What is your name?
Achil.

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:
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,

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 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 impairs 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 :

Breathing, exercise.
§ Unsuitable to his character.

+ Stops.

No boaster.

| Yields, gives way.

They call him Troilus; and on him erect
A second hope, as fairly built as Hector.
Thus says Æneas; 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.

Agam. They are in action.

Nest. Now, Ajax, hold thine own!

Tro.

Awake thee!

Hector, thou sleep'st ;

[Trumpets cease.

Princes, enough, so please you.

Agam. His blows are well dispos'd:-there, Ajax! Dio. You must no more.

Ene.

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 commixion 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 hence
* Explain his character. + Bloody.

Right.

§ Left.

A great addition* earned in thy death.
Hect. Not Neoptolemust 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 seldt I have the chance,) I would desire
My famous cousin to our Grecian tents.

Dio. 'Tis Agamemnon's wish: and great Achilles
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 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.
Hect. I thank thee, most imperious§ Agamemnon.
Agam. My well-fam'd lord of Troy, no less to you.
[To Troilus.
Men. Let me confirm my princely brother's greet-

* Title.

ing;
† Achilles.

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, 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'the air,
Not letting it decline on the declin'd‡;
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: Let an old man embrace thee;
And, worthy warrior, welcome to our tents.
Ene. 'Tis the old Nestor.

Hect. 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. Nest. I would, my arms could match thee in contention,

As they contend with thee in courtesy.

Hect. I would they could.

* Singular, not common.

+ Heretofore.

+ Fallen,

§ Laomedon.

Nest. Ha!

By this white beard, I'd fight with thee to-morrow.
Well, welcome, welcome! I have seen the time-
Ulyss. I wonder now how yonder city stands,
When we have here her base and pillar by us.
Hect. I know your favour, lord Ulysses, well.
Ab, sir, there's many a Greek and Trojan dead,
Since first I saw yourself and Diomed

In Ilion, on your Greekish embassy.

Ulyss. Sir, I foretold you then what would ensue : My prophesy is but half his journey yet ;

For yonder walls, that pertly front your town,
Yon towers, whose wanton tops do buss the clouds,
Must kiss their own feet.

Hect.
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.

Ulyss.

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.

Achil. 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.

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'lt read me

o'er ;

But there's more in me than thou understand'st.

* Observed.