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"'Tis Neftor right! now play him me, Patroclus, "Arming to answer in a night-alarm :

"And then, forfooth, the faint defects of age
"Must be the scene of mirth, to cough and fpit,
"And with a palfy fumbling on his gorget,
"Shake in and out the rivet-And at this fport
Sir Valour dies cries O! enough, Patroclus-
Or give me ribs of fteel, I fhall split all
In pleasure of my fpleen. And, in this fashion,
All our abilities, gifts, natures, fhapes,
Severals and generals of grace; exacts",
Atchievements, plots, orders, preventions,
Excitements to the field, or fpeech for truce,
Success or lofs, what is, or is not, ferves
As ftuff for these two to make paradoxes.
Neft. And in the imitation of thefe twain,
(Whom, as Ulyffes fays, opinion crowns
With an imperial voice), many are infect.
Ajax is grown felf-will'd, and bears his head
In fuch a rein, in full as proud a pace,

As broad Achilles; and keeps his tent like him;
Makes factious feafts, rails on our state of war,
Bold as an oracle; and fets Therfites

(A flave whofe gall coins flanders like a mint),
To match us in comparisons with dirt;
To weaken and difcredit our expofure,
How hard foever rounded in with danger.

Uly. They tax our policy, and call it cowardice ; Count wifdom as no member of the war; Forestall our prescience, and esteem no act But that of hand. The fill and mental parts,

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That do contrive how many hands fhall ftrike,

. When fitnefs call them on, and know by measure Of their obfervant toil the enemies' weight;

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. Why, this hath not a finger's dignity;

.. They call this bed-work mappry, clofet war; . So that the ram, that batters down the wall, . For the great swing and rudeness of his poize, . They place before his hand that made the engine; Or thofe that with the fineness of their fouls

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* i. e. exactments, public taxes, and contributions for carrying on

the war.

A. a 2.

By reafon guide his execution.

Neft. Let this be granted, and Achilles' horfe

Makes many Thetis' fons.

[Tucket founds.

Aga. What trumpet? look, Menelaus.

Men. From Troy.

SCENE

VI.

Enter Encas.

Aga. What would you 'fore our tent?

Ene. Is this great Agamemnon's tent, I pray you Aga. Even this.

Ane. May one that is a herald and a prince Do a fair maffage to his kingly ears?

Aga. With furety ftronger than Achilles' arm, 'Fore all the Greekish heads, which with one voice Call Agamemnon head and general.

Ene. Fair leave, and large fecurity. How may A ftranger to thofe moft imperial looks

Know them from eyes of other mortals?
Aga. How?

Ene, I afk that I might waken reverence,
And bid the cheek be ready with a blush
Modeft as morning, when the coldly eyes
The youthful Phœbus,

Which is that god in office, guiding men?
Which is the high and mighty Agamemnon?

Aga. This Trojan fcorns us, or the men of Troy Are ceremonious courtiers.

?

Ene. Courtiers as free, as debonair, unarm'd, As bending angels; that's their fame in peace. But when they would feem foldiers, they have galls, Good arms, frong joints, true fwords; and (Jove's acNothing fo full of heart. But peace, Eneas; Peace, Trojan; lay thy finger on thy lips; The worthinefs of praise distains his worth, If he that's prais'd, himfelf bring the praise forth: What the repining enemy commends,

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I bat breath fame blows, that praise fole pure tranfcends, Aga. Sir, you of Troy, call you yourself Æneas? Ane Ay, Greek, that is my name.

Aga. What's your affair, I pray you?

Ene. Sir, pardon; 'tis for Agamemnon's ears.

ga. He hears nought privately that comes from Troy.

Ene. Nor I from Troy come not to whisper him

I bring a trumpet to awake his ear,

To fet his fenfe on the attentive bent,
And then to speak.

Aga. Speak frankly as the wind,

It is not Agamemnon's fleeping hour;
That thou shalt know, Trojan, he is awake,
He tells thee fo himself.

Ene. Trumpet, blow loud,

Send thy brafs voice thro' all these lazy tents;
And every Greek of mettle, let him know
What Troy means fairly, thall be spoke aloud.

;

[The Trumpets found.

We have, great Agamemnon, here in Troy
A prince call'd Hector, (Priam is his father),
Who in this dull and long-continu'd truce
Is rusty grown; he bade me take a trumpet,
And to this purpofe fpeak. Kings, Princes, Lords,
If there be one amongst the fair'it of Greece,
That holds his honour higher than his ease,
That feeks his praise more than he fears his peril,
That knows his valour, and knows not his fear,
That loves his miftreis more than in confeffion*,
(With truant vows to her own lips he loves),
And dare avow her beauty and her worth
In other arms than her's: to him this challenge..
Hector, in view of Trojans and of Greeks,
Shall make it good, (or do his best to do it).
He hath a lady, wifer, fairer, truer,
Than ever Greek did compats in his arms;
And will to-morrow with his trumpet call
Midway between your tents and walls of Troy,
To route a Grecian that is true in love.

If any

come. Hector fhall honour him:

If none, he'll fay in Troy when he retires,

The Grecian dames are fun burat, and not worth
The plinter of a lance ;even fo much.

Aga. his 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,

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That means not, hath not, or is not in love!
If then one is, or hath, or means to be,
That one meets Hector; if none elfe, I'm he.

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 fpark of fire,
To answer for his love; tell him from me,
I'll hide my filver beard in a gold beaver,
And in my vantbrace put this wither'd brawn ;
And, meeting him, will tell him, that my lady.
Was fairer than his grandam, and as chalte
As may be in the world: his youth in flood,
I'll pawn this truth with my three drops of blood.
Ene. Now heav'ns forbid such scarcity of youth!
Uly. Amen.

Aga. Fair Lord Eneas, let me touch your hand.
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 fhall fealt with us before you go,

And find the welcome of a poble foe..

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[Exeunt

Manent Ulyffes and Neftor..

Neft. What fays Ulyffes?

Uly I have a young conception in my brain,, Be you my time to bring it to fome shape.

Neft. What is't?.

Ub. This 'tis :

Blunt wedges rive hard knots; the feeded pride:
That hath to this maturity blown up.

In rank Achilles, muft or now be cropt

Or, fhedding, breed a nursery of like evil,
To overbulk us all

Neft. Well, and how now?:

Uly. This challenge that the gallant Hector fends, However, t is fpread in general name,

Relates in purpose only to Achilles.

Neft. The purpofe is perfpicuous, even as fubftance,

Whofe groffnets little characters fum up :

And, in the publication, make no train,

But that Achilles, were his brain as barren

As banks of Libya, (tho' Apollo knows

'Tis dry enough), will with great speed of judgment, Ay, with celerity, find Hector's purpose

Pointing on him.

Uly. And wake him to the answer, think you ?

Neft. Yes, 'tis moft meet; whom may you elfe opThat can from Hector bring his honour off,

If not Achilles? though a fportful combat,
Yet in this trial much opinion dwells.

[pofe,

For here the Trojans talte our dear'st repute
With their fin'ft palate and truft to me, Ulyffes,.
Our imputation fhall be oddly pois'd

:

In this wild action. For the fuccefs,
Although particular, fhall give a fcantling
Of good or bad unto the general:
And in fuch indexes, although fmall pricks
To their fubfequent volumes, there is feen
The baby-figure of the giant-mals

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Of things to come, at large. It is fuppos'd,
He that meets Hector, iffsues from our choice;:
And choice, being mutual act of all our fouls,
Makes merit her election; and dota boil,
As 'twere, from forth us all, a man distill'd
Out of our virtues; who mifcarrying,

What heart from hence receives the conqu'ring part,,
To feel a strong opinion to themlelves!

Which entertain'd, limbs are his inftruments,
In no lefs working, than are swords and bows
Directive by the limbs.

Uly. Give pardon to my fpeech';

Therefore 'tis meet Achilles meet not Hector.
Let us, like merchants, inew our fouleft wares,.
And think, perchance, they'll fell; if not,
The luftre of the better, yet to fhew,
Shall fhew the better. Do not then confent,
That ever Hector and Achilles macet:.

For both our honour and our fhame in this

Are dogg'd with two frange followers.

Neft. I fee them not with my old eyes: what are they? Uly What glory our Achilles fhares from Hector, Were he not proud, we all fhould share with him. But he already is too infolent;

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