Act IV, Scene i:
Troy. A street

[Enter, at one side, AENEAS, and servant with a torch; atanother, PARIS, DEIPHOBUS, ANTENOR, DIOMEDES the Grecian, andothers, 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 sympathise. 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'st 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 believe—

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 deserves 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 d

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 pleas'd to breed out your inheritors.

Both merits pois'd, each weighs nor less nor more;

But he as he, the heavier for a whore.

PARIS.:

You are too bitter to your country-woman.

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 Troyan hath been slain; since she could speak,

She hath not given so many good words breath

As for her Greeks and Troyans suff'red 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 not commend what we intend to sell.

Here lies our way.

[Exeunt.]