How much in having, or without, or in,- Ach. This is not ftrange, Ulyffes. The beauty that is born here in the face, Salutes each other with each other's form. (Though in and of him there is much confifting). The voice again; or like a gate of steel His figure and his heat. I was much rapt in this ; 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, * 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, "How fome men creep in skittifh fortune's hall, "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 done: Perfeverance keeps honour bright: That one by one purfue; if you give way, That flightly shakes his parting guest by the hand; "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, 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, Is not more loath'd, than an effeminate man 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 fee us here unarm'd: I have a woman's longing, To fee great Hector in his weeds of peace; 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. |