For Time is like a fashionable host, That flightly shakes his parting gueft by th' hand; But with his arms out-ftretch'd, as he would fly, Grafps in the comer. For Welcome ever fmiles, And Farewel goes out fighing. O, let not virtue seek Remuneration for the thing it was; * For beauty, wit, high birth, defert in service, Love, friendship, charity, are fubjects all To envious and calumniating time. One touch of nature makes the whole world kin, The prefent eye praifes the prefent object; Whofe glorious deeds, but in these fields of late, 2 For beauty, wit, &c] The therefore, as I prefume, threw it folio and quarto, For beauty, wit, out of the text; because he would not indulge his private fenfe in at High birth, vi our of bone, de- tempting to make fenfe of it. I Jert in fervice, I do not deny but the changes 3 And go to duft, that is a little More laud than gilt o'er-dufted.] In this mingled condition do we find this truly fine obfervation tranfmitted in the old folio's. Mr. Pope faw it was corrupt, and owe the foundation of the amend- And give to duft, that is a little THEOBALT This emendation has been received by the fucceeding editors, but recedes too far from the copy. 4 Made emulous miffions 'mongst the Gods themselves, And drave great Mars to faction. Achil. Of this my privacy I have ftrong reafons. Ulyf. 'Gainft your privacy The reasons are more potent and heroical. 'Tis known, Achilles, that you are in love With one of Priam's daughters, Achil. Ha! known! Ulyf. Is that a wonder? The providence, that's in a watchful state, But it must grieve young Pyrrhus now at home, But our great Ajax bravely beat down him. Farewel, my Lord. I, as your lover, fpeak; The fool flides o'er the ice, that you should break. [Exit. Patr. To this effect, Achilles, have I mov'd you; A woman, impudent and mannish grown, Is not more loath'd than an effeminate man 8 Achil. Shall Ajax fight with Hector! Patr. Ay, and, perhaps, receive much honour by · him. Achil. I fee, my reputation is at stake; My fame is fhrewdly gor'd. Patr. O then beware: Those wounds heal ill, that men do give themselves. 9 Omiffion to do what is neceffary Seals a Commiffion to a Blank of Danger, And danger, like an ague, fubtly taints Even then, when we fit idly in the Sun. Achil. Go call Therfites hither, fweet Patroclus; I'll fend the fool to Ajax, and defire him T'invite the Trojan Lords, after the Combat, To fee us here unarm'd. I have a woman's Longing, An appetite that I am fick withal, glecting our duty we commission or enable that danger of difhonour, which could not reach us before, to lay hold upon us. -to airy air. ? Omiffion to do, &c.] By ne To fee great Hector in the Weeds of peace; Ev'n to my full of view.-A labour fav'd ! Ther. A wonder! Achil. What? Ther. Ajax goes up and down the field, afking for himself. Achil. How fo? Ther. He muft fight fingly to-morrow with Hector, and is fo prophetically proud of an heroical cudgelling, that he raves in faying nothing. Achil. How can that be? Ther. Why, he stalks up and down like a peacock, a ftride and a stand; ruminates like an hoftefs, that hath no arithmetick but her brain, to fet down her reckoning; bites his lip' with a politick regard, as who fhould fay, there were wit in this head, if 'twou'd out; and fo there is, but it lies as coldly in him as fire in a flint, which will not fhew without knocking. The man's undone for ever; for if Hector break not his neck i' th' combat, he'll break❜t himfelf in vainglory. He knows not me. I faid, Good-morrow, Ajax, and he replies, Thanks, Agamemnon. What think you of this man, that takes me for the General? He's grown a very land-fifh, language-lefs, a monster. A plague of opinion! a man may wear it on both fides, like a leather Jerkin. Achil. Thou must be my ambaffador to him, Therfites. Ther. Who, I-why, he'll answer no body; he 1 with a politick regard] With a fly look. pro profeffes not answering; fpeaking is for beggars. He wears his tongue in's arms. I will put on his prefence; let Patroclus make his demands to me, you fhall fee the Pageant of Ajax. Achil. To him, Patroclus. Tell him, I humbly defire the valiant Ajax, to invite the most valorous Hector to come unarm'd to my tent, and to procure fafe Conduct for his Perfon of the magnanimous and moft illuftrious, fix or feven times honour'd, captaingeneral, of the Grecian army, Agamemnon, &c. Do this. Patr. Jove blefs great Ajax! Ther. Hum Patr. I come from the worthy Achilles. Patr. Who most humbly defires you to invite Hector to his Tent. non. Ther. Hum Pair. And to procure safe conduct from Agamem Ther. Agamemnon! Patr. Ay, my Lord. Ther. Ha! Patr. What fay you to't? Ther. God be wi' you, with all my heart. Patr. Your answer, Sir. Ther. If to morrow be a fair day, by eleven o'clock it will go one way or other; howfoever, he shall pay for me ere he has me. Patr. Your answer, Sir. Ther. Fare ye well, with all my heart. Achil. Why, but he is not in this tune, is he? Ther. No, but he's out o'tune thus. What mufick will be in him, when Hector has knock'd out his brains, I know not; but, I am fure, none; unless the fidler Apollo get his finews to make Catlings on, Achil. Come, thou shalt bear a letter to him straight. Ther. |