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Unlike young men, whom Ariftotle' thought
Unfit to hear moral philofophy:

The reafons, you alledge, do more conduce
To the hot paffion of diftemper'd blood,
Than to make up a free determination
"Twixt right and wrong; For pleafure, and revenge,
Have ears more deaf than adders to the voice.

Of any true decifion. Nature craves,

All dues be render'd to their owners; Now
What nearer debt in all humanity,

Than wife is to the husband? if this law
Of nature be corrupted through affection;
And that great minds, of partial indulgence
To their benummed wills, refift the fame;
3 There is a law in each well-order'd nation,
To curb those raging appetites that are
Moft difobedient and refractory.
If Helen then be wife to Sparta's king,
As it is known fhe is,-thefe moral laws
Of nature, and of nations, fpeak aloud
To have her back return'd: Thus to perfift
In doing wrong, extenuates not wrong,
But makes it much more heavy. Hector's opinion

-Ariftotle-] Let it be remembered as often as Shakfpeare's anachronifms occur, that errors in computing time were very frequent in thofe ancient romances which feem to have formed the greater part of his library. I may add, that even claffick authors are not exempt from fuch mistakes. In the fifth book of Statius's Thebaid, Aphiaraus talks of the fates of Neftor and Priam, neither of whom died till long after him. If on this occafion, fomewhat fhould be attributed to his augural profeffion, yet if he could fo freely, nay, even quote as examples to the whole army, things that would not happen till the next age, they muft all have been prophets as well as himfelf, or they could not have understood him. STEEVENS.

2-benammed wills,-] That is, inflexible, immoveable, no longer obedient to fuperior direction. JOHNSON.

3 There is a law] What the law does in every nation between individuals, juftice ought to do between nations.

JOHNSON.

Is

* Is this, in way of truth: yet, ne'ertheless,
My fprightly brethren, I propend to you
In refolution to keep Helen ftill;

For 'tis a caufe that hath no mean dependance
Upon our joint and feveral dignities."

Troi. Why, there you touch'd the life of our defign:
Were it not glory that we more affected
Than the performance of our heaving fpleens,
I would not wifh a drop of Trojan blood
Spent more in her defence. But, worthy Hector,
She is a theme of honour and renown;

A fpur to valiant and magnanimous deeds;
Whofe prefent courage may beat down our foes,
And fame, in time to come, canonize us:
For, I prefume, brave Hector would not lofe
So rich advantage of a promis'd glory,
As fimiles upon the forehead of this action,
For the wide world's revenue.

Hect. I am yours,
You valiant offspring of

great Priamus.

I have a roifting challenge fent amongst

The dull and factious nobles of the Greeks,
Will ftrike amazement to their drowzy fpirits:
I was advertis'd, their great general flept,
Whilft emulation in the army crept ;
This, I prefume, will wake him.

[Exeunt.

Is this, in way of truth:--] Though confidering truth and juftice in this quellion, this is my opinion; yet as a question of honour, I think on it as you. JOHNSON.

-the performance of our heaving plans,] The execution of fpite and refentment. JOHNSON.

*—emulation—] That is, envy, factious contention. JoHNSON.

SCENE

SCENE III.

The Grecian Camp.

Achilles' Tent.

Enter Therfites.

How now, Therfites? what, loft in the labyrinth of thy fury? Shall the elephant Ajax carry it thus ? he beats me, and I rail at him: O worthy fatisfaction! 'would, it were otherwife, that I could beat him, whilft he rail'd at me: 'Sfoot, I'll learn to conjure and raife devils, but I'll fee fome iffue of my fpiteful execrations. Then there's Achilles,-a rare engineer. If Troy be not taken 'till these two undermine it, the walls will stand 'till they fall of themfelves. O thou great thunder-darter of Olympus, forget that thou art Jove the king of gods; and, Mercury, lofe all the ferpentine craft of thy Caduceus; if ye take not that little little lefs-than-little wit from them that they have! which fhort-arm'd ignorance itself knows is fo abundant scarce, it will not in circumvention deliver a fly from a fpider, without drawing the maffy iron, and cutting the web. After this, the vengeance on the whole camp! or, rather, the bone-ache! for that, methinks, is the curfe dependant on thofe that war for a placket.

? Then there's Achilles,—a rare engineer.] The folio has enginer, which feems to have been the word formerly used. So, truncheoner, piqner, mutiner, &c. MALONE.

without drawing the maffy iron,-] That is, without drawing their fwords to cut the web. They use no means but those of violence. JOHNSON.

-without drawing the massy iron,] Folio-irons.

-the bone-ach!-] In the quarto, the Neapolitan bone-ache.

MALONE.

JOHNSON.

I have faid my prayers; and devil envy, fay Amen. What, ho! my lord Achilles !

Enter Patroclus.

Patr. Who's there? Therfites? Good Therfites, come in and rail.

Ther. If I could have remember'd a gilt counterfeit, thou wouldst not have flipp'd out of my contemplation but it is no matter, Thyfelf upon thyfelf! The common curfe of mankind, folly and ignorance, be thine in great revenue! heaven blefs thee from a tutor, and difcipline come not near thee! Let thy blood be thy direction 'till thy death! then if fhe, that lays thee out, fays-thou art a fair corfe, I'll be fworn and fworn upon't, fhe never fhrowded any but lazars. Amen. Where's Achilles?

Patr. What, art thou devout? waft thou in prayer? Ther. Ay; The heavens hear me !

Enter Achilles.

Achil. Who's there?

Patr. Therfites, my lord.

Achil. Where, where?-Art thou come? Why, my cheese, my digeftion, why haft thou not ferv'd thyself in to my table fo many meals? Come; what's Agamemnon?

Ther. Thy commander, Achilles ;-Then tell me, Patroclus, what's Achilles?

If I could have remember'd a gilt counterfelt, thou wouldst not bave flipp'd out of my contemplation:] Here is a plain allufion to the counterfeit piece of money called a flip, which occurs again in Romeo and Juliet, A&t II. fc. iv. and which has been happily illuftrated in a note on that paffage. There is the fame allufion in Every Man in his Humour. Act II. fc. v.

VOL. IX.

F

WHALLEY.

Patr.

Patr. Thy lord, Therfites; Then tell me, I pray thee, what's thyself?

Ther. Thy knower, Patroclus; Then tell me, Patroclus, what art thou?

Patr. Thou may'ft tell, that know'st.
Achill. O, tell, tell.

2

Ther. I'll decline the whole queftion. Agamemnon commands Achilles;

Patroclus' knower; and
Patr. You rascal!

Achilles is my lord; I am
Patroclus is a fool.

Ther. Peace, fool; I have not done.

Achil. He is a privileg'd man.-Proceed, Therfites. Ther. Agamemnon is a fool; Achilles is a fool; Therfites is a fool; and, as aforefaid, Patroclus is a fool.

Achil. Derive this; come.

Ther. Agamemnon is a fool to offer to command Achilles; Achilles is a fool to be commanded of Agamemnon; Therfites is a fool, to ferve fuch a fool; and Patroclus is a fool pofitive.

Patr. Why am I a fool?

4

Ther. Make that demand of the prover.-It fuffices me, thou art. Look you, who comes here?

Enter Agamemnon, Ulyffes, Neftor, Diomedes, and Ajax.

Achil. Patroclus, I'll speak with no body:-Come in with me, Therfites.

[Exit.

Ther. Here is fuch patchery, fuch juggling, and fuch knavery! all the argument is-a cuckold, and a whore; A good quarrel, to draw emulous factions,

-decline the whole queftion.-] Deduce the queftion from the firft cafe to the laft. JOHNSON.

3 Patroclus is a fool.] The four next speeches are not in the quarto. JOHNSON.

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of the prover.- -] So the quarto. The folio profanely reads, to the creator.

JOHNSON.

STEEVENS.

and

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