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

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

Cressida. I am your debtor.

Diomedes. Lady, a word;-I'll bring you to your father. [DIOMEDES leads out CRESSIDA.

Nestor. A woman of quick sense.

Ulysses.
Fye, fye 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 a coasting 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.

All. The Trojans' trumpet.

[Trumpet within.

Agamemnon. Yonder comes the troop.

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

Eneas. 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?

Eneas. 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.

Eneas.

If not Achilles, sir,

Achilles.

If not Achilles, nothing.

Eneas. 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.

Re-enter DIOMED.

Agamemnon. Here is sir Diomed:-Go, gentle knight, Stand by our Ajax: as you and lord Æneas Consent upon the order of their fight,

So be it; either to the uttermost,

Or else a breath;1 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 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 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 impair2 thought with breath:
Manly as Hector, but more dangerous;

For Hector, in his blaze of wrath, subscribes3
To tender objects; but he, in heat of action,
Is more vindicative than jealous love:
They call him Troilus; and on him erect

1 Breathing exercise.
3 Yields, gives way.

2 Unsuitable to his character.

A second hope, as fairly built as Hector.
Thus says Eneas: 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.

Awake thee!

Hector, thou sleep'st;

Agamemnon. His blows are well dispos'd:-there,

Ajax!

Diomedes. You must no more.

Eneas.

[Trumpets cease.

Princes, enough, so please you.

Why, then, will I no more:

Ajax. I am not warm yet, let us fight again.
Diomedes. As Hector pleases.

Hector.

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 Trojan so,
That thou couldst say-This hand is Grecian all,
And this is Trojan; 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 gods gainsay,
That any drop thou borrow'st from thy mother,
My sacred aunt, should by my mortal sword
Be drain'd! Let me embrace thee, Ajax:
By him that thunders, thou hast lusty 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:

4 Explain his character.

5 Right.

6 Left.

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 O yes, Cries, This is he,) could promise to himself

A thought of added honour torn from Hector.

Eneas. 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. Æneas, call my brother Troilus to me:

And signify this loving interview

To the expecters of our Trojan part:

Desire them home.-Give me thy hand, my cousin ;
I will go eat with thee, and see your knights.

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 of 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. My well-fam'd lord of Troy, no less to
[TO TROILUS.

you.

7 Seldom.

8 Imperial.

Menelaus. Let me confirm my princely brother's

greeting;

You brace of warlike brothers, welcome hither.

Hector. Whom must we answer?

Menelaus.

The noble 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 Trojan, 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' the air,
Not letting it decline on the declin'd;

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,9
And once fought with him; he was a soldier good;
But, by great Mars, the captain of us all,

Never like thee: Let an old man embrace thee:
And, worthy warrior, welcome to our tents.

Eneas. '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.

• Laomedon.