Achil. Your last service was sufferance, 'twas not voluntary; no man is beaten voluntary; Ajax was here the voluntary, and you as under an impress. Ther. Even so ?a great deal of your wit too lies in your sinews, or else there be liars. Hector shall have a great catch, if he knock out either of your brains; 'a were as good crack a fusty nut with no kernel. Achil. What, with me too, Thersites ? Ther. There's Ulysses, and old Nestor,-whose wit was mouldy ere your grandsires had nails on their toes, -yoke you like draught oxen, and make you plough up the wars. Achil. What, what? Ther. Yes, good sooth; To, Achilles! to, Ajax! to! Ajax. I shall cut out your tongue. Ther. 'Tis no matter; I shall speak as much as thou, afterwards. Patr. No more words, Thersites; peace. Ther. I will hold my peace when Achilles' brach bids me, shall I ?9 Achil. There's for you, Patroclus. Ther. I will see you hanged, like clotpoles, ere I come any more to your tents; I will keep where there is wit stirring, and leave the faction of fools. Patr. A good riddance. [Exit, Achil. Marry, this, sir, is proclaimed thro' all our host: That Hector, by the first hour of the sun, Will, with a trumpet, 'twixt our tents and Troy, Ajax. O, meaning you :-I'll go learn more of it. [Exe. Troy. A Room in PRIAM's Palace. Enter PRIAM, HECTOR, TROILUS, PARIS, and HELENUS. Pri. After so many hours, lives, speeches spent, Thus once again says Nestor from the Greeks; Deliver Helen, and all damage else― As honour, loss of time, travel, expence, Wounds, friends, and what else dear that is consum'd [9] Brach--a dog. STEEVENS.It certainly means a bitch, and not a dog, which renders the expression more abusive and offensive. M. MASON. In hot digestion of this cormorant war, Shall be struck off:-Hector, what say you to't? Hect. Though no man lesser fears the Greeks than I, As far as toucheth my particular, yet, Dread Priam, 'There is no lady of more softer bowels, More spungy to suck in the sense of fear, More ready to cry out-Who knows what follows? The beacon of the wise, the tent that searches Tro. Fye, fye, my brother! Weigh you the worth and honour of a king, Of common ounces? will you with counters sum And buckle-in a waist most fathomless, With spans and inches so diminutive As fears and reasons? fye, for godly shame! Hel. No marvel, though you bite so sharp at reasons, You are so empty of them. Should not our father Bear the great sway of his affairs with reasons, Because your speech hath none, that tells him so ? Tro. You are for dreams and slumbers, brother priest, You for your gloves with reason. Here are your reasons: You know, an enemy intends you harm ; You know, a sword employ'd is perilous, And reason flies the object of all harm : Who marvels then, when Helenus beholds A Grecian and his sword, if he do set The very wings of reason to his heels; And fly like chidden Mercury from Jove, Or like a star dis-orb'd ?—Nay, if we talk of reason, [2] That greatness to which no measure bears any proportion. JOHNSON. 3 VOL. IX. B 2 Let's shut our gates, and sleep: Manhood and honour Should have hare hearts, would they but fat their thoughts With this cramm'd reason : reason and respect Make livers pale, and lustihood deject. Hect. Brother, she is not worth what she doth cost The holding. Tro. What is aught, but as 'tis valued? Hect. But value dwells not in particular will; It holds his estimate and dignity As well wherein 'tis precious of itself As in the prizer: 'tis mad idolatry, To make the service greater than the god; Tro. I take to-day a wife, and my election When we have soil'd them; nor the remainder viands Because we now are full. It was thought meet, : And, for an old aunt, whom the Greeks held captive," Why keep we her? the Grecians keep our aunt : If you'll avouch, 'twas wisdom Paris went, (As you must needs, for you all cry'd—Go, go,) [3] The will affects an object for some supposed merit, which Hector says is censurable, unless the merit so affected be really there. JOHNSON. [4] That is, into a common voider. JOHNSON. [5] Priam's sister, Hesione, whom Hercules, being enraged at Priam's breach of faith, gave to Telamon, who by her had Ajax. MALONE. If you'll confess, he brought home noble prize, The issue of your proper wisdoms rate; Pri. What noise? what shriek is this? Tro. 'Tis our mad sister, I do know her voice. Hect. It is Cassandra. Enter CASSANDRA, raving. Cas. Cry, Trojans, cry! lend me ten thousand eyes, And I will fill them with prophetic tears. Hect. Peace, sister, peace. Cas. Virgins and boys, mid-age and wrinkled elders, Cry, Trojans, cry! practise your eyes with tears! 6 [Exit. Hect. Now, youthful Troilus, do not these high strains Of divination in our sister work Some touches of remorse? or is your blood So madly hot, that no discourse of reason, Troi. Why, brother Hector, We may not think the justness of each act [6] So the quarto. Folio-wrinkled old. MALONE.--- There cannot be a question that he wrote: -----mid-age and wrinkled eld. RITSON. [7] Hecuba, when pregnant with Paris, dreamed she should be delivered of a burning torch: et face prægnans Cisseis regina Parin creat." Eneid X. 705, STEEVENS. 8 Cannot distaste the goodness of a quarrel, Par. Else might the world convince of levity Pri. Paris, you speak Like one besotted on your sweet delights: Par. Sir, I propose not merely to myself On terms of base compulsion? Can it be, Should once set footing in your generous bosoms ? say, Well may we fight for her, whom, we know well, Hect. Paris, and Troilus, you have both said well ; And on the cause and question now in hand [8] Distaste--corrupt; change to a worse state. JOHNSON. |