CRES. And I'll spring up in his tears, an 'twere a nettle against May. [A Retreat sounded.

PAN. Hark, they are coming from the field: Shall we stand up here, and see them, as they pass toward Ilium? good niece, do; sweet niece Cressida.

CRES. At your pleasure.

PAN. Here, here, here's an excellent place; here we may see most bravely: I'll tell you them all by their names, as they pass by; but mark Troilus above the rest.

ENEAS passes over the Stage.

CRES. Speak not so loud.

PAN. That's Æneas; Is not that a brave man? he's one of the flowers of Troy, I can tell you; But mark Troilus; you shall see anon.

CRES. Who's that?

ANTENOR passes over.

PAN. That's Antenor; he has a shrewd wit,' I

The foregoing thought occurs also in Antony and Cleopatra: "The April's in her eyes: it is love's spring, "And these the showers to bring it on." STEEVENS.

That's Antenor; he has a shrewd wit,]

"Anthenor was

"Copious in words, and one that much time spent
"To jest, when as he was in companie,
"So driely, that no man could it espie;
"And therewith held his countenaunce so well,
"That every man received great content
"To heare him speake, and pretty jests to tell,
"When he was pleasant, and in merriment:
"For tho' that he most commonly was sad,
"Yet in his speech some jest he always had."
Lydgate, p. 105.

can tell you; and he's a man good enough: he's one o'the soundest judgments in Troy, whosoever, and a proper man of person :-When comes Troilus? I'll show you Troilus anon; if he see me, you shall see him nod at me.

CRES. Will he give you the nod?

PAN. You shall see.

CRES. If he do, the rich shall have more.2

HECTOR passes over.

PAN. That's Hector, that, that, look you, that; There's a fellow!-Go thy way, Hector ;-There's a brave man, niece.-O brave Hector!-Look, how he looks! there's a countenance: Is't not a brave man?

CRES. O, a brave man!

you

PAN. Is 'a not? It does a man's heart goodLook you what hacks are on his helmet! look yonder, do you see? look you there! There's no jesting there's laying on; take't off who will, as they say there be hacks!

CRES. Be those with swords?

Such, in the hands of a rude English poet, is the grave Antenor, to whose wisdom it was thought necessary that the art of Ulysses should be opposed:

"Et moveo Priamum, Priamoque Antenora junctum."

STEEVENS.

the rich shall have more.] The allusion is to the word noddy, which, as now, did, in our author's time, and long before, signify a silly fellow, and may, by its etymology, signify likewise full of nods. Cressid means, that a noddy shall have more nods. Of such remarks as these is a comment to consist! JOHNSON.

To give the nod, was, I believe, a term in the game at cards called Noddy. This game is perpetually alluded to in the old comedies. See Vol. IV. p. 186, n. 7. STEEVENS.

PARIS passes over.

PAN. Swords? any thing, he cares not: an the devil come to him, it's all one: By god's lid, it does one's heart good;-Yonder comes Paris, yonder comes Paris: look ye yonder, niece; Is't not a gallant man too, is't not?-Why, this is brave now.-Who said, he came hurt home to-day? he's not hurt: why, this will do Helen's heart good now. Ha! 'would I could see Troilus now!-you shall see Troilus anon.

CRES. Who's that?

HELENUS

passes over.

PAN. That's Helenus,-I marvel, where Troilus is:-That's Helenus ;-I think he went not forth to-day-That's Helenus.

CRES. Can Helenus fight, uncle?

PAN. Helenus? no ;-yes, he'll fight indifferent well :—I marvel, where Troilus is!-Hark; do you not hear the people cry, Troilus?-Helenus is a priest.

CRES. What sneaking fellow comes yonder?

TROILUS passes over.

PAN. Where? yonder? that's Deiphobus: 'Tis Troilus! there's a man, niece!-Hem!-Brave Troilus! the prince of chivalry!

CRES. Peace, for shame, peace!

PAN. Mark him; note him ;-O brave Troilus! -look well upon him, niece; look you, how his

sword is bloodied,3 and his helm more hack'd than Hector's; And how he looks, and how he goes!O admirable youth! he ne'er saw three and twenty. Go thy way Troilus, go thy way; had I a sister were a grace, or a daughter a goddess, he should take his choice. O admirable man! Paris ?-Paris is dirt to him; and, I warrant, Helen, to change, would give an eye to boot.5

Forces pass over the Stage.

CRES. Here come more.

PAN. Asses, fools, dolts! chaff and bran, chaff and bran! porridge after meat! I could live and die i'the eyes of Troilus. Ne'er look, ne'er look; the eagles are gone; crows and daws, crows and daws! I had rather be such a man as Troilus, than Agamemnon and all Greece.

CRES. There is among the Greeks, Achilles; a better man than Troilus.

PAN. Achilles? a drayman, a porter, a very camel.

3

CRES. Well, well.

how his sword is bloodied,] So, Lydgate, describing Troilus, in a couplet that reminds us of Dryden, or Pope: "He was so ferse they might him not withstand, "When that he helde his blody sworde in hand.” I always quote from the original poem, edit. 1555.

MALONE.

- his helm more hack'd than Hector's;] So, in Chaucer's

Troilus and Cresseide, Book III. 640:

"His helme to hewin was in twenty places," &c.

STEEVENS.

— an eye to boot.] So, the quarto. The folio, with less force,-Give money to boot. JOHNSON.

PAN. Well, well?-Why, have you any discretion? have you any eyes? Do you know what a man is? Is not birth, beauty, good shape, discourse, manhood, learning, gentleness, virtue, youth, libe. rality, and such like, the spice and salt that season a man?

CRES. Ay, a minced man: and then to be baked with no date in the pye,-for then the man's date is out.

PAN. You are such a woman! one knows not at what ward you lie.7

CRES. Upon my back, to defend my belly; upon my wit, to defend my wiles; upon my secrecy, to defend mine honesty; my mask, to defend my beauty; and you, to defend all these and at all these wards I lie, at a thousand watches.

6

PAN. Say one of your watches.

no date in the pye,] To account for the introduction of this quibble, it should be remembered that dates were an ingredient in ancient pastry of almost every kind. So, in Romeo and Juliet:

"They call for dates and quinces in the pastry." Again, in All's well that ends well, Act I: "your date is better in your pye and porridge, than in your cheek."

7

STEEVENS.

at what ward you lie.] A metaphor from the art of defence. So, Falstaff, in King Henry IV. P. I: "Thou know'st my old ward; here I lay;" &c. STEEVENS.

8

upon my wit, to defend my wiles;] So read both the

copies and yet perhaps the author wrote:

Upon my wit to defend my will.

The terms wit and will were, in the language of that time, put often in opposition. JOHNSON.

So, in The Rape of Lucrece :

"What wit sets down, is blotted straight with will."

Yet I think the old copy right. MALONE.