Ulyss. Troy, yet upon his basis, had been down, Would seem hyperboles. At this fusty stuff, And the great Hector's sword had lack'd a master, The large Achilles, on his press'd bed lolling, But for these instances.

From his deep chest laughs out a loud applause; The specialty of ruleo hath been neglected : Cries-- Excellent ! 'lis Agamemnon just.And, look, how many Grecian tents to stand Now play me Nesto;-hem, and stroke thy beard, Hollow upon this plain, so many hollow tactions. As he, being drest to some oratim. When that the general is not like the hive,

That's done ;-as near as the extremest ends To whom the foragers shall all repair,

of para

s; as like as Vulcan and dis wife: What honey is expected? Degree being vizarded,' Yet good Achilles still cries, Ercellent! The unworthiest shows as fairly in the mask. 'Tis Nestor right! Now play him me, Patroclus, The heavens themselves,the planets, and thiscentre, drming to answer in a night alarm. Observe degree, priority, and place,

And then, forsooth, the faint defects of age Insisture, course, proportion, season, form,

Must be the scene of mirth; to cough and spit, Office, and custom, in all line of order;

And with a palsy-tumbling on his gorget, And therefore is the glorious planet, Sol,

Shake in and oui the rivet:--and at this sport, In noble eminence enthron'd and spher'd

Sır Valor dies; cries, 0!-enough, Patroclus ;Amidst the other ; whose med'cinable eye

Or gire me ribs of steel! I shall split all Corrects the ill aspects of planets evil,

In pleasure of my spleen. And in this fashion, And posts, like the commandment of a king, All our abilities, gills, natures, shapes, Sans check, to good and bad: But when the planets, Severals and generals of grace exact, In evil mixture, to disorder wander,

Achievements, plots, orders, preventions, What plagues, and what portents ? what mutiny ? | Excitements to the field, or speech for truce, What raging of the sea ? shaking of earth?

Success, or loss, what is, or is not, serves Commotion in the winds ? frights,changes, horrors, As stuff for these two to make paradoxes. Divert and crack, rend and deracinate

Nest. And in the imitation of these twain, The unity and married calin of states

(Whom, as Ulysses says, opinion crowns Quite from their tixture? O, when degree is shaked, With an imperial voice.) many are infect. Which is the ladder of all high designs,

Ajax is grown self-will'á; and bears his head The enterprise is sick! How could communities, in such a rein, in full as proud a placı Degrees in schools, and brotherhoods in cities, As broad Achilles : keeps his telt like him; Peaceful commerce from dividableshores,

Makes factious feasts; rails on our state of war, The primogenitive and due of birth,

Bold as an oracle : and sets Thersites Prerogative of age, crowns, sceptres, laurels, (A slave, whose gall coins slanders like a mint) But by degree, stand in authentic place?

To match us in comparisons with dirt; Take but degree away, untune that string,

To weaken and discredit our exposure, And, hark, what discord follows! each thing meets How rank soever rounded in with danger. In mere oppugnancy: The bounded waters

Ulyss. They tax our policy, and call it cowardice, Should lift their bosoms higher than the shores, Count wisdom as no member of the war; And make a sop of all this solid globe :

Forestall prescience, and esteem no act Strength should be lord of imbecility,

But that of hand: the still and mental parts,And the rude son should strike his father dead: That do contrive how many hands shall strike, Force should be right; or, rather, right and wrong When fitness calls them on; and know, by measuro (Between whose endless jar justice resides) of their observant toil, the enemies' weight,Should lose their names, and so should justice too. Why, this hath not a finger's dignity : Then every thing includes itself in power,

They call this-bed-work, mappery, closet-war: Power into will, will into appetite;

So that the ram, that batters down the wall, And appetite, an universal wolf,

For the great swing and rudeness of his poise, So doubly seconded with will and power,

They place before his hand that made the engine Must make perforce an universal prey,

Or those, that with the tineness of their souls And, last, eat up himself. Great Agamemnon, By reason guide his execution. This chaos, when degree is suitocate,

Nest. Let this be granted, and Achilles' horse Follows the choking.

Makes many Thetis' sons. [Trumpet sounded. And this neglection of degree it is,'

Agum. What trumpei ? look, Menelaus. That by a pace goes backward, with a purpose It hath to climb. The general's disdain'd

Enter ÆNEAS. By him one step below; he, by the next;

Men. From Troy. That next by him beneath : so every step,

Agam.

What would you 'fore our tent? Exampled by the first pace that is sick

Äne.

Is this Of his superior, grows to an envious fever

Great Agamemnon's tent, I pray? Of pale and bloodless emulation :

Agam.

Even this, And 'tis this fever that keeps Troy on foot,

Æne. May one that is a herald, and a prince, Not her own sinews. To end a tale of length, Do a fair message to his kingly cars? Troy in your weakness stands, not in her strength. Agam. With surety stronger than Achilles' arm

Nest. Most wisely hath Ulysses here discover'd 'Fore all the Greekish heads, which with one voice The fever whereof all our power is sick.

Call Agamemnon head and general. Agam. The nature of the sickness found, Ulysses, Æne. Fair leave and large security. How may What is the remedy ?

A stranger to those inost imperial looks Ulyss. The great Achilles,--whom opinion crowns Know them from eyes of other mortals ? The sinew and the forehand of our host,

Agam.

How ? Having his car full of his airy fame,

Æne. Ay:
Grows dainty of his worth, and in his tent

I ask that I night waken reverence,
Lies mocking our designs: With him, Patroclus, And bid the cheek be ready with a blush
Upon a lazy bed, the live-long day

Modest as morning when she coldly eyes
Breaks scurril jests ;

The youthful Phæbus: And with ridiculous and awkward action

Which is that god in office, guiding men ? (Which, slanderer, he imitation calls)

Which is the high and mighty Agamemnon ?
He pageants7 us. Sometime, great Agamemnon. Agam. This Trojan scorns us; or the men of
Thy toplesss reputation he puts on;

Troy
And, like a strutting player, -whose conceit Are ceremonious courtiers.
Lies in his hamstring, and doth think it rich

Æne. Courtiers as free, as debonair, unarm'd, To hear the wooden dialogue and sound

As bending angels; that's their time in peace: 'Twixt his stretch'd footing and the scafloldage, But when they would seem soldiers, they have Such to-be-pitied and o'er-wresiedi seeming

galls, He acts thy greatness in: and when he speaks, Good arms, strong joints, true swords; and, Jove's 'Tis like a chimea mending; with terms unsquared,

accora, Which, from the tongue of roaring Typhon dropp'd, Nothing so full of heart. But peace, Æneas, · Rights of authority. I Masked. 2 Constancy.

Peace, Trojan; lay thy finger on thy lips! • Without • Force up by the roots. • Dirided. The worthiness of praise disdains his worth, 6 Absolute. In modern language, tales us off. If that the prais'd himself bring the praise forth • Supreme. • Stage.

1 Beyond the truth. But what the repining enemy commends,

That breath fame follows; that praise, sole pure, Nest.

Well, and how ! transcends.

Ulyss. This challenge that the gallant Hector Agam. Sir, you of Troy, call you yourself Æneas?

sends, Æne. Ay, Greek, that is iny name.

However it is spread in general name, Agam. What's your atfair, I pray you ? Relates in purpose only to Achilles. Æne. Sir, pardon; 'tis for Agamemnon's ears. Nest. The purpose is perspicuous even as subAgam. He hears nought privately, that comes

stance,
from Troy.

Whose grossness little characters sum up:
Æne. Nor I from 'Troy come not to whisper him: And, in the publication, make no strain,
I bring a trumpet to awake his ear:

But that Achilles, were his brain as barren
To set his sense on the attentive bent,

As banks of Lybia,-though, Apollo knows, And then to speak.

| 'Tis dry enough, will with great speed of judg Agam. Speak frankly, as the wind;

ments, It is not Agamemnon's sleeping hour:

Ay, with celerity, find Hector's purpose
That thou shalt know, Trojan, he is awake, Pointing on him.'
He tells thee so himself.

Ulyss. And wake him to the answer, think you?
Æne
Trumpet, blow loud,
Nest.

Yes, Send thy brass voice through all these lazy tents;- It is most meet: Whom may you else oppose, And every Greek of mettle, let him know,

That can from Hector bring those honors off, What Troy means fairly, shall be spoke aloud. If not Achilles? Though't be a sportiul combat,

[Trumpet sounds. Yet in the trial much opinion dwells; We have, great Agamemnon, here in Troy For here the Trojans taste our dear'st repute A prince called Hector, (Priam is his father,) With their fin'st palate : And trust to me, Ulysses, Who in this dull and long-continued truce

Our imputation shall be oddly pois'd Is rusty grown: he bade mne take a trumpet, In this wild action : for the success, And to this purpose speak. Kings, princes, lords! Although particular, shall give a scantling3 If there be one among the fair'st of Greece, of good or bad unto the general ; That holds his honor higher than his ease; And in such indexes, although small pricks That seeks his praise more than he fears his peril; To their subséquent volumes, there is seen That knows his valor, and knows not his fear; The baby figure of the giant mass That loves his mistress more than in confession, Of things to come at large. It is suppos'd, (With truant vows to her own lips he loves,) He, that meets Hector, issues from our choice: And dare avow her beauty and her worth,

And choice, being mutual act of all our souls, In other arms than hers-to him this challenge. Makes merit her election, and doth boil, Hector, in view of Trojans and of Greeks, As 'twere from forth us all, a man disiill'd Shall make it good, or do his best to do it,

Out of her virtues; Who miscarrying, He hath a lady, wiser, fairer, truer,

What heart receives from hence a conquering part, Than ever Greek did compass in his arms; To steel a strong opinion to themselves ? And will to-morrow with his trumpet call,

Which entertain'd, limbs are his instruments, Mid-way between your tents and walls of Troy, In no less working, than are swords and bows To rouse a Grecian that is true in love:

Directive by the limbs. If any come, Hector shall honor him;

Ulyss. Gíve pardon to my speech ;-
If none, he'll say in Troy, when he retires, Therefore 'tis mcet Achilles meet not Hector.
The Grecian dames are sun-burn'd, and not worth Let us, like merchants, show our foulest wares,
The splinter of a lance. Even so much.

And think, perchance, they'll sell; if not,
Agam. This shall be told our lovers, lord Æneas: The lustre of the better shall exceed,
If none of them have soul in such a kind,

By showing the worst first. Do not consent,
We left them all at home: But we are soldiers; That ever Hector and Achilles meet;
And may that soldier a mere recreant prove,

For both our honor and our shame, in this,
That means not, hath not, or is not in love! Are dogg'd with two strange followers,
If then one is, or hath, or means to be,

Nest. I see them not with my old cyes; what are That one meets Hector; if none else, I am he.

they? Nest. Tell him of Nestor, one that was a man Ulyss. What glory our Achilles shares from When Hector's grandsire suck'd: he is old now;

Hector, But, if there be not in our Grecian host

Were he not proud, we all should share with him: One noble man, that hath one spark of fire

But he already is to insolent; To answer for his love, tell him from me,

And we were better parch in Afric sun, I'll hide my siiver beard in a gold beaver,

Than in the pride and salt scorn of his eyes,, And in my vantbrace? put this wither'd brawn; Should he 'scape Hector fair: If he were foil'd, And, meeting him, will tell him, That my lady Why, then we did our main opinion' crush Was fairer than his grandame, and as chaste In taint of our best man. No, make a lottery; As may be in the world: His youth in flood, And, by device, let blockish Ajax draw I'll prove this truth with my three drops of blood, The sorus to fight with Hector: Among ourselves, Àne. Now heaven forbid such scarcity of youth! Give him allowance for the better man, Uly88. Amen.

For that will physic the great Myrmidon, Agam Fair lord Æneas, let me touch your hand: Who broils in loud applause; and make him fall To your pavilion shall I lead you, sir.

His crest, that prouder than blue Iris bends. Achilles shall have word of this intent;

If the dull brainless Ajax come safe off, So shall each lord of Greece, from tent to tent: We'll dress him up in voices: If he fail, Yourself shall feast with us before you go,

Yet go we under our opinioni still, And find the welcome of a noble foe.

That we have better men. But, hit or miss, [Exeunt all but ULYSSES and Nestor. Our project's life this shape of sense assumes -Ulyss. Nestor,

Ajax, employ'd, plucks down Achilles' plumes. Nest. What says Ulysses

Nest. Ulysses,
Ulyss. I have a young conception in my brain, Now I begin to relish thy advice;
Be you my time to bring it to some shape.

And I will give a taste of it forth with
Nest. What is 't ?

To Agamemnon: go we to him straight. Ulyss. This 'tis:

Two curs shall tame each other; Pride alone Blunt wedges rive hard knots : The seeded pride Must tarres the mastiffs on, as 't were their bone. That hath to this maturity blown up

(Exeunt. In rank Achilles, must or now be cropp'd,

3 Size measure. Or, shedding, breed a nursery of like evil,

• Small points compared with the volumes. To overbulk us all.

• Estimation of character

# Lot. . An armor for the arm

Character.

Provoke.

ACT II.

SCENE I.- Another Part of the Grecian Camp. ! This lord, Achilles, Ajax,-who wears his wit in Enter AJAX and THERSITES.

his belly, and his guts in his head,--I'll tell you

what I say of him. Ajax. Thersites,

Achil. What? Ther. Agamemnon-how if he had boils ? full,

Ther. I say this, Ajax all over, generally?

Achil. Nay, good Ajax. Ajax. Thersites,

(AJAX offers to strike him, ACHILLES Ther. And these boils did run !-Say so,--did

interposes. not the general run then? were not that a botchy Ther. Has not so much witsore?

Achil. Nay, I must hold you.
Ajax. Dog,-
Ther. Then would come some matter from him; for whom he comes to tight.

Ther. As will stop the eye of Helen's needle, I see none now.

Achil. Peace, tool! Ajax. Thou bitch-wolf's son, canst thou not

Ther. I would have peace and quietness, but the hear! Feel then.

[Strikes him. fool will not: he there; that he; look you there. Ther. The plague of Greece upon thee, thou Ajax. O thou damned cur, I shallmongrel beef-witted lord !

Achil. Will you set your wit to a fool's ? Ajax. Speak then, thou unsalted leaven, speak:

Ther. No, I warrant you; for a fool's will shame I will beat thee into handsomeness.

it. Ther. I shall sooner rail thee into wit and holi

Patr. Good words, Thersites. ness: but, I think, thy horse will sooner con an Achil. What's the quarrel? oration, than thou learn a prayer without book. Thou canst strike, canst thou? a red murrain o'thy of the proclamation, and he rails upon me.

Ajax. I bade the vile owl, go, learn me the tenor jade's tricks!

Ther. I serve thee not. Ajax. Toads-stool, learn me the proclamation.

Ajax. Well, go to, go to. Ther. Dost thou think, I have no sense, thou Ther. I serve here voluntary. strikest me thus ?

Achil. Your last service was sufferance, 'twas not Ajax. The proclamation,-

voluntary; no man is beaten voluntary : Ajax was Ther. Thou art proclaimed a fool, I think. here the voluntary, and you as under an impress. Ajax. Do not, porcupine, do not; my tingers itch.

Ther. Even so ?-a great deal of your wit too Ther. I would thou didst itch from head to foot, lies in your sinews, or else there be liars. Hector and I had the scratching of thee; I would make shall have a great catch, it be knock out either of thee the loathsomest scab in Greece. When thou your brains; 'a were as good crack a lusty nut with art forth in the incursions, thou strikest as slow as

no kernel. another.

Achil. What, with me too, Thersites?
Ajax. I say, the proclamation,
Ther. Thou grumblest and railest every hour on

Ther. There's Ulysses, and old Nestor, whose Achilles; and thou art as full ot envy at his great their toes,-yoke you like draught oxen, and make

wit was mouldy, ere your grandsires had nails on ness, as Cerberus is at Proserpina's beauty, ay, that

you plough up the wars. thou barkest at him.

Achil. What, what? Ajax. Mistress Thersites!

Ther. Yes, good sooth; to, Achilles ! to, Ajax! Ther. Thou shouldest strike him.

to ! Ajax. Cobloat!

Ajax. I shall cut out your tongue. Ther. He would pun thee into shivers with his

Ther. 'Tis no matter; I shall speak as much as tist, as a sailor breaks a biscuit.

thou afterwards. Ajax. You whoreson cur. (Beating him.

Patr. No more words, Thersites; peace. Ther. Do, do.

Ther. I will hold my peace when Achilles' brach3 Ajax. Thou stool for a witch!

bids me, shall I ? Ther. Ay, do, do: thou sodden-witted lord! thou

Achil. There's for you, Patroclus. hast no more brain than I have in mine elbows; an assinegol may tutor thee: Thou scurvy valiant ass! I come any more to your tents: I will keep where

Ther. I will see you hanged, like clot poles, ere thou art here put to thrash Trojans; and thou art there is wit stirring, and leave the faction of fools. bought and sold among those of any wit, like a Barbarian slave. If thou use to beat me, I will

[Exit.

Patr. A good riddance. begin at thy heel, and tell what thou art by inches,

Achil. Marry, this, sir, is proclaim'd through all thou thing of no bowels, thou!

our host: Ajux. You dog!

That Hector, by the first hour of the sun, Ther. You scurvy lord!

Will, with a trumpet, 'twixt our tents and Troy, Ajax. You cur.

[Beating him. To-morrow morning call some knight to arms, Ther. Mars his idiot! do, rudeness: do, camel, That hath a stomach ; and such a one, that dare do, do.

Maintain--I know not what; 'tis trash: Farewell. Enter ACHILLES and PATROCLUS.

Ajax. Farewell. Who shall answer him ? Achil. Why, how now, Ajax ? wherefore do you he knew his man.

Achil. I know not, it is put to lottery; otherwise, thus? How now, Thersites? what's the matter, man? Ajax. O, meaning you:—I'll go learn more of it. Ther. You see him there, do you?

(Exeunt. Achil. Ay; what's the matter?

SCENE II.-Troy. A Room in Priam's Palace. Ther. Nay, look upon him.

Enter PRIAM, HECTOR, TROILUS, Paris, and HE. Achil. So I do; What's the matter?

LENTS. Ther. Nay, but regard him well.

Pri. After so many hours, lives, speeches, spent, Achil. Well, why I do so. Ther. But yet you look not well upon him: for Deliver Helen, and all damage else

Thus once again says Nestor from the Greeks: whosoever you take him to be, he is Ajax.

As honor, loss of time, travel, expense,
Achil. I know that, tool.
Ther. Ay, but that fool knows not himself.

Wounds, friends, and what else dear that is con

sumed Ajax. Therefore I beat thee. Ther. Lo, lo, lo, lo, what modicums of wit he shall be struck off:—Hector, what say you to't ?

In hot digestion of this cormorant warutters! his evasions have ears thus long. I have

Hect. Though no man lesser fears ihe Grecks bobbed his brain, more than he has beat my bones:

than I,
I will buy nine sparrows for a penny, and his pia As far as toucheth my particular, yet,
mater? is not worth the ninth part of a sparrow.- Dread Priam,
• Pound.

Ass, a cant term for a foolish fellow. There is no lady of more softer bowels,
The membrane that protects the brain.

eyes,

More spungy to suck in the sense of fear,

The issue of your proper wisdoms rate; More ready to cry out-Who knows what follows? And do a deed that fortune never did, Than Hector is: the wound of peace is surety, Beggar the estimation which you priz'd Surety secure; but modest doubt is call'd

Richer than sea or land ? O thett most base; The beacon of the wise, the tent that searches That we have stolen what we do fear to keep ! To the bottom of the worst. Let Helen go: But, thieves unworthy of a thing so stolen, Since the tirst sword was drawn about this question, that in their country did them that disgrace, Every tithe soul, 'mongst many thousand dismes,' | We fear to warrant in our native place! Hath been as dear as Helen; I mean of ours :

Cas. (Within.] Cry, Trojans, cry! If we have lost so many tenths of ours,

Pri.

What noise? what shriek is this? To guard a thing not ours; not worth to us,

Tro. 'Tis our mad sister, I do know her voice. Had it our name, the value of one ten;

Cas. (Within.] Cry, Trojans !
What merit's in that reason, which denies

Hect. It is Cassandra.
The yielding of her up?
Tro.
Fye, fye, my brother!

Enter CASSANDRA, raving.
Weigh you the worth and honor of a king,

Cas. Cry, Trojans, cry! lend me ten thousand So great as our dread father, in a scale Of common ounces? will you with counters sum And I will till them with prophetic tears. The past-proportion of his infinite!

Hect. Peace, sister, peace, And buckle-in a waist most fathomless,

Cas. Virgins and boys, mid-age, and wrinkled With spans and inches so diminutive

elders, As tears and reasons ? fye, for godly shame! Soft infancy, that nothing canst but cry, Hel. No marvel, though you bite so sharp at Add to my clamors ! let us pray betimes reasons,

A moiety of that mass of moan to come. You are so empty of them. Should not our father Cry, Trojans, cry! practise your eyes with tears ! Bear the great sway of his affairs with reasons, Troy must not be, nor goodly Ilion stand; Because your speech hath none, that tells him so ? Our fire-brand brother, Paris, burns us all. Tro. You are for dreams and slumbers, brother Cry, Trojans, cry! a Helen and a woe: priest,

Cry, cry! Troy burns, or else let Helen go. (Exit. You fur your gloves with reason. Here are your

Hect. Now, youthful Troilus, do not these high reasons:

strains You know, an enemy intends you harm;

Of divination in our sister work You know, a sword employ'd is perilous,

Some touches of remorse? or is your blood And reason flies the object of all harm:

So madly hot, that no discourse of reason, Who marvels then, when Helenus beholds

Nor fear of bad success in a bad cause, A Grecian and his sword, if he do set

Can qualify the same? The very wings of Reason to his heels;

Tro.

Why, brother Hector, And fly like chidden Mercury from Jove,

We may not think the justness of each act Or like a star disorb'd ?-Nay, if we talk of reason, Such and no other than event doth form it; Let's shut our gates and sleep: Manhood and Nor once deject the courage of our minds honor

Because Cassandra's mad; her brain-sick raptures Should have hare hearts, would they but fat their Cannot distastes the goodness of a quarrel, thoughts

Which hath our several honors all engaged With this cramm'd reason: reason and respectó To make it gracious. For my private part, Make livers pale, and lustihood deject.

I am no more touched than all Priam's sons : Hect. Brother, she is not worth what she doth And Jove forbid, there should be done amongst us cost

Such things as might offend the weakest spleen The holding.

To fight for and maintain ! Tro. What is aught, but as 'tis valued ? Par. Else might the world convince of levity

Hect. But value dwells not in particular will; As well my undertakings as your counsels; It holds his estimate and dignity

But I attest the gods, your full consent As well wherein 'tis precious of itself

Gave wings to my propension, and cut off As in the prizer: 'tis mad idolatry,

All fears attending on so dire a project.

a To make ihe service greater than the god,

For what, alas, can these my single arms? And the will dotes, that is attributive

What propugnation' is in one man's valor To what intectiously itself affects,

That stand the push and enmity of those Without some image of the affected merit. This quarrel would excite?... Yet, I protest,

Tro. I take to-day a wife, and my election Were I alone to pass the difficulties, Is led on in the conduct of my will:

And had as ample power as I have will, My will enkindled by mine eyes and ears,

Paris should ne'er retract what he hath done, Two traded pilots 'twixt the dangerous shores Nor faint in the pursuit. Of will and judgment: How may I avoid,

Pri.

Paris, you speak Although my will distaste what it elected,

Like one besotted on your sweet delights:
The wite I chose? there can be no evasion

You have the honey still, but these the gall;
To blench6 from this, and to stand firm by honor: So to be valiant, is no praise at all.
We turn not back the silks upon the merchant, Par. Sir, I propose not merely to myself
When we have soil'd them; nor the remainder The pleasures such a beauty brings with it;
viands

But I would have the soil of her fair rape
We do not throw in unrespective sieve,

Wiped off, in honorable keeping her. Because we now are full. It was thought meet, What treason were it to the ransack'd queen, Paris should do some vengeance on the Greeks: Disgrace to your great worths, and shame to me, Your breath with full consent bellied his sails; Now to deliver her possession up, The seas and winds (old wranglers) took a truce, On terms of base compulsion? Can it be, And did him service: he touch'd the ports desir'd; That so degenerate a strain as this, And, for an old aunt, whom the Greeks held Should once set footing in your generous bosoms? captive,

There's not the meanest spirit on our party, He brought a Grecian queen, whose youth and without a heart to dare, or sword to draw, freshness

When Helen is defended; nor none so noble, Wrinkles Apollo's, and makes pale the morning. Whose life were ill bestow'd, or death unfamed, Why keep we her? the Grecians keep our aunt: Where Helen is the subject: then, I say, Is she worth keeping ? why, she is a pearl, Well may we fight for her, whom, we know well, Whose price hath launch'd above a thousand ships, The world's large spaces cannot parallel. And turn'd crown'd king to merchants.

Hect. Paris, and Troilus, you have both said If you'll avouch, 'twas wisdom Paris went,

well : (As you must needs, for you all cry'd-Go, go.) And on the cause and question now in hand If you'll confess, he brought home noble prize, Have gloz'd, 2-but superficially; not much (As you inust needs, for you all clapp'd your hands, Unlike young men, whom Aristotle thought And cry'd--Inestimable?) why do you now Unfit to hear moral philosophy:

Tenths. · Caution. • Shrink, or fly off. Lo Corrupt, change to a worse stato. Convict. 1 Priam's sister, Hesione,

1

The reasons, you allege, do more conduce

art a fair corse, I'll be sworn and sworn upon't, she To the hot passion of distemper'd blood,

never shrouded any but lazars. Amen.-Where's Than to make up a free determination

Achilles ? 'Twixt right and wrong; For pleasure, and re- Patr. What, art thou devout? wast thou in venge,

prayer?
Have ears more deaf than adders to the voice Ther. Ay; The heavens hear me!
Of any true decision. Nature craves,
All dues be render'd to their owners; Now

Enter ACHILLES.
What nearer debt in all humanity,

Achil. Who's there? Than wife is to the husband ? if this law

Patr. Thersites, my lord. of nature be corrupted through atlection;

Achil. Where, where ?-Art thou come? Why, And that great minds, of partial indulgence my cheese, my digestion, why hast thou not served To their benumbed wills, resist the same;

thyself in to my table so many meals ? Come; There is a law in each well-order'd nation,

what's Agamemnon ? To curb those raging appetites that are

Ther. Thy commander, Achilles ;-Then tell Most disobedient and refractory.

me, Patroclus, what's Achilles ? If Helen then be wite to Sparta's king,

Patr. Thy lord, Thersites; Then tell me, I pray As it is known she is.-these moral laws

thee, what's thyself! Of nature, and of nations, speak aloud

Ther. Thy knower, Patroclus; Then tell me,
To have her back return'd: Thus to persist Patroclus, what art thou ?
In doing wrons, extenuates not wrong,

Patr. Thou mayst tell, that knowest.
But makes it much more heavy; Hector's opinion Achil. O, tell, tell.
Is this, in way of truth: yet ne'ertheless,

Ther. I'll decline the whole question. Agamem My spritely brethren, I propend to you

non commands Achilles ; Achilles is my lord; I In resolution to keep Helen still;

am Patroclus' knower; and Patroclus is a fool. For 'tis a cause that hath no mean dependence Patr. You rascal! Upon our joint and several dignities.

Ther. Peace, fool; I have not done. Tro. Why, there you touch'd the life of our Achil. He is a privileged man.-Proceed, Therdesign:

sites. Were it not glory that we more affected,

Ther. Agamemnon is a fool; Achilles is a fool, Than the performance of our heaving spleens, Thersites is a fool; and, as aforesaid, Patroclus is I would not wish a drop of Trojan blood

a fool. Spent more in her defence. But, worthy Hector, Achil. Derive this; come. She is a theme ot' honor and renown;

Ther. Agamemnon is a fool to offer to command A spur to valiant and magnanimous deeds ; Achilles; Achilles is a fool to be commanded of Whose present courage may beat down our foes, Agamemnon; Thersites is a fool to serve such a And fame, in time to come, canonize us:

tool; and Patroclus is a fool positive. For, I presume, brave Hector would not lose

Patr. Why am I a fool ? So rich advantage of a promis'd glory,

Ther. Make that demand of the prover.-It sutAs smiles upon the forehead of this action, fices me, thou art. Look you, who comes here? For the wide world's revenue. Hect.

I am yours,

Enter AGAMEMNON, ULYSSES, NESTOR, DIOMEDES, You valiant offspring of great Priamus.

and AJAX. I have a roisting challenge sent amongst

Achil. Patroclus, I'll speak with nobody : The dull and tactious nobles of the Greeks,

Come in with me, Thersites.

(Erit. Will strike amazement to their drowsy spirits: I was advertis'd, their great general slept,

Ther. Here is such patchery, such juggling, and Whilst emulations in the army crept;

such knavery ! all the argument is, a cuckold, and This, I presume, will wake him. (Exeunt.

a whore; A good quarrel, to draw emulouse face

tions, and bleed to death upon. Now the dry ser. SCENE III.-The Grecian Camp. Before pigol on the subject l and war, and lechery, conAchilles' Tent. found all!

[Exit. Enter THERSITES.

Agam. Where is Achilles ?

Patr. Within his tent; but ill-dispos'd, my lord. Ther. How, now, Thersites? what, lost in the

Agam. Let it be known to him that we are here; labyrinth ot' thy fury? Shall the elephant Ajax He shent2 our messengers; and we lay by carry it thus? he beats me, and I rail at him : 0

Our appertainments: visiting of bim: worihy satisfaction! 'would it were otherwise; that Let him be told so; lest, perchance, he think I could beat him, whilst he railed at me: 'Sfoot, I'll We dare not move the question of our place, learn to conjure and raise devils, but I'll see some Or know not what we are. issue of my spiretulexecrations. Then there's Achil

Patr.

I shall say so to him. ( Exit. les,--a rare engineer. If Troy be not taken, till these Ulyss. We saw him at the opening of his ient; two undermine it, the walls will stand till they fall He is not sick. ot' themselves. ( thou great thunder-darter of Ajax. Yes, lion-sick, sick of proud heart: you Olympus, forget that thou art Jove the king of may call it melancholy, if you will favor the man; gods; and, Mercury, lose all the serpentine craft but, by my head, 'tis pride: But why, why? let of thy Caduceus;7 if ye take not that little little him show us a cause.- A word, my lord. less-than-little wit from them that they have! which

[Takes AGAMEMNON (side. short-armed ignorance itself knows is so abundant Nest. What moves Ajax thus to bay at him? scarce, it will not in circumvention deliver a'lly Ulyss. Achilles hath inveigled his fool from him. from a spider, without drawing their massy irons, Nest. Who? Thersites? and cutting the web. After this, the vengeance on

Ulyss. He. the whole camp! or, rather, the bone-ache! for that, Nest. Then will Ajax lack matter, if he have lost methinks, is the curse dependent on those that war his argument.4 for a placket. I have said my prayers; and devil, Ulyss. No; you see, he is his argument, that has envy, say Amen.--What, ho! my lord Achilles !

his argument, Achilles. Enter PATROCLUS.

Nest. All the better; their fraction is more our Patr. Who's there? Thersites? Good Thersites, wish, than their faction ; But it was a strong comcome in and rail.

posure, a fool could disunite. Ther. If I could have remembered a gilt coun

Ulyss. The amity that wisdom knits not, folly terteit, thou wouldst not have slipped out of my

may easily untie. Here comes Patroclus. contemplation: but it is no matter; Thyself upon

Re-enter PatrocLCS. thyseli! The common curse of mankind, folly and ignorance, be thine in great revenue ! heaven bless

Nest. No Achilles with him. thee from a tutor, and discipline come not near

Ulyss. The elephant hath joints, but none for thee! Let thy blood be thy direction till thy courtesy: his

legs for necessity, not for death! then it she, that lays thee out, says-thou flexure. 3 Through. e Incline. • Blustering. • Envy.

• Leprous persons.

• Envious. · Tetter, scab. 'The wand of Mercury, which is wreathed with ser- Rebuked, rated. * Appendage of rank or dignity. pents.

• Subject.

ar