Act 4, Scene V - Page 2

I, sweet lady, beg a kiss of you?

CRESSIDA
You may.

ULYSSES
I do desire it.

CRESSIDA
Why, beg, then.

ULYSSES
Why then for Venus' sake, give me a kiss,
When Helen is a maid again, and his.

CRESSIDA
I am your debtor, claim it when 'tis due.

ULYSSES
Never's my day, and then a kiss of you.

DIOMEDES
Lady, a word: I'll bring you to your father.

Exit with CRESSIDA

NESTOR
A woman of quick sense.

ULYSSES
Fie, fie upon her!
There's language in her eye, her cheek, her lip,
Nay, her foot speaks; her wanton spirits look out
At every joint and motive of her body.
O, these encounterers, so glib of tongue,
That give accosting welcome ere it comes,
And wide unclasp the tables of their thoughts
To every ticklish reader! set them down
For sluttish spoils of opportunity
And daughters of the game.

Trumpet within

ALL
The Trojans' trumpet.

AGAMEMNON
Yonder comes the troop.

Enter HECTOR, armed; AENEAS, TROILUS, and other Trojans, with Attendants

AENEAS
Hail, all you state of Greece! what shall be done
To him that victory commands? or do you purpose
A victor shall be known? will you the knights
Shall to the edge of all extremity
Pursue each other, or shall be divided
By any voice or order of the field?
Hector bade ask.

AGAMEMNON
Which way would Hector have it?

AENEAS
He cares not; he'll obey conditions.

ACHILLES
'Tis done like Hector; but securely done,
A little proudly, and great deal misprizing
The knight opposed.

AENEAS
If not Achilles, sir,
What is your name?

ACHILLES
If not Achilles, nothing.

AENEAS
Therefore Achilles: but, whate'er, know this:
In the extremity of great and little,
Valour and pride excel themselves in Hector;
The one almost as infinite as all,
The other blank as nothing. Weigh him well,
And that which looks like pride is courtesy.
This Ajax is half made of Hector's blood:
In love whereof, half Hector stays at home;
Half heart, half hand, half Hector comes to seek
This blended knight, half Trojan and half Greek.

ACHILLES
A maiden battle, then? O, I perceive you.

Re-enter DIOMEDES

AGAMEMNON
Here is Sir Diomed. Go, gentle knight,
Stand by our Ajax: as you and Lord AEneas
Consent upon the order of their fight,
So be it; either to the uttermost,
Or else a breath: the combatants being kin
Half stints their strife before their strokes begin.

AJAX and HECTOR enter the lists

ULYSSES
They are opposed already.

AGAMEMNON
What Trojan is that same