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 through all our host: That Hector, by the first hour of the sun, Achil. I know not, it is put to lottery; otherwise, He knew his man. Ajax. O, meaning you:- I'll go learn more of it. [Exeunt. SCENE II. Troy. A Room in Priam's Palace. Enter PRIAM, HECTOR, TROILUS, PARIS, and Pri. After so many hours, lives, speeches spent, As honour, loss of time, travel, expence, Wounds, friends, and what else dear that is consum'd 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? Surety secure; but modest doubt is call'd The beacon of the wise, the tent that searches Since the first sword was drawn about this question, If we have lost so many tenths of ours, To guard a thing not our's; not worth to us, Tro. Fye, fye, my brother! Of common ounces? will you with counters sum 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 fur your gloves with reason. Here are your rea sons: You know, an enemy intends you harm; And fly like chidden Mercury from Jove, Or like a star dis-orb'd? - Nay, if we talk of reason, 4 many thousand dismes,] Disme, Fr. is the tithe, the tenth. The past-proportion of his infinite?] i. e. that greatness to which no measure bears any proportion. 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 " Hect. Brother, she is not worth what she doth cost The holding. Tro. What is aught, but as 'tis valued? As well wherein 'tis precious of itself To blench from this, and to stand firm by honour: 8 Because we now are full. It was thought meet, Make livers pale, &c.] Respect is caution, a regard to consequences. 7 And the will dotes, that is attributive —] i. e. the will dotes that attributes or gives the qualities which it affects; that first causes excellence, and then admires it. unrespective sieve,] That is, unto a common voider. 9 Your breath with full consent ] Your breaths all blowing together; your unanimous approbation. The seas and winds (old wranglers) took a truce, If you'll avouch, 'twas wisdom Paris went, (As you must needs, for you all cry'd — Go, go,) Richer than sea and land? O theft most base; Cas. [within.] Cry, Trojans, cry! Pri. What noise? what shriek is this? Tro. 'Tis our mad sister, I do know her voice. Cas. [within.] Cry, Trojans ! Hect. It is Cassandra. Enter CASSANDRA, raving. Cas. Cry, Trojans, cry! lend me ten thousand eyes, And I will fill them with prophetick tears. Hect. Peace, sister, reace. 1 And, for an old aunt,] Priam's sister, Hesione, whom Hercules, being enraged at Priam's breach of faith, gave to Telamon, who by her had Ajax. 2 And do a deed that fortune never did,] i. e. act with more inconstancy and caprice than ever did fortune. Cas. Virgins and boys, mid-age and wrinkled elders, Soft infancy, that nothing canst but cry, Add to my clamours! let us pay betimes A moiety of that mass of moan to come. Cry, Trojans, cry! practise your eyes with tears! Troy must not be, nor goodly Ilion stand; Our fire-brand brother, Paris3, burns us all. Cry, Trojans, cry! a Helen, and a woe: Cry, cry! Troy burns, or else let Helen go. [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, Can qualify the same? Tro. Why, brother Hector, We may not think the justness of each act Par. Else might the world convince of levity 3 Our fire-brand brother,] Hecuba, when pregnant with Paris, dreamed she should be delivered of a burning torch. 4 distaste,] Corrupt; change to a worse state. 5 To make it gracious.] i. e. to set it off; to show it to advantage. 6 convince of levity-] This word, which our author frequently employs in the obsolete sense of-to overpower, subdue, seems, in the present instance, to signify-convict, or subject to the charge of levity. |