"Would seem hyperboles. At this fufty stuff
"The large Achilles, on his prest-bed lolling,
"From his deep cheft laughs out a loud applause:
"Cries-excellent!-'tis Agamemnon just—

"Now play me Neftor-hum, and stroke thy beard,
"As he, being 'dreft to fome oration.

"That's done as near as the extremeft ends
"Of parallels; as like, as Vulcan and his wife:
"Yet good Achilles ftill cries, excellent!

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

66

"And then, forfooth, the faint defects of age
"Must be the scene of mirth, to cough and spit,
"And with a palfie fumbling on his gorget,
"Shake in and out the rivet and at this sport,
Sir Valour dies; cries O!-enough, Patroclus
Or give me ribs of steel, I fhall split all
In pleasure of my fpleen. And, in this fashion,
All our abilities, gifts, natures, fhapes,

3 All our abilities, gifts, natures, shapes,

Severals and generals of GRACE EXACT,

Atchievements, plots &c.] The meaning is this, All our good qualities, feverals and generals of grace: i. e. whether they be feveral and belong to particular men, as prudence to Ulyffes, experience to Neftor, magnanimity to Agamemnon, valour to Ajax, &c. or whether they be general and belonging to the Greek nations in general, as valour, polished manners, c. all thefe good qualities, together with our atchievements, plots, or ders, &c. are all turned into ridicule by the buffoonery of Achilles and Patroclus. This is the fenfe: but what then is the meaning of grace exact? no other can be made of it, than that Achilles and Patroclus exactly mimic all our qualities and actions. But the speaker thought very differently of their buffoonery: the imita tion, he fays, being as unlike the original as Vulcan to his wife. The fault lies here; exact should be exacts; and belongs to the fecond divifion, namely the enumeration of the actions; and fhould be read thus ;

All our abilities, gifts, natures, apes

Severals and generals of grace; EXACTS,
Atchievements, plots, &c.

i. e. exactments, publick taxes, and contributions for carrying on

the war.

Severals and generals of grace; exacts,
Atchievements, plots, orders, preventions,
Excitements to the field, or fpeech for truce,
Succefs or lofs, what is, or is not, ferves
As ftuff for these two to make paradoxes.

Neft. And in the imitation of these 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, whose gall coins flanders like a mint)
To match us in comparisons with dirt;
To weaken and difcredit our exposure,
How hard foever rounded in with danger.

Uly. They tax our policy, and call it cowardife, Count wisdom as no member of the war; Fore-ftall our prescience, and efteem no Act But that of hand: The ftill and mental parts, • That do contrive how many hands shall strike, • When fitnefs call them on, and know by meafure Of their obfervant toil the enemies' weight;

.

Why, this hath not a finger's dignity;

They call this bed-work Mapp'ry, closet war:
So that the ram, that batters down the wall,

For the great fwing and rudeness of his poize,
They place before his hand that made the engine;
Or thofe, that with the fineness of their fouls

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

Aga. What would you 'fore our tent?

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

Ene. May one, that is a Herald and a Prince, Do a fair meffage to his kingly ears?

Aga. With furety stronger 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 stranger to those most imperial looks
Know them from eyes of other mortals?
Aga. How?

Ene. I ask, that I might waken Reverence,
And bid the cheek be ready with a blush
Modeft as morning, when the coldly eyes
The youthful Phabus:

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, trong joints, true fwords; and, (Jove's
Accord,)

Nothing fo full of heart. But peace, Æneas;
Peace, Trojan; lay thy finger on thy lips;
The worthiness of praise diftains his worth,

If he, that's prais'd, himself bring the praise forth:
What the repining enemy commends,

That breath Fame blows, that praife fole pure tranfcends.

Aga. Sir, you of Troy, call you yourself Eneas?

Cc 4

Ene.

!

Ene. Ay, Greek, that is my name.

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

Ene. Sir, pardon; 'tis for Agamemnon's cars.
Aga. 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, fhall 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 rufty grown; he bad me take a trumpet,
And to this purpofe fpeak: Kings, Princes, Lords,
If there be one amongft the fair'ft 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 mistress +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 hers: 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 compafs in his arms;
And will to morrow with his trumpet call

3 more than in confeffion,] Confeffion, for profeffion.

1

Midway between your tents and walls of Troy,
To rouze 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-burn'd, and not worth
The splinter of a lance;

even fo much.

Aga. This fhall be told our lovers, lord Æneas.
If none of them have soul in such a kind,

We've left them all at home: but we are foldiers;
And may that foldier a meer recreant prove,
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 fuckt; he is old now,
But if there be not in our Grecian Hoft
One noble man that hath one spark of fire,
To answer for his love: tell him from me,
I'll hide my filver beard in a gold beaver

5 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 chaste
As may be in the world: his youth in flood,
I'll pawn this truth with my three drops of blood.
Ane. Now heav'ns forbid such scarcity of youth!
Ulyff. Amen.

Aga. Fair lord Æneas, 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:
Your felf fhall feaft with us before you go,
And find the welcome of a noble foe.

[Exeunt.

5 And in my vantbrace] An armour for the arm, avant

bras.

Mr. Pope.