Nor dignifies an impair thought with breath: For Hector in his blaze of wrath, fubfcribes * They call him, Troilus; and on nim erect [Trumpets blow to arms. Ajax Aga. They are in action. Nef. Now, Ajax, hold thine own. Tro. Hector thou fleep'ft, awake thee. Aga. His blows are well difpos'd:-there, Ajax. Dio. You must no more. } Interpofing. Ene. Princes, enough, fo please you. Trumpets ceaser. Aja. I am not warm yet, let us fight again. Dio. As Hector pleases. Hec. Why then, will I no more : Thou art, great lord, my father's fifter's fon, A gory emulation 'twixt us twain : Were thy commixtion Greek and Trojan so, This panegyric upon Troilus, fo ably expreffed, by fo eminent a character as Ulyffes, does Troilus great honour; if it has a fault, it is faying more than almost any man can merit, 3 Hector Hector would have them fall upon him thus Aja. I thank thee, Hector: Thou art too gentle, and too free a man : : (On whofe bright creft Fame, with her loud'ft O yes, Cries, This is he) could promise to himself A thought of added honour torn from Hector. Ene. There is expectance here from both the fides, What further you will do. Hec. We'll answer it; The iffue is embracement :-Ajax, farewel. Aja. If I might in entreaties find fuccefs, (As feld I have the chance) I would defire My famous coufin to our Grecian tents. Dio. 'Tis Agamemnon's wish; and great Achilles coufin: To the expectors of our Trojan part; Chiefs enter the lifts. Hec. The worthicft of them tell me name by name; But for Achilles, my own fearching eyes Shall find him by his large and portly fize. Aga. Worthy of arms, as welcome as to one That would be rid of fuch an enemy, But that's no welcome: Understand more clear, What's past, and what's to come, is ftrew'd with husks And formless ruin of oblivion ; But in this extant moment, faith and troth, *If the arguments which Hector uses are juft, fhould they not rather have prevented the encounter entirely, than interrupted it? The fenfibility of Hector, however, in being unwilling to fpill blood akin to his own, is very consistent with the piety and justness of his character. Strain'd Strain'd purely from all hollow bias-drawing, From heart of very heart, great Hector, welcome. Aga. My well-fam'd lord of Troy, [to Tro.] no lefs to you. Men. Let me, confirm my princely brother's greeting;You brace of warlike brothers, welcome hither. Hec. Whom muft we answer ? Ene. The noble Menelaus. Hec. O, you, my lord? by Mars his gauntlet, thanks! Mock not, that I affect the untraded oath; Your quondam wife swears still by Venus' glove: Nef. I have, thou gallant Trojan, feen thee oft, Through ranks of Greeki youth: And I have feen thee, As hot as Perfeus, fpur thy Phrygian steed, Defpifing many forfeits and fubduements, When thou haft hung thy advanc'd fword i'th' air, And I have seen thee paufe, and take thy breath, Hec. Let me embrace thee, good old chronicle, + A delicate and admirable compliment to a brave man's humanity, who, though regardless of life himself, will not take it unneceffarily from another. Nef. I would my arms could match thee in contention, As they contend with thee in courtesy. Hec. I would, they could. Nef. Ha! By this white beard, I'd fight with thee to-morrow. In Ilion, on your Greekish embassy. Uly. Sir, I foretold you then what would enfue: For yonder walls, that pertly front your town, Hec. I must not believe you : There they stand yet; and modeftly I think, Uly. So to him we leave it. Moft gentle, and moft valiant Hector, welcome : To feaft with me, and fee me at my tent. Ach. I fhall foreftal thee, lord Ulyffes; thou! Hec. Is this Achilles? Ach. I am Achilles. Hec. Stand fair, I pray thee, let me look on thee. Hec. Nay, I have done already. Ach. Thou art too brief; I will the fecond time, As I would buy thee, view thee limb by limb. A most natural effufion this of a brave mind, though encircled with an enervated body. Hec. O, like a book of sport thou'lt read me o'er ; But there's more in me, than thou understand'st. Why'doft thou fo opprefs me with thine eye? Ach. Tell me, you heav'ns, in which part of his body Shall I deftroy him; whether there, there, or there? That I may give the local wound a name; And make distinct the very breach, whereout Ach. I tell thee, yea. Hec. Wert thou an oracle to tell me fo, I'd not believe thee. Henceforth guard thee well; But I'll endeavour deeds to match these words, Or may ; Aja. Do not chafe thee, coufin If you have stomach; the general ftate, I fear, Can fcarce entreat you to be odd with him. Hec. I pray you, let us fee you in the field; We have had pelting wars, fince you refus'd The Grecians' caufe. Ach. Doit thou entreat me, Hector? To-morrow do I meet thee, fell as death; To-night, all friends *. Hec. Thy hand upon that match. The challenge of Hector and Achilles is brought about somewhat in a brutal manner, much beneath such exalted perfonages; however, the fourth act reduced must appear the best hitherto in represen tation, |