Shakespeare - First Folio facsimile (1910)/The Tragedy of Troylus and Cressida/Act 4 Scene 1

by William Shakespeare

Enter at one doore Æneas with a Torch, at another
Paris, Diephœbus, Anthenor, Diomed the
Grecian, with Torches.

Par.
See hoa, who is that there?

Dieph.
It is the Lord Æneas

Æne.
Is the Prince there in person?
Had I so good occasion to lye long
As you Prince Paris, nothing but heauenly businesse,
Should rob my bed-mate of my company.

Diom.
That's my minde too: good morrow Lord Æneas.

Par.
A valiant Greeke Æneas take his hand,
Witnesse the processe of your speech within;
You told how Diomed in a whole weeke by dayes
Did haunt you in the Field.

Æne.
Health to you valiant sir,
During all question of the gentle truce:
But when I meete you arm'd, as blacke defiance,
As heart can thinke, or courage execute.

Diom.
The one and other Diomed embraces,
Our blouds are now in calme; and so long health:
But when contention, and occasion meetes,
By Ioue, Ile play the hunter for thy life,
With all my force, pursuite and pollicy.

Æne.
And thou shalt hunt a Lyon that will flye
With his face backward, in humaine gentlenesse:
Welcome to Troy; now by Anchises life,
Welcome indeede; by Venus hand I sweare,
No man aliue can loue in such a sort,
The thing he meanes to kill, more excellently.

Diom.
We simpathize. Ioue let Æneas liue
(If to my sword his fate be not the glory)
A thousand compleate courses of the Sunne,
But in mine emulous honor let him dye:
With euery ioynt a wound, and that to morrow.

Æne.
We know each other well.

Dio.
We doe, and long to know each other worse.

Par.
This is the most, despightful'st gentle greeting;
The noblest hatefull loue, that ere I heard of.
What businesse Lord so early?

Æne.
I was sent for to the King; but why, I know not.

Par.
His purpose meets you; it was to bring this Greek
To Calchas house; and there to render him,
For the enfreed Anthenor, the faire Cressid:
Lets haue your company; or if you please,
Haste there before vs. I constantly doe thinke
(Or rather call my thought a certaine knowledge)
My brother Troylus lodges there to night.
Rouse him, and giue him note of our approach,
With the whole quality whereof, I feare
We shall be much vnwelcome.

Æne.
That I assure you;
Troylus had rather Troy were borne to Greece,
Then Cressid borne from Troy.

Par.
There is no helpe:
The bitter disposition of the time will haue it so
On Lord, weele follow you.

Æne.
Good morrow all. Exit Æneas

Par.
And tell me noble Diomed; faith tell me true,
Euen in the soule of sound good fellowship,
Who in your thoughts merits faire Helen most?
My selfe, or Menelaus?

Diom.
Both alike.
He merits well to haue her, that doth seeke her,
Not making any scruple of her soylure,
With such a hell of paine, and world of charge.
And you as well to keepe her, that defend her,
Not pallating the taste of her dishonour,
With such a costly losse of wealth and friends:
He like a puling Cuckold, would drinke vp
The lees and dregs of a flat tamed peece:
You like a letcher, out of whorish loynes,
Are pleas'd to breede out your inheritors:
Both merits poyz'd, each weighs no lesse nor more,
But he as he, which heauier for a whore.

Par.
You are too bitter to your country-woman.

Dio.
Shee's bitter to her countrey: heare me Paris,
For euery false drop in her baudy veines,
A Grecians life hath sunke: for euery scruple
Of her contaminated carrion weight,
A Troian hath beene slaine. Since she could speake,
She hath not giuen so many good words breath,
As for her, Greekes and Troians suffred death.

Par.
Faire Diomed, you doe as chapmen doe,
Dis praise the thing that you desire to buy:
But we in silence hold this vertue well;
Weele not commend, what we intend to sell.
Exeunt.Here lyes our way,

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