SCENE I. Troy. Priam's palace
Enter a Servant and PANDARUS
PANDARUS
Friend, you! pray you, a word: do not you follow
the young Lord Paris?
Servant
Ay, sir, when he goes before me.
PANDARUS
You depend upon him, I mean?
Servant
Sir, I do depend upon the lord.
PANDARUS
You depend upon a noble gentleman; I must needs
praise him.
Servant
The lord be praised!
PANDARUS
You know me, do you not?
Servant
Faith, sir, superficially.
PANDARUS
Friend, know me better; I am the Lord Pandarus.
Servant
I hope I shall know your honour better.
PANDARUS
I do desire it.
Servant
You are in the state of grace.
PANDARUS
Grace! not so, friend: honour and lordship are my titles.
Music within
What music is this?
Servant
I do but partly know, sir: it is music in parts.
PANDARUS
Know you the musicians?
Servant
Wholly, sir.
PANDARUS
Who play they to?
Servant
To the hearers, sir.
PANDARUS
At whose pleasure, friend
Servant
At mine, sir, and theirs that love music.
PANDARUS
Command, I mean, friend.
Servant
Who shall I command, sir?
PANDARUS
Friend, we understand not one another: I am too
courtly and thou art too cunning. At whose request
do these men play?
Servant
That's to 't indeed, sir: marry, sir, at the request
of Paris my lord, who's there in person; with him,
the mortal Venus, the heart-blood of beauty, love's
invisible soul,--
PANDARUS
Who, my cousin Cressida?
Servant
No, sir, Helen: could you not find out that by her
attributes?
PANDARUS
It should seem, fellow, that thou hast not seen the
Lady Cressida. I come to speak with Paris from the
Prince Troilus: I will make a complimental assault
upon him, for my business seethes.
Servant
Sodden business! there's a stewed phrase indeed!
Enter PARIS and HELEN, attended
PANDARUS
Fair be to you, my lord, and to all this fair
company! fair desires, in all fair measure,
fairly guide them! especially to you, fair queen!
fair thoughts be your fair pillow!
HELEN
Dear lord, you are full of fair words.
PANDARUS
You speak your fair pleasure, sweet queen. Fair
prince, here is good broken music.
PARIS
You have broke it, cousin: and, by my life, you
shall make it whole again; you shall piece it out
with a piece of your performance. Nell, he is full
of harmony.
PANDARUS
Truly, lady, no.
HELEN
O, sir,--
PANDARUS
Rude, in sooth; in good sooth, very rude.
PARIS
Well said, my lord! well, you say so in fits.
PANDARUS
I have business to my lord, dear queen. My lord,
will you vouchsafe me a word?
HELEN
Nay, this shall not hedge us out: we'll hear you
sing, certainly.
PANDARUS
Well, sweet queen. you are pleasant with me. But,
marry, thus, my lord: my dear lord and most esteemed
friend, your brother Troilus,--
HELEN
My Lord Pandarus; honey-sweet lord,--
PANDARUS
Go to, sweet queen, to go:--commends himself most
affectionately to you,--
HELEN
You shall not bob us out of our melody: if you do,
our melancholy upon your head!
PANDARUS
Sweet queen, sweet queen! that's a sweet queen, i' faith.
HELEN
And to make a sweet lady sad is a sour offence.
PANDARUS
Nay, that shall not serve your turn; that shall not,
in truth, la. Nay, I care not for such words; no,
no. And, my lord, he desires you, that if the king
call for him at supper, you will make his excuse.
HELEN
My Lord Pandarus,--
PANDARUS
What says my sweet queen, my very very sweet queen?
PARIS
What exploit's in hand? where sups he to-night?
HELEN
Nay, but, my lord,--
PANDARUS
What says my sweet queen? My cousin will fall out
with you. You must not know where he sups.
PARIS
I'll lay my life, with my disposer Cressida.
PANDARUS
No, no, no such matter; you are wide: come, your
disposer is sick.
PARIS
Well, I'll make excuse.
PANDARUS
Ay, good my lord. Why should you say Cressida? no,
your poor disposer's sick.
PARIS
I spy.
PANDARUS
You spy! what do you spy? Come, give me an
instrument. Now, sweet queen.
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