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PROLOGUE.

N Troy, there lies the fcene: from Ifles of Greece
The Princes orgillous, their high blood chaf'd,
Have to the Port of Athens fent their fhips,
Fraught with the minifters and inftruments
Of cruel war. Sixty and nine, that wore
Their Crownets regal, from th' Athenian bay
Put forth toward Phrygia, and their vow is made
To ranfack Troy; within whofe ftrong Immures,
The ravish'd Helen, Menelaus' Queen,

With wanton Paris fleeps; and That's the Quarrel.
To Tenedos they come

And the deep-drawing Barks do there difgorge
Their warlike fraughtage. Now on Dardan plains,
The fresh, and yet unbruifed, Greeks do pitch
Their brave Pavillions. Priam's fix Gates i'th' City, (1)
(Dardan, and Thymbria, Ilia, Scæa, Troian,
And Antenorides,) with may ftaples

(1)

-Priam's fix-gated City Dardan and Timbria, Helias, Chetas, Trojan, And Antenoridan, with maffy Staples

And correfponfive and fulfilling bolts

Stir up the Sons of Troy.] This has been a most miserably mangled Paffage, through all the Editions: corrupted at once into falfe Concord, and falfe Reasoning. Priam's fix-gated City fiirre up the Sons of Troy ?-----Here's a Verb plural governed of a Nominative fingular. But that is eafily remedied. The next Queftion to be asked, is, In what Sense a City having fix ftrong Gates, and those well barred and bolted, can be faid to ftir up its Inhabitants? unless they may be fuppofed to derive fome Spirit from the Strength of their Fortifications. But this could not be the Poet's Thought. He muft mean, I take it, that the Greeks had pitched their Tents upon the Plains before Troy; and that the Trojans were fecurely barricaded within the Walls and Gates of their City. This Senfe my Correction reftores. To sperre, or fpar, from the old Teutonic Word, (SPERREN) fignifies, to fut up, defend by Bars, &c,

And

And correfponfive and fulfilling bolts,
Sperre up the fons of Troy.

Now expectation tickling skittish spirits
On one and other fide, Trojan and Greek,
Sets all on hazard. And hither am I come
A Prologue arm'd, (but not in confidence
Of Author's pen, or Actor's voice; but fuited
In like conditions as our argument ;)

To tell you, (fair Beholders) that our Play
Leap, o'er the vaunt and firstlings of those broils,
'Ginning i'th' middle: ftarting thence away,
To what may be digefted in a play.

Like, or find fault, -de, as your pleafures are;
Now good, or bad, 'tis but the chance of war.

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Helen, Wife to Menelaus, in love with Paris.
Andromache, Wife to He&or.

Caffandra, Daughter to Priam, a Prophetefs..
Creffida, Daughter to Calchas, in Love with Troilus.

Alexander, Creffida's Man.

Boy, Page to Troilus.

Trojan and Greek Soldiers, with other Attendants.

SCENE, Troy; and the Grecian Camp before it.

TROILUS

TROILUS and CRESSIDA.

C

ACT I.

SCENE, the Palace in Troy.
Enter Pandarus and Troilus.

TROILUS.

ALL here my varlet; I'll unarm again.
Why fhould I war without the walls of Troy,
That find fuch cruel battle here within ?
Each Trojan, that is mafter of his heart,
Let him to field; Troilus, alas! hath none.

Pan. Will this geer ne'er be mended?

Troi. The Greeks are ftrong, and skilful to their ftrength, Fierce to their skill, and to their fiercenefs valiant. But I am weaker than a woman's tear, Tamer than fleep, fonder than ignorance; Lefs valiant than the virgin in the night, And skill-lefs as unpractis'd infancy.

Pan. Well, I have told you enough of this: for my part, I'll not meddle nor make any farther. He, that will have a cake out of the wheat, must needs tarry the grinding.

Troi. Have I not tarried?

Pan. Ay, the grinding, but you must tarry the boulting.

04.

Troi.

Troi. Have I not tarried?

Pan. Ay, the boulting; but you must tarry the leav'ning.

Troi. Still have I tarried.

Pan. Ay, to the leav'ning; 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. Troi. Patience herfelf, what Goddess e'er fhe be, Doth leffer blench at fufferance, than I do. At Priam's royal table do I fit,

And when fair Crefida comes into my thoughts,
So, traitor when he comes? when is the thence?
Par. Well, the look'd yefternight fairer than ever I
faw her look, or any woman else.

Troi. I was about to tell thee, when my heart,
As wedged with a figh, would rive in twain,
Left Hedor or my father fhould perceive me;"
1 have (as when the fun doth light a storm)
Buried this figh in wrinkle of a fmile:

But forrow, that is couch'd in feeming gladness,
Is like that mirth fate turns to fudden fadnefs.

Pan. An her hair were not fomewhat darker than Helen's-well,go to, there were no more comparison between the women. But, for my part, fhe is my kinfwoman; I would not (as they term it) praise her- but I would, fomebody had heard her talk yesterday, as I did: I will not difpraise your fifter Cassandra's wit, but

Troi. O Pandarus! I teli thee, Pandarus

When I do tell thee, there my hopes lie drown'd,
Reply not in how many fathoms deep

They lie indrench'd. I tell thee, I am mad
In Crefid's love. Thou anfwer'it, fhe is fair;
Pour'ft in the open ulcer of my heart

Her eyes, her hair, her cheek, her gate, her voice;
Handleft in thy difcourfe -O that! her hand!
(In whofe comparifon, all whites are ink

Writing their own reproach) to whofe foft feizure
The cignet's down is harfh, and spirit of sense
Hard as the palm of ploughman. This thou tell'ft me;

(As,

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