But if there be not in our Grecian host

One noble man that hath one spark of fire,
To answer for his love, tell him from me
I'll hide my silver beard in a gold beaver,
And in my vantbrace put this wither'd brawn,
And meeting him will tell him that my lady
Was fairer than his grandam and as chaste
As may be in the world. His youth in flood,
I'll prove this truth with my three drops of blood.
Eneas. Now heavens forbid such scarcity of youth!
Ulysses. Amen.

Agamemnon. 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.

Yourself shall feast with us before you go,

And find the welcome of a noble foe.

300

Ulysses. Nestor !

[Exeunt all but Ulysses and Nestor.

310

Nestor. What says Ulysses?

Ulysses. I have a young conception in my brain;

Be you my time to bring it to some shape.

Nestor. What is 't?

Ulysses. This 'tis:

Blunt wedges rive hard knots; the seeded pride
That hath to this maturity blown up

In rank Achilles must or now be cropp'd,

Or, shedding, breed a nursery of like evil,

Ulysses. This challenge that the gallant Hector sends, However it is spread in general name,

Relates in purpose only to Achilles.

Nestor. The purpose is perspicuous even as substance, Whose grossness little characters sum up;

320

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.

Ulysses. And wake him to the answer, think you?

330

Nestor. Yes, 't is most meet; whom may you else oppose, That can from Hector bring his honour off,

If not Achilles? Though 't be a sportful combat,

Yet in the trial much opinion dwells.

For here the Trojans taste our dear'st repute
With their fin'st palate: and trust to me, Ulysses,
Our imputation shall be oddly pois'd

In this wild action; for the success,
Although particular, shall give a scantling
Of good or bad unto the general;

And in such indexes, although small pricks
To their subsequent volumes, there is seen
The baby figure of the giant mass

Of things to come at large. It is suppos'd
He that meets Hector issues from our choice;
And choice, being mutual act of all our souls,
Makes merit her election, and doth boil,

As 't were from forth us all, a man distill'd
Out of our virtues; who miscarrying,

What heart receives from hence the conquering part,
To steel a strong opinion to themselves!
Which entertain'd, limbs are his instruments,

In no less working than are swords and bows
Directive by the limbs.

Ulysses. Give pardon to my speech:

Therefore 't is meet Achilles meet not Hector.
Let us, like merchants, show our foulest wares,
And think, perchance, they'll sell; if not,

340

350

360

The lustre of the better yet to show

Shall show the better. Do not consent

That ever Hector and Achilles meet;

For both our honour and our shame in this

Are dogg'd with two strange followers.

Nestor. I see them not with my old eyes; what are they? Ulysses. What glory our Achilles shares from Hector,

Were he not proud, we all should share with him:

But he already is too insolent;

And we were better parch in Afric sun

Than in the pride and salt scorn of his eyes,
Should he scape Hector fair. If he were foil'd,
Why, then we did our main opinion crush

In taint of our best man. No, make a lottery,
And by device let blockish Ajax draw
The sort to fight with Hector; among ourselves
Give him allowance for the better man,
For that will physic the great Myrmidon
Who broils in loud applause, and make him fall
His crest that prouder than blue Iris bends.
If the dull brainless Ajax come safe off,
We'll dress him up in voices; if he fail,
Yet go we under our opinion still

That we have better men. But, hit or miss,
Our project's life this shape of sense assumes:

Ajax employ'd plucks down Achilles' plumes.
Nestor. Ulysses,

Now I begin to relish thy advice,

And I will give a taste of it forthwith

To Agamemnon; go we to him straight.

370

380

390

Two curs shall tame each other; pride alone

し

Must tarre the mastiffs on, as 't were their bone.

[Exeunt.

Thersites. Agamemnon-how if he had boils? full, all over, generally?

Ajax. Thersites !

Thersites. And those boils did run? say so, did not the general run then? were not that a botchy core?

Ajax. Dog!

Thersites. Then would come some matter from him; I see

none now.

Ajax. Thou bitch-wolf's son, canst thou not hear? [Beating him] Feel, then.

II

Thersites. The plague of Greece upon thee, thou mongrel beef-witted lord!

Ajax. Speak then, thou vinewed'st leaven, speak! I will beat thee into handsomeness.

Thersites. I shall sooner rail thee into wit and holiness;

but, I think, thy horse will sooner con an oration than thou learn a prayer without book. Thou canst strike, canst thou? a red murrain o' thy jade's tricks!

Ajax. Toadstool, learn me the proclamation.

20

Thersites. Dost thou think I have no sense, thou strikest

me thus ?

Ajax. The proclamation!

Thersites. Thou art proclaimed a fool, I think.

Ajax. Do not, porpentine, do not! my fingers itch. Thersites. I would thou didst itch from head to foot and I had the scratching of thee; I would make thee the loathsomest scab in Greece. When thou art forth in the incursions, thou strikest as slow as another.

Ajax. I say, the proclamation!

30

Thersites. Thou grumblest and railest every hour on Achilles, and thou art as full of envy at his greatness as Cerberus is at Proserpina's beauty, ay, that thou barkest at him. Ajax. Mistress Thersites !

Thersites. Thou shouldst strike him.

Ajax. Cobloaf!

Thersites. He would pun thee into shivers with his fist, as

a sailor breaks a biscuit.

Ajax. [Beating him] You whoreson cur!

Thersites. Do, do.

Ajax. Thou stool for a witch!

40

Thersites. Ay, do, do; thou sodden-witted lord! thou hast no more brain than I have in mine elbows: an assinego may tutor thee. Thou scurvy-valiant ass! thou art here but to thrash Trojans; and thou art bought and sold among those of any wit, like a barbarian slave. If thou use to beat me, I will begin at thy heel, and tell what thou art by inches, thou thing of no bowels, thou!

Ajax. You dog!

Thersites. You scurvy lord!

Ajax. [Beating him] You cur!

50