Ulyss. No you see, he is his argument, that has his argument; Achilles.

1

Nest. All the better; their fraction is more our wish, than their faction: But it was a strong composure, a fool could disunite.

Ulyss. The amity, that wisdom knits not, folly may easily untie. Here comes Patroclus.

Re-enter Patroclus.

Nest. No Achilles with him.

Ulyss. The elephant hath joints, but none for courtesy: his legs are legs for necessity, not for flexure.

Patr. Achilles bids me say-he is much sorry,
If any thing more than your sport and pleasure
Did move your greatness, and this noble state,
To call upon him; he hopes, it is no other,
But, for your health and your digestion's sake,
An after-dinner's breath*.

Agam.

Hear you, Patroclus;

We are too well acquainted with these answers:
But his evasion, wing'd thus swift with scorn,
Cannot outfly our apprehensions.

Much attribute he hath; and much the reason
Why we ascribe it to him: yet all his virtues,-
Not virtuously on his own part beheld,-
Do, in our eyes, begin to lose their gloss;
Yea, like fair fruit in an unwholesome dish,
Are like to rot untasted. Go and tell him,

We come to speak with him: And you shall not sin, you do say we think him over-proud,

If

And under-honest; in self-assumption greater,

Than in the note of judgement; and worthier than himself

Here tend the savage strangeness he puts on; Disguise the holy strength of their command,

• Exercise.

† Attend.

+ Shyness.

And underwrite* in an observing kind
His humorous predominance; yea, watch
His pettish lunest, his ebbs, his flows, as if
The passage and whole carriage of this action
Rode on his tide. Go, tell him this; and add,
That, if he overhold his price so much,
We'll none of him; but let him, like an engine
Not portable, lie under this report-
Bring action hither, this cannot go to war:
A stirring dwarf we do allowance‡ give
Before a sleeping giant :-Tell him so.

Patr. I shall; and bring his answer presently.

[Exit. Agam. In second voice we'll not be satisfied, We come to speak with him.-Ulysses, enter. [Exit Ulysses.

Ajax. What is he more than another?
Agam. No more than what he thinks he is.

Ajax. Is he so much? Do you not think, he thinks himself a better man than I am?

Agam. No question.

Ajax. Will you subscribe his thought, and sayhe is?

Agam. No, noble Ajax; you are as strong, as valiant, as wise, no less noble, much more gentle, and altogether more tractable.

Ajax. Why should a man be proud? How doth pride grow? I know not what pride is.

Agam. Your mind's the clearer, Ajax, and your virtues the fairer. He that is proud, eats up himself: pride is his own glass, his own trumpet, his own chronicle; and whatever praises itself but in the deed, devours the deed in the praise.

Ajax. I do hate a proud man, as I hate the en. gendering of toads.

Nest. And yet he loves himself: Is it not strange? [Aside.

* Subscribe, obey.
Approbation.

Fits of lunacy.

Re-enter Ulysses.

Ulyss. Achilles will not to the field to-morrow. Agam. What's his excuse?

Ulyss. He doth rely on none'; But carries on the stream of his dispose, Without observance or respect of any, In will peculiar and in self-admission.

Agam. Why will he not, upon our fair request, Untent his person, and share the air with us?

Ulyss. Things small as nothing, for request's sake only,

He makes important: Possess'd he is with greatness;
And speaks not to himself, but with a pride
That quarrels at self-breath: imagin'd worth
Holds in his blood such swoln and hot discourse,
That, 'twixt his mental and his active parts,
Kingdom'd Achilles in commotion rages,

And batters down himself: What should I say?
He is so plaguy proud, that the death tokens of it
Cry No recovery.

Agam.

Let Ajax go to him.Dear lord, go you and greet him in his tent: "Tis said, he holds you well; and will be led, At your request, a little from himself.

Ulyss. O Agamemnon, let it not be so! We'll consecrate the steps that Ajax makes When they go from Achilles: Shall the proud lord, That bastes his arrogance with his own seam*; And never suffers matter of the world Euter his thoughts,-save such as do revolve And ruminate himself,-shall he be worshipp'd Of that we hold an idol more than he? No, this thrice-worthy and right valiant lord Must not so stale his palm, nobly acquir'd; Nor, by my will, assubjugate his merit, As amply titled as Achilles is,

* Fat.

By going to Achilles:

That were to enlard his fat-already pride';

And add more coals to Cancer, when he burns
With entertaining great Hyperion t.

This lord go to him! Jupiter forbid ; And say in thunder-Achilles, go to him. Nest. O, this is well; he rubs the vein of him. [Aside. Dio. And how his silence drinks up this applause! [Aside.

Ajax. If I go to him, with my arm'd fist I'll pasht him

Over the face.

Agam.

O, no, you shall not go.

Ajur. An he be proud with me, I'll pheezeý his

pride:

Let me go to him.

Ulyss. Not for the worth that hangs upon our

Ajax.

I will let his humours blood.

Agam. He'll be physician, that should be the pa

tient.

[Aside.

Ajax. An all men

Were o'my mind,

Ulyss.

Wit would be out of fashion.

[Aside.

Ajax. He should not bear it so,

He should eat swords first: Shall pride carry it?

*, The sign in the zodiac into which the sun enters June 21. And Cancer reddens with the solar blaze.' THOMSON.

Nest. An'twould, you'd carry half.

Ulyss.

[Aside.

[Aside.

He'd have ten shares.

Ajar. I'll knead him, I will make him supple:Nest. He's not yet thorough warm: force* him with praises:

Pour in, pour in; his ambition is dry. [Aside. Ulyss. My lord, you feed too much on this dis[To Agamemnon. Nest. O noble general, do not do so.

like.

Dio. You must prepare to fight without Achilles. Ulyss. Why, 'tis this naming of him does him

harm.

Here is man-But 'tis before his face;

I will be silent.

Nest.

Wherefore should you so?

He is a not emuloust, as Achilles is.

Ulyss. Know the whole world, he is as valiant. Ajax. A whoreson dog, that shall palter thus with us!

I would, he were a Trojan !

Nest.

What a vice

If he were proud?

Ay, or surly borne?

Dio. Or covetous of praise?

Ulyss.

Dio. Or strange, or self-affected?

Ulyss. Thank the heavens, lord, thou art of sweet

composure;

Praise him that got thee, she that gave thee suck:
Fam'd be thy tutor, and thy parts of nature
Thrice-fam'd, beyond all erudition:
But he that disciplin'd thy arms to fight,
Let Mars divide eternity in twain,
And give him half: and, for thy vigour,
Bull-bearing Milo his addition yield