The Complete Works of William Shakespeare Part 541

Achilles bids you welcome.

MENELAUS. I had good argument for kissing once.

PATROCLUS. But that's no argument for kissing now; For thus popp'd Paris in his hardiment, And parted thus you and your argument.

ULYSSES. O deadly gall, and theme of all our scorns!

For which we lose our heads to gild his horns.

PATROCLUS. The first was Menelaus' kiss; this, mine- [Kisses her again]

Patroclus kisses you.

MENELAUS. O, this is trim!

PATROCLUS. Paris and I kiss evermore for him.

MENELAUS. I'll have my kiss, sir. Lady, by your leave.

CRESSIDA. In kissing, do you render or receive?

PATROCLUS. Both take and give.

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

MENELAUS. I'll give you boot; I'll give you three for one.

CRESSIDA. You are an odd man; give even or give none.

MENELAUS. An odd man, lady? Every man is odd.

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

MENELAUS. You fillip me o' th' head.

CRESSIDA. No, I'll be sworn.

ULYSSES. It were no match, your nail against his horn.

May I, sweet lady, beg a kiss of you?

CRESSIDA. You may.

ULYSSES. I do desire it.

CRESSIDA. Why, beg then.

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

CRESSIDA. I am your debtor; claim it when 'tis due.

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

DIOMEDES. Lady, a word. I'll bring you to your father.

Exit with CRESSIDA NESTOR. A woman of quick sense.

ULYSSES. 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.

O these encounters so glib of tongue That give a coasting welcome ere it comes, And wide unclasp the tables of their thoughts To every ticklish reader! Set them down For s.l.u.ttish spoils of opportunity, And daughters of the game. [Trumpet within]

ALL. The Troyans' trumpet.

Enter HECTOR, armed; AENEAS, TROILUS, PARIS, HELENUS, and other Trojans, with attendants

AGAMEMNON. Yonder comes the troop.

AENEAS. 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 they be divided By any voice or order of the field?

Hector bade ask.

AGAMEMNON. Which way would Hector have it?

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

ACHILLES. 'Tis done like Hector; but securely done, A little proudly, and great deal misprizing The knight oppos'd.

AENEAS. If not Achilles, sir, What is your name?

ACHILLES. If not Achilles, nothing.

AENEAS. 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 courtesy.

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

ACHILLES. A maiden battle then? O, I perceive you!

Re-enter DIOMEDES

AGAMEMNON. Here is Sir Diomed. Go, gentle knight, Stand by our Ajax. As you and Lord ]Eneas Consent upon the order of their fight, So be it; either to the uttermost, Or else a breath. The combatants being kin Half stints their strife before their strokes begin.

[AJAX and HECTOR enter the lists]

ULYSSES. They are oppos'd already.

AGAMEMNON. What Troyan is that same that looks so heavy?

ULYSSES. 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 shows, 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 Aeneas, one that knows the youth Even to his inches, and, with private soul, Did in great Ilion thus translate him to me.

[Alarum. HECTOR and AJAX fight]

AGAMEMNON. They are in action.

NESTOR. Now, Ajax, hold thine own!

TROILUS. Hector, thou sleep'st; Awake thee.

AGAMEMNON. His blows are well dispos'd. There, Ajax!

[Trumpets cease]

DIOMEDES. You must no more.

AENEAS. Princes, enough, so please you.

AJAX. I am not warm yet; let us fight again.

DIOMEDES. As Hector pleases.

HECTOR. Why, then will I no more.

Thou art, great lord, my father's sister's son, A cousin-german to great Priam's seed; The obligation of our blood forbids A gory emulation 'twixt us twain: Were thy commixtion Greek and Troyan so That thou could'st say 'This hand is Grecian all, And this is Troyan; 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 father's'; by Jove multipotent, Thou shouldst not bear from me a Greekish member Wherein my sword had not impressure made Of our rank feud; but the just G.o.ds gainsay That any drop thou borrow'dst from thy mother, My sacred aunt, should by my mortal sword Be drained! Let me embrace thee, Ajax.

By him that thunders, thou hast l.u.s.ty 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.

HECTOR. Not Neoptolemus so mirable, On whose bright crest Fame with her loud'st Oyes Cries 'This is he' could promise to himself A thought of added honour torn from Hector.

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

HECTOR. 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.

DIOMEDES. 'Tis Agamemnon's wish; and great Achilles Doth long to see unarm'd the valiant Hector.

HECTOR. Aeneas, call my brother Troilus to me, And signify this loving interview To the expecters of our Troyan 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.

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

AGAMEMNON.Worthy all 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.

HECTOR. I thank thee, most imperious Agamemnon.

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

MENELAUS. Let me confirm my princely brother's greeting.

You brace of warlike brothers, welcome hither.

HECTOR. Who must we answer?

AENEAS. The n.o.ble Menelaus.

HECTOR. O you, my lord? By Mars his gauntlet, thanks!

Mock not that I affect the untraded oath; Your quondam wife swears still by Venus' glove.

She's well, but bade me not commend her to you.

MENELAUS. Name her not now, sir; she's a deadly theme.

HECTOR. O, pardon; I offend.

NESTOR. I have, thou gallant Troyan, 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, Despising many forfeits and subduements, When thou hast hung thy advanced sword i' th' air, Not letting it decline on the declined; 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, When that a ring of Greeks have hemm'd thee in, Like an Olympian wrestling. This have I 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. O, let an old man embrace thee; And, worthy warrior, welcome to our tents.