fprite. I'll fetch her. It is the prettieft villain. She fetches her breath as fhort as a new-ta'en fparrow. [Exit Pandarus. Troi. Even fuch a paffion doth embrace my bosom: My heart beats thicker than a feverous pulse; And all my powers do their bestowing lofe, Like vaffalage at unawares encountring The eye of majesty.

Pan. Come, come, what need you blufh? Shame's a baby. Here the is now. Swear the oaths now to her, that you have fworn to me. What, are you gone again? you must be watch'd ere you be made tame, muft you? Come your ways, come your ways; if you draw backward, we'll put you i' the files.-Why do you not speak to her? Come, draw this curtain, and let's fee your picture. Alas the day, how loath you are to offend day-light! an 'twere dark you'd close fooner. So, fo; rub on, and kifs the mistress. How now, a kifs in fee-farm! Build there, carpenter; the air is fweet. Nay, you fhall fight your hearts out, ere I part you. 3 The faulcon as the tercel, for all the ducks i' the river. Go to, go to.

2

Troi. You have bereft me of all words, lady.

we'll put you i'the files.] Alluding to the custom of putting men fufpected of cowardice in the middle places.

HANMER.

3 The faulcon as the tercel, for all the ducks i' th' river.-] Pandarus means, that he'll match his niece against her lover for any bett. The tercel is the male hawk; by the faulcon we generally understand the female.

I think we fhould rather read,
at the tercel,"

THEOBALD.

T. T.

Рам

Pan. Words pay no debts, give her deeds: but fhe'll bereave you of the deeds too, if the call your activity in question. What, billing again! Here's, In witness whereof the parties interchangeably-Come in, come in; I'll go get a fire. [Exit Pandarus.

Cre. Will you walk in, my lord? Troi. O Creffida, how often have I wish'd me thus? Cre. Wish'd, my lord! the gods grant-O my lord! Troi. What fhould they grant? what makes this pretty abruption? what too curious dreg efpies my fweet lady in the fountain of our love?

Cre. More dregs than water, if my fears have eyes. Troi. Fears make devils of cherubins; they never fee truly.

Cre. Blind fear, that feeing reafon leads, finds fafer footing than blind reafon ftumbling without fear. To fear the worst, oft cures the worst.

Troi. O, let my lady apprehend no fear: in all Cupid's pageant there is prefented no monfter. Cre. Nor nothing monftrous neither?

Troi. Nothing, but our undertakings; when we vow to weep feas, live in fire, eat rocks, tame tygers; thinking it harder for our miftrefs to devife impofition enough, than for us to undergo any difficulty impofed. This is the monftruofity in love, lady, that the will is infinite, and the execution confin'd; that the defire is boundless, and the act a slave to limit.

Cre. They fay, all lovers fwear more performance than they are able; and yet referve an ability, that they never perform: vowing more than the perfection of ten, and difcharging lefs than the tenth part of one. They that have the voice of lions, and the act of hares, are they not monsters?

Trai. Are there fuch? fuch are not we. Praife us as we are tafted; allow us as we prove: 4 our head fhall

go

] I

our lead fhall go bare, 'till merit crown it:cannot forbear to obferve, that the quarto reads thus: Our

E 4

head

go bare, 'till merit crown it: no perfection in reverfion fhall have a praife in prefent: we will not name defert before his birth; and, being born, 5 his addition fhall be humble. Few words to fair faith. Troilus fhall be fuch to Creffida, as what envy can fay worst, fhall be a mock for his truth; and what truth can speak trueft, not truer than Troilus.

Cre. Will you walk in, my lord ?

Re-enter Pandarus.

Pan. What, blufhing ftill? Have you not done talking yet?

Cre. Well, uncle, what folly I commit, I dedicate

to you.

my lord get a boy Be true to my lord;

Pan. I thank for that; if you of you, you'll give him me. if he flinch, chide me for it.

Troi. You know now your hoftages; your uncle's word, and my firm faith.

Pan. Nay, I'll give you my word for her too: our kindred, though they be long ere they are woo'd, they are conftant, being won. They are burrs, I can tell you, they'll flick where they are thrown.

Cre. Boldness comes to me now, and brings me heart:

Prince Troilus, I have lov'd you night and day,
For many weary months.

Troi. Why was my Creffid then so hard to win?
Cre. Hard to feem won; but I was won, my lord, .
With the first glance that ever-Pardon me-
If I confefs much, you will play the tyrant.

head fall go bare, 'till merit lower part no affection, in reverfion, Had there been no other copy, how could this have been corrected? The true reading is in the folio. JOHNSON.

&c.

S

his addition fall be humble.-] We will give him no high or pompous titles. JOHNSON.

2

I love

I love you now, but not, till now, fo much
But I might mafter it :—in faith, I lye;
My thoughts were, like unbridled children, grown
Too headstrong for their mother. See, we fools!
Why have I blabb'd? who shall be true to us,
When we are fo unfecret to ourselves?

But though I lov'd you well, I woo'd you not;
And yet, good faith, I wifh'd myself a man;
Or that we women had men's privilege,

Of ipeaking firft. Sweet, bid me hold my tongue;
For, in this rapture I fhall furely speak

The thing I fhall repent. See, fee, your filence
Cunning in dumbness, from my weakness draws
My very foul of counfel. Stop my mouth.

Troi. And fhall, albeit fweet mufick iffues thence.
Pan. Pretty, i'faith.

Cre. My lord, I do befeech you, pardon me; 'Twas not my purpose thus to beg a kiss:

I am afham'd:-O heavens! what have I done ?—

For this time will I take my leave, my lord.

Troi. Your leave, fweet Creffid ?

Pan. Leave! an you take leave till to-morrow morning.

Cre. Pray you, content you.
Troi. What offends you, lady?
Cre. Sir, mine own company.
Troi. You cannot fhun yourself.
Cre. Let me go and try:

I have a kind of felf refides with you;
But an unkind felf, that itfelf will leave,

To be another's fool. I would be gone :

Where is my wit? I fpeak, I know not what.

Troi. Well know they what they fpeak, that fpeak fo wifely.

Cre. Perchance, my lord, I fhew more craft than

love;

And fell fo roundly to a large confeffion,

Το

6

To angle for your thonghts: but you are wife,
Or else you love not; 7 to be wife and love,
Exceeds man's might; that dwells with gods above.
Troi. O, that I thought it could be in a woman,
(As, if it can, I will prefume in you)

To feed for aye her lamp and flames of love;
To keep her conftancy in plight and youth
Out-living beauties outward, with a mind
That doth renew fwifter than blood decays!
Or, that perfuafion could but thus convince me,
That my integrity and truth to you

8 Might be affronted with the match and weight
Of fuch a winnow'd purity in love;
How were I then up-lifted! but alas,
I am as true as truth's fimplicity,

And fimpler than the infancy of truth,
Cre. In that I'll war with you.

Troi. O virtuous fight,

When right with right wars who shall be most right!

6

--

but you are wife,

Or else you love not; to be wife and love,

Exceeds man's might, &c.] I read,

but we're not wife,

Or elfe we love not; to be wife and love,

Exceeds man's might;

Creffida, in return to the praife given by Troilus to her wifdom, replies, "That lovers are never wife; that it is beyond the power of man to bring love and wifdom to an union." "JOHNS,

66

7

to be wife and love,

Exceeds man's might;

Sh. Cal. March.

] This is from Spenfer,

"To be wife, and eke to love,

"Is granted fcarce to gods above." T. T.

8 Might be affronted with the match-] I wish "my integrity might be met and matched with fuch equality and force of pure unmingled love." JOHNSON.

And fimpler than the infancy of truth.] This is fine; and means, "Ere truth, to defend itself against deceit in the com"merce of the world, had, out of neceflity, learned worldly "policy." WARBURTON.

True