they have swallowed one another: I would laugh Yet, in a sort, lechery eats itself.

at that miracle.

I'll seek them.

[Exit.

SCENE V.

The same.

Enter DIOMEDEs and servant.

Dio. Go, go, my servant; take thou Troilus' horse:

Present the fair steed to my lady Cressid.
Fellow, commend my service to her beauty;
Tell her, I have chastised the amorous Trojan,
And am her knight by proof.

Ser.

I go, my lord.

[Exit Servant.

Enter AGAMEMNON.

Aga. Renew, renew! The fierce Polydamus
Hath beat down Menon: bastard Margarelon
Hath Doreus prisoner,

And stands colossus-wise, waving his beam,1
Upon the pashed corses of the kings

2

Epistrophus and Cedius: Polixenes is slain;
Amphimachus and Thoas deadly hurt;
Patroclus ta'en or slain; and Palamedes
Sore hurt and bruised: the dreadful Sagittary

Appals our numbers.

Haste we, Diomed,

To reinforcement, or we perish all.

Enter NESTor.

Nes. Go, bear Patroclus' body to Achilles,
And bid the snail-paced Ajax arm for shame.
There is a thousand Hectors in the field.
Now here he fights on Galathe his horse,
And there lacks work; anon, he 's there afoot,
And there they fly, or die, like scaled sculls 1
Before the belching whale: then is he yonder,
And there the strawy Greeks, ripe for his edge,
Fall down before him, like the mower's swath: "
Here, there, and every where, he leaves and takes;
Dexterity so obeying appetite,

That what he will, he does; and does so much,
That proof is call'd impossibility.

Enter ULYSSES.

Ulys. O, courage, courage, princes! great Achilles Is arming, weeping, cursing, vowing vengeance: Patroclus' wounds have roused his drowsy blood, Together with his mangled Myrmidons,

That noseless, handless, hack'd and chipp'd, come to him,

Crying on Hector. Ajax hath lost a friend,

1 Like dispersed shoals of fish.

2 A swath is a line of grass cut down by the mower at a stroke.

And foams at mouth; and he is arm'd, and at it,
Roaring for Troilus, who hath done to-day
Mad and fantastic execution;

Engaging and redeeming of himself,

With such a careless force, and forceless care,
As if that luck, in very spite of cunning,
Bade him win all.

Come, come, thou boy-queller, show thy face;
Know what it is to meet Achilles angry.

Hector! where's Hector? I will none but Hector.

[Exeunt.

SCENE VI.

Another part of the field.

Enter AJAX.

Ajax. Troilus, thou coward Troilus, show thy

head!

Enter DIOMEDES.

Dio. Troilus, I say! where 's Troilus?

Ajax.

What wouldst thou?

Dio. I would correct him.

Ajax. Were I the general, thou shouldst have my

office,

Ere that correction.-Troilus, I say! what, Troilus!

Enter TROILUS.

Troi. O traitor Diomed!-turn thy false face, thou traitor,

And pay thy life thou owest me for my horse!
Dio. Ha; art thou there?

Ajax. I'll fight with him alone: stand, Diomed.
Dio. He is my prize; I will not look upon.1
Troi. Come both, you cogging2 Greeks; have at
you both.
[Exeunt, fighting.

Enter HECTOR.

Hec. Yea, Troilus? O, well fought, my youngest brother!

Enter ACHILLES.

Ach. Now do I see thee. Ha!-Have at thee, Hector.

Hec. Pause, if thou wilt.

Ach. I do disdain thy courtesy, proud Trojan.

be happy, that my arms are out of use:

My rest and negligence befriend thee now:

But thou anon shalt hear of me again;
Till when, go seek thy fortune.

Hec.

[Exit.

Fare thee well.

I would have been much more a fresher man,

Had I expected thee. How now, my brother?

Re-enter TROILUS.

Troi. Ajax hath ta'en Æneas. Shall it be?
No, by the flame of yonder glorious heaven,
He shall not carry him :1 I'll be taʼen too,
Or bring him off. Fate, hear me what I say!
I reck not though I end my life to-day.

Enter one in sumptuous armour.

[Exit.

Hec. Stand, stand, thou Greek; thou art a goodly mark.

No? wilt thou not?—I like thy armour well:

I'll frush 3 it, and unlock the rivets all,

But I'll be master of it. Wilt thou not, beast,

abide?

Why then, fly on; I'll hunt thee for thy hide.

[Exeunt.

1 Prevail over him.

• Care.

• Break.