The present eye praises the present object:(101) If thou wouldst not entomb thyself alive, Whose glorious deeds, but in these fields of late, Achil. I have strong reasons. Ulyss. Of this my privacy 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. (109) Achil. Ulyss. Is that a wonder? Ha! known! The providence that's in a watchful state Which hath an operation more divine To throw down Hector than Polyxena: Patr. To this effect, Achilles, have I mov'd you: [Exit. A woman impudent and mannish grown Is not more loath'd than an effeminate man And your great love to me, restrains you thus: Be shook to air. Achil. Shall Ajax fight with Hector ?(108) My fame is shrewdly gor'd. Patr. O, then, beware; Those wounds heal ill that men do give themselves: Seals a commission to a blank of danger; Achil. Go call Thersites hither, sweet Patroclus: I'll send the fool to Ajax, and desire him T' invite the Trojan lords after the combat To see great Hector in his weeds of Enter THERSITES. Ther. A wonder! Achil. What? Ther. Ajax goes up and down the field, asking for himself. Ther. He must fight singly to-morrow with Hector; and is so prophetically proud of an heroical cudgelling that he raves in saying nothing. Achil. How can that be? Ther. Why, he stalks up and down like a peacock,―a stride and a stand: ruminates like an hostess that hath no arithmetic but her brain to set down her reckoning: bites his lip with a politic regard, as who should say "There were wit in this head, an 'twould out;" and so there is; but it lies as coldly in him as fire in a flint, which will not show without knocking. The man's undone for ever; for if Hector break not his neck i' the combat, he'll break 't himself in vainglory. He knows not me: I said, "Good morrow, Ajax;" and he replies, "Thanks, Agamemnon." What think you of this man, that takes me for the general? He's grown a very land-fish, languageless, a monster. A plague of opinion! a man may wear it on both sides, like a leather jerkin. Achil. Thou must be my ambassador to him, Thersites. Ther. Who, I? why, he'll answer nobody; he professes not answering: speaking is for beggars; he wears his tongue in's arms. I will put on his presence: let Patroclus make demands to me, you shall see the pageant of Ajax. Achil. To him, Patroclus: tell him,-I humbly desire the valiant Ajax to invite the most valorous Hector to come unarmed to my tent; and to procure safe-conduct for his person of the magnanimous and most illustrious six-orseven-times-honoured captain-general of the Grecian army, Agamemnon. (109) Do this. Patr. Jove bless great Ajax! Ther. Hum! Patr. I come from the worthy Achilles, Ther. Ha! Patr. Who most humbly desires you to invite Hector to his tent, Ther. Hum! Patr. And to procure safe-conduct from Agamemnon. Ther. Agamemnon! Patr. Ay, my lord. Ther. Ha! Patr. What say you to 't? Ther. God b' wi' you, with all my heart. Patr. Your answer, sir. Ther. If to-morrow be a fair day, by eleven o'clock it will go one way or other: howsoever, he shall pay for me ere he has me. Patr. Your answer, sir. Ther. Fare you well, with all my heart. Achil. Why, but he is not in this tune, is he? Ther. No, but he's out o' tune thus. What music will be in him when Hector has knocked out his brains, I know not; but, I am sure, none,-unless the fiddler Apollo get his sinews to make catlings on, Achil. Come, thou shalt bear a letter to him straight. Ther. Let me bear another to his horse; for that's the more capable creature. Achil. My mind is troubled, like a fountain stirr'd; And I myself see not the bottom of it. [Exeunt Achilles and Patroclus. Ther. Would the fountain of your mind were clear again, that I might water an ass at it! I had rather be a tick in a sheep than such a valiant ignorance, [Exit. ACT IV. SCENE I. Troy. A street. Enter, from one side, ÆNEAS, and Servant with a torch; from the other, PARIS, DEIPHOBUS, ANTENOR, DIOMEDES, and others, with torches. Par. See, ho! who's that there? Dei. 'Tis the Lord Æneas. Ene. Is the prince there in person ? Had I so good occasion to lie long As you, Prince Paris, nothing but heavenly business Should rob my bed-mate of my company. Dio. That's my mind too.-Good morrow, Lord Æneas. Witness the process of your speech, wherein You told how Diomed, a whole week by days, Did haunt you in the field. Ene. Health to you, valiant sir, During all question of the gentle truce; As heart can think or courage execute. Dio. The one and other Diomed embraces. Our bloods are now in calm; and, so long, health; By Jove, I'll play the hunter for thy life (110) Ene. And thou shalt hunt a lion, that will fly Dio. We sympathize:-Jove, let Æneas live, Dio. We do; and long to know each other worse. Ene. I was sent for to the king; but why, I know not. Par. His purpose meets you: 'twas to bring this Greek To Calchas' house; and there to render him, For the enfreed Antenor, the fair Cressid: Let's have your company: or, if you please, Haste there before us: I constantly do thinkOr, rather, call my thought a certain knowledge— My brother Troilus lodges there to-night: Rouse him, and give him note of our approach, With the whole quality wherefore I fear We shall be much unwelcome. Ene. : That I assure you: Troilus had rather Troy were borne to Greece Than Cressid borne from Troy. Par. The bitter disposition of the time. There is no help; [Exit with Servant. Will have it so. On, lord; we'll follow you. Ene. Good morrow, all. Par. And tell me, noble Diomed,-faith, tell me true, |