How much in having, or without, or in,-
Cannot make boast to have that which he hath,
Nor feels not what he owes, but by reflection;
As when his virtues fhining upon others
Heat them, and they retort that heat again
To the firft giver.

Ach. This is not ftrange, Ulyffes.

The beauty that is born here in the face,
The bearer knows not, but commends itself
To others' eyes : nor doth the eye itself,
*(That moft pure fpirit of fenfe) behold itself,
Not going from itself; but eye to eye oppos'd.

Salutes each other with each other's form.
For fpeculation turns not to itself,
"Till it hath travel'd, and is marry'd there
Where it may fee itfelf: this is not strange at all.
Uly. I do not strain at the position,
It is familiar; but at the author's drift:
Who, in his circumftance, exprefly proves-
That no man is the lord of any thing,

(Though in and of him there is much confifting).
Till he communicate his parts to others:
Nor doth he of himself know them for ought,
"Till he behold them form'd in the applause
Where they're extended; which, like an arch, rever
berates

The voice again; or like a gate of steel
Fronting the fun, receives and renders back

His figure and his heat. I was much rapt in this ;
And apprehended here immediately

The unknown Ajax.

"Heavens, what a man is there! a very horfe ;

"That has he knows not what. Nature, what things there are,

"Most abject in regard, and dear in ufe!

"What things again most dear in the esteem,
"And poor in worth! Now fhall we fee to-morrow
An act that very chance doth throw upon him,

* That most pure spirit of fenfe, is a very refined allufion to the optic powers..

6. Ajax

"Ajax renown'd. O heavens, what some men do,
"While fome men leave to do!

"How fome men creep in skittifh fortune's hall,
"While others play the ideots in her eyes!
"How one man eats into another's pride,
"While pride is fasting in his wantonnefs!
"To fee thefe Grecian lords !-why, even already
"They clap the lubber Ajax on the shoulder;
"As if his foot were on brave Hector's breast,
"And great Troy fhrinking.

"Ach. I do believe it: for they pass'd by me, "As mifers do by beggars; neither gave to me "Good word, nor look:" What, are my deeds forgot? Uly. Time hath, my lord, a wallet at his back, Wherein he puts alms for oblivion,

A great-fiz'd monster of ingratitudes :

Thofe fcraps are good deeds paft; which are devour'd
As faft as they are made, forgot as foon

As done: Perfeverance keeps honour bright:
To have done, is to hang quite out of fashion,
Like rusty mail in monumental mockery.
Then, dear my lord, take you the inftant way:
For honour travels in a ftreight fo narrow,
Where one but goes abreaft: keep then the path:
For emulation hath a thousand fons,

That one by one purfue; if you give way,
Or turn afide from the direct forthright,
Like to an enter'd tide, they all rush by,
And leave you hindermoft; and there you lye,
Like to a gallant horfe fall'n in first rank,
For pavement to the abject rear, o'er-run
And trampl'd on. Then what they do in prefent,
Though less than yours in paft, muft o'er-top-yours:
For time is like a fashionable hoft;

That flightly shakes his parting guest by the hand;
And with his arms out-ftretch'd, as he would fly,
Grafps-in the comer: "Welcome ever smiles,
"And farewel goes out fighing. O, let not virtue feek
"Remuneration for the thing it was;

"For beauty, wit, high birth, defert in fervice, "Love, friendship, charity, are fubjects all

"To

"To envious and calumniating time.

"One touch of nature makes the whole world kin,— "That all, with one confent, praise new born gawds, "Though they are made and molded of things paft; "And give to duft, that is a little gilt,

"More laud than they will give to gold o'er-dufted. "The prefent eye praises the prefent object : "Then marvel not, thou great and compleat man, "That all the Greeks begin to worship Ajax; "Since things in motion sooner catch the eye, "Than what not ftirs." The cry went once on thee, And still it might, and yet it may again,

If thou would't not entomb thyfelf alive,

And cafe thy reputation in thy tent;

Whofe glorious deeds, but in these fields of late,
Made emulous miffions 'mongst the gods themselves,
And drave great Mars to faction

Ach. Of this my privacy

I have ftrong reafons.

Uly. But 'gainst your privacy

The reafons are more potent and heroical:

'Tis known, Achilles, that you are in love With one of Priam's daughters.

Ath. Ha! known?

Uly. Is that a wonder?

"The providence that's in a watchful state,

"Knows almost every grain of Pluto's gold;

"Finds bottom in the uncomprehenfive deeps;

"Keeps pace with thought; and almoft, like the gods,

"Does even those thoughts unveil in their dumb cradles. "There is a mystery (with whom relation

"Durft never meddle) in the foul of state;

"Which hath an operation more divine,

"Than breath, or pen, can give expreffure to: All the commerce that you have had with Troy, As perfectly is ours, as yours, my lord;

This fpeech contains much matter, conveyed in a masterly man. ner, but is rather too prolix to bear speaking to the general ear; ar gumentative harangues on-the ftage, fhould be concife. The lines marked have full as much merit as the others, but may be best spares,

And

And better would it fit Achilles much,

To throw down Hector, than Polixena:

But it must grieve young Pyrrhus now at home,
When fame shall in our islands found her trump;
And all the Greekish girls fhall tripping fing,-
Great Hector's fifter did Achilles win;
But our great Ajax bravely beat down him.
Farewel, my lord: I, as your lover, speak;
The fool flides o'er the ice that you should break.
[Exit Ulyffes.
Pat. To this effect, Achilles, have I mov'd you:
A woman impudent and inannish grown

Is not more loath'd, than an effeminate man
In time of action. I ftand condemn'd for this;
They think, my little ftomach to the war,.
And your great love to me, restrains you thus:
Sweet, rouze yourself; and the weak wanton Cupid
Shall from your neck unloofe his amorous fold,
And, like a dew-drop from the lion's mane,
Be fhook to air †.

Ach. Shall Ajax fight with Hector?

Pat. Ay; and, perhaps, receive much honour by him. Ach. I fee, my reputation is at stake,

My fame is fhrewdly gor'd.

Pat. O, then beware;

Those wounds heal ill, that men do give themselves :

Omiffion to do what is necessary

Seals a commiffion to a blank of danger;

And danger, like an ague, fubtly taints

Even then when we fit idly in the fun.

Ach. Go call Therfites hither, fweet Patroclus:

I'll fend the fool to Ajax; and defire him,
To invite the Trojan lords after the combat

To fee us here unarm'd: I have a woman's longing,
An appetite that I am fick withal,

To fee great Hector in his weeds of peace;
To talk with him, and to behold his vifage
Even to my full view. A labour fav'd !

An idea more beautifully expreffive was never fuggefted, than

this contraft between effeminacy and heroism.

The. A wonder!

Ach. What?

Enter Therfites.

The. Ajax goes up and down the field, afking for

himself.

Ach. How fo?

The. He must fight fingly to-morrow with Hector; and is fo prophetically proud of an heroical cudgelling, that he raves in faying nothing.

Ach. How can that be?

The. Why, he ftalks up and down like a peacock, a-ftride, and a-stand: ruminates, like an hoftefs, that hath no arithmetic but her brain to fet down her reck'ning bites his lip with a politic regard, as who fhould fay-there were wit in this head, an 'twould out; and fo there is; but it lies as coldly in him, as fire in a flint, which will not fhew without knocking. The man's undone for ever; for if Hector break not his neck i' th' combat, he'll break't himself in vainglory. He knows not me: I faid, 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 fides, like a leather jerkin.

Ach. Thou must be my embaffador to him, Therfites. The. Who, I? why, he'll anfwer no body he profeffes not anfwering; fpeaking is for beggars; he wears his tongue in's arms: I will put on his prefence; let Patroclus make demands to me, you shall see the pageant of Ajax.

Ach. To him, Patroclus; tell him,-I humbly defire the valiant Ajax, to invite the most valorous Hector to come unarm'd to my tent; and to procure fafe-conduct for his perfon, of the magnanimous, and moft illuftrious fix-or-feven-times-honour'd captain-general of the Gre cian army, Agamemnon: Do this.

Therfites is exceedingly pleasant and fanciful in this account of Ajax's vain elevation.