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. Ther. I'll decline the whole question. 401 Agamem non commands Achilles; Achilles is my lord; I am Patroclus' knower; and Patroclus is a fool. Patr. You rascal ! Ther. Peace, fool; I have not done. Achil. He is a privileg'd man.-Proceed, Thersites. Ther. Agamemnon is a fool; Achilles is a fool; Thersites is a fool; and, as aforesaid, Patroclus is a fool. 412 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 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? 421 Enter AGAMEMNON, ULYSSES, NESTOR, DioMEDES, and AJAX. Achil. Patroclus, I'll speak with no body :-Come in with me, Thersites. [Exit. Ther. Ther. Here is such patchery, such juggling, and such knavery! all the argument is—a cuckold, and a whore; a good quarrel, to draw emulous factions, and bleed to death upon. Now the dry serpigo on the subject! and war, and lechery, confound all! Aga. Where is Achilles ? [Exit. 429 Patr. Within his tent; but ill-dispos'd, my lord. Let him be told so; lest, perchance, he think Patr. I shall so say to him. Ulys. We saw him at the opening of his tent : He is not sick. [Exite 439 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, Nest. What moves Ajax thus to bay at him? Ulyss. Achilles hath inveigled his fool from him. Nest. Who? Thersites ? Ulyss. He. Nest. Then will Ajax lack matter, if he have lost his argument. Ulyss. No; you see, he is his argument, that has his argument; Achilles. Fij 451 Nest Nest. All the better; their fraction is more our wish, than their faction: But it was a strong composure, â fool could disunite. Ulyss. The amity, that wisdom knits not, folly may easily untie. 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, 460 If any thing more than your sport and pleasure Did move your greatness, and this noble state, To call on him; he hopes, it is no other, But, for your health and you digestion sake, An after-dinner's breath, Aga. Hear you, Patroclus; We are too well acquainted with these answers: 470 Much attribute he hath; and much the reason Than Than in the note of judgment; and worthier than himself, Here tend the savage strangeness he puts on; Bring action hither, this cannot go to war : Before a sleeping giant :-Tell him so. 480 499 Patr. I shall; and bring his answer presently. [Exit. Aga. In second voice we'll not be satisfied, We come to speak with him.-Ulysses, enter you. [Exit ULYSSES, Ajax. What is he more than another ? Aga. 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? Aga. No question. 500 Ajax. Will you subscribe his thought, and say→ he is? Aga. No, noble Ajax; you are as strong, as va liant, Fiij As As wise, and no less noble, much more gentle, Ajax. Why should a man be proud? How doth pride grow? I know not what pride iş. Aga. Your mind's the clearer, Ajax, and your virtues 510 The fairer. He that's proud, eats up himself: • Nest. [Aside.] And yet he loves himself; Is it not strange? Re-enter ULYSSES, Ulyss. Achilles will not to the field to-morrow. Aga. What's his excuse? Ulyss. He doth rely on none; But carries on the stream of his dispose, In will peculiar and in self-admission. Aga. Why will he not, upon our fair request, Untent his person, and share the air with us? 520 Ulyss. Things small as nothing, for request's sake only, He makes important: Possest he is with greatness; 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, |