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Tro. And suddenly; [where injury of chance1 Puts back leave-taking, justles roughly by All time of pause, rudely beguiles our lips Of all rejoindure, forcibly prevents Our lock'd embrasures, strangles our dear vows Even in the birth of our own labouring breath:] We two, that with so many thousand sighs Did buy each other, must poorly sell ourselves With the rude brevity and discharge of one. Injurious time now, with a robber's haste, Crams his rich thievery up, he knows not how: As many farewells as be stars in heaven, {[With distinct breath and consign'd3 kisses to them,]

He fumbles up into a loose adieu;

And scants us with a single famish'd kiss,
Distasted with the salt of broken tears

50

O heavens!" be true" again!

Tro. Hear why I speak it, love: The Grecian youths are full of quality; They're loving, well compos'd with gifts of

O heavens! you love me not. Tro. Die I a villain, then!

In this I do not call your faith in question
So mainly as my merit: I cannot sing,
Nor heel the high lavolt, nor sweeten talk,
Nor play at subtle games; fair virtues all,
To which the Grecians are most prompt and
pregnant:8

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But I can tell, that in each grace of these There lurks a still and dumb-discoursive devil That tempts most cunningly: but be not tempted.

Cres. Do you think I will?

Tro. No.

But something may be done that we will not:
And sometimes we are devils to ourselves,
[When we will tempt the frailty of our powers,
Presuming on their changeful potency.]
Ene. [Within] Nay, good my lord,-

Good brother, come you hither; And bring Æneas and the Grecian with you.

6 Maculation, flaw, spot (macula).

7 Lavolt, a kind of dance.

• Pregnant, ready.

The lustre in your eye, heaven in your cheek,
Pleads your fair usage; and to Diomed
You shall be mistress, and command him wholly.
Tro. Grecian, thou dost not use me cour-
teously,

To shame the zeal of my petition to thee
In praising her: I tell thee, lord of Greece,
She is as far high-soaring o'er thy praises
As thou unworthy to be call'd her servant.
I charge thee use her well, even for my charge;
For, by the dreadful Pluto, if thou dost not,
Though the great bulk Achilles be thy guard,
I'll cut thy throat.

Dio.

O, be not mov'd, Prince Troilus: Let me be privileg'd by my place and message To be a speaker free; [when I am hence, 'I'll answer to my lust: ] and know you, lord, I'll nothing do on charge: to her own worth She shall be priz'd; but that you say, "Be't so," I'll speak it in my spirit and honour, "No." Tro. Come, to the port.-I'll tell thee, Diomed, This brave3 shall oft make thee to hide thy head.

Lady, give me your hand; and, as we walk,

1 Moral = meaning (almost).

2 Possess, inform.

3 Brave, boast, bravado.

To our own selves bend we our needful talk. [Exeunt Troilus, Cressida, and Diomedes. [Trumpet within.

Par. Hark! Hector's trumpet. Ene. How have we spent this morning! The prince must think me tardy and remiss, That swore to ride before him to the field. Par. 'Tis Troilus' fault: come, come, to field with him.

Dei. Let us make ready straight.

Ene. Yea, with a bridegroom's fresh alacrity, Let us address to tend on Hector's heels: The glory of our Troy doth this day lie On his fair worth and single chivalry.

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[Exeunt.

SCENE V. A plain between Troy and
the Grecian camp.

Enter AJAX, armed; AGAMEMNON, ACHILLES, PATROCLUS, MENELAUS, ULYSSES, NESTOR, and others.

Agam. Here art thou in appointment fresh and fair,

Anticipating time with starting courage. Give with thy trumpet a loud note to Troy, Thou dreadful Ajax; that th' appalled air May pierce the head of the great combatant, And hale him hither.

Ajax. Thou, trumpet, there's my purse. Now crack thy lungs, and split thy brazen pipe: Blow, villain, till thy sphered bias cheek Outswell the colic of puff'd Aquilon:

Come, stretch thy chest, and let thy eyes spout blood;

Thou blow'st for Hector.

10

[Trumpet sounds.

His heart and hand both open and both free; For what he has he gives, what thinks he shows;

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Yet gives he not till judgment guide his bounty,
Nor dignifies an impure thought with breath:
Manly as Hector, but more dangerous;
For Hector, in his blaze of wrath, subscribes
To tender objects; but he, in heat of action,
Is more vindícative1 than jealous love:
They call him Troilus; and on him erect
A second hope, as fairly built as Hector.
[Thus says Æneas; one that knows the youth
Even to his inches,2 and with private soul
Did in great Ilion thus translate him to me. ]
[Alarum. Hector and Ajax fight.
Agam. They are in action.

1 Vindicative, original form of vindictive.

2 Even to his inches, i.e. minutely, thoroughly.

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Hect. Why, then will I no more:Thou art, great lord, my father's sister's son, A cousin-german to great Priam's seed; The obligation of our blood forbids A gory emulation 'twixt us twain: [Were thy commixtion Greek and Trojan so That thou couldst say, "This hand is Grecian all, And this is Trojan; the sinews of this leg All Greek, and this all Troy; my mother's blood Runs on the dexter1 cheek, and this sinister2 Bounds in my father's;" by Jove multipotent, Thou shouldst not bear from me a Greekish

Wherein my sword had not impressure made Of our rank feud: but the just gods gainsay That any drop thou borrow'dst from thy mother, My sacred aunt, should by my mortal sword Be drained!] Let me embrace thee, Ajax: By him that thunders, thou hast lusty arms; Hector would have them fall upon him thus: Cousin, all honour to thee!

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

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[Hect. Not Neoptolemus so mirable3— On whose bright crest Fame with her loud'st oyes

Cries "This is he"-could promise to himself A thought of added honour torn from Hector.] Ene. There is expectance here from both the sides,

What further you will do.

Hect. We'll answer it;4 The issue is embracement:-Ajax, farewell. Ajax. If I might in entreaties find successAs seld I have the chance-I would desire My famous cousin to our Grecian tents.

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160

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

Agam. Worthy of arms! as welcome as to one That would be rid of such an enemy; [But that's no welcome: understand more clear, What's past and what's to come is strew'd with husks

And formless ruin of oblivion;

But in this extant moment, faith and troth, Strain'd purely from all hollow bias-drawing, Bids thee, with most divine integrity,] From heart of very heart, great Hector, wel

come.

memnon.

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Hect. I thank thee, most imperious Aga[Eneas and Troilus advance. Agam. [To Troilus] My well-fam'd lord of Troy, no less to you.

[Men. Let me confirm my princely brother's)