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Troy. A room in Priam's palace.
[Enter PRIAM, HECTOR, TROILUS, PARIS, and HELENUS]
PRIAM
, ,
2 T T T
,
After | so many | hours, lives, speech|es spent,
,
, ,
, ,
Thus^once | again | says^Nes|tor from | the
Greeks,
, ,
, , ,
Deliv|er He|len, and / all da|mage else
,
, ,
, ,
(As hon|or, loss | of time,| travail,| expense,
,
, ,
, ,
Wounds, friends,/ and what | else dear / that is
| consumed
, ,
, , 2
,
In hot | diges|tion of | this cor|morant war)
, ,
, ,
, 2
Shall be / struck off.| Hector,| what say | you to it.
HECTOR
,
, ,
, ,
Though no | man les|ser fears | the Greeks | than
I,
x
, 2 , 2
, x
As far as | toucheth | my partic|ular: yet /
dread Priam,
, , ,
, x
There is / no la|dy of / more soft|er bowels,
,
, , ,
,
More* spon|gy, to / suck in | the sense | of
fear,
, 2 ,
, ,
,
More^rea|dy to cry | out, who | knows what |
follows
, ,
, ,
, ->
Than Hec|tor is:| the wound | of peace | is
sure||ty,
, 2
, ,
, ,
Sure|ty secure:| but mod|est doubt | is called
, , 2
, ,
,
The bea|con of the | wise: the | tent that |
searches
2 ,
, ,
T Tx T
To the bot|tom of | the worst.| Let Helen go,
T .
T T ,
x ,
Since the first sword | was drawn | about this |
question,
, T
T T 2
, ,
Every | tithe soul 'mongst | many thous|and
dimes,
,
, x
, ,
Hath been | as dear | as Helen:| I mean | of
ours:
, ,
, ,
,
If we | have lost | so ma|ny tenths | of ours
, .
T T T ,
,
To guard | a thing not ours,| nor worth | to us
T . T T
, ,
,
(Had it our name)| the val|ue of / one ten;
,
, , ,
,
What mer|it's in | that reas|on which | denies
,
, ,
The yield|ing of | her up.
TROILUS
T T T
,
Fie, fie, my | brother; (tri with prev)
,
, , ,
,
Weigh you | the worth | and hon|or of | a king
,
, , ,
,
(So great | as our / dread fath|er) in | a scale
,
, ,
2 , ,
Of com|mon oun|ces? Will | you with count|ers sum
,
, ,
, ,
The past | propor|tion of | his in|finite,
, ,
, , ,
And buck|le in | a waist | most fath/omless,
, ,
, , ,
With spans | and in|ches so | dimin|utive,
, ,
, ,
,
As fears | and reas|ons? Fie | for god|ly shame?
HELENUS
, ,
, ,
, ->
No marv|el though | you bite | so sharp | at
rea||sons,
, 2
, , ,
2 , ->
You | are so emp|ty of | them, should | not our
fath|er
, ,
, 3 3 ,
,
Bear | the great | sway of his af|fairs with |
reasons,
, ,
, ,
,
Because | your speech | hath none | that tells |
him so.
TROILUS
,
, ,
, ,
You are | for dreams | and slum|bers broth|er
priest;
, ,
x , 2
,
You fur | your gloves | with reason:| here are
your | reasons:
, ,
, , ,
You know | an en|emy | intends | you harm,
, ,
, ,
,
You know,| a sword | employed | is per|ilous,
,
, ,
, ,
And reas|on flies | the ob|ject^of / all harm.
,
, , ,
,
Who marv|els then | when He|lenus | beholds
,
, ,
, ,
A Gre|cian and | his sword,| if he | do set
, ,
, ,
,
The ve|ry wings | of reas|on to | his heels:
,
, ,
, ,
Or like | a star | disorbed.| Nay, if we talk of
reason, ????
, ,
, ,
,
And fly | like chid|den Mer|cury | from Jove,
, ,
, , 2
,
Let's^shut | our gates | and sleep:| manhood* and
| honor
,
T T T
2 , ,
Should have | hard hearts, would | they but fat |
their thoughts
,
, ,
, ,
With this / crammed reas|on: reas|on and |
respect,
, ,
, ,
,
Make liv|ers pale | and lus|tihood | deject.
HECTOR
, ,
,
Brother,| she is | not worth
<- ,
, ,
What she | doth cost || the hold|ing.
TROILUS
, ,
, ,
What's | aught, but | as 'tis | valued?
HECTOR
, ,
, , 2
,
But va|lue dwells | not in | partic|ular will,
, ,
, ,
,
It holds | his es|timate | and dig|nity
, ,
, ,
,
As well,| wherein |'tis pre|cious of | itself,
,
, , , , 2
As in | the pri|zer: 'tis / mad id|olatry,
, ,
, ,
,
To make | the serv|ice great|er than | the god,
, ,
, , ,
And the / will dotes | that is | attri|butive
, ,
, ,
,
To what | infec|tiously | itself | affects,
,
, , 2
, x
Without | some^im|age of | the affec|ted merit.
TROILUS
, , ,
, 2 ,
I take | today | a wife,| and my e|lection
, ,
, , ,
Is led | on in | the con|duct of | my will;
, ,
, ,
,
My will | enkind|led by | mine eyes | and ears,
T Tx T
, , 2 ,
Two traded pi|lots 'twixt | the dang|erous shores
, ,
, ,
,
Of will,| and judg|ment. How | may^I | avoid
, ,
, , 2 ,
(Although | my will | distaste | what it
e|lected)
,
, , ,
, 2->
The wife | I chose,| there can | be no |
eva||sion
, ,
2 , ,
,
To blench | from this,| and to stand | firm by |
honor.
, , ,
, ,
->
We turn | not back | the silks | upon | the
mer||chant,
, 2
, , 2 ,
, 2->
When | we have spoiled | them; nor | the
remain|der vi||ands
, ,
, ,
,
We do | not throw | in un|respec|tive same,
,
, ,
, ,
Because | we now | are full.| It was / thought
meet
, ,
, , ,
Paris | should do | some venge|ance on | the
Greeks;
,
, ,
, ,
Your breath | of full | consent | bellied | his
sails,
, ,
, ,
,
The seas | and winds |(old^wrang|lers) took | a
truce,
, 2
, ,
, ,
And did him | service;| he touched | the ports |
desired,
, 2 ,
T . T T
,
And for an | old^aunt | whom the Greeks held |
captive,
, 2 ,
, , ,
->
He brought^a | Grecian | queen, whose^|youth and
| freshness
, 2 ,
, ,
,
Wrinkles A|pollo's,| and makes | stale the |
morning.
, ,
, , ,
Why* keep | we her?| The Gre|cians keep |
our^aunt:
, , ,
, ,
Is she / worth keep|ing? Why | she is | a pearl,
,
, ,
, ,
Whose price | hath launched | above | a thous|and
ships,
,
, ,
, oo
And turned | crowned | kings to | merchants.|
,
, , ,
,
If you'll | avouch,| 'twas wis|dom Par|is went,
, ,
2 , T
T T
(As you / must needs,| for you all | cried, go,
go:)
, ,
, T Tx
T
If you'll | confess,| he brought | home noble
prize,
, ,
, ,
,
(As you / must needs)| for you / all clapped |
your hands,
, ,
2 , ,
,
And cried | ines|timable;| why do | you now
, ,
, ,
,
The is|sue of | your prop|er wis|doms rate,
,
, , ,
,
And do | a deed | that for|tune nev|er did?
,
, , ,
,
Beggar | the es|tima|tion which | you prized,
, 2 ,
, T
T T
Richer than | sea and | land? O*| theft most
base!
, x
, ,
,
That we | have stolen | what we | do fear | to keep.
,
,
, , x
But thieves | unworth|y of a // thing so stolen,
, ,
, ,
,
That in / their count|ry did | them that |
disgrace,
,
, ,
, ,
We fear | to war|rant in | our nat|ive place.
CASSANDRA
T Tx T
Cry Troyans, cry.
PRIAM
, , ,
What noise?| What shriek | is this?
TROILUS
, ,
, , ,
'Tis our / mad sis|ter, I / do know | her voice.
CASSANDRA
, ,
Cry Troy/ans.
HECTOR
, , oo
It | is Cas|sandra.|
[Enter CASSANDRA, raving]
CASSANDRA
T Tx
T , ,
,
Cry Troyans cry;| lend me | ten* thous|and eyes,
, , ,
, ,
And I | will fill | them with | prophe|tic tears.
HECTOR
___ ,
___
Peace | sister,| peace. (cut off)
CASSANDRA
,
, T T .
T ,
Virgins,| and boys;| mid-age and wrink|led old,
, ,
, ,
,
Soft^in|fancy,| that noth|ing can | but cry,
, ,
, ,
,
Add to | my clam|or: let | us pay | betimes
, ,
, ,
,
A moie|ty of | that mass | of moan | to come.
T Tx
T ,
, ,
Cry Troyans cry,| practise | your eyes | with
tears,
T T T
, , , 2
___
Troy must not | be, nor | goodly | Ilion | stand,
T T T
, ,
T T T
Our firebrand | brother | Paris | burns us all.
T Tx
T , ,
, oo
Cry Troyans cry,| a Hel|en and | a woe;|
T T T
, ,
, __
Cry, cry, Troy | burns, or | else let | Helen |
go. (hex with prev three)
[Exit]
HECTOR
, ,
, ,
,
Now youth|ful Troi|lus, do | not these^/high
strains
, ,
, ,
,
Of di|vina|tion in | our sis|ter, work
,
, ,
, ,
Some touch|es of | remorse?| Or is | your blood
, ,
, ,
x
So mad|ly hot,| that no | discourse | of reason,
, ,
, , ,
Nor fear | of bad | success | in a / bad cause,
, ,
,
Can qual|ify | the same?
TROILUS
, ,
->
Why broth|er Hec||tor,
, 2
, , , ,
We | may not think | the just|ness of / each act
,
, ,
, x
Such and | no oth|er than | event | doth form it,
, ,
, ,
,
Nor once | deject | the cour|age of | our minds;
,
, ,
, ,
->
Because | Cassan|dra's mad,| her
brain|sick^rap||tures
, 2 ,
, , 2
,
Can|not distaste | the good|ness of a | quarrel,
,
, ,
, ,
Which hath | our seve|ral hon|ors all | engaged
,
, , ,
,
To make | it gra|cious. For | my priv|ate part,
, ,
, T
Tx T
I am / no more | touched, than | all Priam's
sons,
, ,
, , x
And Jove | forbid | there should | be done |
amongst us
, ,
, ,
,
Such^things | as might | offend | the weak|est
spleen,
, ,
__ __ oo
To fight | for, and | main|tain.|
PARIS
T T .
T ,
, ,
Else might the world | convince | of le|vity,
,
, , ,
, ->
As well | my und|ertak|ings as | your coun||sels:
, 2
, , ,
,
But | I attest | the gods,| your full | consent
T T
. T ,
, ,
Gave wings to my | propen|sion, and / cut off
T T . T
2 , , ,
All fears attend|ing on so | dire a | project.
, ,
, ,
,
For what |(alas)| can these | my sing|le arms?
, ,
2 , ,
,
What Pro|pugna|tion is in / one man's | valor
, ,
, , ,
To stand | the push | and en|mity | of those
,
, ,
, ,
This quar|rel would | excite?| Yet I | protest,
, 2 ,
, ,
,
Were I a|lone to | pass the | diffi|culties,
, ,
x ,
,
And had | as amp|le power,| as I | have^will,
, ,
, ,
,
Paris | should nere | retract | what he | hath
done,
, ,
,
Nor faint / in the | pursuit.
PRIAM
, ,
Paris,| you speak
,
, , ,
,
Like^one | besot|ted on | your sweet | delights;
,
, , ,
,
You have | the ho|ney still,| but these | the
gall,
,
, 2 ,
, ,
So to | be val|iant, is | no praise | at all.
PARIS
,
, , ,
,
Sir, I | propose | not mere|ly to | myself,
, ,
, ,
,
The pleas|ures such | a beaut|y brings | with it:
, ,
,
, ,
But I | would have | the soil | of her / fair
rape
T T .
T , ,
,
Wiped off in hon|ora|ble keep|ing her.
, ,
, 2 T T
T
What treas|on were | it to the | ransacked queen,
, ,
, ,
,
Disgrace | to your / great worths,| and shame |
to me,
, ,
, ,
,
Now to | deliv|er her | posses|sion up
, ,
, ,
,
On terms | of base | compul|sion? Can | it be,
, ,
, ,
,
That so | degen|erate | a strain | as this,
, ,
, 2 ,
2 ,
Should once | set foot/ing in your | generous |
bosoms?
,
, x ,
,
There's^not | the mean|est spirit | on our |
party,
,
, ,
, ,
Without | a heart | to dare,| or sword | to draw,
x ,
, ,
x
When Helen | is de|fended:| nor none | so noble,
, ,
, ,
,
Whose^life | were ill | bestowed,| or death |
unfamed,
x ,
T T T ,
Where Helen | is the | subject. Then |(I say)
, ,
, ,
,
Well may*| we fight | for her,| whom we |
know^well,
. T
T T ,
, ,
The world's large spa|ces can|not par|allel.
HECTOR
, ,
, , ,
Paris | and Troi|lus, you have // both said well:
,
, ,
, ,
And on | the cause | and ques|tion now | in hand,
, ,
, , ,
Have glozed,| but sup|erfic|ially;| not much
,
, , ,
,
Unlike | young^men,| whom Ar|istot|le thought
, ,
, , ,
Unfit | to hear | moral | philo|sophy.
,
, ,
, ,
The reas|ons you | allege,| do more | conduce
, ,
, ,
,
To the / hot pas|sion of | distemp|ered blood,
2 ,
, , ,
,
Than to make | up a | free de|termi|nation
T T
. T ,
, ,
'Twixt right and wrong:| for pleas|ure, and |
revenge,
,
, , ,
,
Have^ears | more* deaf | than ad|ders, to | the
voice
,
, ,
, ,
Of an|y true | deci|sion. Na|ture craves
,
, , ,
,
All* dues | be rend|ered to | their ow|ners: now,
,
, ,
, ,
What near|er debt | in all | huma|nity,
, ,
, , ,
Than wife | is to | the hus|band? If | this law
,
, ,
, ,
->
Of na|ture be | corrup|ted through | affec||tion,
, ,
, ,
2 ,
And | that great | minds of | partial
in|dulgence,
,
, ,
, ,
To their | benumb|ed wills | resist | the same,
, 2
, ,
, ,
There is a | law in | each well^|ordered |
nation,
, ,
, ,
,
To curb | those rag|ing ap|petites | that are
, , 2
, , ,
Most^dis|obed|ient and | refrac|tory.
, ,
, , ,
If He|len then | be wife | to Spart|a's king
,
, , ,
,
(As it | is known | she is)| these mo|ral laws
,
, ,
, ,
Of na|ture, and | of na|tion, speak | aloud
, ,
, ,
,
To have | her back | returned.| Thus to | persist
x ,
, T T T
In doing | wrong, ex|tenu|ates not wrong,
x T T
T , 2 ,
2->
But makes it | much more hea|vy. Hec|tor's
opin||ion
, ,
, ,
,
Is this | in way | of truth:| yet nere | the
less,
,
, ,
, ,
My sprite|ly breth|ren, I | propend | to you
, , ,
, ,
In re|solu|tion to / keep He|len still;
, 2
, ,
, ,
For 'tis a | cause that | hath no | mean
de|pendance,
, ,
, , ,
Upon | our joint | and seve|ral dig|nities.
TROILUS
,
, ,
, ,
Why? There*| you touched | the life | of our |
design:
x
, ,
, ,
Were it not | glory | that we | more af|fected,
,
, ,
, ,
Than the | perfor|mance of | our hea|ving
spleens,
, ,
, ,
,
I would | not wish | a drop | of Troy|an blood,
, ,
2 ,
, ,
Spent more / in her de|fense. But | worthy |
Hector,
, ,
, ,
,
She is | a theme | of hon|or and | renown,
,
, 2 ,
, 2 ,
A spur | to val|iant and | magnan|imous deeds,
,
, ,
, ,
Whose pres|ent cour|age may / beat down | our
foes,
,
, ,
, ,
And fame | in time | to come | cano|nize us.
, 2
T T T
, ,
For I pre|sume brave Hec|tor would | not lose
,
, , 2 ,
,
So rich | advant|age of a | promised | glory,
,
, , , 2
,
As smiles | upon | the fore|head of this |
action,
, ,
, ,
For the / wide world's | reve|nue.
HECTOR
,
I | am yours,
, 2 ,
, , ,
You val|iant off|spring of | great Pri/amus.
, ,
, , ,
I have | a rois|ting chal|lenge sent | amongst
,
, ,
, ,
The dun | and fac|tious nob|les of | the Greeks,
,
, , ,
x
Will strike | amaze|ment to | their drow|sy
spirits,
2 , ,
, ,
,
I was ad|vertised,| their great | gene|ral slept,
, , ,
, ,
Whilst^em|ula|tion in | the ar|my crept:
,
, ,
This I | presume | will wake | him. \\
[Exeunt]