Tro. Hear why I speak it, love.

1

The Grecian youths are full of quality; 1

They're loving, well composed, with gifts of nature flowing,

And swelling o'er with arts and exercise;
How novelty may move, and parts with
Alas, a kind of godly jealousy

person,

(Which, I beseech you, call a virtuous sin) Makes me afeard.

Cres.

O Heavens! you love me not.

Tro. Die I a villain then!

In this I do not call your faith in question,
So mainly as my merit; I cannot sing,

2

Nor heel the high lavolt, nor sweeten talk,

Nor play at subtle games; fair virtues all,

To which the Grecians are most prompt and pregnant; But I can tell, that in each grace of these

There lurks a still and dumb-discoursive devil,

That tempts most cunningly: but be not tempted.
Cres. Do you think I will?

Tro. No.

But something may be done, that we will not;
And sometimes we are devils to ourselves,
When we will tempt the frailty of our powers,
Presuming on their changeful potency.
Ene. [Within.] Nay, good my lord,-

Tro.

Come, kiss; and let us part.

Par. [Within.] Brother Troilus!

Tro. Good brother, come you hither; And bring Æneas, and the Grecian, with you. Cres. My lord, will you be true?

Tro. Who, I? Alas, it is my vice, my fault. While others fish with craft for great opinion, I with great truth catch mere simplicity: Whilst some with cunning gild their copper crowns, With truth and plainness I do wear mine bare.

1 Quality, like condition, is applied to manners as well as dispositions.

Fear not my truth; the moral of my wit1
Is,-Plain and true;-there's all the reach of it.

Enter ENEAS, PARIS, ANTENOR, DEIPHOBUS, and
DIOMEDES.

Welcome, sir Diomed! here is the lady,
Which for Antenor we deliver you.

3

At the port, lord, I'll give her to thy hand;
And by the way, possess thee what she is.
Entreat her fair; and, by my soul, fair Greek,
If e'er thou stand at mercy of my sword,
Name Cressid, and thy life shall be as safe
As Priam is in Ilion.

Dio.

Fair lady Cressid,

So please you, save the thanks this prince expects.
The lustre in your eye, heaven in your cheek,
Pleads your fair usage; and to Diomed

You shall be mistress, and command him wholly.
Tro. Grecian, thou dost not use me courteously,
To shame the zeal of my petition to thee,
In praising her. I tell thee, lord of Greece,
She is as far high-soaring o'er thy praises,
As thou unworthy to be called her servant.
I charge thee, use her well, even for my charge;
For, by the dreadful Pluto, if thou dost not,
Though the great bulk Achilles be thy guard,
I'll cut thy throat.

Dio.

O, be not moved, prince Troilus; Let me be privileged by my place, and message, To be a speaker free. When I am hence, I'll answer to my lust; and know, my lord, I'll nothing do on charge. To her own worth She shall be prized; but that you say-be't so, I'll speak it in my spirit and honor,-no.

Tro. Come, to the port.-I tell thee, Diomed,

1 "The moral of my wit" is the meaning of it.

2 i. e. the gate.

3 i. e. inform.

4 i. e. I'll answer to my will or pleasure, according to my inclination.

This brave shall oft make thee to hide thy head.—
Lady, give me your hand; and, as we walk,
To our own selves bend we our needful talk.

[Exeunt TROILUS, CRESSIDA, and DIOMED. [Trumpet heard.

Par. Hark! Hector's trumpet.

Ene.

How have we spent this morning!

The prince must think me tardy and remiss,

That swore to ride before him to the field.

Par. 'Tis Troilus' fault. Come, come, to field with

him.

Dei. Let us make ready straight.

Ene. Yea, with a bridegroom's fresh alacrity,

Let us address to tend on Hector's heels.

The glory of our Troy doth this day lie
On his fair worth and single chivalry.

[Exeunt.

SCENE V. The Grecian Camp. Lists set out.

Enter AJAX, armed; AGAMEMNON, ACHILLES, PATRO-
CLUS, MENELAUS, ULYSSES, NESTOR, and others.
Agam. Here art thou in appointment1 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 puffed Aquilon.

2

Come, stretch thy chest, and let thy eyes spout blood; Thou blow'st for Hector.

11. e. preparation.

[Trumpet sounds.

2 i. e. swelling out like the bias of a bowl. So in Vittoria Corombona, 1612:

Faith, his cheek

Has a most excellent bias."

Ulyss. No trumpet answers.

Achil.

'Tis but early day.

Agam. Is not yon Diomed, with Calchas' daughter? Ulyss. '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 DIOMED, with CRESSIDA.

Agam. Is this the lady Cressid?

Dio.

Even she.

Agam. Most dearly welcome to the Greeks, sweet

lady.

Nest. Our general doth salute you with a kiss.
Ulyss. Yet is the kindness but particular;

'Twere better she were kissed in general.

Nest. And very courtly counsel. I'll begin.— So much for Nestor.

Achil. I'll take that winter from your lips, fair lady ; Achilles bids you welcome.

Men. I had good argument for kissing once. Patr. But that's no argument for kissing now; For thus popped Paris in his hardiment;

And parted thus you and your argument.

Ulyss. O deadly gall, and theme of all our scorns! For which we lose our heads, to gild his horns. Patr. The first was Menelaus' kiss ;-this, mine; Patroclus kisses you.

Men.

O, this is trim!

Patr. Paris, and I, kiss evermore for him.

Men. I'll have my kiss, sir.-Lady, by your leave. Cres. In kissing, do you render or receive?

Patr. Both take and give.

Cres. I'll make my match to live.1 The kiss you take is better than you give; Therefore no kiss.

Men. I'll give you boot; I'll give you three for one. Cres. You're an odd man; give even, or give none.

1 I will make such bargains as I may live by, such as may bring me profit, therefore will not take a worse kiss than I give,

Men. An odd man, lady? every man is odd.
Cres. No, Paris is not; for, you know, 'tis true,
That you are odd, and he is even with
Men. You fillip me o' the head.
Cres.

you.

No, I'll be sworn.

Ulyss. It were no match, your nail against his horn.May I, sweet lady, beg a kiss of

Čres. You may.

Ulyss.

Cres.

you?

I do desire it.

Why, beg, then. Ulyss. Why, then, for Venus' sake, give me a kiss, When Helen is a maid again, and his.

Cres. I am your debtor; claim it when 'tis due. Ulyss. Never's my day, and then a kiss of you. Dio. Lady, a word;-I'll bring you to your father. [DIOMED leads out CRESSIDA.

Nest. A woman of quick sense. Ulyss. 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 encounters, so glib of tongue,

That give a coasting welcome2 ere it comes, And wide unclasp the tables of their thoughts every ticklish reader! set them down.

To

For sluttish spoils of opportunity,3

And daughters of the game.

All. The Trojan's trumpet.

Agam.

[Trumpet within.

Yonder comes the troop.

Enter HECTOR, armed; ENEAS, TROILUS, and other Trojans, with Attendants.

Ene. Hail, all the state of Greece! What shall be done

1 Motive for part that contributes to motion.

2 So in Venus and Adonis :

"Anon she hears them chaunt it lustely,

And all in haste she coasteth to the cry."

3 i. e. of whose chastity every opportunity makes an easy prey.