My love admits no qualifying dross; No more my grief, in such a precious loss. Enter TROILUS. Pan. Here, here, here he comes.-Ah sweet ducks! Cres. O Troilus! Troilus! [Embracing him. Pan. What a pair of spectacles is here! Let me embrace too. O heart, as the goodly saying is, O heart, O heavy heart, Why sigh'st thou without breaking? where he answers again, Because thou canst not ease thy smart, There never was a truer rhyme. Let us cast away nothing, for we may live to have need of such a verse; we see it, we see it.-How now, lambs? Tro. Cressid, I love thee in so strained a purity, Pan. Ay, ay, ay, ay; 'tis too plain a case. Cres. What, and from Troilus too? Tro. From Troy, and Troilus. Is it possible? Tro. And suddenly; where injury of chance Our locked embrasures, strangles our dear vows Crams his rich thievery up, he knows not how. With distinct breath and consigned1 kisses to them, And scants us with a single, famished kiss, Ene. [Within.] My lord! is the lady ready? Cres. I must then to the Greeks? Cres. A woful Cressid 'mongst the When shall we see again? [Exit PANDARUs. No remedy. merry Greeks. Tro. Hear me, my love. Be thou but true of heart, Cres. I true! how now? what wicked deem 2 is this? Tro. Nay, we must use expostulation kindly, For it is parting from us. I speak not, Be thou true, as fearing thee; For I will throw my glove to death himself,3 Cres. O, you shall be exposed, my lord, to dangers As infinite as imminent! but, I'll be true. Tro. And I'll grow friend with danger. sleeve. Wear this Cres. And you this glove. When shall I see you? Tro. I will corrupt the Grecian sentinels, To give thee nightly visitation. But yet be true. Cres. O heavens!-Be true again? 1 Consigned means sealed, from consigno (Lat.). 2 Deem (a word now obsolete) signifies opinion, surmise. 3 That is, I will challenge death himself in defence of thy fidelity. Tro. Hear why I speak it, love. The Grecian youths are full of quality; They're loving, well composed, with gifts of nature flowing, And swelling o'er with arts and exercise; How novelty may move, and parts with person, (Which, I beseech you, call a virtuous sin) Makes me afeard. Cres. O Heavens! you love me not. Tro. Die I a villain then! In this I do not call your faith in question, 2 Nor play at subtle games; fair virtues all, To which the Grecians are most prompt and pregnant; But I can tell, that in each grace of these There lurks a still and dumb-discoursive devil, That tempts most cunningly but be not tempted. Tro. No. But something may be done, that we will not; When we will tempt the frailty of our powers, Tro. Come, kiss; and let us part Par. [Within.] Brother Troilus! Tro. Good brother, come you hither And bring Eneas, and the Grecian, with you. Cres. My lord, will you be true? Tro. Who, I? Alas, it is my vice, my fault. While others fish with craft for great opinion, I with great truth catch mere simplicity: Whilst some with cunning gild their copper crowns, With truth and plainness I do wear mine bare. 1 Quality, like condition, is applied to manners as well as dispositions. |