Internet Shakespeare Editions

Author: William Shakespeare
Editor: William Godshalk
Peer Reviewed

Troilus and Cressida (Quarto 1, 1609)

The history
Enter Bastard
3485Bast. Turne slaue and fight.
Ther. What art thou?
Bast. A Bastard sonne of Priams.
Thers: I am a bastard too, I loue bastards. I am bastard be-
got, bastard instructed, bastard inminde, bastard in valour, in
3490euery thing illigitimate, one beare wil not bite another, and
wherefore should one bastard? take heed, the quarrells
most ominous to vs, if the sonne of a whore fight for a
whore, he tempts iudgement, farewell bastard.
3495Bast. The diuell take thee coward. Exit.
Enter Hector.
Hect. Most putrified core so faire without,
Thy goodly armor thus hath cost thy life;
Now is my daies worke done ile take my breth:
3500Rest sword thou hast thy fill of bloud and death.
Enter Achilles and Myrmidons.
Achil: Loke Hector how the Sunne begins to set.
How ougly night comes breathing at his heeles
Euen with the vaile and darkning of the Sunne,
3505To close the day vp, Hectors life is done.
Hect. I am vnarm'd forgoe this vantage Greeke.
Achil. Strike fellowes strike, this is the man I seeke,
So Illion fall thou next, come Troy sinke downe,
Here lies thy heart, thy sinnewes and thy bone.
3510On Myrmydons, and cry you all amaine,
Achilles hath the mighty Hector slaine, Retreat:
Harke a retire vpon our Grecian prat.
One: The Troyans trumpet sound the like my Lord.
Achil: The dragon wing of night orespreds the earth,
3515And stickler-like the armies separates.
My halfe supt sword that frankly would haue fedde,
Pleas'd with this dainty baite: thus goes to bed:
Come tie his body to my horses taile,
Along the field I will the Troyan traile. Exeunt:
Enter Agam: Aiax, Mene: Nestor, Diom:
and the rest marching.
Aga. Hark, harke, what is this?
Nest: