Ulyf. Nor mine, my Lord: Creffid was here but now. Troi. Let it not be believ'd, for woman-hood! Think we had mothers; do not give advantage To ftubborn criticks, apt without a theme For depravation, to fquare all the fex

By Crefid's rule. Rather think this not Creffid.

[thers?

Uly. What hath the done, Prince, that can foil our mo-
Trei. Nothing at all, unless that this were the.
Ther. Will he fwagger himfelf out of his own eyes?
Troi. This he? No, this is Diomedes' Creffid.

If beauty have a foul, this is not she:

If fouls guide vows, if vows are fanctimony,
If fanctimony be the Gods delight,

If there be rule in unity it felf,

This is not fhe. O madnefs of difcourfe!
That caufe fet'ft up with and against thy felf!
Bi-fold authority! where reafon can

Revolt without perdition, lofs "affume

Reafon without revolt. This is, and is not Crefid.
Within my foul there doth commence a fight

Of this ftrange nature, that a thing infeparate
Divides far wider than the sky and earth,
And yet the fpacious breadth of this divifion.
Admits no orifice for a point as fubtle
As flight Arachne's broken woof, to enter.
Inftance, O inftance! ftrong as Pluto's gates;
Crefid is mine, tied with the bonds of heav'n :
Inftance, O inftance! ftrong as heav'n it felf,
The bonds of heav'n are flip'd, diffolv'd and loos'd,
And with another knot five-finger-tied:

The fractions of her faith, orts of her love,
The fragments, fcraps, the bits, and greafie reliques
Of her o'er-eaten faith, are bound to Diomede.
Ulyf. May worthy Troilus be half attach'd
With that which here his paffion doth exprefs?
Troi. Ay, Greek, and that fhall be divulged well;
In characters as red as Mars his heart

5 affume all reason

Inflam'd

Inflam'd with Venus

ne'er did young man fancy

With fo eternal, and fo fix'd a foul
Hark, Greek, as much as I do Crefid love,
So much by weight hate I her Diomede.

That fleeve is mine, that he'll bear in his helm:
Were it a cask compos'd by Vulcan's skill,
My fword fhould bite it: not the dreadful fpout,
Which fhip-men do the hurricano call,

Conftring'd in mafs by the almighty fun,
Shall dizzy with more clamour Neptune's ear,
In his defcent, than fhall my prompted fword
Falling on Diomede.

Ther. He'll tickle it for his concupy.

Troi. O Creffid! O falfe Creffid! falfe, falfe, falfe! Let all untruths ftand by thy ftained name,

And they'll feem glorious.

Ulyf. O, contain your self:

Your paffion draws ears hither.

Enter Eneas.

Ene. I have been feeking you this hour, my Lord:

Hector by this is arming him in Troy.

home.

Ajax your guard ftays to conduct you home.

[adieu!

Troi. Have with you, Prince; my courteous Lord,

Farewel, revolted fair! and, Diomede,

Stand faft, and wear a caftle on thy head.

Ulyf. I'll bring you to the gates.

Troi. Accept diftracted thanks.

[Exeunt Troilus, Æneas, and Ulyffes. Ther. Would I could meet that rogue Diomede, I would croak like a raven: I would bode, I would bode. Patroclus will give me any thing for the intelligence of this whore: the parrot will not do more for an almond, than he for a commodious drab: letchery, letchery, ftill wars and letchery, nothing elfe holds fashion. A burning devil take them! [Exit.

And.

WE

Hen was my Lord fo much ungently temper'd,
To ftop his ears against admonishment?

Unarm, unarm, and do not fight to day.

Het. You train me to offend you; get you gone.
By all the everlafting Gods, I'll go.

And. My dreams will fure prove ominous to-day.
Het. No more, I fay.-

Enter Caffandra.

Caf. Where is my brother Helor?

And. Here, fifter, arm'd, and bloody in intent : Confort with me in loud and dear petition; Purfue we him on knees; for I have dreamt Of bloody turbulence; and this whole night Hath nothing been but fhapes and forms of flaughter. Caf. O, it is true.

Hect. Ho! bid my trumpet found.

Caf. No notes of fally, for the heavn's fweet brother! Hect. Be gone, I fay: the Gods have heard me fwear. Caf. The Gods are deaf to hot and peevish vows; They are polluted offerings, more abhorr'd Than fpotted livers in the facrifice.

And. O! be perfwaded, do not count it holy

To hurt by being juft; it were as lawful

For us to count we give what's gain'd by thefts,
And rob in the behalf of charity.

Caf. It is the purpose that makes strong the vow;
But vows to every purpose must not hold :
Unarm, fweet Heltor.

Helt. Hold you ftill, I fay;

Mine honour keeps the weather of my fate;

Life

Life every man holds dear, but the brave man
Holds honour far more precious-dear than life.

Enter Troilus.

How now, young man? mean't thou to fight to-day? And. Caffandra, call my father to perfwade.

[Exit Caffandra. Hect. No, 'faith, young Troilus; doff thy harness, I am to-day i'th' vein of chivalry:

Let grow thy finews '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 ftand to-day, for thee, and me, and Troy.

[youth:

Troi. Brother, you have a vice of mercy in you; Which better fits a lion than a man.

Heft. What vice is that? good Troilus, chide me for it. Troi. When many times the captive Grecians fall Ev'n in the fan and wind of your fair fword,

You bid them rife, and live.

Helt. O, 'tis fair play.

Troi. Fools-play, by heav'n, Hector.
Helt. How now? how now?

Troi. For love of all the Gods,

Let's leave the hermit pity with our mothers;
And when we have our armours buckled on,
The venom'd vengeance ride upon our fwords,
Spur them to rueful work, rein them from ruth!
Het. Fie, favage, fie.

Troi. Hector, thus 'tis in wars.

Het. Troilus, I would not have you fight to-day.
Troi. Who fhould with-hold me?

Not fate, obedience, nor the hand of Mars
Beck'ning with fiery truncheon my retire;
Not Priamus and Hecuba on knees,

Their eyes o'er-galled with recourfe of tears;
Nor you, my brother, with your true fword drawn
Oppos'd to hinder me, fhould ftop my way,
But by my ruin.

G 3

SCENE

1

Enter Priam and Caffandra.

Caf. Lay hold upon him, Priam, hold him fast:
He is thy crutch; now if thou lofe thy ftay,
Thou on him leaning, and all Troy on thee,
Fall all together.

Priam. Hector, come, go back:

Thy wife hath dreamt; thy mother hath had vifions;
Caffandra doth forefee; and I my self

Am like a prophet, fuddenly enrapt,
To tell thee that this day is ominous :
Therefore come back.

Het. Eneas is a-field,

And I do stand engag'd to many Greeks,
Ev'n in the faith of valour, to appear
This morning to them.

Priam. But thou shalt not go.

Helt. I must not break my faith:
You know me dutiful, therefore, dear Sir,
Let me not fhame refpect; but give me leave
To take that courfe by your confent and voice,
Which you do here forbid me, Royal Priam.
Caf. O, Priam, yield not to him.

And. Do not, dear father.

Helt. Andromache, I am offended with you.
Upon the love you bear me, get you in. [Exit Androm.
Troi. This foolish, dreaming, fuperftitious girl,

Makes all thefe bodements.

Caf. O farewel, dear Hector :

Look how thou dieft; look how thy eyes turn pale!
Look how thy wounds do bleed at many vents!
Hark how Troy roars; how Hecuba cries out;
How poor Andromache fhrills her dolour forth!
Behold diftraction, frenzy and amazement,
Like witlefs anticks, one another meet,
And all

cry, Hector, Hector's dead! O Hector!

Troi.