— Cressida? no, your poor disposer's sick. Par. I spy. Pan. You spy! what do you spy?-Come, give me an instrument.-Now, sweet queen. Helen. Why, this is kindly done. Pan. My niece is horribly in love with a thing you have, sweet queen. 4 You must not know where he sups.' These words in the old copies are erroneously given to Helen. 5 Steevens would give this speech to Helen, and read deposer instead of disposer. Helen, he thinks, may address herself to Pandarus; and by her deposer, mean that Cressida had deposed her in the affections of Troilus. In the Epistle Dedicatorie to Chapman's Homer, Learning is made the disposer [dispensator] of Poetry: 'Then let not this divinitie in earth (Deare Prince) be slighted, as she were the birth Of idle Fancie, since she workes so high; Nor let her poore disposer (Learning) lye Still bed-rid.' Disposer appears to have been an equivalent term anciently for steward, or manager. If the speech is to be attributed to Helen. she may mean to call Cressid her hand-maid. Helen. She shall have it, my lord, if it be not my Lord Paris. Pan. He! no, she'll none of him: they two are twain. Helen. Falling in, after falling out, may make them three. Pan. Come, come, I'll hear no more of this; I'll sing you a song now. Helen. Ay, ay, pr'ythee now. By my troth, sweet lord, thou hast a fine forehead. Pan. Ay, you may, you may. Helen. Let thy song be love; this love will undo us all. O, Cupid, Cupid, Cupid! Pan. Love! ay, that it shall, i'faith. Par. Ay, good now, love, love, nothing but love. Pan. In good troth, it begins so: Love, love, nothing but love, still more! For, oh, love's bow Shoots buck and doe: These lovers cry-Oh! oh! they die! Oh! oh! a while, but ha! ha! ha! Hey ho! Helen. In love, i'faith, to the very tip of the nose. Par. He eats nothing but doves, love; and that breeds hot blood, and hot blood begets hot thoughts, and hot thoughts beget hot deeds, and hot deeds is love. Pan. Is this the generation of love? hot blood, hot thoughts, and hot deeds?-Why, they are vipers: Is love a generation of vipers? Sweet lord, who's a-field to-day? Par. Hector, Deiphobus, Helenus, Antenor, and all the gallantry of Troy: I would fain have armed to-night, but my Nell would not have it so. How chance my brother Troilus went not? Helen. He hangs the lip at something;-you know all, Lord Pandarus. Pan. Not I, honey-sweet queen.-I long to hear how they sped to-day.-You'll remember your brother's excuse? Par. To a hair. Pan. Farewell, sweet queen. Helen. Commend me to your niece. Pan. I will, sweet queen. [Exit. [A Retreat sounded. Par. They are come from field: let us to Priam's hall, To greet the warriors. Sweet Helen, I must woo you Yea, what he shall receive of us in duty, Par. Sweet, above thought I love thee. [Exeunt. SCENE II. The same. Pandarus' Orchard. Enter PANDARUS and a Servant, meeting. Pan. How now? where's thy master? at my cousin Cressida's? Serv. No, sir; he stays for you to conduct him thither. Enter TROILUS. Pan. O, here he comes.-How now, how now? Tro. Sirrah, walk off. Pan. Have you seen my cousin? [Exit Servant. Tro. No, Pandarus: I stalk about her door, Like a strange soul upon the Stygian banks Staying for waftage. O, be thou my Charon, And give me swift transportance to those fields, Where I may wallow in the lily beds Propos'd for the deserver! O gentle Pandarus, From Cupid's shoulder pluck his painted wings, And fly with me to Cressid! Pan. Walk here i'the orchard, I'll bring her straight. [Exit PANDArus. Tro. I am giddy; expectation whirls me round. The imaginary relish is so sweet That it enchants my sense; What will it be, ubi jam amborum fuerat confusa voluptas.' Sappho's Epistle to Phaon. As doth a battle, when they charge on heaps Re-enter PANDARUS. Pan. She's making her ready, she'll come straight: you must be witty now. She does so blush, and fetches her wind so short, as if she were frayed with a sprite; I'll fetch her. It is the prettiest villain: she fetches her breath as short as a newta'en sparrow. [Exit PANDArus. Tro. Even such a passion doth embrace my bosom: My heart beats thicker than a feverous pulse; And all my powers do their bestowing lose, Like vassalage at unawares encount❜ring The eye of majesty. Enter PANDARUS and CRESSIDA. Pan. Come, come, what need you blush? shame's a baby. Here she is now; swear the oaths now to her, that you have sworn to me.-What, are you gone again? you must be watched 2 ere you be made tame, must you? Come your ways, come your ways; an you draw backward, we'll put you i' the fills. Why do you not speak to her?— Come, draw this curtain, and let's see your picture. Alas the day, how loath you are to offend daylight! an 'twere dark, you'd close sooner. So, so; rub on, and kiss the mistress. How now, a kiss 2 Hawks were tamed by keeping them from sleep; and thus Pandarus meant that Cressida should be tamed. See Taming of the Shrew, Act iv. Sc. 1, p. 411. 3 i. e. the shafts. Phills or fills is the term in the midland counties for the shafts of a cart or waggon. See vol. iii. p. 28, note 8. 4 The allusion is to bowling; what is now called the jack was formerly termed the mistress. A bowl that kisses the jack or mistress is in the most advantageous situation. Rub on is a term in the game. See Cymbeline, Act ii. Sc. 1. |