They call this-bed-work, mappery, closet-war: Nest. Let this be granted, and Achilles' horse [Trumpet sounds. What trumpet? look, Meuelaus. Agam. Enter ENEAS. Men. From Troy. Agam. What would you 'fore our tent? Is this Even this. Great Agamemnon's tent, I pray? . Agam. Ene. May one, that is a herald, and a prince, Agam. With surety stronger than Achilles' arm Ene. Ay; I ask, that I might waken reverence, How? Which is that god in office, guiding men? Agam. This Trojan scorns us; or the men of Troy Are ceremonious courtiers. Ene. Courtiers as free, as debonair, unarm'd, As bending angels; that's their fame in peace: But when they would seem soldiers, they have galls, Good arms, strong joints, true swords; and Jove's Nothing so full of heart. But peace, Eneas, [accord, Peace, Trojan; lay thy finger on thy lips! The worthiness of praise distains his worth, [scends. That breath fame follows; that praise, sole pure, trauAgam. Sir, you of Troy, call you yourself Æneas? Ene. Ay, Greek, that is my name. Agam. Ene. Nor I from Troy come not to whisper him: I bring a trumpet to awake his ear; To set his sense on the attentive bent, And then to speak. Agam. Speak frankly as the wind; It is not Agamemnon's sleeping hour: He tells thee so himself. Ene. Trumpet, blow loud, Send thy brass voice through all these lazy tents;And every Greek of mettle, let him know, What Troy means fairly, shall be spoke aloud. [Trumpet sounds. We have, great Agamemnon, here in Troy A prince call'd Hector (Priam is his father), Who in this dull and long-continued truce Is rusty grown; he bade me take a trumpet, And to this purpose speak. Kings, princes, lords! If there be one, among the fair'st of Greece, That holds his honour higher than his ease; That seeks his praise more than he fears his peril; That knows his valour, and knows not his fear; That loves his mistress more than in confession (With truant vows to her own lips he loves), And dare avow her beauty and her worth, In other arms than hers,-to him this challenge. Hector, in view of Trojans and of Greeks, Shall make it good, or do his best to do it: He hath a lady, wiser, fairer, truer, Than ever Greek did compass in his arms; And will to-morrow with his trumpet call, Agam. This shall be told our lovers, lord Æneas; Agam. Fair lord Æneas, let me touch your hand; To our pavilion shall I lead you, sir. Achilles shall have word of this intent; So shall each lord of Greece, from tent to tent: And find the welcome of a noble foe. Ulyss. Nestor, [Exeunt all but Ulysses and Nestor. Nest. What says Ulysses? Ulyss. I have a young conception in my brain, Be you my time to bring it to some shape. Nest. What is't? Ulyss. This 'tis : Blunt wedges rive hard knots: The seeded pride In rank Achilles, must or now be cropp'd, Nest. Well, and how? Ulyss. This challenge that the gallant Hector sends, However it is spread in general name, Relates in purpose only to Achilles. Nest. The purpose is perspicuous even as substance, Whose grossness little characters sum up: And, in the publication, make no strain, But that Achilles, were his brain as barren As banks of Libya,-though, Apollo knows, "Tis dry enough,-will with great speed of judgment, Ay, with celerity, find Hector's purpose Pointing on him. Ulyss. And wake him to the answer, think you? It is most meet; Whom may you else oppose, For here the Trojans taste our dear'st repute In this wild action: for the success, And in such indexes, although small pricks Of things to come at large. It is suppos'd, What heart receives from hence a conquering part, Yes, Which entertain'd, limbs are his instruments, Ulyss. Give pardon to my speech ;— Therefore 'tis meet, Achilles meet not Hector. The lustre of the better shall exceed, By showing the worse first. Do not consent, For both our honour and our shame, in this, Nest. I see them not with my old eyes; what are they? And we were better parch in Afric sun, Than in the pride and salt scorn of his eyes, The sort to fight with Hector: Among ourselves, That we have better men. But, hit or miss, Now I begin to relish thy advice; And I will give a taste of it forthwith To Agamemnon: go we to him straight. [Exeunt. |