women Cressids, and all brokers-between Pan-So do each lord, and either greet him not, dars! say, Amen. Tro. Amen. Cres. Amen. Pan. Amen. Whereupon I will show you a chamber and a bed, which bed, because it shall not speak of your pretty encounters, press it to death away. And Cupid grant all tongue-tied maidens here, Bed, chamber, Pandar, to provide this geer! [Exeunt. SCENE III-The Grecian camp. Enter Agamemnon, Ulysses, Diomedes, Nestor, Ajax, Menelaus, and Calchas. Cal. Now, princes, for the service I have done you, The advantage of the time prompts me aloud Out of those many register'd in promise, make demand. Cal. You have a Trojan prisoner, call'd Antenor, Yesterday took; Troy holds him very dear. Oft have you (often have you thanks therefore,) Desir'd my Cressid in right great exchange, Whom Troy hath still denied: But this Antenor, I know, is such a wrest in their affairs, That their negotiations all must slack, Wanting his manage; and they will almost Give us a prince of blood, a son of Priam, In change of him: let him be sent, great princes, And he shall buy my daughter; and her presence Shall quite strike off all service I have done, In most accepted pain. Agam. Let Diomedes bear him, And bring us Cressid hither; Calchas shall have What he requests of us.-Good Diomed, Furnish you fairly for this interchange: Withal, bring word-if Hector will to-morrow Be answer'd in his challenge: Ajax is ready. Dio. This shall I undertake; and 'tis a burden Which I am proud to bear. [Exe. Dio. and Cal. Enter Achilles and Patroclus, before their tent. Ulyss. Achilles stands i'the entrance of his tent : Please it our general to pass strangely2 by him, Or else disdainfully, which shall shake him more Than if not look'd on. I will lead the way. Achil. What, comes the general to speak with me? You know my mind, I'll fight no more 'gainst Troy. Agam. What says Achilles? would be aught with us? Nest. Would you, my lord, aught with the general? Achil No. [Exeunt Agamemnon and Nestor. Achil. Good day, good day. Men. How do you? how do you? [Exit Men. Achil. What, does the cuckold scorn me? Ajax. How now, Patroclus? Achil. Ajax. Good morrow, Ajax. Ha? Achil. Good morrow. Ajax. Ay, and good next day too. [Exit Ajax. Achil. What mean these fellows? Know they not Achilles? Patr. They pass by strangely: they were us'd to bend, To send their smiles before them to Achilles; Achil. What, am I poor of late? Hath any honour; but honour for those honours Which when they fall, as being slippery standers, Save these men's looks; who do, methinks, find out Ulyss. Now, great Thetis' son? Achil. Why such unplausive eyes are bent, why turn'd on The bearer knows not, but commends itself him: If so, I have derision med'cinable, To use between your strangeness and his pride, Which his own will shall have desire to drink; It may do good: pride hath no other glass To show itself, but pride; for supple knees Feed arrogance, and are the proud man's fees. Agam. We'll execute your purpose, and put on A form of strangeness as we pass along ; (1) An instrument for tuning harps, &c. To others' eyes; nor doth the eye itself Who, in his circumstance, expressly proves-- The present eye praises the present object: Where they are extended; which, like an arch, re- If thou would'st not entomb thyself alive, verberates The voice again; or like a gate of steel His figure and his heat. I was much rapt in this: The unknown Ajax. Heavens, what a man is there! a very horse; That has he knows not what. Nature, what things Most abject in regard, and dear in use! How some men creep in skittish fortune's hall, To see these Grecian lords!--Why, even already Achil. I do believe it: for they pass'd by me, And case thy reputation in thy tent; Whose glorious deeds, but in these fields of late, And drave great Mars to faction. Of this my privacy Ulyss. Is that a wonder? Ha! known? The providence that's in a watchful state, Those scraps are good deeds past: which are de- Great Hector's sister did Achilles win; vour'd As fast as they are made, forgot as soon But our great Ajax bravely beat down him. In monumental mockery. Take the instant way;||A Or, like a gallant horse fallen in first rank, present, Though less than yours in past, must o'ertop yours: That slightly shakes his parting guest by the hand; Remuneration for the thing it was; High birth, vigour of bone, desert in service, [Exit. Patr. To this effect, Achilles, have I mov'd you : Is not more loath'd than an effeminate man Achil. Shall Ajax fight with Hector? Achil. I see, my reputation is at stake; Patr. Achil. Go call Thersites hither, sweet Patroclus: One touch of nature makes the whole world (1) Detail of argument. To see great Hector in his weeds of peace; (3) The descent of the deities to combat on ei- (4) Polyxena. Enter Thersites. Ther. A wonder! Achil. What? And I myself see not the bottom of it. Ther. Ajax goes up and down the field, asking clear again, that I might water an ass at it! I had for himself. Achil. How so? Ther. He must fight singly to-morrow with Hector; and is so prophetically proud of an heroical cudgelling, that he raves in saying nothing. Achil. How can that be? ACT IV. SCENE I-Troy. A street. Enter, at one side, Ther. Why, he stalks up and down like a peacock, a stride and a stand: ruminates, like a hostess, that hath no arithmetic but her brain to set down her reckoning: bites his lip with a politic regard, as who should say-there were wit in this head, an 'twould out; and so there is; but it lies Par. See, ho! who's that there? Dei. 'Tis the lord Æneas. as coldly in him as fire in a flint, which will not show without knocking. The man's undone for Ene. Is the prince there in person?— ever; for if Hector break not his neck i'the com-Had I so good occasion to lie long, bat, he'll break it himself in vain-glory. He knows As you, prince Paris, nothing but heavenly business not me: I said, Good-morrow, Ajax; and he re-Should rob my bed-mate of my company. Dio. That's my mind too.-Good morrow, lord plies, Thanks, Agamemnon. What think you of this man, that takes me for the general? He is grown a very land-fish, languageless, a monster. A plague of opinion! a man may wear it on both sides, like a leather jerkin. Achil. Thou must be my ambassador to him, Thersites. presence; Ther. Who, I? why, he'll answer nobody; he professes not answering; speaking is for beggars; he wears his tongue in his arrns. I will put on his let Patroclus make demands to me, you shall see the pageant of Ajax. Achil. To him, Patroclus: Tell him,-I humbly desire the valiant Ajax, to invite the most valorous Hector to come unarmed to my tent; and to procure safe conduct for his person, of the magnanimous, and most illustrious, six-or-seven-times-honoured captain-general of the Grecian army, memnon. Do this. Patr. Jove bless great Ajax. Ther. Humph! Patr. I come from the worthy Achilles,- Æneas. Par. A valiant Greek, Eneas; take his hand. ne. Health to you, valiant sir, Dio. The one and other Diomed embraces. ne. And thou shalt hunt a hon, that will fly Patr. Who most humbly desires you, to invite Hector to his tent! Ther. Humph! Patr. And to procure safe conduct from Aga Ther. Fare you well, with all my heart. Dio. We do; and long to know each other Par. His purpose meets you; 'Twas to bring To Calchas' house; and there to render him, Ther. No, but he's out o'tune thus. What mu-(Or, rather, call my thought a certain knowledge,) sic will be in him when Hector has knocked out My brother Troilus lodges there to-night; his brains, I know not: But, I am sure, none; un-Rouse him, and give him note of our approach, less the fiddler Apollo get his sinews to make cat-With the whole quality wherefore: I fear, We shall be much unwelcome. lings on. Ene. That I assure you; Troilus had rather Troy were borne to Greece, Than Cressid borne from Troy. Achil. Come, thou shalt bear a letter to him straight. Ther. Let me bear another to his horse; for that's the more capable2 creature. Achil. My mind is troubled, like a fountain stirr'd; (1) Lute-strings made of catgut. (2) Intelligent. Par. There is no help; He merits well to have her, that doth seek her Pan. Ha, ha! Alas, poor wretch! a poor capocchia 4-hast not slept to-night? would he not, a naughty man, let it sleep? a bugbear take him! [Knocking. Cres. Did I not tell you?-'Would he were knock'd o'the head! Who's that at door? good uncle, go and see.- Both merits pois'd, each weighs nor less nor more; You smile, and mock me, as if I meant naughtily. But he as he, the heavier for a whore. Par. You are too bitter to your countrywoman. Dio. She's bitter to her country: Hear me, Paris, For every false drop in her bawdy veins A Grecian's life hath sunk; for every scruple A Trojan hath been slain: since she could speak, Par. Fair Diomed, you do as chapmen do, Dispraise the thing that you desire to buy: But we in silence hold this virtue well,We'll not commend what we intend to sell. Here lies our way. [Exeunt. SCENE II-The same. Court before the house of Pandarus. Enter Troilus and Cressida. Tro. Dear, trouble not yourself; the morn is cold. Cres. Then, sweet my lord, I'll call mine uncle down; He shall unbolt the gates. Tro. As infants' empty of all thought! Tro. Pr'ythee now, to bed. Good morrow then. Are you a-weary of me? Tro. O Cressida! but that the busy day, Wak'd by the lark, hath rous'd the ribald crows, And dreaming night will hide our joys no longer, I would not from thee. Enter Pandarus. Cres. A pestilence on him! now will he be mocking: I shall have such a life, Tro. Ha, ha! Cres. Come, you are deceiv'd, I think of no such thing.[Knocking. How earnestly they knock!-pray you, come in; I would not for half Troy have you seen here. [Exeunt Troilus and Cressida. Pan. [Going to the door.] Who's there? what's the matter? will you beat down the door? How now? what's the matter? Enter Æneas. Jne. Good morrow, lord, good morrow. Pan. Who's there? my lord Eneas? By my troth, I knew you not: what news with you so early? ne. Is not prince Troilus here? Pan. Here! what should he do here? It ne. Come, he is here, my lord, do not deny him; doth import him much, to speak with me. I'll be sworn :-For my own part, I came in late: Pan. Is he here, say you? 'tis more than I know, What should he do here? Ene. Who!-nay, then : Come, come, you'll do him wrong ere you are 'ware: As Pandarus is going out, enter Troilus. ne. My lord, I scarce have leisure to salute My matter is so rash :5 There is at hand Tro. Is it so concluded? Ene. By Priam, and the general state of Troy: They are at hand, and ready to effect it. Tro. How my achievements mock me! I will go meet them and, my lord Æneas, ture Have not more gift in taciturnity. [Exeunt Troilus and Æneas. Pan. Is't possible? no sooner got, but lost? The devil take Antenor! the young prince will go mad. Pan. How now, how now? how go maiden- A plague upon Antenor: I would, they had broke's heads? (1) Lewd, noisy. (2) To do is here used in a wanton sense. VOL. II. neck! (3) Ill betide. (4) An Italian word for poor fool. (5) Hasty. 2 L tenor? Cres. Good uncle, I beseech you on my knees, I beseech you, what's the matter? Pan. Thou must be gone, wench, thou must be gone; thou art changed for Antenor: thou must to thy father, and be gone from Troilus; 'twill be his death; 'twill be his bane; he cannot bear it. Cres. O you immortal gods!—I will not go. Cres. I will not, uncle: I have forgot my father; cheeks, o heart, o heavy heart, Because thou canst not ease thy smart, By friendship, nor by speaking. Pan. Ay, ay, ay, ay; 'tis too plain a case. Cres. What, and from Troilus too? Is it possible? Our lock'd embrasures, strangles our dear vows Even in the birth of our own labouring breath: Did buy each other, must poorly sell ourselves We two, that with so many thousand sighs Cres. Tear my bright hair, and scratch my praised Injurious time now, with a robber's haste, With the rude brevity and discharge of one. Crack my clear voice with sobs, and break my heart Crams his rich thievery up, he knows not how : With sounding Troilus. I will not go from Troy. With distinct breath and consign'd' kisses to them, As many farewells as be stars in heaven, [Exeunt. SCENE III.-The same. Before Pandarus' And scants us with a single famish'd kiss, He fumbles up into a loose adieu; house. Enter Paris, Troilus, Æneas, Deipho-Distasted with the salt of broken3 tears. bus, Antenor, and Diomedes. Par. It is great morning; and the hour prefix'd Ene. [Within.] My lord! is the lady ready? Cries, Come! to him that instantly must die.-- And haste her to the purpose. Tro. I'll bring her to the Grecian presently: And 'would, as I shall pity, I could help!-- [Exeunt. And violenteth in a sense as strong [Exit Pandarus. Cres. I must then to the Greeks? Tro. No remedy. Cres. A woful Cressid 'mongst the merry Greeks! When shall we see again? Tro. Hear me, my love: Be thou but true of heart, Cres. I true! how now? what wicked deem is this? Tro. Nay, we must use expostulation kindly, I speak not, be thou true, as fearing thee; As that which causeth it: How can I moderate it? But be thou true, say I, to fashion in If I could temporize with my affection, Enter Troilus. Pan. Here, here, here he comes.-Ah, sweet ducks! (1) Sense or feeling of relationship. (2) Sealed. |