Troilus and Cressida

Troilus and Cressida

ACT IV SCENE I	Troy. A street.
	Enter, from one side, AENEAS, and Servant with atorch; from the other, PARIS, DEIPHOBUS, ANTENOR,DIOMEDES, and others, with torches
PARIS	See, ho! who is that there?
DEIPHOBUS	It is the Lord AEneas.
AENEAS	Is the prince there in person?
	Had I so good occasion to lie long	5
	As you, prince Paris, nothing but heavenly business
	Should rob my bed-mate of my company.
DIOMEDES	That's my mind too. Good morrow, Lord AEneas.
PARIS	A valiant Greek, AEneas,--take his hand,--
	Witness the process of your speech, wherein	10
	You told how Diomed, a whole week by days,
	Did haunt you in the field.
AENEAS	Health to you, valiant sir,
	During all question of the gentle truce;
	But when I meet you arm'd, as black defiance	15
	As heart can think or courage execute.
DIOMEDES	The one and other Diomed embraces.
	Our bloods are now in calm; and, so long, health!
	But when contention and occasion meet,
	By Jove, I'll play the hunter for thy life	20
	With all my force, pursuit and policy.
AENEAS	And thou shalt hunt a lion, that will fly
	With his face backward. In humane gentleness,
	Welcome to Troy! now, by Anchises' life,
	Welcome, indeed! By Venus' hand I swear,	25
	No man alive can love in such a sort
	The thing he means to kill more excellently.
DIOMEDES	We sympathize: Jove, let AEneas live,
	If to my sword his fate be not the glory,
	A thousand complete courses of the sun!	30
	But, in mine emulous honour, let him die,
	With every joint a wound, and that to-morrow!
AENEAS	We know each other well.
DIOMEDES	We do; and long to know each other worse.
PARIS	This is the most despiteful gentle greeting,	35
	The noblest hateful love, that e'er I heard of.
	What business, lord, so early?
AENEAS	I was sent for to the king; but why, I know not.
PARIS	His purpose meets you: 'twas to bring this Greek
	To Calchas' house, and there to render him,	40
	For the enfreed Antenor, the fair Cressid:
	Let's have your company, or, if you please,
	Haste there before us: I constantly do think--
	Or rather, call my thought a certain knowledge--
	My brother Troilus lodges there to-night:	45
	Rouse him and give him note of our approach.
	With the whole quality wherefore: I fear
	We shall be much unwelcome.
AENEAS	That I assure you:
	Troilus had rather Troy were borne to Greece	50
	Than Cressid borne from Troy.
PARIS	There is no help;
	The bitter disposition of the time
	Will have it so. On, lord; we'll follow you.
AENEAS	Good morrow, all.	55
	Exit with Servant
PARIS	And tell me, noble Diomed, faith, tell me true,
	Even in the soul of sound good-fellowship,
	Who, in your thoughts, merits fair Helen best,
	Myself or Menelaus?
DIOMEDES	Both alike:	60
	He merits well to have her, that doth seek her,
	Not making any scruple of her soilure,
	With such a hell of pain and world of charge,
	And you as well to keep her, that defend her,
	Not palating the taste of her dishonour,	65
	With such a costly loss of wealth and friends:
	He, like a puling cuckold, would drink up
	The lees and dregs of a flat tamed piece;
	You, like a lecher, out of whorish loins
	Are pleased to breed out your inheritors:	70
	Both merits poised, each weighs nor less nor more;
	But he as he, the heavier for a whore.
PARIS	You are too bitter to your countrywoman.
DIOMEDES	She's bitter to her country: hear me, Paris:
	For every false drop in her bawdy veins	75
	A Grecian's life hath sunk; for every scruple
	Of her contaminated carrion weight,
	A Trojan hath been slain: since she could speak,
	She hath not given so many good words breath
	As for her Greeks and Trojans suffer'd death.	80
PARIS	Fair Diomed, you do as chapmen do,
	Dispraise the thing that you desire to buy:
	But we in silence hold this virtue well,
	We'll but commend what we intend to sell.
	Here lies our way.	85
	Exeunt