Pan. Marry, at the white hair that Helen spied on Troilus' chin. 160 Cres. An't had been a green hair, I should have laughed too. Pan. They laughed not so much at the hair as at his pretty answer. Cres. What was his answer? Pan. Quoth she, 'Here's but two-and-fifty hairs on your chin, and one of them is white.' Cres. This is her question. Pan. That's true; make no question of that. 'Two-and-fifty hairs,' quoth he, and one white: that white hair is my father, and all the rest are his sons.' 'Jupiter!' quoth she, which of these hairs is Paris my husband?' 'The forked one,' quoth he; 'pluck 't out, and give it him.' But there was such laughing, and Helen so blushed, and Paris so chafed, and all the rest so laughed, that it passed. Cres. So let it now, for it has been a great while going by. Pan. Well, cousin, I told you a thing yesterday; think on 't. Cres. So I do. 181 Pan. I'll be sworn 'tis true: he will weep you, an 'twere a man born in April. Cres. And I'll spring up in his tears, an 'twere a nettle against May. A retreat sounded, Pan. Hark! they are coming from the field. Shall we stand up here, and see them as they pass toward Ilium? good niece, do; sweet niece Cressida. 190 Cres. At your pleasure. Pan. Here, here; here's an excellent place: here we may see most bravely. I'll tell you them all by their names as they pass by, but mark Troilus above the rest. Cres. Speak not so loud. ENEAS passes over the stage. Pan. That's Eneas: is not that a brave man? he's one of the flowers of Troy, I can tell you: but mark Troilus; you shall see anon. Cres. Who's that? ANTENOR passes over. 200 Pan. That's Hector, that, that, look you, that; there's a fellow! Go thy way, Hector! There's a brave man, niece. O brave Hector! Look how he looks! there's a countenance! Is 't not a brave man? Cres. O a brave man. Pan. Is a' not? It does a man's heart good. Look you what hacks are on his helmet! look you yonder, do you see? look you there: there's no jesting; there's laying on; take 't off who will, as they say: there be hacks! 220 Troilus! there's a man, niece! Hem! Brave Cres. Peace! for shame, peace! Look well upon him, niece: look you how his Pan. Mark him; note him. O brave Troilus! sword is bloodied, and his helin more hacked than Hector's; and how he looks, and how he goes. O admirable youth! he ne'er saw threeand-twenty. Go thy way, Troilus, go thy way! Had I a sister were a grace, or a daughter a goddess, he should take his choice. O admirable man! Paris Paris is dirt to him; and, I warrant, Helen, to change, would give an eye to boot. Cres. Here come more. Soldiers pass over. Pan. Asses, fools, dolts! chaff and bran, chaff and bran! porridge after meat! I could live and die i' the eyes of Troilus. Ne'er look, ne'er look; the eagles are gone: crows and daws, crows and daws! I had rather be such a man as Troilus than Agamemnon and all Greece. s Cres. There is among the Greeks Achilles, a better man than Troilus. Pan. Achilles! a drayman, a porter, a very camel. Cres. Well, well. Pan. 'Well, well!' Why, have you any discretion? have you any eyes? Do you know what a man is? Is not birth, beauty, good shape, discourse, manhood, learning, gentleness, virtue, youth, liberality, and so forth, the spice and salt that season a man? Cres. Ay, a minced man: and then to be baked with no date in the pie, for then the man's date's out. Pan. You are such a woman! one knows not at what ward you lie. Cres. Upon my back, to defend my belly; upon my wit, to defend my wiles; upon my secrecy, to defend mine honesty; my mask, to Pan. Swords! any thing, he cares not; an the defend my beauty; and you, to defend all these: Cres. Be those with swords? and at all these wards I lie, at a thousand | To find persistive constancy in men: watches. Pan. Say one of your watches. Cres. Nay, I'll watch you for that; and that's one of the chiefest of them too: if I cannot ward what I would not have hit, I can watch you for telling how I took the blow; unless it swell past hiding, and then it's past watching. Pan. You are such another! Enter TROILUS's Boy. 292 The fineness of which metal is not found 30 Nest. With due observance of thy god-like seat, Boy. Sir, my lord would instantly speak with Great Agamemnon, Nestor shall apply you. Pan. Where? Thy latest words. In the reproof of chance But let the ruffian Boreas once enrage 40 Bounding between the two moist elements, 50 As rous'd with rage, with rage doth sympathize, Fails in the promis'd largeness: checks and On which heaven rides, knit all the Greekish disasters 10 Grow in the veins of actions highest rear'd; Ulyss. Troy, yet upon his basis, had been down, And the great Hector's sword had lack'da master, But for these instances. That gave't surmised shape. Why then, you The specialty of rule hath been neglected: princes, Do you with cheeks abash'd behold our works, And think them shames? which are indeed nought else But the protractive trials of great Jove 20 And, look, how many Grecian tents do stand 81 100 Divert and crack, rend and deracinate Which is the ladder to all high designs, The enterprise is sick. How could communities, meets 110 In mere oppugnancy: the bounded waters Between whose endless jar justice resides, So doubly seconded with will and power, And last eat up himself. Great Agamemnon, And this neglection of degree it is That by a pace goes backward, in a purpose 120 130 And 'tis this fever that keeps Troy on foot, Ajam. The nature of the sickness found, 140 Such to-be-pitied and o'er-wrested seeming He acts thy greatness in: and when he speaks, 'Tis like a chime a-mending; with terms unsquar'd, Which, from the tongue of roaring Typhon dropp'd, 160 Would seem hyperboles. At this fusty stuff 171 As he being dress'd to some oration.' 180 Of their observant toil the enemies' weight,Why, this hath not a finger's dignity. Ulyss. The great Achilles, whom opinion They call this bed-work, mappery, closet-war ; crowns The sinew and the forehand of our host, So that the ram that batters down the wall, Ene. May one, that is a herald and a prince, Do a fair message to his kingly ears? Agam. Withsurety stronger than Achilles' arm 'Fore all the Greekish heads, which with one voice Call Agamemnon head and general. 221 If there be one among the fair'st of Greece That holds his honour higher than his ease, That seeks his praise more than he fears his peril, 270 That knows his valour, and knows not his fear, That loves his mistress more than in confession, With truant vows to her own lips he loves, And dare avow her beauty and her worth In other arms than hers,-to him this challenge. | Hector, in view of Trojans and of Greeks, Shall make it good, or do his best to do it, He hath a lady, wiser, fairer, truer, Than ever Greek did compass in his arms; And will to morrow with his trumpet call, Midway between your tents and walls of Troy, To rouse a Grecian that is true in love: If any come, Hector shall honour him ; 280 Ene. Fair leave and large security. How may If none, he 'll say in Troy when he retires, A stranger to those most imperial looks Know them from eyes of other mortals? Agam. Ene. Ay; I ask, that I might waken reverence, How! 230 Which is that god in office, guiding men? Which is the high and mighty Agamemnon? Agam. This Trojan scorns us; or the men of Troy Are ceremonious courtiers. Ene. Courtiers as free, as debonair, unarm'd, As bending angels; that's their fame in peace: But when they would seem soldiers, they have galls, Good arms, strong joints, true swords; and, Nothing so full of heart. But peace, Eneas! Agam. Sir, you of Troy, call you yourself Ene. Ay, Greek, that is my name. Ene. Sir, pardon; 'tis for Agamemnon's ears. Agam. He hears nought privately that comes from Troy. Ene. Nor I from Troy come not to whisper 292 If none of them have soul in such a kind, 301 Agam. Fair Lord Eneas, let me touch your hand; To our pavilion shall I lead you first. Exeunt all but ULYSSES and NESTOR. Ulyss. Nestor! Nest. What says Ulysses? 310 Ulyss. I have a young conception in my brain; Be you my time to bring it to some shape. Nest. What is 't? Nest. The purpose is perspicuous even as substance, Whose grossness little characters sum up: | And, in the publication, make no strain, But that Achilles, were his brain as barren Ay, with celerity, find Hector's purpose 330 Ulyss. And wake him to the answer, think you? Nest. Yes, 'tis most meet: whom may you else oppose, That can from Hector bring his honour off, If not Achilles? Though 't be a sportful combat, 340 Of things to come at large. It is suppos'd To steel a strong opinion to themselves? Ulyss. Give pardon to my speech: Therefore 'tis meet Achilles meet not Hector. Let us like merchants show our foulest wares, And think perchance they'll sell; if not, The lustre of the better yet to show Shall show the better. Do not consent That ever Hector and Achilles meet; For both our honour and our shame in this Are dogg'd with two strange followers. 350 360 itch. Nest. I see them not with my old eyes: what are they? Ulyss. What glory our Achilles shares from Hector, Were he not proud, we all should wear with him: But he already is too insolent; And we were better parch in Afric sun That we have better men. But, hit or miss, Now I begin to relish thy advice; And I will give a taste of it forthwith 380 |