Fear not my truth; the moral of my wit
Is-plain, and true,-there's all the reach of it.

Enter ENEAS, PARIS, ANTENOR, DEIPHOBUS, and
DIOMEDES.

Welcome, Sir Diomed. Here is the lady
Which for Antenor we deliver you :

At the port, lord, I'll give her to thy hand,
And by the way possess thee what she is.
Entreat her fair; and, by my soul, fair Greek,
If e'er thou stand at mercy of my sword,

Name Cressid, and thy life shall be as safe
As Priam is in Ilion.

Dio.

Fair Lady Cressid,

So please you, save the thanks this prince expects: The lustre in your eye, heaven in your cheek, Pleads your fair usage; and to Diomed

You shall be mistress, and command him wholly.
Tro. Grecian, thou dost not use me courteously,
To shame the seal of my petition to thee

In praising her. I tell thee, lord of Greece,
She is as far high-soaring o'er thy praises

As thou unworthy to be called her servant.
I charge thee, use her well, even for my charge;
For, by the dreadful Pluto, if thou dost not,

Though the great bulk Achilles be thy guard,

I'll cut thy throat.

Dio. O, be not moved, Prince Troilus. Let me be privileged by my place and message To be a speaker free: when I am hence, I'll answer to my lust; and know you, lord, I'll nothing do on charge. To her own worth She shall be prized; but that you say Be 't so,' I'll speak it in my spirit and honour,—No.

Tro. Come, to the port.-I'll tell thee, Diomed, This brave shall oft make thee to hide thy head.— Lady, give me your hand; and, as we walk, To our own selves bend we our needful talk. [Exeunt TROILUS, CRESSIDA, and DIOMEDES. [Trumpet sounded.

Par. Hark! Hector's trumpet.

Ene.

How have we spent this morning!

The prince must think me tardy and remiss,
That swore to ride before him to the field.

Par. 'Tis Troilus' fault.

with him.

Come, come, to field

Dei. Let us make ready straight.

Ene. Yea, with a bridegroom's fresh alacrity,

Let us address to tend on Hector's heels
The glory of our Troy doth this day lie
On his fair worth and single chivalry.

Ereunt

SCENE V.-The Grecian Camp. Lists set out. Enter AJAX, armed; AGAMEMNON, ACHILLES, PATROCLUS, MENELAUS, ULYSSES, NESTOR, and others.

Agam. Here art thou in appointment fresh and fair,

Anticipating time with starting courage.

Give with thy trumpet a loud note to Troy,
Thou dreadful Ajax; that the appalléd air
May pierce the head of the great combatant,
And hale him hither.

Ajax.

Thou, trumpet, there's my purse.

Now crack thy lungs, and split thy brazen

pipe:

Blow, villain, till thy spheréd bias cheek

Outswell the colic of puffed Aquilon.

Come, stretch thy chest, and let thy eyes spout

He rises on the toe: that spirit of his
In aspiration lifts him from the earth.

Enter DIOMEDES, with CRESSIDA.

Agam. Is this the Lady Cressid

Dio.

Even she.

Agam. Most dearly welcome to the Greeks, sweet

lady.

Nes. Our general doth salute you with a kiss. Ulyss. Yet is the kindness but particular; "T were better she were kissed in general.

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

Achil. I'll take that winter from your lips, fair lady:

Achilles bids you welcome.

Men. I had good argument for kissing once.

Patr. But that's no argument for kissing now: For thus popped Paris in his hardiment,

And parted thus you and your argument.

Ulyss. O deadly gall, and theme of all our

scorns!

For which we lose our heads, to gild his horns. Patr. The first was Menelaus' kiss ;-this, mine: Patroclus kisses you.

Men.

O, this is trim.

146

TROILUS AND CRESSIDA.

Patr. Paris and I kiss evermore for him.

Men. I'll have my kiss, sir.-Lady, by your

leave.

Cres. In kissing do you render or receive?

Patr. Both take and give.

I'll make my match to live,

take is better than you give;

Therefore no kiss.

Men. I'll give you boot; I'll give you three for

one.

Cres. You're an odd man give even, or give

none.

Men. An odd man, lady? every man is odd.

Cres. No, Paris is not; for, you know, 't is true, That you are odd, and he is even with you.

Men. You fillip me o' the head

Cres.

No, I'll be sworn.

Ulyss. It were no match, your nail against his

horn.

May I, sweet lady, beg a kiss of you?

Cres. You may.

Ulyss.

I do desire it.

Cres.

Why, beg then.

Ulyss. Why then, for Venus' sake, give me a

kiss.