Abbildungen der Seite
PDF
EPUB
[blocks in formation]
[merged small][ocr errors][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small]

Then everything includes itself in power,
Power into will, will into appetite;
And appetite, an universal wolf,

So doubly seconded with will and power,
Must make perforce an universal prey,
And last eat up himself. Great Agamemnon,
This chaos, when degree is suffocate,
Follows the choking.

120

125

130

And this neglection of degree is it
That by a pace goes backward, in a purpose
It hath to climb. The general's disdain'd
By him one step below, he by the next,
That next by him beneath; so every step,
Exampled by the first pace that is sick
Of his superior, grows to an envious fever
Of pale and bloodless emulation;
And 't is this fever that keeps Troy on foot, 185
Not her own sinews. To end a tale of length,
Troy in our weakness stands, not in her strength.
Nest. Most wisely hath Ulysses here dis-
cover'd

The fever whereof all our power is sick.
Agam. The nature of the sickness found,
Ulysses,
What is the remedy?

148

[blocks in formation]

Arming to answer in a night alarm."
And then, forsooth, the faint defects of age
Must be the scene of mirth; to cough and spit,
And, with a palsy fumbling on his gorget,
Shake in and out the rivet; and at this sport 175
Sir Valour dies; cries, O, enough, Patroclus;
Or give me ribs of steel! I shall split all

120

In pleasure of my spleen." And in this fashion,
All our abilities, gifts, natures, shapes,
Severals and generals of grace exact,
Achievements, plots, orders, preventions,
Excitements to the field, or speech for truce,
Success or loss, what is or is not, serves
As stuff for these two to make paradoxes.

Nest. And in the imitation of these twain

Who, as Ulysses says, opinion crowns
With an imperial voice - many are infect.
Ajax is grown self-will'd, and bears his head
In such a rein, in full as proud a place

185

[blocks in formation]
[blocks in formation]

Good arms, strong joints, true swords; and,
Jove's accord,

Nothing so full of heart. But peace, Æneas,
Peace, Troyan; lay thy finger on thy lips! 240
The worthiness of praise distains his worth,
If that the prais'd himself bring the praise

forth;

But what the repining enemy commends,
That breath fame blows; that praise, sole pure,

transcends.

[blocks in formation]
[blocks in formation]

Trumpet, blow loud,

Send thy brass voice through all these lazy tents,

And every Greek of mettle, let him know, What Troy means fairly shall be spoke aloud. [The trumpets sound.

We have, great Agamemnon, here in Troy 200
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 purpose speak. Kings, princes,
lords!

If there be one amongst the fair'st of Greece 265
That holds his honour higher than his ease,
That seeks his praise more than he fears his
peril,

That knows his valour, and knows not his fear,

[blocks in formation]

Was fairer than his grandam, and as chaste
As may be in the world. His youth in flood,
I'll prove this truth with my three drops of
blood.

301

[blocks in formation]

To our pavilion shall I lead you first.

Achilles shall have word of this intent;

[ocr errors]

So shall each lord of Greece, from tent to tent. Yourself shall feast with us before you go

And find the welcome of a noble foe.

[Exeunt all but Ulysses and Nestor.

314

Ulyss. Nestor !
Nest. What says Ulysses?
Ulyss. I have a young conception in my
brain;

Be you my time to bring it to some shape.
Nest. What is 't?

Ulyss. This 't is :

315

Blunt wedges rive hard knots. The seeded pride

That hath to this maturity blown up

In rank Achilles must or now be cropp'd
Or, shedding, breed a nursery of like evil,
To overbulk us all.

Well, and how?

[ocr errors]

Nest.
Ulyss. This challenge that the gallant Hee-
tor sends,

However it is spread in general name,
Relates in purpose only to Achilles.

Nest. The purpose is perspicuous even as substance,

326

Whose grossness little characters sum up;
And, in the publication, make no strain,
But that Achilles, were his brain as barren
As banks of Libya, though, Apollo knows,
'Tis dry enough, will, with great speed of
judgement,

Ay, with celerity, find Hector's purpose
Pointing on him.

330

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

Nest. Yes, 't is most meet. Who may you

else oppose

That can from Hector bring his honour off,
If not Achilles? Though 't be a sportful com-

bat,

323

Yet in this trial much opinion dwells;
For here the Troyans taste our dear'st repute
With their fin'st palate; and trust to me,

Ulysses,

210

Our imputation shall be oddly pois'd
In this wild action; for the success,
Although particular, shall give a scantling
Of good or bad unto the general;
And in such indexes, although small pricks
To their subsequent volumes, there is seen
The baby figure of the giant mass
Of things to come at large. It is suppos'd
He that meets Hector issues from our choice;
And choice, being mutual act of all our souls,
Makes merit her election, and doth boil,
As 't were from forth us all, a man distill'd as
Out of our virtues; who miscarrying,

345

[blocks in formation]

370

But he already is too insolent;
And we were better parch in Afric sun
Thau in the pride and salt scorn of his eyes,
Should he scape Hector fair. If he were foil'd,
Why then, we did our main opinion crush
In taint of our best man. No, make a lottery;
And, by device, let blockish Ajax draw
The sort to fight with Hector; among ourselves
Give him allowance as the worthier man;
For that will physic the great Myrmidon
Who broils in loud applause, and make him
fall

375

[blocks in formation]
[blocks in formation]

Ther. Ay, do, do; thou sodden-witted lord! Thou hast no more brain than I have in mine elbows; an asinego may tutor thee. Thou scurvy valiant ass! thou art here but to thrash Troyans; and thou art bought and sold [50 among those of any wit, like a barbarian slave. If thou use to beat me, I will begin at thy heel, and tell what thou art by inches, thou thing of no bowels, thou!

Ajax. You dog!

Ther. You scurvy lord!

Ajax. [Beating him.] You cur!

55

Ther. Mars his idiot! do, rudeness; do, camel; do, do.

59

Enter ACHILLES and PATROCLUS. Achil. Why, how now, Ajax! wherefore do you this? How now, Thersites! what's the matter, man?

Ther. You see him there, do you?
Achil. Ay; what's the matter?
Ther. Nay, look upon him.

Achil. So I do. What's the matter?
Ther. Nay, but regard him well.
Achil. Well! why, I do so.

65

Ther. But yet you look not well upon him; for, whosomever you take him to be, he is Ajax.

Achil. I know that, fool.

Ther. Ay, but that fool knows not himself. Ajax. Therefore I beat thee.

70

73

Ther. Lo, lo, lo, lo, what modicums of wit he utters! His evasions have ears thus long. I have bobb'd his brain more than he has beat my bones. I will buy nine sparrows for a penny,

[merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][ocr errors][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small]

Ajax. I shall cut out your tongue. Ther. 'Tis no matter; I shall speak as much as thou afterwards.

you, Patroclus.

126

Patr. No more words, Thersites; peace! Ther. I will hold my peace when Achilles' brach bids me, shall I? Achil. There's for Ther. I will see you hang'd like clodpoles ere I come any more to your tents. I will keep where there is wit stirring and leave the faction of fools. [Exit. 131

Patr. A good riddance.
Achil. Marry, this, sir, is proclaim'd through
all our host:

That Hector, by the fifth hour of the sun,
Will with a trumpet 'twixt our tents and

Troy

135

To-morrow morning call some knight to arms That hath a stomach; and such a one that dare

Maintain I know not what; 'tis trash. Farewell.

[merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][ocr errors][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][ocr errors]
« ZurückWeiter »