Aga. The better. Achil. Good day, good day. Men. How do you? how do you? Achil. What, does the cuckold scorn me? Ajax. How now, Patroclus? Achil. Good morrow, Ajax. Ajax. Ha! Achil. Good morrow. Ajax. Ay; and good next day too. 440 [Exeunt. Achil. What mean these fellows? knew they not Achilles? Patr. They pass by strangely: they were us'd to bend, To send their smiles before them to Achilles; To come as humbly, as they us'd to creep Achil. What, am I poor of late? 450 'Tis certain, greatness, once fallen out with fortune, Must fall out with men too: What the declin'd is, He shall as soon read in the eyes of others, As feel in his own fall: for men, like butterflies, Hath any honour; but's honour'd for those honours Which when they fall, as being slippery standers, Fortune and I are friends; I do enjoy At ample point all that I did possess, Save these men's looks; who do, methinks, find out Something in me not worth that rich beholding Here is Ulysses; As they have often given. I'll interrupt his reading. Achil. What are you reading? Ulyss. Now, great Thetis' son ? Ulyss. A strange fellow here Writes me, That man-how dearly ever parted, Achil. This is not strange, Ulysses. 'Till it hath travell'd, and is marry'd there Where it may see itself: this is not strange at all. Ulyss. I do no strain at the position, It is familiar; but at the author's drift: 470 480 490 (Though (Though in and of him there is much consisting), Where they are extended; which, like an arch, reverberates The voice again; or like a gate of steel Fronting the sun, receives and renders back His figure and his heat. I was much rapt in this; The unknown Ajax. 500 Heavens, what a man is there! a very horse; That has he knows not what. Nature, what things there are, Most abject in regard, and dear in use! What things again most dear in the esteem, How some men creep in skittish fortune's hall, Hiij 511 520 Good Good word, nor look: What, are my deeds forgot? Ulyss. Time hath, my lord, a wallet at his back, Wherein he puts alms for oblivion, A great-siz'd monster of ingratitudes : Those scraps are good deeds past; which are devour'd As fast as they are made, forgot as soon As done: Perseverance, dear my lord, Keeps honour bright: To have done, is to hang In monumental mockery. Take the instant way; That one by one pursue; If you give way, 530 540 Or, like a gallant horse fallen in first rank, Though less than yours in past, must o'er-top yours: That slightly shakes his parting guest by the hand; 2 551 Love, Love, friendship, charity, are subjects all To envious and calumniating time. One touch of nature makes the whole world kin,- The present eye praises the present object : Then marvel not thou great and complete man, 560 Since things in motion sooner catch the eye, If thou wouldst not entomb thyself alive, And case thy reputation in thy tent; Whose glorious deeds, but in these fields of late, Made emulous missions 'mongst the gods themselves, And drave great Mars to faction. Achil. Of this my privacy I have strong reasons. Ulyss. But 'gainst your privacy The reasons are more potent and heroical : 'Tis known, Achilles, that you are in love With one of Priam's daughters. Achil. Ha! known? Ulyss. Is that a wonder? The providence that's in a watchful state, Knows almost every grain of Pluto's gold; 570 Finds bottom in the uncomprehensive deeps; 580 Keeps place with thought; and almost, like the gods, Does thoughts unveil in their dumb cradles, There |