Troilus And Cressida Part 13

O these encounters so glib of tongue That give a coasting welcome ere it comes, And wide unclasp the tables of their thoughts To every ticklish reader! Set them down For s.l.u.ttish spoils of opportunity, And daughters of the game. [Trumpet within]

ALL. The Troyans' trumpet.

Enter HECTOR, armed; AENEAS, TROILUS, PARIS, HELENUS, and other Trojans, with attendants

AGAMEMNON. Yonder comes the troop.

AENEAS. Hail, all the 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 they 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 oppos'd.

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 Troyan 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 ]Eneas 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 oppos'd already.

AGAMEMNON. What Troyan 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 provok'd, nor being provok'd 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 impair 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 dispos'd. There, Ajax!

[Trumpets cease]

DIOMEDES. You must no more.

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: Were thy commixtion Greek and Troyan so That thou could'st say 'This hand is Grecian all, And this is Troyan; the sinews of this leg All Greek, and this all Troy; my mother's blood Runs on the dexter cheek, and this sinister Bounds in my father's'; by Jove multipotent, Thou shouldst not bear from me a Greekish member Wherein my sword had not impressure made Of our rank feud; but the just G.o.ds gainsay That any drop thou borrow'dst from thy mother, My sacred aunt, should by my mortal sword Be drained! Let me embrace thee, Ajax.

By him that thunders, thou hast l.u.s.ty arms; Hector would have them fall upon him thus.

Cousin, all honour to thee!

AJAX. I thank thee, Hector.

Thou art too gentle and too free a man.

I came to kill thee, cousin, and bear hence A great addition earned in thy death.

HECTOR. Not Neoptolemus so mirable, On whose bright crest Fame with her loud'st Oyes Cries 'This is he' could promise to himself A thought of added honour torn from Hector.

AENEAS. There is expectance here from both the sides What further you will do.

HECTOR. We'll answer it: The issue is embracement. Ajax, farewell.

AJAX. If I might in entreaties find success, As seld I have the chance, I would desire My famous cousin to our Grecian tents.

DIOMEDES. 'Tis Agamemnon's wish; and great Achilles Doth long to see unarm'd the valiant Hector.

HECTOR. Aeneas, call my brother Troilus to me, And signify this loving interview To the expecters of our Troyan part; Desire them home. Give me thy hand, my cousin; I will go eat with thee, and see your knights.

AGAMEMNON and the rest of the Greeks come forward

AJAX. Great Agamemnon comes to meet us here.

HECTOR. The worthiest of them tell me name by name; But for Achilles, my own searching eyes Shall find him by his large and portly size.

AGAMEMNON.Worthy all arms! as welcome as to one That would be rid of such an enemy.

But that's no welcome. Understand more clear, What's past and what's to come is strew'd with husks And formless ruin of oblivion; But in this extant moment, faith and troth, Strain'd purely from all hollow bias-drawing, Bids thee with most divine integrity, From heart of very heart, great Hector, welcome.

HECTOR. I thank thee, most imperious Agamemnon.

AGAMEMNON. [To Troilus] My well-fam'd lord of Troy, no less to you.

MENELAUS. Let me confirm my princely brother's greeting.

You brace of warlike brothers, welcome hither.

HECTOR. Who must we answer?

AENEAS. The n.o.ble Menelaus.

HECTOR. O you, my lord? By Mars his gauntlet, thanks!

Mock not that I affect the untraded oath; Your quondam wife swears still by Venus' glove.

She's well, but bade me not commend her to you.

MENELAUS. Name her not now, sir; she's a deadly theme.

HECTOR. O, pardon; I offend.

NESTOR. I have, thou gallant Troyan, seen thee oft, Labouring for destiny, make cruel way Through ranks of Greekish youth; and I have seen thee, As hot as Perseus, spur thy Phrygian steed, Despising many forfeits and subduements, When thou hast hung thy advanced sword i' th' air, Not letting it decline on the declined; That I have said to some my standers-by 'Lo, Jupiter is yonder, dealing life!'

And I have seen thee pause and take thy breath, When that a ring of Greeks have hemm'd thee in, Like an Olympian wrestling. This have I seen; But this thy countenance, still lock'd in steel, I never saw till now. I knew thy grandsire, And once fought with him. He was a soldier good, But, by great Mars, the captain of us all, Never like thee. O, let an old man embrace thee; And, worthy warrior, welcome to our tents.

AENEAS. 'Tis the old Nestor.

HECTOR. Let me embrace thee, good old chronicle, That hast so long walk'd hand in hand with time.

Most reverend Nestor, I am glad to clasp thee.

NESTOR. I would my arms could match thee in contention As they contend with thee in courtesy.

HECTOR. I would they could.

NESTOR. Ha!

By this white beard, I'd fight with thee to-morrow.

Well, welcome, welcome! I have seen the time.

ULYSSES. I wonder now how yonder city stands, When we have here her base and pillar by us.

HECTOR. I know your favour, Lord Ulysses, well.

Ah, sir, there's many a Greek and Troyan dead, Since first I saw yourself and Diomed In Ilion on your Greekish emba.s.sy.

ULYSSES. Sir, I foretold you then what would ensue.

My prophecy is but half his journey yet; For yonder walls, that pertly front your town, Yond towers, whose wanton tops do buss the clouds, Must kiss their own feet.

HECTOR. I must not believe you.

There they stand yet; and modestly I think The fall of every Phrygian stone will cost A drop of Grecian blood. The end crowns all; And that old common arbitrator, Time, Will one day end it.

ULYSSES. So to him we leave it.

Most gentle and most valiant Hector, welcome.

After the General, I beseech you next To feast with me and see me at my tent.

ACHILLES. I shall forestall thee, Lord Ulysses, thou!

Now, Hector, I have fed mine eyes on thee; I have with exact view perus'd thee, Hector, And quoted joint by joint.

HECTOR. Is this Achilles?

ACHILLES. I am Achilles.

HECTOR. Stand fair, I pray thee; let me look on thee.

ACHILLES. Behold thy fill.

HECTOR. Nay, I have done already.

ACHILLES. Thou art too brief. I will the second time, As I would buy thee, view thee limb by limb.

HECTOR. O, like a book of sport thou'lt read me o'er; But there's more in me than thou understand'st.

Why dost thou so oppress me with thine eye?

ACHILLES. Tell me, you heavens, in which part of his body Shall I destroy him? Whether there, or there, or there?

That I may give the local wound a name, And make distinct the very breach whereout Hector's great spirit flew. Answer me, heavens.

HECTOR. It would discredit the blest G.o.ds, proud man, To answer such a question. Stand again.