TROILUS

AND

CRESSIDA.

Dd 3

PROLOGUE.

IN Troy, there lies the fcene: from Iles 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 whose strong 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' th' City,
Dardan, aud Thymbria, Ilia, Scæa, Troian,
And Antenorides, with maffy ftaples
And correfponfive and fulfilling bolts,
Sperre up the fons of Troy.

-Priam's fix-gated city
Durdan and Timbria, Helias,
Chetas, Trojan,
And Antenonidus, with may
Paples

And correfponfive and fulfilling

Now

Priam's fix-gated City fiirre up the fons of Troy?—Here's a verb plural governed of a Nominative fingular. But that is easily reme died. The next queftion to be afk'd, is, in what fenfe a city having fix ftrong gates, and thofe Stir up the fons of Troy.] This well barr'd and bolted, can be has been a most miferably man- faid to fir up its inhabitants? gled paffage, through all the edi-unlefs they may be fuppofed to tions; corrupted at once into derive fome fpirit from the falie concord and falfe reafoning. ftrength of their fortifications,

bolts

But

Now expectation tickling fkittish fpirits
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 suited
In like conditions as our Argument;

To tell you, fair Beholders, that our Play
Leaps o'er the vaunt and firflings of thofe broils,
'Ginning i' th' middle: Starting thence away,
To what may be digefted in a Play.

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

Helen, Wife to Menelaus.

Andromache, Wife to Hector.

Caffandra, Daughter to Priam, a Prophetess.
Creffida, Daughter to Calchas.

Alexander, Creffida's Servant.
Boy, Page to Troilus.

Trojan and Greek Soldiers, with other Attendants. SCENE, Troy; and the Grecian Camp, before it.

The Editions of this Play are, 1. Quarto. 1609. G. Eld. for R. Boniand and H. Whalley.

2. Quarto. No date. G. Eld.

for R. Boniand and H. Whalley.

* I have the Folio and firft Quarto. The Folio is the cor rected and complete copy.

TROILUS and CRESSIDA.

ACT I. SCENE I.

The Palace in Troy.

Enter Pandarus and Troilus.

TROILUS.

ALL here my varlet. I'll unarm again.
Why should I war without the walls of Troy,
That find fuch cruel battle here within?

Each Trojan, that is master of his heart,
Let him to field; Troilus, alas! hath none.
Pan. Will this geer ne'er be mended ?