Enter Hector, Ajax, Agamemnon, Ulysses, Nestor,

Menelaus, Troilus, and Diomedes, with lights

AGAMEMNON

We go wrong, we go wrong.

AJAX No, yonder ’tis:

There, where we see the light.

HECTOR I trouble you.

AJAX

No, not a whit.

Enter Achilles

ULYSSES Here comes himself to guide you.

ACHILLES

Welcome, brave Hector. Welcome, princes all.

AGAMEMNON (to Hector)

So now, fair prince of Troy, I bid good night.

Ajax commands the guard to tend on you.

HECTOR

Thanks and good night to the Greeks’ general.

MENELAUS

Good night, my lord.

HECTOR Good night, sweet Lord Menelaus.

THERSITES (aside) Sweet draught! ‘Sweet’, quoth a? Sweet sink, sweet sewer.

ACHILLES

Good night and welcome both at once, to those

That go or tarry.

AGAMEMNON Good night.

Exeunt Agamemnon and Menelaus

ACHILLES

Old Nestor tarries, and you too, Diomed.

Keep Hector company an hour or two.

DIOMEDES

I cannot, lord. I have important business

The tide whereof is now.—Good night, great Hector.

HECTOR Give me your hand.

ULYSSES (aside to Troilus)

Follow his torch, he goes to Calchas’ tent.

I’ll keep you company.

TROILUS (aside) Sweet sir, you honour me.

HECTOR (to Diomedes)

And so good night.

ACHILLES Come, come, enter my tent.

Exeunt Diomedes, followed by Ulysses and

Troilus, at one door; and Achilles, Hector,

Ajax, and Nestor at another door

THERSITES That same Diomed’s a false-hearted rogue, a most unjust knave. I will no more trust him when he leers than I will a serpent when he hisses. He will spend his mouth and promise like Brabbler the hound, but when he performs astronomers foretell it: that is prodigious, there will come some change. The sun borrows of the moon when Diomed keeps his word. I will rather leave to see Hector than not to dog him. They say he keeps a Trojan drab, and uses the traitor Calchas his tent. I’ll after.—Nothing but lechery! All incontinent varlets! Exit

5.2 Enter Diomedes

DIOMEDES What, are you up here? Ho! Speak!

CALCHAS ⌈at the door⌉ Who calls?

DIOMEDES Diomed. Calchas, I think. Where’s your daughter?

CALCHAS ⌈at the door⌉ She comes to you.

Enter Troilus and Ulysses, unseen

ULYSSES (aside)

Stand where the torch may not discover us.

TROILUS (aside)

Cressid comes forth to him.

Enter Cressida

DIOMEDES How now, my charge?

CRESSIDA

Now, my sweet guardian. Hark, a word with you.

She whispers to him.

⌈Enter Thersites, unseen⌉

TROILUS (aside) Yea, so familiar?

ULYSSES (aside) She will sing any man at first sight.

THERSITES (aside) And any man may sing her, if he can take her clef. She’s noted.

DIOMEDES Will you remember?

CRESSIDA Remember? Yes.

DIOMEDES Nay, but do then, And let your mind be coupled with your words.

TROILUS (aside) What should she remember?

ULYSSES (aside) List!

CRESSIDA

Sweet honey Greek, tempt me no more to folly.

THERSITES (aside) Roguery.

DIOMEDES Nay, then!

CRESSIDA I’ll tell you what—

DIOMEDES

Fo, fo! Come, tell a pin. You are forsworn.

CRESSIDA

In faith, I cannot. What would you have me do?

THERSITES (aside) A juggling trick: to be secretly open.

DIOMEDES

What did you swear you would bestow on me?

CRESSIDA

I prithee, do not hold me to mine oath.

Bid me do anything but that, sweet Greek.

DIOMEDES Good night.

TROILUS (aside)

Hold, patience!

ULYSSES (aside) How now, Trojan?

CRESSIDA Diomed.

DIOMEDES

No, no, good night. I’ll be your fool no more.

TROILUS (aside) Thy better must.

CRESSIDA Hark, one word in your ear.

She whispers to him

TROILUS (aside) O plague and madness!

ULYSSES (aside)

You are moved, Prince. Let us depart, I pray you,

Lest your displeasure should enlarge itself

To wrathful terms. This place is dangerous,

The time right deadly. I beseech you go.

TROILUS (aside)

Behold, I pray you.

ULYSSES (aside) Nay, good my lord, go off.

You flow to great distraction. Come, my lord.

TROILUS (aside)

I prithee, stay.

ULYSSES (aside) You have not patience. Come.

TROILUS (aside)

I pray you, stay. By hell and all hell’s torments,

I will not speak a word.

DIOMEDES And so good night.

CRESSIDA

Nay, but you part in anger.

TROILUS (aside) Doth that grieve thee?

O withered truth!

ULYSSES (aside) Why, how now, lord?

TROILUS (aside) By Jove,

I will be patient.

⌈Diomedes starts to go⌉

CRESSIDA Guardian! Why, Greek!

DIOMEDES Fo, fo! Adieu. You palter.

CRESSIDA

In faith, I do not. Come hither once again.

ULYSSES (aside)

You shake, my lord, at something. Will you go?

You will break out.

TROILUS (aside) She strokes his cheek.

ULYSSES (aside) Come, come.

TROILUS (aside)

Nay, stay. By Jove, I will not speak a word.

There is between my will and all offences

A guard of patience. Stay a little while.

THERSITES (aside) How the devil Luxury with his fat rump and potato finger tickles these together! Fry, lechery, fry.

DIOMEDES But will you then?

CRESSIDA

In faith, I will, la. Never trust me else.

DIOMEDES

Give me some token for the surety of it.

CRESSIDA I’ll fetch you one. Exit

ULYSSES (aside) You have sworn patience.

TROILUS (aside) Fear me not, sweet lord.

I will not be myself, nor have cognition

Of what I feel. I am all patience.

Enter Cressida with Troilus’ sleeve

THERSITES (aside) Now the pledge! Now, now, now.

CRESSIDA Here Diomed, keep this sleeve.

TROILUS (aside) O beauty, where is thy faith?

ULYSSES (aside) My lord.

TROILUS (aside)

I will be patient; outwardly I will.

CRESSIDA

You look upon that sleeve. Behold it well.

He loved me—O false wench!—give’t me again.

She takes it back

DIOMEDES Whose was’t?

CRESSIDA

It is no matter, now I ha’t again.

I will not meet with you tomorrow night.

I prithee, Diomed, visit me no more.

THERSITES (aside) Now she sharpens. Well said, whetstone.

DIOMEDES I shall have it.

CRESSIDA What, this?

DIOMEDES Ay, that.

CRESSIDA

O all you gods! O pretty pretty pledge!

Thy master now lies thinking on his bed

Of thee and me, and sighs, and takes my glove

And gives memorial dainty kisses to it—

⌈DIOMEDES⌉

As I kiss thee.

⌈he snatches the sieeve⌉