And fell fo roundly to a large confeffion,
To angle for your thoughts: But you are wife;
" Or else you love not; For to be wife, and love,
Exceeds man's might that dwells with gods above.
Troi. O, that I thought it could be in a woman,
(As, if it can, I will prefume in you)

To feed for aye her lamp and flames of love;
To keep her conftancy in plight and youth,
Out-living beauties outward, with a mind
That doth renew fwifter than blood decays!
Or, that perfuafion could but thus convince me,-
That my integrity and truth to you

f

Might be affronted with the match and weight
Of fuch a winnow'd purity in love;

How were I then uplifted! but, alas,
I am as true as truth's fimplicity,
And fimpler than the infancy of truth.
Cre. In that I'll war with you.

Troi. O virtuous fight,

When right with right wars who fhall be most right!
True fwains in love fhall, in the world to come,
Approve their truths by Troilus: when their rhymes,
Full of proteft, of oath, and big compare,
Want fimilies of truth, tir'd with iteration,
As true as fteel, as plantage to the moon,
As fun to day, as turtle to her mate,

And then you.

e

in plight and youth,]-plighted in her youth. renew jwifter than blood decays!]—its attachment fafter than appetite weakens it. be affronted]-be met and equalled.

the infancy of truth.]-ere it had learnt worldly policy. h with iteration,]-with repeating the following vouchers.

i as feel, as plantage to the moon,]—as the mirror, which reflects faithfully every object that is placed before-the next words allude to the moon's fuppofed influence on the production and growth of plants,

&c.

As

As iron to adamant, as earth to the center,
Yet, after all comparisons of truth,
'As truth's authentic author to be cited,
As true as Troilus fhall crown up the verfe,
And fanctify the numbers.

Cre. Prophet may you be!

If I be false, or swerve a hair from truth,
"When time is old and hath forgot itself,
When water-drops have worn the ftones of Troy,
And blind oblivion fwallow'd cities up,
And mighty states characterlefs are grated
To dufty nothing; yet let memory,

From falfe to falfe, among falfe maids in love,
Upbraid my falfehood! when they have faid-as falfe
As air, as water, wind, or fandy earth,

As fox to lamb, as wolf to heifer's calf,

Pard to the hind, or ftep-dame to her fon;
Yea, let them fay, to ftick the heart of falfhood,
As falfe as Creffid.

Pan. Go to, a bargain made: feal it, feal it; I'll be the witness. Here I hold your hand; here, my coufin's. If ever you prove falfe to one another, fince I have taken fuch pains to bring you together, let all pitiful goers-between be called to the world's end after my name, call them all-Pandars; let all inconstant men be Troilus's, all falfe women Creffids, and all brokersbetween Pandars! say, amen.

Troi. Amen.

Cre. Amen.

Pan. Amen. Whereupon I will shew you a chamber,

kadamant,]-the magnet.

As truth's authentic author]-As the very text of truth in love; as one whofe proteftations were true to a proverb.

When]-O then, when.

F 2

inconftant]-conftant.

and

and a bed; which bed, because it shall not speak of your pretty encounters, prefs it to death away.

And Cupid grant all tongue-ty'd maidens here,
Bed, chamber, Pandar to provide this geer!

[Exeunt.

Enter Agamemnon, Ulyffes, Diomed, Neftor, Ajax, Menelaus and Calchas.

Cal. Now, princes, for the fervice I have done you,

The advantage of the time prompts me aloud

To call for recompence. Appear it to your mind,
That, through the fight I bear in things, to Jove
I have abandon'd Troy, left my poffeffions,
Incurr'd a traitor's name; expos'd myself,
From certain and poffeft conveniences,

To doubtful fortunes; fequeftring from me all
That time, acquaintance, cuftom, and condition,
Made tame and most familiar to my nature;

And here, to do you fervice, am become

As new into the world, ftrange, unacquainted:
I do befeech you, as in way of taste,

To give me now a little benefit,

Out of thofe many regiftred in promife,

Which, you fay, live to come in my behalf.

Aga. What wouldst thou of us, Trojan? make de

mand.

• The advantage of the time]-The prefent opportunity.

P Appear it to your mind, &c.]-Reflect, I pray you, that through my skill in divination, I have been induced to leave Troy to its fate, and, from the moment of my flight, have dedicated all my fervices to your intereft.

tame]-domeftic.

Cal.

Cal. You have a Trojan prifoner, call'd Antenor,
Yesterday took; Troy holds him very dear.
Oft have you (often have you thanks therefore)
Defir'd my Creffid in right great exchange,
Whom Troy hath ftill deny'd: But this Antenor,
I know, is fuch a wreft in their affairs,
That their negotiations all muft flack,
Wanting his manage; and they will almost
Give us a prince of blood, a fon of Priam,

In change of him: let him be fent, great princes,
And he fhall buy my daughter; and her presence
Shall quite ftrike off all fervice I have done,
In most accepted pain.

Aga. Let Diomedes bear him,

And bring us Creffid hither; Calchas fhall have
What he requests of us.-Good Diomed,
Furnish you fairly for this enterchange:
Withal, bring word-if Hector will to-morrow
Be answer'd in his challenge; Ajax is ready.

Diom. This fhall I undertake; and 'tis a burden
Which I am proud to bear.

[Exeunt Diomed, and Calchas.

Enter Achilles, and Patroclus, before their tent.

Uly. Achilles ftands i'the entrance of his tent :-
Please it our general to pafs ftrangely by him,
As if he were forgot;-and, princes all,
Lay negligent and loofe regard upon him :-

I will come laft: 'Tis like, he'll queftion me,

is such a wreft in their affairs,]—Antenor's lofs will fo diftract their counfels. Such a reft-a prop, a ftay: his prefence is fo effentially neceffary to them.

In ineft accepted pain.]-Even in the most arduous and important

inftances.

Why 'fuch unplaufive eyes are bent, why turn'd on him:
If so, I have derifion med'cinable,

To ufe between your strangeness and his pride,
Which his own will fhall have defire to drink;
It may do good: pride hath no other glafs
To fhew itself, but pride; for fupple knees
Feed arrogance, and are the proud man's fees.

Aga. We'll execute your purpofe, and put on
A form of strangenefs as we pafs along ;-
So do each lord; and either greet him not,
Or elfe difdainfully, which fhall shake him more
Than if not look'd on. I will lead the way..

Achil. What, comes the general to speak with me? You know my mind, I'll fight no more 'gainst Troy. Aga. What fays Achilles? would he aught with us? Neft. Would you, my lord, aught with the general? Achil. No.

Neft. Nothing, my lord.

Aga. The better.

Achil. Good day, good day.

Men. How do you? how do you?

Achil. What, does the cuckold scorn me?

Ajax. How now, Patroclus?

Achil. Good morrow, Ajax.

Ajax. Ha?

Achil. Good morrow.

Ajax. Ay, and good next day too.

[Exeunt.

Achil. What mean these fellows? know they not

Achilles?

Patr. They pass by ftrangely: they were us❜d to bend, To fend their fmiles before them to Achilles;

t

fuch unplaufive eyes are bent,]-fuch looks of difapprobation are put on,

To