For what he has, he gives, what thinks, he shows; [Alarum. HECTOR and AJAX fight. 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. Princes, enough, so please you. Ene. 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; A gory emulation 'twixt us twain. Were thy commixtion Greek and Trojan so, That thou couldst say-"This hand is Grecian all, Ajax. [They embrace.2 I thank thee, Hector: 1 impair in folio. Johnson suggested the change. 2 Not in f. e. Thou art too gentle, and too free a man. Hect. Not Neoptolemus so mirable On whose bright crest Fame with her loud'st Oyez Ene. There is expectance here from both the sides, What farther you will do. Hect. Dio. 'T is Agamemnon's wish; and great Achilles 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, mine 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. But in this extant moment, faith and troth, Ene. The noble Menelaus. Hect. O! you, my lord? by Mars his gauntlet, thanks. Mock not, that I affect th' 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, Through ranks of Greekish youth: and I have seen thee, And I have seen thee pause, and take thy breath, Never like thee. Let an old man embrace thee; Hect. Let me embrace thee, good old chronicle, Nest. I would my arms could match thee in contention, As they contend with thee in courtesy. Hect. I would they could. Nest. Ha! by this white beard, I'd fight with thee Well, welcome, welcome! I have seen the time. In Ilion, on your Greekish embassy. Ulyss. Sir, I foretold you then what would ensue : My prophecy is but half his journey yet; For yonder walls, that portly front your town, 1 And seen thee scorning: in folio. Hect. I must not believe you. There they stand yet; and modestly I think, Will one day end it. Ulyss. So to him we leave it. Most gentle, and most valiant Hector, welcome. To feast with me, and see me at my tent. Achil. I shall forestall thee, lord Ulysses, then.— Now, Hector, I have fed mine eyes on thee: I have with exact view perus'd thee, Hector, And quoted1 joint by joint. Hect. Achil. I am Achilles. Is this Achilles ? Hect. Stand fair, I pray thee: let me look on thee. Achil. Behold thy fill. Hect. Nay, I have done already. Achil. Thou art too brief: I will the second time, As I would buy thee, view thee limb by limb. Hect. O! like a book of sport thou 'It read me o'er; But there's more in me than thou understand'st. Why dost thou so oppress me with thine eye? Achil. Tell me, you heavens, in which part of his body Shall I destroy him, whether there, there, or there ? And make distinct the very breach, whereout To answer such a question. Stand again; Think'st thou to catch my life so pleasantly, As to predominate in nice conjecture, Where thou wilt hit me dead? Achil. I tell thee, yea. Hect. Wert thou an2 oracle to tell me so, 1 Noted. 2 the in folio. 3 A stith, is an anvil. But I'll endeavour deeds to match these words, Ajax. Achil. Dost thou entreat me, Hector? To-morrow, do I meet thee, fell as death; To-night, all friends. Hect. Thy hand upon that match. Agam. 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 tabourines, let the trumpets blow, That this great soldier may his welcome know. [Exeunt all but TROILUS and ULYSSES. Tro. My lord Ulysses, tell me, I beseech you, In what place of the field doth Calchas keep? Ulyss. 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. Tro. Shall I, sweet lord, be bound to you so much, After we part from Agamemnon's tent, To bring me thither? Ulyss. You shall command me, sir. This Cressida in Troy? Had she no lover there Tro. 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. |