You shall be mistress, and command him wholly.
Tro. 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.

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 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 DIOMED.
[Trumpet heard.

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.

[Exeunt.

SCENE V.

The Grecian Camp. Lists set out.

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 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
Out-swell the colick of puff'd Aquilon:

Come, stretch thy chest, and let thy eyes spout

blood;

Thou blow'st for Hector.

Ulyss. No trumpet answers.

Achil.

[Trumpet sounds.

"Tis but early days.

Agam. Is not yon Diomed with Calchas' daughter?
Ulyss. '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 DIOMED, with CRESSIDA.

Agam. Is this the lady Cressid?

Dio.

Even she.

7

in appointment-] Appointment is preparation.

8

bias cheek-] Swelling out like the bias of a bowl. The idea is taken from the puffy cheeks of the winds, as represented in ancient prints, maps, &c.

Agam. Most dearly welcome to the Greeks, sweet lady.

Nest. Our general doth salute you with a kiss. Ulyss. Yet is the kindness but particular; "Twere better, she were kiss'd in general.

Nest. And very courtly counsel: I'll begin.So much for Nestor.

Achil. I'll take that winter from your lips, fair lady:

Achilles bids you welcome.

Men. I had good argument for kissing once. Patr. But that's no argument for kissing now: For thus popp'd Paris in his hardiment; And parted thus you and your argument.

Ulyss. O deadly gall, and theme of all our scorns! For which we lose our heads, to gild his horns. Patr. The first was Menelaus' kiss;-this, mine: Patroclus kisses you.

Men.

O, this is trim!

Patr. Paris, and I, kiss evermore for him.
Men. I'll have my kiss, sir:-Lady, by your leave.
Cres. In kissing, do you render or receive?
Patr. Both take and give.

Cres.

I'll make my match to live,' The kiss you take is better than you give;

Therefore no kiss.

Men. I'll give you boot, I'll give you three for one. Cres. You're an odd man; give even, or give none. Men. An odd man, lady? every man is odd. Cres. No, Paris is not; for, you know, 'tis true, That you are odd, and he is even with you. Men. You fillip me o'the head. Cres. No, I'll be sworn. Ulyss. It were no match, your nail against his

horn.

I'll make my match to live,] Perhaps this means-I'll lay my life.

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

Čres. You may.

Ulyss.

Cres.

I do desire it.

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

Cres. I am your debtor, claim it when 'tis due.
Ulyss. Never's my day, and then a kiss of you.
Dio. Lady, a word;-I'll bring you to your fa-
[DIOMED leads out CRESSIDA.

ther.

Nest. A woman of quick sense. Ulyss. Fye, fye 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 a coasting welcome ere it comes,2 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.

All. The Trojans' trumpet.
Agam.

[Trumpet within.

Yonder comes the troop.

Enter HECTOR, armed; ENEAS, TROILUS, and other Trojans, with Attendants.

Ene. Hail, all the state of Greece! what shall be done

To him that victory commands? Or do you purpose, A victor shall be known? will you, the knights Shall to the edge of all extremity

1

motive-] Motive, for part that contributes to motion. 2 That give a coasting welcome ere it comes,] A coasting welcome is a conciliatory welcome; that makes silent advances before the tongue has uttered a word.

3 — sluttish spoils of opportunity,] Corrupt wenches, of whose chastity every opportunity may make a prey. JOHNSON.

Pursue each other; or shall they be divided
By any voice or order of the field?

Hector bade ask.

Agam.

Which way would Hector have it? Ene. He cares not, he'll obey conditions. Achil. 'Tis done like Hector; but securely done, A little proudly, and great deal misprizing

The knight oppos'd.

Ene.

What is your name?
Achil.

If not Achilles, sir,

If not Achilles, nothing.

Ene. 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:5
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.
Achil. A maiden battle then?-O, I perceive you.

Re-enter DIOMED.

Agam. Here is sir Diomed:-Go, gentle knight, Stand by our Ajax: as you and lord Æneas Consent upon the order of their fight,

4 Valour and pride excel themselves in Hector;] Shakspeare's thought is not exactly deduced. Nicety of expression is not his character. The meaning is plain : "Valour (says Æneas,) is in Hector greater than valour in other men, and pride in Hector is less than pride in other men. So that Hector is distinguished by the excellence of having pride less than other pride, and valour more than other valour." JOHNSON.

3

› This Ajax is half made of Hector's blood:] Ajax and Hector were cousin-germans.