Puslapio vaizdai
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Of Author's pen, or Actor's voice; but fuited ·
In like conditions as our Argument ;)

To tell you, (fair Beholders) that our Play
Leaps o'er the vaunt and firstlings of thofe broils,
'Ginning i'th' middle: starting thence away, (2)
To what may be digefted in a Play.

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

(2) Beginning in the middle, farting thence away,] Thus all the Editions, before Mr. Pope's. He, in the Purity of his Ear, has cashier'd the laft Word, because the Verse was longer than its fellows. I have chofe to retain it; (because, I am perfuaded, the Poet intended a Rhyme) and reduce the Line to Measure by an Apocope fo frequent in his Writings.

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Helen, Wife to Menelaus, in Love with Paris.
Andromache, Wife to Hector.

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

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SCENE, the Palace in Troy.

Enter Pandarus and Troilus.

TROILUS.

ALL here my varlet; I'll unarm again. (3)
Why should 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

(5)

I'll unarm again.

Why Should I war without the Walls of Troy,

That find fuch cruel Battle here within ?] I won't venture to affirm, that this Paffage is founded on Anacreon, but there is a mighty Confonance both of Thought and Expreffion in both Poets; particularly, in the Clofe of the Sentence.

Μάτω δ' ἔχω βοείην
Τι να βαλω μεθ ̓ ἔξω,
Μάχης ἔσω μ' ἐχέσης

A 4

Tis

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, muft needs tarry the grinding.

Troi. Have I not tarried?

Pan. Ay, the grinding; but

boulting.

Troi. Have I not tarried?

you must tarry the

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

'Tis in vain that I have a Shield: for wherefore should I wear that outward Defence, when the Battle rages all within me? I hope, my Readers will forgive me, if I take Notice on this Occafion that the Learned Tanaquil Faber quite miftook Anacreon's Senfe in this Line, Tì 25' Baxwμel',He has render'd it; Quid enim extrà, aut Ti_S` B&@@8° ૬, foràs, tela mittamus, cùm intùs pugna fit? This is abfolutely foreign from the Poet's Meaning. Madam Dacier feems to have understood it in her French Verfion, but is repugnant to herself, when the gives it us in Latin. C'est donc en vain que j'ay un bouclier, car à quoi fert de fe défendre au dehors, lorfque l'ennemi eft au dedans?—I am furpriz'd, after so just a Tranflation as to the Meaning, that she could fubjoin this Remark. Les Interpretes Latins n'ont pas bien entendu ce vers qu'ils traduifent, Nàm cur petamur extrà; & il falloit traduire tout au contraire, nam cur petamus extrà. Petere hoftem, is, to attack an Enemy; which is not Anacreon's Meaning. But Monf. De la Foffe has genteely animadverted upon this Lady's Error. Anacreon ne fongeoit qu'au le défendre, & non pas à offenfer. Ainfi petamus, qui eft une Action offenfive, n'eftoit pas si jufte que petamur.,

In my Opinion, the 'affage fhould be thus render'd;

Fruftrà gero Clypeum;

Quid enim [illum] extrinfecùs objiciam,

Cum Pugna intus omnino ardeat?

The Tranflators do not feem to have remember'd, that Cannoμar (as its Compounds, αμφιβάλλομαι, ἐπιβάλλομαι, περιβάλλομαι) may lometimes fignify actively, induo, injicio, impong. Authorities are fo obvious, that it is unneceffary to alledge any. 3

stay

stay the cooling too, or you may chance to burn your

lips.

Troi. Patience her felf, what Goddefs e'er fhe be, Doth leffer blench at fufferance, than I do :

At Priam's royal table do I fit;

And when fair Creffid comes into my thoughts,

So, traitor!—when she comes? when is the thence? Pan. Well, the look'd yesternight 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 Hector or my father fhould perceive me ;
I have (as when the Sun doth light a storm)
Buried this figh in wrinkle of a smile:

But forrow, that is couch'd in feeming gladnefs,
Is like that mirth Fate turns to fudden fadness.

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 herbut I would, Somebody had heard her talk yefterday, as I did: I will not difpraise your fifter Caffandra's wit, but

Troi. O Pandarus! I tell thee, Pandarus

When I do tell thee, there my hopes lye drown'd, (4) Reply not in how many fathoms deep

They lye indrench'd. I tell thee, I am mad

(4) When I do tell thee, there my Hopes lye drown'd, Reply not in how many Fathoms deep

They lye intrench'd.]. This is only the Reading of the modern Editors:
I have reftor'd that of the old Books. For befides that, intrench'd in
Fathoms, is a Phrase which we have very great Reason to fufpect; what
Confonance, or Agreement, in Senfe is there betwixt drown'd and in-
trench'd? The firft carries the Idea of Deftruction, the latter of Security.
Indrench'd correfponds exactly with drown'd; and fignifies, immers'd in
the Deep, or, as our Poet in another Place calls it, enfteep'd.
So in his Venus and Adonis ;

O, where am I, (quoth fhe) in Earth, or Heav'n?

Or in the Ocean drench'd?

And in the Two Gentlemen of Verona we again find the Terms coupled. And drench'd me in the Sea, where I am drown'd.

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