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 proteft,
Were I alone 'to pass the difficulties,
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 besotted 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 soil of her fair rape
Wip'd off, in honourable keeping her.
What treason were it to the ransack'd queen,
Disgrace to your great worths, and shame to me,
Now to deliver her possession up,
On terms of base compulsion ? can it be,
That so degenerate' a strain as this,
Should once set footing in your generous bosoms ?
There's not the meanest spirit on our party,
Without a heart to dare, or sword to draw,
When Helen is defended ; nor none so noble,
Whose life were ill bestow'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.

Heat. Paris, and Troilus, you have both said well; And on the cause and question now in hand propugnation-defence.

. to pass]-to fuftain. a firain)-a sentiment.

Have "gloz’d, but superficially; not much
Unlike young men, whom Aristotle thought
Unfit to hear moral philofophy:
The reasons, you alledge, do more conduce
To the hot passion of distemper'd blood,
Than to make up a free determination
'Twixt right and wrong; For pleasure, and revenge,
Have ears more deaf than adders to the voice
Of any true decision. 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 y benummed wills, resist the same ;
There is a law in each well-order'd nation,
To curb those raging appetites that are
Most disobedient and refractory.
If Helen then be wife to Sparta's king,
As it is known she is, these moral laws
Of nature, and of nations, speak 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 resolution to keep Helen still;
For 'tis a cause that hath no mean dependance
Upon our joint and several dignities.

Troi. Why, there you touch'd the life of our design:
Were it noe glory that we more affected

gloz'd,]-commented. wa free]-impartial. V]-through. y benummed)-inflexible, obstinate.

way of truth:]-in point of striet justice; yet, when viewed as a queition of honour, I concur with you that vote for keeping Helin.

Than

X

in

That “the performance of our heaving fpieens,
I would not with a drop of Trojan blood
Spent more in her defence. But, worthy Hector,
She is a theme of honour and renown;
A spur to valiant and magnanimous deeds;
Whose present courage may beat down our foes,
And fame, in time to come, canonize us :
For, I presume, brave Hector would not lose
So rich advantage of a promis'd glory,
As smiles upon the forehead of this action,
For the wide world's revenue.

Heft. I am yours,
You valiant offspring of
I have a roisting challenge fent amongst
The dull and factious nobles of the Greeks,
Will strike amazement to their drowzy spirits :
I was advertis'd, their great general Nept,
Whilft emulation in the army crept ;
This, I presume, will wake him.

[Exeunt.

great Priamus.

Enter Therfites. How now, Thersites? what, lost in the labyrinth of thy fury? Shall the elephant Ajax carry it thus ? he beats me, and I rail at him: O worthy satisfaction ! 'would, it were otherwise, that I could beat him, whilft he rail'd'at me: 'Sfoot, I'll learn to conjure and raise devils, but I'll

a tbe performance of our beaving Spleens,]-the gratification of our resentment.

b a roifting)-a bluitering. emulation]—[edition, discord.

fee

see some issue of my spiteful 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, lose all the serpentine craft of thy Caduceus ; if ye take not that little little less-than-little wit from them that they have! which short-arm’d ignorance itself knows is so abundant scarce, it will not in circumvention deliver a Ay 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 curse dependant on those that war for a placket. I have said my prayers; and devil envy, say Amen. What, ho! my lord Achilles !

Enter Patroclus. Patr. Who's there? Thersites? Good Thersites, come in and rail.

Ther. If I could have remember'd a gilt counterfeit, thou wouldst not have slipp'd out of my contemplation: but it is no matter, 'Thyself upon thyself! The common curse of mankind, folly and ignorance, be thine in great revenue ! heaven bless thee from a tutor, and discipline come not near thee! Let & thy blood be thy direction 'till thy death! then if she, that lays thee out, says—thou art a fair corse, I'll be sworn and sworn upon't, she never shrowded any but lazars. Amen. Where's Achilles ?

d it will not in circumvention]-it hath not kill enough to do such a feat-The powers of these Greeks lie all in their swords, not in their wits.

a gilt counterfeit, &c.]—such a piece of base metal, thou hadit found a place in my late ejaculation.

Thyself upon tbyself!]-My utmost severity towards thee is com. prized in this short imprecation," remain only the dolt thou art." 8 tby blood ]—thy pasions.

Patr.

f

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

Enter Achilles.
Achil. Who's there?
Patr. Thersites, my lord.

Acbil. Where, where?--Art thou come? Why, my cheese, my digestion, why hast thou not serv'd thyself in to my table so many meals ? Come; what's Agamemnon!

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, Patro. clus, what art thou ?

Patr. Thou may'st tell, that know't.
Achil. O, tell, tell.

Tber. I'll decline the whole question. Agamemnon commands Achilles ; Achilles is my

I am Patroclus' knower; and Patroclus is a fool.

Patr. You rascal !
Ther. Peace, fool; I have not done.
Acbil. 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.

Achil. Derive this; come.

Tber. 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 ?

Tber. Make that demand of thy creator.-It suffices me, thou art. Look you, who comes here? decline]-ioveftigate, * privileg'd man.)-a licensed jefter.

Enter

lord i