All fears attending on so dire a project.

For what, alas, can these my single arms?
What' propugnation is in one man's valour,

To stand the push and enmity of those
This quarrel would excite? Yet, I protest,
Were I alone to pass the difficulties,

S

And had as ample power as I have will,
Paris should ne'er retract what he hath done,
Nor faint in the pursuit.

Pri. Paris, you speak

Like one befotted on your sweet delights:
You have the honey ftill, but these the gall;
So to be valiant, is no praise at all.

Par. Sir, I propose not merely to myself
The pleasures such a beauty brings with it;
But I would have the foil of her fair rape
Wip'd off, in honourable keeping her.
What treason were it to the ranfack'd queen,
Disgrace to your great worths, and fhame to me,
Now to deliver her poffeffion up,

On terms of base compulfion? can it be,

That so degenerate a strain as this,

Should once fet footing in your generous bofoms?
There's not the meaneft spirit on our party,
Without a heart to dare, or fword to draw,
When Helen is defended; nor none fo noble,
Whofe life were ill beftow'd, or death unfam'd,
Where Helen is the subject: then, I say,

Well may we fight for her, whom, we know well,
The world's large spaces cannot parallel.

Hect. Paris, and Troilus, you have both faid well; And on the cause and question now in hand

* propugnation]-defence.

t a ftrain]-a fentiment.

to pass]-to fustain.

Have "gloz'd, but fuperficially; not much
Unlike young men, whom Ariftotle thought
Unfit to hear moral philofophy:

The reasons, you alledge, do more conduce
To the hot paffion of diftemper'd blood,
Than to make up a free determination

W

'Twixt right and wrong; For pleasure, and revenge,
Have ears more deaf than adders to the voice

Of any true decifion. Nature craves,
All dues be render'd to their owners; Now
What nearer debt in all humanity,

Than wife is to the husband? if this law
Of nature be corrupted through affection;
And that great minds, of partial indulgence
To their benummed wills, refift the fame;
There is a law in each well-order'd nation,
To curb thofe raging appetites that are
Moft difobedient and refractory.
If Helen then be wife to Sparta's king,-
As it is known fhe is,- -thefe moral laws
Of nature, and of nations, fpeak aloud
To have her back return'd: Thus to persist
In doing wrong, extenuates not wrong,

But makes it much more heavy. Hector's opinion

Is this, in way of truth: yet, ne'ertheless,

My sprightly brethren, I propend to you

In refolution to keep Helen ftill;

For 'tis a caufe that hath no mean dependance

Upon our joint and feveral dignities.

Troi. Why, there you touch'd the life of our design: Were it not glory that we more affected

"gloz'd,]-commented.

W

a free-impartial.

Y benummed-inflexible, obftinate.

*f]-through.

in way of truth :]-in point of ftri&t juftice; yet, when viewed as a question of honour, Iconcur with you that vote for keeping Helan.

Than

a

That the performance of our heaving spleens,
I would not wifh a drop of Trojan blood

Spent more in her defence. But, worthy Hector,
She is a theme of honour and renown;

A fpur to valiant and magnanimous deeds;
Whose prefent courage may beat down our foes,
And fame, in time to come, canonize us :
For, I prefume, brave Hector would not lofe
So rich advantage of a promis'd glory,
As fmiles upon the forehead of this action,
For the wide world's revenue.

Het. I am yours,

You valiant offspring of great Priamus.
I have a roifting challenge fent amongst
The dull and factious nobles of the Greeks,
Will strike amazement to their drowzy fpirits:
I was advertis'd, their great general flept,

с

Whilft emulation in the army crept;

This, I prefume, will wake him.

SCENE III.

The Grecian Camp.

Achilles' Tent.

Enter Therfites.

[Exeunt.

How now, Therfites? what, loft in the labyrinth of thy fury? Shall the elephant Ajax carry it thus? he beats me, and I rail at him: O worthy fatisfaction! 'would, it were otherwise, that I could beat him, whilst he rail'd at me: 'Sfoot, I'll learn to conjure and raise devils, but I'll the performance of our beaving spleens,]-the gratification of our refentment. a roifting]-a bluitering.

b

emulation]-fedition, difcord.

fee

fee fome iffue of my fpiteful execrations. Then there's Achilles, a rare engineer. If Troy be not taken 'till these two undermine it, the walls will stand 'till they fall of themselves. O thou great thunder-darter of Olympus, forget that thou art Jove the king of gods; and, Mercury, lofe all the ferpentine craft of thy Caduceus; if ye take not that little little lefs-than-little wit from them that they have! which short-arm'd ignorance itself knows is fo abundant scarce, it will not in circumvention deliver a fly from a spider, without drawing the maffy iron, and cutting the web. After this, the vengeance on the whole camp! or, rather, the bone-ache! for that, methinks, is the curfe dependant on those that war for a placket. I have faid my prayers; and devil envy, say Amen. What, ho! my lord Achilles !

Enter Patroclus.

Patr. Who's there? Therfites? Good Therfites, come în and rail.

Ther. If I could have remember'da gilt counterfeit, thou wouldst not have flipp'd out of my contemplation: but it is no matter, 'Thyself upon thyself! The common curfe of mankind, folly and ignorance, be thine in great revenue! heaven blefs thee from a tutor, and difcipline come not near thee! Let thy blood be thy direction 'till thy death! then if fhe, that lays thee out, fays-thou art a fair corfe, I'll be fworn and fworn upon't, fhe never fhrowded any but lazars. Amen. Where's Achilles?

it will not in circumvention]—it hath not fkill enough to do fuch a feat-The powers of these Greeks lie all in their fwords, not in their wits.

e

a gilt counterfeit, &c.]-fuch a piece of bafe metal, thou hadit found a place in my late ejaculation.

Thyfelf upon thyself!]—My utmost severity towards thee is comprized in this short imprecation, " remain only the dolt thou art." 8 thy blood]-thy paffions.

Patr.

Patr. What, art thou devout? waft thou in prayer? Ther. Ay; The heavens hear me !

Enter Achilles.

Achil. Who's there?

Patr. Therfites, my lord.

Acbil. Where, where?-Art thou come? Why, my ' cheese, my digestion, why hast thou not ferv'd thyself in to my table fo many meals? Come; what's Agamemnon! Ther. Thy commander, Achilles ;-Then tell me, Patroclus, what's Achilles?

Patr. Thy lord, Therfites; 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'ft.

Achil. O, tell, tell.

h

Ther. I'll decline the whole queftion. Agamemnon 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, Therfites. Ther. Agamemnon is a fool; Achilles is a fool; Therfites is a fool; and, as aforefaid, Patroclus is a fool. Achil. Derive this; come.

Ther. Agamemnon is a fool to offer to command Achilles; Achilles is a fool to be commanded of Agamemnon; Therfites is a fool, to serve such a fool; and Patroclus is a fool pofitive.

Patr. Why am I a fool?

Ther. Make that demand of thy creator.It fuffices me, thou art. Look you, who comes here?

decline]-inveftigate. a privileg'd man.]-a licenfed jefter.

Enter