Ulysses. [Aside] The raven chides blackness.

Ajax. I'll let his humours blood.

Agamemnon. [Aside] He will be the physician that should be the patient.

Ajax. An all men were o' my mind,—

Ulysses. [Aside] Wit would be out of fashion.

Ajax. A' should not bear it so, a' should eat swords first. Shall pride carry it?

Nestor. [Aside] An 't would, you'd carry half.

Ulysses. [Aside] A' would have ten shares.

Ajax. I will knead him; I'll make him supple.

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Nestor. [Aside] He 's not yet through warm; force him with praises. Pour in, pour in; his ambition is dry.

Ulysses. [To Agamemnon] My lord, you feed too much on this dislike.

Nestor. Our noble general, do not do so.

Diomedes. You must prepare to fight without Achilles. Ulysses. Why, 't is this naming of him does him harm. Here is a man-but 't is before his face;

I will be silent.

Nestor.

Wherefore should you so?

He is not emulous, as Achilles is.

Ulysses. Know the whole world, he is as valiant.

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Ajax. A whoreson dog, that shall palter thus with us!

Would he were a Trojan !

Nestor. What a vice were it in Ajax now,

Ulysses. If he were proud,

Diomedes. Or covetous of praise,—

Ulysses. Ay, or surly borne,—

Diomedes. Or strange, or self-affected!

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Ulysses. Thank the heavens, lord, thou art of sweet com

posure;

Praise him that got thee, she that gave thee suck;

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,

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,—
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,

Diomedes.

Be rul'd by him, Lord Ajax. Ulysses. There is no tarrying here; the hart Achilles Keeps thicket. Please it our great general

To call together all his state of war.

Fresh kings are come to Troy: to-morrow

We must with all our main of power stand fast;
And here's a lord,—come knights from east to west,
And cull their flower, Ajax shall cope the best.

Agamemnon. Go we to council. Let Achilles sleep:
Light boats sail swift, though greater hulks draw deep.

240

250

[Exeunt.

SCENE I. Troy. Priam's Palace.

Enter a Servant and PANDARUS.

Pandarus. Friend, you! pray you, a word: do not you fol

low the young Lord Paris?

Servant. Ay, sir, when he goes

before me.

Pandarus. You depend upon him, I mean?

Servant. Sir, I do depend upon the lord.

Pandarus. You depend upon a noble gentleman; I must

needs praise him.

Servant. The lord be praised!

Pandarus. You know me, do you not?

Servant. Faith, sir, superficially.

10

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

darus.

Servant. I hope I shall know your honour better.
Pandarus. I do desire it.

Servant. You are in the state of grace.

Pandarus. Grace! not so, friend; honour and lordship are my titles. [Music within.] What music is this?

Servant. I do but partly know, sir; it is music in parts. Pandarus. Know you the musicians?

Servant. Wholly, sir.

Pandarus. Who play they to?

Servant. To the hearers, sir.

Pandarus. At whose pleasure, friend?

Servant. At mine, sir, and theirs that love music.

Pandarus. Command, I mean, friend.

Servant. Who shall I command, sir?

20

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

29

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

Pandarus. Who, my cousin Cressida ?

Servant. No, sir, Helen; could you not find out that by her attributes?

Pandarus. It should seem, fellow, that thou hast not seen the Lady Cressida. I come to speak with Paris from the

Prince Troilus.

91

I will make a complimental assault upon

him, for my business seethes.

40

Servant. Sodden business! there's a stewed phrase indeed!

Enter PARIS and HELEN, attended.

Pandarus. 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! fair thoughts be your fair pillow!

Helen. Dear lord, you are full of fair words.

Pandarus. You speak your fair pleasure, sweet queen.Fair prince, here is good broken music.

49

Paris. You have broke it, cousin and, by my life, you shall make it whole again; you shall piece it out with a piece of your performance.—Nell, he is full of harmony. Pandarus. Truly, lady, no.

Helen. O, sir,

Pandarus. Rude, in sooth; in good sooth, very rude. Paris. Well said, my lord! well, you say so in fits. Pandarus. 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 hear you sing, certainly.

60

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

lord: my

Helen. My Lord Pandarus; honey-sweet lord,—

Pandarus. 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!

Pandarus. Sweet queen, sweet queen! that's a sweet queen, i' faith.

70

Helen. And to make a sweet lady sad is a sour offence. Pandarus. Nay, that shall not serve your turn; that shall