'Ginning i'th' middle: starting thence away, (2)
To what may be digested 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, starting thence away,] Thus all the editions, before Mr. Pope's. He, in the purity of his ear, has cashier'd the last word, because the verse was longer than its fellows. I have chose to retain it; (because, I am perfuaded, the Poet intended a rhyme) and reduce the line to measure by an apocope so frequent in his writings.

P

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

Cassandra, Daughter to Priam, a Prophetess.
Cressida, Daughter to Calchas, in love with Troilus.

Alexander, Cressida's Man.
Boy, Page to Troilus.

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

:

ACT I.

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 master of his heart,

Let him to field; Troilus, alas! hath none.

Pan. Will this geer ne'er be mended?

Troi. The Greeks are strong, and skilful to their strength,

Fierce to their skill, and to their fierceness valiant.

But I am weaker than a woman's tear,

Tamer than fleep, fonder than ignorance;
Less valiant than the virgin in the night,

And skill-less as unpractis'd infancy.

Pan.

(3)

- I'll unarm again.

Why should I war without the walls of Troy,
That find such cruel battle here within ?) I won't venture to affirm,

that this paffage is founded on Anacreon, but there is a mighty con

fonance both of thought and expreffion in both poets; particularly,

in the close of the sentence.

Μάτην δ ̓ ἔχω βοείην

Τὶ γὰρ βαλώμεθ ̓ ἔξω,

Μάχης ἔσω μ ̓ ἐχύσης;

348

s ana

RESSIDA.

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, must needs tarry the grinding.

Troi. Have I not tarried?

Pan. Ay, the grinding; but you must tarry the boulting.

Troi. Have I not tarried?

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

Troi. Patience herself, what Goddess e'er she be,
Doth leffer blench at sufferance, than I do.
At Priam's royal table do I fit;

'Tis in vain that I have a shield: for wberefore should I wear that out-
ward defence, when the battle rages all within me? I hope, my rea-
ders will forgive me, if I take notice on this occasion that the
learned Tanaquil Faber quite mistook Anacreon's sense in this line,
Τὰ γὰρ βαλάμεθ ̓ ἔξω; - He has render'd it; Quid enim extra, aut
foràs, tela mittamus, cùm intus pugna fit? This is absolutely foreign
from the Poet's meaning. Madam Dacier seems to have understood
it in her French version, but is repugnant to herself, when he gives
it us in Latin. C'est donc en vain que j'ay un bouclier, car à quoi
fert de le défendre au dehors, lorsque 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, Nam cur petamur extra; & il falloit traduire
tout au contraire, nam cur petamus extra. Petere bostem, is, to attack
an enemy; which is not Anacreon's meaning. But Mons. De la Foffe
bas genteely animadverted upon this Lady's error. Anacreon ne
fongeoit qu'au se défendre, & non pas à offenfer. Ainsi petamus, qui
eft une action offenfive, n'estoit pas si juste que petamur.

In my opinion, the paffage should be thus render'd;

Fruftra gero C'ypeum;

Quid enim [illum] extrinfecus objiciam,
Cum Pugna intùs omninò ardeat?

The tranflators do not seem to have remember'd, that βάλλομαι (as
its compounds, αμφιβάλλομαι, ἐπιβάλλομαι, περιβάλλομαι) may fome-
times fignify actively, induo, injicio, impono. Authorities are so ob-
vious, that it is unnecessary to alledge any.

And

And when fair Creffid comes into my thoughts,
So, traitor!-when he comes? when is fhe thence?
Pan. Well, the look'd yesternight fairer than ever I
faw her look, or any woman elfe.

Troi. I was about to tell thee, when my heart,
As wedged with a figh, would rive in twain,
Left Hector or my father should perceive me;
I have (as when the fun doth light a storm),
Buried this figh in wrinkle of a smile:
But forrow, that is couch'd in feeming gladness,
Is like that mirth fate turns to fudden sadness.

Pan. And her hair were not fomewhat darker than Helen's-well, go to, there were no more comparifon between the women. But, for my part, fhe is my kinfwoman; I would not (as they term it) praise her-but I would, fomebody had heard her talk yesterday, as I did: I will not difpraise your fifter Caffandra's wit, but

Troi. O Pandarus! I tell thee, Pandarus

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

They lie indrench'd. I tell thee, I am mad
In Crefid's love. Thou anfwer'ft, fhe is fair;
Pour'ft in the open ulcer of my heart

Her eyes, her hair, her cheek, her gait, her voice;
Handleft in thy difcourfe- O that! her hand!
(In whofe comparison, all whites are ink
Writing their own reproach) to whose soft seizure

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

They lie intrench'd.] This is only the reading of the modern editors: I have reftor'd that of the old books. For besides that, intrench'd in fatboms, is a phrase which we have very great reafon to fufpect; what confonance, or agreement, in fenfe is there betwixt drown'd and intrench'd? The firft carries the idea of deftruction, the latter of fe curity. Indrench'd corresponds exactly with drown'd; and fignifies, immers'd in the deep, or, as our Poet in another place calls it, ensteep'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.

The