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And did him service: he touch'd the ports desired; And, for an old aunt,1 whom the Greeks held captive,

He brought a Grecian queen, whose youth and freshness

Wrinkles Apollo's, and makes pale the morning.
Why keep we her? the Grecians keep our aunt.
Is she worth keeping? why, she is a pearl,
Whose price hath launch'd above a thousand ships,
And turn'd crown'd kings to merchants.

If

you 'll avouch, 'twas wisdom Paris went,

(As you must needs, for you all cried—' Go, go!')
If you'll confess, he brought home noble prize,
(As you must needs, for you all clapp'd your hands,
And cried Inestimable!') why do you now
The issue of your proper wisdoms rate;
And do a deed that Fortune never did,
Beggar the estimation which you prized
Richer than sea and land? O theft most base;
That we have stolen what we do fear to keep!
But, thieves, unworthy of a thing so stolen,
That in their country did them that disgrace,
We fear to warrant in our native place!

Cas. [within.] Cry, Trojans, cry!

Pri.

What noise? what shriek is this?

Troi. 'Tis our mad sister; I do know her voice.
Cas. [within.] Cry, Trojans !

Hec. It is Cassandra.

1 Priam's sister, Hesione.

[graphic][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small]

Enter CASSANDRA, raving.

Cas. Cry, Trojans, cry! lend me ten thousand

eyes,

And I will fill them with prophetic tears.

Hec. Peace, sister, peace.

Cas. Virgins and boys, mid-age and wrinkled elders,

Soft infancy, that nothing canst but cry,
Add to my clamors! let us pay betimes
A moiety of that mass of moan to come.
Cry, Trojans, cry! practise your eyes with tears!
Troy must not be, nor goodly Ilion stand:
Our firebrand brother, Paris, burns us all.
Cry, Trojans, cry! a Helen, and a woe!

Cry, cry! Troy burns, or else let Helen go. [Exit. Hec. Now, youthful Troilus, do not these high strains

Of divination in our sister work

Some touches of remorse? or is your blood
So madly hot, that no discourse of reason,
Nor fear of bad success in a bad cause,

Can qualify the same?

Troi.

Why, brother Hector,

We may not think the justness of each act
Such and no other than event doth form it;
Nor once deject the courage of our minds,
Because Cassandra's mad: her brain-sick raptures
Cannot distaste 1 the goodness of a quarrel,

1 Corrupt, change to a worse state.

Which hath our several honors all engaged

To make it gracious. For my private part,

I am no more touch'd than all Priam's sons:

And Jove forbid, there should be done amongst us Such things as might offend the weakest spleen To fight for and maintain !

Par. Else might the world convince2 of levity
As well my undertakings, as your counsels :
But I attest the gods, your full consent
Gave wings to my propension, and cut off
All fears attending on so dire a project.
For what, alas, can these my single arms?
What propugnation 3 is in one man's valor,
To stand the push and enmity of those
This quarrel would excite? Yet, I protest,
Were I alone to pass the difficulties,
And had as ample power as I have will,

Paris should ne'er retract what he hath done,
Nor faint in the pursuit.

Pri.

Paris, you speak

Like one besotted on your sweet delights :
You have the honey still, but these the gall;
So to be valiant, is no praise at all.

Par. Sir, I propose not merely to myself
The pleasures such a beauty brings with it;
But I would have the soil of her fair rape
Wiped off in honorable keeping her.

1 To show it to advantage.

Defence.

2 Convict.

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