Want similes, truth tir'd with iteration,- As iron to adamant, as earth to the centre,— As truth's authentic author to be cited, Cres. Prophet may you be! If I be false, or swerve a hair from truth, When waterdrops have worn the stones of Troy, And mighty states characterless are grated To dusty nothing; yet let memory, From false to false, among false maids in love, Upbraid my falsehood! when they have said-as false As air, as water, wind, or sandy earth, As fox to lamb, as wolf to heifer's calf, Pard to the hind, or stepdame to her son; Yea, let them say, to stick the heart of falsehood, Pan. Go to, a bargain made; seal it, seal it: I'll be the witness. Here I hold your hand; here, my cousin's. If ever you prove false one to another, since I have taken such pains to bring you together, let all pitiful goers-between be called to the world's end after my name, call them all-Pandars: let all constant men be Troiluses, all false women Cressids, and all brokersbetween Pandars! say, amen. Tro. Amen. 6 as plantage to the moon,] "Alluding," observes Warburton, "to the common opinion of the influence the moon has over what is planted or sown, which was therefore done in the increase." Farmer makes the following quotation from "Scott's Discoverie of Witchcraft," 1584: "The poore husbandman perceiveth that the increase of the moone maketh plants frutefull: so as in the full moone they are in the best strength; decaieing in the wane; and in the conjunction do utterlie wither and vade." Cres. Amen. Pan. Amen. Whereupon I will show you a chamber; which bed', because it shall not speak of your pretty encounters, press it to death away! And Cupid grant all tongued-tied maidens here, [Exeunt. SCENE III. The Grecian Camp. Enter AGAMEMNON, ULYSSES, DIOMEDES, NESTOR, Cal. Now, princes, for the service I have done you, Out of those many register'd in promise, 7 I will show you a chamber; which bed, &c.] So all the old copies. Malone, and others before him, added, and a bed, after "chamber;" but the word "chamber" may be supposed to imply a bed. 8 to Jove] It may certainly admit of dispute whether the word in the old copies, quarto as well as folio, be " Jove" or love: Jove was formerly spelt with a capital I; and the l in love is so nearly like it, that the difference is hardly perceptible. The sense seems to require Jove, and we have therefore preferred it. The Rev. Mr. Barry would read, with some of the early editors, "things to come;" but " things above" seems a more probable conjecture. Which, you say, live to come in my behalf. Agam. What would'st thou of us, Trojan? make demand. Cal. You have a Trojan prisoner, call'd Antenor, In most accepted pain. Agam. Let Diomedes bear him, And bring us Cressid hither: Calchas shall have Furnish you fairly for this interchange : Withal, bring word, if Hector will to-morrow Ajax is ready. Dio. This shall I undertake; and 'tis a burden Which I am proud to bear. [Exeunt DIOMEDES and CALCHAS. Enter ACHILLES and PATROCLUS, before their Tent'. Ulyss. Achilles stands i' the entrance of his tent : to 9 I know, is such a WREST in their affairs,] Johnson understands "wrest mean distortion; while Steevens supposes 66 "" wrest to be misprinted for rest, which is to be taken in the sense of stay or support. All the old copies agree in the mode of printing "wrest," and Douce would take it to be the old name of the tuner of stringed instruments. 1 - before their Tent.] The stage-direction in the quartos is, " Achilles and Patroclus stand in their Tent:" and in the folio, “ Enter Achilles and Patroclus in their Tent." Lay negligent and loose regard upon him. I will come last: 'tis like, he'll question me, Why such unplausive eyes are bent, why turn'd on him? If so, I have derision medicinable, To use between your strangeness and his pride, Achil. What! comes the general to speak with me? You know my mind: I'll fight no more 'gainst Troy. Agam. What says Achilles? would he aught with us? Nest. Would you, my lord, aught with the general? Achil. No. Nest. Nothing, my lord. Agam. The better. [Exeunt AGAMEMNON and NESTOR. Achil. Good day, good day. Men. How do you? how do you? [Exit MENELAUS. Achil. What! does the cuckold scorn me? Patr. They pass by strangely: they were us'd to Know they not bend, To send their smiles before them to Achilles; To holy altars. Achil. What am I poor of late? 'Tis certain, greatness, once fallen out with fortune, As feel in his own fall; for men, like butterflies, Hath any honour; but honour for those honours2 Which, when they fall, as being slippery standers, At ample point all that I did possess, Save these men's looks; who do, methinks, find out I'll interrupt his reading.— How now, Ulysses! Ulyss. Now, great Thetis' son! A strange fellow here Achil. What are you reading? 3 2 but HONOUR for those honours] The folio reads honour'd. how dearly ever PARTED,] i. e. says Johnson, however excellently endowed. - his virtues SHINING upon others] So the folio: the quartos, less intelligibly, read aiming for "shining." |