SCENE VIII. The Subtlety of Ulyffes, and Stupidity of Ajax.

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

Neft. Yet he loves himself: is't not strange?
Ulyf. Achilles will not to the field to-morrow.
Aga. What's his excufe?

Ulyf. He doth rely on none;

But carries on the stream of his difpofe,
Without obfervance or refpect of any,
In will peculiar, and in self-admiffion.

Aga. Why will he not upon our fair request,
Untent his perfon, and fhare the air with us?

Uyf. Things fmall as nothing, for requeft's fake only,
He makes important: he's poffeft with greatness,
And fpeaks not to himself, but with a pride
That quarrels at felf breath. Imagin'd worth
Holds in his blood fuch swoll'n and hot discourse,
That twixt his mental and his active parts
Kingdom'd Achilles in commotion rages,

And batters down himself; what should I fay?
He is fo plaguy proud, that the death-tokens of it
Cry, no recovery.

Aga. Let Ajex 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.

Úlyf. O, Agamemnon, let it not be fo,
We'll confecrate the fteps that Ajax makes,
When they go from Achilles. Shall the proud lord,
That baftes his arrogance with his own feam,

And never fuffers matters of the world
Enter his thoughts, (fave fuch as do revolve
And ruminate himself,) fhall he be worshipp'd
Of that we hold an idol more than he?
No, this thrice-worthy and right valiant lord

Muf

Muft not fo ftale his palm, nobly acquir'd;
Nor, by my will, affubjugate his merit

(As amply titled as Achilles is), by going to Achilles: That were t'inlard his pride, already fat,

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

This lord go to him? Jupiter forbid,

And fay in thunder, Achilles go to him!

Neft. O, this is well, he rubs the vein of him.
Dio. And how his filence drinks up this applaufe!
Ajax. If I
with my armed fist,

go to him

I'll path him o'er the face.

Aga. O no, you shall not go.

Ajax. An he be proud with me, I'll pheese his pride; let me go to him.

Ulyf. Not for the worth that hangs upon our quarrel.
Ajax. A paltry, infolent fellow-

Neft. How he defcribes himself!
Ajax. Can he not be fociable?
Uly. The raven chides blacknefs.

Ajax. I'll let his humours blood.

Aga. He'll be the phyfician that should be the pa

tient.

Ajax. And all men were o'my mind-
Uly. Wit would be out of fashion.

Ajax. He fhould not bear it fo, he should eat fwords.

frft: fhall pride carry it ?

Neft. An 'twould, you'd, carry half.

Uly. He would have ten fhares.

Ajax. I will knead him, I'll make him fupple,

Neft. He's not yet through warm; force him with praifes, pour in, pour in; his ambition is dry.

Uiyf. My lord, you feed too much on this diflike.
Neft. Our noble general, do not do fo.

Dio. You must prepare to fight without Achilles. Uly. Why, 'tis this naming of him doth him harm. Here is a man-but 'tis before his face

I will be filent.

Neft,

Neft. Wherefore should you fo?

He is not emulous, as Achilles is.

Ulyf. Know the whole world, he is as valiant. Ajax. A whorefon dog! that palters thus with us 'Would he were a Trojan!

Neft. What a vice were it in Ajax now

Uly. If he were proud.

Dio. Or covetous of praise.

Uly. Ay, or furly borne.

Dio. Or ftrange, or felf-affected.

Ulf. Thank the heaven's, lord, thou art of sweet compofure;

Praise him that got thee, her that gave thee fuck :
Fam'd be thy tutor, and thy parts of nature
Thrice-fam'd beyond, beyond all erudition;
But he that difciplin'd thy arms to fight,
Let Mars divide eternity in twain,
And give him half; and for thy vigor,
Bull-bearing Milo his addition vields

To finewy Ajax; I'll not praife thy wisdom,
Which, like a bourn, a pale, a fhore, confines
Thy fpacious and dilated parts. Here's Neftor,
Inftructed by the antiquary times;

He muft, he is, he cannot but be wife :
But pardon, father Neftor, were your days
As green as Ajax, and your brain fo temper'd,
You should not have the eminence of him,
But be as Ajax.

Ajax. Shall I call

you father?

Ulyf. Ay, my good fon.

Dio. Be rul'd by him, lord Ajax.

Ulyf. There is no tarrying here; the hart Achilles Keeps thicket; please it our great general

To call together all his state of war;

Fresh kings are come to Troy: to-morrow, friends,
We must with all our main of pow'r stand fast:
And here's a lord, come knights from east to west,
And cull their flow'r, Ajax shall cope the best.

Aga.

Aga. Go we to council, let Achilles sleep;
Light boats fail swift, tho' greater hulks draw deep.

ACT III. SCENE III.

An expecting Lover.

No, Pandarus: I stalk about her door
Like a strange foul upon the Stygian banks
Staying for waftage. O, be thou my Charon,
And give me fwift tranfportance to those fields,
Where I may wallow in the lily beds

[Excunt.

Propos'd for the deferver! O, gentle Pandarus,
From Cupid's fhoulders pluck his painted wings,
And fly with me to Creffid:

* * * *

I'm giddy; expectation whirls me round.
Th' imaginary relish is so sweet,

That it inchants my fense: what will it be,
When that the watry palate tastes indeed,
Love's thrice reputed nectar? death, I fear me;
Swooning deftruction, or fome joy too fine,
Too fubtle-potent, and too sharp in sweetness,
For the capacity of my rude powers;

I fear it much, and I do fear befides,
That I fhall lofe diftinction in my joys;
As doth a battle, when they charge on heaps
The flying enemy.

*

*

*

* *

My heart beats thicker than a fev'rous pulse;
And all my powers do their bestowing lose,
Like vaffalage at unawares encountring
The eye of majefty.

SCENE V. Conftancy in Love protested.

Troilus. True fwains in love fhall in the world to

come

Approve

Approve their truths by Troilus: when their rhimes,
Full of proteft, of oath, and big compare,
Want fimilies: truth tired with iteration,
As true as steel, (4) as plantage to the moon,
As fun to day, as turtle to her mate,

As iron to adamant, as earth to th' center:
Yet after all comparisons of truth,

(As truths authentic author to be cited,)
As true as Troilus, fhall' crown up the verfe,
And fanctify the numbers.

Cref. Prophet may you be!

If I be falfe, or fwerve a hair from truth,
When time is old and hath forgot itself,
When water-drops have worn the ftones of Troy,
And blind oblivion swallow'd cities up,
And mighty states characterlefs, are grated
To dufty nothing; yet let memory,

From falfe to false, among falfe maids in love,
Upbraid my falfhood! when the've faid, as falfe
As air, as water, as wind, as fandy earth;
As fox to lamb, as wolf to heifer's calf;
Pard to the hind, or step-dame to her fon;
Yea-let them fay, to stick the heart of falfhood,
As falfe as Creffid..

SCENE VII. Pride cures Pride.

Pride hath no other glafs

To fhew itself, but pride: for fupple knees
Feed
arrogance, and are the proud man's fees.

Greatness

(4) As plantage, &c.] The Oxford editor obferves,." It was heretofore the prevailing opinion, that the production and growth of plants depended much upon the influences of the moon: and the rules and directions given for fowing, planting, grafting, pruning, had reference generally to the changes, the increase, or waining of the moon,”