Hect. Dio. 'Tis Agamemnon's wish: and great Achilles Doth long to see unarm'd the valiant Hector. Hect. Eneas, call my brother Troilus to me: To the expecters of our Trojan part; ; Ajax. Great Agamemnon comes to meet us here. Hect. The worthiest of them tell me name by name; But for Achilles, my own searching eyes Agam. Worthy of arms! as welcome as to one That would be rid of such an enemy; But that's no welcome: Understand more clear, What's past, and what's to come, is strew'd with husks, And formless ruin of oblivion; But in this extant moment, faith and troth, Men. Let me confirm my princely brother's greeting; You brace of warlike brothers, welcome hither. Mock not, that I affect the untraded3 oath; theme. Hect. O, pardon; I offend. Nest. I have, thou gallant Trojan, seen thee oft, Labouring for destiny, make cruel way Through ranks of Greckish youth: and I have seen thee, Nest. Ha! By this white beard, I'd fight with thee to-morrow. Well, welcome, welcome! I have seen the timeUlyss. 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 Trojan dead, Since first I saw yourself and Diomed In Ilion, on your Greckish embassy. Ulyss. Sir, I foretold you then what would ensue : My prophecy is but half his journey yet; 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, The fall of every Phrygian stone will cost A 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: After the general, I beseech you next To feast with me, and see me at my tent. Achil. I shall forestall thee, lord Ulysses, thou!Now, Hector, I have fed mine eyes on thee; I have with exact view perus'd thee, Hector, And quoted' joint by joint. Hect. Is this Achilles? Achil. I am Achilles. Hect. Hect. O, like a book of sport thou'lt read me o'er; But there's more in me than thou understand'st. Why dost thou so oppress me with thine eye? Achil. Tell me, you heavens, in which part of man, To answer such a question: Stand again: Think'st thou to catch my life so pleasantly, As to prenominates in nice conjecture, When thou hast hung thy advanced sword i'the air, Where thou wilt hit me dead? As hot as Perseus, spur thy Phrygian steed, Not letting it decline on the declin'd ;' And I have seen thee pause, and take thy breath, Hect. Let me embrace thee, good old chronicle, That 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. (1) Seldom. (2) Imperial. (3) Singular, not common. (4) Heretofore, Achil. Ajax. Achil. (8) Forename. (9) Stithy is a smith's shop. To-night, all friends. Hect. Thy hand upon that match. Agam. First, all you peers of Greece, go to my tent; There in the full convive' we: afterwards, Ther. No? why art thou then exasperate, thou idle immaterial skein of sleive 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 quite From my great purpose in to-morrow's battle." Here is a letter from queen Hecuba; A token from her daughter, my fair love; Tro. Shall I, sweet lord, be bound to you so Away, Patroclus. much, After we part from Agamemnon's tent, 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? 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. ACT V. [Exeunt. SCENE I-The Grecian camp. Before Achilles' tent. Enter Achilles and Patroclus. Achil. I'll heat his blood with Greekish wine to-night, Which with my scimitar I'll cool to-morrow.- Enter Thersites. Achil. Ther. Why, thou full dish of fool, from Troy. Ther. The surgeon's box, or the patient's wound. Patr. Well said, Adversity !3 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, lethargics, 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! Pair. 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 whoreson indistinguishable cur, no. (1) Feast. (2) Small drums. (3) Contrariety. (4) Coarse, unwrought. (5) Harlots. [Exeunt Achil. and Patr. 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-wax; And the goodly transformation of Jupiter 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 larded with malice, and ma. lice 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, an owl, a puttock, or a herring without a roe, I would not destiny. Ask me not what I would be, if I were not care: but to be Menelaus,-I would conspire against Thersites; for I care not to be the louse of a lazar, so I were not Menelaus.-Hey day! spirits and fires! [Aside to Troilus. Tro. Sweet sir, you honour me. Hect. And so good night. [Exit Diomed; Ulyss. and Tro. following. Achil. Come, come, enter my tent. Lest your displeasure should enlarge itself Now, good my lord, go off: I [Exeunt Achilles, Hector, Ajax, and Nestor. SCENE II.-The same. Before Calchas' tent. Dio. What, are you up here, ho? speak. 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. Tro. I pray you, stay; by hell, and all hell's Cres. Nay, but you part in anger. O wither'd truth! And so, good night. Doth that grieve thee? Why, how now, lord? By Jove, Guardian!-why, Greek! you go? You will break out. She strokes his cheek! 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 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. Tro. [Exit. Fear me not, my lord; No matter, now I have't again. I will not meet with you to-morrow night: Cres. Dio. What, this? Cres. You shall not have it, Diomed; 'faith you I'll give you something else. Dio. I will have this; Whose was it? 1 Seene III. Dio. Come, tell me whose it was. TROILUS AND CRESSIDA. [If souls guide vows, if vows be sanetimony, Cres. 'Twas one's that loved me better than you If sanctimony be the god's delight, will. But, now you have it, take it. It should be challeng'd. If there be rule in unity itself, This was not she. O madness of discourse, Cres. Well, well, 'tis done, 'tis past ;-And yet Admits no orifice for a point, as subtle it is not; I will not keep my word. Dio. Why then, farewell; Thou never shalt mock Diomed again. As is Arachne's broken woof, to enter. 169 Cres. You shall not go:-One cannot speak a The bonds of heaven are slipp'd, dissolv'd, and word, But it straight starts you. 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? loos'd; And with another knot, five-finger-tied, Do come:-I shall be plagu'd. Farewell till then. [Exit Diomedes. [Exit Cressida. Ther. A proof of strength she could not publish more, Unless she said, My mind is now turn'd whore. It is. Tro. That doth invert the atteste of eyes and ears; Was Cressid here? Ulyss. I cannot conjure, Trojan. Tro. She was not, sure. ness. Most sure she was. Ulyss. Nor mine, my lord: Cressid was here but now. Tro. Let it not be believ'd for womanhood! our mothers? Tro. Nothing at all, unless that this were she. (1) The stars. (2) Remembrance. (3) Since. Hark, Greek ;-As much as I do Cressid love, Ther. He'll tickle it for his concupy.13 Let all untruths stand by thy stain'd name, Ene. I have been seeking you this hour, my lord: Farewell, revolted fair!-and, Diomed, Tro. Accept distracted thanks. [Exeunt Troilus, Æneas, and Ulysses. Ther. 'Would, I could meet that rogue Diomed! I would croak like a raven; I would bode, I would bode. Patroclus will give me any thing for the intelligence of this whore: the parrot will not do more for an almond, than he for a commodious drab. Lechery, lechery; still, wars and lechery; [Exit. nothing else holds fashion: A burning devil take Where is my brother Hector? And. Here, sister; arm'd, and bloody in intent: Consort with me in loud and dear petition, Pursue we him on knees; for I have dream'd Of bloody turbulence, and this whole night Cassandra doth foresee; and I myself Am like a prophet suddenly enrapt, Hath nothing been but shapes and forms of To tell thee-that this day is ominous: slaughter. Cas. O, it is true. Hect. Begone, I say: the gods have heard me swear. Cas. The gods are deaf to hot and peevish' vows; And. O! be persuaded: Do not count it holy Cas. It is the purpose that makes strong the vow; Hect. Hold you still, I say ; Mine honour keeps the weather of my fate: Life every man holds dear: but the dear man Holds honour far more precious dear than life. Enter Troilus. How now, young man? mean'st thou to fight today? And. Cassandra, call my father to persuade. I am to-day i'the vein of chivalry: Tro. Brother, you have a vice of mercy in you, Which better fits a lion, than a man. Hect. What vice is that, good Troilus? chide me for it. Tro. When many times the captive Grecians fall, Even in the fan and wind of your fair sword, You bid them rise, and live. Hect. O, 'tis fair play. Tro. Fool's play, by heaven, Hector. Hect. How now? how now? Tro. For the love of all the gods, Let's leave the hermit Pity with our mother; And when we have our armours buckled on, The venom'd vengeance ride upon our swords; Spur them to ruthful work, rein them from ruth. Hect. Fie, savage, fie! Tro. Hector, then 'tis wars. Hect. Troilus, I would not have you fight to-day. Tro. Who should withhold me?' Not fate, obedience, nor the hand of Mars Beckoning with fiery truncheon my retire; Not Priamus and Hecuba on knees, Their eyes o'ergalled with recourse of tears; (2) Valuable. (1) Foolish. (3) Put off. Therefore, come back. Hect. Eneas is afield; And I do stand engag'd to many Greeks, Even in the faith of valour, to appear This morning to them. Pri. But thou shalt not go." Hect. I must not break my faith. And. [Exit Andromache. Tro. This foolish, dreaming, superstitious, girl, Makes all these bodements. Cas. O farewell, dear Hector. Look, how thou diest! look, how thy eye turns pale! Look, how thy wounds do bleed at many vents! Cas. Farewell.-Yet, soft:-Hector, I take my leave; Thou dost thyself and all our Troy deceive. [Ex. Hect. You are amaz'd, my liege, at her exclaim: Go in, and cheer the town: we'll forth, and fight; Do deeds worth praise, and tell you them at night. Pri. Farewell: the gods with safety stand about thee! [Exeunt severally Priam and Hector. Alarums, Tro. They are at it; hark! Proud Diomed, be lieve, I come to lose my arm, or win my sleeve. As Troilus is going out, enter, from the other side, Pan. Do you hear, my lord? do you hear? Pan. Here's a letter from yon' poor girl. Pan. A whoreson ptisic, a whoreson rascally ptisic so troubles me, and the foolish fortune of this girl; and what one thing, what another, that I shall leave you one o'these days: And I have a rheum in mine eyes too; and such an ache in my bones, that, unless a man were cursed, I cannot tell what to think on't.-What says she there! Tro. Words, words, mere words, no matter from the heart; [Tearing the letter. The effect doth operate another way. |