Ther. Agamemnon is a fool to offer to command - Ther. Make that demand of the prover. - It suf- Enter AGAMEMNON, ULYSSES, NESTOR, DIOMEDes, and AJAX. Achil. Patroclus, I'll speak with nobody: — Come in with me, Thersites. [Exit. Ther. Here is such patchery, such juggling, and such knavery! [Exit. Ther. How, now, Thersites? what, lost in the labyrinth of thy fury? Shall the elephant Ajax carry it thus? he beats me, and I rail at him: Ofices me, thou art. worthy satisfaction! 'would, it were otherwise; that I could beat him, whilst he railed at me: I'll learn to conjure and raise devils, but I'll see some issue of my spiteful execrations. Then there's Achilles, - a rare engineer. If Troy be not taken, till these two undermine it, the walls will stand till they fall of themselves. O thou great thunder-darter of Olympus, forget that thou art Jove the king of gods; and, Mercury, lose all the serpentine craft of thy Caduceus; if ye take not that little little less-than-little wit from them that they have! which short-armed ignorance itself knows is so abundant scarce, it will not in circumvention deliver a fly from a spider, without drawing their massy irons, and cutting the web. After this, the vengeance on the whole camp! What, ho! my lord Achilles ! Enter PATROCLUS. Patr. Who's there? Thersites? Good Thersites, come in and rail. Ther. If I could have remembered a gilt counterfeit, thou wouldest not have slipped out of my contemplation: but it is no matter; Thyself upon thyself! The common curse of mankind, folly and ignorance, be thine in great revenue! heaven bless thee from a tutor, and discipline come not near thee! Let thy blood be thy direction till thy death! then if she, that lays thee out, says thou art a fair corse, I'll be sworn and sworn upon't, she never shrouded any but lazars. 5 Amen. Where's Achilles? Patr. What, art thou devout? wast thou in prayer? Ther. Ay; The heavens hear me ! Achil. Where, where?- Art thou come? Why, my cheese, my digestion, why hast thou not served thyself in to my table so many meals? Come; what's Agamemnon? Ther. Thy commander, Achilles ; Then tell me, Patroclus, what's Achilles? Patr. Thy lord, Thersites; Then tell me, I pray thee, what's thyself? Ther. Thy knower, Patroclus; Then tell me, Patr. Thou mayst tell, that knowest. Ther. I'll decline the whole question. Agamem- Ther. Peace, fool; I have not done. sites. Achil. Derive this; come. The wand of Mercury, which is wreathed with serpents. Agam. Where is Achilles? Patr. Within his tent; but ill-dispos'd, my lord. Patr. 1 Ajax. Yes, lion-sick, sick of proud heart: you may call it melancholy, if you will favour the man ; but, by my head, 'tis pride: But why, why? let him show us a cause. A word, my lord. [Takes AGAMEMNON aside. Nest. What moves Ajax thus to bay at him? Ulyss. Achilles hath inveigled his fool from him. Nest. Who? Thersites? Ulyss. He. Nest. Then will Ajax lack matter, if he have lost his argument.8 Ulyss. No; you see, he is his argument, that has his argument; Achilles. Nest. All the better; their fraction is more our wish, than their faction: But it was a strong composure, a fool could disunite. Ulyss. The amity that wisdom knits not, folly may easily untie. Here comes Patroclus. Hear you, Patroclus; We are too well acquainted with these answers: But his evasion, wing'd thus swift with scorn, Cannot outfly our apprehensions. Much attribute he hath; and much the reason Than in the note of judgment; and worthier than | When they go from Achilles: Shall the proud lord, himself Here tend the savage strangeness he puts on; 4 [Exit. Agam. In second voice we'll not be satisfied, Ulysses, enter. We come to speak with him. [Exit ULYSSES. Ajar. What is he more than another? Agam. No more than what he thinks he is. Ajar. Is he so much? Do you not think, he thinks himself a better man than I am? Agam. No question. Ajar. Will you subscribe his thought, and say— he is? Agam. No, noble Ajax; you are as strong, as valiant, as wise, no less noble, much more gentle, and altogether more tractable. Ajar. Why should a man be proud? How doth, pride grow? I know not what pride is. Agam. Your mind's the clearer, Ajax, and your virtues the fairer. He that is proud, eats up himself: pride is his own glass, his own trumpet, his own chronicle; and whatever praises itself but in the deed, devours the deed in the praise. Ajar. I do hate a proud man, as I hate the engendering of toads. Nest. And yet he loves himself: Is it not strange? [Aside. Re-enter ULYSSES. Ulyss. Achilles will not to the field to-morrow. Agam. What's his excuse? Ulyss He doth rely on none; But carries on the stream of his dispose, Without observance or respect of any, In will peculiar and in self-admission. Agam. Why will he not, upon our fair request, Untent his person, and share the air with us? Ulyss. Things small as nothing, for request's sake only, He makes important: Possess'd he is with greatness; Agam. Let Ajax go to him.— - That bastes his arrogance with his own seams; By going to Achilles : [Aside. Ajax. He should not bear it so, He should eat swords first: Shall pride carry it? Pour in, pour in; his ambition is dry. [Aside Nest. Wherefore should you so? He is not emulous 9, as Achilles is. Ulyss. Know the whole world, he is as valiant. Ajax. A vile dog, that shall palter thus with us! I would, he were a Trojan! Nest. Were it in Ajax now— Ulyss. What a vice If he were proud! Dio. Or covetous of praise? Ulyss. Dio. Or strange, or self-affected? Ulyss. Thank the heavens, lord, thou art of sweet Praise him that got thee, she that gave thee suck : To sinewy Ajax. I will not praise thy wisdom, He must, he is, he cannot but be wise; But pardon, father Nestor, were your days ACT III. SCENE I.-Troy. A Room in Priam's Palace. | guide them; especially to you, fair queen! fair Enter PANDARUS and a Servant. Pan. Friend! you! pray you, a word: Do not you follow the young lord Paris? Serv. Ay, sir, when he goes before me. Pan. You do depend upon a noble gentleman; You know me, do you not? Serv. 'Faith, sir, superficially. Pan. Friend, know me better; I am the lord Pandarus. Serv. I hope, I shall know your honour better. [Musick within. Pan. Honour and lordship are my titles: What musick is this? Serv. I do but partly know, sir; it is musick in parts. Pan. Know you the musicians? Serv. Wholly, sir. Pen. Who play they to? Serv. To the hearers, sir. Pan. At whose pleasure, friend? Serv. At mine, sir, and theirs that love musick. Pan. Friend, we understand not one another; I am too courtly, and thou art too cunning: At whose request do these men play? Serv. That's to't, indeed, sir: Marry, sir, at the request of Paris my lord, who is there in person; with him the mortal Venus, the heart-blood of beauty, love's invisible soul, Pan. Who, my cousin Cressida? Serv. No, sir, Helen; Could you not find out that by her attributes? Pan. It should seem, fellow, that thou hast not seen the lady Cressida. I come to speak with Paris from the prince Troilus: I will make a complimental assault upon himn, for my business seeths. 4 Serv. Sodden business! there's a stewed phrase, indeed! Enter PARIS and HELEN, attended. Pan. Fair be to you, my lord, and to all this fair company! fair desires, in all fair measure, fairly thoughts be your fair pillow! Pan. I have business to my lord, dear queen :My lord, will you vouchsafe me a word? Helen. Nay, this shall not hedge us out: we'll hear you sing certainly. Pan. Well, sweet queen, you are pleasant with me.- - But (marry) thus, my lord, My dear lord, and most esteemed friend, your brother Troilus, Helen. My lord Pandarus; honey sweet lord, Pan. Go to, sweet queen, go to: - - commends himself most affectionately to you. Helen. You shall not bob us out of our melody; If you do, our melancholy upon your head! Pan. Sweet queen, sweet queen; that's a sweet queen, i'faith. Helen. And to make a sweet lady sad, is a sour offence. Pan. Nay, that shall not serve your turn; that shall it not, in truth, la. Nay, I care not for such words; no, no. — And, my lord, he desires you, that, if the king call for him at supper, you will make his excuse. Helen. My lord Pandarus, Pan. What says my sweet queen,-my very very sweet queen? Par. What exploit's in hand? where sups he to Pan. He! no, she'll none of him. Come, come, I'll hear no more of this; I'll sing you a song now. Helen. Ay, ay, pr'ythee now. By my troth, sweet lord, thou hast a fine forehead. Pan. Ay, you may, you may. Serv. No, sir; he stays for you to conduct him thither. Enter TROILUS. How now, how now? [Erit Servant. Pan. O, here he comes. Tro. Sirrah, walk off. Pan. Have you seen my cousin? Tro. No, Pandarus: I stalk about her door, Like a strange soul upon the Stygian banks Staying for waftage. O, be thou my Charon, And give me swift transportance. Pandarus, Helen. Let thy song be love: this love will undo From Cupid's shoulder pluck his painted wings, us all. O, Cupid, Cupid, Cupid! Pan. Love! ay, that it shall, i'faith. Par. Ay, good now, love, love, nothing but love. Pan. In good troth, it begins so : And fly with me to Cressid! Pan. Walk here i'the orchard, I'll bring her straight. [Exit PANDARUS. Tro. I am giddy; expectation whirls me round. The imaginary relish is so sweet That it enchants my sense; and I do fear As doth a battle, when they charge on heaps Pan. Come, come, what need you blush? shame's a baby. Here she is now: swear the oaths now to her, that you have sworn to me. What, are you gone again? you must be watched ere you be made tame, must you? Come your ways, come your ways; an you draw backward, we'll put you i' the fills. 7- Why do you not speak to her? Tro. You have bereft me of all words, lady. Pan. Words pay no debts. Come in, come in; I'll [Exit PANDARUS., Cres. Will you walk in, my lord? Tro. O Cressida, how often have I wished me go get a fire. Tro. Nothing, but our undertakings: when we vow to weep seas, live in fire, eat rocks, tame tigers : thinking it harder for our mistress to devise imposition enough, than for us to undergo any difficulty imposed. This is the monstruosity in love, lady. Cres. They that have the voice of lions, and the act of hares, are they not monsters? Tro. Are there such? such are not we: Praise us as we are tasted, allow us as we prove; our head shall go bare, till merit crown it: no perfection in reversion shall have a praise in present: we will not name desert, before his birth; and, being born, his addition shall be humble. Few words to fair faith: Troilus shall be such to Cressid, as what envy can say worst, shall be a mock for his truth; and what truth can speak truest, not truer than Troilus? Cres. Will you walk in, my lord? Re-enter PANDARUS. Pan. What, blushing still? Cres. Well, uncle, what folly I commit, I dedicate to you. Pan. I thank you for that; be true to my lord: if he flinch, chide me for it. Tro. You know now your hostages; your uncle's word, and my firm faith. Pan. Nay, I'll give my word for her too; our kindred, though they be long ere they are wooed, they are constant, being won: they are burs, I can tell you; they'll stick where they are thrown. Cres. Boldness comes to me now, and brings me heart: Prince Troilus, I have lov'd you night and day Tro. Why was my Cressid then so hard to win? My thoughts were like unbridled children, grown Tro. And shall, albeit sweet music issues thence. Cres. My lord, I do beseech you, pardon me; Tro. Yourself. Cres. Let me go and try: Tro. Well know they what they speak, that speak so wisely. Cres. Perchance, my lord, I show more craft than And fell so roundly to a large confession, Cres. O virtuous fight, Prophet may you be! If I be false, or swerve a hair from truth, From false to false, among false maids in love, Upbraid my falsehood! when they have said - as false As air, as water, wind, or sandy earth, Pan. Go to, a bargain made: seal it, seal it; I'll be the witness. Here I hold your hand; here, my cousin's. If ever you prove false one to another, since I have taken such pains to bring you together, let all pitiful goers-between be called to the world's end after my name, call them all Pandars; let all inconstant men be Troiluses, all false women Cressids, and all brokers-between Pandars! say, amen. Tro. Amen. Cres. Amen. Pan. Amen. You cannot shun I have a kind of self resides with you; 8 Titles. [Exeunt. |