: J Agam. Is not yon Diomed, with Calchas' daughter? Ulyss. 'Tis he, I ken the manner of his gait; Enter Diomedes, with Cressida. Agam. Most dearly welcome to the Greeks, sweet lady. Nest. Our general doth salute you with a kiss. Ulyss. Yet is the kindness but particular; 'Twere better, she were kiss'd in general. Nest. And very courtly counsel: I'll begin. So much for Nestor. Achil I'll take that winter from your lips, fair Hector bade ask. lady: Achilles bids you welcome. Men. I had good argument for kissing once. For thus popp'd Paris in his hardiment; Agam. Which way would Hector have it Ene. He cares not, he'll obey conditions. Achil. 'Tis done like Hector; but securely done, A little proudly, and a great deal misprising The knight oppos'd. Ene. If not Achilles, sir, Ulyss. O deadly gall, and theme of all our What is your name? scorns! For which we lose our heads, to gild his horns. Patr. The first was Menelaus' kiss ;-this, mine: Patroclus kisses you. Men. O, this is trim. Patr. Paris, and I, kiss evermore for him. Men. I'll have my kiss, sir:—Lady, by your leave. Cres. In kissing, do you render, or receive? Cres. I'll make my match to live, Men. I'll give you boot, I'll give you three for one. Cres. You're an odd man; give even, or give none. Men. An odd man, lady? every man is odd. Cres. No, Paris is not; for, you know, 'tis true, That you are odd, and he is even with you. Men. You fillip me o'the head. Cres. No, I'll be sworn. Ulyss. It were no match, your nail against his horn. May I, sweet lady, beg a kiss of you? Cres. You may. Ulyss. Why then, for Venus' sake, give me a kiss, When Helen is a maid again, and his. Cres. I am your debtor, claim it when 'tis due. Ulyss. Never's my day, and then a kiss of you. Dio. Lady, a word;-I'll bring you to your father [Diomedes leads out Cressida. Achil. If not Achilles, nothing. [this: Ene. Therefore Achilles: but, whate'er, know In the extremity of great and little, Valour and pride excel themselves in Hector; The one almost as infinite as all, The other blank as nothing. Weigh him well, And that, which looks like pride, is courtesy. This Ajax is half made of Hector's blood: In love whereof, half Hector stays at home; Half heart, half hand, half Hector comes to seek This blended knight, half Trojan, and half Greek. Achil. A maiden battle then?-O, I perceive you. Re-enter Diomedes. Agam. Here is sir Diomed:-go, gentle knight, Stand by our Ajax: as you and lord Æneas Consent upon the order of their fight, So be it; either to the uttermost, Or else a breath: the combatants being kin, His heart and hand both open, and both free; [trumpets cease. Agam. His blows are well dispos'd :—there, Dio. You must no more. Ene. Princes, enough, so please you. Hect. Why then, will I no more: Thou art, great lord, my father's sister's son, Wherein my sword had not impressure made Ajax. I thank thee, Hector; Hect. Not Neoptolemus so mirable [O yes Hect. We'll answer it; [sides, The issue is embracement :-Ajax, farewell. Dio. 'Tis Agamemnon's wish: and great [cousin; Doth long to see unarm'd the valiant Hector. Agam. Worthy of arms! as welcome as to one That would be rid of such an enemy; Mock not, that I affect the untraded oath ; Nest. I have, thou gallant Trojan, seen thee oft, As hot as Perseus, spur thy Phrygian steed, [air, And I have seen thee pause, and take thy breath, By, by great Mars, the captain of us all, Hect. Let me embrace thee, good old chronicle, Thou hast so long walk'd hand in hand_with time: Most reverend Nestor, I am glad to clasp thee. Nest. I would, my arms could match thee in contention, As they contend with thee in courtesy. Nest. Ha! Hect. I must not believe you: There they stand yet: and modestly, I think, The fall of every Phrygian stone will cost Á drop of Grecian blood: the end crowns all; And that old common arbitrator, Time, Will one day end it. Ulyss. So to him we leave it. Most gentle, and most valiant Hector, welcome : Achil. I shall forestall thee, lord Ulysses, thou! Hect. Is this Achilles? Achil. I am Achilles. Hect. Stand fair, I pray thee: let me look on Achil. Behold thy fill. Hect. Nay, I have done already. [thee. Achil. Thou art too brief; I will the second time, As I would buy thee, view thee limb by limb. Hect. O, like a book of sport thou'lt read me o'er ; But there's more in me, than thou understand'st. Hect. It would discredit the bless'd gods, proud Achil. How now, thou core of envy? Thou crusty batch of nature, what's the news? Ther. Why, thou picture of what thou seemest, and idol of idiot-worshippers, here's a letter for thee. Achil. From whence, fragment? Ther. Why, thou full dish of fool, from Troy. Patr. Who keeps the tent now? Ther. The surgeon's box, or the patient's wound. Patr. Well said, Adversity! and what need these tricks? Ther. Pr'ythee be silent, boy; I profit not by His insolence draws folly from my lips; Ajar. Do not chafe thee, cousin ;— Hect. I pray you, let us see you in the field; We have had pelting wars, since you refus'd The Grecians' cause. Achil. Dost thou entreat me, Hector? To-morrow, do I meet thee, fell as death; To-night, all friends. Hect. Thy hand upon that match. [my tent; Agam. First, all you peers of Greece, go to There in the full convive we: afterwards, As Hector's leisure and your bounties shall Concur together, severally entreat him.— Beat loud the tabourines, let the trumpets blow, That this great soldier may his welcome know. [exeunt all but Troilus and Ulysses. Tro. My lord Ulysses, tell me, I beseech you, In what place of the field does Calchas keep? Ulyss. At Menelaus' tent, most princely Troilus: There Diomed doth feast with him to-night; Tro. Shall I, sweet lord, be bound to you 80, After we part from Agamemnon's tent, [much, To bring me thither? Ulyss. You shall command me, sir. As gentle tell me, of what honour was This Cressida in Troy? Had she no lover there, That wails her absence? [scars, Tro. O, sir, to such as boasting show their A mock is due. Will you walk on, my lord? She was belov'd, she lov'd; she is, and doth: But, still, sweet love is food for fortune's tooth. [exeunt. V. thy talk; thou art thought to be Achilles' male varlet. Patr. Male varlet, you rogue! what's that? Ther. Why, his masculine whore. Now the rotten diseases of the south, the guts-griping, ruptures, catarrhs, loads o'gravel i'the back, lethargies, cold palsies, raw eyes, dirt-rotten livers, wheezing lungs, bladders full of imposthume, sciaticas, lime-kilns i'the palm, incurable bone-ache, and the rivalled fee-simple of the tetter, take and take again such preposterous discoveries! Patr. Why, thou damnable box of envy, thou, what meanest thou to curse thus? Ther. Do I curse thee? Patr. Why, no, you ruinous butt; you whore son indistinguishable cur, no. Ther. No? why art thou then exasperate, thou idle immaterial skeinsleive silk, thou green sarcenet flap for a sore eye, thou tassel of a prodigal's purse, thou? Ah, how the poor world is pestered with such water-flies; diminutives of nature! Patr. Out, gall! Ther. Finch-egg! Achil. My sweet Patroclus, I am thwarted From my great purpose in to-morrow's battle. An oath that I have sworn. I will not break it: There, where we see the lights Hect. I trouble you. Ajar. No, not a whit. Ulyss. Here comes himself to guide you. Achil. Welcome, brave Hector; welcome, Hect. Give me your hand. Tro. Sweet sir, you honour me. [exeunt Achilles, Hector, Ajax, and Nestor. Ther. That same Diomed's a false-hearted rogue, a most unjust knave; I will no moro trust him when he leers, than I will a serpent when he hisses: he will spend his mouth, and promise, like Brabler the hound; but when he performs, astronomers foretell it; it is prodigious, there will come some change; the sun borrows of the moon, when Diomed keeps his word. will rather leave to see Hector, than not to dog him: they say, he keeps a Trojan drab, and uses the traitor Calchas' tent: I'll after.-Nothing but lechery! all incontinent varlets! [exit. SCENE II. THE SAME. BEFORE CALCHAS' TENT. Dio. What, are you up here, ho? speak. I Dio. Diomed.-Calchas, I think.-Where's your daughter? Cal. [within.] She comes to you. Enter Troilus and Ulysses, at a distance; after them Thersites. Ulyss. Stand where the torch may not discover Tro. Thy better must. Cras. Hark! one word in your ear. Tro. O plague and madness! Of thee, and me; and sighs, and takes my glove. Ulyss. You are mov'd, prince; let us depart, I He, that takes that, must take my heart withal. Tro. I pr'ythee, stay. Ulyss. You have not patience; come. Dio. I had your heart before, this follows it. Tro. I did swear patience. Cres. You shall not have it, Diomed; 'faith, you shall not; I'll give you something else. Dio. I will have this; whose was it? Cres. 'Tis no matter. Dio. Come, tell me whose it was. Cres. 'Twas one's that lov'd me better than Tro. I pray you stay; by hell, and all hell's But, now you have it, take it. torments, I will not speak a word. Dio. And so, good night. Cres. Nay, but you part in anger. Tro. Doth that grieve thee? O wither'd truth! Ulyss. Why, how now, lord? I will be patient. Cres. Guardian!-why, Greek! Dio. Pho, pho! adieu! you palter. Cres. In faith, I do not; come hither once again. Ulyss. You shake my lord, at something; will you go? You will break out. Tro. She strokes his cheek! Ulyss. Come, come. Tro. Nay, stay; by Jove, I will not speak a word : There is between my will and all offences, Ther. How the devil luxury, with his fat rump, and potatoc finger, tickles these together! Fry, lechery, fry! Dio. But will you then? Cres. In faith, I will, la; never trust me else. I will not be myself, nor have cognition Re-enter Cressida. [exit. Tro. I will be patient; outwardly I will. But it straight starts you. Dio. I do not like this fooling. Ther. Nor I, by Pluto: but that, that likes: not you, pleases me best. Dio. What, shall I come? the hour? Cres. Ay, come:-O Jove!— Do come:-I shall be plagu'd. Cres. Good night. I pr'ythee, come. [exit Diomed. Troilus, farewell! one eye yet looks on thee; But with my heart the other eye doth see.Ah! poor our sex! this fault in us I find, The error of our eye directs our mind: What error leads, must err; O then conclude, Minds, sway'd by eyes, are full of turpitude. [exit. Ther. A proof of strength she could not pub lish more, Unless she said, my mind is now turn'd whore. Ulyss. All's done, my lord. Tro. It is. Ulyss. Why stay we then? Tro. To make a recordation to my soul Cres. You look upon that sleeve; behold it Of every syllable that here was spoke. |