Ther. No? why art thou then exasperate, thou idle immaterial skein of sleivel silk, thou green sarcenet flap for a sore eye, thou tassel of a prodigal's purse, thou? Ah, how the poor world is pestered with such water-flies; diminutives of nature! Patr. Out, gall!

Ther. Finch-egg!

Achil. 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. [Exeunt Achil. and Patr.
Ther. With too much blood, and too little brain,
these two may run mad; but if with too much
brain, and too little blood, they do, I'll be a curer
of madmen. Here's Agamemnon,-an honest fel-
low enough, and one that loves quails;2 but he has
not so much brain as ear-wax: And the goodly
transformation of Jupiter there, his brother, the
bull,-the primitive statue, and oblique memorial
of cuckolds a thrifty shoeing-horn in a chain,
hanging at his brother's leg,-to what form, but
that he is, should wit larded with malice, and ma-
lice forced with wit, turn him to? To an ass, were
nothing; he is both ass and ox: to an ox, were
nothing; he is both ox and ass. To be a dog, a
mule, a cat, a fitchew,5 a toad, a lizard, an owl, a
puttock, or a herring without a roe, I would not
care: but to be Menelaus,-I would conspire against
destiny. Ask me not what I would be, if I were not
Thersites; for I care not to be the louse of a lazar,6

(1) Coarse, unwrought.
(3) Menelaus. (4) Stuffed.
(6) A diseased beggar.

(2) Harlots.
(5) Polecat.

so I were not Menelaus.-Hey day! spirits and fires!

Enter Hector, Troilus, Ajax, Agamemnon, Ulysses, Nestor, Menelaus, and Diomed, with lights. Agam. We go wrong, we go wrong.

Ajax.

There, where we see the lights.

No, yonder 'tis ;

I trouble you.

Here comes himself to guide you.

Enter Achilles.

Achil. Welcome, brave Hector; welcome, princes all.

Agam. So now, fair prince of Troy, I bid good night.

Ajax commands the guard to tend on you.

Hect. Thanks, and good night, to the Greeks' general.

Men. Good night, my lord.

Hect.

Good night, sweet Menelaus. Ther. Sweet draught:1 Sweet, quoth 'a! sweet sink, sweet sewer.

Achil. Good night,

And welcome, both to those that go, or tarry. Agam. Good night. [Exe. Agam. and Men. Achil Old Nestor tarries; and you too, Diomed, Keep Hector company an hour or two.

Dio. I cannot, lord; I have important business, The tide whereof is now.-Good night, great

Hector.

Hect. Give me your hand.

Ulyss.

To Calchas' tent; I'll keep you company.

Follow his torch, he goes

[Aside to Troilus.

And so good night.

Tro. Sweet sir, you honour me.

Hect.

[Exit Diomed; Ulyss. and Tro. following.

(1) Privy.

Achil Come, come, enter my tent.

[Exeunt Achilles, Hector, Ajax, and Nestor. Ther. That same Diomed's a false-hearted rogue, a most unjust knave; I will no more trust him when he leers, than I will a serpent when he hisses: he will spend his mouth, and promise, like Brabler the hound; but when he performs, astronomers foretell it; it is prodigious, there will come some change; the sun borrows of the moon, when Diomed keeps his word. I will rather leave to see Hector, than not to dog him: they say, he keeps a Trojan drab, and uses the traitor Calchas' tent: I'll after.-Nothing but lechery! all incontinent varlets! [Exit. SCENE II-The same. Before Calchas' tent. Enter Diomedes.

Dio. What, are you up here, ho? speak.
Cal. [Within.] Who calls?

Dio. Diomed-Calchas, I think.-Where's your daughter?

Cal. [Within.] She comes to you.

Enter Troilus and Ulysses, at a distance; after them Thersites.

Ulyss. Stand where the torch may not discover us.

Enter Cressida.

Tro Cressid come forth to him!

Dio.

How now, my charge?

[Whispers.

Cres. Now, my sweet guardian!-Hark! a word

with you.

Tro. Yea, so familiar!

Ulyss. She will sing any man at first sight.

Ther. And any man may sing her, if he can take

her cliff;2 she's noted.

Dio. Will you remember?

Cres.

Remember? yes.

(2) Key.

(1) Portentous, ominous.

Dio.

Nay, but do then;

And let your mind be coupled with your words. Tro. What should she remember?

Ulyss. List!

Cres. Sweet honey Greek, tempt me no more to folly.

Ther. Roguery!

Dio. Nay, then,

Cres.

I'll tell you what:

Dio. Pho! pho! come, tell a pin: You are for

sworn.

Cres. In faith, I cannot: What would you have me do?

Ther. A juggling trick, to be-secretly open. Dio. What did you swear you would bestow on me??

Cres. I pr'ythee, do not hold me to mine oath; Bid me do any thing but that, sweet Greek.

Dio. Good night.

Tro.

Hold, patience!

How now, Trojan?

Diomed,

Dio. No, no, good night: I'll be your fool no

Hark! one word in your ear.

Tro. O plague and madness!

Ulyss. You are mov'd, prince; let us depart, I

pray you,

Lest your displeasure should enlarge itself
To wrathful terms: this place is dangerous;
The time right deadly; I beseech you, go.
Tro. Behold, I pray you!

Ulyss.

You flow to great destruction; come, my lord.

Now, good my lord, go off:

You have not patience; come.

Tro. I pr'ythee, stay.

Ulyss

Tro. I pray you, stay; by hell, and all hell's

torments,

I will not speak a word,

Dio.

And so, good night.

Cres. Nay, but you part in anger.

Why, how now, lord?

Tro.

-Doth that grieve thee?

O wither'd truth!

Ulyss.
Tro.

By Jove,

I will be patient.

Cres.

Guardian!-why, Greek! Dio. Pho, pho! adieu; you palter.1

Cres. In faith, I do not; come hither once again. Ulyss. You shake, my lord, at something; will you go?

You will break out.

Tro.
Ulyss

She strokes his cheek!

Come, come.

Tro. Nay, stay; by Jove, I will not speak a word:

There is between my will and all offences,
A guard of patience:-stay a little while.

Ther. How the devil luxury, with his fat rump and potatoe finger, tickles these together! Fry, lechery, fry!

Dio. But will you then?

Cres. In faith, I will, la; never trust me else. Dio. Give me some token for the surety of it. Cres. I'll fetch you one.

[Exit.

Fear me not, my lord;

Ulyss. You have sworn patience.

Tro.
I will not be myself, nor have cognition?
Of what I feel; I am all patience.

Re-enter Cressida.

Ther. Now the pledge; now, now, now!
Cres. Here, Diomed, keep this sleeve.
Tro. O beauty! where's thy faith?
Ulyss.

My lord,--
Tro. I will be patient; outwardly I will.
Cres. You look upon that sleeve; Behold it

well.

(1) Shuffle.

(2) Knowledge.