Cressida.
Aga.
Is this the lady Cressida?
Dio.
Ev'n she.
Aga.
Most dearly welcome to the Greeks, sweet lady.
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.
-- 454 --
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!
&plquo;There's language in her eye, her cheek, her lip:
&plquo;Nay, her foot speaks; her wanton spirits look out
&plquo;At every joint, 7 noteand motive of her body:
&plquo;Oh, these Encounterers! So glib of tongue,
&plquo;They give a Coasting welcome ere it comes;
&plquo;And wide unclasp the tables of their thoughts
&plquo;To every ticklish reader: set them down
&plquo;For sluttish Spoils of Opportunity,
&plquo;And daughters of the Game.&prquo;
[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
-- 455 --
Pursue each other, or shall be divided
By any voice, or order of the field?
Hector bade ask.
Aga.
Which way would Hector have it?
Æne.
He cares not; he'll obey conditions.
Achil.
8 note'Tis done like Hector, but securely done,
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
9 note
Valour and pride parcell 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-battle 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
-- 456 --
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;
&wlquo;Not yet mature, yet matchless; firm of word;
&wlquo;Speaking in deeds, and deedless in his tongue;
&wlquo;Not soon provok'd, nor, being provok'd, soon calm'd;
&wlquo;His heart and hand both open, and both free;
&wlquo;For what he has, he gives; what thinks, he shews;
&wlquo;Yet gives he not, 'till judgment guide his bounty;
&wlquo;Nor dignifies an impair thought with breath:&wrquo;
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.
Alexander Pope [1747], The works of Shakespear in eight volumes. The Genuine Text (collated with all the former Editions, and then corrected and emended) is here settled: Being restored from the Blunders of the first Editors, and the Interpolations of the two Last: with A Comment and Notes, Critical and Explanatory. By Mr. Pope and Mr. Warburton (Printed for J. and P. Knapton, [and] S. Birt [etc.], London) [word count] [S11301].
