Ulyss. Nor mine, my lord: Cressid was here but

now. Tro. Let it not be believ'd for womanhood! Think, we had mothers; do not give advantage To stubborn critickstapt, without a theme, For depravation to square the general sex By Cressid's rule: rather think this vot Cressid, Ulyss. What hath she done, prince, that can soil

our mothers? Tro. Nothing at all, unless that this were she, Ther. Will he swagger himself out on's own eyes?

Tro. This she? no, this is Diomed's Cressida: If beauty have a soul, this is not she; If souls guide vows, if vows be sanctimony, If sanctimony be the gods' delight, If there be rule in unity itself, This was not she. O madness of discourse, That cause sets up with and against itself! Bi-fold authority! where reason can revolt Without perdition, and loss assume all reason Without revolt; this is, and is not, Cressid! Within my soul there doth commence a fight Of this strange nature, that a thing iuseparate Divides more wider than the sky and earth; And yet the spacious breadth of this division Admits no orifice for a point, as subtle As is Arachne's broken woof, to enter. Instance, O instance! strong as Pluto's gates; Cressid is mine, tied with the bonds of heaven: Instance, O instance ! strong as heaven itself; The bonds of heaven are slipp'd, dissolv'd, and

loos'd; And with another knot, five-finger.tied, The fractions of her faith, orts of her love, The fragments, scraps, the bits, and greasy reliques Of her o'ereaten faith, are bound to Diomed.

Ulyss. May worthy Troilus be half attach'd With that which here his passion doth express?

Tro. Ay, Greek; and that shall be divulged well,
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 casquet compos'd by Vulcan's skill,
My sword should bite it: not the dreadful spout,
Which shipmen do the hurricano call,
Constring'df in mass hy the almighty sun,
Shall dizzy with more clamour Neptune's ear
In his descent, than shall my prompted sword
Falling on Diomed.

Ther. He'll tickle it for his concupy $.
Tro. O Cressid! 0 false Cressid ! false, false,

false!
Let all untruths stand by thy stained name,
And they'll seem glorious.
Ulyss.

O, contain yourself;
Your passion draws ears hither.

Æne. 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. Tro. Have with you, prince:-My courteous lord,

. adieu :
Farewell, revolted fair !--and, Diomed,
Stand fast, and wear a castle on thy head !

Ulyss. I'll bring you to the gates.
Tro. Accept distracted thanks.

.. (Ereunt Troilus, Æneas, and Ulysses. Ther. 'Would, I could meet that rogue Diomed! I would croak like a raven; I would bode, I would bode. Patroclus will give me any thing for the

• Love.
| Compressed,

+ Helmet.

Concupiscence,

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.

Enter Hector and Andromache. And. When was my lord so much ungently tem

per'd, To stop his ears against admonishment? Unarm, unarm, and do not fight to-day.

Hect. You train me to offend you; get you in : By all the everlasting gods, I'll go. And. My dreams will, sure, prove ominous to the

day. Hect. No more, I say.

Enter Cassandra. Cas.

Where is my brother Hector?
And. Here, sister; arm'd, and bloody in intent:
Consort with me in loud and dear petition,
Pursue we him on knees; for I have dream'd
Of bloody turbulence, and this whole night
Hath nothing been but shapes and forms of slaughter.

Cas. 0, it is true.
Hect.

Ho! bid my trumpet sound! Cas. No notes of sally, for the heaveus, sweet

brother. Hect. Begone, I say: the gods have heard me

swear. Cas. The gods are deaf to hot and peevish* vows;

They are polluted offerings, more abhorr'd
Than spotted liver in the sacrifice.

And. 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.

Cas. It is the purpose that makes strong the vow;
But vows, to every purpose, must not hold :
Unarm, sweet Hector.
Hect.

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?
And. Cassandra, call my father to persuade.

(Exit Cassandra. Hect. No, 'faith, young Troilus; doff † thy har.

ness, youth, I am to-day i'the 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. • Tro. Brother, you have a vice of mercy in you, Which better fits a lion, than a man. Hect. What vice is that, good Troilus ? chide mo

for it.
Tro. When many times the captive Grecians fall,
Even in the fan and wind of your fair sword,
You bid them rise, and live.

Hect. 0, 'tis fair play.
Tro.

Fool's play, by Heaven, Hector.
Hect. How now? how now?
Tro.

For the 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 ruthful* work, rein them from ruth t.

Hect. Fye,' savage, fye!
Tro.

Hector, then 'tis wars. Hect. Troilus, I would not have you fight to.day.

Tro. Who should withhold me? Not fate, obedience, nor the hand of Mars Beckoning with fiery truncheon my retire; Not Priamns and Hecuba on knees, Their eyes o'ergalled with recourse of tears; Nor you, my brother, with your true sword drawn, Oppos'd to hinder me, should stop my way, But by my ruin.

Re-enter Cassandra, with Priam. Cas. Lay hold upon him, Priam, hold him fast: He is thy crutch; uow if thou lose thy stay, Thou on him leaning, and all Troy on thee, Fall all together. Pri.

Come, Hector, come, go back :
Tby wife hath dream'd; thy mother hath had visions:
Cassandra doth foresee; and I myself.
Am like a prophet suddenly enrapt,
To tell thee-that this day is ominous :
Therefore, come back.
Hect.

Æneas is afield;
And I do stand engag'd to many Greeks,
Even in the faith of valour, to appear
This morning to them.
Pri.

But thou shalt not go.
Hect. I must not break my faith.
You know me dutiful; therefore, dear sir,
Let me not shame respect, but give me leave
To take that course by your consent and voice,
Which you do here forbid me, royal Priam.