Aga.
Here art thou in appointment fresh and fair,(36) ^note


Anticipating time with starting courage.
Give with thy Trumpet a loud note to Troy,
Thou dreadful Ajax, that th' appalled air

May pierce the head of the great Combatant,
And hale him hither.

Ajax.
Trumpet, there's my purse;
Now crack thy lungs, and split thy brazen pipe:
Blow, villain, till thy sphered bias cheek
Out-swell the cholick of puft Aquilon:
Come, stretch thy chest, and let thy eyes spout blood:
Thou blow'st for Hector.

Ulys.
No trumpet answers.

Achil.
'Tis but early day.

Aga.
Is not yond' Diomede with Calchas' daughter?

Ulys.
'Tis he, I ken the manner of his gate;
He rises on his toe; that spirit of his
In aspiration lifts him from the earth. Enter Diomede, with Cressida.

Aga.
Is this the lady Cressida?

Dio.
Ev'n she.

Aga.
Most dearly welcome to the Greeks, sweet lady.(37) ^note

Nest.
Our General doth salute you with a kiss.

Ulys.
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.

Patr.
But that's no argument for kissing now:

For thus pop'd Paris in his hardiment,
And parted, thus, you and your argument.

Ulys.
O deadly gall, and theme of all our 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,—

Cre.
In kissing do you render or receive?

Patr.
Both take and give.

Cre.
I'll make my match to live,
The kiss you take is better than you give;
Therefore no kiss.—

Men.
I'll give you boot, I'll give you three for one.

Cre.
You are an odd man, give even, or give none.

Men.
An odd man, lady? every man is odd.

Cre.
No, Paris is not; for you know, 'tis true,
That you are odd, and he is even with you.

Men.
You fillip me o'th' head.

Cre.
No, I'll be sworn.

Ulys.
It were no match, your nail against his horn:
May I, sweet lady, beg a kiss of you?

Cre.
You may.

Ulys.
I do desire it.

Cre.
Why, beg then.

Ulys.
Why then, for Venus' sake, give me a kiss,
When Helen is a maid again, and his—

Cre.
I am your debtor, claim it when 'tis due.

Ulys.
Never's my day, and then a kiss of you.

Nest.
A woman of quick sense!

Dio.
Lady, a word—I'll bring you to your Father. [Diomede leads out Cressida.

Ulys.
Fie, fie upon her!
There's language in her eye, her cheek, her lip:
Nay, her foot speaks; her wanton spirits look out
At every joint, and motive of her body:
Oh, these Encounterers! So glib of tongue,
They give a Coasting welcome ere it comes;
And wide unclasp the tables of their thoughts

To every ticklish reader: set them down
For sluttish Spoils of Opportunity,
And Daughters of the Game. [Trumpet within. Enter Hector, Paris, Troilus, Æneas, Helenus, and Attendants.

All.
The Trojans' trumpet!

Aga.
Yonder comes the troop.

Æne.
Hail all the State of Greece! what shall be done
To him that Victory commands? Or do you purpose,
A Victor shall be known? will you, the Knights
Shall to the edge of all extremity
Pursue each other, or shall be divided
By any voice, or order of the field?
Hector bad ask.

Aga.
Which way would Hector have it?

Æne.
He cares not; he'll obey conditions.

Achil.
'Tis done like Hector, but securely done,(38) ^note
A little proudly, and great deal misprizing
The Knight oppos'd.

Æne.
If not Achilles, Sir,
What is your name?

Achil.
If not Achilles, nothing.

Æne.
Therefore, Achilles; but whate'er, know this;
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 courtesie.

This Ajax is half made of Hector's blood,
In love whereof, half Hector stays at home;
Half heart, half hand, half Hector, come to seek
This blended Knight, half Trojan and half Greek.

Achil.
A maiden battel then? O, I perceive you. Re-enter Diomede.

Aga.
Here is Sir Diomede: go, gentle Knight,
Stand by our Ajax; as you and lord Æneas
Consent upon the order of the fight,
So be it; either to the uttermost,
Or else a breath. The Combatants being kin
Half stints their strife before their strokes begin.

Ulys.
They are oppos'd already.

Aga.
What Trojan is that same, that looks so heavy?

Ulys.
The youngest son of Priam, a true knight;
Not yet mature, yet matchless; firm of word;
Speaking in deeds, and deedless in his tongue;
Not soon provok'd, nor, being provok'd, soon calm'd;
His heart and hand both open, and both free;
For what he has, he gives; what thinks, he shews;
Yet gives he not, 'till judgment guide his bounty;
Nor dignifies an impair thought with breath:
Manly as Hector, but more dangerous;
For Hector in his blaze of wrath subscribes
To tender objects; but he in heat of action
Is more vindicative than jealous love.
They call him Troilus, and on him erect
A second hope, as fairly built as Hector.
Thus says Æneas, one that knows the youth
Ev'n to his inches; and with private soul,
Did in great Ilion thus translate him to me. [Alarum. Hector and Ajax fight.

Aga.
They are in action.

Nest.
Now, Ajax, hold thine own.

Troi.
Hector, thou sleep'st, awake thee.

Aga.
His blows are well dispos'd; there, Ajax. [Trumpets cease.

Dio.
You must no more.

Æne.
Princes, enough, so please you.

Ajax.
I am not warm yet, let us fight again.

Dio.
As Hector pleases.

Hect.
Why then, will I no more.
Thou art, great lord, my father's sister's son;(39) ^note
A cousin-german to great Priam's seed:
The obligation of our blood forbids
A gory emulation 'twixt us twain;
Were thy commixion Greek and Trojan so,
That thou coud'st say, this hand is Grecian all,
And this is Trojan; the sinews of this leg
All Greek, and this all Troy; my mother's blood
Runs on the dexter cheek, and this sinister
Bounds in my sire's: by Jove multipotent,
Thou should'st not bear from me a Greekish member,
Wherein my sword had not impressure made
Of our rank feud: But the just Gods gainsay,
That any drop thou borrow'st from thy mother,
My sacred aunt, should by my mortal sword
Be drain'd! Let me embrace thee, Ajax:
By him that thunders, thou hast lusty arms;
Hector would have them fall upon him thus—
Cousin, all honour to thee!—

Ajax.
I thank thee, Hector!
Thou art too gentle, and too free a man:
I came to kill thee, cousin, and bear hence
A great addition earned in thy death.

Hect.
Not Neoptolemus so mirable,
(On whose bright crest, Fame, with her loud'st O yes,
Cries, this is he;) could promise to himself
A thought of added honour torn from Hector.

Æne.
There is expectance here from both the sides,
What further you will do.

Hect.
We'll answer it:
The issue is embracement: Ajax, farewel.

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 Agamemon's wish, and great Achilles
Doth long to see unarm'd the valiant Hector.

Hect.
Æneas, call my brother Troilus to me:
And signifie this loving interview
To the expectors of our Trojan part:
Desire them home. Give me thy hand, my Cousin:
I will go eat with thee, and see your Knights. Agamemnon and the rest of the Greeks come forward.

Ajax.
Great Agamemnon comes to meet us here.

Hect.
The worthiest of them tell me name by name;
But for Achilles, mine own searching eyes
Shall find him by his large and portly size.

Aga.
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,
Strain'd purely from all hollow bias-drawing,
Bids thee with most divine integrity,
From heart of very heart, great Hector, welcome.

Hect.
I thank thee, most imperious Agamemnon.

Aga.
My well-fam'd lord of Troy, no less to you. [To Troilus.

Men.
Let me confirm my princely brother's Greeting,
You brace of warlike brothers, welcome hither.

Hect.
Whom must we answer?

Æne.
The noble Menelaus.

Hect.
O—you, my lord—by Mars his gauntlet, thanks.
Mock not, that I affect th' untraded oath;
Your quondam wife swears still by Venus' glove:
She's well, but bad me not commend her to you.

Men.
Name her not now, Sir, she's a deadly theme.

Hect.
O, pardon—I offend.

Nest.
I have, thou gallant Trojan, seen thee oft,
Labouring for destiny, make cruel way
Through ranks of Greekish youth; and I have seen thee,
As hot as Perseus, spur thy Phrygian steed,
Bravely despising forfeits and subduements,

When thou hast hung thy advanc'd sword i'th' air,
Not letting it decline on the declin'd:
That I have said unto my standers-by,
Lo, Jupiter is yonder, dealing life!
And I have seen thee pause, and take thy breath,
When that a Ring of Greeks have hem'd thee in,
Like an Olympian wrestling. This I've seen:
But this thy countenance, still lock'd in steel,
I never saw 'till now. I knew thy Grandsire,
And once fought with him; he was a soldier good;
But by great Mars, the Captain of us all,
Never like thee. Let an old man embrace thee,
And, worthy warrior, welcome to our tents.

Æne.
'Tis the old Nestor.

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 courtesie.

Hect.
I would, they could.

Nest.
By this white beard, I'd fight with thee to morrow.
Well, welcome, welcome; I have seen the time—

Ulys.
I wonder now how yonder city stands,
When we have here the 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 your self and Diomede
In Ilion, on your Greekish embassie.

Ulys.
Sir, I foretold you then what would ensue:
My prophesie is but half his journey yet;
For yonder walls, that pertly front your town,
Yond 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.

Ulys.
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 forestal 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.
Stand fair, I pr'ythee, let me look on thee.

Achil.
Behold thy fill.

Hect.
Nay, I have done already.

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.
Why dost thou so oppress me with thine eye?

Achil.
Tell me, you heav'ns, in which part of his body
Shall I destroy him? whether there, or there,
That I may give the local wound a name;
And make distinct the very breach, where-out
Hector's great spirit flew. Answer me, heav'ns!

Hect.
It would discredit the blest Gods, proud man,
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 the 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;
But by the forge that smithied Mars his helm,(40) ^note

I'll kill thee every where, yea, o'er and o'er.—
You wisest Grecians, pardon me this brag,
His insolence draws folly from my lips;
But I'll endeavour deeds to match these words,
Or may I never—

Ajax.
Do not chafe thee, cousin;
And you, Achilles, let these threats alone,
'Till accident or purpose bring you to't.
You may have ev'ry day enough of Hector,
If you have stomach. The general State, I fear,(41) ^note




Can scarce intreat you to be odd with him.

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 intreat me, Hector?
To morrow do I meet thee, fell as death;
To night, all friends.

Hect.
Thy hand upon that match.

Aga.
First, all you Peers of Greece go to my Tent,
There in the full convive you; afterwards,
As Hector's leisure and your bounties shall
Concur together, severally intreat him

To taste your bounties: let the trumpets blow;
That this great soldier may his welcome know. [Exeunt. Manent Troilus and Ulysses.

Troi.
My lord Ulysses, tell me, I beseech you,
In what place of the field doth Calchas keep?

Ulys.
At Menelaus' Tent, most princely Troilus;
There Diomede doth feast with him to night;
Who neither looks on heav'n, nor on the earth,
But gives all gaze and bent of am'rous view
On the fair Cressid.

Troi.
Shall I, sweet lord, be bound to thee so much,
After you part from Agamemnon's Tent,
To bring me thither?

Ulys.
You shall command me, Sir:
As, gently tell me, of what honour was
This Cressida in Troy; had she no lover there,
That wails her absence?

Troi.
O Sir, to such as boasting shew 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.

Previous section