Troilus and Cressida by William Shakespeare
Act 4 - Scene 1
Troy. A street.
Paris : See, ho! who is that there?
Deiphobus : It is the Lord AEneas.
Aeneas : Is the prince there in person?
[p]Had I so good occasion to lie
long
[p]As you, prince Paris, nothing but heavenly business
[p]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,--
[p]Witness the process of
your speech, wherein
[p]You told how Diomed, a whole week by
days,
[p]Did haunt you in the field.
Aeneas : Health to you, valiant sir,
[p]During all question of the gentle
truce;
[p]But when I meet you arm'd, as black defiance
[p]As heart can
think or courage execute.
Diomedes : The one and other Diomed embraces.
[p]Our bloods are now in calm; and,
so long, health!
[p]But when contention and occasion meet,
[p]By Jove,
I'll play the hunter for thy life
[p]With all my force, pursuit and
policy.
Aeneas : And thou shalt hunt a lion, that will fly
[p]With his face backward.
In humane gentleness,
[p]Welcome to Troy! now, by Anchises'
life,
[p]Welcome, indeed! By Venus' hand I swear,
[p]No man alive can
love in such a sort
[p]The thing he means to kill more excellently.
Diomedes : We sympathize: Jove, let AEneas live,
[p]If to my sword his fate be
not the glory,
[p]A thousand complete courses of the sun!
[p]But, in
mine emulous honour, let him die,
[p]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,
[p]The noblest hateful
love, that e'er I heard of.
[p]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
[p]To Calchas' house,
and there to render him,
[p]For the enfreed Antenor, the fair
Cressid:
[p]Let's have your company, or, if you please,
[p]Haste there
before us: I constantly do think--
[p]Or rather, call my thought a
certain knowledge--
[p]My brother Troilus lodges there
to-night:
[p]Rouse him and give him note of our approach.
[p]With the
whole quality wherefore: I fear
[p]We shall be much unwelcome.
Aeneas : That I assure you:
[p]Troilus had rather Troy were borne to
Greece
[p]Than Cressid borne from Troy.
Paris : There is no help;
[p]The bitter disposition of the time
[p]Will have
it so. On, lord; we'll follow you.
Aeneas : Good morrow, all.
Paris : And tell me, noble Diomed, faith, tell me true,
[p]Even in the soul of
sound good-fellowship,
[p]Who, in your thoughts, merits fair Helen
best,
[p]Myself or Menelaus?
Diomedes : Both alike:
[p]He merits well to have her, that doth seek her,
[p]Not
making any scruple of her soilure,
[p]With such a hell of pain and
world of charge,
[p]And you as well to keep her, that defend
her,
[p]Not palating the taste of her dishonour,
[p]With such a costly
loss of wealth and friends:
[p]He, like a puling cuckold, would drink
up
[p]The lees and dregs of a flat tamed piece;
[p]You, like a lecher,
out of whorish loins
[p]Are pleased to breed out your
inheritors:
[p]Both merits poised, each weighs nor less nor
more;
[p]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:
[p]For every false drop
in her bawdy veins
[p]A Grecian's life hath sunk; for every
scruple
[p]Of her contaminated carrion weight,
[p]A Trojan hath been
slain: since she could speak,
[p]She hath not given so many good words
breath
[p]As for her Greeks and Trojans suffer'd death.
Paris : Fair Diomed, you do as chapmen do,
[p]Dispraise the thing that you
desire to buy:
[p]But we in silence hold this virtue well,
[p]We'll
but commend what we intend to sell.
[p]Here lies our way.
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Next: Act 4 - Scene 2
