Aga. Speak frankly as the wind, Ene. Trumpet, blow loud: Send thy brass voice through all these lazy tents: Aga. This fhall be told our lovers, Lord Æneas. If none of them have foul in fuch a kind, We've left them all at home: but we are foldiers; And may that foldier a mere recreant prove, Neft. Tell him of Neftor; one that was a man When Hector's grandfire fuck'd; he is old now: But if there be not in our Grecian hoft One noble man that hath one spark of fire, your hand: Aga. Fair Lord Æneas, let me touch To our pavilion fhall I lead you first: Achilles fhall have word of this intent,' So fhall each Lord of Greece from tent to tent: Yourself shall feaft with us before you go, And find the welcome of a noble foe. Manent ULYSSES and NESTOR. Ulyf. Neftor, Nt. What fays Ulyffes? [Exeunt. Ulyf. I have a young conception in my brain, Be you my Time to bring it to some shape. Neft. What is't? Ulyf. This 'tis : Blunt wedges rive hard knots; the feeded pride, In rank Achilles, muft or now be crɔp'd, Neft. Well, and how now? Uly. This challenge that the gallant Hector fends, However it is fpread in general name, Relates in purpose only to Achilles. [fubftance, Neft. (5) The purpose is perspicuous ev'n-as Whofe groffnefs little characters fum up. And, in the publication, make no strain, But that Achilles, were his brain as barren As banks of Lybia, (though Apollo knows, 'Tis dry enough,) will with great speed of judgeAy, with celerity, find Hector's purpose Pointing on him. [ment, Uly. And wake him to the answer, think you? Neft. Yes, 'tis most meet; whom may you elfe opThat can from Hector bring his honour off, [pose, If not Achilles? Though a fportful combat, Yet in this trial much opinion dwells. For here the Trojans taste our dearest repute (15) The purpose is perfpicuous even as fubftarce, Whofe grofnefs little characters fum up, And in the publication make no ftrain,] The modern editors, 'tis plain, have lent each other very little information upon this paflage; Τυφλός τυφλῶ ὁδηγὸς, as the proverb fays, "the blind have led the blind." As they have poinsted the paffage, 'tis ftrange ftuff; and how they folved it to themselves, is past my discovery. That little characters, or particles, fum up the groffnefs of any fubftance, I conceive; but how thofe characters, or particles, make no train in the publication, feems a little harder than algebra. My regulation of the pointing brings us to clear fenfe; "The aim and purpose of this duel is as visible as any grofs fubftance can be, compounded of many little particles." And having faid thus, Ulyffes goes on to another obfervation; And makes no difficulty, no doubt, when this duel comes to be proclaimed, but that Achilles, dull as he is, will dif cover the drift of it," This is the meaning of the last line. So afterwards, in this play, Ulyffes fays; I do not frain at the pofition, 4. e. I do not hesitate at, I make no difficulty of it. With their fineft palate: and truft to me, Ulyffes,. And in fuch indexes, although fmall pricks Of things to come, at large. It is fuppofed, To fteel a ftrong opinion to themselves! Which entertained, limbs are his inftruments, Ulyf. Give pardon to my fpeech; Therefore 'tis meet Achilles meet not Héctor. For both our honour and our shame in this Neft. I fee them not with my old eyes: what Ulyf. What glory our Achilles fhares from Hector, Were he not proud, we all should share with him : But he already is too infolent; And we were better parch in Afric fun, Than in the pride and falt fcorn of his eyes,.. Should he escape Hector fair. If he were foiled, The fort to fight with Hector: 'mong ourselves, That we have better men. But, hit or miss, [Exeunt. ACT II. SCENE, the Grecian Camp. Enter AJAX, and THERSITES. AJAX. TH HERSITES, Ther. Agamemnon-how if he had boiles full. all over, generally. Ajax. Therfites, [Talking to himself. Ther. And thofe boiles did run-fay fo―did not the General run? were not that a botchy core? |