After so many hours, lives, speeches spent,

2.2.2986Thus once again says Nestor from the Greeks:

2.2.3987"Deliver Helen, and all damage else

2.2.4988(As honor, loss of time, travail, expense,

2.2.5989Wounds, friends, and what else dear that is consumed

2.2.6990In hot digestion of this cormorant war)

2.2.7991Shall be struck off." Hector, what say you to't?

Though no man lesser fears the Greeks than I

2.2.9993As far as touches my particular, yet, dread Priam,

2.2.10994There is no lady of more softer bowels,

2.2.11995More spongy to suck in the sense of fear,

2.2.12996More ready to cry out, "Who knows what follows?"

2.2.13997Than Hector is. The wound of peace is surety,

2.2.14998Surety secure; but modest doubt is called

2.2.15999The beacon of the wise, the tent that searches

2.2.161000To th'bottom of the worst. Let Helen go.

2.2.171001Since the first sword was drawn about this question,

2.2.181002Every tithe soul, 'mongst many thousand dimes,

2.2.191003Hath been as dear as Helen -- I mean, of ours.

2.2.201004If we have lost so many tenths of ours

2.2.211005To guard a thing not ours, nor worth to us

2.2.221006(Had it our name) the value of one ten,

2.2.231007What merit's in that reason which denies

2.2.241008The yielding of her up?

The yielding of her up? Fie, fie, my brother,

2.2.251010Weigh you the worth and honor of a king

2.2.261011So great as our dread father in a scale

2.2.271012Of common ounces? Will you with counters sum

2.2.281013The past proportion of his infinite,

2.2.291014And buckle in a waist most fathomless

2.2.301015With spans and inches so diminutive

2.2.311016As fears and reasons? Fie, for godly shame.

No marvel though you bite so sharp at reasons;

2.2.331018You are so empty of them. Should not our father

2.2.341019Bear the great sway of his affairs with reasons

2.2.351020Because your speech hath none that tells him so?

You are for dreams and slumbers, brother priest;

2.2.371022You fur your gloves with reason. Here are your reasons:

2.2.381023You know an enemy intends you harm;

2.2.391024You know a sword employed is perilous,

2.2.401025And reason flies the object of all harm.

2.2.411026Who marvels, then, when Helenus beholds

2.2.421027A Grecian and his sword, if he do set

2.2.431028The very wings of reason to his heels

2.2.441030And fly like chidden Mercury from Jove,

2.2.451029Or like a star disorbed? Nay, if we talk of reason,

2.2.461031Let's shut our gates and sleep. Manhood and honor

2.2.471032Should have hare hearts, would they but fat their thoughts

2.2.481033With this crammed reason; reason and respect

2.2.491034Make livers pale, and lustihood deject.

Brother, she is not worth 1036what she doth cost

2.2.51The holding.

The holding. What's aught, but as 'tis valued?

But value dwells not in particular will;

2.2.531039It holds his estimate and dignity

2.2.541040As well wherein 'tis precious of itself

2.2.551041As in the prizer. 'Tis mad idolatry

2.2.561042To make the service greater than the god;

2.2.571043And the will dotes that is inclinable

2.2.581044To what infectiously itself affects,

2.2.591045Without some image of th'affected merit.

I take today a wife, and my election

2.2.611047Is led on in the conduct of my will,

2.2.621048My will enkindled by mine eyes and ears,

2.2.631049Two traded pilots 'twixt the dangerous shores

2.2.641050Of will and judgment. How may I avoid

2.2.651051(Although my will distaste what it elected)

2.2.661052The wife I chose? There can be no evasion

2.2.671053To blench from this and to stand firm by honor.

2.2.681054We turn not back the silks upon the merchant

2.2.691055When we have spoiled them, nor the remainder viands

2.2.701056We do not throw in unrespective same

2.2.711057Because we now are full. It was thought meet

2.2.721058Paris should do some vengeance on the Greeks;

2.2.731059Your breath of full consent bellied his sails;

2.2.741060The seas and winds (old wranglers) took a truce,

2.2.751061And did him service; he touched the ports desired,

2.2.761062And for an old aunt whom the Greeks held captive,

2.2.771063He brought a Grecian queen, whose youth and freshness

2.2.781064Wrinkles Apollo's, and makes stale the morning.

2.2.791065Why keep we her? The Grecians keep our aunt.

2.2.801066Is she worth keeping? Why, she is a pearl

2.2.811067Whose price hath launched above a thousand ships

2.2.821068And turned crowned kings to merchants.

2.2.831069If you'll avouch 'twas wisdom Paris went

2.2.841070(As you must needs, for you all cried, "Go, go."),

2.2.851071If you'll confess, he brought home noble prize

2.2.861072(As you must needs, for you all clapped your hands

2.2.871073And cried, "Inestimable"), why do you now

2.2.881074The issue of your proper wisdoms rate,

2.2.891075And do a deed that fortune never did:

2.2.901076Beggar the estimation which you prized

2.2.911077Richer than sea and land? O theft most base,

2.2.921078That we have stol'n what we do fear to keep.

2.2.931079But thieves unworthy of a thing so stol'n,

2.2.941080That in their country did them that disgrace,

2.2.951081We fear to warrant in our native place.

Cry, Trojans, cry.

Cry, Trojans, cry. What noise? What shriek is this?

'Tis our mad sister; I do know her voice.

Cry, Trojans.

It is Cassandra.

Cry, Trojans, cry. Lend me ten thousand eyes

2.2.1011090And I will fill them with prophetic tears.

Peace, sister, peace.

Virgins and boys, mid-age, and wrinkled old,

2.2.1041093Soft infancy, that nothing can but cry,

2.2.1051094Add to my clamor. Let us pay betimes

2.2.1061095A moiety of that mass of moan to come.

2.2.1071096Cry, Trojans, cry. Practice your eyes with tears.

2.2.1081097Troy must not be, nor goodly Ilium stand.

2.2.1091098Our firebrand brother, Paris, burns us all.

2.2.1101099Cry, Trojans, cry. A Helen and a woe.

2.2.1111100Cry, cry. Troy burns, or else let Helen go.

Now, youthful Troilus, do not these high strains

2.2.1131102Of divination in our sister work

2.2.1141103Some touches of remorse? Or is your blood

2.2.1151104So madly hot that no discourse of reason,

2.2.1161105Nor fear of bad success in a bad cause,

2.2.1171106Can qualify the same?

Can qualify the same? Why, brother Hector,

2.2.1181108We may not think the justness of each act

2.2.1191109Such and no other than event doth form it,

2.2.1201110Nor once deject the courage of our minds

2.2.1211111Because Cassandra's mad. Her brainsick raptures

2.2.1221112Cannot distaste the goodness of a quarrel

2.2.1231113Which hath our several honors all engaged

2.2.1241114To make it gracious. For my private part,

2.2.1251115I am no more touched than all Priam's sons,

2.2.1261116And Jove forbid there should be done amongst us

2.2.1271117Such things as might offend the weakest spleen

2.2.1281118To fight for and maintain.

Else might the world convince of levity

2.2.1301120As well my undertakings as your counsels.

2.2.1311121But I attest the gods, your full consent

2.2.1321122Gave wings to my propension, and cut off

2.2.1331123All fears attending on so dire a project.

2.2.1341124For what, alas, can these my single arms?

2.2.1351125What propugnation is in one man's valor

2.2.1361126To stand the push and enmity of those

2.2.1371127This quarrel would excite? Yet, I protest,

2.2.1381128Were I alone to pass the difficulties,

2.2.1391129And had as ample power as I have will,

2.2.1401130Paris should ne'er retract what he hath done,

2.2.1411131Nor faint in the pursuit.

Nor faint in the pursuit. Paris, you speak

2.2.1421133Like one besotted on your sweet delights;

2.2.1431134You have the honey still, but these the gall,

2.2.1441135So to be valiant is no praise at all.

Sir, I propose not merely to myself

2.2.1461137The pleasures such a beauty brings with it,

2.2.1471138But I would have the soil of her fair rape

2.2.1481139Wiped off in honorable keeping her.

2.2.1491140What treason were it to the ransacked queen,

2.2.1501141Disgrace to your great worths, and shame to me,

2.2.1511142Now to deliver her possession up

2.2.1521143On terms of base compulsion? Can it be

2.2.1531144That so degenerate a strain as this

2.2.1541145Should once set footing in your generous bosoms?

2.2.1551146There's not the meanest spirit on our party

2.2.1561147Without a heart to dare, or sword to draw,

2.2.1571148When Helen is defended, nor none so noble

2.2.1581149Whose life were ill bestowed, or death unfamed,

2.2.1591150Where Helen is the subject. Then, I say,

2.2.1601151Well may we fight for her, whom we know well

2.2.1611152The world's large spaces cannot parallel.

Paris and Troilus, you have both said well,

2.2.1631154And, on the cause and question now in hand

2.2.1641155Have glossed but superficially, not much

2.2.1651156Unlike young men, whom Aristotle thought

2.2.1661157Unfit to hear moral philosophy.

2.2.1671158The reasons you allege do more conduce

2.2.1681159To the hot passion of distempered blood

2.2.1691160Than to make up a free determination

2.2.1701161'Twixt right and wrong. For pleasure and revenge

2.2.1711162Have ears more deaf than adders to the voice

2.2.1721163Of any true decision. Nature craves

2.2.1731164All dues be rendered to their owners. Now,

2.2.1741165What nearer debt in all humanity

2.2.1751166Than wife is to the husband? If this law

2.2.1761167Of nature be corrupted through affection,

2.2.1771168And that great minds, of partial indulgence

2.2.1781169To their benumbèd wills, resist the same,

2.2.1791170There is a law in each well-ordered nation

2.2.1801171To curb those raging appetites that are

2.2.1811172Most disobedient and refractory.

2.2.1821173If Helen then be wife to Sparta's king

2.2.1831174(As it is known she is), these moral laws

2.2.1841175Of nature and of nation speak aloud

2.2.1851176To have her back returned. Thus to persist

2.2.1861177In doing wrong extenuates not wrong,

2.2.1871178But makes it much more heavy. Hector's opinion

2.2.1881179Is this in way of truth. Yet ne'ertheless,

2.2.1891180My sprightly brethren, I propend to you

2.2.1901181In resolution to keep Helen still,

2.2.1911182For 'tis a cause that hath no mean dependence

2.2.1921183Upon our joint and several dignities.

Why, there you touched the life of our design.

2.2.1941185Were it not glory that we more affected

2.2.1951186Than the performance of our heaving spleens,

2.2.1961187I would not wish a drop of Trojan blood

2.2.1971188Spent more in her defense. But, worthy Hector,

2.2.1981189She is a theme of honor and renown,

2.2.1991190A spur to valiant and magnanimous deeds

2.2.2001191Whose present courage may beat down our foes,

2.2.2011192And fame in time to come canonize us.

2.2.2021193For I presume brave Hector would not lose

2.2.2031194So rich advantage of a promised glory

2.2.2041195As smiles upon the forehead of this action,

2.2.2051196For the wide world's revenue.

For the wide world's revenue. I am yours,

2.2.2061198You valiant offspring of great Priamus.

2.2.2071199I have a roisting challenge sent amongst

2.2.2081200The dull and factious nobles of the Greeks

2.2.2091201Will strike amazement to their drowsy spirits.

2.2.2101202I was advertised their great general slept

2.2.2111203Whilst emulation in the army crept.

2.2.2121204This, I presume, will wake him.