Achil. Nay, good Ajax. [AJAX offers to strike him, ACHilles interposes. Ther. Has not so much wit Achil. Nay, I must hold you. Ther. As will stop the eye of Helen's needle, for whom he comes to fight. Achil. Peace, fool! Ther. I would have peace and quietness, but the fool will not: he there; that he; look you there. Ajax. O thou damned cur! I shall— Achil. Will you set your wit to a fool's? Ther. No, I warrant you; for a fool's will shame it. Patr. Good words, Thersites. Achil. What's the quarrel? Ajax. I bade the vile owl, go learn me the tenour of the proclamation, and he rails upon me. Ther. I serve thee not. Ajax. Well, go to, go to. Ther. I serve here voluntary. Achil. Your last service was sufferance, 'twas not voluntary; no man is beaten voluntary;2 Ajax was here the voluntary, and you as under an impress. Ther. Even so?-a great deal of your wit too lies in your sinews, or else there be liars. Hector shall have a great catch, if he knock out either of your brains; 'a were as good crack a fusty nut with no kernel. Achil. What, with me too, Thersites? Ther. There's Ulysses, and old Nestor,-whose wit was mouldy ere your grandsires had nails on their toes,-yoke you like draught oxen, and make you plough up the wars. Achil. What, what? is beaten voluntary:] i. e. voluntarily. Shakspeare often uses adjectives adverbially. to! Ther. Yes, good sooth; To, Achilles! to, Ajax! Ajax. I shall cut out your tongue. Ther. 'Tis no matter; I shall speak as much as thou, afterwards. Patr. No more words, Thersites; peace. Ther. I will hold my peace when Achilles' brach bids me,3 shall I? Achil. There's for you, Patroclus. Ther. I will see you hanged, like clotpoles, ere I come any more to your tents; I will keep where there is wit stirring, and leave the faction of fools. [Exit. Patr. A good riddance. Achil. Marry, this, sir, is proclaimed through all our host: That Hector, by the first hour of the sun, Achil. I know not, it is put to lottery; otherwise, He knew his man. 3 Ajax. O, meaning you:-I'll go learn more of it. [Exeunt. ·when Achilles' brach bids me,] The commentators are not agreed on the meaning of this word, some referring it to a species of dog, and some to an ornament called a broche, or broach. SCENE II. Troy. A Room in Priam's Palace. Enter PRIAM, HECTOR, TROILUS, PARIS, and HELENUS. Pri. After so many hours, lives, speeches spent, Thus once again says Nestor from the Greeks; Deliver Helen, and all damage else— As honour, loss of time, travel, expence, Dread Priam, There is no lady of more softer bowels, More spungy to suck in the sense of fear, More ready to cry out-Who knows what follows? Tro. tenth. Fye, fye, my brother! many thousand dismes,] Disme, Fr. is the tithe, the Weigh you the worth and honour of a king, Of common ounces? will you with counters sum With spans and inches so diminutive As fears and reasons? fye, for godly shame! reasons, You are so empty of them. Should not our father Bear the great sway of his affairs with reasons, Because your speech hath none, that tells him so? Tro. You are for dreams and slumbers, brother priest, You fur your gloves with reason. reasons: Here are your You know, an enemy intends you harm; Or like a star dis-orb'd?-Nay, if we talk of reason, With this cramm'd reason; reason and respect Hect. Brother, she is not worth what she doth cost The holding. Tro. What is aught, but as 'tis valued? 5 The past-proportion of his infinite?] i. e. that greatness to which no measure bears any proportion. 6 reason and respect Makes livers pale, &c.] Respect is caution, a regard to conse quences. Hect. But value dwells not in particular will; As well wherein 'tis precious of itself Tro. I take to-day a wife, and my election Is led on in the conduct of my will; My will enkindled by mine eyes and ears, Two traded pilots 'twixt the dangerous shores Of will and judgment: How may I avoid, Although my will distaste what it elected, The wife I chose? there can be no evasion To blench from this, and to stand firm by honour : We turn not back the silks upon the merchant, When we have soil'd them; nor the remainder viands We do not throw in unrespective sieve, Because we now are full. It was thought meet, Paris should do some vengeance on the Greeks: Your breath with full consent? bellied his sails; The seas and winds (old wranglers) took a truce, And did him service he touch'd the ports desir'd; And, for an old aunt,' whom the Greeks held captive, He brought a Grecian queen, whose youth and freshness 8 Wrinkles Apollo's, and makes pale the morning. Why keep we here? the Grecians keep our aunt: And the will dotes, that is attributive] i. e. the will dotes that attributes or gives the qualities which it affects; that first causes excellence, and then admires it. 8 unrespective sieve,] That is, unto a common voider. 9 Your breath with full consent -] Your breaths all blowing together; your unanimous approbation. And, for an old aunt,] Priam's sister, Hesione, whom Hercules, being enraged at Priam's breach of faith, gave to Telamon, who by her had Ajax. |