Half stints their strife before their strokes begin.
[Hector and Ajax enter the lists.]
ULYSSES They are opposed already.
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AGAMEMNON [to Ulysses]
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 provoked, nor being provoked soon calmed;
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His heart and hand both open and both free.
For what he has he gives; what thinks, he shows;
Yet gives he not till judgement guide his bounty,
Nor dignifies an impair thought with breath;
Manly as Hector, but more dangerous,
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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.
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Thus says Aeneas, one that knows the youth
Even to his inches, and with private soul
Did in great Ilium thus translate him to me.
[Alarum. Hector and Ajax fight.]
AGAMEMNON They are in action.
NESTOR Now, Ajax, hold thine own!
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TROILUS Hector, thou sleep’st. Awake thee!
AGAMEMNON
His blows are well disposed. – 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.
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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
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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,
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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 borrowed’st from thy mother,
My sacred aunt, should by my mortal sword
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Be drained. 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! [They embrace.]
AJAX I thank thee, Hector.
Thou art too gentle and too free a man.
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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 ‘Oyez’
Cries, ‘This is he’, could promise to himself
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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.
[They embrace again.]
AJAX If I might in entreaties find success –
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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 unarmed the valiant Hector.
HECTOR Aeneas, call my brother Troilus to me,
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And signify this loving interview
To the expecters of our Trojan part;
Desire them home. [to Ajax] Give me thy hand, my cousin.
I will go eat with thee, and see your knights.
[Agamemnon and the rest come forward.]
AJAX Great Agamemnon comes to meet us here.
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HECTOR [to Aeneas]
The worthiest of them tell me name by name;
But for Achilles, mine 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 –
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But that’s no welcome. Understand more clear:
What’s past and what’s to come is strewed with husks
And formless ruin of oblivion;
But in this extant moment, faith and troth,
Strained purely from all hollow bias-drawing,
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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-famed lord of Troy, no less to you.
MENELAUS
Let me confirm my princely brother’s greeting.
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You brace of warlike brothers, welcome hither.
[Embraces Hector and Troilus.]
HECTOR [to Aeneas] Who must we answer?
AENEAS The noble Menelaus.
HECTOR O, you, my lord? By Mars his gauntlet, thanks!
Mock not that I affect th’untraded oath;
Your quondam wife swears still by Venus’ glove.
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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
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Through ranks of Greekish youth; and I have seen thee,
As hot as Perseus, spur thy Phrygian steed,
And seen thee scorning forfeits and subduements,
When thou hast hung thy advanced sword i’th’ air,
Not letting it decline on the declined,
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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 hemmed thee in,
Like an Olympian, wrestling. This have I seen;
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But this thy countenance, still locked 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. Let an old man embrace thee;
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And, worthy warrior, welcome to our tents.
[They embrace.]
AENEAS [to Hector] ’Tis the old Nestor.
HECTOR Let me embrace thee, good old chronicle,
That hast so long walked hand in hand with time.
Most reverend Nestor, I am glad to clasp thee.
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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 tomorrow.
Well, welcome, welcome. I have seen the time!
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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 Gr
eek and Trojan dead
Since first I saw yourself and Diomed
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In Ilium, on your Greekish embassy.
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,
Yon towers, whose wanton tops do buss the clouds,
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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,
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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!
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Now, Hector, I have fed mine eyes on thee;
I have with exact view perused 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.
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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.
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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
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HECTOR’s great spirit flew. Answer me, heavens!
HECTOR It would discredit the blest gods, proud man,
To answer such a question. Stand again.
Think’st thou to catch my life so pleasantly
As to prenominate in nice conjecture
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Where thou wilt hit me dead?
ACHILLES I tell thee, yea.
HECTOR Wert thou the oracle to tell me so,
I’d not believe thee. Henceforth guard thee well;
For I’ll not kill thee there, nor there, nor there,
But, by the forge that stithied Mars his helm,
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I’ll kill thee everywhere, yea, o’er and o’er. –
You wisest Grecians, pardon me this brag;
His insolence draws folly from my lips.
But I’ll endeavour deeds to match these words,
Or may I never –
AJAX Do not chafe thee, cousin.
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And you, Achilles, let these threats alone,
Till accident or purpose bring you to’t.
You may have every day enough of Hector,
If you have stomach. The general state, I fear,
Can scarce entreat you to be odd with him.
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HECTOR [to Achilles]
I pray you, let us see you in the field.
We have had pelting wars since you refused
The Grecians’ cause.
ACHILLES Dost thou entreat me, Hector?
Tomorrow do I meet thee, fell as death;
Tonight all friends.
HECTOR Thy hand upon that match.
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AGAMEMNON
First, all you peers of Greece, go to my tent;
There in the full convive we. Afterwards,
As Hector’s leisure and your bounties shall
Concur together, severally entreat him.
Beat loud the taborins, let the trumpets blow,
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That this great soldier may his welcome know.
Flourish. Exeunt all but Troilus and Ulysses.
TROILUS My Lord Ulysses, tell me, I beseech you,
In what place of the field doth Calchas keep?
ULYSSES At Menelaus’ tent, most princely Troilus.
There Diomed doth feast with him tonight,
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Who neither looks on heaven nor on earth,
But gives all gaze and bent of amorous view
On the fair Cressid.
TROILUS Shall I, sweet lord, be bound to you so much,
After we part from Agamemnon’s tent,
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To bring me thither?
ULYSSES You shall command me, sir.
As gentle tell me, of what honour was
The Arden Shakespeare Complete Works Page 518
