SCENE I. Troy. A street. Troilus and Cressida  Shakespeare homepage  |  Troiles and Cressida  | Act 4, Scene 1 

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 Enter, from one side, AENEAS, and Servant with a  torch; 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 

 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 

 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 

 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 

 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, 

 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! 

 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, 

 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, 

 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: 

 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 

 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. 



 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: 

 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, 

 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: 

 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 

 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. 

 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. 



 Exeunt  Shakespeare homepage  |  Troiles and Cressida  | Act 4, Scene 1 

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