University of Virginia Library

Actus Quartus

Scœna prima.

Enter Hector, Troilus, Paris, Æneas, Hectors armour bearer, with others.
Hec.
My armour, and my trusty Galatee,
The proudest steed that euer rider backt,
Or with his hoofes beate thunder from the earth.
The Sunne begins to mount the Easterne hill,
And wee not yet in field: Lords yesterday
Wee slipt a braue aduantage, else these ships
That floate now in the Samothracian road,
And with their wauing pendants menace Troy,
Had with their flames reflecting from the Sea,
Gilt those high towers, which now they proudly braue.

Troi.
On then; Achilles is vnconquered yet,
Great Agamemnon and the Spartan King,
Aiax the bigge-bond Duke of Salamine,
With him that with his Lance made Venus bleed,
The bold, (but euer rash) King Diomed.
To lead these captiue through Scamander Plaines,
That were a taske worth Hector.

Par:
Why not vs?
Yet most becomming him, come then Æneas,
Let each Picke one of these braue Champions out
And single him a captiue.

Æne.
'Twere an enterprise
That would deserue a lasting Chronicle:
Lead on renowned Hector.

Hect.
Vnnimble slaue,
Dispatch, make hast, I would be first in field,
And now I must be cal'd on.

Enter Andromache and young Astianax.
Andro.
Oh stay deare Lord, my royall husband stay;
Cast by thy shield, fellow vncase his armes,
Knock off the riuets, lay that baldricke by,
But this one day rest with Andromache.

Hec.
What meanest thou woman?

Andro.
To saue my hououred Lord
From a sad fate, for if this ominous day,
This day disastrous, thou appear'st in field
I neuer more shall see thee.

Hec.
Fond Andromache.
Giue me some reason for't.

Andro.
A fearefull dreame,
This night me thought I saw thee 'mongst the Greekes
Round girt with squadrons of thine enemies,
All which their Iauelins thrild against thy brest,
And stucke them in thy bosome.

Hec.
So many Squadrons,
And all their darts quiuerd in Hectors brest,
Some glanc't vpon mine armour, did they not?

Par.
Did none of all these darts rebound from Hector
And hit thee sister, for (my Lasse) I know,
Thou hast been oft hit by thiine Hector so.

Andro.
Oh doe not iest my husband to his death,
I wak't and slept, and slept and wak't againe:
But both my slumbers and my sounde sleepes
Met in this one maine truth, if thou this day
Affront their Army or oppose their fleete,
After this day we ne're more shall meete.

Hect.
Trust not deceptious visions, dreame, are fables,
Adulterate Sceanes of Anticke forgeries
Playd vpon idle braines, come Lords to horse,
To keepe me from the field, dreames haue no force.

Andro.
Troilus, Æneas, Paris, young Astianax,
Hang on thy fathers armour, stay his speed.

Asti.
Father, sweete father do not fight to day.

Hect.
Helpe to take off these burrs, they trouble mee.

Andro.
Hold, hold thy father, if thou canst not kneele,
Yet with thy teares intreate him stay at home.

Asti.
I'l hang vpon you, you shall beate me father
Before I let you goe.

Hect.
How boy? I'le whippe you if you stirre a foot,
Go get you to your mother.

Pa.
Come to horse.

Enter Priam, Hecuba, Hellen, &c.
Pri.
Hector, I charge thee by thine honour stay,
Go not this day to battaile.

Hect.
By all the gods
Andromache, thou dost abate my loue
To winne mee from my glory.

Hec.
From thy death.
Troilus, perswade thy brother, daughter Hellen,
Speake to thy Paris to intreate him too.

Hel.
Paris sweete husband.

Pa.
Leaue your cunning Hellen.
My brother shall to the field.

Hel.
But by this kisse thou shalt not.

Pa.
Now haue not I the heart to say her nay:
This kisse hath ouercome mee.

Andro.
My dearest loue,
Pitty your wife, your sonne, your father, all
These liue beneath the safeguard of that arme;
Pitty in vs whole Troy all ready doom'd
To sinke beneath your ruine.

Pri.
If thou fall,
Who then shall stand? Troy shall consume with fire
(That yet remaines in thee) wee perish all,
Or which is worse, led captiue into Greece:
Therefore deare Hector, cast thy armour off.

Andro.
Husband.

Hecu.
Sonne.

Hel.
Brother.

Hect.
By Ioue I am resolu'd.

Andro.
Oh all yee gods!

Hect.
Not all the diuells
Could halfe torment me like these women tongues?

Pa.
At my entreaty, and for Hellens loue,
Leaue vs to beare the fortunes of this day,
Heres Troilus and my selfe will make them sweare;
Ere the fight end there are two Hectors here.

Æne.
Besides Æneas, and Deiphebus
Young Margareton, and a thousand more
Sworne to set fire on all their Tents this day,
Then Hector for this once resolue to stay.

Hect.
To horse then Paris, do not linger time;

Pa.
To horse, come brother Troilus.

Hect.
Watch Margareton, if the youthfull Prince
Venter beyond his strength, let him haue rescue.

Troi.
Hee shall be all our charge.

Pri.
Hector let's mount vpon the vvalls of Troy;
And thence surueigh the battaile.

Hect.
Well bee't so.
But if one Troian shall for succour cry.
I'le leaue the walls and to his rescue flye.

Exit.
Enter Troilus and Diomed after an alarum.
Troi.
King Diomed.

Dio.
Cresids first loue.

Troi.
Yes Diomed and her last,
I'le liue to loue her when thy life is past.

Enter Menelaus both vpon Troilus.
Men.
Hold Troian, for no Greeke must be disarm'd:

Enter Paris.
Pa.
Vnmanly odds, King Menelaus turne
Thy face this way, 'tis Troian Paris calls.

Men.
Of all that breath, I loue that Paris tongue
When it shall call to Armes: Now one shal downe.

Alarum. Menelaus falls.
Par.
Thou keep'st thy word, for thou art downe indeed.
Yet by the sword of Paris shalt not dye.
I slew thy fame when I first stole thy Queene,
And therefore Spartan will now spare thy life:
Achilles, Diomed, Aiax, one of three
Were noble prise, thou art no spoyle for mee.

Alarum. Enter aboue Priam, Hector, Astianax, Hecuba, Hellen, &c. Below Achilles and Margareton.
Achil.
If thou bee'st noble by thy blood and valour,
Tell mee if Hector bee in field this day.

Marg.
Thy coniuration hath a double spell,
Hector is not in field, but here I stand
Thy warlike opposite.

Achi:
Thou art young and weake, retire and spare thy life.

Mar.
I'm Hectors brother, none of Hectors blood
Did euer yet retreite.

Achi.
If Hectors friend,
Here must thy life and glory both haue end.

Achilles kils him.
Hec.
Oh father, see where Margareton Iyes,
Your sonne, my brother by Achilles slaine.

Pri.
Thy brother Troylus will reuenge his death:
But Hector shall not mooue.

Hec.
Troylus nor all the Troians in the field
Can make their swords bite on Achilles shield:
'Tis none but Hector must reuenge his death.

Pri.
But not this day.

Hect.
Before the Sunne decline,
That terrour of the earth I'le make deuine.

Exit from the wals.
Alarum. Enter Hector beating before him Achilles Mermidons.
Hect.
Thus flyes the dust before the Northern winds,
And turnes to Attoms dancing in the ayre,
So from the force of our victorious arme,
Flye armed squadrons of the boldest Greekes,
And mated at the terrour of our name,
So cleare the field before me, no mans fauour'd:
The blood of three braue Princes in my rage,
I haue sacrific'd to Margaritons soule.
Aiax Oilæus, Aiax Telamon,
Merionus, Menelaus, Idomea,
Arch-dukes and Kings haue shrunke beneath this arme,
Besides a thousand Knights haue falne this day
Beneath the fury of my pondrous blowes:
And not the least of my victorious spoyles,
Quiuer'd my Iauelin through the brawny thigh
Of strong Achilles, and I seeke him still,
Once more to tug with him: my sword and breath
Assist me still, till one drop downe in death.

Enter Achilles with his guard of Mermidons.
Achi.
Come cast your selues into a ring of terrour,
About this warlike Prince, by whom I bleede:

Hec.
What meanes the glory of the Grecian hoast,
Thus to besiege me with his Mermidons?
And keepe aloofe himselfe.

Achil.
That shall my Launce
In bloody letters text vpon thy breast,
For young Patroclus death, for my dishonours,
For thousand spoyles, and for that infinite wracke
Our Army hath indur'd onely by thee,
Thy life must yeeld me satisfaction.

Hec.
My life? aud welcome, by Apolloes fire,
I neuer ventred blood with more content,
Then against thee Achilles, come prepare.

Achil.
For eminent death, you of my warlike guard,
My Mermidons, for slaughters most renown'd,
Now sworne to my designements, your steele polaxes,
Fixe all at once, and girt him round with wounds.

Hec.
Dishonourable Greeke, Hector nere dealt
On base aduantage, or euer lift his sword
Ouer a quaking toe, but as a spoyle
Vnworthy vs, still left him to his feare:
Not on the man, whom singly I struke downe,
Haue I redoubled blowes, my valour still
Opposde against a standing enemy.
Thee haue I twice vnhorst, and when I might
Haue slaine thee groueling, left thee to the field,
Thine armour and thy shield impenetrable,
Wrought by the god of Lemnos in his forge
By arte diuine, with the whole world ingrauen,
I haue through pierc't, and still it weares my skarres:
Forget not how last day, euen in thy tent
I feasted my good sword, and might haue flung
My bals of wild-fire round about your Fleete,
To haue sent vp your Greekish pride in flames,
Which would haue fixt a starre in that high Orbe,
To memorize to all succeeding times
Our glories and your shames, yet this I spar'd,
And shall I now be slayne by treachery?

Achi
Tell him your answer on your weapons points,
Vpon him my braue souldiers.

Hec.
Come you slaues,
Before I fall, Ile make some food for graues,
That gape to swallow cowards: ceaze you dogges.
Vpon a Lyon with your armed phangs,
And bare me brauely, where I touch I kill,
And where I fasten teare body from soule,
And soule from hope of rest: all Greece shall know,
Blood must run wast in Hectors ouerthrow.

Alarum. Hector fals slayne by the Mermidons, then Achilles wounds him with his Launce.
Achi.
Farwell the noblest spirit that ere breath'd
In any terrene mansion: Take vp his body
And beare it to my Tent: Ile straight to horse,
And at his fetlockes to my greater glory,
Ile dragge his mangled trunke that Grecians all,
May deafe the world with shouts, at Hectors fall.

Enter Priam, Æneas, Troilus, Paris.
Pri.
Blacke fate, blacke day, be neuer Kallendred
Hereafter in the number of the yeare,
The Planets cease to worke, the Spheares to mooue,
The Sunne in his meridian course to shine,
Perpetuall darknesse ouerwhelme the day,
In which is falne the pride of Asia.

Troi.
Rot may that hand.
And euery ioynt drop peece-meale from his arme,
That tooke such base aduantage on a worthy,
Who all aduantage scorn'd.

Pa.
Yet though his life they haue basely tane away,
His body we haue rescued mauger Greece.
And Paris, I the meanest of Priams sonnes,
Haue made as many Mermidons weepe blood,
As had least finger in the VVorthies fall.

Pri.
VVhat but his death could thus haue arm'd my hand,
Or drawne decreeped Priam to the field:
That starre is shot, his luster quite ecclips'd:
And shall we now, surrender Hellena?

Pa.
Not till Achilles lye as dead as Hector,
And Aiax by Achilles, not whilst Islium
Hath one stone rear'd vpon anothers backe
To ouer-looke these wals, or those high wals
To ouer-peere the plaine.

Troi.
Contrary Elements,
The warring meteors: Hell and Elizium
Are not so much oppos'd, as Troy and Greece,
For Hector, Hectors death.

Par.
A most sad Funerall
Will his in Troy be, where shall scarce an eye
Of twice two hundred thousand be found drye:
These obets once past o're, which we desire,
Those eyes that now shed water, shall speake fire.

Æne.
Now sound retreate.

Pri.
Wee backe to Troy returne,
Where euery soule in funeral black shall mourne.

Exit.
Par.
Hector is dead, and yet my brother Troilus
A second terrour to the Greekes still liues.
In him there's hope since all his Mermidons
Hauing felt his fury, flye euen at his name.
But must the proud Achilles still insult
And tryumph in the glory of base deedes?
No, Hector hee destroy'd by treachery,
And hee must dye by craft. But Priams temper
Will nere bee brought to any base reuenge:
A woman is most subiect vnto spleene,
And I will vse the braine of Hecuba:
This bloody sonne of Thetis doth still doate
Vpon the beauty of Polexina;
And that's the base we now must build vpon.
My mother hath by secret letters wrought him
Once more to abandon both the field and armes:
The plot is caft, which if it well succeede,
He that's of blood insatiate, must next bleed.

Exit.
Achilles discouered in his Tent, about him his bleeding Mermidons, himselfe wounded, and with him Vilisses.
Vlis.
Why will not great Achilles don his Armes,
And rowse his bleeding Mirmidons? shall Troilus
March backe to Troy with armour, sword, and lance,
All dyde in Grecian blood? shall aged Priam
Boast in faire Islium that the sonne of Thetis,
Whose warlike speare pierc't mighty Hectors brest,
Lies like a coward slumbring in his Tent,
Because hee feares young Troilus.

Achi.
Pardon mee,
Vlisses, here's a Briefe from Hecuba,
Wherein shee vowes, if I but kill one Troian,
I neuer shall inioy Polixena.

Ulis.
But thinks Achilles, if the Greekes be slaine,
And forc't perforce to march away from Troy,
That hee shall then inioy Polixena?
No, 'tis King Priams subtilty, whilst thou
Sleep'st in thy Tent, Troilus through all our Troups
Makes Lanes of slaughtered bodies, and will tosse
His Balls of wild-fire as great Hector did
O're all our nauall forces: But did this Prince
Lye breathlesse bleeding at Achilles feet,
Dispairing Priam would to make his peace
Make humbly tender of Polixena,
And be much proud to call Achilles sonne?

Achi.
Were Troilus slaine?

Vlis.
Who else deales wounds so thicke and fast as hee,
They call him Hectors ghost, he glides so quicke
Through our Battalions: If hee beate vs hence,
And wee bee then compel'd to sue to them?
It will be answer'd, that great Hectors deaths-man
Shall neuer wedd his sister: Hectors sonne
Will neuer kneele to him, by whose strong hand
His father fell; but were young Troilus slaine,
And Priams sonnes sent wounded from the field,
Troy then would stoope, and send Polixena
Euen to Achilles Tent.

Achi.
My sword and armour,
Arise my bleeding ministers of death,
I'le feast you with an Ocean of blood-royalle.
Vlysses, ere this Sunne fall from the skies,
By this right hand the warlike Troilus dyes.

Alarum. Enter Troilus and Thersites.
Ther.
Hold if thou bee'st a man.

Troi.
Stand if thou bee'st a souldier, do not shrinke.

Ther.
Art not thou Troilus, yong and lusty Troilus.

Troi.
I am, what then?

Ther.
And I Thersites, lame and impotent,
What honour canst thou get by killing mee?
I cannot fight.

Troi.
What mak'st thou in the field then?

Ther.
I came to laugh at mad-men, thou art one;
The Troians are all mad, so are the Greeks
To kill so many thousands for one drabbe,
For Hellen: a light thing, doe thou turne wise
And kill no more; I since these warres began
Shed not one drop of blood.

Troi.
But proud Achilles
Slew my bold brother, and you Grecians all
Shall perish for the noble Hectors fall.

Ther.
Hold, the Pox take thee hold, whilst I haue breath,
I am bound to curse thy fingers.

Enter Achilles with his Mirmidons, after Troilus hath beaten Thersites.
Achil.
I might haue slaine young Troilus when his sword,
Late sparkled fire out of the Spartans helme,
But that had stild my fame, but I will trace him
Through the whole Army, when I meete the Troian
Breathlesse and faint: Ile thunder on his crest
Some valour, but aduantage likes mee best.

Enter Troilus.
Troi.
Let Cowards fight with Cowards, and both feare,
The base Thersites is no match for mee,
Oppose mee to the proudest hee in field,
Most eminent is Armes and best approu'd,
To make the thirsty after blood to bleed,
And that's the proud Achilles.

Achi.
Who names vs?

Troi.
Fate, thou hast now before me set the man
Whom I most sought, to thee whom I will offer
To appease Hectors ghost a sacrifice.
You widdowed Matrons who now mourne in teares,
And all you watry eyes surcease to weepe.
Fathers that in this warre haue lost your sonnes,
And sonnes your fathers, by Achilles hand;
No more lament vpon their funerall Armes,
But from this day reioyce: posterity
From age to age this to succession tell,
Hee falls by Troilus, by whom Hector fall.

Achi.
Hectors sad fate betyde him, souldiers on,
Both brothers shew like mercy, thy vaine sound
That boasted lyes now leuel'd with the ground.

Troilus is slaine by him and the Mirmidons.
Enter Thersites.
Ther.
Achilles!

Achi.
What's hee? Thersites!

Ther.
Thou art a coward.

Achi.
Haue I not sau'd thy life, and slaine proud Troilus
By whom the Greekes lye pilde in breathlesse heapes?

Ther.
Yes when he was out of breath so thou slewest Hector
Girt with thy Mirmidons.

Achi.
Dogged Thersites,
I'le cleaue thee to thy Nauell if thou op'st
Thy venemous Iawes.

Ther.
Doe, doe, good Dog-killer.

Achi.
You slaue.

Ther.
I am out of breath now too, else bug-bate Greeke
Thou durst not to haue touch't mee.

Achilles beates him off, retreate sounded.
Enter Agamemnon, Aiax, Vlysses, &c. all the other but Paris.
Agam.
To whom dost thou addresse thine Embasie?

Par.
To Achilles.

Aga.
And not the Generall? It concernes our place
To heare King Priams embasie.

Pa.
Let mee haue passage to Achilles Tent,
There Agamemnon (if you please) may heare
What Priam sends to your great Champion.

Aga.
Let it bee so,

Aiax.
The Generall wrongs that honour
Wee Princes in our loue conferre on him.
Had I th' imperiall mandat in my mouth,
I would not loose one jot of my command
For all the proud Achilles's on earth,
Take him at best hee's but a fellow peere,
And should lift his head aboue the Clouds
I hold my selfe his equall.

Enter Achilles from his Tent.
Achi.
Vntuterd Aiax.

Aia.
Who spake that word?

Achi.
'Twas I Achilles, let the sonne of Priam
Bee priuat with vs.

Aga.
It belongs to vs
To bee partakers of his Embasie.

Achi.
Dismisse then our Inferiours, you Ulisses
Are welcome, Menelaus, Diomed.
Let Aiax stay without, and know his duty.

Exit.
Aiax.
Duty? Oh you gods!
Ha? in what Dialect spake hee that language
Which Greece yet neuer knew, wee owe to him?
I'le after him and dragge him from his Tent,
And teach the insolent, manners: Giue mee way,
Ulisses, thou and all the world shal know,
That saue the obedience that I owe the gods,
And duty to my father Telamon,
Aiax knowes none, no not to Agamemnon:
For what hee hath of mee's my courtesie,
What hee claimes else, or the proud'st Greeke that breaths,
I'le pay him in the poor'st and basest scorne
Contempt was ere exprest in.

Vlis.
Aiax you are too bold with great Achilles,
You beare your selfe more equall then you ought,
With one so trophy'd.

Aia.
Bold? oh my merits,
Are you so soone forgot? why King of Ithaca,
What hath this Toy (aboue so talkt of) done,
Sauing slaine Hector, which at best receiu'd
Was but scarse fairely, which the common tongues,
Voyces, with base aduantage.

Vlis.
Yes, Prince Troilus
Surnam'd the second Hector, lyeth imbak'd
In his cold blood, slayne by Achilles hand:
The streame of glory now runnes all towards him:
Achilles lookes for't Aiax.

Aia.
But when Achilles slumbred in his Tent,
Or waking with his Lute courted the ayre;
Then Aiax did not beare himselfe too bold
With this great Champion: when I sau'd our Fleete
From Hectors wild-fire, I deseru'd some prayse,
But then your tongues were mute.

Vlis.
You in these times
Did not affect ostent, but still went on:
But Thetis sonne lookes for a world of sound.
To spread his attributes.

Aia.
The proud Achilles
Shall not out-shine me long, in the next battaile,
If to kill Troians bee to dim his prayse,
I'le quench his luster by my bloody rayes.

Enter Agamemnon, Achilles, Diomed, Menelaus and Paris, &c.
Pa.
Shall I returne that answere to King Priam?

Achi.
Say in the morning we will visite him:
So beare our kind regreetes to Hecuba.

Aia.
But will Achilles trust himselfe with Priam,
Whose warlike sonnes were by his valour slaine?

Achi.
Priam is honourable, see here's his hand,
His Queene religious, and behold her name:
Polixena deuine, reade here, her vowes,
Honor, religions, and diuinity,
All ioyntly promising Achilles safety:
Paris, you heare our answere, so returne it.

Pa.
We shal receiue Achilles with al honor.

Exit.
Mene.
Were I Achilles and had slaine great Hector,
With valiant Troilus, Priams best lou'd sonnes,
I for the brightest Lady in all Asia,
Would not so trust my person with the father.

Achi.
I am resolu'd, Vlysses you once told mee
Priam would sleepe if Troilus once were slayne.

Ulyss.
And I dare gage my life, the reuerent King
Intends no treason to Achilles person,
But meerely by this honourable League,
To draw our warlike Champion from the field.

Achi.
But we'le deceiue his hopes: feare not great Kings,
When so my Tent I bring Polixena:
The sooner Troy lyes leuell with the ground.
You vnderstand me Lords; shall I intreate you
Associate me vnto the sacred Temple
Of Diuine Phæbus?

Aga.
In me these Kings shall answere, wee in peace
Will bring Achilles to Apolloes shrine,
Prouided, Priam ere we enter Troy,
Will giue vs hostage for our safe returne.

Achi.
My honour'd hand with his.

Exeunt.
Enter Paris and Hecuba.
Hecu.
Oh Paris, till Achilles lye as dead,
As did thy brother Hector at his feete,
His body hackt with as many wounds,
As was thy brother Troilus when he fell.
I neuer, neuer shall haue peace with Heauen,
Or take thee for their brother, or my sonne.

Par.
Mother I hate Achilles more then you;
But I haue heard hee is invulnerable:
His mother Thetis from the Oracle
Receiuing answere, hee should dye at Troy;
(Being yet a childe,) and to preuent that fate,
She dipt him in the Sea, all saue the heele:
These parts she drencht, remayne impenetrable;
But what her dainty hand (forbore to drowne)
As loath to feele the coldnesse of the waue,
That, and that onely may bee pierc'd with steele.
Now since I know his fellow Kings intend,
To be his guard to Islium: what's my rage?
Or this my weapon to destroy a Prince,
Whose flesh no sword can bite off.

Hecu.
Haue I not heard thee Paris, praise thy selfe
For skill in Archery? haue I not seene
A shaft sent leuell from thy constant hand,
Command the marke at pleasure? maist not thou
With such an arrow, and the selfe-same bow,
Wound proud Achilles in that vndrencht part,
And by his heele draw lines blood from his heart?

Par.
Well thought on, the rare cunning of this hand;
None saue the powers immortall can with stand:
When in the Temple hee shall thinke to imbrace
My sister Polixena. Ile strike him there.
The Greekes are entred Troy. Let's fill the trayne
To auoyde suspect, and now my shaft and bow,
Greece from my hand, receiue thine ouerthrow.

Enter at one doore Priam, Hecuba, Paris, Æneas, Antenor, Deiphobus, Hellena, and Polixena. At the other, Agamemnon, Achilles, Menelaus, Vlisses, Diomed, Thersites, and Aiax. They interchange imbraces, Polixena is giuen to Achilles, &c.
Pri.
Though the dammage you haue done to Troy,
Might cease our armes, and arme our browes with wrath,
Yet with a smooth front, and heart vnfeigned,
Now bid Achilles welcome; welcome all
Before these Kings, and in the sight of Hellen,
The dearest of my daughters Polixen
I tender thee: on to Apolloes shrine,
The flamin stayes: these nuptiall rights once past,
You of our best varieties shall taste.

Exeunt.
Paris fetcheth his Bow and arrowes.
Par.
My bow! now thou great god of Archery,
The Patron of our action and our vowes,
Direct my shaft to wound bright Thetis sonne,
And let it not offend thy deity,
That in thy Temple I exhaust his blood,
Without respect of place, reuenge seemes good.

Exit.
A great crye within.
Enter Paris.
Par.
Tis done, Achilles bleedes, immortal powers
Clap hands, and smile to see the Greeke fall dead,
By whom the valiant Hectors blood was shed.

Enter all the Troians, and the Greekes bringing in Achilles with an arrow through his heele.
Aga.
Priam, thou hast dishonourably broake
The Lawes of Armes.

Pri.
By all the gods I vowe,
I was a stranger to this horrid act:
It neuer came from Priam.

Vlyss.
Call for your Surgeon then to stop his wound.

Mene.
For if hee dye, it will be registred
For euer to thy shame.

Pri.
A Surgeon there.

Achi.
It is in vaine for liue, that god of Physicke
We Grecians honor in a Serpents shape;
He could not stanch my blood: know fellow Kings
My mother Thetis by whose heauenly wisdome,
My other parts were made invulnerable.
Could not of all the gods obtayne that grace,
But that my blood, vented as now it is,
The wound should be incureable: what Coward
That durst not looke Achiles in the face,
Hath found my liues blood in this speeding place?

Par.
'Twas I, 'twas Paris.

Aiax.
'Twas a milke-sop then.

Diom.
A Traytor to all Valour.

Par.
Did not this bleeding Greeke kil valiant Hector,
Incompast with his Guard of Mermidons?

Pri.
Degenerate Paris, not old Priams sonne,
Thou neuer took'st thy treacherous blood from me.

Aia.
How cheeres Achiles, though thy too much pride
Which held the heart of Aiax from thy loue,
He'le be the formost to reuenge thy death.

Achil.
Gramercy noble Aiax, Agamemnon,
Vlisses, Diomed, I feele my strength
Begins to fayle, let me haue buriall,
And then to Armes, reuenge Achilles death:
Or if proud Troy remayne inuincible,
To Lycomedes send to youthfull Pirhus,
My sonne begot on bright Dedamia;
And let him force his vengeance through the hearts
Of these, by whom his father was betray'd.
I faint, may euery droppe of blood I shed,
Exhald by Phæbus, putrifie the ayre,
That euery soule in Asia that drawes breath,
May poysoned dye for great Achilles death.

Aga.
He's dead, the pride of all our Grecian army.

Vlyss.
Will Priam let vs beare his body hence?

Par.
Yes, and not drag it 'bout the wals of Troy.
As hee did Hectors basely.

Pri.
Take it, withall truce, time to bury it.

Aga.
Come Princes, on your shoulders beare him then,
Brauest of souldiers, and the best of men.

They beare him off. And to Priam enter Æneas.
Æne.
Where's mighty Priam?

Pri.
What's the newes Æneas?

Æne.
Such as will make your highnes doff your age
And be as youthfull spirited as the Spring:
Penthisilea Queene of Amazons,
With mighty troopes of Virgin warriers,
Gallant Veragoes, for the loue of Hector,
And to reuenge his death, are entred Troy.
May it please you, to receiue the Scitbean Queene.

Pri.
What Troy can yeeld, or Priam can expresse,
The Amazonian Princesse shall pertake:
Come Hecuba, and Ladies, let's prepare,
To bid her friendly welcome to this warre.