Lists set out. Enter AJAX, armed; AGAMEMNON, ACHILLES, PATROCLUS, MENELAUS, ULYSSES, NESTOR, and others AGAMEMNON Here art thou in appointment fresh and fair, Anticipating time with starting courage.
Give with thy trumpet a loud note to Troy, Thou dreadful Ajax; that the appalled air May pierce the head of the great combatant And hale him hither. AJAX Thou, trumpet, there's my purse.
Now crack thy lungs, and split thy brazen pipe:
Blow, villain, till thy sphered bias cheek Outswell the colic of puff'd Aquilon:
Come, stretch thy chest and let thy eyes spout blood;
Thou blow'st for Hector.
Trumpet sounds ULYSSES No trumpet answers. ACHILLES 'Tis but early days. AGAMEMNON Is not yond Diomed, with Calchas' daughter? ULYSSES 'Tis he, I ken the manner of his gait;
He rises on the toe: that spirit of his In aspiration lifts him from the earth.
Enter DIOMEDES, with CRESSIDA AGAMEMNON Is this the Lady Cressid? DIOMEDES Even she. AGAMEMNON Most dearly welcome to the Greeks, sweet lady. NESTOR Our general doth salute you with a kiss. ULYSSES Yet is the kindness but particular;
'Twere better she were kiss'd in general. NESTOR And very courtly counsel: I'll begin.
So much for Nestor. ACHILLES I'll take what winter from your lips, fair lady:
Achilles bids you welcome. MENELAUS I had good argument for kissing once. PATROCLUS But that's no argument for kissing now;
For this popp'd Paris in his hardiment, And parted thus you and your argument. ULYSSES O deadly gall, and theme of all our scorns!
For which we lose our heads to gild his horns. PATROCLUS The first was Menelaus' kiss; this, mine:
Patroclus kisses you. MENELAUS O, this is trim! PATROCLUS Paris and I kiss evermore for him. MENELAUS I'll have my kiss, sir. Lady, by your leave. CRESSIDA In kissing, do you render or receive? PATROCLUS Both take and give. CRESSIDA I'll make my match to live, The kiss you take is better than you give;
Therefore no kiss. MENELAUS I'll give you boot, I'll give you three for one. CRESSIDA You're an odd man; give even or give none. MENELAUS An odd man, lady! every man is odd. CRESSIDA No, Paris is not; for you know 'tis true, That you are odd, and he is even with you. MENELAUS You fillip me o' the head. CRESSIDA No, I'll be sworn. ULYSSES It were no match, your nail against his horn.
May I, sweet lady, beg a kiss of you? CRESSIDA You may. ULYSSES I do desire it. CRESSIDA Why, beg, then. ULYSSES Why then for Venus' sake, give me a kiss, When Helen is a maid again, and his. CRESSIDA I am your debtor, claim it when 'tis due. ULYSSES Never's my day, and then a kiss of you. DIOMEDES Lady, a word: I'll bring you to your father.
Exit with CRESSIDA NESTOR A woman of quick sense. ULYSSES Fie, fie upon her!
There's language in her eye, her cheek, her lip, Nay, her foot speaks; her wanton spirits look out At every joint and motive of her body.
O, these encounterers, so glib of tongue, That give accosting welcome ere it comes, And wide unclasp the tables of their thoughts To every ticklish reader! set them down For sluttish spoils of opportunity And daughters of the game.
Trumpet within ALL The Trojans' trumpet. AGAMEMNON Yonder comes the troop.
Enter HECTOR, armed; AENEAS, TROILUS, and other Trojans, with Attendants AENEAS Hail, all you state of Greece! what shall be done To him that victory commands? or do you purpose A victor shall be known? will you the knights Shall to the edge of all extremity Pursue each other, or shall be divided By any voice or order of the field?
Hector bade ask. AGAMEMNON Which way would Hector have it? AENEAS He cares not; he'll obey conditions. ACHILLES 'Tis done like Hector; but securely done, A little proudly, and great deal misprizing The knight opposed. AENEAS If not Achilles, sir, What is your name? ACHILLES If not Achilles, nothing. AENEAS 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. ACHILLES A maiden battle, then? O, I perceive you.
Re-enter DIOMEDES AGAMEMNON Here is Sir Diomed. Go, gentle knight, Stand by our Ajax: as you and Lord AEneas 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 ULYSSES They are opposed already. AGAMEMNON What Trojan is that same that looks so heavy? ULYSSES 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 provoked nor being provoked 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 impure 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:
They call him Troilus, and on him erect A second hope, as fairly built as Hector.
Thus says AEneas; 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 AGAMEMNON They are in action. NESTOR Now, Ajax, hold thine own! TROILUS Hector, thou sleep'st;
Awake thee! AGAMEMNON His blows are well disposed: there, Ajax! DIOMEDES You must no more.
Trumpets cease AENEAS Princes, enough, so please you. AJAX I am not warm yet; let us fight again. DIOMEDES As Hector pleases. HECTOR 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: