cousin, and bear henceA 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.
[AGAMEMNON and the rest of the Greeks come forward.]
AJAX.
Great Agamemnon comes to meet us here.
HECTOR.
The worthiest of them tell me name by name;
But for Achilles, my 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-fam’d 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’ th’ 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 like thee. O, 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’d fight with thee tomorrow.
Well, welcome, welcome! I have seen the time.
ULYSSES.
