O heavens!-be true again? I'll answer to my lust :5 And know you, lord, I'll nothing do on charge: To her own worth She shall be priz'd; but that you say-be't so, I'll speak it in my spirit and honour,-no. Tro. Come, to the port.-I'll tell thee, Diomed, They're loving, well compos'd, with gifts of nature This brave shall oft make thee to hide thy head. To give thee nightly visitation. Tro. Hear why I speak it, love; The Grecian youths are full of quality ;1 flowing, And swelling o'er with arts and exercise; Lady, give me your hand; and, as we walk, To our own selves bend we our needful talk. Par. Hark! Hector's trumpet. Æne. How novelty may move, and parts with person, Alas, a kind of godly jealousy (Which I beseech you, call a virtuous sin,) [Exeunt Troilus, Cressida, and Diomed. [Trumpet heard. How have we spent this morning! O heavens! you love me not. The prince must think me tardy and remiss, Makes me afeard. Cres. Tro. Die I a villain then! In this I do not call your faith in question, So mainly as my merit: I cannot sing, Nor heel the high lavolt, nor sweeten talk, Nor play at subtle games; fair virtues all, That swore to ride before him to the field. Par. 'Tis Troilus' fault: Come, come, to field with him. Dei. Let us make ready straight. Æne. Yea, with a bridegroom's fresh alacrity, To which the Grecians are most prompt and preg- Let us address to tend on Hector's heels: Fair lady Cressid, So please you, save the thanks this prince expects: Tro. Grecian, thou dost not use me courteously, To shame the zeal of my petition to thee, Ulyss. "Tis he, I ken the manner of his gait; He rises on the toe: that spirit of his In aspiration lifts him from the earth. Enter Diomed, with Cressida. Agam. Is this the lady Cressid? 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. For thus popp'd Paris in his hardiment; Ulyss. O deadly gall, and theme of all our Cres. In kissing do you render or receive? Patr. Both take and give. Cres. Re-enter Diomed. Agam. Here is sir Diomed:--Go, gentle knight, I'll make my match to live, Stand by our Ajax: as you and lord Æneas Men. I'll give you boot, I'll give you three for one. 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. No, I'll be sworn. Ulyss. It were no match, your nail against his horn. To him that victory commands? Or do you purpose, Pursue each other; or shall they be divided Agam. Which way would Hector have it? Consent upon the order of their fight, Ulyss. They are oppos'd already. [Alarum. Hector and Ajax fight. Agam. They are in action. Nest. Now, Ajax, hold thine own! Tro. Awake thee! Hector, thou sleep'st; Agam. His blows are well dispos'd:-there, Ajax! Dio. You must no more. Æne. [Trumpets cease. Princes, enough, so please you. Ajax. I am not warm yet, let us fight again. Why then, will I no more : Thou art, great lord, my father's sister's son, That thou could'st say-This hand is Grecian all, Wherein my sword had not impressure made Achil. "Tis done like Hector; but securely done, Of our rank feud: But the just gods gainsay, A little proudly, and great deal misprizing The knight oppos'd. Æne. What is your name? Achil. If not Achilles, sir, If not Achilles, nothing. Ene. Therefore Achilles: But, whate'er, know this; In the extremity of great and little, Valour and pride excel themselves in Hector; The other blank as nothing. Weigh him well, (1) Motion. (2) Breathing, exercise. (3) Stops. I thank thee, Hector: That any drop thou borrow'st from thy mother, Scene V. Hect. TROILUS AND CRESSIDA. We'll answer it; The issue is embracement:-Ajax, farewell. Ajax. If I might in entreaties find success, (As seld! I have the chance,) I would desire My famous cousin to our Grecian tents. Dio. 'Tis Agamemnon's wish: and great Achilles Hect. Æneas, call my brother Troilus to me: Ajax. Great Agamemnon comes to meet us here. name; But for Achilles, my own searching eyes But that's no welcome: Understand more clear, And formless ruin of oblivion; But in this extant moment, faith and troth, From heart of very heart, great Hector, welcome. Men. Let me confirm my princely brother's The noble Menelaus. Mock not, that I affect the untraded oath; Hect. O, pardon; I offend. Nest. I have, thou gallant Trojan, seen thee oft, thee, As hot as Perseus, spur thy Phrygian steed, Despising many forfeits and subduements, Nest. Ha! By this white beard, I'd fight with thee to-morrow. Hect. I know your favour, lord Ulysses, well. Ulyss. Sir, I foretold you then what would ensue: Hect. I must not believe you: Ulyss. So to him we leave it. Achil. I shall forestall thee, lord Ulysses, thou!- Hect. Achil. I am Achilles. Is this Achilles? Hect. Stand fair, I pray thee: let me look on thee. Achil. Tell me, you heavens, in which part of Shall I destroy him; whether there, there, or there? man, To answer such a question: Stand again: Achil. I tell thee, yea. Hect. Wert thou an oracle to tell me so, When thou hast hung thy advanced sword i'the air, Where thou wilt hit me dead? Not letting it decline on the declin'd;5 That I have said to some my standers-by, Lo, Jupiter is yonder, dealing life! And I have seen thee pause, and take thy breath, Æne. 'Tis the old Nestor. Hect. Let me embrace thee, good old chronicle, Nest. I would, my arms could match thee in I'd not believe thee. Henceforth guard thee well; Ајах. Do not chafe thee, cousin ; And you, Achilles, let these threats alone, Hect. I pray you, let us see you in the field; To-morrow do I meet thee, fell as death; To-night, all friends. There in the full convivel we: afterwards, [Exeunt all but Troilus and Ulysses. 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 Tro. Shall I, sweet lord, be bound to you so Away, Patroclus. Exeunt Achil. and Patr. much, After we part from Agamemnon's tent, To bring me thither? Ulyss. 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 memoriał 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 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, an owl, a puttock, or a herring without a roe, I would not care: but to be Menelaus, -I 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,9 Achil. I'll heat his blood with Greekish wine so I were not Menelaus.-Hey day! spirits and fires! You shall command me, sir. As gentle tell me, of what honour was Tro. O, sir, to such as boasting show their scars, ACT V. [Exeunt. SCENE I.-The Grecian camp. Before Achilles' tent. Enter Achilles and Patroclus. to-night, Which with my scimitar I'll cool to-morrow. Patroclus, let us feast him to the height. Patr. Here comes Thersites. 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? Ulyss. Here comes himself to guide you. Achil. Welcome, brave Hector; welcome, prin- Agam. So now, fair prince of Troy, I bid good Ajax commands the guard to tend on you. general. Hect. Good night, sweet Menelaus. Ther. Sweet draught:10 Sweet, quoth 'a! sweet sink, sweet sewer. Achil. Good night, And welcome, both to those that go, or tarry. Keep Hector company an hour or two. Dio. I cannot, lord; I have important business, The tide whereof is now. Good night, great Hector. Hect. Give me your hand. Follow his torch, he goes (6) Menelaus. (7) Stuffed. (8) Polecat. (9) A diseased beggar. (10) Privy. To Calchas' tent; I'll keep you company. Tro. Sweet sir, you honour me. [Exit Diomed; Ulyss. and Tro. following. Achil. Come, come, enter my tent. Lest your displeasure should enlarge itself Now, good my lord, go off: You flow to great destruction; come, my lord. Tro. I pr'ythee, stay. Ulyss. [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: You have not patience; come. Tro. I pray you, stay; by hell, and all hell's torments, he will spend his mouth, and promise, like Brabler I will not speak a word. the hound; but when he performs, astronomers Dio. And so, good night. foretell it; it is prodigious, there will come some Cres. Nay, but you part in anger. change; the sun borrows of the moon, when Dio Tro. Doth that grieve thee? med keeps his word. I will rather leave to see O wither'd truth! Hector, than not to dog him: they say, he keeps a Ulyss. Why, how now, lord? Trojan drab, and uses the traitor Calchas' tent: Tro. By Jove, I'll after. Nothing but lechery! all incontinent I will be patient. varlets! [Exit. Cres. Guardian!-why, Greek! Dio. Pho, pho! adieu; you palter.3 Cres. In faith, I do not; come hither once again. Ulyss. You shake, my lord, at something; will You will break out. you go? 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. Dio. Give me some token for the surety of it. Ulyss. You have sworn patience. [Exit. Fear me not, my lord; Ulyss. She will sing any man at first sight. Cres. O, all you gods!-O pretty, pretty pledge! Thy master now lies thinking in his bed Of thee, and me; and sighs, and takes my glove, And gives memorial dainty kisses to it, As I kiss thee.-Nay, do not snatch it from me; He, that takes that, must take my heart withal. 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 (3) Shuffle (4) Knowledge. |