| [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] |