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. 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 Achilles bids you welcome. [lady: 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.

O, this is trim!

Men.
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.

[none. Cres. You're an odd man; give even, or give 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.

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

Ulyss. Cres.

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 [DIOMED leads out CRESSIDA.

father. 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, 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 Trojan's 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 pur

pose,

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.

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

Ene. Therefore
know this;-

If not Achilles, sir,

If not Achilles, nothing. Achilles: But, whate'er,

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.
[you.
Achil. A maiden battle then?-O, I perceive

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,
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 the lists.

Ulyss. They are oppos'd already.

Agam. What Trojan is that same that looks so heavy?

Ulyss. 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 provoked, 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 Eneas; 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 AJAX fight.

VOL. VI.

M

Agam. They are in action.

Nest. Now, Ajax, hold thine own!

Tro.

Awake thee!

Hector, thou sleep'st;

Agam. His blows are well dispos'd :—there,

Ajax! Dio. You must no more. [Trumpets cease. Ene. Princes, enough, so please you. Ajax. I am not warm yet, let us fight again. Dio. As Hector pleases.

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 could'st 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 dexter cheek, and this sinister

Bounds-in my father's; By Jove multipotent, Thou should'st 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'st from thy mother,
My sacred aunt, should by my mortal sword
Be drain'd! 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 bence
A great addition earned in thy death.
Hect. Not Neoptolemus so mirable

(On whose bright crest Fame with her loud'st O yes

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; 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.
Dio. 'Tis Agamemnon's wish

Achilles

and great

Doth long to see unarm'd the valiant Hector. Hect. Æneas, call my brother Troilus to me: And signify this loving interview

To the expecters of our Trojan part;

Desire them home.-Give me thy hand, my cousin ;

I will go eat with thee, and see your knights. Ajax. Great Agamemnon comes to meet us here.

Hect. 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.
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 busks

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.

Hect. I thank thee, most imperious Agamem

non.

Agam. My well-fam'd lord of Troy, no less to [To TROILUS. Men. Let me confirm my princely brother's

you.

greeting;

You brace of warlike brothers, welcome hither. Hect. Whom must we answer?

Men.

The noble Menelaus. Hect. 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. Men. Name her not now, sir; she's a deadly theme.

Hect. O, pardon; I offend.

Nest. I have, thou gallant Trojan, seen thee oft,