Wounds, friends, and what else dear that is con- Or like a star disorbed?-Nay, if we talk of sumed In hot digestion of this cormorant war Shall be struck off:" Hector, what say you to 't? reason, Let's shut our gates, and sleep: Manhood and honor Hect. Though no man lesser fears the Grecks Should have hare hearts, would they but fat their Tro. What is aught, but as 't is valued? Hect. But value dwells not in particular will: It holds its estimate and dignity More ready to cry out "Who knows what follows?" The holding. Every tithe soul, 'mongst many thousand dismes, As well wherein 't is precious of itself Tro. I take to-day a wife, and my election When we have soiled them; nor the remainder Troy must not be, nor goodly Ilion stand; viands We do not throw in unrespective sieve, Because we now are full. It was thought meet, Paris should do some vengeance on the Greeks: Your breath with full consent bellied his sails; The seas and winds (old wranglers) took a truce, And did him service: he touched the ports desired; And, for an old aunt, whom the Greeks held captive, Our firebrand brother, Paris, burns us all. Cry, cry! Troy burns, or else let Helen go. [Exit. strains Of divination in our sister work Some touches of remorse? or is your blood He brought a Grecian queen, whose youth and Can qualify the same? freshness Wrinkles Apollo's, and makes pale the morning. And cried "Inestimable!"), why do you now What noise? what shriek is this? Tro. 'T is our mad sister; I do know her voice. Enter CASSANDRA, raving. Cas. Cry, Trojans, cry! lend me ten thousand eyes, And I will fill them with prophetic tears! Hect. Peace, sister, peace. Why, brother Hector, Tro. We may not think the justness of each act Such and no other than event doth form it; Nor once deject the courage of our minds, Because Cassandra's mad: her brain-sick raptures Cannot distaste the goodness of a quarrel Which hath our several honors all engaged To make it gracious. For my private part, I am no more touched than all Priam's sons: And Jove forbid there should be done amongst us Such things as might offend the weakest spleen To fight for and maintain ! Par. Else might the world convince of levity As well my undertakings, as your counsels : But I attest the gods, your full consent Gave wings to my propension, and cut off All fears attending on so dire a project. For what, alas, can these my single arms? What propugnation is in one man's valor, To stand the push and enmity of those This quarrel would excite? Yet, I protest, Were I alone to pass the difficulties, And had as ample power as I have will, Paris should ne'er retract what he hath done, Nor faint in the pursuit. Cas. Virgins and boys, mid-age and wrinkled But I would have the soil of her fair rape elders, Soft infancy, that nothing canst but cry, Add to my clamors! let us pay betimes A moiety of that mass of moan to come. Cry, Trojans, cry! practise your eyes with tears! Wiped off, in honorable keeping her. What treason were it to the ransacked queen, Disgrace to your great worths, and shame to me, Now to deliver her possession up On terms of base compulsion? Can it be, That so degenerate a strain as this A spur to valiant and magnanimous deeds; Hect. You valiant offspring of great Priamus.— Hect. Paris and Troilus, you have both said I have a roisting challenge sent amongst well; And on the cause and question now in hand The reasons you allege do more conduce For 't is a cause that hath no mean dependence Tro. Why, there you touched the life of our design: Were it not glory that we more affected Spent more in her defense. But, worthy Hector, Ther. How now, Thersites? what, lost in the labyrinth of thy fury? Shall the elephant Ajax carry it thus? he beats me, and I rail at him: O, worthy satisfaction! 'would it were otherwise; that I could beat him, whilst he railed at me: 'sfoot, I'll learn to conjure and raise devils, but I'll see some issue of my spiteful execrations. Then there's Achilles-a rare engineer. If Troy be not taken till these two undermine it, the walls will stand till they fall of themselves. O, thou great thunder-darter of Olympus, forget that thou art Jove, the king of gods; and Mercury, lose all the serpentine craft of thy Caduceus; if ye take not that little little less-than-little wit from them that they have! which short-armed ignorance itself knows is so abundant scarce, it will not in circumvention deliver a fly from a spider, without drawing their massy irons, and cutting the web. After this, the vengeance on the whole camp! or rather, the bone-ache! for that, methinks, is the curse dependent on those that war for a placket. I have said my prayers; and devil, envy, say What ho! my lord Achilles ! amen. Enter PATROCLUS. Patr. Who's there? Thersites? Good Thersites, come in and rail. and DIOMEDES. Achil. Patroclus, I'll speak with nobody: Come in with me, Thersites. [Exit. Ther. If I could have remembered a gilt coun- Enter AGAMEMNON, ULYSSES, NESTOR, AJAX, terfeit, thou wouldst not have slipped out of my contemplation but it is no matter; thyself upon thyself! The common curse of mankind, folly and ignorance, be thine in great revenue! heaven bless thee from a tutor, and discipline come not near thee! Let thy blood be thy direction till thy death! then if she that lays thee out, says thou art a fair corse, I'll be sworn and sworn upon 't, she never shrouded any but lazars. Amen. Where's Achilles? Patr. What, art thou devout! Wast thou in prayer? Ther. Ay; the heavens hear me ! Enter ACHILLES. Achil. Who's there? Patr. Thersites, my lord. Achil. Where, where? Art thou come! Why, my cheese, my digestion, why hast thou not served thyself into my table so many meals? Come; what's Agamemnon? Ther. Here is such patchery, such juggling, and such knavery! all the argument is, a cuckold and a whore: a good quarrel to draw emulous factions, and to bleed to death upon! Now the dry serpigo on the subject! and war and lechery confound all! [Exit. Agam. Where is Achilles? Patr. Within his tent; but ill disposed, my lord. Agam. Let it be known to him that we are here. Ther. Thy commander, Achilles: then tell me, he is not sick. Patroclus, what's Achilles? Ajax. Yes, lion-sick, sick of proud heart: you Patr. Thy lord, Thersites: then tell me I pray may call it melancholy, if you will favor the thee, what's thyself? but, by my head, 't is Ther. Thy knower, Patroclus: then tell me, him shew us a cause. Patroclus, what art thou? Patr. Thou mayst tell, that know'st. Achil. O, tell, tell! Ther. I'll decline the whole question. Agamemnon commands Achilles; Achilles is my lord; I am Patroclus' knower; and Patroclus is a fool. Patr. You rascal! Ther. Peace, fool; I have not done. Achil. He is a privileged man. - Proceed, Thersites. Ther. Agamemnon is a fool; Achilles is a fool; Thersites is a fool; and, as aforesaid, Patroclus is a fool. Achil. Deriye this; come. Ther. Agamemnon is a fool to offer to command Achilles; Achilles is a fool to be commanded of Agamemnon; Thersites is a fool to serve such a fool; and Patroclus is a fool positive. Patr. Why am I a fool? Ther. Make that demand of the prover: it suffices me, thou art. Look you, who comes here? man; pride: but why, why? let - A word, my lord. [Takes AGAMEMNON aside. Nes. What moves Ajax thus to bay at him? Ulys. He. Nes. Then will Ajax lack matter, if he have lost his argument. Ulys. No; you see he is his argument, that has his argument; Achilles. Nes. All the better; their fraction is more our wish than their faction: But it was a strong composure a fool could disunite! Ulys. The amity that wisdom knits not, folly may easily untie. Here comes Patroclus. Re-enter PATROCLUS. Nes. No Achilles with him. Ulys. The elephant hath joints, but none for courtesy; his legs are legs for necessity, not for flexure. -- valiant, as wise, no less noble, much more gentle, and altogether more tractable. Ajax. Why should a man be proud? How doth pride grow? I know not what pride is. Agam. Your mind's the clearer, Ajax, and your virtues the fairer. He that is proud eats up himself: pride is his own glass, his own trumpet, his own chronicle; and whatever praises itself but in the deed, devours the deed in the praise. Ajax. I do hate a proud man, as I hate the engendering of toads. Nes. And yet he loves himself: is it not Re-enter ULYSSES. Ulys. Achilles will not to the field to-morrow. Ulys. He doth rely on none; Agam. Why will he not, upon our fair request, He makes important. Possessed he is with great- And speaks not to himself, but with a pride We'll none of him; but let him, like an engine That, 'twixt his mental and his active parts, Kingdomed Achilles in commotion rages, Agam. Let Ajax go to him.- Ulys. O, Agamemnon, let it not be so! That bastes his arrogance with his own seam, Ajax. Will you subscribe his thought, and say Enter his thoughts - save such as do revolve - he is? And ruminate himself; shall he be worshiped Agam. No, noble Ajax; you are as strong, as Of that we hold an idol more than he? |