Cres. Let me go and try: I have a kind of self resides with you; Cres. Perchance, my lord, I show more craft than love; And fell so roundly to a large confession, Might be affronted with the match and weight How were I then uplifted! but, alas, O virtuous fight, I am as true as truth's simplicity, Want similes, truth tir'd with iteration,— As truth's authentick author to be cited, And sanctify the numbers. Cres. Prophet may you be! If I be false, or swerve a hair from truth, When water-drops have worn the stones of Troy, And mighty states characterless are grated From false to false, among false maids in love, Upbraid my falsehood! when they have said-as false As air, as water, wind, or sandy earth, As fox to lamb, as wolf to heifer's calf, Pard to the hind, or step-dame to her son; Pan. Go to, a bargain made: seal it, seal it; I'll be the witness.-Here I hold your hand; here, my cousin's. If ever you prove false one to another, since I have taken such pains to bring you together, let all pitiful goers-between be call'd to the world's end after my name, call them allPandars; let all constant men be Troiluses, all false women Cressids, and all brokers-between Pandars! say, amen. Tro. Amen. Cres. Amen. Pan. Amen. Whereupon I will show you a chamber and a bed, which bed, because it shall not speak of your pretty encounters, press it to death: away. And Cupid grant all tongue-ty'd maidens here, Bed, chamber, Pandar to provide this geer! [Exeunt. SCENE III. THE GRECIAN CAMP. Enter Agamemnon, Ulysses, Diomedes, Nestor, Ajax, Menelaus, and Calchas. Cal. Now, princes, for the service I have done you, The advantage of the time prompts me aloud To give me now a little benefit, Out of those many register'd in promise, Which, you say, live to come in my behalf. Agam. What would'st thou of us, Trojan? make demand. Cal. You have a Trojan prisoner, call'd Antenor, Yesterday took; Troy holds him very dear. Oft have you (often have you thanks therefore,) Desir'd my Cressid in right great exchange, Whom Troy hath still deny'd: But this Antenor, I know, is such a wrest in their affairs, That their negociations all must slack, Wanting his manage; and they will almost Give us a prince of blood, a son of Priam, In change of him: let him be sent, great princes, And he shall buy my daughter; and her presence Shall quite strike off all service I have done, In most accepted pain. Agam. Let Diomed bear him, And bring us Cressid hither; Calchas shall have Dio. This shall I undertake; and 'tis a burden Which I am proud to bear. [Exeunt Diomedes and Calchas. Enter Achilles and Patroclus, before their Tent. Ulyss. Achilles stands i'the entrance of his tent: Please it our general to pass strangely by him, Lay negligent and loose regard upon him:- I will come last: 'Tis like, he'll question me, him: If so, I have derision med'cinable, To use between your strangeness and his pride, Achil. What, comes the general to speak with me? You know my mind, I'll fight no more 'gainst Troy. Agam. What says Achilles? would he aught with us? Nest. Would you, my lord, aught with the general? Achil. No. Men. How do you? how do you? |