And yet the spacious breadth of this division. As is Arachne's broken woof, to enter. Ulyss. May worthy Troilus be half attach'd Tro. Ay, Greek; and that shall be divulged well Inflam'd with Venus: never did young man fancy Hark, Greek; As much as I do Cressid love, That sleeve is mine, that he'll bear on his helm ; Constring'd in mass by the almighty sun, Ther. He'll tickle it for his concupy'. Tro. O Cressid! O false Cressid! false, false, false! Let all untruths stand by thy stained name, And they'll seem glorious. 7 knot, five-finger-tied,] A knot tied by giving her hand to Diomed. 8 May worthy Troilus-] Can Troilus really feel, on this occasion, half of what he utters ? A question suitable to the calnı Ulysses. JOHNSON. 9 concupy.] A cant word, formed by our author from concupiscence. Ulyss. O, contain yourself; Your passion draws ears hither. Enter ENEAS. Ene. 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: adieu : My courteous lord, Farewell, revolted fair!—and, Diomed, Stand fast, and wear a castle on thy head'! Tro. Accept distracted thanks. [Exeunt TROILUS, ENEAS, 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 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 SCENE III. Troy. Before Priam's Palace. Enter HECTOR and ANDROMACHE. And. When was my lord so much ungently temper'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. 1 : and wear a castle on thy head!] i. e. defend thy head with armour of more than common security. And. My dreams will, sure, prove ominous to the day. Hect. No more, I say. Cas. Enter CASSANDRA. Where is my brother Hector? And. Here, sister; arm'd, and bloody in intent : Hath nothing been but shapes and forms of slaughter. Hect. Ho bid my trumpet sound! Cas. No notes of sally, for the heavens, 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 livers 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; 5 Mine honour keeps the weather of my fate: 2 dear petition,] Dear, on this occasion, seems to mean, important, consequential. It is the purpose,] The mad prophetess speaks here with all the coolness and judgment of a skilful casuist. "The essence of a lawful vow, is a lawful purpose, and the vow of which the end is wrong, must not be regarded as cogent." JOHNSON. 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 harness, youth, I am to-day i'the vein of chivalry : Let grow thy sinews till their knots be strong, Tro. Brother, you have a vice of mercy in you, Hect. What vice is that, good Troilus? chide me 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. O, 'tis fair play. Tro. Fool's play, by heaven, Hector. Hect. How now? how now? For the love of all the gods, Tro. Hector, then 'tis wars. 6 Which better fits a lion,] The traditions and stories of the darker ages abounded with examples of the lion's generosity. Upon the supposition that these acts of clemency were true, Troilus reasons not improperly, that to spare against reason, by mere instinct of pity, became rather a generous beast than a wise man. 7 You bid them rise, and live.] Shakspeare seems not to have studied the Homeric character of Hector, whose disposition was by no means inclined to clemency. Hect. Troilus, I would not have you fight to-day. Not fate, obedience, nor the hand of Mars Their eyes o'ergalled with recourse of tears; Re-enter CASSANDRA, with PRIAM. Cas. Lay hold upon him, Priam, hold him fast: Pri. Come, Hector, come, go back: Thy 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. Eneas is a-field; And I do stand engag'd to many Greeks, This morning to them. Pri. But thou shalt not go. Hect. I must not break my faith. You know me dutiful; therefore, dear sir, S with fiery truncheon -] We have here but a modern Mars. Antiquity acknowledges no such ensign of command as a truncheon. The spirit of the passage, however, is such as might . atone for a greater impropriety. 9 shame respect;] i. e. disgrace the respect I owe you, by acting in opposition to your commands. |