The History of Troilus and Cressida

  PANDARUS. Here, here, here he comes. Ah, sweet ducks!  CRESSIDA. O Troilus! Troilus! [Embracing him]  PANDARUS. What a pair of spectacles is here! Let me embracetoo. 'O    heart,' as the goodly saying is,          O heart, heavy heart,       Why sigh'st thou without breaking?    where he answers again       Because thou canst not ease thy smart       By friendship nor by speaking.    There was never a truer rhyme. Let us cast away nothing, forwe    may live to have need of such a verse. We see it, we see it.How    now, lambs!  TROILUS. Cressid, I love thee in so strain'd a purity    That the bless'd gods, as angry with my fancy,    More bright in zeal than the devotion which    Cold lips blow to their deities, take thee from me.  CRESSIDA. Have the gods envy?  PANDARUS. Ay, ay, ay; 'tis too plain a case.  CRESSIDA. And is it true that I must go from Troy?  TROILUS. A hateful truth.  CRESSIDA. What, and from Troilus too?  TROILUS. From Troy and Troilus.  CRESSIDA. Is't possible?  TROILUS. And suddenly; where injury of chance    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'd 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.  AENEAS. [Within] My lord, is the lady ready?  TROILUS. Hark! you are call'd. Some say the Genius so    Cries 'Come' to him that instantly must die.    Bid them have patience; she shall come anon.  PANDARUS. Where are my tears? Rain, to lay this wind, or myheart    will be blown up by th' root?

Exit

  CRESSIDA. I must then to the Grecians?  TROILUS. No remedy.  CRESSIDA. A woeful Cressid 'mongst the merry Greeks!    When shall we see again?  TROILUS. Hear me, my love. Be thou but true of heart-  CRESSIDA. I true! how now! What wicked deem is this?  TROILUS. Nay, we must use expostulation kindly,    For it is parting from us.    I speak not 'Be thou true' as fearing thee,    For I will throw my glove to Death himself    That there's no maculation in thy heart;    But 'Be thou true' say I to fashion in    My sequent protestation: be thou true,    And I will see thee.  CRESSIDA. O, you shall be expos'd, my lord, to dangers    As infinite as imminent! But I'll be true.  TROILUS. And I'll grow friend with danger. Wear this sleeve.  CRESSIDA. And you this glove. When shall I see you?  TROILUS. I will corrupt the Grecian sentinels    To give thee nightly visitation.    But yet be true.  CRESSIDA. O heavens! 'Be true' again!  TROILUS. Hear why I speak it, love.    The Grecian youths are full of quality;    They're loving, well compos'd with gifts of nature,    And flowing o'er with arts and exercise.    How novelties may move, and parts with person,    Alas, a kind of godly jealousy,    Which I beseech you call a virtuous sin,    Makes me afeard.  CRESSIDA. O heavens! you love me not.  TROILUS. 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;    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.  CRESSIDA. Do you think I will?  TROILUS. 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.  AENEAS. [Within] Nay, good my lord!  TROILUS. Come, kiss; and let us part.  PARIS. [Within] Brother Troilus!  TROILUS. Good brother, come you hither;    And bring Aeneas and the Grecian with you.  CRESSIDA. My lord, will you be true?  TROILUS. Who, I? Alas, it is my vice, my fault!    Whiles others fish with craft for great opinion,    I with great truth catch mere simplicity;    Whilst some with cunning gild their copper crowns,    With truth and plainness I do wear mine bare.

Enter AENEAS, PARIS, ANTENOR, DEIPHOBUS, and DIOMEDES

    Fear not my truth: the moral of my wit    Is 'plain and true'; there's all the reach of it.    Welcome, Sir Diomed! Here is the lady    Which for Antenor we deliver you;    At the port, lord, I'll give 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 the    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 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 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[Sound trumpet]  PARIS. Hark! Hector's trumpet.  AENEAS. How have we spent this morning!    The Prince must think me tardy and remiss,    That swore 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

ACT IV. SCENE 5. 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    Out-swell the colic of puff Aquilon'd.    Come, stretch thy chest, and let thy eyes spout blood:    Thou blowest for Hector. [Trumpetsounds]  ULYSSES. No trumpet answers.  ACHILLES. 'Tis but early days.

Enter DIOMEDES, with CRESSIDA

  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.  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 that 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 thus 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-                                                   [Kisses heragain]    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 are 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' th' 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 encounters so glib of tongue    That give a coasting 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. [Trumpetwithin]  ALL. The Troyans' trumpet.Enter HECTOR, armed; AENEAS, TROILUS, PARIS, HELENUS, and other Trojans, with attendants  AGAMEMNON. Yonder comes the troop.  AENEAS. 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    Pursue each other, or shall they 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 oppos'd.  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 Troyan and half Greek.  ACHILLES. A maiden battle then? O, I perceive you!

Re-enter DIOMEDES

  AGAMEMNON. Here is Sir Diomed. Go, gentle knight,    Stand by our Ajax. As you and Lord ]Eneas    Consent upon the order of their fight,    So be it; either to the uttermost,    Or else a breath. The combatants being kin    Half stints their strife before their strokes begin.                                    [AJAX and HECTOR enter thelists]  ULYSSES. They are oppos'd already.  AGAMEMNON. What Troyan is that same that looks so heavy?  ULYSSES. The youngest son of Priam, a true knight;    Not yet mature, yet matchless; firm of word;    Speaking in deeds and deedless in his tongue;    Not soon provok'd, nor being provok'd soon calm'd;    His heart and hand both open and both free;    For what he has he gives, what thinks he shows,    Yet gives he not till judgment guide his bounty,    Nor dignifies an impair 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 vindicative than jealous love.    They call him Troilus, and on him erect    A second hope as fairly built as Hector.    Thus says Aeneas, one that knows the youth    Even to his inches, and, with private soul,    Did in great Ilion thus translate him to me.                                      [Alarum. HECTOR and AJAXfight]  AGAMEMNON. They are in action.  NESTOR. Now, Ajax, hold thine own!  TROILUS. Hector, thou sleep'st;    Awake thee.  AGAMEMNON. His blows are well dispos'd. There, Ajax!                                                     [Trumpetscease]  DIOMEDES. You must no more.  AENEAS. Princes, enough, so please you.  AJAX. I am not warm yet; let us fight again.  DIOMEDES. As Hector pleases.  HECTOR. 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 Troyan so    That thou could'st say 'This hand is Grecian all,    And this is Troyan; the sinews of this leg    All Greek, and this all Troy; my mother's blood    Runs on the dexter cheek, and this sinister    Bounds in my father's'; by Jove multipotent,    Thou shouldst not bear from me a Greekish member    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.  HECTOR. Not Neoptolemus so mirable,    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.  AENEAS. There is expectance here from both the sides    What further you will do.  HECTOR. We'll answer it:    The issue is embracement. Ajax, farewell.  AJAX. If I might in entreaties find success,    As seld I have the chance, I would desire    My famous cousin to our Grecian tents.  DIOMEDES. 'Tis Agamemnon's wish; and great Achilles    Doth long to see unarm'd the valiant Hector.  HECTOR. Aeneas, call my brother Troilus to me,    And signify this loving interview    To the expecters of our Troyan part;    Desire them home. Give me thy hand, my cousin;    I will go eat with thee, and see your knights.AGAMEMNON and the rest of the Greeks come forward  AJAX. Great Agamemnon comes to meet us here.  HECTOR. The worthiest of them tell me name by name;    But for Achilles, my own searching eyes    Shall find him by his large and portly size.  AGAMEMNON.Worthy all 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, welcome.  HECTOR. I thank thee, most imperious Agamemnon.  AGAMEMNON. [To Troilus] My well-fam'd lord of Troy, no less toyou.  MENELAUS. Let me confirm my princely brother's greeting.    You brace of warlike brothers, welcome hither.  HECTOR. Who must we answer?  AENEAS. The noble Menelaus.  HECTOR. O you, my lord? By Mars his gauntlet, thanks!    Mock not that I affect the untraded oath;    Your quondam wife swears still by Venus' glove.    She's well, but bade me not commend her to you.  MENELAUS. Name her not now, sir; she's a deadly theme.  HECTOR. O, pardon; I offend.  NESTOR. I have, thou gallant Troyan, seen thee oft,    Labouring for destiny, make cruel way    Through ranks of Greekish youth; and I have seen thee,    As hot as Perseus, spur thy Phrygian steed,    Despising many forfeits and subduements,    When thou hast hung thy advanced sword i' th' air,    Not letting it decline on the declined;    That I have said to some my standers-by    'Lo, Jupiter is yonder, dealing life!'    And I have seen thee pause and take thy breath,    When that a ring of Greeks have hemm'd thee in,    Like an Olympian wrestling. This have I seen;    But this thy countenance, still lock'd in steel,    I never saw till now. I knew thy grandsire,    And once fought with him. He was a soldier good,    But, by great Mars, the captain of us all,    Never like thee. O, let an old man embrace thee;    And, worthy warrior, welcome to our tents.  AENEAS. 'Tis the old Nestor.  HECTOR. Let me embrace thee, good old chronicle,    That hast so long walk'd hand in hand with time.    Most reverend Nestor, I am glad to clasp thee.  NESTOR. I would my arms could match thee in contention    As they contend with thee in courtesy.  HECTOR. I would they could.  NESTOR. Ha!    By this white beard, I'd fight with thee to-morrow.    Well, welcome, welcome! I have seen the time.  ULYSSES. I wonder now how yonder city stands,    When we have here her base and pillar by us.  HECTOR. I know your favour, Lord Ulysses, well.    Ah, sir, there's many a Greek and Troyan dead,    Since first I saw yourself and Diomed    In Ilion on your Greekish embassy.  ULYSSES. Sir, I foretold you then what would ensue.    My prophecy is but half his journey yet;    For yonder walls, that pertly front your town,    Yond towers, whose wanton tops do buss the clouds,    Must kiss their own feet.  HECTOR. I must not believe you.    There they stand yet; and modestly I think    The fall of every Phrygian stone will cost    A drop of Grecian blood. The end crowns all;    And that old common arbitrator, Time,    Will one day end it.  ULYSSES. So to him we leave it.    Most gentle and most valiant Hector, welcome.    After the General, I beseech you next    To feast with me and see me at my tent.  ACHILLES. I shall forestall thee, Lord Ulysses, thou!    Now, Hector, I have fed mine eyes on thee;    I have with exact view perus'd thee, Hector,    And quoted joint by joint.  HECTOR. Is this Achilles?  ACHILLES. I am Achilles.  HECTOR. Stand fair, I pray thee; let me look on thee.  ACHILLES. Behold thy fill.  HECTOR. Nay, I have done already.  ACHILLES. Thou art too brief. I will the second time,    As I would buy thee, view thee limb by limb.  HECTOR. O, like a book of sport thou'lt read me o'er;    But there's more in me than thou understand'st.    Why dost thou so oppress me with thine eye?  ACHILLES. Tell me, you heavens, in which part of his body    Shall I destroy him? Whether there, or there, or there?    That I may give the local wound a name,    And make distinct the very breach whereout    Hector's great spirit flew. Answer me, heavens.  HECTOR. It would discredit the blest gods, proud man,    To answer such a question. Stand again.    Think'st thou to catch my life so pleasantly    As to prenominate in nice conjecture    Where thou wilt hit me dead?  ACHILLES. I tell thee yea.  HECTOR. Wert thou an oracle to tell me so,    I'd not believe thee. Henceforth guard thee well;    For I'll not kill thee there, nor there, nor there;    But, by the forge that stithied Mars his helm,    I'll kill thee everywhere, yea, o'er and o'er.    You wisest Grecians, pardon me this brag.    His insolence draws folly from my lips;    But I'll endeavour deeds to match these words,    Or may I never-  AJAX. Do not chafe thee, cousin;    And you, Achilles, let these threats alone    Till accident or purpose bring you to't.    You may have every day enough of Hector,    If you have stomach. The general state, I fear,    Can scarce entreat you to be odd with him.  HECTOR. I pray you let us see you in the field;    We have had pelting wars since you refus'd    The Grecians' cause.  ACHILLES. Dost thou entreat me, Hector?    To-morrow do I meet thee, fell as death;    To-night all friends.  HECTOR. Thy hand upon that match.  AGAMEMNON. First, all you peers of Greece, go to my tent;    There in the full convive we; afterwards,    As Hector's leisure and your bounties shall    Concur together, severally entreat him.    Beat loud the tambourines, let the trumpets blow,    That this great soldier may his welcome know.Exeunt all but TROILUS and ULYSSES  TROILUS. My Lord Ulysses, tell me, I beseech you,    In what place of the field doth Calchas keep?  ULYSSES. At Menelaus' tent, most princely Troilus.    There Diomed doth feast with him to-night,    Who neither looks upon the heaven nor earth,    But gives all gaze and bent of amorous view    On the fair Cressid.  TROILUS. Shall I, sweet lord, be bound to you so much,    After we part from Agamemnon's tent,    To bring me thither?  ULYSSES. You shall command me, sir.    As gentle tell me of what honour was    This Cressida in Troy? Had she no lover there    That wails her absence?  TROILUS. O, sir, to such as boasting show their scars    A mock is due. Will you walk on, my lord?    She was belov'd, she lov'd; she is, and doth;    But still sweet love is food for fortune's tooth.

Exeunt

ACT V. SCENE 1. The Grecian camp. Before the tent of ACHILLES

Enter ACHILLES and PATROCLUS

  ACHILLES. I'll heat his blood with Greekish wine to-night,    Which with my scimitar I'll cool to-morrow.    Patroclus, let us feast him to the height.  PATROCLUS. Here comes Thersites.

Enter THERSITES

  ACHILLES. How now, thou core of envy!    Thou crusty batch of nature, what's the news?  THERSITES. Why, thou picture of what thou seemest, and idol of    idiot worshippers, here's a letter for thee.  ACHILLES. From whence, fragment?  THERSITES. Why, thou full dish of fool, from Troy.  PATROCLUS. Who keeps the tent now?  THERSITES. The surgeon's box or the patient's wound.  PATROCLUS. Well said, Adversity! and what needs these tricks?  THERSITES. Prithee, be silent, boy; I profit not by thy talk;thou    art said to be Achilles' male varlet.  PATROCLUS. Male varlet, you rogue! What's that?  THERSITES. Why, his masculine whore. Now, the rotten diseasesof    the south, the guts-griping ruptures, catarrhs, loads o'gravel    in the back, lethargies, cold palsies, raw eyes, dirt-rotten    livers, wheezing lungs, bladders full of imposthume,sciaticas,    limekilns i' th' palm, incurable bone-ache, and the rivelledfee-    simple of the tetter, take and take again such preposterous    discoveries!  PATROCLUS. Why, thou damnable box of envy, thou, what meanestthou    to curse thus?  THERSITES. Do I curse thee?  PATROCLUS. Why, no, you ruinous butt; you whoreson    indistinguishable cur, no.  THERSITES. No! Why art thou, then, exasperate, thou idleimmaterial    skein of sleid silk, thou green sarcenet flap for a sore eye,    thou tassel of a prodigal's purse, thou? Ah, how the poorworld is    pest'red with such water-flies-diminutives of nature!  PATROCLUS. Out, gall!  THERSITES. Finch egg!  ACHILLES. My sweet Patroclus, I am thwarted quite    From my great purpose in to-morrow's battle.    Here is a letter from Queen Hecuba,    A token from her daughter, my fair love,    Both taxing me and gaging me to keep    An oath that I have sworn. I will not break it.    Fall Greeks; fail fame; honour or go or stay;    My major vow lies here, this I'll obey.    Come, come, Thersites, help to trim my tent;    This night in banqueting must all be spent.    Away, Patroclus! Exit withPATROCLUS  THERSITES. With too much blood and too little brain these twomay    run mad; but, if with too much brain and to little blood theydo,    I'll be a curer of madmen. Here's Agamemnon, an honest fellow    enough, and one that loves quails, but he has not so muchbrain    as ear-wax; and the goodly transformation of Jupiter there,his    brother, the bull, the primitive statue and oblique memorialof    cuckolds, a thrifty shoeing-horn in a chain, hanging at his    brother's leg-to what form but that he is, should wit lardedwith    malice, and malice forced with wit, turn him to? To an ass,were    nothing: he is both ass and ox. To an ox, were nothing: he isboth    ox and ass. To be a dog, a mule, a cat, a fitchew, a toad, a    lizard, an owl, a put-tock, or a herring without a roe, Iwould    not care; but to be Menelaus, I would conspire againstdestiny.    Ask me not what I would be, if I were not Thersites; for Icare    not to be the louse of a lazar, so I were not Menelaus.Hey-day!    sprites and fires!Enter HECTOR, TROILUS, AJAX, AGAMEMNON, ULYSSES, NESTOR, MENELAUS, and DIOMEDES, with lights  AGAMEMNON. We go wrong, we go wrong.  AJAX. No, yonder 'tis;    There, where we see the lights.  HECTOR. I trouble you.  AJAX. No, not a whit.

Re-enter ACHILLES