Heat. Now, youthful Troilus, do not thefe high ftrains Of Divination in our fifter work Some touches of remorfe? or is your blood Troi Why, brother Hector, We may not think the juftness of each act Par. Elfe might the world convince of levity Pri. Paris, you speak Like one befotted on your fweet delights; Par. Sir, I propofe not merely to myself C 4 But But I would have the foil of her fair rape On terms of base compulfion? can it be, Should once fet footing in your generous bofoms ? Without a heart to dare, or fword to draw, He&t. Paris and Troilus, you have both faid well : The reasons, you alledge, do more conduce Than to make up a free determination 'Twixt right and wrong: for pleasure and revenge All dues be render'd to their owners; now To . To have her back return'd. Thus to perfift But makes it much more heavy. Hector's opinion For 'tis a cause that hath no mean dependance Troi. Why, there you touch'd the life of our design : Were it not glory that we more affected Than the performance of our heaving spleens, But, worthy Hector, A fpur to valiant and magnanimous deeds; As fmiles upon the forehead of this action,. Het. I am yours, You valiant off-fpring of great Priamus. [Exeunt. Before Achilles's Tent, in the Grecian Camp. H OW now, Therfites? what, loft in the labyrinth of thy fury? fhall the elephant Ajax carry it thus? he beats me, and I rail at him: O worthy fatis C 5 faction; faction; '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 undermine it, the walls will ftand 'till they fall of themselves. 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 thou take not that little, little, lefs than little wit from them that they have; which fhort-arm'd ignorance itself knows is fo abundant fcarce, it will not in circumvention deliver a fly from a spider, without drawing the maffy irons and cutting the web. After this, the vengeance on the whole camp; or rather the boneach, for that, methinks, is the curfe dependant on those that war for a placket. 1 have faid my prayers, and devil Envy fay Amen. What ho! my lord Achilles ! Enter Patroclus. Pat. Who's there? Therfites? Good Therfiles, come in and rail. Ther. If I could have remember'd a gilt counter, thou could't not have flipt out of my contemplation; but it is no matter, thyfelf upon thyfelf! The common curse of mankind, folly and ignorance, be thine in great revenue: heaven bless 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 coarfe, I'll be fworn and fworn upon't, fhe never fhrouded any but Lazars Amen. Where's Achilles ? Pat. What, art thou devout? waft thou in prayer? Ther. Ay, the heav'ns hear me ! Enter Achilles. Achil. Who's there? Pat. Pat. Therfites, my lord. ¡ Achil. Where, where ? art thou come, why, my cheese, my digeftion-why haft thou not ferved thyfelf up to my table, fo many meals? come, what's Agamemnon? Ther. Thy commander, Achilles; then tell me, Patroclus, what's Achilles? Pat. Thy lord, Therfites: then tell me, I pray thee, what's thyfelf? Ther. Thy knower, Patroclus: then tell me, Patroclus, what art thou? Pat. Thou may'ft tell, that know'ft. Achil. O tell, tell, Ther. I'll decline the whole queftion. Agamemnon commands Achilles, Achilles is my lord, I am Patroclus's knower, and Patroclus is a fool. Pat. You rafcal Ther. Peace fool, I have not done. Proceed, Therfiles. 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. Pat. Why am I a fool? Ther. Make that demand to thy creator ;- -it fuffices me, thou art. Enter Agamemnon, Ulyffes, Neftor, Diomedes, Ajax, and Calchas. Look you, who comes here? Achil. Patroclus, I'll fpeak with no body: come in with me, Therfites. C 6 [Exit. Ther. |