Were thy commixtion Greek and Trojan so That thou couldst say 'This hand is Grecian all, And this is Trojan; the sinews of this leg All Greek, and this all Troy; my mother's blood Runs on the dexter cheek, and this sinister Bounds in my father's;' by Jove multipotent, Thou shouldst not bear from me a Greekish member Wherein my sword had not impressure made Of our rank feud: but the just gods gainsay That any drop thou borrow'dst from thy mother, My sacred aunt, should by my mortal sword Be drain'd! Let me embrace thee, Ajax:
By him that thunders, thou hast lusty arms;
Hector would have them fall upon him thus:
Cousin, all honour to thee! AJAX I thank thee, Hector Thou art too gentle and too free a man:
I came to kill thee, cousin, and bear hence A great addition earned in thy death. HECTOR Not Neoptolemus so mirable, On whose bright crest Fame with her loud'st Oyes Cries 'This is he,' could promise to himself A thought of added honour torn from Hector. AENEAS There is expectance here from both the sides, What further you will do. HECTOR We'll answer it;
The issue is embracement: Ajax, farewell. AJAX If I might in entreaties find success--As seld I have the chance--I would desire My famous cousin to our Grecian tents. DIOMEDES 'Tis Agamemnon's wish, and great Achilles Doth long to see unarm'd the valiant Hector. HECTOR AEneas, call my brother Troilus to me, And signify this loving interview To the expecters of our Trojan part;
Desire them home. Give me thy hand, my cousin;
I will go eat with thee and see your knights. AJAX Great Agamemnon comes to meet us here. HECTOR The worthiest of them tell me name by name;
But for Achilles, mine own searching eyes Shall find him by his large and portly size. AGAMEMNON Worthy of arms! as welcome as to one That would be rid of such an enemy;
But that's no welcome: understand more clear, What's past and what's to come is strew'd with husks And formless ruin of oblivion;
But in this extant moment, faith and troth, Strain'd purely from all hollow bias-drawing, Bids thee, with most divine integrity, From heart of very heart, great Hector, welcome. HECTOR I thank thee, most imperious Agamemnon. AGAMEMNON [To TROILUS] My well-famed lord of Troy, no less to you. MENELAUS Let me confirm my princely brother's greeting:
You brace of warlike brothers, welcome hither. HECTOR Who must we answer? AENEAS The noble Menelaus. HECTOR O, you, my lord? by Mars his gauntlet, thanks!
Mock not, that I affect the untraded oath;
Your quondam wife swears still by Venus' glove:
She's well, but bade me not commend her to you. MENELAUS Name her not now, sir; she's a deadly theme. HECTOR O, pardon; I offend. NESTOR I have, thou gallant Trojan, seen thee oft Labouring for destiny make cruel way Through ranks of Greekish youth, and I have seen thee, As hot as Perseus, spur thy Phrygian steed, Despising many forfeits and subduements, When thou hast hung thy advanced sword i' the air, Not letting it decline on the declined, That I have said to some my standers by 'Lo, Jupiter is yonder, dealing life!'
And I have seen thee pause and take thy breath, When that a ring of Greeks have hemm'd thee in, Like an Olympian wrestling: this have I seen;
But this thy countenance, still lock'd in steel, I never saw till now. I knew thy grandsire, And once fought with him: he was a soldier good;
But, by great Mars, the captain of us all, Never saw like thee. Let an old man embrace thee;
And, worthy warrior, welcome to our tents. AENEAS 'Tis the old Nestor. HECTOR Let me embrace thee, good old chronicle, That hast so long walk'd hand in hand with time:
Most reverend Nestor, I am glad to clasp thee. NESTOR I would my arms could match thee in contention, As they contend with thee in courtesy. HECTOR I would they could. NESTOR Ha!
By this white beard, I'ld fight with thee to-morrow.
