CRESSIDA. You shall not go. One cannot speak a word But it straight starts you.

DIOMEDES. I do not like this fooling.

THERSITES. Nor I, by Pluto; but that that likes not you Pleases me best.

DIOMEDES. What, shall I come? The hour- CRESSIDA. Ay, come-O Jove! Do come. I shall be plagu'd.

DIOMEDES. Farewell till then.

CRESSIDA. Good night. I prithee come. Exit DIOMEDES Troilus, farewell! One eye yet looks on thee; But with my heart the other eye doth see.

Ah, poor our s.e.x! this fault in us I find, The error of our eye directs our mind.

What error leads must err; O, then conclude, Minds sway'd by eyes are full of turpitude.

Exit THERSITES. A proof of strength she could not publish more, Unless she said 'My mind is now turn'd wh.o.r.e.'

ULYSSES. All's done, my lord.

TROILUS. It is.

ULYSSES. Why stay we, then?

TROILUS. To make a recordation to my soul Of every syllable that here was spoke.

But if I tell how these two did coact, Shall I not lie in publishing a truth?

Sith yet there is a credence in my heart, An esperance so obstinately strong, That doth invert th' attest of eyes and ears; As if those organs had deceptious functions Created only to calumniate.

Was Cressid here?

ULYSSES. I cannot conjure, Troyan.

TROILUS. She was not, sure.

ULYSSES. Most sure she was.

TROILUS. Why, my negation hath no taste of madness.

ULYSSES. Nor mine, my lord. Cressid was here but now.

TROILUS. Let it not be believ'd for womanhood.

Think, we had mothers; do not give advantage To stubborn critics, apt, without a theme, For depravation, to square the general s.e.x By Cressid's rule. Rather think this not Cressid.

ULYSSES. What hath she done, Prince, that can soil our mothers?

TROILUS. Nothing at all, unless that this were she.

THERSITES. Will 'a swagger himself out on's own eyes?

TROILUS. This she? No; this is Diomed's Cressida.

If beauty have a soul, this is not she; If souls guide vows, if vows be sanctimonies, If sanctimony be the G.o.d's delight, If there be rule in unity itself, This was not she. O madness of discourse, That cause sets up with and against itself!

Bifold authority! where reason can revolt Without perdition, and loss a.s.sume all reason Without revolt: this is, and is not, Cressid.

Within my soul there doth conduce a fight Of this strange nature, that a thing inseparate Divides more wider than the sky and earth; And yet the s.p.a.cious breadth of this division Admits no orifex for a point as subtle As Ariachne's broken woof to enter.

Instance, O instance! strong as Pluto's gates: Cressid is mine, tied with the bonds of heaven.

Instance, O instance! strong as heaven itself: The bonds of heaven are slipp'd, dissolv'd, and loos'd; And with another knot, five-finger-tied, The fractions of her faith, orts of her love, The fragments, sc.r.a.ps, the bits, and greasy relics Of her o'er-eaten faith, are bound to Diomed.

ULYSSES. May worthy Troilus be half-attach'd With that which here his pa.s.sion doth express?

TROILUS. Ay, Greek; and that shall be divulged well In characters as red as Mars his heart Inflam'd with Venus. Never did young man fancy With so eternal and so fix'd a soul.

Hark, Greek: as much as I do Cressid love, So much by weight hate I her Diomed.

That sleeve is mine that he'll bear on his helm; Were it a casque compos'd by Vulcan's skill My sword should bite it. Not the dreadful spout Which shipmen do the hurricano call, Constring'd in ma.s.s by the almighty sun, Shall dizzy with more clamour Neptune's ear In his descent than shall my prompted sword Falling on Diomed.

THERSITES. He'll tickle it for his concupy.

TROILUS. O Cressid! O false Cressid! false, false, false!

Let all untruths stand by thy stained name, And they'll seem glorious.

ULYSSES. O, contain yourself; Your pa.s.sion draws ears. .h.i.ther.

Enter AENEAS

AENEAS. I have been seeking you this hour, my lord.

Hector, by this, is arming him in Troy; Ajax, your guard, stays to conduct you home.

TROILUS. Have with you, Prince. My courteous lord, adieu.

Fairwell, revolted fair!-and, Diomed, Stand fast and wear a castle on thy head.

ULYSSES. I'll bring you to the gates.

TROILUS. Accept distracted thanks.

Exeunt TROILUS, AENEAS. and ULYSSES

THERSITES. Would I could meet that rogue Diomed! I would croak like a raven; I would bode, I would bode. Patroclus will give me anything for the intelligence of this wh.o.r.e; the parrot will not do more for an almond than he for a commodious drab. Lechery, lechery! Still wars and lechery! Nothing else holds fashion. A burning devil take them!

Exit

ACT V. SCENE 3.

Troy. Before PRIAM'S palace

Enter HECTOR and ANDROMACHE

ANDROMACHE. When was my lord so much ungently temper'd To stop his ears against admonishment?

Unarm, unarm, and do not fight to-day.

HECTOR. You train me to offend you; get you in.

By all the everlasting G.o.ds, I'll go.

ANDROMACHE. My dreams will, sure, prove ominous to the day.

HECTOR. No more, I say.

Enter Ca.s.sANDRA

Ca.s.sANDRA. Where is my brother Hector?

ANDROMACHE. Here, sister, arm'd, and b.l.o.o.d.y in intent.

Consort with me in loud and dear pet.i.tion, Pursue we him on knees; for I have dreamt Of b.l.o.o.d.y turbulence, and this whole night Hath nothing been but shapes and forms of slaughter.

Ca.s.sANDRA. O, 'tis true!

HECTOR. Ho! bid my trumpet sound.

Ca.s.sANDRA. No notes of sally, for the heavens, sweet brother!

HECTOR. Be gone, I say. The G.o.ds have heard me swear.

Ca.s.sANDRA. The G.o.ds are deaf to hot and peevish vows; They are polluted off'rings, more abhorr'd Than spotted livers in the sacrifice.

ANDROMACHE. O, be persuaded! Do not count it holy To hurt by being just. It is as lawful, For we would give much, to use violent thefts And rob in the behalf of charity.

Ca.s.sANDRA. It is the purpose that makes strong the vow; But vows to every purpose must not hold.

Unarm, sweet Hector.

HECTOR. Hold you still, I say.

Mine honour keeps the weather of my fate.

Life every man holds dear; but the dear man Holds honour far more precious dear than life.

Enter TROILUS

How now, young man! Mean'st thou to fight to-day?

ANDROMACHE. Ca.s.sandra, call my father to persuade.

Exit Ca.s.sANDRA HECTOR. No, faith, young Troilus; doff thy harness, youth; I am to-day i' th' vein of chivalry.

Let grow thy sinews till their knots be strong, And tempt not yet the brushes of the war.

Unarm thee, go; and doubt thou not, brave boy, I'll stand to-day for thee and me and Troy.

TROILUS. Brother, you have a vice of mercy in you Which better fits a lion than a man.

HECTOR. What vice is that, good Troilus?

Chide me for it.

TROILUS. When many times the captive Grecian falls, Even in the fan and wind of your fair sword, You bid them rise and live.

HECTOR. O, 'tis fair play!

TROILUS. Fool's play, by heaven, Hector.