For I will throw my glove to death himself, Cres. Oh! you shall be expos'd, my lord, As infinite as imminent! but, I'll be true. Tro. And I'll grow friend with danger. this sleeve. Wear Cres. And you this glove. When shall I see you? Tro. I will corrupt the Grecian sentinels, To give thee nightly visitation. But yet, be true. Cres. O heavens !-be true again? Tro. Hear why I speak it, love: The Grecian youths are full of quality; Though the great bulk Achilles be thy guard, Dio. Oh! be not mov'd, prince Troilus : to I'll answer to my lust: And know you, lord, They're loving, well compos'd, with gifts of na- The prince must think me tardy and remiss, ture flowing, And swelling o'er with arts and exercise; How novelty may move, and parts with person, (Which I beseech you, call a virtuous sin,) Makes me afeard. Cres. O heavens! you love me not. In this I do not call your faith in question, Nor heel the high lavolt, nor sweeten talk, But I can tell, that in each grace of these Cres. Do you think I will? Tro. No. But something may be done, that we will not: Ene. Within.] Nay, good my lord,- Tro. Who, 1? alas, it is my vice, my fault: crowns, With truth and plainness I do wear mine bare. Welcome, Sir Diomed! here is the lady, Dio. Fair lady Cressid, So please you, save the thanks this prince ex- The lustre in your eye, heaven in your cheek, You shall be mistress and command him wholly. To shame the zeel of my petition to thee, I charge thee, use her well, even for my charge; • Spot. + Following. 1 Highly accomplished. A dance. Gate. That swore to ride before him to the field. with him. Enter AJAX, armed; AGAMEMNON, ACHILI ES, PATROCLUS, MENELAUS, ULYSSES, NESTOR, and others. Agam. Here art thou in appointment + fresh Anticipating time with starting courage. Ajax. Thou, trumpet, there's my purse. Thon blow'st for Hector. [Trumpet sounds. Ulyss. No trumpet answers. Agam. Is not you Diomed, with Calchas' daughter? 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 lady: Achilles bids you welcome, Men. I had good argument for kissing once. Cres. In kissing do you render or receive? Cres. I'll make my match to live, The kiss you take is better than you give : Men. I'll give you boot, I'll give you three Cres. You're an odd man; give even or give none. 'tis Men. Au odd man, lady? every man is odd. That you are odd, and he is even with you, Ulyss. It were no match, you nail against his May I, sweet lady, beg a kiss of you? Cres. You may. Ulyss. I do desire It. Cres. Why, beg then. Or else a breath; the combatants being kın, Half stints + their strife before their strokes begin. [AJAX and HECTOR enter the lists Ulyss. They are oppos'd already. Agam. What Trojan is that saine that looks so heavy? Ulyss. the youngest son of Priam, a true Not yet mature, yet matchless; firm of word; His heart and hand both open, and both free; Yet gives he not till judgment guide his bounty, Ulyss. Why then, for Venus' sake, give me Is more vindicative than jealous love : a kiss, When Helen is a maid again, and his. Cres. I am your debtor, claim it when 'tis due. Dio. Lady, a word;-I'll bring you to your Lout Dio. You must no more. [Trumpets ceasè. Ajax. I am not warm yet, let us fight again. Hect. Why then will I no more : And daughters of the game. [Trumpet within. Thou art, great lord, my father's sister's son, All. The Trojan's trumpet. Agam. Yonder comes the troop. Enter HECTOR, armed; ENEAS, TROILUS, Agam. Which way would Hector have it? A litle proudly, and great deal misprising Ene. If not Achilles, Sir, What is your name? Achil. If not Achilles, nothing. A cousin-german to great Priam's seed; A gory ** emulation 'twixt us twain: member Wherein my sword had not impressure made Ajax. I thank thee, Hector : Ene. Therefore Achilles : But, whate'er, I came to kill thee, cousin, and bear hence know this; In the extremity of great and little, Valour and pride excel themselves in Hector; The other blank as nothing. Weigh him well, Achil. A maiden battle then ?-Oh! I perceive you. Re-enter DIOMED. Agam. Here is Sir Diomed :-Go, gentle Stand by our Ajax: as you and lord Æneas So be it; either to the uttermost, • Motion. And signify this loving interview Hect. The worthiest of them tell me name by name; But for Achilles, my own searching eyes But in this extant moment, faith and troth, From heart of every heart, great Hector, wel Agam. My well fam'd lord of Troy, no less to [To TROILUS. you. Men. Let me confrm my princely brother's greeting; You brace of warlike brothers, welcome hither. Hect. Whom must we answer? Men. The noble Menelaus. Hect. O you, my lord? by Mars his gauntlet, thanks! Mock not, that I affect the untraded + oath ; Your quondam wife swears still by Venus' glove : She's well, but bade me not commend her to you. Men. Name her not now, Sir; she's a deadly theme. Hect. Oh! pardon; I offend. Nest. I have, thou gallant Trojan, seen thee Labouring for destiny, make cruel way (oft, Through ranks of Greekish youth: and I have seen thee, As hot as Perseus, spur thy Phrygian steed, Not letting it decline on the declin'd; § Like an Olympian wrestling: This have I seen; But, by great Mars, the captain of us all, Hect. Let me embrace thee, good old chronicle, [time:-Thou hast so long walk'd hand in hand with 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! [row. By this white beard, I'd fight with thee to-inow. Well, welcome, welcome! I have seen the time Ulyss. I wonder now how yonder city stands, When we have here her base and pillar by us. Hect. I know your favour, lord Ulysses, well. Ah! Sir, there's many a Greek and Trojau dead, Since first I saw yourself and Diomed In Ilion, on your Greekish embassy. Ulyss. Sir, I foretold you then what would For yonder walls, that pertly front your town, Yon towers, whose wanton tops do buss the clouds, Must kiss their own feet. Hect. I must not believe you: There they stand yet; and modestly I think, Ulyss. So to him we leave it. Most gentle, and most valiant Hector, welcome. Now, Hector, I bave fed mine eyes on thee; Hect. Is this Achilles ? Achil. I am Achilles. Hect. Stand fair, I pray thee: let me look on thee. To answer such a question: Stand again : Think'st thou to catch my life so pleasantly, As to prenominate in nice conjecture, Where thou wilt hit me dead? Achil. I tell thee, yea. Hect. Wert thou an oracle to tell me so, I'd not believe thee. Henceforth guard thee well; For I'll not kill thee there, nor there, nor there Ajax. Do not chafe thee, cousin ;— Hect. I pray you, let us see you in the field; We have had pelting wars, siuce you refus’d The Grecians' cause. Achil. Dost thou entreat me, Hector ? Hect. Thy hand upon that match. tent; There in the full convive ¶ we: afterwards, 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 doth Calchas keep? Ulyss. At Menelaus' tent, most princely Troilus: There Diomed doth feast with him to-night; Who neither looks upon the heaven, nor earth, But gives all gaze and bent of amorous view On the fair Cressid. Tro. Shall I, sweet lord, be bound to you so much, After we part from Agamemnon's tent, Ulyss. You shall command me, Sir. Come, come, Thersites, help to trim my tent. This night in banqueting must all be spent. Away, Patroclus. [Exeunt ACHILLES and PATROCLUS. Ther. With too much blood, and too little brain, these two may run mad; but if with too much brain, and too little blood, they do, I'll be a curer of madmen. Here's Agamemnon,— an honest fellow enough, and one that loves quails; but he has not so much brain as ear This Cressida in Troy? Had she no lover wax: And the goodly transformation of Jupiter there That wails her absence? Tro. O Sir, to such as boasting show their scars, 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. ACT V. SOENE I.-The Grecian Camp.-Before ACHILLES' Tent. Enter ACHILLES and PATROCLUS. Achil. I'll beat his blood with Greekish wine to-night, Which with my scimitar I'll cool to-morrow.Patroclus, let us feast him to the height. Patr. Here comes Thersites. Enter THERSITES. 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 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, limekilns i'the palm, incurable bone-ache, and the rivelled 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 ? there, his brother, the bull,-the primitive statue and oblique memorial of cuckolds; a thrifty shoeing-horn in a chain, hanging at his brother's leg, to what form, but that he is, should wit Jarded with malice, and malice forced with wit turn him to? To an ass, were nothing; he is both ass and ox: to an ox were nothing; he is both ox and ass. To be a dog, a mule, a cat, a fitchew, a toad, a lizard, on owl, a puttock, or a herring without a row, I would not care: but to be Menelaus,-1 would conspire against destiny. Ask me not what I would be, if I were not Thersites; for I care not to be the louse of a lazar, so I were not Menelaus.-Hey-day ! spirits and fires ! Enter HECTOR, TROILUS, AJAX, AGAMEMNON, ULYSSES, NESTOR, MENELAUS, and DIOMED, with Lights. Agam. We go wrong, we go wrong. There, where we see the lights. Ajax. No, not a whit. Ulyss. Here comes himself to guide you. And welcome, both to those that go, or tarry. [Exeunt AGAMEMNON and MENELAUS. Achil. Old Nestor tarries; and you too, DioKeep Hector company an hour or two. [med, Dio. I cannot, lord; I have important busi ness. [Hector. The tide whereof is now,-Good night, great Hect. Give me your hand. Ulyss, Follow his torch, he goes To Calchas' tent; I'll keep you company. [Aside to TROILUS Tro. Sweet Sir, you honour me. Hect. And so good night. [Exit DIOMED; ULYSSES and TROILUS following. Achil. Come, come, enter my tent. [Exeunt ACHILLES, HECTOR, AJAX, and NESTOR. Ther. That same Diomed's a false-hearted rogue, a most unjust knave; I will no more 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 foretel it; it is prodigious, there will come some change; the sun borrows of the moon, when Diomed keeps his word. I 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. There is between my will and all offences A guard of patience :-stay a little while. Ther. How the devil luxury, with his fat rump and potatoe finger, tickles these together! Fry, lechery, fry! Dio. But will you then? Cres. In faith, I will, la; never trust me else. Ulyss. You have sworn patience. I will not be myself, nor have cognition * Re-enter CRESSIDA. [Exit. Ther. Now the pledge; now, now, now! Tro. I will be patient: outwardly I will. He loved me-O false wench!-Giv't me again. Dio. Who was't? Cres. No matter, now I hav't again. I will not meet with you to-morrow night: I pr'ythee Diomed, visit me no more. Cres. Sweet honey Greek, tempt me no more stone. to folly. Ther. Roguery! Dio. Nay, then, Cres. I'll tell you what : Dio. Pho! pho! come, tell a pin: You are! forsworn. Cres. In faith, I cannot what would you have Dio. I shall have it. Cres. What, this? Dio. Ay, that. Cres. Oh! all you gods!-0 pretty pretty pledge! Thy master now lies thinking in his bed 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? Dio. Come, tell me whose it was. Cres. 'Twas one's that loved me better thau you will. But now you have it, take it. Dio. Whose was it? Cres. By all Diana's waiting-women yonder,† And by herself, I will not tell you whose. Dio. To morrow will I wear it on my helin; And grieve his spirit that dares not challenge it. Tro. Wert thou the devil, and wor'st on thy It should be challenged. [horn, Cres. Well, well, 'tis done, 'tis past ;-And yet it is not; I will not keep my word. Dio. Why then, farewell; Thou never shalt mock Diomed again. Cres. You shall not go :-One cannot speak a word, 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? Do come:-1 shall be plagu'd. Cres. Good night. I pr'ythee, come. [Exit DIOMEDES. 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 CRESSIDA. |