choose but laugh, to think how she tickled
his chin: indeed, she has a marvellous white hand, I
must needs confess,--
Without the rack.
And she takes upon her to spy a white hair on his chin.
Alas, poor chin! many a wart is richer.
But there was such laughing! Queen Hecuba laughed
that her eyes ran o'er.
With mill-stones.
And Cassandra laughed.
But there was more temperate fire under the pot of
her eyes: did her eyes run o'er too?
And Hector laughed.
At what was all this laughing?
Marry, at the white hair that Helen spied on Troilus' chin.
An't had been a green hair, I should have laughed
too.
They laughed not so much at the hair as at his pretty answer.
What was his answer?
Quoth she, 'Here's but two and fifty hairs on your
chin, and one of them is white.
This is her question.
That's true; make no question of that. 'Two and
fifty hairs' quoth he, 'and one white: that white
hair is my father, and all the rest are his sons.'
'Jupiter!' quoth she, 'which of these hairs is Paris,
my husband? 'The forked one,' quoth he, 'pluck't
out, and give it him.' But there was such laughing!
and Helen so blushed, an Paris so chafed, and all the
rest so laughed, that it passed.
So let it now; for it has been while going by.
Well, cousin. I told you a thing yesterday; think on't.
So I do.
I'll be sworn 'tis true; he will weep you, an 'twere
a man born in April.
And I'll spring up in his tears, an 'twere a nettle
against May.
Hark! they are coming from the field: shall we
stand up here, and see them as they pass toward
Ilium? good niece, do, sweet niece Cressida.
At your pleasure.
Here, here, here's an excellent place; here we may
see most bravely: I'll tell you them all by their
names as they pass by; but mark Troilus above the rest.
Speak not so loud.
That's AEneas: is not that a brave man? he's one of
the flowers of Troy, I can tell you: but mark
Troilus; you shall see anon.
Who's that?
That's Antenor: he has a shrewd wit, I can tell you;
and he's a man good enough, he's one o' the soundest
judgments in whosoever, and a proper man of person.
When comes Troilus? I'll show you Troilus anon: if
he see me, you shall see him nod at me.
Will