Troi. O Creffida, how often have I wifh'd me thus! Cre. Wifh'd, my lord?-The gods grant!-O my lord! X Troi. What fhould they grant? what makes this pretty abruption? What too curious dreg espies my fweet lady in the fountain of our love? Cre. More dregs than water, if my fears have eyes. Troi. Fears make devils of cherubims; 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 monster. 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 mistress 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 flave 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 less than the tenth part of one. have the voice of lions, and the act of hares, monsters ? They that are they not Troi. Are there fuch? fuch are not we: Praise us as we are tafted, allow us as we prove; our head fhall go bare, 'till merit crown it: no perfection in reverfion fhall have a praise in prefent: we will not name defert, before too curious dreg]-minute earthy particle. pageant-drama. his birth; and, being born, his addition fhall be humble. Few words to fair faith: Troilus fhall be fuch to Creffid, as what envy can say worst, fhall be a mock for his truth; and what truth can speak truest, not truer than Troilus. Cre. Will you walk in, my lord? Re-enter Pandarus. Pan. What, blushing still? have you not done talking yet? Cre. Well, uncle, what folly I commit, I dedicate to you. Pan. I thank you for that; if my lord get a boy of you, you'll give him me: Be true to my lord; 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 my word for her too; our kindred, though they be long ere they are woo'd, they are conftant, being won : b they are burrs, I can tell you; they'll stick 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 fo hard to win? I love you now; but not, 'till now, fo much z bis addition shall be humble.]—we'll give him no pompous titles. a a mock for]-but a groundless attack upon, a mere mockery of his truth; fhall not be able to impeach it. they are burrs,]" I am a kind of burr, I fhall fick." MEASURE FOR MEASURE, Vol. I. p. 346. Lucio. But But I might mafter it :-in faith, I lye; My thoughts were like unbridled children, grown But, though I lov'd you well, I woo'd you not; Of speaking firft. Sweet, bid me hold my tongue; Troi. And fhall, albeit fweet mufick iffues thence. Cre. My lord, I do befeech you, pardon me; 'Twas not my purpose, thus to beg a kifs : 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 morn ing, Cre. Pray you, content you. I have a kind of felf refides with you; Troi. Well know they what they fpeak, that speak fa wifely. Cre. Perchance, my lord, I fhew more craft than love; VOL. III. F And And fell fo roundly to a large confeffion, d To feed for aye her lamp and flames of love; Might be affronted with the match and weight Troi. O virtuous fight, When right with right wars who fhall be moft right! True fwains in love fhall, in the world to come, Approve their truths by Troilus: when their rhymes, Full of proteft, of oath, and big compare, h Want fimilies of truth, tir'd with iteration, As true as steel, as plantage to the moon, And then you. din plight and youth,]-plighted in her youth. e renew jwifter than blood decays !]-its attachment fafter than appetite weakens it. be affronted]-be met and equalled. & the infancy of truth.]-ere it had learnt worldly policy. h with iteration,]-with repeating the following vouchers. i as feel, as plantage to the moon,]-as the mirror, which reflects faithfully every object that is placed before-the next words allude to the moon's fuppofed influence on the production and growth of plants, &c. As k As iron to adamant, as earth to the center, 'As truth's authentic author to be cited, Cre. Prophet may you be! If I be falfe, or fwerve a hair from truth, From falfe to falfe, among false maids in love, As fox to lamb, as wolf to heifer's calf, Pard to the hind, or step-dame to her fon; Pan. Go to, a bargain made: feal it, feal it; I'll be the witnefs. Here I hold your hand; here, my coufin's. If ever you prove falfe to one another, fince I have taken fuch pains to bring you together, let all pitiful goers-between be called to the world's end after my name, call them all-Pandars; let all "inconstant men be Troilus's, all falfe women Creffids, and all brokersbetween Pandars! fay, amen. Troi. Amen. Cre. Amen. Pan. Amen. Whereupon I will fhew you a chamber, adamant,]-the magnet. As truth's authentic author]-As the very text of truth in love; as one whose proteftations were true to a proverb. When]-O then, when. n inconftant]-conftant. |