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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 mass 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 passion draws ears hither.

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 whore; 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 gods, I'll go.

ANDROMACHE.

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

HECTOR.

No more, I say.

Enter CASSANDRA

CASSANDRA.

Where is my brother Hector?

ANDROMACHE.

Here, sister, arm'd, and bloody in intent.

Consort with me in loud and dear petition,

Pursue we him on knees; for I have dreamt

Of bloody turbulence, and this whole night

Hath nothing been but shapes and forms of slaughter.

CASSANDRA.

O, 'tis true!

HECTOR.

Ho! bid my trumpet sound.

CASSANDRA.

No notes of sally, for the heavens, sweet brother!

HECTOR.

Be gone, I say. The gods have heard me swear.

CASSANDRA.

The gods 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.

CASSANDRA.

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.

Cassandra, call my father to persuade.

Exit

CASSANDRA

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.

HECTOR.

How now! how now!

TROILUS.

For th' love of all the gods,

Let's leave the hermit Pity with our mother;

And when we have our armours buckled on,

The venom'd vengeance ride upon our swords,

Spur them to