Troilus and Cressida

her to thy hand;
And by the way possess thee what she is.
Entreat her fair; and, by my soul, fair Greek,
If e’er thou stand at mercy of my sword,
Name Cressid, and thy life shall be as safe
As Priam is in Ilion. Diomedes

Fair Lady Cressid,
So please you, save the thanks this prince expects:
The lustre in your eye, heaven in your cheek,
Pleads your fair usage; and to Diomed
You shall be mistress, and command him wholly.

Troilus

Grecian, thou dost not use me courteously,
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.

Diomedes

O, be not moved, Prince Troilus:
Let me be privileged 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 prized; but that you say “be’t so,”
I’ll speak it in my spirit and honour, “no.”

Troilus

Come, to the port. I’ll tell thee, Diomed,
This brave shall oft make thee to hide thy head.
Lady, give me your hand, and, as we walk,
To our own selves bend we our needful talk. Exeunt Troilus, Cressida, and Diomedes. Trumpet within.

Paris Hark! Hector’s trumpet. Aeneas

How have we spent this morning!
The prince must think me tardy and remiss,
That sore to ride before him to the field.

Paris ’Tis Troilus’ fault: come, come, to field with him. Deiphobus Let us make ready straight. Aeneas

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. Exeunt.

Scene V

The Grecian camp. Lists set out.

	Enter Ajax, armed; Agamemnon, Achilles, Patroclus, Menelaus, Ulysses, Nestor, and others.
Agamemnon	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 the 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. Trumpet sounds.
Ulysses	No trumpet answers.
Achilles	’Tis but early days.
Agamemnon	Is not yond Diomed, with Calchas’ daughter?
Ulysses	’Tis he, I ken the manner of his gait; He rises on the toe: that spirit of his In aspiration lifts him from the earth.
	Enter Diomedes, with Cressida.
Agamemnon	Is this the Lady Cressid?
Diomedes	Even she.
Agamemnon	Most dearly welcome to the Greeks, sweet lady.
Nestor	Our general doth salute you with a kiss.
Ulysses	Yet is the kindness but particular; ’Twere better she were kiss’d in general.
Nestor	And very courtly counsel: I’ll begin. So much for Nestor.
Achilles	I’ll take what winter from your lips, fair lady: Achilles bids you welcome.
Menelaus	I had good argument for kissing once.
Patroclus	But that’s no argument for kissing now; For this popp’d Paris in his hardiment, And parted thus you and your argument.
Ulysses	O deadly gall, and theme of all our scorns! For which we lose our heads to gild his horns.
Patroclus	The first was Menelaus’ kiss; this, mine: Patroclus kisses you.
Menelaus	O, this is trim!
Patroclus	Paris and I kiss evermore for him.
Menelaus	I’ll have my kiss, sir. Lady, by your leave.
Cressida	In kissing, do you render or receive?
Patroclus	Both take and give.
Cressida	I’ll make my match to live, The kiss you take is better than you give; Therefore no kiss.
Menelaus	I’ll give you boot, I’ll give you three for one.
Cressida	You’re an odd man; give even, or give none.
Menelaus	An odd man, lady! every man is odd.
Cressida	No, Paris is not; for you know ’tis true, That you are odd, and he is even with you.
Menelaus	You fillip me o’ the head.
Cressida	No, I’ll be sworn.
Ulysses	It were no match, your nail against his horn. May I, sweet lady, beg a kiss of you?
Cressida	You may.
Ulysses	I do desire it.
Cressida	Why, beg, then.
Ulysses	Why then for Venus’ sake, give me a kiss, When Helen is a maid again, and his.
Cressida	I am your debtor, claim it when ’tis due.
Ulysses	Never’s my day, and then a kiss of you.
Diomedes	Lady, a word: I’ll bring you to your father. Exit with Cressida.
Nestor	A woman of quick sense.
Ulysses	Fie, fie upon her! There’s language in her eye, her cheek, her lip, Nay, her foot speaks; her wanton spirits look out At every joint and motive of her body. O, these encounterers, so glib of tongue, That give accosting welcome ere it comes, And wide unclasp the tables of their thoughts To every ticklish reader! set them down For sluttish spoils of opportunity And daughters of the game. Trumpet within.
All	The Trojans’ trumpet.
Agamemnon	Yonder comes the troop.
	Enter Hector, armed; Aeneas, Troilus, and other Trojans, with Attendants.
Aeneas	Hail, all you state of Greece! what shall be done To him that victory commands? or do you purpose A victor shall be known? will you the knights Shall to the edge of all extremity Pursue each other, or shall be divided By any voice or order of the field? Hector bade ask.
Agamemnon	Which way would Hector have it?
Aeneas	He cares not; he’ll obey conditions.
Achilles	’Tis done like Hector; but securely done, A little proudly, and great deal misprizing The knight opposed.
Aeneas	If not Achilles, sir, What is your name?
Achilles	If not Achilles, nothing.
Aeneas	Therefore Achilles: but, whate’er, know this: In the extremity of great and little, Valour and pride excel themselves in Hector; The one almost as infinite as all, The other blank as nothing. Weigh him well, And that which looks like pride is courtesy. This Ajax is half made of Hector’s blood: In love whereof, half Hector stays at home; Half heart, half hand, half Hector comes to seek This blended knight, half Trojan and half Greek.
Achilles	A maiden