Einleitung.

Shakspere's Troilus and Cressida erschien zuerst im Jahre 1609 in einer Quartausgabe mit folgendem Titel: The Famous Historie of Troylus and Cresseid. Excellently expressing the beginning of their loues, with the conceited wooing of Pandarus Prince of Licia. Written by William Shakespeare. London. Imprinted by G. Eld for R. Bonian and II. Walley, and are to be sold at the spred Eagle in Paules Church-yeard, over against the great North doore. 1609. Dem Texte geht folgendes an den Leser gerichtete Vorwort voran, das auf der zweiten Seite The Epistle überschrieben ist:

A never writer to an ever reader. News.

Eternal reader, you have here a new play, never staled with the stage, never clapper-clawed with the palms of the vulgar, and yet passing full of the palm comical; for it is a birth of your brain, that never undertook anything comical vainly: and were but the vain names of comedies changed for the titles of commodities, or of plays for pleas, you should see all those grand censors, that now style them such vanities, flock to them for the main grace of their gravities; especially this author's comedies, that are so framed to the life, that they serve for the most common commentaries of all the actions of our lives, showing such a dexterity and power of wit, that the most displeased with plays are pleased with his comedies. And all such dull and heavy-witted worldlings as were never capable of the wit of a comedy, coming by report of them to his representations, have found that wit there that they never found in themselves, and have parted better witted than they came; feeling edge of wit set upon them more than ever they dreamed they had bruin to grind it on. So much and such favoured salt of wit is in his comedies, that they seem (for their height of pleasure) to be born in that sea that brought forth Venus. Amongst all there is none more witty than this: and had I time I would comment upon it, though I know it needs not (for so much as will make you think your testern well bestowed), but for so much

worth as even poor I know to be stuffed in it. It deserves such a labour, as well as the best comedy in Terence or Plautus. And believe this, that when he is gone, and his comedies out of sale, you will scramble for them, and set up a new English Inquisition. Take this for a warning, and at the peril of your pleasures' loss and judgments, refuse not, nor like this the less for not being sullied with the smoky breath of the multitude; but thank Fortune for the scape it hath made amongst you, since by the grand possessors' wills I believe you should have prayed for them rather than been prayed. And so I leave all such to be prayed for (for the states of their wit's healths) that will not praise it. Vale.

Es erhellt aus dieser Vorrede, dass zur Zeit das Drama noch nicht zur Aufführung gelangt war, und dass dasselbe ohne die Genehmigung der Besitzer,*) (ohne Zweifel der Shakspere'schen Schauspielergesellschaft) hier im Druck erschien. Offenbar hat der erstere Umstand die Verleger, die sich auf unrechtmässige Weise in den Besitz einer Handschrift gesetzt hatten, veranlasst, ihrer Ausgabe ein empfehlendes Vorwort für ein Drama voranzuschicken, das dem Publikum noch durch keine Bühnenaufführung bekannt geworden war. Aus einer Einzeichnung in die Register der Buchhändler von Seiten der genannten Verleger (28. Jan. 1608-9) geht zugleich hervor, dass um dieselbe Zeit das Schauspiel Troilus and Cressida, hier The History of Troylus and Cressula genannt, der Theatercensur vorlag, welche die Erlaubniss zur Aufführung zu ertheilen hatte. Nachdem diese Genehmigung erfolgt und das Stück über die Bühne gegangen war, liessen die Verleger in den noch vorräthigen Exemplaren ihrer Quartausgabe die nunmehr überflüssig gewordene Vorrede weg, und fügten statt des alten Titelblattes ein neues hinzu, das folgendermassen lautete: The Historie of Troylus and Cresseida. As it was acted by the Kings Maiesties seruants at the Globe. Written by William Shakespeare. London. Imprinted by G. Eld for R. Bonian and H. Walley etc. 1609. Das Drama muss mithin zwischen dem Erscheinen der ersten Quartausgabe und der nur durch Weglassung der Vorrede so wie durch das Titelblatt davon verschiedenen zweiten, im Jahre 1609 von der Shakspere'schen Schauspielergesellschaft, the King's Players genannt, auf dem Globustheater zuerst dargestellt sein.

In der Gesammtausgahe der Shakspere'schen Dramen in Folio findet sich The Tragedie of Troylus and Cressida zwischen der zweiten Abtheilung dieses Bandes, welche die Histories enthält, und der dritten, der Tragedies, als seien, wie Charles Knight vermuthet, die Herausgeber der Folio zweifelhaft gewesen, welcher Kategorie ein Drama ange

*) In dem Satze since by the grand possessors' wills, I believe you should have prayed for them etc. ist das them auf das vorhergehende his comedies, auf Sh.'s Dramen, zu beziehen.

höre, das in der Vorrede der ersten Quartausgabe als Comedy charakterisirt und mit den Lustspielen des Plautus und Terenz verglichen wird, das auf dem Titelblatt der Quartos, und in dem Vermerk der Buchhändlergilde History heisst, das endlich der Titel in der Folioausgabe als Tragedy bezeichnet, vermuthlich mehr der in dem Drama auftretenden Helden wegen, als in Folge der Behandlung des Stoffes, wie sie Shakspere in dieser Parodie des trojanischen und griechischen Heldenthums unternahm. -Collier sucht den Grund zu der abgesonderten Stellung, welche Troilus and Cressida in der Folio einnimmt, darin, dass das Stück abgesondert von den übrigen und von einem andern Drucker gedruckt und erst nachher der Folio einverleibt sei. Zur Unterstützung dieser Hypothese macht er auf die überaus grosse Nachlässigkeit des Druckes, auf die zahlreichen Druckfehler aufmerksam, die sich indess auch in manchen andern Dramen der Folio in kaum geringerem Masse bemerklich machen. Jedenfalls ist der Text der Folio nicht so ohne Weiteres aus dem gleichfalls sehr nachlässig behandelten Texte der Qs. abgedruckt worden, sondern verräth in Einzelnheiten und Zusätzen überall die verbessernde Hand des Dichters, wogegen, was die Qs. an einzelnen nur in ihnen enthaltenen Versen, wie an bessern Lesarten vor der Fol. voraus haben, zuversichtlich auf Rechnung der Fahrlässigkeit zu setzen ist, mit welcher der Text beim Drucke für die Fol. behandelt worden sein muss. Eine Abtheilung in Acte und Scenen fehlt in beiden alten Ausgaben.

Den Grundstoff zu seiner Tragikomödie, die Licbesschicksale des treuen Troilus und seiner treulosen Geliebten, fand Sh. in Chaucer's Epos Troilus and Creseide, das in fünf Büchern dasselbe Thema, aber im ernsten Style mittelalterlicher Sagen behandelt. Chaucer beginnt nach einer Apostrophe an den Leser folgendermassen:

It is well wist, how that the Greekes strong
In armes with a thousand shippes went
To Troie wardes, and the citie long
Besiegeden, nigh then yeres ere they stent,
And how in divers wise, and one entent,
The ravishing to wreake of queen Heleine,
By Paris don, they wroughten all hir peine.
Now fell it 80, that in the toune there was
Dwelling a lord of great authorite
A great divine that cleped was Calcas,
That in science so expert was, that he
Knew well, that Troie should destroyed be,
By answere of his god, that hight thus,
or Apollo Delphicus.

Dan Phebus,

So whan this Calcas knew by calculing,
And eke by the answere of this god Apollo,
That the Greekes should such a people bring,
Thorow the which that Troie must be fordo,

He cast anone out of the toune to go:
For well he wist by sort, that Troie sholde
Destroyed be, ye would who so or n'olde.
Wherefore he to departen softely,
Tooke purpose full, this forknowing wise,
And to the Greekes host full prively
He stale anone, and they in courteous wise
Did to him both worship and servise,
In trust that he hath cunning hem to rede
In every perill, which that was to drede.

Great rumour rose, whan it was first espied,
In all the toune, and openly was spoken,
That Calcas traitour fled was and alied
To hem of Grece: and cast was to be wroken
On him, that falsely hath his faith broken,
And sayd, he and all his kinne atones,
Were worthy to be brent, both fell and bones.

Now had Calcas lefte in this mischaunce,
Unwist of this false and wicked dede,
A daughter, whiche was in great penaunce,
And of her life she was full sore in drede,
And wist ne never what best was to rede:
And as a widdow was she, and all alone,
And n'iste to whome she might make her mone.

Creseide was this ladies name aright,
As to my dome, in all Troies citie
Most fairest ladie, far passing every wight
So angelike shone her native beaute,
That no mortall thing seemed she:
And therewith was she so perfect a creature,
As she had be made in scorning of nature.

Die Unterhaltung des Pandarus mit seiner Nichte (A. 1, Sc. 3.) findet

sich bei Chaucer vorgebildet, wie aus folgendem Bruchstück hervorgeht:

They faren well; God save hem both two:
For trewliche, I hold it great deintic,
A kinges sonne in armes well to do,
And be of good conditions thereto :
For great power, and morall vertue here
Is selde iseene in one persone ifere."

,,In good faith, that is sooth" (quod Pandarus)
,,But by my trouth the king hath sonnes twey,
That is to meane, Hector and Troilus,
That certainly though that I should dey,
They ben as void of vices, dare I sey,
As any men that liven under Sunne,
Hir might is wide yknow, and what they

conne.

„Of Hector needeth it no more for to tell,
In all this world there n'is a better knight
Than he, that is of worthinesse the well,
And he well more vertue hath than might,

This knoweth many a wise and worthy knight:
And the same prise of Troilus I sey,
God helpe me 80, I know not suche twey."
„By God," (quod she) of Hector that is sooth,
And of Troilus the same thing trow I:
For dredelesse, men telleth that he dooth
In armes day by day so worthely,
And beareth him here at home so gently
To every wight, that all prise hath he
Of hem that me were levest praised be."

"

Ye say right sooth ywis," (quod Pandarus)
,,For yesterday, who so had with him been,
Mighten have wondred upon Troilus,
For never yet so thicke a swarme of been
Ne flew, as Greekes from him gan fleen,
And through the field in every wightes care,
There was no crie, but Troilus is there.

Now here, now there, he hunted hem so fast,
There nas but Greekes blood, and Troilus,
Now him he hurt, and him all down he cast,
Aye where he went it was arraied thus:
He was hir death, and shield and life for us,
That as the day ther durst him none with-

of great estate, that ever I saw my live:
And where him list, best fellowship can
To such as him thinketh able for to thrive."
Pandarus in seinem Gespräch mit Cres

Die Scherze und Spässe des
sida (A. 4, Sc. 2.) haben ebenfalls ihr Vorbild bei Chaucer:

Pandare a morow, which that commen was
Unto his nece, gan her faire to grete,
And saied, "All this night so rained it alas,
That all my drede is, that ye, nece swete,
Have little leiser had to slepe and mete:
Al this night"(quod he),,hath rain so do me wake,
That some of us I trowe hir heddes ake,"

And nere he came and said, "How stant it now
This merie morow, nece, how can ye fare?"
Creseide answerde, „Never the bet for you,
Foxe that ye been, God yeve your herte care,
God helpe me so, ye caused all this fare,
Trowe I," (quod she) „for all your wordes white,
O who so seth you, knoweth you full lite.“

With that she gan her face for to wrie,
With the shete, and woxe for shame all redde,
And Pandarus gan under for to prie,

And saied Nece, if that I shall been dedde,
Have here a sword, and smiteth of my hedde:"
With that his arme all sodainly he thrist
Under her necke, and at the last her kist.

I passe all that, which chargeth naught to say,
What, God foryave his death, and she also
Foryave: and with her uncle gan to play,
For other cause was there none than so:
But of this thing right to the effect to go,
Whan time was, home to her house she went,
And Pandarus hath fully his entent.

Der Rede des Calchas (A. 3, Sc. 3.) entspricht bei Chaucer Folgendes:

„Having unto my treasour, ne my rent,
Right no regard in respect of your ease,
Thus all my good I left, and to you went,
Wening in this you lordes for to please,
But all that losse ne doth me no disease,
I vouchsafe, as wisely have I joy,
For you to lese all that I have in Troy.
„Save of a doughter that I left, alas,
Sleeping at home, whan out of Troy I stert,
O sterne, O cruell father that I was,
How might I have in that so hard an herte?
Alas, that I ne had brought her in my shert,
For sorow of which I wol nat live to morow,
But if ye lordes rew upon my sorow.
Abschiede des Troilus und der Cressida

Than said he thus, „Lo, lordes mine I was
Troyan, as it is knowen out of drede,
And if that you remember, I am Calcas,
That alderfirst yave comfort to your nede,
And tolde well howe that you should spede,
For dredelesse through you shall in a stound
Ben Troy ybrent, and beaten doun to ground.
And in what forme, or in what manner wise
This toun to shend, and all your lust atcheve,
Ye have ere this well herde me devise:
This know ye my lordes, as I leve,
And for the Greekes weren me so leve,
I came my selfe in my proper persone
To teach in this how you was best to done.
Hier ein Bruchstück aus dem
(A. 4, Sc. 4.), wie ihn Chaucer hat:
And over all this I pray you," (quod she tho)
My owne hertes soothfast suffisaunce,
Sith I am thine all hole withouten mo,
That while that I am absent, no pleasaunce
Of other, do me fro your remembraunce:
For I am ever agast, for why? men rede,
That love is thing aye full of busie drede.
For in this world there liveth lady none,
If that ye were untrue, as God defend,
That so betrayed were, or wo begon,
As I, that all trouthe in you entend:
And doubtlesse, if that iche other wend,
I nere but dead, and ere ye cause find,
For Goddes love, so beth ye nat unkind.“
To this answered Troilus and seide,
Now God to whom there n'is no cause ywrie,
Me glad, as wis I never unto Creseide,
Sith thilke day I saw her first with eye,
Was false, ne never shall till that I die,

At short wordes, well ye may me leve,
I can no more, it shall be found at preve.“
Graunt mercy, good herte mine, ywis" (quod she)
And blisful Venus let me never sterve,
Er I may stonde of pleasaunce in degre,
To quite him well, that so well can deserve:

And while that God my wit will me conserve
I shall so done, so true I have you found,
That aie honour to meward shall rebound.
„For trusteth well, that your estate royall,
Ne vain delile, nor onely worthinesse
Of you in werre or turnay marciall,
Ne pompe, array, nobley, or eke richesse:
Ne made me to rue on your distresse,
But moral veriue, grounded upon trouth,
That was the cause I first had on you routh.
„Eke gentle herte, and manhood that ye had,
And that ye had (as me thought) in dispite
Every thing that sowned in to bad,
As rudenesse, and peoplish appetite
And that your reason bridled your delite,
This made aboven every creature,
That I was yours, and shall while I may

dure.

,,And this may length of yeres nat fordo,
Ne remuablest fortune deface,

But Jupiter, that of his might may do
The sorowfull to be glad, so yeve us grace,
Er nightes tenne to meten in this place,
So that it may your herte and mine suffise,
And fareth now well, for time is that ye rise.“