woman,

(As, if it can, I will presume in you,)

To feed for aye her lamp and flames of love;
To keep her constancy in plight and youth,
Outliving beauty's outward, with a mind
That doth renew swifter than blood decays!
Or, that persuasion could but thus convince
That my integrity and truth to you [me,-
Might be affronted with the match and weight
Of such a winnow'd purity in love:
How were I then uplifted! but, alas,

I am as true as truth's simplicity,

And simpler than the infancy of truth.
Cres. In that I'll war with you.
Tro. O virtuous fight,

When right with right wars who shall be most right!

True swains in love, shall in the world to come, Approve their truths by Troilus: when their rhymes,

Full of protest, of oath, and big compare, t
Want similes, truth tir'd with iteration,-
As true as steel, as plantage to the moon,
As sun to day, as turtle to her mate,

As iron to adamant, as earth to the centre,-
Yet, after all comparisons of truth,
As truth's authentic author to be cited,

As true as Troilus shall crown up the verse,
And sanctify the numbers.

Cres. Prophet may you be!

If I be false, or swerve a hair from truth,
When time is old and hath forgot itself,

When waterdrops have worn the stones of

Troy,

And blind oblivion swallow'd cities up,
And mighty states characterless are grated
To dusty nothing; yet let memory,

From false to false, among false maids in love, Upbraid my falsehood! when they have saidas false

As air, as water, wind, or sandy earth,
As fox to lamb, as wolf to heifer's calf,
Pard to the hind, or stepdame to her son;
Yea, let them say, to stick the heart of falsehood,
As false as Cressid.

Pun. Go to, a bargain made: seal it, seal it; I'll be the witness. Here I hold your hand; here, my cousin's. If ever you prove false one to another, since I have taken such pains to bring you together, let all pitiful goers-between be called to the world's end after my name, call them all-Pandars: let all constant men be Troiluses, all false women Cressids, and all brokers-between Pandars! say, amen.

SCENE 111-The Grecian Camp.

Enter AGAMEMNON, ULYSSES, DIOMEDES, NES-
TOR, AJAX, MENELAUS, and CALCHAS.
Cal. Now, princes, for the service I have done
you

The advantage of the time prompts me alond
To call for recompense. Appear it to your mind,
That, through the sight I bear in things, to
Jove

I have abandon'd Troy, left my possession,
Incurr'd a traitor's name; expos'd myself,
From certain and possess'd conveniences,
To doubtful fortunes; séquest'ring from me all
That time, acquaintance, custom, and condition,
Made tame and most familiar to my nature;
And here, to do you service, am become

I do beseech you, as in way of taste,
To give me now a little benefit,
Out of those many register'd in promise,
Which, you say, live to come in iny behalf.
Agam. What woulds't thou of us, Trojan !
make demand.

Cul. You have a Trojan prisoner, call'd An tenor,

Yesterday took; Troy holds him very dear. Oft have you, (often have you thanks therefore,)

Desir'd my Cressid in right great exchange, Whom Troy hath still denied: But this An

tenor,

Shall quite strike off all service I have done,
In most accepted pain.

Agam. Let Diomedes hear him,

And bring us Cressid hither: Calchas shall have
What he requests of us.-Good Diomed,
Furnish you fairly for this interchange:
Withal, bring word-if Hector will to-morrow
Be answer'd in his challenge: Ajax is ready.
Dio. This shall I nude. take; and 'tis a burden
Which I am proud to bear.

[Exeunt DIOMEDES and CALCHAS. Enter ACHILLES and PATROCLUS, before their Tent.

Ulyss. Achilles stands i'the entrance of his tent:

Please it our general to pass strangely by him,
As if he were forgot; and, princes all,
Lay negligent and loose regard upon him:
I will come last: 'Tis like, he'll question me,
Why such unplausive eyes are bent, why turn'd
on him :

If so, I have derision med'cinable,
To use between your strangeness and his pride,
Which his own will shall have desire to drink;
It may be good: pride hath no other glass
To show itself, but pride; for supple knees
Feed arrogance, and are the proud man's fees.
Agam. We'll execute your purpose,
and

put on

A form of strangeness as we pass along ;-
So do each lord; and either greet him not,
Or else disdainfully, which shall shake him
Than if not look'd on. I will lead the way.

more

Achil. What, comes the general to speak with me?

You know my mind, I'll fight no more 'gainst Troy.

Agam. What says Achilles? would be ought with us?

Nest. Would you, my lord, aught with the general ?

Achil. No.

To send their smiles before them to Achilles ;
To come as humby, as they us'd to creep
To holy altars.

Achil. What, am I poor of late?

'Tis certain, greatness, once fallen out with fortune,

Must fall out with men too: What the declin'd is,
He shall as soon read in the eyes of others,
As feel in his own fall for men, like butter-
flies,
[mer;
Show not their mealy wings, but to the sum-
And not a man, for being simply man,
Hath any honour; but honour for those honours
That are without him, as place, riches, favour,
Prizes of accident as oft as merit:

Which when they fall, as being slippery standers,
The love that lean'd on them as slippery too,
Do one pluck down another, and together
Fe in the fall. But 'tis not so with me:
ortune and I are friends; I do enjoy
t ample point all that I did possess,
Save these men's looks; who do, methinks,
find out

Something not worth in me such rich beholding
As they have often given. Here is Ulysses;
F'll interrupt his reading.-

How now, Ulysses?

Ulyss. Now great Thetis' son?
Achil. What are you reading?
Ulyss. A strange fellow here

Writes me, That man-how dearly ever parted,
How much in having, or without, or in,-
Cannot make boast to have that which he hath,
Nor feels not what he owes, but by reflection;
As when his virtues shining upon others
Heat them, and they retort that heat again
To the first giver.

Achil. This is not strange, Ulysses.
The beauty that is borne here in the face
The bearer knows not, but commends itself
To others' eyes: nor doth the eye itself
(That most pure spirit of sense,) behold itself,
Not going from itself; but eye to eye oppos'd
Salutes each other with each other's form.
For speculation turns not to itself,
Till it hath travell'd, and is married there
Where it may see itself: this is not strange
at all.

Ulyss. I do not strain at the position; It is familiar; but at the author's drift: Who, in his circumstance, expressly provesThat no man is the lord of any thing,

(Though in and of him there be much consisting,)

Till he communicate his parts to others:
Nor doth he of himself know them for aught
Till he behold them form'd in the applause
Where they are extended; which, like an arcb,
reverberates

The voice again or like a gate of steel
Fronting the sun, receives and renders back
His figure and his heat. I was much rapt in
And apprehended here immediately
The unknown Ajax.

[this;

Heavens, what a man is there! a very horse; That has he knows not what. Nature, what things there are,

Most abject in regard, and dear in use!
What things again most dear in the esteem,
And poor in worth! Now shall we see to-mor-
row,

An act that very chance doth throw upon him,
Ajax renow'd. O heavens, what some men do,
While some men leave to do!

How some men creep in skittish fortune's hall,
Whiles others play the idiots in her eyes!
How one mau eats into another's pride,
Whiles pride is fasting in his wantonness!
To see these Grecian lords!--why, even already
They clap the lubber Ajax on the shoulder;
As if his foot were on brave Hector's breast,
And great Troy shrinking,

How excellent soever endowed.

↑ Detail of argument.

Achil. I do believe it; for they pass'd by me, As misers do by beggars: neither gave to me Good word nor look: What, are my deeds forgot? Ulyss. Time hath, my lord, a wallet at his back, Wherein he puts alms for oblivion,

A great-sized monster of ingratitudes;
Those scraps are good deeds past: which are
devour'd

As fast as they are made, forgot as soon
As done: Perséverance, dear my lord,
Keeps honour bright: To have done, is to hang
Quite out of fashion, like a rusty mail
In monumental mockery. Take the instant way:
For honour travels in a strait so narrow,
Where one but goes abreast: keep the the path;
For emulation hath a thousand sons,
That one by one pursue: If you give way,
Or hedge aside from the direct forthright,
Like to an enter'd tide they all rush by,
And leave you hindmost ;--

Or, like a gallant horse fallen in first rauk,
Lie there for pavement to the abject rear,
O'er-run and trampled on: Then what they do
in present,

Though less than your's in past, must o'ertop
For time is like a fashionable host, [your's:
That slightly shakes his parting guest by the

hand,

And with his arms out-stretch'd, as he would fly,
Grasps-in the comer: Welcome ever smiles,
And farewell goes out sighing. Oh! let not
virtue seek

Remuneration for the thing it was;
For beauty, wit,

High birth, vigour of bone, desert in service,
Love, friendship, charity, are subjects all

To envious and calumniating time.

One touch of nature makes the whole world
kin,-
[gawds,
That all, with one consent, praise new-born
Though they are made and moulded of things
past;

And give to dust, that is a little gilt,
More land than gilt o'er-dusted.

The present eye praises the present object :
Then marvel not, thou great and complete man,
That all the Greeks begin to worship Ajax;
Since things in motion sooner catch the eye,
Than what not stirs. The cry went once on thee,
And still it might; and yet it may again,
If thou would'st not entomb thyself alive,
And case thy reputation in thy tent;
Whose glorious deeds, but in these fields of late,
Made emulous missions + 'mongst the gods them-
And drave great Mars to faction.
[selves,
Achil. Of this my privacy

I have strong reasons.

Ulyss. But 'gainst your privacy The reasons are more potent and heroical: 'Tis known, Achilles, that you are in love With one of Priam's daughters. ‡

Achil. Ha! known?

Ulyss. Is that a wonder?

The providence that's in a watchful state,
Knows almost every grain of Plutus' gold;
Finds bottom in the uncomprehensive deeps;
Keeps place with thought, and almost, like the

gods,

Does thoughts unveil in their dumb cradles.
There is a mystery (with whom relation
Durst never meddle) in the soul of state,
Which hath an operation more divine,
Than breath, or pen, can give expressure to:
All the commerce that you have had with Troy,
As perfectly is our's, as your's my lord;
And better would it fit Achilles much,
To throw down Hector, than Polyxena:
But it must grieve young Pyrrhus now at home,
When fame shall in our islands sound her

Great Hector's sister did Achilles win;
But our great Ajax bravely beat down him.
Farewell, my lord: I as your lover⚫ speak;
The fool slides o'er the ice that you should break.
[Exit.
Patr. To this effect, Achilles, have I mov'd
A woman inpudent and mannish grown [you:
Is not more loath'd than an effeminate man
In time of action. I stand condemn'd for this:
They think my little stomach to the war,
And your great love to me, restrains you thus:
Sweet, rouse yourself; and the weak wanton
Cupid

Shall from your neck unloose his amorous fold,
And, like a dew-drop from the lion's mane,
Be shook to air.

Achit. Shall Ajax fight with Hector?
Patr. Ay, and, perhaps, receive much honour
by him.

Achil. I see my reputation is at stake; My fame is shrewdly gor'd.

Patr. Oh! then beware;

[selves :

Seals a commission to a blank of danger; And danger, like an ague, subtly taints Even then when we sit idly in the sun. Achil. Go call Thersites hither, sweet clus:

Patro

Ther. He must fight singly to-morrow with Hector; and is so prophetically proud of an heroical cudgelling, that he raves in saying nothing.

Achil. How can that be?

Ther. Why, he stalks up and down like a peacock, a stride, and a stand: ruminates, like an hostess, that hath no arithmetic but her brain to set down her reckoning: bites his lip with a politic regard, as who should say-there were wit in this head, an 'twould out; and so there is; but it lies as coldly in him as fire in a flint, which will not show without knocking. The mau's undone for ever; for if Hector break not his neck 'the combat, he'll break it himself in vain-glory. He knows not me: I said, Goodmorrow, Ajax; and he replies, Thanks, Agamemnon. What think you of this man, that takes me for the general? He is grown a very landfish, languageless, a monster. A plague of opinion! a man may wear it on both sides, like a leather jerkin.

Achil. Thou must be my ambassador to him, Thersites.

Ther. Who, I? why, he'll answer nobody; he professes not answering; speaking is for beggars; he wears his tongue in his arms. I will put on his presence; let Patroclus make demands to me, you shall see the pageant of Ajax.

Achil. To him, Patroclus: Tell him,-I humbly desire the valiant Ajax, to invite the most valorous Hector to come unarm'd to my tent; and to procure safe conduct for his person, of the magnanimous and most illustrious six-orseven-times-honoured captain general of the Grecian army, Agamemnon. Do this. Patr. Jove bless great Ajax. Ther. Humph!

Patr I come from the worthy Achilles,

• Friend.

on.

Achil. Come, thou shalt bear a letter to him straight.

Ther. Let me bear another to his horse; for that's the more capable + creature.

Achil. My mind is troubled, like a fountain stirr'd;

And I myself see not the bottom of it.

[Exeunt ACHILLES and PATROCLUS. Ther. 'Would the fountain of your mind were clear again, that I might water an ass at it! I had rather be a tick in a sheep, than such a valiant ignorance. [Exit.

ACT IV.

SCENE I.-Troy.-A Street.

Enter, at one side, NEAS and SERVANT, with a torch; at the other, PARIS, DEIPHOBUS, ANTENOR, DIOMEDES, and others, with torches.

Par. See, bo! who's that there?
Dei. 'Tis the lord Æneas.

Ene. Is the prince there in person ?-
Had I so good occasion to lie long,
As you, prince Paris, nothing but heavenly
business

Should rob my bed-mate of my company.
Dio. That's my mind too.-Good morrow,
Encas.

lord

Ene. We know each other well.

Dio. We do; and long to know each other

worse.

Par. This is the most despiteful gentle greeting,

The noblest hateful love, that e'er I heard of.What business, lord, so early?

Ene. I was sent for to the king; but why, I know not.

Par. His purpose meets you; 'Twas to bring this Greek

To Calchas' house; and there to render him,
For the enfreed Antenor, the fair Cressid:
Let's have your company; or, if you please,
Haste there before us: I constantly do think,
(Or, rather, call my thought a certain know-

ledge,)

My brother Troilus lodges there to-night;
Rouse him, and give him note of our appoach,
With the whole quality wherefore: I fear,
We shall be much unwelcome.

Ene. That I assure you;

Troilus had rather Troy were borne to Greece, Than Cressid borne from Troy.

Par. There is no help;

The bitter disposition of the time

Will have it so. On, lord; we'll follow you. Ene. Good morrow, all.

[Exit.

Par. And tell me, noble Dio:ned; 'faith, tell me true,

Even in the soul of sound good-fellowship,Who, in your thoughts, merits fair Helen best, Myself, or Menelaus ?

Dio. Both alike:

Be merits well to have her, that doth seek her
(Not making any scruple of her soilure,)
With such a hell of pain, and world of charge;
And you as well to keep her, that defend her
(Not palating the taste of her dishonour,)
With such a costly loss of wealth and friends :
He, like a puling cuckold, would drink up
The lees and dregs of a flat tamed piece;
You, like a lecher, out of whorish loins
Are pleas'd to breed out your inheritors:
Both merits pois'd, each weighs nor less nor

more;

But he as he, the heavier for a whore.

Par. You are too bitter to your countrywo

man.

Dio. She's bitter to her country: Hear me, Paris,

For every false drop in her bawdy veins

A Grecian's life hath sunk; for every scruple Of her contaminated carrion weight,

A Trojan hath been slain; since she could speak,

She hath not given so many good words breath,
As for her Greeks and Trojans suffer'd death.
Par. Fair Diomed, you do as chapmen do,
Dispraise the thing that you desire to buy:
But we in silence hold this virtue well.-
We'll not commend what we intend to sell,
Here lies our way.
[Exeunt.

SCENE II.—The same.-Court before the
House of PANDARUS.

Enter TROILUS and CRESSIDA.

Tro. Dear, trouble not yourself the morn is cold.

Cres. Then, sweet my lord, I'll call mine uncle down;

He shall unbolt the gates.

Tro. Trouble him not;

To bed, to bed: Sleep kill those pretty eyes,
And give as soft attachment to thy senses,
As infants' empty of all thought!

Cres. Good morrow then.

Tro. 'Pr'ythee now, to bed.

Cres. Are you aweary of me?

Tro. O Cressida! but that the busy day, Wak'd by the lark, bath rous'd the ribald ⚫ crows,

• Lawd, noisy.

Cres. A pestilence on him! now will he be mocking:

I shall have such a life,-

Pan. How now, how now? how go maidenheads?—Here, you maid! where's my cousin Cressid?

Cres. Go hang yourself, you naughty mocking uncle !

You bring me to do, and then you flout me too. Pan. To do what? to do what?-let her say what: what have I brought you to do?

Cres. Come, come; beshrew your heart! you'll ne'er be good,

Ene. Good morrow, lord, good morrow. Pan. Who's there? my lord Æneas? By my troth, I knew you not: what news with you so early?

Ene. Is not prince Troilus here ?
Pan. Here what should he do here

Ene. Come, he is here, my lord, do not deny him;

It doth import him much, to speak with me. Pan. Is he here, say you? 'tis more than I know.

I'll be sworn :-For my own part, I came in What should he do here? [late:

Ene. Who!-nay, then :Come, come, you'll do him wrong ere you are

'ware: