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Ther. Would I could meet that rogue Diomed! I would croak like a raven; I would bode, I would bode. [Patroclus will give me any thing for the intelligence of this whore: the parrot will not do more for an almond than he for a commodious drab.] Lechery, lechery; still, wars and lechery; nothing else holds fashion; a burning devil take them!

[Exit.

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SCENE III. Troy. Priam's palace.

a

Instance, O instance! strong as heaven itself; The bonds of heaven are slipp'd, dissolv'd, and

loos’d; And with another knot, five-finger-tied, The fractions of her faith, ortsof her love, The fragments, scraps, the bits, and greasy relics Of her o'er-eaten faith, are bound to Diomed. Ulyss. May worthy Troilus be but half

attach'd With that which here his passion doth express ?

Tro. Ay, Greek; and that shall be divulged well In characters as red as Mars his heart Inflam'd with Venus: never did young man

fancy? With so eternal and so fix'd a soul. Hark, Greek:—as much as I do Cressid love, So much by weight hate I her Diomed: That sleeve is mine that he 'll bear on his helm; Were it a casque compos'd by Vulcan's skill, My sword should bite it: not the dreadful

spout, Which shipmen do the hurricano call, Constring'din mass by the almighty sun, Shall dizzy with more clamour Neptune's ear In his descent than shall my prompted sword Falling on Diomed. [ Ther. He'll tickle it for his concupy.] Tro. O Cressid! 0 false Cressid! false, false,

false! Let all untruths stand by thy stained name, And they'll seem glorious. Ulyss.

0, contain yourself; Your passion draws ears hither.

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I say.

Enter HECTOR and ANDROMACHE. And. When was my lord so much ungently

temperd, To stop his ears against admonishment ? Unarm, unarm, and do not fight to-day.

Hect. You traino me to offend you; get you in: By all the everlasting gods, I'll go! And. My dreams will, sure, prove ominous?

to the day.
Hect. No more,

Enter CASSANDRA.
Cas.

Where is my brother Hector?
And. Here, sister; arm'd, and bloody in

intent. Consort with me in loud and dear petition, Pursue we him on knees; for I have dream'd Of bloody turbulence, and this whole night Hath nothing been but shapes and forms of

slaughter. Cas. 0, it is true. Hect.

Ho! bid my trumpet sound! Cas. No notes of sally, for the heavens, sweet

brother. Hect. Be gone, I say: the gods have heard

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me swear.

Cas. The gods are deaf to hot and peevish

VOWS:

Hector, by this, is arming him in Troy;
Ajax, your guard, stays to conduct you home.
Tro. Have with you, prince.--My courteous

lord, adieu.-
Farewell, revolted fair!-and, Diomed,
Stand fast, and wear a castle on thy head!

l'1988. I'll bring you to the gates. Tro. Accept distracted thanks.

[Exeunt Troilus, Æneas, and Ulysses.

They are polluted offerings, more abhorr'd
Than spotted livers in the sacrifice.

And. O, be persuaded! do not count it holy
To hurt by being just: it is as lawful,
For we would give much, to use violent thefts,
And rob in the behalf of charity.

Cas. It is the purpose that makes strong

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189

Re-enter CASSANDRA and PRIAM.

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But vows to every purpose must not hold: 24
Unarm, sweet Hector.
Hect.

Hold you still, I say; Mine honour keeps the weather of my fate: Life every man holds dear; but the brave man Holds honour far more precious-dear than life.

Enter TROILUS. How now, young man! mean’st thou to fight

to-day? And. Cassandra, call my father to persuade.

[Exit Cassandra. Hect. No, faith, young Troilus; doff thy

harness, youth; I am to-day i' the vein of chivalry: Let grow thy sinews till their knots be strong, And tempt not yet the brushes of the war. Unarm thee, go; and doubt thou not, brave boy, I'll stand to-day for thee, and me, and Troy.

Tro. Brother, you have a vice of mercy in you, Which better fits a lion than a man. Hect. What vice is that, good Troilus? chide

me for it. Tro. When many times the captive Grecians

fall, Even in the fan and wind of your fair sword, You bid them rise, and live.

Hect. 0, 't is fair play.
Tro. Fool's play, by heaven, Hector.
Hect. How now! how now!
Tro.

For the love of all the gods, Let's leave the hermit pity with our mothers; And when we have our armours buckled on, The venom'd vengeance ride upon our swords, Spurthem to ruthful work, rein them from ruth.

Hect. Fie, savage, fie!
Tro.

Hector, then 't is wars. Hect. Troilus, I would not have you fight

to-day. Tro. Who should withhold me? Not fate, obedience, nor the hand of Mars Beckoning with fiery truncheon my retire; Not Priamus and Hecuba on knees, Their eyes o'ergalled with recoursel of tears; Nor you, my brother, with your true sword

drawn, Oppos’d to hinder me, should stop my way, But by my ruin.

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Cas. Lay hold upon him, Priam, hold him

fast: He is thy crutch; now if thou lose thy stay, Thou on him leaning, and all Troy on thee, Fall all together. Pri. Come, Hector, come, go

back: Thy wife hath dream'd; thy mother hath

had visions;
Cassandra doth foresee; and I myself
Am like a prophet suddenly enrapt,
To tell thee that this day is ominous:
Therefore, come back.
Hect.

Æneas is a-field;
And I do stand engag’da to many Greeks,
Even in the faith of valour, to appear
This morning to them.
Pri.

Ay, but thou shalt not go.
Hect. I must not break my faith.
You know me dutiful; therefore, dear sir,
Let me not shame respect; but give me leave
To take that course by your consent and voice,
Which you do here forbid me, royal Priam.

Cas. O Priam, yield not to him!
And.

Do not, dear father. Hect. Andromache, I am offended with you: Upon the love

you
bear me, get you in.

[Exit Andromache.
Tro. This foolish, dreaming, superstitious girl
Makes all these bodements.
Cas.

O, farewell, dear Hector! Look, how thou diest! look, how thy eye turns

pale! Look, how thy wounds do bleed at many vents! Hark, how Troy roars! how Hecuba cries out! How poor Andromache shrills herdoloursforth! Behold, distraction, frenzy, and amazement, Like witless antics, one another meet, And all cry “Hector! Hector's dead!" 0

Hector! Tro. Away! away! Cas. Farewell:—yet, soft!-Hector, I take

my leave: Thou dost thyself and all our Troy deceive.

Erit. Hect. You are amaz'd, my liege,

exclaim:

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at her

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