Enter Agamemnon, Ulyffes, Neftor, Diomedes, and Ajax. Achil. Patroclus, I'll speak with no body:-Come in with me, Therfites. [Exit.

k

Ther. Here is fuch patchery, fuch juggling, and fuch knavery! all the argument is—a cuckold, and a whore; A good quarrel, to draw emulous factions, and bleed to death upon. Now the dry ferpigo on the fubject! and war, and lechery, confound all!

Aga. Where is Achilles?

Patr. Within his tent; but ill-difpos'd, my lord. Aga. Let it be known to him, that we are here. He fent us messengers; and we " lay by

m

Our appertainments, vifiting of him:

Let him be told fo; left, perchance, he think
We dare not " move the question of our place,
Or know not what we are.

Patr. I fhall fo say to him.

Ulys. We faw him at the opening of his tent; He is not fick.

[Exit.

[Exit.

Ajax. Yes, lion-fick, fick of a proud heart: you may call it melancholy, if you will favour the man; but, by my head, 'tis pride: But why, why? let him fhew us a cause. A word, my lord.

[To Agamemnon. Neft. What moves Ajax thus to bay at him? Uly. Achilles hath inveigled his fool from him. Neft. Who? Therfites?

Ulyff. He.

Neft. Then will Ajax lack matter, if he have loft his argument.

all the argument]-the whole matter in controversy. 1 ferpigo]-tetter.

m lay by]-wave all ceremony.

nmove the question of our place,]-infift on our prerogative.

to bay]-to bark.

Uly

Uly. No; you fee, he is his argument, that has his argument; Achilles.

Neft. All the better; their fraction is than their faction: But it was a strong

fool could difunite.

more our wish, compofure, a

Uly. The amity, that wisdom knits not, folly may eafily untye. Here comes Patroclus.

Re-enter Patroclus.

Neft. No Achilles with him.

Ulyff. The elephant hath joints, but none for courtefy; His legs are for neceffity, not for flexure.

Patr. Achilles bids me fay-he is much forry,
If any thing more than your sport and pleasure
Did move your greatnefs, and this noble state,
To call on him; he hopes, it is no other,
But, for your health and your digeftion fake,
An after-dinner's breath.

Agam. Hear you, Patroclus ;

We are too well acquainted with these answers:
But his evafion, wing'd thus fwift with fcorn,
Cannot out-fly our apprehenfions.

.Much attribute he hath and much the reafon

Why we ascribe it to him: yet all his virtues,-
*Not virtuously on his own part beheld,—
Do, in our eyes, begin to lofe their glofs;
Yea, like fair fruit in an unwholesome dish,
Are like to rot untafted. Go and tell him,
We come to speak to him: And you shall not fin,
If you do fay-we think him over-proud,

compofure,]-connection, bond of friendship.

noble ftate,]-retinue, train of attendants.

attribute]-merit.

Not virtuously, &c.]-Appearing to difadvantage under his haughty

demeanour-upheld.

VOL. III.

E

And

And under-honeft; in felf-affumption greater,

W

Than in the note of judgment; and worthier than himself,
Here tend the favage ftrangeness he puts on;
Disguise the holy ftrength of their command,
And "under-write in an obferving kind
His humourous predominance; yea, watch
His pettish lunes, his ebbs, his flows, as if
* The passage and whole carriage of this action
Rode on his tide. Go, tell him this; and add,
That, if he over-hold his price fo much,
We'll none of him; but let him, like an engine
Not portable, lie under this report

Bring action hither, this cannot go to war:

A ftirring dwarf we do allowance give

Before a fleeping giant:-Tell him fo.

Patr. I fhall; and bring his anfwer prefently. [Exit. Aga. In fecond voice we'll not be fatisfied,

We come to speak with him.-Ulyffes, enter you.

Ajax. What is he more than another?
Aga. No more than what he thinks he is.

[Exit Ulyffes.

Ajax. Is he fo much? Do you not think, he thinks

himself

A better man than I?

Aga. No queftion.

Ajax. Will you fubfcribe his thought, and fay-he is? Aga. No, noble Ajax, you are as ftrong, as valiant,

under-boneft; &c.]-fomewhat partial, affuming more confequence than justly belongs to him.

u

" under-write]-obfequioufly give way to his petulant humours.

W

lunes,]-freaks, fits of frenzy.

MERRY WIVES OF WINDSOR, Vol. I. p. 235. * The paffage, &c.]—the fate of this expedition depended entirely

on his concurrence.

y allowance give]-approve, prefer.

fecond voice]-an anfwer by proxy. a fubfcribe]-affirm.

As

T

As wife, and no less noble, much more gentle,
And altogether more tractable.

Ajax. Why fhould a man be proud?

How doth pride grow? I know not what pride is.
Aga. Your mind's the clearer, Ajax, and your virtues
The fairer. He that's proud, eats up himself:
Pride is his own glafs, his own trumpet, his

Own chronicle; and whate'er praises itself
But in the deed, devours the deed i' the praise.

Ajax. I do hate a proud man, as I hate the engendering of toads.

Neft. [Afide.] And yet he loves himself; Is it not Atrange?

Re-enter Ulyffes.

Uly. Achilles will not to the field to-morrow.

Aga. What's his excufe?

Ulyff. He doth rely on none;

But carries on the ftream of his difpofe, Without obfervance or refpect of any,

In will peculiar and in felf admiffion.

Aga. Why will he not, upon our fair request,

Untent his perfon, and share the air with us?

Uly. Things fmall as nothing, for request's fake only,

d

He makes important: Poffeft he is with greatnefs;

And speaks not to himself, but with a pride
That quarrels at felf-breath: imagin'd worth
Holds in his blood fuch fwoln and hot difcourfe,
That, 'twixt his mental and his active parts,
Kingdom'd Achilles in commotion rages,

But carries on the fiream of his difpofe, &c.]-But purfues the bent of his inclination with wilfulness and felf conceit.

Untent bis perfon,]-Come forth from his tent.
Poffeft]-Bewitched.

* Kingdom'd Achilles, &c.]-The mighty fyftem of Achilles, like a ftate embroiled in a civil war.

And batters down himself: What should I say?

He is 'fo plaguy proud, that the death tokens of it
Cry No recovery.

Aga. Let Ajax go to him.

Dear lord, go you and greet him in his tent : 'Tis faid, he holds you well; and will be led, At your request, a little from himself.

Ulyff. O Agamemnon, let it not be fo!.
We'll confecrate the steps that Ajax makes,

When they go from Achilles: Shall the proud lord,
That baftes his arrogance with his own feam ;
And never fuffers matter of the world

h

Enter his thoughts,-save such as do revolve
And ruminate himself,-shall he be worshipp'd
Of that we hold an idol more than he?

No, this thrice-worthy and right-valiant lord
Must not foftale his palm, nobly acquir'd;

k

Nor, by my will, affubjugate his merit,

As amply titled as Achilles is,

By going to Achilles :

That were to enlard his fat-already pride;

And add more coals to Cancer, when he burns
With entertaining great Hyperion.

This lord go to him! Jupiter forbid;

And say in thunder-Achilles, go to him.

Neft. O, this is well; 'he rubs the vein of him. [Afide. Dio. And how his filence drinks up this applaufe!

Ajax. If I go to him, with

m

go to him, with my armed fift

I'll pafh him o'er the face.

[Afide.

So plaguy proud,]-fo deeply infected with the plague of pride, that

the fpots declare him incurable.

h ruminate]-dwell upon.

& feam;]-fat, grease.

i fale]-debafe, vilify.

kafubjugate-fo far reduce, ftoop below his character.

1 be rubs the vein of him.]-tickles Ajax.

mpa]-ftrike, fmite.

Aga.