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Title: Troilus And Cressida (published 1602)
Author: William Shakespeare (died 1616)
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Summary
The Trojans are under siege by the Grecian army of Agamemnon. Troilus, a Trojan, falls in love with Cressida, a Greek captive. When Cressida is given back to the Greeks as part of a prisoner exchange, Troilus fears that she will fall in love with one of them. His fears prove to be true when he crosses enemy lines during a truce and sees her and a Greek man together.
Source: Wikipedia
Dramatis Personæ
Dramatis Personæ
The Trojans
Cassandra, Priam’s daughter, a soothsayer
Troilus
Hector
Paris
Helenus
Deiphobus
Bastard
Andromache, Hector’s wife
Troilus’s Boy
Troilus’s Man
Paris’s Servingman
Cressida
Calchas, her father
Pandarus, her uncle
Alexander, her servant
The Greeks
Agamemnon, the general
Nestor
Ulysses
Diomedes
Menelaus, brother to Agamemnon
Ajax
Achilles
Helen, Menelaus’s wife and queen
Patroclus, Achilles’ favorite companion
Myrmidons, Achilles’ soldiers
Thersites, cynical critic
Other Trojans and Greeks, Common Soldiers of Troy and Greece, Trumpeters, Attendants, Torchbearers
A never writer to an ever reader: news.
Eternal reader, you have here a new play, never staled
with the stage, never clapperclawed with the palms of
the vulgar, and yet passing full of the palm comical, for
it is a birth of your brain that never undertook anything
comical vainly. And were but the vain names of comedies
changed for the titles of commodities, or of plays
for pleas, you should see all those grand censors, that
now style them such vanities, flock to them for the
main grace of their gravities, especially this author’s
comedies, that are so framed to the life that they serve
for the most common commentaries of all the actions
of our lives, showing such a dexterity and power of wit
that the most displeased with plays are pleased with
his comedies. And all such dull and heavy-witted
worldlings as were never capable of the wit of a comedy,
coming by report of them to his representations,
have found that wit there that they never found in
themselves and have parted better witted than they
came, feeling an edge of wit set upon them more than
ever they dreamed they had brain to grind it on. So
much and such savored salt of wit is in his comedies
that they seem, for their height of pleasure, to be born
in that sea that brought forth Venus. Amongst all there
is none more witty than this; and had I time, I would
comment upon it, though I know it needs not, for so
much as will make you think your testern well
bestowed, but for so much worth as even poor I know
to be stuffed in it. It deserves such a labor as well as the
best comedy in Terence or Plautus. And believe this,
that when he is gone and his comedies out of sale, you
will scramble for them and set up a new English
Page 5 - Troilus and Cressida - PROLOGUE
Inquisition. Take this for a warning, and at the peril of
your pleasure’s loss, and judgment’s, refuse not nor like
this the less for not being sullied with the smoky breath
of the multitude, but thank fortune for the scape it
hath made amongst you, since by the grand possessors’
wills I believe you should have prayed for them rather
than been prayed. And so I leave all such to be prayed
for, for the states of their wits’ healths, that will not
praise it. Vale.
ACT 1
Scene 1
Enter Pandarus and Troilus.
TROILUS
line 0032Call here my varlet; I’ll unarm again.
line 0033Why should I war without the walls of Troy
line 0034That find such cruel battle here within?
line 0035Each Trojan that is master of his heart,
5line 0036Let him to field; Troilus, alas, hath none.
line 0037PANDARUSWill this gear ne’er be mended?
TROILUS
line 0038The Greeks are strong and skilful to their strength,
line 0039Fierce to their skill, and to their fierceness valiant;
line 0040But I am weaker than a woman’s tear,
10line 0041Tamer than sleep, fonder than ignorance,
line 0042Less valiant than the virgin in the night,
line 0043And skilless as unpracticed infancy.
line 0044PANDARUSWell, I have told you enough of this. For my
line 0045part, I’ll not meddle nor make no farther. He that will
15line 0046have a cake out of the wheat must tarry the grinding.
line 0047TROILUSHave I not tarried?
line 0048PANDARUSAy, the grinding; but you must tarry the
line 0049bolting.
line 0050TROILUSHave I not tarried?
20line 0051PANDARUSAy, the bolting; but you must tarry the
line 0052leavening.
Act 1 Scene 1 - Pg 17
line 0053TROILUSStill have I tarried.
line 0054PANDARUSAy, to the leavening; but here’s yet in the word
line 0055hereafter the kneading, the making of the cake, the
25line 0056heating the oven, and the baking. Nay, you must stay
line 0057the cooling too, or you may chance burn your lips.
TROILUS
line 0058Patience herself, what goddess e’er she be,
line 0059Doth lesser blench at suff’rance than I do.
line 0060At Priam’s royal table do I sit
30line 0061And when fair Cressid comes into my thoughts—
line 0062So, traitor! “When she comes”? When is she
line 0063thence?
line 0064PANDARUSWell, she looked yesternight fairer than ever
line 0065I saw her look, or any woman else.
TROILUS
35line 0066I was about to tell thee: when my heart,
line 0067As wedgèd with a sigh, would rive in twain,
line 0068Lest Hector or my father should perceive me,
line 0069I have, as when the sun doth light a-scorn,
line 0070Buried this sigh in wrinkle of a smile;
40line 0071But sorrow that is couched in seeming gladness
line 0072Is like that mirth fate turns to sudden sadness.
line 0073PANDARUSAn her hair were not somewhat darker than
line 0074Helen’s—well, go to—there were no more comparison
line 0075between the women. But, for my part, she is
45line 0076my kinswoman; I would not, as they term it, praise
line 0077her, but I would somebody had heard her talk yesterday,
line 0078as I did. I will not dispraise your sister Cassandra’s
line 0079wit, but—
TROILUS
line 0080O, Pandarus! I tell thee, Pandarus:
50line 0081When I do tell thee there my hopes lie drowned,
line 0082Reply not in how many fathoms deep
line 0083They lie indrenched. I tell thee I am mad
line 0084In Cressid’s love. Thou answer’st she is fair;
line 0085Pourest in the open ulcer of my heart
Act 1 Scene 1 - Pg 19
55line 0086Her eyes, her hair, her cheek, her gait, her voice;
line 0087Handiest in thy discourse—O—that her hand,
line 0088In whose comparison all whites are ink
line 0089Writing their own reproach, to whose soft seizure
line 0090The cygnet’s down is harsh, and spirit of sense
60line 0091Hard as the palm of plowman. This thou tell’st me,
line 0092As true thou tell’st me, when I say I love her.
line 0093But, saying thus, instead of oil and balm
line 0094Thou lay’st in every gash that love hath given me
line 0095The knife that made it.
65line 0096PANDARUSI speak no more than truth.
line 0097TROILUSThou dost not speak so much.
line 0098PANDARUSFaith, I’ll not meddle in it. Let her be as she
line 0099is. If she be fair, ’tis the better for her; an she be
line 0100not, she has the mends in her own hands.
70line 0101TROILUSGood Pandarus—how now, Pandarus?
line 0102PANDARUSI have had my labor for my travail, ill thought
line 0103on of her, and ill thought on of you; gone between
line 0104and between, but small thanks for my labor.
line 0105TROILUSWhat, art thou angry, Pandarus? What, with
75line 0106me?
line 0107PANDARUSBecause she’s kin to me, therefore she’s not
line 0108so fair as Helen; an she were not kin to me, she
line 0109would be as fair o’ Friday as Helen is on Sunday.
line 0110But what care I? I care not an she were a blackamoor;
80line 0111’tis all one to me.
line 0112TROILUSSay I she is not fair?
line 0113PANDARUSI do not care whether you do or no. She’s a
line 0114fool to stay behind her father. Let her to the Greeks,
line 0115and so I’ll tell her the next time I see her. For my
85line 0116part, I’ll meddle nor make no more i’ th’ matter.
line 0117TROILUSPandarus—
line 0118PANDARUSNot I.
line 0119TROILUSSweet Pandarus—
line 0120PANDARUSPray you speak no more to me. I will leave
90line 0121all as I found it, and there an end.He exits.
Act 1 Scene 1 - Pg 21
Sound alarum.
TROILUS
line 0122Peace, you ungracious clamors! Peace, rude sounds!
line 0123Fools on both sides! Helen must needs be fair
line 0124When with your blood you daily paint her thus.
line 0125I cannot fight upon this argument;
95line 0126It is too starved a subject for my sword.
line 0127But Pandarus—O gods, how do you plague me!
line 0128I cannot come to Cressid but by Pandar,
line 0129And he’s as tetchy to be wooed to woo
line 0130As she is stubborn-chaste against all suit.
100line 0131Tell me, Apollo, for thy Daphnes love,
line 0132What Cressid is, what Pandar, and what we.
line 0133Her bed is India; there she lies, a pearl.
line 0134Between our Ilium and where she resides,
line 0135Let it be called the wild and wand’ring flood,
105line 0136Ourself the merchant, and this sailing Pandar
line 0137Our doubtful hope, our convoy, and our bark.
Alarum. Enter Aeneas.
AENEAS
line 0138How now, Prince Troilus? Wherefore not afield?
TROILUS
line 0139Because not there. This woman’s answer sorts,
line 0140For womanish it is to be from thence.
110line 0141What news, Aeneas, from the field today?
AENEAS
line 0142That Paris is returnèd home, and hurt.
TROILUS
line 0143By whom, Aeneas?
line 0144AENEASTroilus, by Menelaus.
TROILUS
line 0145Let Paris bleed. ’Tis but a scar to scorn;
115line 0146Paris is gored with Menelaus’ horn.
Alarum.
Act 1 Scene 2 - Pg 23
AENEAS
line 0147Hark what good sport is out of town today!
TROILUS
line 0148Better at home, if “would I might” were “may.”
line 0149But to the sport abroad. Are you bound thither?
AENEAS
line 0150In all swift haste.
120line 0151TROILUSCome, go we then together.
They exit.
Scene 2
Enter Cressida and her man Alexander.
CRESSIDA
line 0152Who were those went by?
line 0153ALEXANDERQueen Hecuba and Helen.
CRESSIDA
line 0154And whither go they?
line 0155ALEXANDERUp to the eastern tower,
5line 0156Whose height commands as subject all the vale,
line 0157To see the battle. Hector, whose patience
line 0158Is as a virtue fixed, today was moved.
line 0159He chid Andromache and struck his armorer;
line 0160And, like as there were husbandry in war,
10line 0161Before the sun rose he was harnessed light,
line 0162And to the field goes he, where every flower
line 0163Did as a prophet weep what it foresaw
line 0164In Hector’s wrath.
line 0165CRESSIDAWhat was his cause of anger?
ALEXANDER
15line 0166The noise goes, this: there is among the Greeks
line 0167A lord of Trojan blood, nephew to Hector.
line 0168They call him Ajax.
line 0169CRESSIDAGood; and what of him?
Act 1 Scene 2 - Pg 25
ALEXANDER
line 0170They say he is a very man per se
20line 0171And stands alone.
line 0172CRESSIDASo do all men unless they are drunk, sick,
line 0173or have no legs.
line 0174ALEXANDERThis man, lady, hath robbed many beasts
line 0175of their particular additions. He is as valiant as the
25line 0176lion, churlish as the bear, slow as the elephant, a
line 0177man into whom nature hath so crowded humors
line 0178that his valor is crushed into folly, his folly sauced
line 0179with discretion. There is no man hath a virtue that
line 0180he hath not a glimpse of, nor any man an attaint
30line 0181but he carries some stain of it. He is melancholy
line 0182without cause and merry against the hair. He hath
line 0183the joints of everything, but everything so out of
line 0184joint that he is a gouty Briareus, many hands and
line 0185no use, or purblind Argus, all eyes and no sight.
35line 0186CRESSIDABut how should this man that makes me
line 0187smile make Hector angry?
line 0188ALEXANDERThey say he yesterday coped Hector in the
line 0189battle and struck him down, the disdain and
line 0190shame whereof hath ever since kept Hector fasting
40line 0191and waking.
Enter Pandarus.
line 0192CRESSIDAWho comes here?
line 0193ALEXANDERMadam, your Uncle Pandarus.
line 0194CRESSIDAHector’s a gallant man.
line 0195ALEXANDERAs may be in the world, lady.
45line 0196PANDARUSWhat’s that? What’s that?
line 0197CRESSIDAGood morrow, Uncle Pandarus.
line 0198PANDARUSGood morrow, Cousin Cressid. What do you
line 0199talk of?— Good morrow, Alexander.—How do you,
line 0200cousin? When were you at Ilium?
50line 0201CRESSIDAThis morning, uncle.
Act 1 Scene 2 - Pg 27
line 0202PANDARUSWhat were you talking of when I came?
line 0203Was Hector armed and gone ere you came to
line 0204Ilium? Helen was not up, was she?
line 0205CRESSIDAHector was gone, but Helen was not up.
55line 0206PANDARUSE’en so. Hector was stirring early.
line 0207CRESSIDAThat were we talking of, and of his anger.
line 0208PANDARUSWas he angry?
line 0209CRESSIDASo he says here.
line 0210PANDARUSTrue, he was so. I know the cause too. He’ll
60line 0211lay about him today, I can tell them that; and
line 0212there’s Troilus will not come far behind him. Let
line 0213them take heed of Troilus, I can tell them that too.
line 0214CRESSIDAWhat, is he angry too?
line 0215PANDARUSWho, Troilus? Troilus is the better man of
65line 0216the two.
line 0217CRESSIDAO Jupiter, there’s no comparison.
line 0218PANDARUSWhat, not between Troilus and Hector? Do
line 0219you know a man if you see him?
line 0220CRESSIDAAy, if I ever saw him before and knew him.
70line 0221PANDARUSWell, I say Troilus is Troilus.
line 0222CRESSIDAThen you say as I say, for I am sure he is not
line 0223Hector.
line 0224PANDARUSNo, nor Hector is not Troilus in some degrees.
line 0225CRESSIDA’Tis just to each of them; he is himself.
75line 0226PANDARUSHimself? Alas, poor Troilus, I would he were.
line 0227CRESSIDASo he is.
line 0228PANDARUSCondition I had gone barefoot to India.
line 0229CRESSIDAHe is not Hector.
line 0230PANDARUSHimself? No, he’s not himself. Would he
80line 0231were himself! Well, the gods are above. Time must
line 0232friend or end. Well, Troilus, well, I would my heart
line 0233were in her body. No, Hector is not a better man
line 0234than Troilus.
line 0235CRESSIDAExcuse me.
85line 0236PANDARUSHe is elder.
line 0237CRESSIDAPardon me, pardon me.
Act 1 Scene 2 - Pg 29
line 0238PANDARUSTh’ other’s not come to ’t. You shall tell me
line 0239another tale when th’ other’s come to ’t. Hector
line 0240shall not have his wit this year.
90line 0241CRESSIDAHe shall not need it, if he have his own.
line 0242PANDARUSNor his qualities.
line 0243CRESSIDANo matter.
line 0244PANDARUSNor his beauty.
line 0245CRESSIDA’Twould not become him. His own ’s better.
95line 0246PANDARUSYou have no judgment, niece. Helen herself
line 0247swore th’ other day that Troilus, for a brown favor—
line 0248for so ’tis, I must confess—not brown neither—
line 0249CRESSIDANo, but brown.
line 0250PANDARUSFaith, to say truth, brown and not brown.
100line 0251CRESSIDATo say the truth, true and not true.
line 0252PANDARUSShe praised his complexion above Paris’.
line 0253CRESSIDAWhy, Paris hath color enough.
line 0254PANDARUSSo he has.
line 0255CRESSIDAThen Troilus should have too much. If she
105line 0256praised him above, his complexion is higher than
line 0257his. He having color enough, and the other higher,
line 0258is too flaming a praise for a good complexion. I
line 0259had as lief Helen’s golden tongue had commended
line 0260Troilus for a copper nose.
110line 0261PANDARUSI swear to you, I think Helen loves him better
line 0262than Paris.
line 0263CRESSIDAThen she’s a merry Greek indeed.
line 0264PANDARUSNay, I am sure she does. She came to him
line 0265th’ other day into the compassed window—and
115line 0266you know he has not past three or four hairs on his
line 0267chin—
line 0268CRESSIDAIndeed, a tapster’s arithmetic may soon bring
line 0269his particulars therein to a total.
line 0270PANDARUSWhy, he is very young, and yet will he within
120line 0271three pound lift as much as his brother Hector.
line 0272CRESSIDAIs he so young a man and so old a lifter?
Act 1 Scene 2 - Pg 31
line 0273PANDARUSBut to prove to you that Helen loves him: she
line 0274came and puts me her white hand to his cloven
line 0275chin—
125line 0276CRESSIDAJuno have mercy! How came it cloven?
line 0277PANDARUSWhy, you know ’tis dimpled. I think his
line 0278smiling becomes him better than any man in all
line 0279Phrygia.
line 0280CRESSIDAO, he smiles valiantly.
130line 0281PANDARUSDoes he not?
line 0282CRESSIDAO yes, an ’twere a cloud in autumn.
line 0283PANDARUSWhy, go to, then. But to prove to you that
line 0284Helen loves Troilus—
line 0285CRESSIDATroilus will stand to the proof if you’ll
135line 0286prove it so.
line 0287PANDARUSTroilus? Why, he esteems her no more than
line 0288I esteem an addle egg.
line 0289CRESSIDAIf you love an addle egg as well as you love
line 0290an idle head, you would eat chickens i’ th’ shell.
140line 0291PANDARUSI cannot choose but laugh to think how she
line 0292tickled his chin. Indeed, she has a marvellous
line 0293white hand, I must needs confess—
line 0294CRESSIDAWithout the rack.
line 0295PANDARUSAnd she takes upon her to spy a white hair
145line 0296on his chin.
line 0297CRESSIDAAlas, poor chin! Many a wart is richer.
line 0298PANDARUSBut there was such laughing! Queen Hecuba
line 0299laughed that her eyes ran o’er—
line 0300CRESSIDAWith millstones.
150line 0301PANDARUSAnd Cassandra laughed—
line 0302CRESSIDABut there was a more temperate fire under
line 0303the pot of her eyes. Did her eyes run o’er too?
line 0304PANDARUSAnd Hector laughed.
line 0305CRESSIDAAt what was all this laughing?
155line 0306PANDARUSMarry, at the white hair that Helen spied on
line 0307Troilus’ chin.
Act 1 Scene 2 - Pg 33
line 0308CRESSIDAAn ’t had been a green hair, I should have
line 0309laughed too.
line 0310PANDARUSThey laughed not so much at the hair as at
160line 0311his pretty answer.
line 0312CRESSIDAWhat was his answer?
line 0313PANDARUSQuoth she “Here’s but two-and-fifty hairs
line 0314on your chin, and one of them is white.”
line 0315CRESSIDAThis is her question.
165line 0316PANDARUSThat’s true, make no question of that. “Two-and-fifty
line 0317hairs,” quoth he, “and one white. That
line 0318white hair is my father, and all the rest are his
line 0319sons.” “Jupiter!” quoth she, “which of these hairs
line 0320is Paris, my husband?” “The forked one,” quoth he.
170line 0321“Pluck ’t out, and give it him.” But there was such
line 0322laughing, and Helen so blushed, and Paris so
line 0323chafed, and all the rest so laughed that it passed.
line 0324CRESSIDASo let it now, for it has been a great while
line 0325going by.
175line 0326PANDARUSWell, cousin, I told you a thing yesterday.
line 0327Think on ’t.
line 0328CRESSIDASo I do.
line 0329PANDARUSI’ll be sworn ’tis true. He will weep you an
line 0330’twere a man born in April.
180line 0331CRESSIDAAnd I’ll spring up in his tears an ’twere a nettle
line 0332against May.Sound a retreat.
line 0333PANDARUSHark, they are coming from the field. Shall
line 0334we stand up here and see them as they pass toward
line 0335Ilium? Good niece, do, sweet niece Cressida.
185line 0336CRESSIDAAt your pleasure.
line 0337PANDARUSHere, here, here’s an excellent place. Here
line 0338we may see most bravely. I’ll tell you them all by
line 0339their names as they pass by, but mark Troilus
line 0340above the rest.
They cross the stage; Alexander exits.
190line 0341CRESSIDASpeak not so loud.
Act 1 Scene 2 - Pg 35
Enter Aeneas and crosses the stage.
line 0342PANDARUSThat’s Aeneas. Is not that a brave man? He’s
line 0343one of the flowers of Troy, I can tell you. But mark
line 0344Troilus; you shall see anon.
Enter Antenor and crosses the stage.
line 0345CRESSIDAWho’s that?
195line 0346PANDARUSThat’s Antenor. He has a shrewd wit, I can
line 0347tell you, and he’s a man good enough. He’s one o’
line 0348th’ soundest judgments in Troy whosoever; and a
line 0349proper man of person. When comes Troilus? I’ll
line 0350show you Troilus anon. If he see me, you shall see
200line 0351him nod at me.
line 0352CRESSIDAWill he give you the nod?
line 0353PANDARUSYou shall see.
line 0354CRESSIDAIf he do, the rich shall have more.
Enter Hector and crosses the stage.
line 0355PANDARUSThat’s Hector, that, that, look you, that.
205line 0356There’s a fellow!—Go thy way, Hector!—There’s a
line 0357brave man, niece. O brave Hector! Look how he
line 0358looks. There’s a countenance! Is ’t not a brave man?
line 0359CRESSIDAO, a brave man!
line 0360PANDARUSIs he not? It does a man’s heart good. Look
210line 0361you what hacks are on his helmet. Look you yonder,
line 0362do you see? Look you there. There’s no jesting;
line 0363there’s laying on, take ’t off who will, as they say.
line 0364There be hacks.
line 0365CRESSIDABe those with swords?
215line 0366PANDARUSSwords, anything, he cares not. An the devil
line 0367come to him, it’s all one. By God’s lid, it does one’s
line 0368heart good.
Enter Paris and crosses the stage.
line 0369Yonder comes Paris, yonder comes Paris! Look you
line 0370yonder, niece. Is ’t not a gallant man too? Is ’t not?
Act 1 Scene 2 - Pg 37
220line 0371Why, this is brave now. Who said he came hurt
line 0372home today? He’s not hurt. Why, this will do
line 0373Helen’s heart good now, ha? Would I could see
line 0374Troilus now! You shall see Troilus anon.
Enter Helenus and crosses the stage.
line 0375CRESSIDAWho’s that?
225line 0376PANDARUSThat’s Helenus. I marvel where Troilus is.
line 0377That’s Helenus. I think he went not forth today.
line 0378That’s Helenus.
line 0379CRESSIDACan Helenus fight, uncle?
line 0380PANDARUSHelenus? No. Yes, he’ll fight indifferent
230line 0381well. I marvel where Troilus is. Hark, do you not
line 0382hear the people cry “Troilus”? Helenus is a priest.
Enter Troilus and crosses the stage.
line 0383CRESSIDAWhat sneaking fellow comes yonder?
line 0384PANDARUSWhere? Yonder? That’s Deiphobus. ’Tis
line 0385Troilus! There’s a man, niece. Hem! Brave Troilus,
235line 0386the prince of chivalry!
line 0387CRESSIDAPeace, for shame, peace.
line 0388PANDARUSMark him. Note him. O brave Troilus! Look
line 0389well upon him, niece. Look you how his sword is
line 0390bloodied and his helm more hacked than Hector’s,
240line 0391and how he looks, and how he goes. O admirable
line 0392youth! He never saw three and twenty.—Go thy
line 0393way, Troilus; go thy way!—Had I a sister were a
line 0394Grace, or a daughter a goddess, he should take his
line 0395choice. O admirable man! Paris? Paris is dirt to
245line 0396him; and I warrant Helen, to change, would give
line 0397an eye to boot.
Enter Common Soldiers and cross the stage.
line 0398CRESSIDAHere comes more.
line 0399PANDARUSAsses, fools, dolts, chaff and bran, chaff and
line 0400bran, porridge after meat. I could live and die in
Act 1 Scene 2 - Pg 39
250line 0401the eyes of Troilus. Ne’er look, ne’er look; the
line 0402eagles are gone. Crows and daws, crows and daws!
line 0403I had rather be such a man as Troilus than
line 0404Agamemnon and all Greece.
line 0405CRESSIDAThere is amongst the Greeks Achilles, a better
255line 0406man than Troilus.
line 0407PANDARUSAchilles? A drayman, a porter, a very camel!
line 0408CRESSIDAWell, well.
line 0409PANDARUS“Well, well”? Why, have you any discretion?
line 0410Have you any eyes? Do you know what a man is? Is
260line 0411not birth, beauty, good shape, discourse, manhood,
line 0412learning, gentleness, virtue, youth, liberality and
line 0413such-like the spice and salt that season a man?
line 0414CRESSIDAAy, a minced man; and then to be baked with
line 0415no date in the pie, for then the man’s date is out.
265line 0416PANDARUSYou are such a woman a man knows not at
line 0417what ward you lie.
line 0418CRESSIDAUpon my back to defend my belly, upon my
line 0419wit to defend my wiles, upon my secrecy to defend
line 0420mine honesty, my mask to defend my beauty, and
270line 0421you to defend all these; and at all these wards I lie,
line 0422at a thousand watches.
line 0423PANDARUSSay one of your watches.
line 0424CRESSIDANay, I’ll watch you for that, and that’s one of
line 0425the chiefest of them too. If I cannot ward what I
275line 0426would not have hit, I can watch you for telling how
line 0427I took the blow—unless it swell past hiding, and
line 0428then it’s past watching.
line 0429PANDARUSYou are such another!
Enter Troilus’s Boy.
line 0430BOYSir, my lord would instantly speak with you.
280line 0431PANDARUSWhere?
line 0432BOYAt your own house. There he unarms him.
line 0433PANDARUSGood boy, tell him I come.Boy exits.
line 0434I doubt he be hurt.—Fare you well, good niece.
Act 1 Scene 3 - Pg 41
line 0435CRESSIDAAdieu, uncle.
285line 0436PANDARUSI will be with you, niece, by and by.
line 0437CRESSIDATo bring, uncle?
line 0438PANDARUSAy, a token from Troilus.
line 0439CRESSIDABy the same token, you are a bawd.
Pandarus exits.
line 0440Words, vows, gifts, tears, and love’s full sacrifice
290line 0441He offers in another’s enterprise;
line 0442But more in Troilus thousandfold I see
line 0443Than in the glass of Pandar’s praise may be.
line 0444Yet hold I off. Women are angels, wooing;
line 0445Things won are done; joy’s soul lies in the doing.
295line 0446That she beloved knows naught that knows not this:
line 0447Men prize the thing ungained more than it is.
line 0448That she was never yet that ever knew
line 0449Love got so sweet as when desire did sue.
line 0450Therefore this maxim out of love I teach:
300line 0451Achievement is command; ungained, beseech.
line 0452Then though my heart’s content firm love doth bear,
line 0453Nothing of that shall from mine eyes appear.
She exits.
Scene 3
Sennet. Enter Agamemnon, Nestor, Ulysses, Diomedes, Menelaus, with others.
AGAMEMNON
line 0454Princes, what grief hath set the jaundice o’er your
line 0455cheeks?
line 0456The ample proposition that hope makes
line 0457In all designs begun on Earth below
5line 0458Fails in the promised largeness. Checks and disasters
line 0459Grow in the veins of actions highest reared,
line 0460As knots, by the conflux of meeting sap,
line 0461Infects the sound pine and diverts his grain
Act 1 Scene 3 - Pg 43
line 0462Tortive and errant from his course of growth.
10line 0463Nor, princes, is it matter new to us
line 0464That we come short of our suppose so far
line 0465That after seven years’ siege yet Troy walls stand,
line 0466Sith every action that hath gone before,
line 0467Whereof we have record, trial did draw
15line 0468Bias and thwart, not answering the aim
line 0469And that unbodied figure of the thought
line 0470That gave ’t surmisèd shape. Why then, you princes,
line 0471Do you with cheeks abashed behold our works
line 0472And call them shames, which are indeed naught else
20line 0473But the protractive trials of great Jove
line 0474To find persistive constancy in men?
line 0475The fineness of which metal is not found
line 0476In Fortune’s love; for then the bold and coward,
line 0477The wise and fool, the artist and unread,
25line 0478The hard and soft seem all affined and kin.
line 0479But in the wind and tempest of her frown,
line 0480Distinction, with a broad and powerful fan,
line 0481Puffing at all, winnows the light away,
line 0482And what hath mass or matter by itself
30line 0483Lies rich in virtue and unmingled.
NESTOR
line 0484With due observance of thy godlike seat,
line 0485Great Agamemnon, Nestor shall apply
line 0486Thy latest words. In the reproof of chance
line 0487Lies the true proof of men. The sea being smooth,
35line 0488How many shallow bauble boats dare sail
line 0489Upon her patient breast, making their way
line 0490With those of nobler bulk!
line 0491But let the ruffian Boreas once enrage
line 0492The gentle Thetis, and anon behold
40line 0493The strong-ribbed bark through liquid mountains cut,
line 0494Bounding between the two moist elements,
line 0495Like Perseus’ horse. Where’s then the saucy boat
line 0496Whose weak untimbered sides but even now
Act 1 Scene 3 - Pg 45
line 0497Corrivaled greatness? Either to harbor fled
45line 0498Or made a toast for Neptune. Even so
line 0499Doth valor’s show and valor’s worth divide
line 0500In storms of Fortune. For in her ray and brightness
line 0501The herd hath more annoyance by the breese
line 0502Than by the tiger, but when the splitting wind
50line 0503Makes flexible the knees of knotted oaks,
line 0504And flies flee under shade, why, then the thing of
line 0505courage,
line 0506As roused with rage, with rage doth sympathize,
line 0507And with an accent tuned in selfsame key
55line 0508Retorts to chiding Fortune.
line 0509ULYSSESAgamemnon,
line 0510Thou great commander, nerves and bone of Greece,
line 0511Heart of our numbers, soul and only sprite,
line 0512In whom the tempers and the minds of all
60line 0513Should be shut up, hear what Ulysses speaks.
line 0514Besides th’ applause and approbation,
line 0515The which, to Agamemnon most mighty for thy
line 0516place and sway,
line 0517To Nestor And thou most reverend for thy
65line 0518stretched-out life,
line 0519I give to both your speeches, which were such
line 0520As Agamemnon and the hand of Greece
line 0521Should hold up high in brass; and such again
line 0522As venerable Nestor, hatched in silver,
70line 0523Should with a bond of air, strong as the axletree
line 0524On which heaven rides, knit all the Greekish ears
line 0525To his experienced tongue, yet let it please both,
line 0526Thou great, and wise, to hear Ulysses speak.
AGAMEMNON
line 0527Speak, Prince of Ithaca, and be ’t of less expect
75line 0528That matter needless, of importless burden,
line 0529Divide thy lips than we are confident
line 0530When rank Thersites opes his mastic jaws
line 0531We shall hear music, wit, and oracle.
Act 1 Scene 3 - Pg 47
ULYSSES
line 0532Troy, yet upon his basis, had been down,
80line 0533And the great Hector’s sword had lacked a master
line 0534But for these instances:
line 0535The specialty of rule hath been neglected,
line 0536And look how many Grecian tents do stand
line 0537Hollow upon this plain, so many hollow factions.
85line 0538When that the general is not like the hive
line 0539To whom the foragers shall all repair,
line 0540What honey is expected? Degree being vizarded,
line 0541Th’ unworthiest shows as fairly in the mask.
line 0542The heavens themselves, the planets, and this center
90line 0543Observe degree, priority, and place,
line 0544Insisture, course, proportion, season, form,
line 0545Office, and custom, in all line of order.
line 0546And therefore is the glorious planet Sol
line 0547In noble eminence enthroned and sphered
95line 0548Amidst the other, whose med’cinable eye
line 0549Corrects the influence of evil planets,
line 0550And posts, like the commandment of a king,
line 0551Sans check, to good and bad. But when the planets
line 0552In evil mixture to disorder wander,
100line 0553What plagues and what portents, what mutiny,
line 0554What raging of the sea, shaking of Earth,
line 0555Commotion in the winds, frights, changes, horrors
line 0556Divert and crack, rend and deracinate
line 0557The unity and married calm of states
105line 0558Quite from their fixture! O, when degree is shaked,
line 0559Which is the ladder of all high designs,
line 0560The enterprise is sick. How could communities,
line 0561Degrees in schools and brotherhoods in cities,
line 0562Peaceful commerce from dividable shores,
110line 0563The primogeneity and due of birth,
line 0564Prerogative of age, crowns, scepters, laurels,
line 0565But by degree stand in authentic place?
line 0566Take but degree away, untune that string,
Act 1 Scene 3 - Pg 49
line 0567And hark what discord follows. Each thing meets
115line 0568In mere oppugnancy. The bounded waters
line 0569Should lift their bosoms higher than the shores
line 0570And make a sop of all this solid globe;
line 0571Strength should be lord of imbecility,
line 0572And the rude son should strike his father dead;
120line 0573Force should be right, or, rather, right and wrong,
line 0574Between whose endless jar justice resides,
line 0575Should lose their names, and so should justice too.
line 0576Then everything includes itself in power,
line 0577Power into will, will into appetite,
125line 0578And appetite, an universal wolf,
line 0579So doubly seconded with will and power,
line 0580Must make perforce an universal prey
line 0581And last eat up himself. Great Agamemnon,
line 0582This chaos, when degree is suffocate,
130line 0583Follows the choking.
line 0584And this neglection of degree it is
line 0585That by a pace goes backward, with a purpose
line 0586It hath to climb. The General’s disdained
line 0587By him one step below, he by the next,
135line 0588That next by him beneath; so every step,
line 0589Exampled by the first pace that is sick
line 0590Of his superior, grows to an envious fever
line 0591Of pale and bloodless emulation.
line 0592And ’tis this fever that keeps Troy on foot,
140line 0593Not her own sinews. To end a tale of length,
line 0594Troy in our weakness stands, not in her strength.
NESTOR
line 0595Most wisely hath Ulysses here discovered
line 0596The fever whereof all our power is sick.
AGAMEMNON
line 0597The nature of the sickness found, Ulysses,
145line 0598What is the remedy?
ULYSSES
line 0599The great Achilles, whom opinion crowns
Act 1 Scene 3 - Pg 51
line 0600The sinew and the forehand of our host,
line 0601Having his ear full of his airy fame,
line 0602Grows dainty of his worth and in his tent
150line 0603Lies mocking our designs. With him Patroclus,
line 0604Upon a lazy bed, the live-long day
line 0605Breaks scurril jests,
line 0606And with ridiculous and silly action,
line 0607Which, slanderer, he imitation calls,
155line 0608He pageants us. Sometime, great Agamemnon,
line 0609Thy topless deputation he puts on,
line 0610And, like a strutting player whose conceit
line 0611Lies in his hamstring and doth think it rich
line 0612To hear the wooden dialogue and sound
160line 0613’Twixt his stretched footing and the scaffollage,
line 0614Such to-be-pitied and o’erwrested seeming
line 0615He acts thy greatness in; and when he speaks,
line 0616’Tis like a chime a-mending, with terms unsquared
line 0617Which from the tongue of roaring Typhon dropped
165line 0618Would seem hyperboles. At this fusty stuff,
line 0619The large Achilles, on his pressed bed lolling,
line 0620From his deep chest laughs out a loud applause,
line 0621Cries “Excellent! ’Tis Agamemnon right.
line 0622Now play me Nestor; hem and stroke thy beard,
170line 0623As he being dressed to some oration.”
line 0624That’s done, as near as the extremest ends
line 0625Of parallels, as like as Vulcan and his wife;
line 0626Yet god Achilles still cries “Excellent!
line 0627’Tis Nestor right. Now play him me, Patroclus,
175line 0628Arming to answer in a night alarm.”
line 0629And then, forsooth, the faint defects of age
line 0630Must be the scene of mirth—to cough and spit,
line 0631And, with a palsy fumbling on his gorget,
line 0632Shake in and out the rivet. And at this sport
180line 0633Sir Valor dies, cries “O, enough, Patroclus,
line 0634Or give me ribs of steel! I shall split all
line 0635In pleasure of my spleen.” And in this fashion,
line 0636All our abilities, gifts, natures, shapes,
Act 1 Scene 3 - Pg 53
line 0637Severals and generals of grace exact,
185line 0638Achievements, plots, orders, preventions,
line 0639Excitements to the field, or speech for truce,
line 0640Success or loss, what is or is not, serves
line 0641As stuff for these two to make paradoxes.
NESTOR
line 0642And in the imitation of these twain,
190line 0643Who, as Ulysses says, opinion crowns
line 0644With an imperial voice, many are infect:
line 0645Ajax is grown self-willed and bears his head
line 0646In such a rein, in full as proud a place
line 0647As broad Achilles; keeps his tent like him,
195line 0648Makes factious feasts; rails on our state of war,
line 0649Bold as an oracle, and sets Thersites—
line 0650A slave whose gall coins slanders like a mint—
line 0651To match us in comparisons with dirt,
line 0652To weaken and discredit our exposure,
200line 0653How rank soever rounded in with danger.
ULYSSES
line 0654They tax our policy and call it cowardice,
line 0655Count wisdom as no member of the war,
line 0656Forestall prescience, and esteem no act
line 0657But that of hand. The still and mental parts
205line 0658That do contrive how many hands shall strike
line 0659When fitness calls them on and know by measure
line 0660Of their observant toil the enemy’s weight—
line 0661Why, this hath not a fingers dignity.
line 0662They call this bed-work, mapp’ry, closet war;
210line 0663So that the ram that batters down the wall,
line 0664For the great swinge and rudeness of his poise,
line 0665They place before his hand that made the engine
line 0666Or those that with the fineness of their souls
line 0667By reason guide his execution.
NESTOR
215line 0668Let this be granted, and Achilles’ horse
line 0669Makes many Thetis’ sons.Tucket.
Act 1 Scene 3 - Pg 55
line 0670AGAMEMNONWhat trumpet? Look, Menelaus.
line 0671MENELAUSFrom Troy.
Enter Aeneas, with a Trumpeter.
line 0672AGAMEMNONWhat would you ’fore our tent?
AENEAS
220line 0673Is this great Agamemnon’s tent, I pray you?
line 0674AGAMEMNONEven this.
AENEAS
line 0675May one that is a herald and a prince
line 0676Do a fair message to his kingly eyes?
AGAMEMNON
line 0677With surety stronger than Achilles’ arm
225line 0678’Fore all the Greekish host, which with one voice
line 0679Call Agamemnon head and general.
AENEAS
line 0680Fair leave and large security. How may
line 0681A stranger to those most imperial looks
line 0682Know them from eyes of other mortals?
230line 0683AGAMEMNONHow?
AENEAS
line 0684Ay. I ask that I might waken reverence
line 0685And bid the cheek be ready with a blush
line 0686Modest as morning when she coldly eyes
line 0687The youthful Phoebus.
235line 0688Which is that god in office, guiding men?
line 0689Which is the high and mighty Agamemnon?
AGAMEMNON
line 0690This Trojan scorns us, or the men of Troy
line 0691Are ceremonious courtiers.
AENEAS
line 0692Courtiers as free, as debonair, unarmed,
240line 0693As bending angels—that’s their fame in peace.
line 0694But when they would seem soldiers, they have galls,
Act 1 Scene 3 - Pg 57
line 0695Good arms, strong joints, true swords, and—great
line 0696Jove’s accord—
line 0697Nothing so full of heart. But peace, Aeneas.
245line 0698Peace, Trojan. Lay thy finger on thy lips.
line 0699The worthiness of praise distains his worth
line 0700If that the praised himself bring the praise forth.
line 0701But what the repining enemy commends,
line 0702That breath fame blows; that praise, sole pure,
250line 0703transcends.
AGAMEMNON
line 0704Sir, you of Troy, call you yourself Aeneas?
line 0705AENEASAy, Greek, that is my name.
line 0706AGAMEMNONWhat’s your affair, I pray you?
AENEAS
line 0707Sir, pardon. ’Tis for Agamemnon’s ears.
AGAMEMNON
255line 0708He hears naught privately that comes from Troy.
AENEAS
line 0709Nor I from Troy come not to whisper with him.
line 0710I bring a trumpet to awake his ear,
line 0711To set his sense on the attentive bent,
line 0712And then to speak.
260line 0713AGAMEMNONSpeak frankly as the wind;
line 0714It is not Agamemnon’s sleeping hour.
line 0715That thou shalt know, Trojan, he is awake,
line 0716He tells thee so himself.
line 0717AENEASTrumpet, blow loud!
265line 0718Send thy brass voice through all these lazy tents;
line 0719And every Greek of mettle, let him know
line 0720What Troy means fairly shall be spoke aloud.
Sound trumpet.
line 0721We have, great Agamemnon, here in Troy
line 0722A prince called Hector—Priam is his father—
270line 0723Who in this dull and long-continued truce
line 0724Is resty grown. He bade me take a trumpet
line 0725And to this purpose speak: “Kings, princes, lords,
Act 1 Scene 3 - Pg 59
line 0726If there be one among the fair’st of Greece
line 0727That holds his honor higher than his ease,
275line 0728That seeks his praise more than he fears his peril,
line 0729That knows his valor and knows not his fear,
line 0730That loves his mistress more than in confession
line 0731With truant vows to her own lips he loves
line 0732And dare avow her beauty and her worth
280line 0733In other arms than hers—to him this challenge.
line 0734Hector, in view of Trojans and of Greeks,
line 0735Shall make it good, or do his best to do it,
line 0736He hath a lady wiser, fairer, truer
line 0737Than ever Greek did couple in his arms
285line 0738And will tomorrow with his trumpet call,
line 0739Midway between your tents and walls of Troy,
line 0740To rouse a Grecian that is true in love.
line 0741If any come, Hector shall honor him;
line 0742If none, he’ll say in Troy when he retires
290line 0743The Grecian dames are sunburnt and not worth
line 0744The splinter of a lance.” Even so much.
AGAMEMNON
line 0745This shall be told our lovers, Lord Aeneas.
line 0746If none of them have soul in such a kind,
line 0747We left them all at home. But we are soldiers,
295line 0748And may that soldier a mere recreant prove
line 0749That means not, hath not, or is not in love!
line 0750If then one is, or hath, or means to be,
line 0751That one meets Hector. If none else, I am he.
NESTORto Aeneas
line 0752Tell him of Nestor, one that was a man
300line 0753When Hector’s grandsire sucked. He is old now,
line 0754But if there be not in our Grecian host
line 0755A noble man that hath one spark of fire
line 0756To answer for his love, tell him from me
line 0757I’ll hide my silver beard in a gold beaver
305line 0758And in my vambrace put my withered brawns
line 0759And, meeting him, will tell him that my lady
Act 1 Scene 3 - Pg 61
line 0760Was fairer than his grandam and as chaste
line 0761As may be in the world. His youth in flood,
line 0762I’ll prove this troth with my three drops of blood.
AENEAS
310line 0763Now heavens forfend such scarcity of youth!
line 0764ULYSSESAmen.
AGAMEMNON
line 0765Fair Lord Aeneas, let me touch your hand.
line 0766To our pavilion shall I lead you, sir.
line 0767Achilles shall have word of this intent;
315line 0768So shall each lord of Greece from tent to tent.
line 0769Yourself shall feast with us before you go,
line 0770And find the welcome of a noble foe.
All but Ulysses and Nestor exit.
line 0771ULYSSESNestor.
line 0772NESTORWhat says Ulysses?
ULYSSES
320line 0773I have a young conception in my brain;
line 0774Be you my time to bring it to some shape.
line 0775NESTORWhat is ’t?
line 0776ULYSSESThis ’tis:
line 0777Blunt wedges rive hard knots; the seeded pride
325line 0778That hath to this maturity blown up
line 0779In rank Achilles must or now be cropped
line 0780Or, shedding, breed a nursery of like evil
line 0781To overbulk us all.
line 0782NESTORWell, and how?
ULYSSES
330line 0783This challenge that the gallant Hector sends,
line 0784However it is spread in general name,
line 0785Relates in purpose only to Achilles.
NESTOR
line 0786True. The purpose is perspicuous as substance
line 0787Whose grossness little characters sum up;
335line 0788And, in the publication, make no strain
line 0789But that Achilles, were his brain as barren
Act 1 Scene 3 - Pg 63
line 0790As banks of Libya—though, Apollo knows,
line 0791’Tis dry enough—will, with great speed of judgment,
line 0792Ay, with celerity, find Hector’s purpose
340line 0793Pointing on him.
line 0794ULYSSESAnd wake him to the answer, think you?
NESTOR
line 0795Why, ’tis most meet. Who may you else oppose
line 0796That can from Hector bring his honor off
line 0797If not Achilles? Though ’t be a sportful combat,
345line 0798Yet in the trial much opinion dwells,
line 0799For here the Trojans taste our dear’st repute
line 0800With their fin’st palate. And, trust to me, Ulysses,
line 0801Our imputation shall be oddly poised
line 0802In this vile action. For the success,
350line 0803Although particular, shall give a scantling
line 0804Of good or bad unto the general;
line 0805And in such indexes, although small pricks
line 0806To their subsequent volumes, there is seen
line 0807The baby figure of the giant mass
355line 0808Of things to come at large. It is supposed
line 0809He that meets Hector issues from our choice;
line 0810And choice, being mutual act of all our souls,
line 0811Makes merit her election and doth boil,
line 0812As ’twere from forth us all, a man distilled
360line 0813Out of our virtues, who, miscarrying,
line 0814What heart receives from hence a conquering part
line 0815To steel a strong opinion to themselves?—
line 0816Which entertained, limbs are his instruments,
line 0817In no less working than are swords and bows
365line 0818Directive by the limbs.
ULYSSES
line 0819Give pardon to my speech: therefore ’tis meet
line 0820Achilles meet not Hector. Let us like merchants
line 0821First show foul wares and think perchance they’ll sell;
line 0822If not, the luster of the better shall exceed
370line 0823By showing the worse first. Do not consent
Act 1 Scene 3 - Pg 65
line 0824That ever Hector and Achilles meet,
line 0825For both our honor and our shame in this
line 0826Are dogged with two strange followers.
NESTOR
line 0827I see them not with my old eyes. What are they?
ULYSSES
375line 0828What glory our Achilles shares from Hector,
line 0829Were he not proud, we all should share with him;
line 0830But he already is too insolent,
line 0831And it were better parch in Afric sun
line 0832Than in the pride and salt scorn of his eyes
380line 0833Should he scape Hector fair. If he were foiled,
line 0834Why then we do our main opinion crush
line 0835In taint of our best man. No, make a lott’ry,
line 0836And, by device, let blockish Ajax draw
line 0837The sort to fight with Hector. Among ourselves
385line 0838Give him allowance for the better man,
line 0839For that will physic the great Myrmidon,
line 0840Who broils in loud applause, and make him fall
line 0841His crest that prouder than blue Iris bends.
line 0842If the dull brainless Ajax come safe off,
390line 0843We’ll dress him up in voices; if he fail,
line 0844Yet go we under our opinion still
line 0845That we have better men. But, hit or miss,
line 0846Our project’s life this shape of sense assumes:
line 0847Ajax employed plucks down Achilles’ plumes.
NESTOR
395line 0848Now, Ulysses, I begin to relish thy advice,
line 0849And I will give a taste thereof forthwith
line 0850To Agamemnon. Go we to him straight.
line 0851Two curs shall tame each other; pride alone
line 0852Must tar the mastiffs on, as ’twere a bone.
They exit.
ACT 2
Scene 1
Enter Ajax and Thersites.
line 0853AJAXThersites!
line 0854THERSITESAgamemnon—how if he had boils, full, all
line 0855over, generally?
line 0856AJAXThersites!
5line 0857THERSITESAnd those boils did run? Say so. Did not the
line 0858general run, then? Were not that a botchy core?
line 0859AJAXDog!
line 0860THERSITESThen there would come some matter
line 0861from him. I see none now.
10line 0862AJAXThou bitchwolf’s son, canst thou not hear? Feel,
line 0863then.Strikes him.
line 0864THERSITESThe plague of Greece upon thee, thou mongrel
line 0865beef-witted lord!
line 0866AJAXSpeak, then, thou unsalted leaven, speak. I will
15line 0867beat thee into handsomeness.
line 0868THERSITESI shall sooner rail thee into wit and holiness,
line 0869but I think thy horse will sooner con an oration
line 0870than thou learn a prayer without book. Thou canst
line 0871strike, canst thou? A red murrain o’ thy jade’s tricks.
20line 0872AJAXToadstool, learn me the proclamation.
line 0873THERSITESDost thou think I have no sense, thou strikest
line 0874me thus?
line 0875AJAXThe proclamation!
line 0876THERSITESThou art proclaimed a fool, I think.
Act 2 Scene 1 - Pg 71
25line 0877AJAXDo not, porpentine, do not. My fingers itch.
line 0878THERSITESI would thou didst itch from head to foot,
line 0879and I had the scratching of thee; I would make
line 0880thee the loathsomest scab in Greece. When thou
line 0881art forth in the incursions, thou strikest as slow as
30line 0882another.
line 0883AJAXI say, the proclamation!
line 0884THERSITESThou grumblest and railest every hour on
line 0885Achilles, and thou art as full of envy at his greatness
line 0886as Cerberus is at Proserpina’s beauty, ay, that
35line 0887thou bark’st at him.
line 0888AJAXMistress Thersites!
line 0889THERSITESThou shouldst strike him—
line 0890AJAXCobloaf!
line 0891THERSITESHe would pound thee into shivers with his
40line 0892fist as a sailor breaks a biscuit.
line 0893AJAXYou whoreson cur!Strikes him.
line 0894THERSITESDo, do.
line 0895AJAXThou stool for a witch!
line 0896THERSITESAy, do, do, thou sodden-witted lord. Thou
45line 0897hast no more brain than I have in mine elbows; an
line 0898asinego may tutor thee, thou scurvy-valiant ass.
line 0899Thou art here but to thrash Trojans, and thou art
line 0900bought and sold among those of any wit, like a
line 0901barbarian slave. If thou use to beat me, I will begin
50line 0902at thy heel and tell what thou art by inches, thou
line 0903thing of no bowels, thou.
line 0904AJAXYou dog!
line 0905THERSITESYou scurvy lord!
line 0906AJAXYou cur!Strikes him.
55line 0907THERSITESMars his idiot! Do, rudeness, do, camel, do,
line 0908do.
Enter Achilles and Patroclus.
line 0909ACHILLESWhy, how now, Ajax? Wherefore do you
line 0910thus?—How now, Thersites? What’s the matter,
line 0911man?
Act 2 Scene 1 - Pg 73
60line 0912THERSITESYou see him there, do you?
line 0913ACHILLESAy, what’s the matter?
line 0914THERSITESNay, look upon him.
line 0915ACHILLESSo I do. What’s the matter?
line 0916THERSITESNay, but regard him well.
65line 0917ACHILLESWell, why, so I do.
line 0918THERSITESBut yet you look not well upon him, for
line 0919whosomever you take him to be, he is Ajax.
line 0920ACHILLESI know that, fool.
line 0921THERSITESAy, but that fool knows not himself.
70line 0922AJAXTherefore I beat thee.
line 0923THERSITESLo, lo, lo, lo, what modicums of wit he utters!
line 0924His evasions have ears thus long. I have
line 0925bobbed his brain more than he has beat my bones.
line 0926I will buy nine sparrows for a penny, and his pia
75line 0927mater is not worth the ninth part of a sparrow.
line 0928This lord, Achilles—Ajax, who wears his wit in his
line 0929belly, and his guts in his head—I’ll tell you what I
line 0930say of him.
line 0931ACHILLESWhat?
80line 0932THERSITESI say, this Ajax—Ajax menaces him.
line 0933ACHILLESNay, good Ajax.
line 0934THERSITESHas not so much wit—
line 0935ACHILLESto Ajax Nay, I must hold you.
line 0936THERSITESAs will stop the eye of Helen’s needle, for
85line 0937whom he comes to fight.
line 0938ACHILLESPeace, fool!
line 0939THERSITESI would have peace and quietness, but the
line 0940fool will not—he there, that he. Look you there.
line 0941AJAXO, thou damned cur, I shall—
90line 0942ACHILLESWill you set your wit to a fool’s?
line 0943THERSITESNo, I warrant you. The fool’s will shame it.
line 0944PATROCLUSGood words, Thersites.
line 0945ACHILLESto Ajax What’s the quarrel?
line 0946AJAXI bade the vile owl go learn me the tenor of the
95line 0947proclamation, and he rails upon me.
Act 2 Scene 1 - Pg 75
line 0948THERSITESI serve thee not.
line 0949AJAXWell, go to, go to.
line 0950THERSITESI serve here voluntary.
line 0951ACHILLESYour last service was suff’rance; ’twas not
100line 0952voluntary. No man is beaten voluntary. Ajax was
line 0953here the voluntary, and you as under an impress.
line 0954THERSITESE’en so. A great deal of your wit, too, lies in
line 0955your sinews, or else there be liars. Hector shall
line 0956have a great catch an he knock out either of
105line 0957your brains; he were as good crack a fusty nut with
line 0958no kernel.
line 0959ACHILLESWhat, with me too, Thersites?
line 0960THERSITESThere’s Ulysses and old Nestor—whose wit
line 0961was moldy ere your grandsires had nails on
110line 0962their toes—yoke you like draft-oxen and make
line 0963you plow up the wars.
line 0964ACHILLESWhat? What?
line 0965THERSITESYes, good sooth. To, Achilles! To, Ajax! To—
line 0966AJAXI shall cut out your tongue.
115line 0967THERSITES’Tis no matter. I shall speak as much as
line 0968thou afterwards.
line 0969PATROCLUSNo more words, Thersites. Peace.
line 0970THERSITESI will hold my peace when Achilles’ brach
line 0971bids me, shall I?
120line 0972ACHILLESThere’s for you, Patroclus.
line 0973THERSITESI will see you hanged like clodpolls ere I
line 0974come any more to your tents. I will keep where
line 0975there is wit stirring and leave the faction of fools.
He exits.
line 0976PATROCLUSA good riddance.
ACHILLESto Ajax
125line 0977Marry, this, sir, is proclaimed through all our host:
line 0978That Hector, by the fifth hour of the sun,
line 0979Will with a trumpet ’twixt our tents and Troy
line 0980Tomorrow morning call some knight to arms
line 0981That hath a stomach, and such a one that dare
130line 0982Maintain—I know not what; ’tis trash. Farewell.
Act 2 Scene 2 - Pg 77
line 0983AJAXFarewell. Who shall answer him?
ACHILLES
line 0984I know not. ’Tis put to lott’ry. Otherwise,
line 0985He knew his man.Achilles and Patroclus exit.
line 0986AJAXO, meaning you? I will go learn more of it.
He exits.
Scene 2
Enter Priam, Hector, Troilus, Paris and Helenas.
PRIAM
line 0987After so many hours, lives, speeches spent,
line 0988Thus once again says Nestor from the Greeks:
line 0989“Deliver Helen, and all damage else—
line 0990As honor, loss of time, travel, expense,
5line 0991Wounds, friends, and what else dear that is consumed
line 0992In hot digestion of this cormorant war—
line 0993Shall be struck off.”—Hector, what say you to ’t?
HECTOR
line 0994Though no man lesser fears the Greeks than I
line 0995As far as toucheth my particular,
10line 0996Yet, dread Priam,
line 0997There is no lady of more softer bowels,
line 0998More spongy to suck in the sense of fear,
line 0999More ready to cry out “Who knows what follows?”
line 1000Than Hector is. The wound of peace is surety,
15line 1001Surety secure; but modest doubt is called
line 1002The beacon of the wise, the tent that searches
line 1003To th’ bottom of the worst. Let Helen go.
line 1004Since the first sword was drawn about this question,
line 1005Every tithe soul, ’mongst many thousand dismes,
20line 1006Hath been as dear as Helen; I mean, of ours.
line 1007If we have lost so many tenths of ours
line 1008To guard a thing not ours—nor worth to us,
line 1009Had it our name, the value of one ten—
Act 2 Scene 2 - Pg 79
line 1010What merit’s in that reason which denies
25line 1011The yielding of her up?
line 1012TROILUSFie, fie, my brother,
line 1013Weigh you the worth and honor of a king
line 1014So great as our dread father’s in a scale
line 1015Of common ounces? Will you with counters sum
30line 1016The past-proportion of his infinite,
line 1017And buckle in a waist most fathomless
line 1018With spans and inches so diminutive
line 1019As fears and reasons? Fie, for godly shame!
HELENUS
line 1020No marvel though you bite so sharp at reasons,
35line 1021You are so empty of them. Should not our father
line 1022Bear the great sway of his affairs with reason,
line 1023Because your speech hath none that tell him so?
TROILUS
line 1024You are for dreams and slumbers, brother priest.
line 1025You fur your gloves with reason. Here are your
40line 1026reasons:
line 1027You know an enemy intends you harm;
line 1028You know a sword employed is perilous,
line 1029And reason flies the object of all harm.
line 1030Who marvels, then, when Helenus beholds
45line 1031A Grecian and his sword, if he do set
line 1032The very wings of reason to his heels
line 1033And fly like chidden Mercury from Jove
line 1034Or like a star disorbed? Nay, if we talk of reason,
line 1035Let’s shut our gates and sleep. Manhood and honor
50line 1036Should have hare hearts, would they but fat their
line 1037thoughts
line 1038With this crammed reason. Reason and respect
line 1039Make livers pale and lustihood deject.
HECTOR
line 1040Brother, she is not worth what she doth cost
55line 1041The keeping.
line 1042TROILUSWhat’s aught but as ’tis valued?
Act 2 Scene 2 - Pg 81
HECTOR
line 1043But value dwells not in particular will;
line 1044It holds his estimate and dignity
line 1045As well wherein ’tis precious of itself
60line 1046As in the prizer. ’Tis mad idolatry
line 1047To make the service greater than the god;
line 1048And the will dotes that is attributive
line 1049To what infectiously itself affects
line 1050Without some image of th’ affected merit.
TROILUS
65line 1051I take today a wife, and my election
line 1052Is led on in the conduct of my will—
line 1053My will enkindled by mine eyes and ears,
line 1054Two traded pilots ’twixt the dangerous shores
line 1055Of will and judgment. How may I avoid,
70line 1056Although my will distaste what it elected,
line 1057The wife I choose? There can be no evasion
line 1058To blench from this and to stand firm by honor.
line 1059We turn not back the silks upon the merchant
line 1060When we have soiled them, nor the remainder
75line 1061viands
line 1062We do not throw in unrespective sieve
line 1063Because we now are full. It was thought meet
line 1064Paris should do some vengeance on the Greeks.
line 1065Your breath with full consent bellied his sails;
80line 1066The seas and winds, old wranglers, took a truce
line 1067And did him service. He touched the ports desired,
line 1068And for an old aunt whom the Greeks held captive,
line 1069He brought a Grecian queen, whose youth and
line 1070freshness
85line 1071Wrinkles Apollo’s and makes pale the morning.
line 1072Why keep we her? The Grecians keep our aunt.
line 1073Is she worth keeping? Why, she is a pearl
line 1074Whose price hath launched above a thousand ships
line 1075And turned crowned kings to merchants.
90line 1076If you’ll avouch ’twas wisdom Paris went—
Act 2 Scene 2 - Pg 83
line 1077As you must needs, for you all cried “Go, go”—
line 1078If you’ll confess he brought home worthy prize—
line 1079As you must needs, for you all clapped your hands
line 1080And cried “Inestimable”—why do you now
95line 1081The issue of your proper wisdoms rate
line 1082And do a deed that never Fortune did,
line 1083Beggar the estimation which you prized
line 1084Richer than sea and land? O, theft most base,
line 1085That we have stol’n what we do fear to keep!
100line 1086But thieves unworthy of a thing so stol’n,
line 1087That in their country did them that disgrace
line 1088We fear to warrant in our native place.
CASSANDRAwithin
line 1089Cry, Trojans, cry!
line 1090PRIAMWhat noise? What shriek is this?
TROILUS
105line 1091’Tis our mad sister. I do know her voice.
line 1092CASSANDRAwithin Cry, Trojans!
line 1093HECTORIt is Cassandra.
Enter Cassandra raving.
CASSANDRA
line 1094Cry, Trojans, cry! Lend me ten thousand eyes,
line 1095And I will fill them with prophetic tears.
110line 1096HECTORPeace, sister, peace!
CASSANDRA
line 1097Virgins and boys, mid-age and wrinkled elders,
line 1098Soft infancy, that nothing canst but cry,
line 1099Add to my clamors. Let us pay betimes
line 1100A moiety of that mass of moan to come.
115line 1101Cry, Trojans, cry! Practice your eyes with tears.
line 1102Troy must not be, nor goodly Ilium stand.
line 1103Our firebrand brother Paris burns us all.
line 1104Cry, Trojans, cry! A Helen and a woe!
line 1105Cry, cry! Troy burns, or else let Helen go.She exits.
Act 2 Scene 2 - Pg 85
HECTOR
120line 1106Now, youthful Troilus, do not these high strains
line 1107Of divination in our sister work
line 1108Some touches of remorse? Or is your blood
line 1109So madly hot that no discourse of reason
line 1110Nor fear of bad success in a bad cause
125line 1111Can qualify the same?
line 1112TROILUSWhy, brother Hector,
line 1113We may not think the justness of each act
line 1114Such and no other than event doth form it,
line 1115Nor once deject the courage of our minds
130line 1116Because Cassandra’s mad. Her brainsick raptures
line 1117Cannot distaste the goodness of a quarrel
line 1118Which hath our several honors all engaged
line 1119To make it gracious. For my private part,
line 1120I am no more touched than all Priam’s sons;
135line 1121And Jove forbid there should be done amongst us
line 1122Such things as might offend the weakest spleen
line 1123To fight for and maintain!
PARIS
line 1124Else might the world convince of levity
line 1125As well my undertakings as your counsels.
140line 1126But I attest the gods, your full consent
line 1127Gave wings to my propension and cut off
line 1128All fears attending on so dire a project.
line 1129For what, alas, can these my single arms?
line 1130What propugnation is in one man’s valor
145line 1131To stand the push and enmity of those
line 1132This quarrel would excite? Yet, I protest,
line 1133Were I alone to pass the difficulties
line 1134And had as ample power as I have will,
line 1135Paris should ne’er retract what he hath done
150line 1136Nor faint in the pursuit.
line 1137PRIAMParis, you speak
line 1138Like one besotted on your sweet delights.
line 1139You have the honey still, but these the gall.
line 1140So to be valiant is no praise at all.
Act 2 Scene 2 - Pg 87
PARIS
155line 1141Sir, I propose not merely to myself
line 1142The pleasures such a beauty brings with it,
line 1143But I would have the soil of her fair rape
line 1144Wiped off in honorable keeping her.
line 1145What treason were it to the ransacked queen,
160line 1146Disgrace to your great worths, and shame to me,
line 1147Now to deliver her possession up
line 1148On terms of base compulsion? Can it be
line 1149That so degenerate a strain as this
line 1150Should once set footing in your generous bosoms?
165line 1151There’s not the meanest spirit on our party
line 1152Without a heart to dare or sword to draw
line 1153When Helen is defended, nor none so noble
line 1154Whose life were ill bestowed or death unfamed
line 1155Where Helen is the subject. Then I say,
170line 1156Well may we fight for her whom, we know well,
line 1157The world’s large spaces cannot parallel.
HECTOR
line 1158Paris and Troilus, you have both said well,
line 1159And on the cause and question now in hand
line 1160Have glozed—but superficially, not much
175line 1161Unlike young men, whom Aristotle thought
line 1162Unfit to hear moral philosophy.
line 1163The reasons you allege do more conduce
line 1164To the hot passion of distempered blood
line 1165Than to make up a free determination
180line 1166’Twixt right and wrong, for pleasure and revenge
line 1167Have ears more deaf than adders to the voice
line 1168Of any true decision. Nature craves
line 1169All dues be rendered to their owners. Now,
line 1170What nearer debt in all humanity
185line 1171Than wife is to the husband? If this law
line 1172Of nature be corrupted through affection,
line 1173And that great minds, of partial indulgence
line 1174To their benumbèd wills, resist the same,
Act 2 Scene 2 - Pg 89
line 1175There is a law in each well-ordered nation
190line 1176To curb those raging appetites that are
line 1177Most disobedient and refractory.
line 1178If Helen, then, be wife to Sparta’s king,
line 1179As it is known she is, these moral laws
line 1180Of nature and of nations speak aloud
195line 1181To have her back returned. Thus to persist
line 1182In doing wrong extenuates not wrong,
line 1183But makes it much more heavy. Hector’s opinion
line 1184Is this in way of truth; yet, ne’ertheless,
line 1185My sprightly brethren, I propend to you
200line 1186In resolution to keep Helen still,
line 1187For ’tis a cause that hath no mean dependence
line 1188Upon our joint and several dignities.
TROILUS
line 1189Why, there you touched the life of our design!
line 1190Were it not glory that we more affected
205line 1191Than the performance of our heaving spleens,
line 1192I would not wish a drop of Trojan blood
line 1193Spent more in her defense. But, worthy Hector,
line 1194She is a theme of honor and renown,
line 1195A spur to valiant and magnanimous deeds,
210line 1196Whose present courage may beat down our foes,
line 1197And fame in time to come canonize us;
line 1198For I presume brave Hector would not lose
line 1199So rich advantage of a promised glory
line 1200As smiles upon the forehead of this action
215line 1201For the wide world’s revenue.
line 1202HECTORI am yours,
line 1203You valiant offspring of great Priamus.
line 1204I have a roisting challenge sent amongst
line 1205The dull and factious nobles of the Greeks
220line 1206Will strike amazement to their drowsy spirits.
line 1207I was advertised their great general slept,
line 1208Whilst emulation in the army crept.
line 1209This, I presume, will wake him.
They exit.
Act 2 Scene 3 - Pg 91
Scene 3
Enter Thersites, alone.
line 1210THERSITESHow now, Thersites? What, lost in the
line 1211labyrinth of thy fury? Shall the elephant Ajax carry
line 1212it thus? He beats me, and I rail at him. O, worthy
line 1213satisfaction! Would it were otherwise, that I could
5line 1214beat him whilst he railed at me. ’Sfoot, I’ll learn to
line 1215conjure and raise devils but I’ll see some issue of
line 1216my spiteful execrations. Then there’s Achilles, a
line 1217rare enginer! If Troy be not taken till these two undermine
line 1218it, the walls will stand till they fall of
10line 1219themselves. O thou great thunder-darter of Olympus,
line 1220forget that thou art Jove, the king of gods;
line 1221and, Mercury, lose all the serpentine craft of thy
line 1222caduceus, if you take not that little, little, less than
line 1223little wit from them that they have, which short-armed
15line 1224ignorance itself knows is so abundant
line 1225scarce it will not in circumvention deliver a fly
line 1226from a spider without drawing their massy irons
line 1227and cutting the web. After this, the vengeance on
line 1228the whole camp! Or rather, the Neapolitan bone-ache!
20line 1229For that, methinks, is the curse depending
line 1230on those that war for a placket. I have said my
line 1231prayers, and devil Envy say “Amen.”—What ho,
line 1232my lord Achilles!
line 1233PATROCLUSwithin Who’s there? Thersites? Good
25line 1234Thersites, come in and rail.
line 1235THERSITESIf I could ’a remembered a gilt counterfeit,
line 1236thou couldst not have slipped out of my contemplation.
line 1237But it is no matter. Thyself upon thyself! The
line 1238common curse of mankind, folly and ignorance,
30line 1239be thine in great revenue! Heaven bless thee from
line 1240a tutor, and discipline come not near thee! Let thy
line 1241blood be thy direction till thy death; then if she
line 1242that lays thee out says thou art a fair corse, I’ll be
Act 2 Scene 3 - Pg 93
line 1243sworn and sworn upon ’t she never shrouded any
35line 1244but lazars. Amen.
Enter Patroclus.
line 1245Where’s Achilles?
line 1246PATROCLUSWhat, art thou devout? Wast thou in
line 1247prayer?
line 1248THERSITESAy. The heavens hear me!
40line 1249PATROCLUSAmen.
line 1250ACHILLESwithin Who’s there?
line 1251PATROCLUSThersites, my lord.
line 1252ACHILLESwithin Where? Where? O, where?
Enter Achilles.
line 1253To Thersites. Art thou come? Why, my cheese, my
45line 1254digestion, why hast thou not served thyself in to my
line 1255table so many meals? Come, what’s Agamemnon?
line 1256THERSITESThy commander, Achilles.—Then, tell me,
line 1257Patroclus, what’s Achilles?
line 1258PATROCLUSThy lord, Thersites. Then, tell me, I pray
50line 1259thee, what’s Thersites?
line 1260THERSITESThy knower, Patroclus. Then, tell me, Patroclus,
line 1261what art thou?
line 1262PATROCLUSThou must tell that knowest.
line 1263ACHILLESO tell, tell.
55line 1264THERSITESI’ll decline the whole question. Agamemnon
line 1265commands Achilles, Achilles is my lord, I am
line 1266Patroclus’ knower, and Patroclus is a fool.
line 1267PATROCLUSYou rascal!
line 1268THERSITESPeace, fool. I have not done.
60line 1269ACHILLESto Patroclus He is a privileged man.—Proceed,
line 1270Thersites.
line 1271THERSITESAgamemnon is a fool, Achilles is a fool,
line 1272Thersites is a fool, and, as aforesaid, Patroclus is a
line 1273fool.
65line 1274ACHILLESDerive this. Come.
Act 2 Scene 3 - Pg 95
line 1275THERSITESAgamemnon is a fool to offer to command
line 1276Achilles, Achilles is a fool to be commanded of
line 1277Agamemnon, Thersites is a fool to serve such a fool,
line 1278and this Patroclus is a fool positive.
70line 1279PATROCLUSWhy am I a fool?
line 1280THERSITESMake that demand of the creator. It suffices
line 1281me thou art.
Enter at a distance Agamemnon, Ulysses, Nestor, Diomedes, Ajax, and Calchas.
line 1282Look you, who comes here?
line 1283ACHILLESPatroclus, I’ll speak with nobody.—Come in
75line 1284with me, Thersites.He exits.
line 1285THERSITESHere is such patchery, such juggling, and
line 1286such knavery. All the argument is a whore and a
line 1287cuckold, a good quarrel to draw emulous factions
line 1288and bleed to death upon. Now the dry serpigo on
80line 1289the subject, and war and lechery confound all!
He exits.
line 1290AGAMEMNONto Patroclus Where is Achilles?
PATROCLUS
line 1291Within his tent, but ill-disposed, my lord.
AGAMEMNON
line 1292Let it be known to him that we are here.
line 1293He shent our messengers, and we lay by
85line 1294Our appertainments, visiting of him.
line 1295Let him be told so, lest perchance he think
line 1296We dare not move the question of our place
line 1297Or know not what we are.
line 1298PATROCLUSI shall say so to him.He exits.
ULYSSES
90line 1299We saw him at the opening of his tent.
line 1300He is not sick.
line 1301AJAXYes, lion-sick, sick of proud heart. You may call
line 1302it melancholy if you will favor the man, but, by my
Act 2 Scene 3 - Pg 97
line 1303head, ’tis pride. But, why, why? Let him show us a
95line 1304cause.—A word, my lord.
He and Agamemnon walk aside.
line 1305NESTORWhat moves Ajax thus to bay at him?
line 1306ULYSSESAchilles hath inveigled his fool from him.
line 1307NESTORWho, Thersites?
line 1308ULYSSESHe.
100line 1309NESTORThen will Ajax lack matter, if he have lost his
line 1310argument.
line 1311ULYSSESNo. You see, he is his argument that has his
line 1312argument: Achilles.
line 1313NESTORAll the better. Their fraction is more our wish
105line 1314than their faction. But it was a strong composure a
line 1315fool could disunite.
line 1316ULYSSESThe amity that wisdom knits not, folly may
line 1317easily untie.
Enter Patroclus.
line 1318Here comes Patroclus.
110line 1319NESTORNo Achilles with him.
line 1320ULYSSESThe elephant hath joints, but none for courtesy;
line 1321his legs are legs for necessity, not for flexure.
PATROCLUSto Agamemnon
line 1322Achilles bids me say he is much sorry
line 1323If anything more than your sport and pleasure
115line 1324Did move your greatness and this noble state
line 1325To call upon him. He hopes it is no other
line 1326But for your health and your digestion sake,
line 1327An after-dinner’s breath.
line 1328AGAMEMNONHear you, Patroclus:
120line 1329We are too well acquainted with these answers,
line 1330But his evasion, winged thus swift with scorn,
line 1331Cannot outfly our apprehensions.
line 1332Much attribute he hath, and much the reason
line 1333Why we ascribe it to him. Yet all his virtues,
125line 1334Not virtuously on his own part beheld,
Act 2 Scene 3 - Pg 99
line 1335Do in our eyes begin to lose their gloss,
line 1336Yea, and like fair fruit in an unwholesome dish,
line 1337Are like to rot untasted. Go and tell him
line 1338We come to speak with him; and you shall not sin
130line 1339If you do say we think him overproud
line 1340And underhonest, in self-assumption greater
line 1341Than in the note of judgment; and worthier than
line 1342himself
line 1343Here tend the savage strangeness he puts on,
135line 1344Disguise the holy strength of their command,
line 1345And underwrite in an observing kind
line 1346His humorous predominance—yea, watch
line 1347His course and time, his ebbs and flows, as if
line 1348The passage and whole carriage of this action
140line 1349Rode on his tide. Go tell him this, and add
line 1350That, if he overhold his price so much,
line 1351We’ll none of him. But let him, like an engine
line 1352Not portable, lie under this report:
line 1353“Bring action hither; this cannot go to war.”
145line 1354A stirring dwarf we do allowance give
line 1355Before a sleeping giant. Tell him so.
PATROCLUS
line 1356I shall, and bring his answer presently.
AGAMEMNON
line 1357In second voice we’ll not be satisfied;
line 1358We come to speak with him.—Ulysses, enter you.
Ulysses exits, with Patroclus.
150line 1359AJAXWhat is he more than another?
line 1360AGAMEMNONNo more than what he thinks he is.
line 1361AJAXIs he so much? Do you not think he thinks himself
line 1362a better man than I am?
line 1363AGAMEMNONNo question.
155line 1364AJAXWill you subscribe his thought and say he is?
line 1365AGAMEMNONNo, noble Ajax. You are as strong, as
line 1366valiant, as wise, no less noble, much more gentle,
line 1367and altogether more tractable.
Act 2 Scene 3 - Pg 101
line 1368AJAXWhy should a man be proud? How doth pride
160line 1369grow? I know not what pride is.
line 1370AGAMEMNONYour mind is the clearer, Ajax, and your
line 1371virtues the fairer. He that is proud eats up himself.
line 1372Pride is his own glass, his own trumpet, his own
line 1373chronicle; and whatever praises itself but in the
165line 1374deed devours the deed in the praise.
line 1375AJAXI do hate a proud man as I hate the engendering
line 1376of toads.
NESTORaside
line 1377And yet he loves himself. Is ’t not strange?
Enter Ulysses.
ULYSSES
line 1378Achilles will not to the field tomorrow.
AGAMEMNON
170line 1379What’s his excuse?
line 1380ULYSSESHe doth rely on none,
line 1381But carries on the stream of his dispose,
line 1382Without observance or respect of any,
line 1383In will peculiar and in self-admission.
AGAMEMNON
175line 1384Why, will he not, upon our fair request,
line 1385Untent his person and share th’ air with us?
ULYSSES
line 1386Things small as nothing, for request’s sake only,
line 1387He makes important. Possessed he is with greatness
line 1388And speaks not to himself but with a pride
180line 1389That quarrels at self-breath. Imagined worth
line 1390Holds in his blood such swoll’n and hot discourse
line 1391That ’twixt his mental and his active parts
line 1392Kingdomed Achilles in commotion rages
line 1393And batters down himself. What should I say?
185line 1394He is so plaguy proud that the death-tokens of it
line 1395Cry “No recovery.”
line 1396AGAMEMNONLet Ajax go to him.—
Act 2 Scene 3 - Pg 103
line 1397Dear lord, go you and greet him in his tent.
line 1398’Tis said he holds you well and will be led
190line 1399At your request a little from himself.
ULYSSES
line 1400O Agamemnon, let it not be so!
line 1401We’ll consecrate the steps that Ajax makes
line 1402When they go from Achilles. Shall the proud lord
line 1403That bastes his arrogance with his own seam
195line 1404And never suffers matter of the world
line 1405Enter his thoughts, save such as doth revolve
line 1406And ruminate himself—shall he be worshipped
line 1407Of that we hold an idol more than he?
line 1408No. This thrice-worthy and right valiant lord
200line 1409Shall not so stale his palm, nobly acquired,
line 1410Nor, by my will, assubjugate his merit,
line 1411As amply titled as Achilles is,
line 1412By going to Achilles.
line 1413That were to enlard his fat-already pride
205line 1414And add more coals to Cancer when he burns
line 1415With entertaining great Hyperion.
line 1416This lord go to him? Jupiter forbid
line 1417And say in thunder “Achilles, go to him.”
NESTORaside to Diomedes
line 1418O, this is well; he rubs the vein of him.
DIOMEDESaside to Nestor
210line 1419And how his silence drinks up this applause!
AJAX
line 1420If I go to him, with my armèd fist
line 1421I’ll pash him o’er the face.
line 1422AGAMEMNONO, no, you shall not go.
AJAX
line 1423An he be proud with me, I’ll feeze his pride.
215line 1424Let me go to him.
ULYSSES
line 1425Not for the worth that hangs upon our quarrel.
line 1426AJAXA paltry, insolent fellow.
Act 2 Scene 3 - Pg 105
line 1427NESTORaside How he describes himself!
line 1428AJAXCan he not be sociable?
220line 1429ULYSSESaside The raven chides blackness.
line 1430AJAXI’ll let his humorous blood.
line 1431AGAMEMNONaside He will be the physician that
line 1432should be the patient.
line 1433AJAXAn all men were of my mind—
225line 1434ULYSSESaside Wit would be out of fashion.
line 1435AJAX—he should not bear it so; he should eat swords
line 1436first. Shall pride carry it?
line 1437NESTORaside An ’twould, you’d carry half.
line 1438ULYSSES, aside He would have ten shares.
230line 1439AJAXI will knead him; I’ll make him supple.
line 1440NESTORaside He’s not yet through warm. Force him
line 1441with praises. Pour in, pour in; his ambition is dry.
ULYSSESto Agamemnon
line 1442My lord, you feed too much on this dislike.
NESTORto Agamemnon
line 1443Our noble general, do not do so.
DIOMEDESto Agamemnon
235line 1444You must prepare to fight without Achilles.
ULYSSES
line 1445Why, ’tis this naming of him does him harm.
line 1446Here is a man—but ’tis before his face;
line 1447I will be silent.
line 1448NESTORWherefore should you so?
240line 1449He is not emulous, as Achilles is.
ULYSSES
line 1450Know the whole world, he is as valiant—
line 1451AJAXA whoreson dog, that shall palter with us thus!
line 1452Would he were a Trojan!
line 1453NESTORWhat a vice were it in Ajax now—
245line 1454ULYSSESIf he were proud—
line 1455DIOMEDESOr covetous of praise—
line 1456ULYSSESAy, or surly borne—
line 1457DIOMEDESOr strange, or self-affected—
Act 2 Scene 3 - Pg 107
ULYSSESto Ajax
line 1458Thank the heavens, lord, thou art of sweet
250line 1459composure.
line 1460Praise him that gat thee, she that gave thee suck;
line 1461Famed be thy tutor, and thy parts of nature
line 1462Thrice famed beyond, beyond thy erudition;
line 1463But he that disciplined thine arms to fight,
255line 1464Let Mars divide eternity in twain
line 1465And give him half; and for thy vigor,
line 1466Bull-bearing Milo his addition yield
line 1467To sinewy Ajax. I will not praise thy wisdom,
line 1468Which like a bourn, a pale, a shore confines
260line 1469Thy spacious and dilated parts. Here’s Nestor,
line 1470Instructed by the antiquary times;
line 1471He must, he is, he cannot but be wise.—
line 1472But pardon, father Nestor, were your days
line 1473As green as Ajax’ and your brain so tempered,
265line 1474You should not have the eminence of him,
line 1475But be as Ajax.
line 1476AJAXShall I call you father?
NESTOR
line 1477Ay, my good son.
line 1478DIOMEDESBe ruled by him, Lord Ajax.
ULYSSES
270line 1479There is no tarrying here; the hart Achilles
line 1480Keeps thicket. Please it our great general
line 1481To call together all his state of war.
line 1482Fresh kings are come to Troy. Tomorrow
line 1483We must with all our main of power stand fast.
275line 1484And here’s a lord—come knights from east to west
line 1485And cull their flower, Ajax shall cope the best.
AGAMEMNON
line 1486Go we to council. Let Achilles sleep.
line 1487Light boats sail swift, though greater hulks draw deep.
They exit.
ACT 3
Scene 1
Music sounds within. Enter Pandarus and Paris’s Servingman.
line 1488PANDARUSFriend, you, pray you, a word. Do you not
line 1489follow the young Lord Paris?
line 1490MANAy, sir, when he goes before me.
line 1491PANDARUSYou depend upon him, I mean.
5line 1492MANSir, I do depend upon the Lord.
line 1493PANDARUSYou depend upon a notable gentleman. I
line 1494must needs praise him.
line 1495MANThe Lord be praised!
line 1496PANDARUSYou know me, do you not?
10line 1497MANFaith, sir, superficially.
line 1498PANDARUSFriend, know me better. I am the Lord
line 1499Pandarus.
line 1500MANI hope I shall know your Honor better.
line 1501PANDARUSI do desire it.
15line 1502MANYou are in the state of grace?
line 1503PANDARUSGrace? Not so, friend. “Honor” and “Lordship”
line 1504are my titles. What music is this?
line 1505MANI do but partly know, sir. It is music in parts.
line 1506PANDARUSKnow you the musicians?
20line 1507MANWholly, sir.
line 1508PANDARUSWho play they to?
line 1509MANTo the hearers, sir.
line 1510PANDARUSAt whose pleasure, friend?
Act 3 Scene 1 - Pg 113
line 1511MANAt mine, sir, and theirs that love music.
25line 1512PANDARUSCommand, I mean, friend.
line 1513MANWho shall I command, sir?
line 1514PANDARUSFriend, we understand not one another. I
line 1515am too courtly and thou art too cunning. At whose
line 1516request do these men play?
30line 1517MANThat’s to ’t indeed, sir. Marry, sir, at the request of
line 1518Paris my lord, who is there in person; with him the
line 1519mortal Venus, the heart blood of beauty, love’s visible
line 1520soul.
line 1521PANDARUSWho, my cousin Cressida?
35line 1522MANNo, sir, Helen. Could not you find out that by her
line 1523attributes?
line 1524PANDARUSIt should seem, fellow, that thou hast not
line 1525seen the Lady Cressid. I come to speak with Paris
line 1526from the Prince Troilus. I will make a complimental
40line 1527assault upon him, for my business seethes.
line 1528MANSodden business! There’s a stewed phrase indeed.
Enter Paris and Helen with Attendants.
line 1529PANDARUSFair be to you, my lord, and to all this fair
line 1530company! Fair desires in all fair measure fairly
line 1531guide them!—Especially to you, fair queen, fair
45line 1532thoughts be your fair pillow!
line 1533HELENDear lord, you are full of fair words.
line 1534PANDARUSYou speak your fair pleasure, sweet
line 1535queen.—Fair prince, here is good broken music.
line 1536PARISYou have broke it, cousin, and, by my life, you
50line 1537shall make it whole again; you shall piece it out
line 1538with a piece of your performance.
line 1539HELENHe is full of harmony.
line 1540PANDARUSTruly, lady, no.
line 1541HELENO, sir—
55line 1542PANDARUSRude, in sooth; in good sooth, very rude.
line 1543PARISWell said, my lord; well, you say so in fits.
Act 3 Scene 1 - Pg 115
line 1544PANDARUSI have business to my lord, dear queen.—
line 1545My lord, will you vouchsafe me a word?
line 1546HELENNay, this shall not hedge us out. We’ll hear you
60line 1547sing, certainly.
line 1548PANDARUSWell, sweet queen, you are pleasant with
line 1549me.—But, marry, thus, my lord: my dear lord and
line 1550most esteemed friend, your brother Troilus—
line 1551HELENMy Lord Pandarus, honey-sweet lord—
65line 1552PANDARUSGo to, sweet queen, go to—commends himself
line 1553most affectionately to you—
line 1554HELENYou shall not bob us out of our melody. If you
line 1555do, our melancholy upon your head!
line 1556PANDARUSSweet queen, sweet queen, that’s a sweet
70line 1557queen, i’ faith—
line 1558HELENAnd to make a sweet lady sad is a sour offence.
line 1559PANDARUSNay, that shall not serve your turn, that
line 1560shall it not, in truth, la. Nay, I care not for such
line 1561words, no, no.—And, my lord, he desires you that
75line 1562if the King call for him at supper, you will make his
line 1563excuse.
line 1564HELENMy Lord Pandarus—
line 1565PANDARUSWhat says my sweet queen, my very, very
line 1566sweet queen?
80line 1567PARISWhat exploit’s in hand? Where sups he tonight?
line 1568HELENNay, but, my lord—
line 1569PANDARUSWhat says my sweet queen? My cousin will
line 1570fall out with you.
line 1571HELENto Paris You must not know where he sups.
85line 1572PARISI’ll lay my life, with my disposer Cressida.
line 1573PANDARUSNo, no, no such matter; you are wide.
line 1574Come, your disposer is sick.
line 1575PARISWell, I’ll make ’s excuse.
line 1576PANDARUSAy, good my lord. Why should you say Cressida?
90line 1577No, your poor disposer’s sick.
line 1578PARISI spy.
Act 3 Scene 1 - Pg 117
line 1579PANDARUSYou spy? What do you spy?—Come, give me
line 1580an instrument. An Attendant gives him an instrument.
line 1581Now, sweet queen.
95line 1582HELENWhy, this is kindly done.
line 1583PANDARUSMy niece is horribly in love with a thing you
line 1584have, sweet queen.
line 1585HELENShe shall have it, my lord, if it be not my Lord
line 1586Paris.
100line 1587PANDARUSHe? No, she’ll none of him. They two are
line 1588twain.
line 1589HELENFalling in after falling out may make them
line 1590three.
line 1591PANDARUSCome, come, I’ll hear no more of this. I’ll
105line 1592sing you a song now.
line 1593HELENAy, ay, prithee. Now, by my troth, sweet lord,
line 1594thou hast a fine forehead.
line 1595PANDARUSAy, you may, you may.
line 1596HELENLet thy song be love. “This love will undo us all.”
110line 1597O Cupid, Cupid, Cupid!
line 1598PANDARUSLove? Ay, that it shall, i’ faith.
line 1599PARISAy, good now, “Love, love, nothing but love.”
line 1600PANDARUSIn good troth, it begins so.
line 1601Love, love, nothing but love, still love, still more!
115line 1602For, O, love’s bow
line 1603Shoots buck and doe.
line 1604The shaft confounds
line 1605Not that it wounds
line 1606But tickles still the sore.
120line 1607These lovers cry “O ho!” they die,
line 1608Yet that which seems the wound to kill
line 1609Doth turn “O ho!” to “Ha ha he!”
line 1610So dying love lives still.
line 1611“O ho!” awhile, but “Ha ha ha!”
125line 1612“O ho!”groans out for “ha ha ha!”—Hey ho!
Act 3 Scene 1 - Pg 119
line 1613HELENIn love, i’ faith, to the very tip of the nose.
line 1614PARISHe eats nothing but doves, love, and that breeds
line 1615hot blood, and hot blood begets hot thoughts, and
line 1616hot thoughts beget hot deeds, and hot deeds is love.
130line 1617PANDARUSIs this the generation of love? Hot blood,
line 1618hot thoughts, and hot deeds? Why, they are vipers.
line 1619Is love a generation of vipers? Sweet lord, who’s
line 1620afield today?
line 1621PARISHector, Deiphobus, Helenus, Antenor, and all the
135line 1622gallantry of Troy. I would fain have armed today,
line 1623but my Nell would not have it so. How chance my
line 1624brother Troilus went not?
line 1625HELENHe hangs the lip at something.—You know all,
line 1626Lord Pandarus.
140line 1627PANDARUSNot I, honey sweet queen. I long to hear how
line 1628they sped today.—You’ll remember your brother’s
line 1629excuse?
line 1630PARISTo a hair.
line 1631PANDARUSFarewell, sweet queen.
145line 1632HELENCommend me to your niece.
line 1633PANDARUSI will, sweet queen.He exits.
Sound a retreat.
PARIS
line 1634They’re come from the field. Let us to Priam’s hall
line 1635To greet the warriors. Sweet Helen, I must woo you
line 1636To help unarm our Hector. His stubborn buckles,
150line 1637With these your white enchanting fingers touched,
line 1638Shall more obey than to the edge of steel
line 1639Or force of Greekish sinews. You shall do more
line 1640Than all the island kings: disarm great Hector.
HELEN
line 1641’Twill make us proud to be his servant, Paris.
155line 1642Yea, what he shall receive of us in duty
line 1643Gives us more palm in beauty than we have,
line 1644Yea, overshines ourself.
line 1645PARISSweet, above thought I love thee.
They exit.
Act 3 Scene 2 - Pg 121
Scene 2
Enter Pandarus and Troilus’s Man, meeting.
line 1646PANDARUSHow now? Where’s thy master? At my
line 1647cousin Cressida’s?
line 1648MANNo, sir, he stays for you to conduct him thither.
Enter Troilus.
line 1649PANDARUSO, here he comes.—How now, how now?
5line 1650TROILUSto his Man Sirrah, walk off.Man exits.
line 1651PANDARUSHave you seen my cousin?
TROILUS
line 1652No, Pandarus. I stalk about her door
line 1653Like a strange soul upon the Stygian banks
line 1654Staying for waftage. O, be thou my Charon,
10line 1655And give me swift transportance to those fields
line 1656Where I may wallow in the lily beds
line 1657Proposed for the deserver! O, gentle Pandar,
line 1658From Cupid’s shoulder pluck his painted wings
line 1659And fly with me to Cressid!
15line 1660PANDARUSWalk here i’ th’ orchard. I’ll bring her
line 1661straight.
Pandarus exits.
TROILUS
line 1662I am giddy; expectation whirls me round.
line 1663Th’ imaginary relish is so sweet
line 1664That it enchants my sense. What will it be
20line 1665When that the wat’ry palate taste indeed
line 1666Love’s thrice-repurèd nectar? Death, I fear me,
line 1667Swooning destruction, or some joy too fine,
line 1668Too subtle-potent, tuned too sharp in sweetness
line 1669For the capacity of my ruder powers.
25line 1670I fear it much; and I do fear besides
line 1671That I shall lose distinction in my joys,
line 1672As doth a battle when they charge on heaps
line 1673The enemy flying.
Act 3 Scene 2 - Pg 123
Enter Pandarus.
line 1674PANDARUSShe’s making her ready; she’ll come straight.
30line 1675You must be witty now. She does so blush and
line 1676fetches her wind so short as if she were frayed with
line 1677a spirit. I’ll fetch her. It is the prettiest villain. She
line 1678fetches her breath as short as a new-ta’en sparrow.
Pandarus exits.
TROILUS
line 1679Even such a passion doth embrace my bosom.
35line 1680My heart beats thicker than a feverous pulse,
line 1681And all my powers do their bestowing lose,
line 1682Like vassalage at unawares encount’ring
line 1683The eye of majesty.
Enter Pandarus, and Cressida veiled.
line 1684PANDARUSto Cressida Come, come, what need you
40line 1685blush? Shame’s a baby.—Here she is now. Swear
line 1686the oaths now to her that you have sworn to me.
line 1687Cressida offers to leave. What, are you gone again?
line 1688You must be watched ere you be made tame, must
line 1689you? Come your ways; come your ways. An you
45line 1690draw backward, we’ll put you i’ th’ thills.—Why
line 1691do you not speak to her?—Come, draw this curtain
line 1692and let’s see your picture. He draws back her veil.
line 1693Alas the day, how loath you are to offend daylight!
line 1694An ’twere dark, you’d close sooner.—So, so, rub on,
50line 1695and kiss the mistress. They kiss. How now? A
line 1696kiss in fee-farm? Build there, carpenter; the air is
line 1697sweet. Nay, you shall fight your hearts out ere I
line 1698part you. The falcon as the tercel, for all the ducks
line 1699i’ th’ river. Go to, go to.
55line 1700TROILUSYou have bereft me of all words, lady.
line 1701PANDARUSWords pay no debts; give her deeds. But
line 1702she’ll bereave you o’ th’ deeds too, if she call your
line 1703activity in question. They kiss. What, billing
Act 3 Scene 2 - Pg 125
line 1704again? Here’s “In witness whereof the parties
60line 1705interchangeably—.” Come in, come in. I’ll go get a fire.
Pandarus exits.
line 1706CRESSIDAWill you walk in, my lord?
line 1707TROILUSO Cressid, how often have I wished me thus!
line 1708CRESSIDA“Wished,” my lord? The gods grant—O, my
line 1709lord!
65line 1710TROILUSWhat should they grant? What makes this
line 1711pretty abruption? What too-curious dreg espies
line 1712my sweet lady in the fountain of our love?
line 1713CRESSIDAMore dregs than water, if my fears have eyes.
line 1714TROILUSFears make devils of cherubins; they never
70line 1715see truly.
line 1716CRESSIDABlind fear, that seeing reason leads, finds
line 1717safer footing than blind reason, stumbling without
line 1718fear. To fear the worst oft cures the worse.
line 1719TROILUSO, let my lady apprehend no fear. In all
75line 1720Cupid’s pageant there is presented no monster.
line 1721CRESSIDANor nothing monstrous neither?
line 1722TROILUSNothing but our undertakings, when we vow
line 1723to weep seas, live in fire, eat rocks, tame tigers,
line 1724thinking it harder for our mistress to devise imposition
80line 1725enough than for us to undergo any difficulty
line 1726imposed. This is the monstruosity in love, lady, that
line 1727the will is infinite and the execution confined, that
line 1728the desire is boundless and the act a slave to limit.
line 1729CRESSIDAThey say all lovers swear more performance
85line 1730than they are able and yet reserve an ability that
line 1731they never perform, vowing more than the perfection
line 1732of ten and discharging less than the tenth part
line 1733of one. They that have the voice of lions and the
line 1734act of hares, are they not monsters?
90line 1735TROILUSAre there such? Such are not we. Praise us as
line 1736we are tasted, allow us as we prove; our head shall
line 1737go bare till merit crown it. No perfection in reversion
line 1738shall have a praise in present. We will not
Act 3 Scene 2 - Pg 127
line 1739name desert before his birth, and, being born, his
95line 1740addition shall be humble. Few words to fair faith.
line 1741Troilus shall be such to Cressid as what envy can
line 1742say worst shall be a mock for his truth, and what
line 1743truth can speak truest not truer than Troilus.
line 1744CRESSIDAWill you walk in, my lord?
Enter Pandarus.
100line 1745PANDARUSWhat, blushing still? Have you not done
line 1746talking yet?
line 1747CRESSIDAWell, uncle, what folly I commit I dedicate
line 1748to you.
line 1749PANDARUSI thank you for that. If my lord get a boy of
105line 1750you, you’ll give him me. Be true to my lord. If he
line 1751flinch, chide me for it.
line 1752TROILUSto Cressida You know now your hostages:
line 1753your uncle’s word and my firm faith.
line 1754PANDARUSNay, I’ll give my word for her too. Our kindred,
110line 1755though they be long ere they be wooed, they
line 1756are constant being won. They are burrs, I can tell
line 1757you; they’ll stick where they are thrown.
CRESSIDA
line 1758Boldness comes to me now and brings me heart.
line 1759Prince Troilus, I have loved you night and day
115line 1760For many weary months.
TROILUS
line 1761Why was my Cressid then so hard to win?
CRESSIDA
line 1762Hard to seem won; but I was won, my lord,
line 1763With the first glance that ever—pardon me;
line 1764If I confess much, you will play the tyrant.
120line 1765I love you now, but till now not so much
line 1766But I might master it. In faith, I lie;
line 1767My thoughts were like unbridled children grown
line 1768Too headstrong for their mother. See, we fools!
line 1769Why have I blabbed? Who shall be true to us
Act 3 Scene 2 - Pg 129
125line 1770When we are so unsecret to ourselves?
line 1771But though I loved you well, I wooed you not;
line 1772And yet, good faith, I wished myself a man;
line 1773Or that we women had men’s privilege
line 1774Of speaking first. Sweet, bid me hold my tongue,
130line 1775For in this rapture I shall surely speak
line 1776The thing I shall repent. See, see, your silence,
line 1777Cunning in dumbness, from my weakness draws
line 1778My very soul of counsel! Stop my mouth.
TROILUS
line 1779And shall, albeit sweet music issues thence.
They kiss.
135line 1780PANDARUSPretty, i’ faith!
CRESSIDAto Troilus
line 1781My lord, I do beseech you pardon me.
line 1782’Twas not my purpose thus to beg a kiss.
line 1783I am ashamed. O heavens, what have I done!
line 1784For this time will I take my leave, my lord.
140line 1785TROILUSYour leave, sweet Cressid?
line 1786PANDARUSLeave? An you take leave till tomorrow
line 1787morning—
line 1788CRESSIDAPray you, content you.
line 1789TROILUSWhat offends you, lady?
145line 1790CRESSIDASir, mine own company.
line 1791TROILUSYou cannot shun yourself.
line 1792CRESSIDALet me go and try.
line 1793I have a kind of self resides with you,
line 1794But an unkind self that itself will leave
150line 1795To be another’s fool. I would be gone.
line 1796Where is my wit? I know not what I speak.
TROILUS
line 1797Well know they what they speak that speak so wisely.
CRESSIDA
line 1798Perchance, my lord, I show more craft than love
line 1799And fell so roundly to a large confession
155line 1800To angle for your thoughts. But you are wise,
Act 3 Scene 2 - Pg 131
line 1801Or else you love not; for to be wise and love
line 1802Exceeds man’s might. That dwells with gods above.
TROILUS
line 1803O, that I thought it could be in a woman—
line 1804As, if it can, I will presume in you—
160line 1805To feed for aye her lamp and flames of love,
line 1806To keep her constancy in plight and youth,
line 1807Outliving beauty’s outward, with a mind
line 1808That doth renew swifter than blood decays!
line 1809Or that persuasion could but thus convince me
165line 1810That my integrity and truth to you
line 1811Might be affronted with the match and weight
line 1812Of such a winnowed purity in love;
line 1813How were I then uplifted! But, alas,
line 1814I am as true as truth’s simplicity
170line 1815And simpler than the infancy of truth.
CRESSIDA
line 1816In that I’ll war with you.
line 1817TROILUSO virtuous fight,
line 1818When right with right wars who shall be most right!
line 1819True swains in love shall in the world to come
175line 1820Approve their truth by Troilus. When their rhymes,
line 1821Full of protest, of oath and big compare,
line 1822Wants similes, truth tired with iteration—
line 1823“As true as steel, as plantage to the moon,
line 1824As sun to day, as turtle to her mate,
180line 1825As iron to adamant, as Earth to th’ center”—
line 1826Yet, after all comparisons of truth,
line 1827As truth’s authentic author to be cited,
line 1828“As true as Troilus” shall crown up the verse
line 1829And sanctify the numbers.
185line 1830CRESSIDAProphet may you be!
line 1831If I be false or swerve a hair from truth,
line 1832When time is old and hath forgot itself,
line 1833When water drops have worn the stones of Troy
line 1834And blind oblivion swallowed cities up,
Act 3 Scene 3 - Pg 133
190line 1835And mighty states characterless are grated
line 1836To dusty nothing, yet let memory,
line 1837From false to false, among false maids in love,
line 1838Upbraid my falsehood! When they’ve said “as false
line 1839As air, as water, wind or sandy earth,
195line 1840As fox to lamb, or wolf to heifer’s calf,
line 1841Pard to the hind, or stepdame to her son,”
line 1842Yea, let them say, to stick the heart of falsehood,
line 1843“As false as Cressid.”
line 1844PANDARUSGo to, a bargain made. Seal it, seal it. I’ll be
200line 1845the witness. Here I hold your hand, here my
line 1846cousin’s. If ever you prove false one to another, since
line 1847I have taken such pains to bring you together, let
line 1848all pitiful goers-between be called to the world’s
line 1849end after my name: call them all panders. Let all
205line 1850constant men be Troiluses, all false women Cressids,
line 1851and all brokers-between panders. Say “Amen.”
line 1852TROILUSAmen.
line 1853CRESSIDAAmen.
line 1854PANDARUSAmen. Whereupon I will show you a chamber
210line 1855with a bed, which bed, because it shall not
line 1856speak of your pretty encounters, press it to death.
line 1857Away.Troilus and Cressida exit.
line 1858And Cupid grant all tongue-tied maidens here
line 1859Bed, chamber, pander to provide this gear.
He exits.
Scene 3
Flourish. Enter Ulysses, Diomedes, Nestor, Agamemnon, Calchas, Menelaus, and Ajax.
CALCHAS
line 1860Now, princes, for the service I have done you,
line 1861Th’ advantage of the time prompts me aloud
line 1862To call for recompense. Appear it to your mind
Act 3 Scene 3 - Pg 135
line 1863That, through the sight I bear in things to come,
5line 1864I have abandoned Troy, left my possessions,
line 1865Incurred a traitor’s name, exposed myself,
line 1866From certain and possessed conveniences,
line 1867To doubtful fortunes, sequest’ring from me all
line 1868That time, acquaintance, custom, and condition
10line 1869Made tame and most familiar to my nature,
line 1870And here, to do you service, am become
line 1871As new into the world, strange, unacquainted.
line 1872I do beseech you, as in way of taste,
line 1873To give me now a little benefit
15line 1874Out of those many regist’red in promise,
line 1875Which you say live to come in my behalf.
AGAMEMNON
line 1876What wouldst thou of us, Trojan, make demand?
CALCHAS
line 1877You have a Trojan prisoner called Antenor
line 1878Yesterday took. Troy holds him very dear.
20line 1879Oft have you—often have you thanks therefor—
line 1880Desired my Cressid in right great exchange,
line 1881Whom Troy hath still denied; but this Antenor,
line 1882I know, is such a wrest in their affairs
line 1883That their negotiations all must slack,
25line 1884Wanting his manage; and they will almost
line 1885Give us a prince of blood, a son of Priam,
line 1886In change of him. Let him be sent, great princes,
line 1887And he shall buy my daughter; and her presence
line 1888Shall quite strike off all service I have done
30line 1889In most accepted pain.
line 1890AGAMEMNONLet Diomedes bear him,
line 1891And bring us Cressid hither. Calchas shall have
line 1892What he requests of us. Good Diomed,
line 1893Furnish you fairly for this interchange.
35line 1894Withal, bring word if Hector will tomorrow
line 1895Be answered in his challenge. Ajax is ready.
Act 3 Scene 3 - Pg 137
DIOMEDES
line 1896This shall I undertake, and ’tis a burden
line 1897Which I am proud to bear.He exits with Calchas.
Achilles and Patroclus stand in their tent.
ULYSSES
line 1898Achilles stands i’ th’ entrance of his tent.
40line 1899Please it our General pass strangely by him
line 1900As if he were forgot, and, princes all,
line 1901Lay negligent and loose regard upon him.
line 1902I will come last. ’Tis like he’ll question me
line 1903Why such unplausive eyes are bent, why turned on
45line 1904him.
line 1905If so, I have derision medicinable
line 1906To use between your strangeness and his pride,
line 1907Which his own will shall have desire to drink.
line 1908It may do good; pride hath no other glass
50line 1909To show itself but pride, for supple knees
line 1910Feed arrogance and are the proud man’s fees.
AGAMEMNON
line 1911We’ll execute your purpose and put on
line 1912A form of strangeness as we pass along;
line 1913So do each lord, and either greet him not
55line 1914Or else disdainfully, which shall shake him more
line 1915Than if not looked on. I will lead the way.
They pass before Achilles and Patroclus. Ulysses remains in place, reading.
ACHILLES
line 1916What, comes the General to speak with me?
line 1917You know my mind: I’ll fight no more ’gainst Troy.
AGAMEMNONto Nestor
line 1918What says Achilles? Would he aught with us?
NESTORto Achilles
60line 1919Would you, my lord, aught with the General?
line 1920ACHILLESNo.
Act 3 Scene 3 - Pg 139
line 1921NESTORNothing, my lord.
line 1922AGAMEMNONThe better.Agamemnon and Nestor exit.
line 1923ACHILLESto Menelaus Good day, good day.
65line 1924MENELAUSHow do you? How do you?He exits.
line 1925ACHILLESWhat, does the cuckold scorn me?
line 1926AJAXHow now, Patroclus?
line 1927ACHILLESGood morrow, Ajax.
line 1928AJAXHa?
70line 1929ACHILLESGood morrow.
line 1930AJAXAy, and good next day too.He exits.
ACHILLES
line 1931What mean these fellows? Know they not Achilles?
PATROCLUS
line 1932They pass by strangely. They were used to bend,
line 1933To send their smiles before them to Achilles,
75line 1934To come as humbly as they use to creep
line 1935To holy altars.
line 1936ACHILLESWhat, am I poor of late?
line 1937’Tis certain, greatness, once fall’n out with Fortune,
line 1938Must fall out with men too. What the declined is
80line 1939He shall as soon read in the eyes of others
line 1940As feel in his own fall, for men, like butterflies,
line 1941Show not their mealy wings but to the summer,
line 1942And not a man, for being simply man,
line 1943Hath any honor, but honor for those honors
85line 1944That are without him—as place, riches, and favor,
line 1945Prizes of accident as oft as merit,
line 1946Which, when they fall, as being slippery slanders,
line 1947The love that leaned on them, as slippery too,
line 1948Doth one pluck down another and together
90line 1949Die in the fall. But ’tis not so with me.
line 1950Fortune and I are friends. I do enjoy,
line 1951At ample point, all that I did possess,
line 1952Save these men’s looks, who do, methinks, find out
line 1953Something not worth in me such rich beholding
Act 3 Scene 3 - Pg 141
95line 1954As they have often given. Here is Ulysses.
line 1955I’ll interrupt his reading.—How now, Ulysses?
line 1956ULYSSESNow, great Thetis’ son—
line 1957ACHILLESWhat are you reading?
line 1958ULYSSESA strange fellow here
100line 1959Writes me that man, how dearly ever parted,
line 1960How much in having, or without or in,
line 1961Cannot make boast to have that which he hath,
line 1962Nor feels not what he owes, but by reflection;
line 1963As when his virtues, shining upon others,
105line 1964Heat them, and they retort that heat again
line 1965To the first giver.
line 1966ACHILLESThis is not strange, Ulysses.
line 1967The beauty that is borne here in the face
line 1968The bearer knows not, but commends itself
110line 1969To others’ eyes; nor doth the eye itself,
line 1970That most pure spirit of sense, behold itself,
line 1971Not going from itself, but eye to eye opposed
line 1972Salutes each other with each other’s form.
line 1973For speculation turns not to itself
115line 1974Till it hath traveled and is mirrored there
line 1975Where it may see itself. This is not strange at all.
ULYSSES
line 1976I do not strain at the position—
line 1977It is familiar—but at the author’s drift,
line 1978Who in his circumstance expressly proves
120line 1979That no man is the lord of anything—
line 1980Though in and of him there be much consisting—
line 1981Till he communicate his parts to others;
line 1982Nor doth he of himself know them for aught
line 1983Till he behold them formed in the applause
125line 1984Where they’re extended; who, like an arch, reverb’rate
line 1985The voice again or, like a gate of steel
line 1986Fronting the sun, receives and renders back
line 1987His figure and his heat. I was much rapt in this
line 1988And apprehended here immediately
Act 3 Scene 3 - Pg 143
130line 1989Th’ unknown Ajax. Heavens, what a man is there!
line 1990A very horse, that has he knows not what!
line 1991Nature, what things there are
line 1992Most abject in regard, and dear in use,
line 1993What things again most dear in the esteem
135line 1994And poor in worth! Now shall we see tomorrow—
line 1995An act that very chance doth throw upon him—
line 1996Ajax renowned. O, heavens, what some men do
line 1997While some men leave to do!
line 1998How some men creep in skittish Fortune’s hall,
140line 1999Whiles others play the idiots in her eyes!
line 2000How one man eats into another’s pride,
line 2001While pride is fasting in his wantonness!
line 2002To see these Grecian lords—why, even already
line 2003They clap the lubber Ajax on the shoulder
145line 2004As if his foot were on brave Hector’s breast
line 2005And great Troy shrieking.
ACHILLES
line 2006I do believe it, for they passed by me
line 2007As misers do by beggars, neither gave to me
line 2008Good word nor look. What, are my deeds forgot?
ULYSSES
150line 2009Time hath, my lord, a wallet at his back
line 2010Wherein he puts alms for oblivion,
line 2011A great-sized monster of ingratitudes.
line 2012Those scraps are good deeds past, which are devoured
line 2013As fast as they are made, forgot as soon
155line 2014As done. Perseverance, dear my lord,
line 2015Keeps honor bright. To have done is to hang
line 2016Quite out of fashion like a rusty mail
line 2017In monumental mock’ry. Take the instant way,
line 2018For honor travels in a strait so narrow
160line 2019Where one but goes abreast. Keep, then, the path,
line 2020For Emulation hath a thousand sons
line 2021That one by one pursue. If you give way
line 2022Or turn aside from the direct forthright,
Act 3 Scene 3 - Pg 145
line 2023Like to an entered tide they all rush by
165line 2024And leave you hindmost;
line 2025Or, like a gallant horse fall’n in first rank,
line 2026Lie there for pavement to the abject rear,
line 2027O’errun and trampled on. Then what they do in
line 2028present,
170line 2029Though less than yours in past, must o’ertop yours;
line 2030For Time is like a fashionable host
line 2031That slightly shakes his parting guest by th’ hand
line 2032And, with his arms outstretched as he would fly,
line 2033Grasps in the comer. Welcome ever smiles,
175line 2034And Farewell goes out sighing. Let not virtue seek
line 2035Remuneration for the thing it was,
line 2036For beauty, wit,
line 2037High birth, vigor of bone, desert in service,
line 2038Love, friendship, charity are subjects all
180line 2039To envious and calumniating Time.
line 2040One touch of nature makes the whole world kin,
line 2041That all, with one consent, praise newborn gauds,
line 2042Though they are made and molded of things past,
line 2043And give to dust that is a little gilt
185line 2044More laud than gilt o’erdusted.
line 2045The present eye praises the present object.
line 2046Then marvel not, thou great and complete man,
line 2047That all the Greeks begin to worship Ajax,
line 2048Since things in motion sooner catch the eye
190line 2049Than what stirs not. The cry went once on thee,
line 2050And still it might, and yet it may again,
line 2051If thou wouldst not entomb thyself alive
line 2052And case thy reputation in thy tent,
line 2053Whose glorious deeds but in these fields of late
195line 2054Made emulous missions ’mongst the gods themselves
line 2055And drave great Mars to faction.
line 2056ACHILLESOf this my privacy,
line 2057I have strong reasons.
line 2058ULYSSESBut ’gainst your privacy
Act 3 Scene 3 - Pg 147
200line 2059The reasons are more potent and heroical.
line 2060’Tis known, Achilles, that you are in love
line 2061With one of Priam’s daughters.
line 2062ACHILLESHa? Known?
line 2063ULYSSESIs that a wonder?
205line 2064The providence that’s in a watchful state
line 2065Knows almost every grain of Pluto’s gold,
line 2066Finds bottom in the uncomprehensive deep,
line 2067Keeps place with thought and almost, like the gods,
line 2068Do thoughts unveil in their dumb cradles.
210line 2069There is a mystery—with whom relation
line 2070Durst never meddle—in the soul of state,
line 2071Which hath an operation more divine
line 2072Than breath or pen can give expressure to.
line 2073All the commerce that you have had with Troy
215line 2074As perfectly is ours as yours, my lord;
line 2075And better would it fit Achilles much
line 2076To throw down Hector than Polyxena.
line 2077But it must grieve young Pyrrhus now at home
line 2078When Fame shall in our islands sound her trump,
220line 2079And all the Greekish girls shall tripping sing
line 2080“Great Hector’s sister did Achilles win,
line 2081But our great Ajax bravely beat down him.”
line 2082Farewell, my lord. I as your lover speak.
line 2083The fool slides o’er the ice that you should break.
He exits.
PATROCLUS
225line 2084To this effect, Achilles, have I moved you.
line 2085A woman impudent and mannish grown
line 2086Is not more loathed than an effeminate man
line 2087In time of action. I stand condemned for this.
line 2088They think my little stomach to the war,
230line 2089And your great love to me, restrains you thus.
line 2090Sweet, rouse yourself, and the weak wanton Cupid
line 2091Shall from your neck unloose his amorous fold
Act 3 Scene 3 - Pg 149
line 2092And, like a dewdrop from the lion’s mane,
line 2093Be shook to air.
235line 2094ACHILLESShall Ajax fight with Hector?
PATROCLUS
line 2095Ay, and perhaps receive much honor by him.
ACHILLES
line 2096I see my reputation is at stake;
line 2097My fame is shrewdly gored.
line 2098PATROCLUSO, then, beware!
240line 2099Those wounds heal ill that men do give themselves.
line 2100Omission to do what is necessary
line 2101Seals a commission to a blank of danger,
line 2102And danger, like an ague, subtly taints
line 2103Even then when they sit idly in the sun.
ACHILLES
245line 2104Go call Thersites hither, sweet Patroclus.
line 2105I’ll send the fool to Ajax and desire him
line 2106T’ invite the Trojan lords after the combat
line 2107To see us here unarmed. I have a woman’s longing,
line 2108An appetite that I am sick withal,
250line 2109To see great Hector in his weeds of peace,
line 2110To talk with him, and to behold his visage,
line 2111Even to my full of view.
Enter Thersites.
line 2112A labor saved.
line 2113THERSITESA wonder!
255line 2114ACHILLESWhat?
line 2115THERSITESAjax goes up and down the field, asking for
line 2116himself.
line 2117ACHILLESHow so?
line 2118THERSITESHe must fight singly tomorrow with Hector
260line 2119and is so prophetically proud of an heroical cudgeling
line 2120that he raves in saying nothing.
line 2121ACHILLESHow can that be?
Act 3 Scene 3 - Pg 151
line 2122THERSITESWhy, he stalks up and down like a peacock—
line 2123a stride and a stand; ruminates like an hostess
265line 2124that hath no arithmetic but her brain to set
line 2125down her reckoning; bites his lip with a politic regard,
line 2126as who should say “There were wit in this
line 2127head an ’twould out”—and so there is, but it lies
line 2128as coldly in him as fire in a flint, which will not
270line 2129show without knocking. The man’s undone forever,
line 2130for if Hector break not his neck i’ th’ combat,
line 2131he’ll break ’t himself in vainglory. He knows not
line 2132me. I said “Good morrow, Ajax,” and he replies
line 2133“Thanks, Agamemnon.” What think you of this
275line 2134man that takes me for the General? He’s grown a
line 2135very land-fish, languageless, a monster. A plague of
line 2136opinion! A man may wear it on both sides, like a
line 2137leather jerkin.
line 2138ACHILLESThou must be my ambassador to him,
280line 2139Thersites.
line 2140THERSITESWho, I? Why, he’ll answer nobody. He professes
line 2141not answering; speaking is for beggars; he
line 2142wears his tongue in ’s arms. I will put on his presence.
line 2143Let Patroclus make his demands to me. You
285line 2144shall see the pageant of Ajax.
line 2145ACHILLESTo him, Patroclus. Tell him I humbly desire
line 2146the valiant Ajax to invite the most valorous Hector
line 2147to come unarmed to my tent, and to procure safe-conduct
line 2148for his person of the magnanimous and
290line 2149most illustrious, six-or-seven-times-honored captain
line 2150general of the Grecian army, Agamemnon,
line 2151et cetera. Do this.
line 2152PATROCLUSto Thersites, who is playing Ajax Jove
line 2153bless great Ajax.
295line 2154THERSITESHum!
line 2155PATROCLUSI come from the worthy Achilles—
line 2156THERSITESHa?
Act 3 Scene 3 - Pg 153
line 2157PATROCLUSWho most humbly desires you to invite
line 2158Hector to his tent—
300line 2159THERSITESHum!
line 2160PATROCLUSAnd to procure safe-conduct from
line 2161Agamemnon.
line 2162THERSITESAgamemnon?
line 2163PATROCLUSAy, my lord.
305line 2164THERSITESHa!
line 2165PATROCLUSWhat say you to ’t?
line 2166THERSITESGod b’ wi’ you, with all my heart.
line 2167PATROCLUSYour answer, sir.
line 2168THERSITESIf tomorrow be a fair day, by eleven of the
310line 2169clock it will go one way or other. Howsoever, he
line 2170shall pay for me ere he has me.
line 2171PATROCLUSYour answer, sir.
line 2172THERSITESFare you well with all my heart.
He pretends to exit.
line 2173ACHILLESWhy, but he is not in this tune, is he?
315line 2174THERSITESNo, but he’s out of tune thus. What music
line 2175will be in him when Hector has knocked out his
line 2176brains I know not. But I am sure none, unless the
line 2177fiddler Apollo get his sinews to make catlings on.
line 2178ACHILLESCome, thou shalt bear a letter to him
320line 2179straight.
line 2180THERSITESLet me bear another to his horse, for that’s
line 2181the more capable creature.
ACHILLES
line 2182My mind is troubled, like a fountain stirred,
line 2183And I myself see not the bottom of it.
Achilles and Patroclus exit.
325line 2184THERSITESWould the fountain of your mind were clear
line 2185again, that I might water an ass at it. I had rather
line 2186be a tick in a sheep than such a valiant ignorance.
He exits.
ACT 4
Scene 1
Enter at one door Aeneas with a Torchbearer, at another Paris, Deiphobus, Antenor, Diomedes and Grecians with torches.
line 2187PARISSee, ho! Who is that there?
line 2188DEIPHOBUSIt is the Lord Aeneas.
line 2189AENEASIs the Prince there in person?—
line 2190Had I so good occasion to lie long
5line 2191As you, Prince Paris, nothing but heavenly business
line 2192Should rob my bedmate of my company.
DIOMEDES
line 2193That’s my mind too.—Good morrow, Lord Aeneas.
PARIS
line 2194A valiant Greek, Aeneas; take his hand.
line 2195Witness the process of your speech, wherein
10line 2196You told how Diomed a whole week by days
line 2197Did haunt you in the field.
line 2198AENEASHealth to you, valiant sir,
line 2199During all question of the gentle truce;
line 2200But when I meet you armed, as black defiance
15line 2201As heart can think or courage execute.
DIOMEDES
line 2202The one and other Diomed embraces.
line 2203Our bloods are now in calm, and, so long, health;
line 2204But when contention and occasion meet,
Act 4 Scene 1 - Pg 159
line 2205By Jove, I’ll play the hunter for thy life
20line 2206With all my force, pursuit, and policy.
AENEAS
line 2207And thou shalt hunt a lion that will fly
line 2208With his face backward. In human gentleness,
line 2209Welcome to Troy. Now, by Anchises’ life,
line 2210Welcome indeed. By Venus’ hand I swear
25line 2211No man alive can love in such a sort
line 2212The thing he means to kill more excellently.
DIOMEDES
line 2213We sympathize. Jove, let Aeneas live,
line 2214If to my sword his fate be not the glory,
line 2215A thousand complete courses of the sun!
30line 2216But in mine emulous honor let him die
line 2217With every joint a wound and that tomorrow.
line 2218AENEASWe know each other well.
DIOMEDES
line 2219We do, and long to know each other worse.
PARIS
line 2220This is the most despiteful gentle greeting,
35line 2221The noblest hateful love, that e’er I heard of.
line 2222To Aeneas. What business, lord, so early?
AENEAS
line 2223I was sent for to the King, but why I know not.
PARIS
line 2224His purpose meets you. ’Twas to bring this Greek
line 2225To Calchas’ house, and there to render him,
40line 2226For the enfreed Antenor, the fair Cressid.
line 2227Let’s have your company, or, if you please,
line 2228Haste there before us. Aside to Aeneas. I constantly
line 2229believe—
line 2230Or, rather, call my thought a certain knowledge—
45line 2231My brother Troilus lodges there tonight.
line 2232Rouse him, and give him note of our approach,
line 2233With the whole quality whereof. I fear
line 2234We shall be much unwelcome.
Act 4 Scene 1 - Pg 161
line 2235AENEASaside to Paris That I assure you.
50line 2236Troilus had rather Troy were borne to Greece
line 2237Than Cressid borne from Troy.
line 2238PARISaside to Aeneas There is no help.
line 2239The bitter disposition of the time
line 2240Will have it so.—On, lord, we’ll follow you.
55line 2241AENEASGood morrow, all.
Aeneas exits with the Torchbearer.
PARIS
line 2242And tell me, noble Diomed, faith, tell me true,
line 2243Even in the soul of sound good-fellowship,
line 2244Who, in your thoughts, deserves fair Helen best,
line 2245Myself or Menelaus?
60line 2246DIOMEDESBoth alike.
line 2247He merits well to have her that doth seek her,
line 2248Not making any scruple of her soilure,
line 2249With such a hell of pain and world of charge;
line 2250And you as well to keep her that defend her,
65line 2251Not palating the taste of her dishonor,
line 2252With such a costly loss of wealth and friends.
line 2253He, like a puling cuckold, would drink up
line 2254The lees and dregs of a flat tamèd piece;
line 2255You, like a lecher, out of whorish loins
70line 2256Are pleased to breed out your inheritors.
line 2257Both merits poised, each weighs nor less nor more;
line 2258But he as he, the heavier for a whore.
PARIS
line 2259You are too bitter to your countrywoman.
DIOMEDES
line 2260She’s bitter to her country. Hear me, Paris:
75line 2261For every false drop in her bawdy veins
line 2262A Grecian’s life hath sunk; for every scruple
line 2263Of her contaminated carrion weight
line 2264A Trojan hath been slain. Since she could speak,
line 2265She hath not given so many good words breath
80line 2266As for her Greeks and Trojans suffered death.
Act 4 Scene 2 - Pg 163
PARIS
line 2267Fair Diomed, you do as chapmen do,
line 2268Dispraise the thing that they desire to buy.
line 2269But we in silence hold this virtue well:
line 2270We’ll not commend that not intend to sell.
85line 2271Here lies our way.
They exit.
Scene 2
Enter Troilus and Cressida.
TROILUS
line 2272Dear, trouble not yourself. The morn is cold.
CRESSIDA
line 2273Then, sweet my lord, I’ll call mine uncle down.
line 2274He shall unbolt the gates.
line 2275TROILUSTrouble him not.
5line 2276To bed, to bed! Sleep kill those pretty eyes
line 2277And give as soft attachment to thy senses
line 2278As infants’ empty of all thought!
CRESSIDA
line 2279Good morrow, then.
line 2280TROILUSI prithee now, to bed.
10line 2281CRESSIDAAre you aweary of me?
TROILUS
line 2282O Cressida! But that the busy day,
line 2283Waked by the lark, hath roused the ribald crows,
line 2284And dreaming night will hide our joys no longer,
line 2285I would not from thee.
15line 2286CRESSIDANight hath been too brief.
TROILUS
line 2287Beshrew the witch! With venomous wights she stays
line 2288As tediously as hell, but flies the grasps of love
line 2289With wings more momentary-swift than thought.
line 2290You will catch cold and curse me.
Act 4 Scene 2 - Pg 165
CRESSIDA
20line 2291Prithee, tarry. You men will never tarry.
line 2292O foolish Cressid! I might have still held off,
line 2293And then you would have tarried. Hark, there’s one up.
line 2294PANDARUSwithin What’s all the doors open here?
line 2295TROILUSIt is your uncle.
CRESSIDA
25line 2296A pestilence on him! Now will he be mocking.
line 2297I shall have such a life!
Enter Pandarus.
line 2298PANDARUSHow now, how now? How go maidenheads?
line 2299Here, you maid! Where’s my Cousin Cressid?
CRESSIDA
line 2300Go hang yourself, you naughty mocking uncle.
30line 2301You bring me to do—and then you flout me too.
line 2302PANDARUSTo do what, to do what?—Let her say
line 2303what.—What have I brought you to do?
CRESSIDA
line 2304Come, come, beshrew your heart! You’ll ne’er be good
line 2305Nor suffer others.
35line 2306PANDARUSHa, ha! Alas, poor wretch! Ah, poor capocchia!
line 2307Has ’t not slept tonight? Would he not—a
line 2308naughty man—let it sleep? A bugbear take him!
CRESSIDAto Troilus
line 2309Did not I tell you? Would he were knocked i’ th’ head!
One knocks.
line 2310Who’s that at door?—Good uncle, go and see.—
40line 2311My lord, come you again into my chamber.
line 2312You smile and mock me, as if I meant naughtily.
line 2313TROILUSHa, ha!
CRESSIDA
line 2314Come, you are deceived. I think of no such thing.
Knock.
line 2315How earnestly they knock! Pray you, come in.
45line 2316I would not for half Troy have you seen here.
Troilus and Cressida exit.
Act 4 Scene 2 - Pg 167
line 2317PANDARUSWho’s there? What’s the matter? Will you
line 2318beat down the door?
Enter Aeneas.
line 2319How now? What’s the matter?
line 2320AENEASGood morrow, lord, good morrow.
50line 2321PANDARUSWho’s there? My Lord Aeneas? By my troth,
line 2322I knew you not. What news with you so early?
line 2323AENEASIs not Prince Troilus here?
line 2324PANDARUSHere? What should he do here?
AENEAS
line 2325Come, he is here, my lord. Do not deny him.
55line 2326It doth import him much to speak with me.
line 2327PANDARUSIs he here, say you? It’s more than I know,
line 2328I’ll be sworn. For my own part, I came in late.
line 2329What should he do here?
line 2330AENEASHo, nay, then! Come, come, you’ll do him
60line 2331wrong ere you are ware. You’ll be so true to him to
line 2332be false to him. Do not you know of him, but yet go
line 2333fetch him hither. Go.
Enter Troilus.
line 2334TROILUSHow now? What’s the matter?
AENEAS
line 2335My lord, I scarce have leisure to salute you,
65line 2336My matter is so rash. There is at hand
line 2337Paris your brother and Deiphobus,
line 2338The Grecian Diomed, and our Antenor
line 2339Delivered to us; and for him forthwith,
line 2340Ere the first sacrifice, within this hour,
70line 2341We must give up to Diomedes’ hand
line 2342The Lady Cressida.
line 2343TROILUSIs it so concluded?
AENEAS
line 2344By Priam and the general state of Troy.
line 2345They are at hand and ready to effect it.
Act 4 Scene 2 - Pg 169
75line 2346TROILUSHow my achievements mock me!
line 2347I will go meet them. And, my Lord Aeneas,
line 2348We met by chance; you did not find me here.
AENEAS
line 2349Good, good, my lord; the secrets of nature
line 2350Have not more gift in taciturnity.
Troilus and Aeneas exit.
80line 2351PANDARUSIs ’t possible? No sooner got but lost? The
line 2352devil take Antenor! The young prince will go mad.
line 2353A plague upon Antenor! I would they had broke ’s
line 2354neck!
Enter Cressida.
CRESSIDA
line 2355How now? What’s the matter? Who was here?
85line 2356PANDARUSAh, ah!
CRESSIDA
line 2357Why sigh you so profoundly? Where’s my lord?
line 2358Gone? Tell me, sweet uncle, what’s the matter?
line 2359PANDARUSWould I were as deep under the earth as I
line 2360am above!
90line 2361CRESSIDAO the gods! What’s the matter?
line 2362PANDARUSPray thee, get thee in. Would thou hadst
line 2363ne’er been born! I knew thou wouldst be his death.
line 2364O, poor gentleman! A plague upon Antenor!
line 2365CRESSIDAGood uncle, I beseech you, on my knees I
95line 2366beseech you, what’s the matter?
line 2367PANDARUSThou must be gone, wench; thou must be
line 2368gone. Thou art changed for Antenor. Thou must to
line 2369thy father and be gone from Troilus. ’Twill be his
line 2370death; ’twill be his bane. He cannot bear it.
CRESSIDA
100line 2371O you immortal gods! I will not go.
line 2372PANDARUSThou must.
CRESSIDA
line 2373I will not, uncle. I have forgot my father.
Act 4 Scene 3 - Pg 171
line 2374I know no touch of consanguinity,
line 2375No kin, no love, no blood, no soul so near me
105line 2376As the sweet Troilus. O you gods divine,
line 2377Make Cressid’s name the very crown of falsehood
line 2378If ever she leave Troilus! Time, force, and death
line 2379Do to this body what extremes you can,
line 2380But the strong base and building of my love
110line 2381Is as the very center of the Earth,
line 2382Drawing all things to it. I’ll go in and weep—
line 2383PANDARUSDo, do.
CRESSIDA
line 2384Tear my bright hair, and scratch my praisèd cheeks,
line 2385Crack my clear voice with sobs, and break my heart
115line 2386With sounding “Troilus.” I will not go from Troy.
They exit.
Scene 3
Enter Paris, Troilus, Aeneas, Deiphobus, Antenor, and Diomedes.
PARIS
line 2387It is great morning, and the hour prefixed
line 2388For her delivery to this valiant Greek
line 2389Comes fast upon. Good my brother Troilus,
line 2390Tell you the lady what she is to do
5line 2391And haste her to the purpose.
line 2392TROILUSWalk into her house.
line 2393I’ll bring her to the Grecian presently;
line 2394And to his hand when I deliver her,
line 2395Think it an altar and thy brother Troilus
10line 2396A priest there off’ring to it his own heart.He exits.
line 2397PARISI know what ’tis to love,
line 2398And would, as I shall pity, I could help.—
line 2399Please you walk in, my lords?
They exit.
Act 4 Scene 4 - Pg 173
Scene 4
Enter Pandarus and Cressida, weeping.
line 2400PANDARUSBe moderate, be moderate.
CRESSIDA
line 2401Why tell you me of moderation?
line 2402The grief is fine, full, perfect that I taste,
line 2403And violenteth in a sense as strong
5line 2404As that which causeth it. How can I moderate it?
line 2405If I could temporize with my affection
line 2406Or brew it to a weak and colder palate,
line 2407The like allayment could I give my grief.
line 2408My love admits no qualifying dross;
10line 2409No more my grief in such a precious loss.
Enter Troilus.
line 2410PANDARUSHere, here, here he comes. Ah, sweet
line 2411ducks!
line 2412CRESSIDAembracing Troilus O Troilus, Troilus!
line 2413PANDARUSWhat a pair of spectacles is here! Let me
15line 2414embrace too. “O heart,” as the goodly saying is,
line 2415O heart, heavy heart,
line 2416Why sigh’st thou without breaking?
line 2417where he answers again,
line 2418Because thou canst not ease thy smart
20line 2419By friendship nor by speaking.
line 2420There was never a truer rhyme. Let us cast away
line 2421nothing, for we may live to have need of such a
line 2422verse. We see it, we see it. How now, lambs?
TROILUS
line 2423Cressid, I love thee in so strained a purity
25line 2424That the blest gods, as angry with my fancy—
line 2425More bright in zeal than the devotion which
line 2426Cold lips blow to their deities—take thee from me.
line 2427CRESSIDAHave the gods envy?
line 2428PANDARUSAy, ay, ay, ay, ’tis too plain a case.
Act 4 Scene 4 - Pg 175
CRESSIDA
30line 2429And is it true that I must go from Troy?
TROILUS
line 2430A hateful truth.
line 2431CRESSIDAWhat, and from Troilus too?
line 2432TROILUSFrom Troy and Troilus.
line 2433CRESSIDAIs ’t possible?
TROILUS
35line 2434And suddenly, where injury of chance
line 2435Puts back leave-taking, jostles roughly by
line 2436All time of pause, rudely beguiles our lips
line 2437Of all rejoindure, forcibly prevents
line 2438Our locked embrasures, strangles our dear vows
40line 2439Even in the birth of our own laboring breath.
line 2440We two, that with so many thousand sighs
line 2441Did buy each other, must poorly sell ourselves
line 2442With the rude brevity and discharge of one.
line 2443Injurious Time now with a robber’s haste
45line 2444Crams his rich thiev’ry up, he knows not how.
line 2445As many farewells as be stars in heaven,
line 2446With distinct breath and consigned kisses to them,
line 2447He fumbles up into a loose adieu
line 2448And scants us with a single famished kiss,
50line 2449Distasted with the salt of broken tears.
line 2450AENEASwithin My lord, is the lady ready?
TROILUS
line 2451Hark, you are called. Some say the genius
line 2452Cries so to him that instantly must die.—
line 2453Bid them have patience. She shall come anon.
55line 2454PANDARUSWhere are my tears? Rain, to lay this wind,
line 2455or my heart will be blown up by the root.
He exits.
CRESSIDA
line 2456I must, then, to the Grecians?
line 2457TROILUSNo remedy.
Act 4 Scene 4 - Pg 177
CRESSIDA
line 2458A woeful Cressid ’mongst the merry Greeks.
60line 2459When shall we see again?
TROILUS
line 2460Hear me, my love. Be thou but true of heart—
CRESSIDA
line 2461I true? How now, what wicked deem is this?
TROILUS
line 2462Nay, we must use expostulation kindly,
line 2463For it is parting from us.
65line 2464I speak not “Be thou true” as fearing thee,
line 2465For I will throw my glove to Death himself
line 2466That there is no maculation in thy heart;
line 2467But “Be thou true,” say I, to fashion in
line 2468My sequent protestation: “Be thou true,
70line 2469And I will see thee.”
CRESSIDA
line 2470O, you shall be exposed, my lord, to dangers
line 2471As infinite as imminent! But I’ll be true.
TROILUS
line 2472And I’ll grow friend with danger. Wear this sleeve.
line 2473CRESSIDAAnd you this glove. When shall I see you?
They exchange love-tokens.
TROILUS
75line 2474I will corrupt the Grecian sentinels,
line 2475To give thee nightly visitation.
line 2476But yet, be true.
line 2477CRESSIDAO heavens! “Be true” again?
line 2478TROILUSHear why I speak it, love.
80line 2479The Grecian youths are full of quality,
line 2480Their loving well composed, with gift of nature
line 2481flowing,
line 2482And swelling o’er with arts and exercise.
line 2483How novelty may move, and parts with person,
85line 2484Alas, a kind of godly jealousy—
line 2485Which I beseech you call a virtuous sin—
line 2486Makes me afeard.
Act 4 Scene 4 - Pg 179
line 2487CRESSIDAO heavens, you love me not!
line 2488TROILUSDie I a villain then!
90line 2489In this I do not call your faith in question
line 2490So mainly as my merit. I cannot sing,
line 2491Nor heel the high lavolt, nor sweeten talk,
line 2492Nor play at subtle games—fair virtues all,
line 2493To which the Grecians are most prompt and pregnant.
95line 2494But I can tell that in each grace of these
line 2495There lurks a still and dumb-discursive devil
line 2496That tempts most cunningly. But be not tempted.
line 2497CRESSIDADo you think I will?
line 2498TROILUSNo.
100line 2499But something may be done that we will not,
line 2500And sometimes we are devils to ourselves
line 2501When we will tempt the frailty of our powers,
line 2502Presuming on their changeful potency.
AENEASwithin
line 2503Nay, good my lord—
105line 2504TROILUSCome, kiss, and let us part.
They kiss.
PARISwithin
line 2505Brother Troilus!
line 2506TROILUScalling Good brother, come you hither,
line 2507And bring Aeneas and the Grecian with you.
line 2508CRESSIDAMy lord, will you be true?
TROILUS
110line 2509Who, I? Alas, it is my vice, my fault.
line 2510Whiles others fish with craft for great opinion,
line 2511I with great truth catch mere simplicity.
line 2512Whilst some with cunning gild their copper crowns,
line 2513With truth and plainness I do wear mine bare.
115line 2514Fear not my truth. The moral of my wit
line 2515Is “plain and true”; there’s all the reach of it.
Enter Aeneas, Paris, Antenor, Deiphobus, and Diomedes.
Act 4 Scene 4 - Pg 181
line 2516Welcome, Sir Diomed. Here is the lady
line 2517Which for Antenor we deliver you.
line 2518At the port, lord, I’ll give her to thy hand
120line 2519And by the way possess thee what she is.
line 2520Entreat her fair and, by my soul, fair Greek,
line 2521If e’er thou stand at mercy of my sword,
line 2522Name Cressid, and thy life shall be as safe
line 2523As Priam is in Ilium.
125line 2524DIOMEDESFair Lady Cressid,
line 2525So please you, save the thanks this prince expects.
line 2526The luster in your eye, heaven in your cheek,
line 2527Pleads your fair usage, and to Diomed
line 2528You shall be mistress and command him wholly.
TROILUS
130line 2529Grecian, thou dost not use me courteously,
line 2530To shame the zeal of my petition to thee
line 2531In praising her. I tell thee, lord of Greece,
line 2532She is as far high-soaring o’er thy praises
line 2533As thou unworthy to be called her servant.
135line 2534I charge thee use her well, even for my charge,
line 2535For, by the dreadful Pluto, if thou dost not,
line 2536Though the great bulk Achilles be thy guard,
line 2537I’ll cut thy throat.
line 2538DIOMEDESO, be not moved, Prince Troilus.
140line 2539Let me be privileged by my place and message
line 2540To be a speaker free. When I am hence,
line 2541I’ll answer to my lust, and know you, lord,
line 2542I’ll nothing do on charge. To her own worth
line 2543She shall be prized; but that you say “Be ’t so,”
145line 2544I speak it in my spirit and honor: “no.”
TROILUS
line 2545Come, to the port. I’ll tell thee, Diomed,
line 2546This brave shall oft make thee to hide thy head.—
line 2547Lady, give me your hand, and, as we walk,
line 2548To our own selves bend we our needful talk.
Cressida, Diomedes, and Troilus exit.
Act 4 Scene 5 - Pg 183
Sound trumpet within.
PARIS
150line 2549Hark, Hector’s trumpet.
line 2550AENEASHow have we spent this
line 2551morning!
line 2552The Prince must think me tardy and remiss
line 2553That swore to ride before him to the field.
PARIS
155line 2554’Tis Troilus’ fault. Come, come to field with him.
line 2555DEIPHOBUSLet us make ready straight.
AENEAS
line 2556Yea, with a bridegroom’s fresh alacrity
line 2557Let us address to tend on Hector’s heels.
line 2558The glory of our Troy doth this day lie
160line 2559On his fair worth and single chivalry.
They exit.
Scene 5
Enter Ajax, armed, Achilles, Patroclus, Agamemnon, Menelaus, Ulysses, Nestor, etc. and Trumpeter.
AGAMEMNONto Ajax
line 2560Here art thou in appointment fresh and fair,
line 2561Anticipating time with starting courage.
line 2562Give with thy trumpet a loud note to Troy,
line 2563Thou dreadful Ajax, that the appallèd air
5line 2564May pierce the head of the great combatant
line 2565And hale him hither.
line 2566AJAXThou, trumpet, there’s my purse.
He gives money to Trumpeter.
line 2567Now crack thy lungs and split thy brazen pipe.
line 2568Blow, villain, till thy spherèd bias cheek
10line 2569Outswell the colic of puffed Aquilon.
line 2570Come, stretch thy chest, and let thy eyes spout blood.
line 2571Thou blowest for Hector.Sound trumpet.
Act 4 Scene 5 - Pg 185
ULYSSES
line 2572No trumpet answers.
line 2573ACHILLES’Tis but early days.
Enter Cressida and Diomedes.
AGAMEMNON
15line 2574Is not yond Diomed with Calchas’ daughter?
ULYSSES
line 2575’Tis he. I ken the manner of his gait.
line 2576He rises on the toe; that spirit of his
line 2577In aspiration lifts him from the earth.
AGAMEMNON
line 2578Is this the Lady Cressid?
20line 2579DIOMEDESEven she.
AGAMEMNON
line 2580Most dearly welcome to the Greeks, sweet lady.
He kisses her.
NESTOR
line 2581Our general doth salute you with a kiss.
ULYSSES
line 2582Yet is the kindness but particular.
line 2583’Twere better she were kissed in general.
NESTOR
25line 2584And very courtly counsel. I’ll begin.He kisses her.
line 2585So much for Nestor.
ACHILLES
line 2586I’ll take that winter from your lips, fair lady.
line 2587Achilles bids you welcome.He kisses her.
MENELAUS
line 2588I had good argument for kissing once.
PATROCLUSstepping between Menelaus and Cressida
30line 2589But that’s no argument for kissing now,
line 2590For thus popped Paris in his hardiment
line 2591And parted thus you and your argument.
He kisses her.
Act 4 Scene 5 - Pg 187
ULYSSES
line 2592O deadly gall and theme of all our scorns,
line 2593For which we lose our heads to gild his horns!
PATROCLUS
35line 2594The first was Menelaus’ kiss; this mine.
line 2595Patroclus kisses you.He kisses her again.
line 2596MENELAUSO, this is trim!
PATROCLUS
line 2597Paris and I kiss evermore for him.
MENELAUS
line 2598I’ll have my kiss, sir.—Lady, by your leave.
CRESSIDA
40line 2599In kissing, do you render or receive?
MENELAUS
line 2600Both take and give.
line 2601CRESSIDAI’ll make my match to live,
line 2602The kiss you take is better than you give.
line 2603Therefore no kiss.
MENELAUS
45line 2604I’ll give you boot: I’ll give you three for one.
CRESSIDA
line 2605You are an odd man. Give even, or give none.
MENELAUS
line 2606An odd man, lady? Every man is odd.
CRESSIDA
line 2607No, Paris is not, for you know ’tis true
line 2608That you are odd, and he is even with you.
MENELAUS
50line 2609You fillip me o’ th’ head.
line 2610CRESSIDANo, I’ll be sworn.
ULYSSES
line 2611It were no match, your nail against his horn.
line 2612May I, sweet lady, beg a kiss of you?
CRESSIDA
line 2613You may.
55line 2614ULYSSESI do desire it.
Act 4 Scene 5 - Pg 189
line 2615CRESSIDAWhy, beg two.
ULYSSES
line 2616Why, then, for Venus’ sake, give me a kiss
line 2617When Helen is a maid again and his.
CRESSIDA
line 2618I am your debtor; claim it when ’tis due.
ULYSSES
60line 2619Never’s my day, and then a kiss of you.
DIOMEDES
line 2620Lady, a word. I’ll bring you to your father.
Diomedes and Cressida talk aside.
NESTOR
line 2621A woman of quick sense.
line 2622ULYSSESFie, fie upon her!
line 2623There’s language in her eye, her cheek, her lip;
65line 2624Nay, her foot speaks. Her wanton spirits look out
line 2625At every joint and motive of her body.
line 2626O, these encounterers, so glib of tongue,
line 2627That give accosting welcome ere it comes
line 2628And wide unclasp the tables of their thoughts
70line 2629To every tickling reader! Set them down
line 2630For sluttish spoils of opportunity
line 2631And daughters of the game.
Diomedes and Cressida exit.
Flourish.
ALL
line 2632The Trojan’s trumpet.
Enter all of Troy: Hector, armed, Paris, Aeneas, Helenus, Troilus, and Attendants.
line 2633AGAMEMNONYonder comes the troop.
AENEAS
75line 2634Hail, all the state of Greece! What shall be done
line 2635To him that victory commands? Or do you purpose
line 2636A victor shall be known? Will you the knights
line 2637Shall to the edge of all extremity
Act 4 Scene 5 - Pg 191
line 2638Pursue each other, or shall they be divided
80line 2639By any voice or order of the field?
line 2640Hector bade ask.
line 2641AGAMEMNONWhich way would Hector have it?
AENEAS
line 2642He cares not; he’ll obey conditions.
AGAMEMNON
line 2643’Tis done like Hector.
85line 2644ACHILLESBut securely done,
line 2645A little proudly, and great deal misprizing
line 2646The knight opposed.
line 2647AENEASIf not Achilles, sir,
line 2648What is your name?
90line 2649ACHILLESIf not Achilles, nothing.
AENEAS
line 2650Therefore Achilles. But whate’er, know this:
line 2651In the extremity of great and little,
line 2652Valor and pride excel themselves in Hector,
line 2653The one almost as infinite as all,
95line 2654The other blank as nothing. Weigh him well,
line 2655And that which looks like pride is courtesy.
line 2656This Ajax is half made of Hector’s blood,
line 2657In love whereof half Hector stays at home;
line 2658Half heart, half hand, half Hector comes to seek
100line 2659This blended knight, half Trojan and half Greek.
ACHILLES
line 2660A maiden battle, then? O, I perceive you.
Enter Diomedes.
AGAMEMNON
line 2661Here is Sir Diomed.—Go, gentle knight;
line 2662Stand by our Ajax. As you and Lord Aeneas
line 2663Consent upon the order of their fight,
105line 2664So be it, either to the uttermost
line 2665Or else a breath. The combatants being kin
line 2666Half stints their strife before their strokes begin.
Act 4 Scene 5 - Pg 193
Hector and Ajax enter the lists.
line 2667ULYSSESThey are opposed already.
AGAMEMNON
line 2668What Trojan is that same that looks so heavy?
ULYSSES
110line 2669The youngest son of Priam, a true knight,
line 2670Not yet mature, yet matchless firm of word,
line 2671Speaking in deeds, and deedless in his tongue,
line 2672Not soon provoked, nor being provoked soon calmed,
line 2673His heart and hand both open and both free.
115line 2674For what he has, he gives; what thinks, he shows;
line 2675Yet gives he not till judgment guide his bounty,
line 2676Nor dignifies an impair thought with breath;
line 2677Manly as Hector, but more dangerous,
line 2678For Hector in his blaze of wrath subscribes
120line 2679To tender objects, but he in heat of action
line 2680Is more vindicative than jealous love.
line 2681They call him Troilus, and on him erect
line 2682A second hope, as fairly built as Hector.
line 2683Thus says Aeneas, one that knows the youth
125line 2684Even to his inches, and with private soul
line 2685Did in great Ilium thus translate him to me.
Alarum. The fight begins.
line 2686AGAMEMNONThey are in action.
line 2687NESTORNow, Ajax, hold thine own!
line 2688TROILUSHector, thou sleep’st. Awake thee!
AGAMEMNON
130line 2689His blows are well disposed.—There, Ajax!
Trumpets cease.
DIOMEDES
line 2690You must no more.
line 2691AENEASPrinces, enough, so please you.
AJAX
line 2692I am not warm yet. Let us fight again.
DIOMEDES
line 2693As Hector pleases.
Act 4 Scene 5 - Pg 195
135line 2694HECTORWhy, then, will I no more.—
line 2695Thou art, great lord, my father’s sister’s son,
line 2696A cousin-german to great Priam’s seed.
line 2697The obligation of our blood forbids
line 2698A gory emulation ’twixt us twain.
140line 2699Were thy commixtion Greek and Trojan so
line 2700That thou couldst say “This hand is Grecian all,
line 2701And this is Trojan; the sinews of this leg
line 2702All Greek, and this all Troy; my mother’s blood
line 2703Runs on the dexter cheek, and this sinister
145line 2704Bounds in my father’s,” by Jove multipotent,
line 2705Thou shouldst not bear from me a Greekish member
line 2706Wherein my sword had not impressure made
line 2707Of our rank feud. But the just gods gainsay
line 2708That any drop thou borrowd’st from thy mother,
150line 2709My sacred aunt, should by my mortal sword
line 2710Be drained. Let me embrace thee, Ajax.
line 2711By him that thunders, thou hast lusty arms!
line 2712Hector would have them fall upon him thus.
line 2713Cousin, all honor to thee!They embrace.
155line 2714AJAXI thank thee, Hector.
line 2715Thou art too gentle and too free a man.
line 2716I came to kill thee, cousin, and bear hence
line 2717A great addition earnèd in thy death.
HECTOR
line 2718Not Neoptolemus so mirable—
160line 2719On whose bright crest Fame with her loud’st “Oyez”
line 2720Cries “This is he”—could promise to himself
line 2721A thought of added honor torn from Hector.
AENEAS
line 2722There is expectance here from both the sides
line 2723What further you will do.
165line 2724HECTORWe’ll answer it;
line 2725The issue is embracement.—Ajax, farewell.
They embrace again.
Act 4 Scene 5 - Pg 197
AJAX
line 2726If I might in entreaties find success,
line 2727As seld I have the chance, I would desire
line 2728My famous cousin to our Grecian tents.
DIOMEDES
170line 2729’Tis Agamemnon’s wish; and great Achilles
line 2730Doth long to see unarmed the valiant Hector.
HECTOR
line 2731Aeneas, call my brother Troilus to me,
line 2732And signify this loving interview
line 2733To the expecters of our Trojan part;
175line 2734Desire them home.
Aeneas speaks to Trojans, who exit; he then returns with Troilus.
line 2735To Ajax. Give me thy hand, my cousin.
line 2736I will go eat with thee and see your knights.
Agamemnon and the rest come forward.
AJAX
line 2737Great Agamemnon comes to meet us here.
HECTORto Aeneas
line 2738The worthiest of them tell me name by name;
180line 2739But for Achilles, my own searching eyes
line 2740Shall find him by his large and portly size.
AGAMEMNON
line 2741Worthy all arms! As welcome as to one
line 2742That would be rid of such an enemy—
line 2743But that’s no welcome. Understand more clear:
185line 2744What’s past and what’s to come is strewed with husks
line 2745And formless ruin of oblivion;
line 2746But in this extant moment, faith and troth,
line 2747Strained purely from all hollow bias-drawing,
line 2748Bids thee, with most divine integrity,
190line 2749From heart of very heart, great Hector, welcome.
HECTOR
line 2750I thank thee, most imperious Agamemnon.
Act 4 Scene 5 - Pg 199
AGAMEMNONto Troilus
line 2751My well-famed lord of Troy, no less to you.
MENELAUS
line 2752Let me confirm my princely brother’s greeting:
line 2753You brace of warlike brothers, welcome hither.
HECTORto Aeneas
195line 2754Who must we answer?
line 2755AENEASThe noble Menelaus.
HECTOR
line 2756O, you, my lord? By Mars his gauntlet, thanks!
line 2757Mock not that I affect th’ untraded oath;
line 2758Your quondam wife swears still by Venus’ glove.
200line 2759She’s well, but bade me not commend her to you.
MENELAUS
line 2760Name her not now, sir; she’s a deadly theme.
line 2761HECTORO, pardon! I offend.
NESTOR
line 2762I have, thou gallant Trojan, seen thee oft,
line 2763Laboring for destiny, make cruel way
205line 2764Through ranks of Greekish youth; and I have seen
line 2765thee,
line 2766As hot as Perseus, spur thy Phrygian steed,
line 2767Despising many forfeits and subduments,
line 2768When thou hast hung thy advanced sword i’ th’ air,
210line 2769Not letting it decline on the declined,
line 2770That I have said to some my standers-by
line 2771“Lo, Jupiter is yonder, dealing life!”
line 2772And I have seen thee pause and take thy breath
line 2773When that a ring of Greeks have hemmed thee in,
215line 2774Like an Olympian wrestling. This have I seen.
line 2775But this thy countenance, still locked in steel,
line 2776I never saw till now. I knew thy grandsire
line 2777And once fought with him; he was a soldier good,
line 2778But, by great Mars, the captain of us all,
220line 2779Never like thee! O, let an old man embrace thee;
line 2780And, worthy warrior, welcome to our tents.
Act 4 Scene 5 - Pg 201
line 2781AENEASto Hector ’Tis the old Nestor.
HECTOR
line 2782Let me embrace thee, good old chronicle
line 2783That hast so long walked hand in hand with time.
225line 2784Most reverend Nestor, I am glad to clasp thee.
They embrace.
NESTOR
line 2785I would my arms could match thee in contention
line 2786As they contend with thee in courtesy.
line 2787HECTORI would they could.
NESTOR
line 2788Ha! By this white beard, I’d fight with thee tomorrow.
230line 2789Well, welcome, welcome. I have seen the time!
ULYSSES
line 2790I wonder now how yonder city stands
line 2791When we have here her base and pillar by us.
HECTOR
line 2792I know your favor, Lord Ulysses, well.
line 2793Ah, sir, there’s many a Greek and Trojan dead
235line 2794Since first I saw yourself and Diomed
line 2795In Ilium, on your Greekish embassy.
ULYSSES
line 2796Sir, I foretold you then what would ensue.
line 2797My prophecy is but half his journey yet,
line 2798For yonder walls, that pertly front your town,
240line 2799Yon towers, whose wanton tops do buss the clouds,
line 2800Must kiss their own feet.
line 2801HECTORI must not believe you.
line 2802There they stand yet, and modestly I think
line 2803The fall of every Phrygian stone will cost
245line 2804A drop of Grecian blood. The end crowns all,
line 2805And that old common arbitrator, Time,
line 2806Will one day end it.
line 2807ULYSSESSo to him we leave it.
line 2808Most gentle and most valiant Hector, welcome.
250line 2809After the General, I beseech you next
line 2810To feast with me and see me at my tent.
Act 4 Scene 5 - Pg 203
ACHILLES
line 2811I shall forestall thee, Lord Ulysses, thou!—
line 2812Now, Hector, I have fed mine eyes on thee;
line 2813I have with exact view perused thee, Hector,
255line 2814And quoted joint by joint.
line 2815HECTORIs this Achilles?
line 2816ACHILLESI am Achilles.
HECTOR
line 2817Stand fair, I pray thee. Let me look on thee.
ACHILLES
line 2818Behold thy fill.
260line 2819HECTORNay, I have done already.
ACHILLES
line 2820Thou art too brief. I will the second time,
line 2821As I would buy thee, view thee limb by limb.
HECTOR
line 2822O, like a book of sport thou ’lt read me o’er;
line 2823But there’s more in me than thou understand’st.
265line 2824Why dost thou so oppress me with thine eye?
ACHILLES
line 2825Tell me, you heavens, in which part of his body
line 2826Shall I destroy him—whether there, or there, or
line 2827there—
line 2828That I may give the local wound a name
270line 2829And make distinct the very breach whereout
line 2830Hector’s great spirit flew. Answer me, heavens!
HECTOR
line 2831It would discredit the blest gods, proud man,
line 2832To answer such a question. Stand again.
line 2833Think’st thou to catch my life so pleasantly
275line 2834As to prenominate in nice conjecture
line 2835Where thou wilt hit me dead?
line 2836ACHILLESI tell thee, yea.
HECTOR
line 2837Wert thou an oracle to tell me so,
line 2838I’d not believe thee. Henceforth guard thee well,
Act 4 Scene 5 - Pg 205
280line 2839For I’ll not kill thee there, nor there, nor there,
line 2840But, by the forge that stithied Mars his helm,
line 2841I’ll kill thee everywhere, yea, o’er and o’er.—
line 2842You wisest Grecians, pardon me this brag;
line 2843His insolence draws folly from my lips.
285line 2844But I’ll endeavor deeds to match these words,
line 2845Or may I never—
line 2846AJAXDo not chafe thee, cousin.—
line 2847And you, Achilles, let these threats alone
line 2848Till accident or purpose bring you to ’t.
290line 2849You may have every day enough of Hector
line 2850If you have stomach. The general state, I fear,
line 2851Can scarce entreat you to be odd with him.
HECTORto Achilles
line 2852I pray you, let us see you in the field.
line 2853We have had pelting wars since you refused
295line 2854The Grecians’ cause.
line 2855ACHILLESDost thou entreat me, Hector?
line 2856Tomorrow do I meet thee, fell as death;
line 2857Tonight all friends.
line 2858HECTORThy hand upon that match.
AGAMEMNON
300line 2859First, all you peers of Greece, go to my tent;
line 2860There in the full convive we. Afterwards,
line 2861As Hector’s leisure and your bounties shall
line 2862Concur together, severally entreat him.
line 2863Beat loud the taborins; let the trumpets blow,
305line 2864That this great soldier may his welcome know.
Flourish.
All but Troilus and Ulysses exit.
TROILUS
line 2865My Lord Ulysses, tell me, I beseech you,
line 2866In what place of the field doth Calchas keep?
ULYSSES
line 2867At Menelaus’ tent, most princely Troilus.
line 2868There Diomed doth feast with him tonight,
Act 4 Scene 5 - Pg 207
310line 2869Who neither looks upon the heaven nor Earth,
line 2870But gives all gaze and bent of amorous view
line 2871On the fair Cressid.
TROILUS
line 2872Shall I, sweet lord, be bound to you so much,
line 2873After we part from Agamemnon’s tent,
315line 2874To bring me thither?
line 2875ULYSSESYou shall command me, sir.
line 2876As gentle tell me, of what honor was
line 2877This Cressida in Troy? Had she no lover there
line 2878That wails her absence?
TROILUS
320line 2879O sir, to such as boasting show their scars
line 2880A mock is due. Will you walk on, my lord?
line 2881She was beloved, she loved; she is, and doth;
line 2882But still sweet love is food for Fortune’s tooth.
They exit.
ACT 5
Scene 1
Enter Achilles and Patroclus.
ACHILLES
line 2883I’ll heat his blood with Greekish wine tonight,
line 2884Which with my scimitar I’ll cool tomorrow.
line 2885Patroclus, let us feast him to the height.
PATROCLUS
line 2886Here comes Thersites.
Enter Thersites.
5line 2887ACHILLESHow now, thou core of envy?
line 2888Thou crusty botch of nature, what’s the news?
line 2889THERSITESWhy, thou picture of what thou seemest and
line 2890idol of idiot-worshippers, here’s a letter for thee.
line 2891ACHILLESFrom whence, fragment?
10line 2892THERSITESWhy, thou full dish of fool, from Troy.
Achilles takes the letter and moves aside to read it.
line 2893PATROCLUSWho keeps the tent now?
line 2894THERSITESThe surgeon’s box or the patient’s wound.
line 2895PATROCLUSWell said, adversity. And what need these
line 2896tricks?
15line 2897THERSITESPrithee, be silent, boy. I profit not by thy
line 2898talk. Thou art said to be Achilles’ male varlet.
line 2899PATROCLUS“Male varlet,” you rogue! What’s that?
line 2900THERSITESWhy, his masculine whore. Now the rotten
line 2901diseases of the south, the guts-griping, ruptures,
Act 5 Scene 1 - Pg 213
20line 2902catarrhs, loads o’ gravel in the back, lethargies,
line 2903cold palsies, raw eyes, dirt-rotten livers, whissing
line 2904lungs, bladders full of impostume, sciaticas,
line 2905limekilns i’ th’ palm, incurable bone-ache, and the
line 2906rivelled fee-simple of the tetter, take and take
25line 2907again such preposterous discoveries.
line 2908PATROCLUSWhy, thou damnable box of envy, thou,
line 2909what means thou to curse thus?
line 2910THERSITESDo I curse thee?
line 2911PATROCLUSWhy, no, you ruinous butt, you whoreson
30line 2912indistinguishable cur, no.
line 2913THERSITESNo? Why art thou then exasperate, thou idle
line 2914immaterial skein of sleave-silk, thou green sarsenet
line 2915flap for a sore eye, thou tassel of a prodigal’s purse,
line 2916thou? Ah, how the poor world is pestered with such
35line 2917waterflies, diminutives of nature!
line 2918PATROCLUSOut, gall!
line 2919THERSITESFinch egg!
ACHILLEScoming forward
line 2920My sweet Patroclus, I am thwarted quite
line 2921From my great purpose in tomorrow’s battle.
40line 2922Here is a letter from Queen Hecuba,
line 2923A token from her daughter, my fair love,
line 2924Both taxing me and gaging me to keep
line 2925An oath that I have sworn. I will not break it.
line 2926Fall, Greeks; fail, fame; honor, or go or stay;
45line 2927My major vow lies here; this I’ll obey.
line 2928Come, come, Thersites, help to trim my tent.
line 2929This night in banqueting must all be spent.
line 2930Away, Patroclus.He exits with Patroclus.
line 2931THERSITESWith too much blood and too little brain,
50line 2932these two may run mad; but if with too much brain
line 2933and too little blood they do, I’ll be a curer of madmen.
line 2934Here’s Agamemnon, an honest fellow enough
line 2935and one that loves quails, but he has not so much
line 2936brain as earwax. And the goodly transformation
Act 5 Scene 1 - Pg 215
55line 2937of Jupiter there, his brother, the bull—the primitive
line 2938statue and oblique memorial of cuckolds, a
line 2939thrifty shoeing-horn in a chain, hanging at his
line 2940brother’s leg—to what form but that he is should
line 2941wit larded with malice and malice forced with
60line 2942wit turn him to? To an ass were nothing; he is both
line 2943ass and ox. To an ox were nothing; he is both ox
line 2944and ass. To be a dog, a mule, a cat, a fitchew, a
line 2945toad, a lizard, an owl, a puttock, or a herring without
line 2946a roe, I would not care; but to be Menelaus! I
65line 2947would conspire against destiny. Ask me not what I
line 2948would be, if I were not Thersites, for I care not to be
line 2949the louse of a lazar so I were not Menelaus.
Enter Hector, Troilus, Ajax, Agamemnon, Ulysses, Nestor, Menelaus, and Diomedes, with lights.
line 2950Heyday! Sprites and fires!
line 2951AGAMEMNONWe go wrong, we go wrong.
AJAX
70line 2952No, yonder—’tis there, where we see the lights.
line 2953HECTORI trouble you.
line 2954AJAXNo, not a whit.
Enter Achilles.
line 2955ULYSSESto Hector Here comes himself to guide you.
ACHILLES
line 2956Welcome, brave Hector. Welcome, princes all.
AGAMEMNONto Hector
75line 2957So now, fair prince of Troy, I bid good night.
line 2958Ajax commands the guard to tend on you.
HECTOR
line 2959Thanks, and good night to the Greeks’ general.
MENELAUS
line 2960Good night, my lord.
line 2961HECTORGood night, sweet lord
80line 2962Menelaus.
Act 5 Scene 1 - Pg 217
line 2963THERSITESaside Sweet draught. “Sweet,” quoth he?
line 2964Sweet sink, sweet sewer.
ACHILLES
line 2965Good night and welcome, both at once, to those
line 2966That go or tarry.
85line 2967AGAMEMNONGood night.
Agamemnon and Menelaus exit.
ACHILLES
line 2968Old Nestor tarries, and you too, Diomed.
line 2969Keep Hector company an hour or two.
DIOMEDES
line 2970I cannot, lord. I have important business,
line 2971The tide whereof is now.—Good night, great Hector.
90line 2972HECTORGive me your hand.
ULYSSESaside to Troilus
line 2973Follow his torch; he goes to Calchas’ tent.
line 2974I’ll keep you company.
line 2975TROILUSSweet sir, you honor me.
HECTOR
line 2976And so, good night.
Diomedes exits, followed by Troilus and Ulysses.
95line 2977ACHILLESCome, come, enter my tent.
Achilles, Ajax, Nestor, and Hector exit.
line 2978THERSITESThat same Diomed’s a false-hearted rogue,
line 2979a most unjust knave. I will no more trust him when
line 2980he leers than I will a serpent when he hisses. He
line 2981will spend his mouth and promise like Brabbler
100line 2982the hound, but when he performs, astronomers
line 2983foretell it; it is prodigious, there will come some
line 2984change. The sun borrows of the moon when
line 2985Diomed keeps his word. I will rather leave to see
line 2986Hector than not to dog him. They say he keeps a
105line 2987Trojan drab and uses the traitor Calchas his tent.
line 2988I’ll after. Nothing but lechery! All incontinent varlets!
He exits.
Act 5 Scene 2 - Pg 219
Scene 2
Enter Diomedes.
line 2989DIOMEDESWhat, are you up here, ho? Speak.
line 2990CALCHASwithin Who calls?
line 2991DIOMEDESDiomed. Calchas, I think? Where’s your
line 2992daughter?
5line 2993CALCHASwithin She comes to you.
Enter Troilus and Ulysses, at a distance, and then, apart from them, Thersites.
ULYSSESaside to Troilus
line 2994Stand where the torch may not discover us.
Enter Cressida.
TROILUSaside to Ulysses
line 2995Cressid comes forth to him.
line 2996DIOMEDESHow now, my charge?
CRESSIDA
line 2997Now, my sweet guardian. Hark, a word with you.
She whispers to him.
10line 2998TROILUSaside Yea, so familiar?
line 2999ULYSSESaside to Troilus She will sing any man at
line 3000first sight.
line 3001THERSITESaside And any man may sing her, if he
line 3002can take her clef. She’s noted.
15line 3003DIOMEDESWill you remember?
line 3004CRESSIDARemember? Yes.
line 3005DIOMEDESNay, but do, then, and let your mind be
line 3006coupled with your words.
line 3007TROILUSaside What should she remember?
20line 3008ULYSSESaside to Troilus List!
CRESSIDA
line 3009Sweet honey Greek, tempt me no more to folly.
line 3010THERSITESaside Roguery!
line 3011DIOMEDESNay, then—
Act 5 Scene 2 - Pg 221
line 3012CRESSIDAI’ll tell you what—
DIOMEDES
25line 3013Foh, foh, come, tell a pin! You are forsworn.
CRESSIDA
line 3014In faith, I cannot. What would you have me do?
line 3015THERSITESaside A juggling trick: to be secretly open!
DIOMEDES
line 3016What did you swear you would bestow on me?
CRESSIDA
line 3017I prithee, do not hold me to mine oath.
30line 3018Bid me do anything but that, sweet Greek.
line 3019DIOMEDESGood night.
line 3020TROILUSaside Hold, patience!
line 3021ULYSSESaside to Troilus How now, Trojan?
line 3022CRESSIDADiomed—
DIOMEDES
35line 3023No, no, good night. I’ll be your fool no more.
line 3024TROILUSaside Thy better must.
line 3025CRESSIDAHark, a word in your ear.
She whispers to him.
line 3026TROILUSaside O plague and madness!
ULYSSESaside to Troilus
line 3027You are moved, prince. Let us depart, I pray you,
40line 3028Lest your displeasure should enlarge itself
line 3029To wrathful terms. This place is dangerous;
line 3030The time right deadly. I beseech you, go.
TROILUSaside to Ulysses
line 3031Behold, I pray you.
line 3032ULYSSESaside to Troilus Nay, good my lord, go off.
45line 3033You flow to great distraction. Come, my lord.
TROILUSaside to Ulysses
line 3034I prithee, stay.
line 3035ULYSSESaside to Troilus You have not patience. Come.
TROILUSaside to Ulysses
line 3036I pray you, stay. By hell and all hell’s torments,
line 3037I will not speak a word.
Act 5 Scene 2 - Pg 223
DIOMEDES
50line 3038And so good night.He starts to leave.
line 3039CRESSIDANay, but you part in anger.
line 3040TROILUSaside Doth that grieve thee? O withered
line 3041truth!
ULYSSESaside to Troilus
line 3042How now, my lord?
55line 3043TROILUSaside to Ulysses By Jove, I will be patient.
CRESSIDA
line 3044Guardian! Why, Greek!
line 3045DIOMEDESFoh foh! Adieu. You palter.
CRESSIDA
line 3046In faith, I do not. Come hither once again.
ULYSSESaside to Troilus
line 3047You shake, my lord, at something. Will you go?
60line 3048You will break out.
line 3049TROILUSaside She strokes his cheek!
line 3050ULYSSESaside to Troilus Come, come.
TROILUSaside to Ulysses
line 3051Nay, stay. By Jove, I will not speak a word.
line 3052There is between my will and all offenses
65line 3053A guard of patience. Stay a little while.
line 3054THERSITESaside How the devil Luxury, with his fat
line 3055rump and potato finger, tickles these together.
line 3056Fry, lechery, fry!
line 3057DIOMEDESBut will you, then?
CRESSIDA
70line 3058In faith, I will, la. Never trust me else.
DIOMEDES
line 3059Give me some token for the surety of it.
line 3060CRESSIDAI’ll fetch you one.She exits.
ULYSSESaside to Troilus
line 3061You have sworn patience.
line 3062TROILUSaside to Ulysses Fear me not, my lord.
75line 3063I will not be myself nor have cognition
line 3064Of what I feel. I am all patience.
Act 5 Scene 2 - Pg 225
Enter Cressida with Troilus’s sleeve.
line 3065THERSITESaside Now the pledge, now, now, now!
line 3066CRESSIDAgiving the sleeve Here, Diomed. Keep this
line 3067sleeve.
80line 3068TROILUSaside O beauty, where is thy faith?
line 3069ULYSSESaside to Troilus My lord—
TROILUSaside to Ulysses
line 3070I will be patient; outwardly I will.
CRESSIDA
line 3071You look upon that sleeve? Behold it well.
line 3072He loved me—O false wench!—Give ’t me again.
She snatches the sleeve from Diomedes.
85line 3073DIOMEDESWhose was ’t?
CRESSIDA
line 3074It is no matter, now I ha ’t again.
line 3075I will not meet with you tomorrow night.
line 3076I prithee, Diomed, visit me no more.
line 3077THERSITESaside Now she sharpens. Well said,
90line 3078whetstone.
line 3079DIOMEDESI shall have it.
line 3080CRESSIDAWhat, this?
line 3081DIOMEDESAy, that.
CRESSIDA
line 3082O all you gods!—O pretty, pretty pledge!
95line 3083Thy master now lies thinking on his bed
line 3084Of thee and me, and sighs, and takes my glove,
line 3085And gives memorial dainty kisses to it
line 3086As I kiss thee.
He grabs the sleeve, and she tries to retrieve it.
line 3087DIOMEDESNay, do not snatch it from me.
CRESSIDA
100line 3088He that takes that doth take my heart withal.
DIOMEDES
line 3089I had your heart before. This follows it.
line 3090TROILUSaside I did swear patience.
Act 5 Scene 2 - Pg 227
CRESSIDA
line 3091You shall not have it, Diomed, faith, you shall not.
line 3092I’ll give you something else.
105line 3093DIOMEDESI will have this. Whose was it?
line 3094CRESSIDAIt is no matter.
line 3095DIOMEDESCome, tell me whose it was.
CRESSIDA
line 3096’Twas one’s that loved me better than you will.
line 3097But now you have it, take it.
110line 3098DIOMEDESWhose was it?
CRESSIDA
line 3099By all Diana’s waiting-women yond,
line 3100And by herself, I will not tell you whose.
DIOMEDES
line 3101Tomorrow will I wear it on my helm
line 3102And grieve his spirit that dares not challenge it.
TROILUSaside
115line 3103Wert thou the devil and wor’st it on thy horn,
line 3104It should be challenged.
CRESSIDA
line 3105Well, well, ’tis done, ’tis past. And yet it is not.
line 3106I will not keep my word.
line 3107DIOMEDESWhy, then, farewell.
120line 3108Thou never shalt mock Diomed again.
He starts to leave.
CRESSIDA
line 3109You shall not go. One cannot speak a word
line 3110But it straight starts you.
line 3111DIOMEDESI do not like this fooling.
TROILUSaside
line 3112Nor I, by Pluto! But that that likes not you
125line 3113Pleases me best.
line 3114DIOMEDESWhat, shall I come? The hour?
CRESSIDA
line 3115Ay, come.—O Jove!—Do, come.—I shall be plagued.
Act 5 Scene 2 - Pg 229
DIOMEDES
line 3116Farewell, till then.
line 3117CRESSIDAGood night. I prithee, come.—
He exits.
130line 3118Troilus, farewell. One eye yet looks on thee,
line 3119But with my heart the other eye doth see.
line 3120Ah, poor our sex! This fault in us I find:
line 3121The error of our eye directs our mind.
line 3122What error leads must err. O, then conclude:
135line 3123Minds swayed by eyes are full of turpitude.She exits.
THERSITESaside
line 3124A proof of strength she could not publish more,
line 3125Unless she said “My mind is now turned whore.”
ULYSSES
line 3126All’s done, my lord.
line 3127TROILUSIt is.
140line 3128ULYSSESWhy stay we then?
TROILUS
line 3129To make a recordation to my soul
line 3130Of every syllable that here was spoke.
line 3131But if I tell how these two did co-act,
line 3132Shall I not lie in publishing a truth?
145line 3133Sith yet there is a credence in my heart,
line 3134An esperance so obstinately strong.
line 3135That doth invert th’ attest of eyes and ears,
line 3136As if those organs had deceptious functions,
line 3137Created only to calumniate.
150line 3138Was Cressid here?
line 3139ULYSSESI cannot conjure, Trojan.
line 3140TROILUSShe was not, sure.
line 3141ULYSSESMost sure she was.
TROILUS
line 3142Why, my negation hath no taste of madness.
ULYSSES
155line 3143Nor mine, my lord. Cressid was here but now.
Act 5 Scene 2 - Pg 231
TROILUS
line 3144Let it not be believed for womanhood!
line 3145Think, we had mothers. Do not give advantage
line 3146To stubborn critics, apt, without a theme
line 3147For depravation, to square the general sex
160line 3148By Cressid’s rule. Rather, think this not Cressid.
ULYSSES
line 3149What hath she done, prince, that can soil our
line 3150mothers?
TROILUS
line 3151Nothing at all, unless that this were she.
line 3152THERSITESaside Will he swagger himself out on ’s
165line 3153own eyes?
TROILUS
line 3154This she? No, this is Diomed’s Cressida.
line 3155If beauty have a soul, this is not she;
line 3156If souls guide vows, if vows be sanctimonies,
line 3157If sanctimony be the gods’ delight,
170line 3158If there be rule in unity itself,
line 3159This is not she. O madness of discourse,
line 3160That cause sets up with and against itself!
line 3161Bifold authority, where reason can revolt
line 3162Without perdition, and loss assume all reason
175line 3163Without revolt. This is and is not Cressid.
line 3164Within my soul there doth conduce a fight
line 3165Of this strange nature, that a thing inseparate
line 3166Divides more wider than the sky and Earth,
line 3167And yet the spacious breadth of this division
180line 3168Admits no orifex for a point as subtle
line 3169As Ariachne’s broken woof to enter.
line 3170Instance, O instance, strong as Pluto’s gates,
line 3171Cressid is mine, tied with the bonds of heaven;
line 3172Instance, O instance, strong as heaven itself,
185line 3173The bonds of heaven are slipped, dissolved, and
line 3174loosed,
line 3175And with another knot, five-finger-tied,
Act 5 Scene 2 - Pg 233
line 3176The fractions of her faith, orts of her love,
line 3177The fragments, scraps, the bits and greasy relics
190line 3178Of her o’er-eaten faith are given to Diomed.
ULYSSES
line 3179May worthy Troilus be half attached
line 3180With that which here his passion doth express?
TROILUS
line 3181Ay, Greek, and that shall be divulgèd well
line 3182In characters as red as Mars his heart
195line 3183Inflamed with Venus. Never did young man fancy
line 3184With so eternal and so fixed a soul.
line 3185Hark, Greek: as much as I do Cressid love,
line 3186So much by weight hate I her Diomed.
line 3187That sleeve is mine that he’ll bear on his helm.
200line 3188Were it a casque composed by Vulcan’s skill,
line 3189My sword should bite it. Not the dreadful spout
line 3190Which shipmen do the hurricano call,
line 3191Constringed in mass by the almighty sun,
line 3192Shall dizzy with more clamor Neptune’s ear
205line 3193In his descent than shall my prompted sword
line 3194Falling on Diomed.
line 3195THERSITESaside He’ll tickle it for his concupy.
TROILUS
line 3196O Cressid! O false Cressid! False, false, false!
line 3197Let all untruths stand by thy stainèd name,
210line 3198And they’ll seem glorious.
line 3199ULYSSESO, contain yourself.
line 3200Your passion draws ears hither.
Enter Aeneas.
AENEASto Troilus
line 3201I have been seeking you this hour, my lord.
line 3202Hector, by this, is arming him in Troy.
215line 3203Ajax, your guard, stays to conduct you home.
TROILUS
line 3204Have with you, prince.—My courteous lord, adieu.—
Act 5 Scene 3 - Pg 235
line 3205Farewell, revolted fair!—And, Diomed,
line 3206Stand fast, and wear a castle on thy head!
line 3207ULYSSESI’ll bring you to the gates.
220line 3208TROILUSAccept distracted thanks.
Troilus, Aeneas, and Ulysses exit.
line 3209THERSITESWould I could meet that rogue Diomed! I
line 3210would croak like a raven; I would bode, I would
line 3211bode. Patroclus will give me anything for the intelligence
line 3212of this whore. The parrot will not do more
225line 3213for an almond than he for a commodious drab.
line 3214Lechery, lechery, still wars and lechery! Nothing
line 3215else holds fashion. A burning devil take them!
He exits.
Scene 3
Enter Hector, armed, and Andromache.
ANDROMACHE
line 3216When was my lord so much ungently tempered
line 3217To stop his ears against admonishment?
line 3218Unarm, unarm, and do not fight today.
HECTOR
line 3219You train me to offend you. Get you in.
5line 3220By all the everlasting gods, I’ll go!
ANDROMACHE
line 3221My dreams will sure prove ominous to the day.
HECTOR
line 3222No more, I say.
Enter Cassandra.
line 3223CASSANDRAWhere is my brother Hector?
ANDROMACHE
line 3224Here, sister, armed and bloody in intent.
10line 3225Consort with me in loud and dear petition;
line 3226Pursue we him on knees. For I have dreamt
Act 5 Scene 3 - Pg 237
line 3227Of bloody turbulence, and this whole night
line 3228Hath nothing been but shapes and forms of slaughter.
CASSANDRA
line 3229O, ’tis true!
15line 3230HECTORcalling out Ho! Bid my trumpet sound!
CASSANDRA
line 3231No notes of sally, for the heavens, sweet brother!
HECTOR
line 3232Begone, I say. The gods have heard me swear.
CASSANDRA
line 3233The gods are deaf to hot and peevish vows.
line 3234They are polluted off’rings more abhorred
20line 3235Than spotted livers in the sacrifice.
ANDROMACHEto Hector
line 3236O, be persuaded! Do not count it holy
line 3237To hurt by being just. It is as lawful,
line 3238For we would give much, to use violent thefts
line 3239And rob in the behalf of charity.
CASSANDRA
25line 3240It is the purpose that makes strong the vow,
line 3241But vows to every purpose must not hold.
line 3242Unarm, sweet Hector.
line 3243HECTORHold you still, I say.
line 3244Mine honor keeps the weather of my fate.
30line 3245Life every man holds dear, but the dear man
line 3246Holds honor far more precious-dear than life.
Enter Troilus, armed.
line 3247How now, young man? Meanest thou to fight today?
ANDROMACHE
line 3248Cassandra, call my father to persuade.
Cassandra exits.
HECTOR
line 3249No, faith, young Troilus, doff thy harness, youth.
35line 3250I am today i’ th’ vein of chivalry.
line 3251Let grow thy sinews till their knots be strong,
Act 5 Scene 3 - Pg 239
line 3252And tempt not yet the brushes of the war.
line 3253Unarm thee, go, and doubt thou not, brave boy,
line 3254I’ll stand today for thee and me and Troy.
TROILUS
40line 3255Brother, you have a vice of mercy in you
line 3256Which better fits a lion than a man.
HECTOR
line 3257What vice is that? Good Troilus, chide me for it.
TROILUS
line 3258When many times the captive Grecian falls,
line 3259Even in the fan and wind of your fair sword,
45line 3260You bid them rise and live.
HECTOR
line 3261O, ’tis fair play.
line 3262TROILUSFool’s play, by heaven. Hector.
HECTOR
line 3263How now? How now?
line 3264TROILUSFor th’ love of all the gods,
50line 3265Let’s leave the hermit Pity with our mother,
line 3266And when we have our armors buckled on,
line 3267The venomed Vengeance ride upon our swords,
line 3268Spur them to ruthful work, rein them from ruth.
HECTOR
line 3269Fie, savage, fie!
55line 3270TROILUSHector, then ’tis wars.
HECTOR
line 3271Troilus, I would not have you fight today.
line 3272TROILUSWho should withhold me?
line 3273Not fate, obedience, nor the hand of Mars,
line 3274Beck’ning with fiery truncheon my retire;
60line 3275Not Priamus and Hecuba on knees,
line 3276Their eyes o’er-gallèd with recourse of tears;
line 3277Nor you, my brother, with your true sword drawn
line 3278Opposed to hinder me, should stop my way,
line 3279But by my ruin.
Act 5 Scene 3 - Pg 241
Enter Priam and Cassandra.
CASSANDRAindicating Hector
65line 3280Lay hold upon him, Priam; hold him fast.
line 3281He is thy crutch. Now if thou loose thy stay,
line 3282Thou on him leaning, and all Troy on thee,
line 3283Fall all together.
line 3284PRIAMCome, Hector, come. Go back.
70line 3285Thy wife hath dreamt, thy mother hath had visions,
line 3286Cassandra doth foresee, and I myself
line 3287Am like a prophet suddenly enrapt
line 3288To tell thee that this day is ominous.
line 3289Therefore, come back.
75line 3290HECTORAeneas is afield,
line 3291And I do stand engaged to many Greeks,
line 3292Even in the faith of valor, to appear
line 3293This morning to them.
line 3294PRIAMAy, but thou shalt not go.
80line 3295HECTORI must not break my faith.
line 3296You know me dutiful; therefore, dear sir,
line 3297Let me not shame respect, but give me leave
line 3298To take that course by your consent and voice
line 3299Which you do here forbid me, royal Priam.
CASSANDRA
85line 3300O Priam, yield not to him!
line 3301ANDROMACHEDo not, dear father.
HECTOR
line 3302Andromache, I am offended with you.
line 3303Upon the love you bear me, get you in.
Andromache exits.
TROILUS
line 3304This foolish, dreaming, superstitious girl
90line 3305Makes all these bodements.
line 3306CASSANDRAO farewell, dear Hector.
line 3307Look how thou diest! Look how thy eye turns pale!
line 3308Look how thy wounds do bleed at many vents!
Act 5 Scene 3 - Pg 243
line 3309Hark, how Troy roars, how Hecuba cries out,
95line 3310How poor Andromache shrills her dolor forth!
line 3311Behold, distraction, frenzy, and amazement,
line 3312Like witless antics, one another meet,
line 3313And all cry “Hector! Hector’s dead! O, Hector!”
line 3314TROILUSAway, away!
CASSANDRA
100line 3315Farewell.—Yet soft! Hector, I take my leave.
line 3316Thou dost thyself and all our Troy deceive.She exits.
HECTOR
line 3317You are amazed, my liege, at her exclaim.
line 3318Go in and cheer the town. We’ll forth and fight,
line 3319Do deeds worth praise, and tell you them at night.
PRIAM
105line 3320Farewell. The gods with safety stand about thee!
Hector and Priam exit at separate doors.
Alarum.
TROILUS
line 3321They are at it, hark! Proud Diomed, believe,
line 3322I come to lose my arm or win my sleeve.
Enter Pandarus, with a paper.
line 3323PANDARUSDo you hear, my lord? Do you hear?
line 3324TROILUSWhat now?
110line 3325PANDARUSHere’s a letter come from yond poor girl.
line 3326TROILUSLet me read.He reads.
line 3327PANDARUSA whoreson phthisic, a whoreson rascally
line 3328phthisic so troubles me, and the foolish fortune of
line 3329this girl, and what one thing, what another, that I
115line 3330shall leave you one o’ these days. And I have a
line 3331rheum in mine eyes too, and such an ache in my
line 3332bones that, unless a man were cursed, I cannot tell
line 3333what to think on ’t.—What says she there?
TROILUS
line 3334Words, words, mere words, no matter from the heart.
120line 3335Th’ effect doth operate another way.
Act 5 Scene 4 - Pg 245
line 3336Go, wind, to wind! There turn and change together.
He tears up the paper and throws the pieces in the air.
line 3337My love with words and errors still she feeds,
line 3338But edifies another with her deeds.
They exit.
Scene 4
Alarum. Excursions. Enter Thersites.
line 3339THERSITESNow they are clapper-clawing one another.
line 3340I’ll go look on. That dissembling abominable varlet,
line 3341Diomed, has got that same scurvy doting foolish
line 3342young knave’s sleeve of Troy there in his helm.
5line 3343I would fain see them meet, that that same young
line 3344Trojan ass that loves the whore there might send
line 3345that Greekish whoremasterly villain with the sleeve
line 3346back to the dissembling luxurious drab, of a sleeveless
line 3347errand. O’ th’ t’other side, the policy of those
10line 3348crafty swearing rascals—that stale old mouse-eaten
line 3349dry cheese, Nestor, and that same dog-fox,
line 3350Ulysses—is proved not worth a blackberry. They
line 3351set me up, in policy, that mongrel cur, Ajax, against
line 3352that dog of as bad a kind, Achilles. And now is the
15line 3353cur Ajax prouder than the cur Achilles, and will
line 3354not arm today, whereupon the Grecians begin to
line 3355proclaim barbarism, and policy grows into an ill
line 3356opinion.
Enter Diomedes, and Troilus pursuing him.
line 3357Soft! Here comes sleeve and t’ other.
Thersites moves aside.
TROILUSto Diomedes
20line 3358Fly not, for shouldst thou take the river Styx
line 3359I would swim after.
line 3360DIOMEDESThou dost miscall retire.
Act 5 Scene 5 - Pg 247
line 3361I do not fly, but advantageous care
line 3362Withdrew me from the odds of multitude.
25line 3363Have at thee!They fight.
line 3364THERSITESHold thy whore, Grecian! Now for thy
line 3365whore, Trojan! Now the sleeve, now the sleeve!
Diomedes and Troilus exit fighting.
Enter Hector.
HECTOR
line 3366What art thou, Greek? Art thou for Hector’s match?
line 3367Art thou of blood and honor?
30line 3368THERSITESNo, no, I am a rascal, a scurvy railing
line 3369knave, a very filthy rogue.
line 3370HECTORI do believe thee. Live.He exits.
line 3371THERSITESGod-a-mercy, that thou wilt believe me!
line 3372But a plague break thy neck for frighting me!
35line 3373What’s become of the wenching rogues? I think
line 3374they have swallowed one another. I would laugh at
line 3375that miracle—yet, in a sort, lechery eats itself. I’ll
line 3376seek them.
He exits.
Scene 5
Enter Diomedes and Servingman.
DIOMEDES
line 3377Go, go, my servant, take thou Troilus’ horse;
line 3378Present the fair steed to my Lady Cressid.
line 3379Fellow, commend my service to her beauty.
line 3380Tell her I have chastised the amorous Trojan
5line 3381And am her knight by proof.
line 3382MANI go, my lord.He exits.
Enter Agamemnon.
Act 5 Scene 5 - Pg 249
AGAMEMNON
line 3383Renew, renew! The fierce Polydamas
line 3384Hath beat down Menon; bastard Margareton
line 3385Hath Doreus prisoner,
10line 3386And stands colossus-wise, waving his beam
line 3387Upon the pashèd corses of the kings
line 3388Epistrophus and Cedius. Polyxenes is slain,
line 3389Amphimachus and Thoas deadly hurt,
line 3390Patroclus ta’en or slain, and Palamedes
15line 3391Sore hurt and bruised. The dreadful Sagittary
line 3392Appals our numbers. Haste we, Diomed,
line 3393To reinforcement, or we perish all.
Enter Nestor, with Soldiers bearing the body of Patroclus.
NESTOR
line 3394Go, bear Patroclus’ body to Achilles,
line 3395And bid the snail-paced Ajax arm for shame.
Soldiers exit with Patroclus’s body.
20line 3396There is a thousand Hectors in the field.
line 3397Now here he fights on Galathe his horse,
line 3398And here lacks work; anon he’s there afoot
line 3399And there they fly or die, like scalèd schools
line 3400Before the belching whale; then is he yonder,
25line 3401And there the strawy Greeks, ripe for his edge,
line 3402Fall down before him like a mower’s swath.
line 3403Here, there, and everywhere he leaves and takes,
line 3404Dexterity so obeying appetite
line 3405That what he will he does, and does so much
30line 3406That proof is called impossibility.
Enter Ulysses.
ULYSSES
line 3407O, courage, courage, princes! Great Achilles
line 3408Is arming, weeping, cursing, vowing vengeance.
line 3409Patroclus’ wounds have roused his drowsy blood,
line 3410Together with his mangled Myrmidons,
Act 5 Scene 6 - Pg 251
35line 3411That noseless, handless, hacked and chipped, come
line 3412to him,
line 3413Crying on Hector. Ajax hath lost a friend
line 3414And foams at mouth, and he is armed and at it,
line 3415Roaring for Troilus, who hath done today
40line 3416Mad and fantastic execution,
line 3417Engaging and redeeming of himself
line 3418With such a careless force and forceless care
line 3419As if that luck, in very spite of cunning,
line 3420Bade him win all.
Enter Ajax.
45line 3421AJAXTroilus, thou coward Troilus!He exits.
line 3422DIOMEDESAy, there, there!He exits.
line 3423NESTORSo, so, we draw together.
Enter Achilles.
line 3424ACHILLESWhere is this Hector?—
line 3425Come, come, thou boy-queller, show thy face!
50line 3426Know what it is to meet Achilles angry.
line 3427Hector! Where’s Hector? I will none but Hector.
He exits, with the others.
Scene 6
Enter Ajax.
AJAX
line 3428Troilus, thou coward Troilus, show thy head!
Enter Diomedes.
line 3429DIOMEDESTroilus, I say! Where’s Troilus?
line 3430AJAXWhat wouldst thou?
line 3431DIOMEDESI would correct him.
AJAX
5line 3432Were I the General, thou shouldst have my office
line 3433Ere that correction.—Troilus, I say! What, Troilus!
Act 5 Scene 6 - Pg 253
Enter Troilus.
TROILUS
line 3434O traitor Diomed! Turn thy false face, thou traitor,
line 3435And pay the life thou owest me for my horse!
line 3436DIOMEDESHa! Art thou there?
AJAX
10line 3437I’ll fight with him alone. Stand, Diomed.
DIOMEDES
line 3438He is my prize. I will not look upon.
TROILUS
line 3439Come, both you cogging Greeks. Have at you both!
Enter Hector.
Troilus exits, fighting Diomedes and Ajax.
HECTOR
line 3440Yea, Troilus? O, well fought, my youngest brother!
Enter Achilles.
ACHILLES
line 3441Now do I see thee. Ha! Have at thee, Hector!
They fight.
15line 3442HECTORPause if thou wilt.
ACHILLES
line 3443I do disdain thy courtesy, proud Trojan.
line 3444Be happy that my arms are out of use.
line 3445My rest and negligence befriends thee now,
line 3446But thou anon shalt hear of me again;
20line 3447Till when, go seek thy fortune.He exits.
line 3448HECTORFare thee well.
line 3449I would have been much more a fresher man
line 3450Had I expected thee.
Enter Troilus.
line 3451How now, my brother?
Act 5 Scene 7 - Pg 255
TROILUS
25line 3452Ajax hath ta’en Aeneas. Shall it be?
line 3453No, by the flame of yonder glorious heaven,
line 3454He shall not carry him. I’ll be ta’en too
line 3455Or bring him off. Fate, hear me what I say!
line 3456I reck not though I end my life today.
He exits.
Enter one in Greek armor.
HECTOR
30line 3457Stand, stand, thou Greek! Thou art a goodly mark.
line 3458No? Wilt thou not? I like thy armor well.
line 3459I’ll frush it and unlock the rivets all,
line 3460But I’ll be master of it.The Greek exits.
line 3461Wilt thou not, beast, abide?
35line 3462Why then, fly on. I’ll hunt thee for thy hide.
He exits.
Scene 7
Enter Achilles, with Myrmidons.
ACHILLES
line 3463Come here about me, you my Myrmidons.
line 3464Mark what I say. Attend me where I wheel.
line 3465Strike not a stroke, but keep yourselves in breath,
line 3466And, when I have the bloody Hector found,
5line 3467Empale him with your weapons round about.
line 3468In fellest manner execute your arms.
line 3469Follow me, sirs, and my proceedings eye.
line 3470It is decreed Hector the great must die.
They exit.
Act 5 Scene 9 - Pg 257
Scene 8
Enter Thersites; then Menelaus fighting Paris.
line 3471THERSITESThe cuckold and the cuckold-maker are at
line 3472it. Now, bull! Now, dog! Loo, Paris, loo! Now, my
line 3473double-horned Spartan! Loo, Paris, loo! The bull
line 3474has the game. Ware horns, ho!
Paris and Menelaus exit, fighting.
Enter Bastard.
5line 3475BASTARDTurn, slave, and fight.
line 3476THERSITESWhat art thou?
line 3477BASTARDA bastard son of Priam’s.
line 3478THERSITESI am a bastard too. I love bastards. I am
line 3479bastard begot, bastard instructed, bastard in mind,
10line 3480bastard in valor, in everything illegitimate. One
line 3481bear will not bite another, and wherefore should
line 3482one bastard? Take heed: the quarrel’s most ominous
line 3483to us. If the son of a whore fight for a whore,
line 3484he tempts judgment. Farewell, bastard.He exits.
15line 3485BASTARDThe devil take thee, coward!
He exits.
Scene 9
Enter Hector, with the body of the Greek in armor.
HECTOR
line 3486Most putrefied core, so fair without,
line 3487Thy goodly armor thus hath cost thy life.
line 3488Now is my day’s work done. I’ll take my breath.
line 3489Rest, sword; thou hast thy fill of blood and death.
He begins to disarm.
Enter Achilles and his Myrmidons.
Act 5 Scene 10 - Pg 259
ACHILLES
5line 3490Look, Hector, how the sun begins to set,
line 3491How ugly night comes breathing at his heels.
line 3492Even with the vail and dark’ning of the sun
line 3493To close the day up, Hector’s life is done.
HECTOR
line 3494I am unarmed. Forgo this vantage, Greek.
ACHILLES
10line 3495Strike, fellows, strike! This is the man I seek.
The Myrmidons kill Hector.
line 3496So, Ilium, fall thou next! Come, Troy, sink down!
line 3497Here lies thy heart, thy sinews, and thy bone.
line 3498On, Myrmidons, and cry you all amain
line 3499“Achilles hath the mighty Hector slain.”
Retreat sounded from both armies.
15line 3500Hark! A retire upon our Grecian part.
A MYRMIDON
line 3501The Trojan trumpets sound the like, my lord.
ACHILLES
line 3502The dragon wing of night o’erspreads the Earth
line 3503And, stickler-like, the armies separates.
line 3504My half-supped sword, that frankly would have fed,
20line 3505Pleased with this dainty bait, thus goes to bed.
He sheathes his sword.
line 3506Come, tie his body to my horse’s tail;
line 3507Along the field I will the Trojan trail.
They exit with the bodies.
Scene 10
Sound retreat. Enter Agamemnon, Ajax, Menelaus, Nestor, Diomedes, and the rest, marching to the beat of drums. Shout within.
line 3508AGAMEMNONHark, hark, what shout is this?
line 3509NESTORPeace, drums!The drums cease.
Act 5 Scene 11 - Pg 261
SOLDIERSwithin
line 3510Achilles! Achilles! Hector’s slain! Achilles!
DIOMEDES
line 3511The bruit is Hector’s slain, and by Achilles.
AJAX
5line 3512If it be so, yet bragless let it be.
line 3513Great Hector was as good a man as he.
AGAMEMNON
line 3514March patiently along. Let one be sent
line 3515To pray Achilles see us at our tent.
line 3516If in his death the gods have us befriended,
10line 3517Great Troy is ours, and our sharp wars are ended.
They exit, marching.
Scene 11
Enter Aeneas, Paris, Antenor, Deiphobus, and Trojan soldiers.
AENEAS
line 3518Stand, ho! Yet are we masters of the field.
line 3519Never go home; here starve we out the night.
Enter Troilus.
TROILUS
line 3520Hector is slain.
line 3521ALLHector! The gods forbid!
TROILUS
5line 3522He’s dead, and at the murderer’s horse’s tail,
line 3523In beastly sort, dragged through the shameful field.
line 3524Frown on, you heavens; effect your rage with speed.
line 3525Sit, gods, upon your thrones, and smite at Troy!
line 3526I say at once: let your brief plagues be mercy,
10line 3527And linger not our sure destructions on!
AENEAS
line 3528My lord, you do discomfort all the host.
Act 5 Scene 11 - Pg 263
TROILUS
line 3529You understand me not that tell me so.
line 3530I do not speak of flight, of fear, of death,
line 3531But dare all imminence that gods and men
15line 3532Address their dangers in. Hector is gone.
line 3533Who shall tell Priam so, or Hecuba?
line 3534Let him that will a screech-owl aye be called
line 3535Go into Troy and say their Hector’s dead.
line 3536There is a word will Priam turn to stone,
20line 3537Make wells and Niobes of the maids and wives,
line 3538Cold statues of the youth and, in a word,
line 3539Scare Troy out of itself. But march away.
line 3540Hector is dead. There is no more to say.
line 3541Stay yet. You vile abominable tents,
25line 3542Thus proudly pitched upon our Phrygian plains,
line 3543Let Titan rise as early as he dare,
line 3544I’ll through and through you! And, thou great-sized
line 3545coward,
line 3546No space of earth shall sunder our two hates.
30line 3547I’ll haunt thee like a wicked conscience still,
line 3548That moldeth goblins swift as frenzy’s thoughts.
line 3549Strike a free march to Troy! With comfort go.
line 3550Hope of revenge shall hide our inward woe.
Enter Pandarus.
line 3551PANDARUSBut hear you, hear you!
TROILUS
35line 3552Hence, broker, lackey! Ignomy and shame
line 3553Pursue thy life, and live aye with thy name!
All but Pandarus exit.
line 3554PANDARUSA goodly medicine for my aching bones! O
line 3555world, world, world! Thus is the poor agent despised.
line 3556O traitors and bawds, how earnestly are
40line 3557you set a-work, and how ill requited! Why should
line 3558our endeavor be so loved and the performance so
line 3559loathed? What verse for it? What instance for it?
Act 5 Scene 11 - Pg 265
line 3560Let me see:
line 3561Full merrily the humble-bee doth sing,
45line 3562Till he hath lost his honey and his sting;
line 3563And being once subdued in armèd tail,
line 3564Sweet honey and sweet notes together fail.
line 3565Good traders in the flesh, set this in your painted
line 3566cloths:
50line 3567As many as be here of panders’ hall,
line 3568Your eyes, half out, weep out at Pandar’s fall;
line 3569Or if you cannot weep, yet give some groans,
line 3570Though not for me, yet for your aching bones.
line 3571Brethren and sisters of the hold-door trade,
55line 3572Some two months hence my will shall here be made.
line 3573It should be now, but that my fear is this:
line 3574Some gallèd goose of Winchester would hiss.
line 3575Till then I’ll sweat and seek about for eases,
line 3576And at that time bequeath you my diseases.
He exits.
