HECTOR. I must not break my faith. You know me dutiful; therefore, dear sir, Let me not shame respect; but give me leave To take that course by your consent and voice Which you do here forbid me, royal

PRIAM.

CASSANDRA. O Priam, yield not to him!

ANDROMACHE. Do not, dear father.

HECTOR. Andromache, I am offended with you. Upon the love you bear me, get you in.

Exit ANDROMACHE

TROILUS. This foolish, dreaming, superstitious girl Makes all these bodements.

CASSANDRA. O, farewell, dear Hector! Look how thou diest. Look how thy eye turns pale. Look how thy wounds do bleed at many vents. Hark how Troy roars; how Hecuba cries out; How poor Andromache shrills her dolours forth; Behold distraction, frenzy, and amazement, Like witless antics, one another meet, And all cry, Hector! Hector's dead! O Hector!

TROILUS. Away, away!

CASSANDRA. Farewell!-yet, soft! Hector, I take my leave. Thou dost thyself and all our Troy deceive.

Exit

HECTOR. You are amaz'd, my liege, at her exclaim. Go in, and cheer the town; we'll forth, and fight, Do deeds worth praise and tell you them at night.

PRIAM. Farewell. The gods with safety stand about thee!

Exeunt severally PRIAM and

HECTOR. Alarums

TROILUS. They are at it, hark! Proud Diomed, believe, I come to lose my arm or win my sleeve.

Enter PANDARUS PANDARUS. Do you hear, my lord? Do you hear?

TROILUS. What now?

PANDARUS. Here's a letter come from yond poor girl.

TROILUS. Let me read.

PANDARUS. A whoreson tisick, a whoreson rascally tisick so troubles me, and the foolish fortune of this girl, and what one thing, what another, that I shall leave you one o' th's days; and I have a rheum in mine eyes too, and such an ache in my bones that unless a man were curs'd I cannot tell what to think on't. What says she there?

TROILUS. Words, words, mere words, no matter from the heart; Th' effect doth operate another way. [Tearing the letter] Go, wind, to wind, there turn and change together. My love with words and errors still she feeds, But edifies another with her deeds.

Exeunt severally

William Shakespeare
Classic Literature Library

All Pages of This Book