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Nor faint in the pursuit.

Pri. Paris, you speak

Like one Lesotted on your sweet delights:
You have the honey still, but these the gall;
So to be valiant, is no praise at all.

Par. Sir, I propose not merely to myself
The pleasures such a beauty brings with it;
But I would have the soil of her fair rape
Wip'd off, in honourable keeping her.
What treason were it to the ransack'd 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,

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Should once set footing in your generous bosoms? 15
There's not the meanest spirit on our party,
Without a heart to dare, or sword to draw,
When Helen is defended; nor none so noble,
Whose life were ill bestow'd, or death unfam'd,
Where Helen is the subject: then, I say,
Well may we fight for her, whom, we know well,
The world's large spaces cannot parallel.

Hect. Paris,and Troilus, you have both said well;
And on the cause and question now in hand
Have gloz'd, but superficially; not much
Unlike young men, whom Aristotle thought
Unfit to hear moral philosophy:
The reasons you alledge, do more conduce
To the hot passion of distemper'd blood,
Than to make up a free determination
"Twixt right and wrong; Forpleasure,and revenge,
Have ears more deaf than adders to the voice
Of any true decision. Nature craves,
All dues be render'd to their owners; Now
What nearer debt in all humanity,
Than wife is to the husband? If this law
Of nature be corrupted through affection;
And that great minds, of partial indulgence
To their benummed' wills, resist the same;
There is a law in each well-order'd nation,
To curb those raging appetites that are
Most disobedient and refractory.
If Helen then be wife to Sparta's king,-
As it is known she is,- -these moral laws
Of nature, and of nations, speak aloud
To have her back return'd: Thus to persist
In doing wrong, extenuates not wrong,
But makes it much more heavy. Hector's opinion
Is this, in way of truth: yet, ne'ertheless,
My sprightly brethren, I propend to you
In resolution to keep Helen still;
For 'tis a cause that hath no mean dependence
Upon our joint and several dignities.

[sign:
Troi. Why, there you touch'd the life of our de-
Were it not glory that we more affected
Than the performance of our heaving spleens2,

I would not wish a drop of Trojan blood
Spent more in her defence. But, worthy Hector,
She is a theme of honour and renown;
A spur to valiant and magnanimous deeds;
Whose present courage may beat down our foes,

1i. e. inflexible, immoveable. envy, factious contention.

20

SCENE III.
The Grecian Camp.
Achilles' Tent.
Enter Thersites.

[Exeunt.

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 rail'd at me : 'Sfoot, I'll learn to conjure and raise devils, but I'll see some issue 25 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 30 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-arm'd ignorance itself knows is so abundant scarce, it will not in circumvention deli35ver a fly from a spider, without drawing the massy iron, and cutting the web. After this, the vengeance on the whole camp! or, rather, the boneache! for that, methinks, is the curse dependent on those that war for a placket. I have said my 40 prayers; and devil envy, say Amen. What, ho! my lord Achilles !

|451

Enter Patroclus.

Patr. Who's there? Thersites? Good Thersites, come in and rail.'

Ther. If I could have remember'd a gilt counterfeit, thou would'st not have slipped out of my contemplation: but it is no matter, Thyself upon thyself! The common curse of mankind, folly and ignorance, bethine in great revenue! heaven bless 50 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. 55 Where's Achilles?

60

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.

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Achil. Where, where?-Art thou come? Why, my cheese, my digestion, why hast thou not serv'd thyself in to my table so many meals: Come, what's Agamemnon?

Ther. Thy commander, Achilles ;-Then tell me, Patroclus, what's Achilles?

Patr. Thy lord, Thersites; Then tell me, I pray thee, what's thyself?

Ther. Thy knower, Patroclus; Then tell me,
Patroclus, what art thou?

Patr. Thou may'st tell, that know'st.
Achil. O, tell, tell.

Ther. I'll decline the whole question'. Aga-
meninon commands Achilles; Achilles is my lord;
I am Patroclus' knower; and Patroclus is a fool.
Putr. You rascal !

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Ther. Peace, fool; I have not done. [sites. Achil. He is a privileg'd man.-Proceed, TherTher. Agamemnon is a fool; Achilles is a fool; Thersites is a fool; and, as aforesaid, Patroclus is 20 a fool.

Achil. Derive 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 25 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: Enter Agamemnon, Ulysses, Nestor, Diomedes, 30 and Ajax.

Achil. Patroclus, I'll speak with no body:Come in with me, Thersites.

[Exit.

Ther. Here is such patchery, such juggling, and such knavery! all the argument is--a cuckold, 35 and a whore; A good quarrel, to draw emulous factions, and bleed to death upon. Now the dry arpigo on the subject! and war, and lechery, confound all! [Exit.

Agam. Where is Achilles?

Patr. Within his tent; but ill-dispos'd, my lord.
Agam. Let it be known to him, that we are here.
He shent' our messengers; and we lay by
Our appertainments, visiting of him :

Let him be told so; lest, perchance, he think
We dare not move the question of our place,
Or know not what we are.

[Exit.

Putr. I shall so say to him.
Ulyss. We saw him at the opening of his tent;
He is not sick.

Ulyss. No; you see, he is his argument, that has his argument; Achilles.

Nest. All the better; their fraction is more our wish, than their faction: But it was a strong composure, a fool could disunite.

Ulyss. The amity, that wisdom knits not, folly may easily untye. Here comes Patroclus. Re-enter Patroclus.

Nest. No Achilles with him.

Ulyss. The elephant hath joints, but none for courtesy;

His legs are for necessity, not for flexure.

Patr. Achilles bids me say--he is much sorry,
If any thing more than your sport and pleasure
Did move your greatness, and this noble state 3,
To call on him; he hopes, it is no other,
But, for your health and your digestion sake,
An after-dinner's breath.

Agam. Hear you, Patroclus ;

We are too well acquainted with these answers:
But his evasion, wing'd thus swift with scorn,
Cannot out-fly our apprehensions.

Much attribute he hath; and much the reason
Why we ascribe it to him: yet all his virtues,-
Not virtuously on his own part beheld,—
Do, in our eyes, begin to lose their gloss;
Yea, like fair fruit in an unwholesome dish,
Are like to rot untasted. Go and tell him,
We come to speak to him: And you shall not sin,
If you do say we think him over-proud,
And under-honest in self-assumption greater,
Than in the note of judgement; and worthier than
himself,

Here tend the savage strangeness he puts on;
Disguise the holy strength of their command,
And under-write in an observing kind
His humorous predominance; yea, watch
His pettish lunes, his ebbs, his flows, as if
The passage and whole carriage of this action
40 Rode on his tide. Go, tell him this; and add,
l'hat, if he over-hold his price so much,
We'll none of him; but let him, like an engine
Not portable, lie under this report-
Bring action hither, this cannot go to war:
45 A stirring dwarf we do allowance' give
Before a sleeping giant:-Tell him so.
Patr. I shall; and bring his answer presently.
[Exit.
Agam. In second voice we'll not be satisfied,
We come to speak with him.--Ulysses, enter you.
[Exit Ulysses.
Ajar. What is he more than another?
Agam. No more than what he thinks he is.
Ajax. Is he so much? Do you not think, he
thinks himself
A better man than I?
Agam. No question,

50

Ajax. Yes, lion-sick, sick of a proud heart: you may call it melancholy, if you will favour the man; but, by my head, 'tis pride: But why, why? let him shew us a cause.-A word, my lord. [To Agamemnon.55 Nest. What moves Ajax thus to bay at him? Ulyss.Achilles hath inveigled his fool from him. Nest. Who? Thersites?

Ulyss. He.

Ajax. Will you subscribe his thought, and say, [valiant,

he is?

Nest. Then will Ajax lack matter, if he have 60 Agam. No, noble Ajax; you are as strong, as lost his argument. As wise, and no less noble; much more gentle,

1i. e. I will deduce the question from the first case to the last. the stately train of attending nobles whom you bring with you. obey. Allowance is approbation.

3K 3

2i. e. rebuked, rated. 1i..e. To subscribe, in Shakspeare, is to

And

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Re-enter Ulysses.

[quarrel.

Ulyss. Not for the worth that hangs upon our
Ajax. A paltry insolent fellow,-
Nest. How he describes himself!

Ajax. Can he not be sociable?

[Aside.

[Aside.

lyss. The raven chides blackness. Ajax. I'll let his humours blood. Agam. He will be the physician, that should be the patient.

[Aside.

Ajax. An all men were o' my mind,—

Ulyss. Achilles will not to the field to-morrow. 15 Ulyss. Wit would be out of fashion. [Aside

Agam. What's his excuse?

Ulyss. He doth rely on none;

But carries on the stream of his dispose,
Without observance or respect of any,

In will peculiar and in self-admission.

Agam. Why will he not, upon our fair request, Untent his person, and share the air with us? Ulyss. Things small as nothing, for request's sake only,

Ajax. He should not bear it so,

20

He should eat swords first: Shall pride carry it?
Nest. An 'twould, you'd carry half. [Aside.
Ulyss. He would have ten shares.
Ajax. I will knead him, I'll make him supple:-
Nest. He's not yet thorough warm: force him
with praises:
[Aside.

[Aside.

Pour in, pour in; his ambition is dry.
Ulys.Mylord, you feed too much on this dislike.
[To Agamemnon.
Nest. Our noble general, do not do so.
Dio. You must prepare to fight without Achilles.
Ulyss. Why, 'tis this naming of him does him
30 Here is a man-
-But 'tis before his face;

He makes important: Possest he is with greatness; 25
And speaks not to himself, but with a pride
That quarrels at self breath: imagin'd worth
Holds in his blood such swoln and hot discourse,
That, 'twixt his mental and his active parts,
Kingdom'd Achilles in commotion rages,
And batters down himself: What should I say?
He is so plaguy proud, that the death tokens of it1
Cry-No recovery.

Agam. Let Ajax go to him.

Dear lord, go you and greet him in his tent : 'Tis said he holds you well; and will be led, At your request, a little from himself.

35

Ulyss. O Agamemnon, let it not be so!
We'll consecrate the steps that Ajax makes,
When they go from Achilles: Shall the proud lord, 40
That bastes his arrogance with his own seam2;
And never suffers matter of the world
Enter his thoughts,-save such as do revolve
And ruminate himself,-shall he be worshipp'd
Of that we hold an idol more than he?

No, this thrice-worthy and right-valiant lord
Must not so stale his palm, nobly acquir'd;
Nor, by my will, assubjugate his merit,
As amply titled as Achilles is,

By going to Achilles :

That were to enlard his fat-already pride;
And add more coals to Cancer, when he burns
With entertaining great Hyperion.
This lord go to him! Jupiter forbid;
And say in thunder-Achilles, go to h ́m.
Nest. O, this is well: he rubs the vein of him.

[Aside. Dio. And how his silence drinks up this applause!

Ajax. If I go to him, with my armed fist

Aside.

harm.

I will be silent.

Nest. Wherefore should you so?
He is not emulous, as Achilles is.

Ulyss. Know the whole world, he is as valiant.
Ajax. A whoreson dog, that shall palter thus
with us!

Would, he were a Trojan !

Nest. What a vice were it in Ajax now-
Ulyss. If he were proud?
Diom. Or covetous of praise?
Ulyss. Ay, or surly borne?

Diom. Or strange, or self-affected?
Ulyss. Thank the heavens, lord, thou art of
sweet composure;

45 Praise him that got thee, she that gave thee sucks
Fam'd be thy tutor: and thy parts of nature
Thrice-fam'd, beyond all erudition:
But he that disciplin'd thy arms to fight,
Let Mars divide eternity in twain,

50 And give him half: and, for thy vigour,
Bull-bearing Milo his addition yield

To sinewy Ajax. I will not praise thy wisdom,
Which, like a bourn ', a pale, a shore, confines
Thy spacious and dilated parts: Here's Nestor,-
55 Instructed by the antiquary times,

He must, he is, he cannot but be wise ;-
But pardon, father Nestor, were your days
As green as Ajax, and your brain so temper'd,
You should not have the eminence of him,
60 But be as Ajax.

Alluding to the decisive spots appearing on those infected by the plague,
To pheeze is to comb or curry. i, e. stuff him with praises (from farcir, Fr.).
boundary, and sometimes a rivulet dividing one place from another.

2 Seam is grease. ♪ A bourn is a

Ajas.

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SCENE I.

TROY.
The Palace.

Enter Pandarus, and a Servant. [Musick within. 20
Pan. FRIEND! you! pray you, a word
Do not you follow the young lord

Paris?

Serv. Ay, sir, when he goes before me.
Pan. You do depend upon him, I mean?
Serv. Sir, I do depend upon the lord.
Pan. You do depend upon a noble gentleman;
I must needs praise him.

Serv. The lord be praised!
Pan. You know me, do
you not?
Serv. 'Faith, sir, superficially.

Pan. Friend, know me better; I am the lord Pandarus.

Serv. I hope I shall know your honour better. Pan. I do desire it.

Serv. You are in the state of grace?

Pan. Grace! not so, friend; honour and lordship are my titles:-What musick is this?

Serv. I do but partly know, sir; it is musick in parts.

Pun. Know you the musicians?

Serv. Wholly, sir.

Pan. Who play they to?

Serv. To the hearers, sir.

Pan. At whose pleasure, friend?

Serv. At mine, sir, and theirs that love musick.
Pan. Command, I mean, friend?
Serv. Who shall I command, sir?

[complimental assault upon him, for my business seeths.

Serv. Sodden business! there's a stew'd phrase, indeed!

Enter Paris, and Helen, attended.

Pan. Fair be to you, my lord, and to all this fair company! fair desires, in all fair measure, fairly guide them!-especially to you, fair queen! 25 fair thoughts be your fair pillow!

Helen. Dear lord, you are full of fair words. Pan. You speak your fair pleasure,sweet queen.Fair prince, here is good broken musick.

Par. You have broke it, cousin and, by my 30life, you shall make it whole again; you shall piece it out with a piece of your performance:Nell, he is full of harmony.

35

Pan. Truly, lady, no.

Helen. O, sir,

Pan. Rude, in sooth; in good sooth, very rude. Par. Well said, my lord! well, you say so in fits2. Pan. I have business to my lord, dear queen:My lord, will you vouchsafe me a word?

Helen. Nay, this shall not hedge us out; we'll 40 hear you sing, certainly.

45

Pan. Friend, we understand not one another; I am too courtly, and thou art too cunning: At 50 whose request do these men play?

Serv. That's to 't, indeed, sir: Marry, sir, at the request of Paris my lord, who is there in person; with him, the mortal Venus, the heart-blood of beauty, love's invisible soul',

Pan. Who, my cousin Cressida ?

Serv. No, sir, Helen; Could you not find out that by her attributes ?

Pan. Well, sweet queen, you are pleasant with me.- -But (marry) thus, my lord.- -My dear lord, and most esteemed friend, your brother Troilus

Helen. My lord Pandarus; honey-sweet lord,— Pan. Go to, sweet queen, go to:-commends himself most affectionately to you.

Helen. You shall not bob us out of our melody; If you do, our melancholy upon your head! Pan. Sweet queen, sweet queen; that's a sweet queen, i' faith.

Helen. And to make a sweet lady sad, is a sour offence.

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Pan. Nay, that shall not serve your turn; that 55 shall it not, in truth, la. Nay, I care not for such words; no, no.-And, my lord, he desires you, that, if the king call for him at supper, you will make his excuse.

Pan. It should seem, fellow, that thou hast not seen the lady Cressida. I come to speak with 60 Paris from the Prince Troilus: I will make a

Helen. My lord Pandarus,

Pan. What says my sweet queen; my very very sweet queen?

i e. the soul of love invisible every where else.

3K 4

i. e. now and then, by fits.

Pan

Par. What exploit's in hand? where sups he How chance my brother Troilus went not ?. to-night?

Helen Nay but, my lord,——————

Pan. What says my sweet queen? My cousin will fall out with you.

Helen. You must not know where he sups. Par. I'll lay my life, with my disposer Cressida. Pan. No, no, no such matter, you are wide; come, your disposer is sick.

Par. Well, I'll make excuse.

Pan. Ay, good my lord. Why should you say-Cressida? no, your poor disposer's sick. Par. I spy'.

Pan. You spy! what do you spy?-Come, give me an instrument.-Now, sweet queen.

Helen. Why, this is kindly done.

Pan. My niece is horribly in love with a thing you have, sweet queen.

Helen. She shall have it, my lord, if it be not my lord Paris.

Pan. He! no, she'll none of him; they two are twain.

Helen. Falling in, after falling out, may make them three2.

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20

Pan. Come, come, I'll hear no more of this; 25 I'll sing you a song now.

Helen. Ay, ay, pr'ythee now. By my troth, sweet lord, thou hast a fine forehead.

Pan. Ay, you may, you may.

Helen. Let thy song be love: this love will 30
undo us all. Oh, Cupid, Cupid, Cupid!
Pan. Love, ay, that it shall i' faith.
Par. Ay, good now, love, love, nothing but
Pan. In good troth, it begins so:

[love.

"Love, love, nothing but love, still more! "For, oh, love's bow

"Shoots buck and doe:

"The shaft confounds "Not that it wounds, "But tickles still the sore.

"These lovers cry-Oh! oh! they die! "Yet that which seems the wound to kill, "Doth turn oh! oh! to ha! ha! he!

"So dying love lives still:

"Oh! oh! a while, but ha! ha! ha!
"Oh! oh! groans out for ha! ha! ha!

"Hey ho!"

Helen. In love, i' faith, to the very tip of the

nose.

Par. He eats nothing but doves, love; and that breeds hot blood, and hot blood begets hot thoughts, and hot thoughts beget hot deeds, and hot deeds is love.

35

Helen. He hangs the lip at something;—you know all, lord Pandarus.

Pan. Not I, honey-sweet queen.-I long to hear how they sped to-day.-You'll remember your brother's excuse?

Par. To a hair.

Pan. Farewell, sweet queen.

Helen. Commend me to your niece.

Pan. I will, sweet queen. [Exit. Sound a retreat, Par.They are come from field: let us to Priam's [you

hall,

To greet the warriors. Sweet Helen, I must woo To help unarm our Hector: his stubborn buckles, With these your white enchanting fingers touch'd, Shall more obey, than to the edge of steel,

Or force of Greekish sinews; you shall do more
Than all the island kings, disarm great Hector.
Helen. 'Twill make us proud to be his servant,
Paris:

Yea, what he shall receive of us in duty
Gives us more palm in beauty than we have;
Yea, over-shines ourself.

Par. Sweet, above thought I love thee.
[Exeunt.

SCENE

II.

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Pan. O, here he comes.-How now, how now?
Troi. Sirrah, walk off.

Pan. Have you seen my cousin?

Troi. No, Pandarus: I stalk about her door, Like a strange soul upon the Stygian banks Staying for waftage. O, be thou my Charon, 40 And give me swift transportance to those fields, Where I may wallow in the lily beds

45

Propos'd for the deserver! O gentle Pandarus, From Cupid's shoulder pluck his painted wings, And fly with me to Cressid!

straight.

Pan. Walk here i' the orchard, I will bring her [Exit Pandarus. Troi. I am giddy; expectation whirls me round. Th' imaginary relish is so sweet,

That it enchants my sense; What will it be, 50 When the watry palate tastes indeed

Pan. Is this the generation of love? hot blood, 55 hot thoughts, and hot deeds?-Why, they are vipers: Is love a generation of vipers? Sweet lord, who's a-field to-day?

Par. Hector, Deiphobus, Helenus, Antenor, and all the gallantry of Troy: I would fain have 60| arm'd to-day, but my Nell would not have it so:

Love's thrice-reputed nectar? death, I fear me;
Swooning destruction; or some joy too fine,
Too subtle potent, tun'd too sharp in sweetness,
For the capacity of my ruder powers:

I fear it much; and I do fear besides,
That I shall lose distinction in my joys;
As doth a battle, when they charge on heaps
The enemy flying.

Re-enter Pandarus. Pan. She's making her ready, she'll come straight; you must be witty now. She does so

This is the usual exclamation at a childish game called Hie, spy, hie. 2 i. e. says Mr. Tollet, the reconciliation and wanton dalliance of two lovers after a quarrel, may produce a child, and so make three of two.

blush,

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