12061144How now Thersites? what lost in the Labyrinth of thy

12071145furie? shall the Elephant Aiax carry it thus? he beates me,

12081146and I raile at him: O worthy satisfaction, would it were

12091147otherwise: that I could beate him, whilst hee raild at mee:

12101148Sfoote, Ile learne to coniure and raise Diuels, but Ile see

12111149some issue of my spitefull execrations. Then ther's Achilles, a

12121150rare inginer. If Troy bee not taken till these two vnder-

12131151mine it, the walls will stand till they fall of them-selues.

12141152O thou great thunder-darter of Olympus, forget that thou

12151153art Ioue the king of gods: and Mercury, loose all the Ser-

12161154pentine craft of thy Caduceus, if yee take not that little

12171155little lesse then little witte from them that they haue:

12181156which short-armd Ignorance it selfe knowes is so aboun-

12191157dant scarce, it will not in circumuention deliuer a flie from

12201158a spider, without drawing their massie Irons, and cutting

12211159the web. After this the vengeance on the whole campe,

12221160or rather the Neopolitan bone-ache: for that me thinkes is

12231161the curse depending on those that warre for a placket. I

12241162haue said my prayers, and diuell Enuie say Amen. What ho

12251163my Lord Achilles?

12271164Patrocl. Whose there? Thersites? good Thersites come

12281165in and raile.

12291166Thersi. If I could a remembred a guilt counterfeit, thou

12301167couldst not haue slipt out of my contemplation: but it is no

12311168matter, thy selfe vpon thy selfe. The common curse of man-

12321169kinde, Folly and Ignorance, be thine in great reuenew: Hea-

12331170uen blesse thee from a tutor, and discipline come not neere

12341171thee. Let thy bloud be thy direction till thy death: then if

12351172she that layes thee out sayes thou art not a faire course, Ile

12361173be sworne and sworne vpon't, shee neuer shrowded any but

12371174lazars. Amen. Where's Achilles?

12381175Patro. What art thou deuout? wast thou in prayer?

12391176Thers. I the heauens heare me.

12401177Patro. Amen. Enter Achilles.

12411178Achil. Who's there?

12421179Patro. Thersites, my Lord.

12431180Achil. Where? where? O where? art thou come why my

12441181cheese, my digestion, why hast thou not serued thy selfe into

12451182my table, so many meales, come what's Agamemnon?

12461183Ther. Thy commander Achilles, then tell me Patroclus,

12471184whats Achilles?

12481185Patro. Thy Lord Thersites. Then tell mee I pray thee,

12491186what's Thersites?

12501187Ther. Thy knower, Patroclus: then tell mee Patroclus,

12511188what art thou?

12521189Patro. Thou must tell that knowest.

12531190Achil. O tell, tell.

12541191Ther. Ile decline the whole question. Agamemnon com-

12551192mands Achilles, Achilles is my Lord, I am Patroclus know-

12561193er, and Patroclus is a foole.

12621194Achil. Deriue this? come?

12631195Ther. Agamemnon is a foole to offer to command Achil-

12641196les, Achilles is a foole to be commanded. Thersites is a foole

12651197to serue such a foole, and this Patroclus is a foole positiue.

12671198Patr. Why am I a foole?

12701199Ther. Make that demand of the Prouer, it suffices mee

12711200thou art: looke you, who comes heere?

12721202Achil. Come Patroclus, Ile speake with nobody: come

12731203in with me Thersites.

12741204Ther. Here is such patcherie, such iugling, and such kna-

12751205uery: all the argument is a whore, and a Cuckold, a good

12761206quarrell to draw emulous factions, & bleed to death vpon.

12791207Agam. Where is Achilles?

12801208Patro. Within his tent, but ill disposd my Lord.

12811209Aga. Let it be knowne to him, that we are heere,

12821210He sate our messengers and we lay by,

12831211Our appertainings, visiting of him

12841212Let him be told so, least perchance he thinke,

12851213We dare not moue the question of our place,

12861214Or know not what we are.

12871215Patro. I shall say so to him.

12881216Vliss. We saw him at the opening of his tent,

12891217Hee is not sick.

12901218Aiax. Yes Lion sick, sick of proud heart, you may call it

E melan-

12911219melancholy if you will fauour the man. But by my head 'tis

12921220pride: but why, why, let him shew vs a cause?

12941221Nest. What mooues Aiax thus to bay at him?

12951222Vliss. Achillis hath inuegled his foole from him,

12961223Nest. Who Thersites? Vlis. He.

12981224Nest. Thē wil Aiax lack matter, if he haue lost his argumẽt.

13001225Vli. No, you see he is his argument, that has his argument

13011226Achilles.

13021227Nes. All the better, their fractiō is more our wish then theit

13031228faction, but it was a strōg composure a foole could disunite.

13051229Vli. The amity that wisdom knits not, folly may easily vnty,

13071230Heere comes Patroclus. Nest. No Achilles with him.

13091231Vlis. The Elephant hath ioynts, but none for courtesie,

13101232His legs are legs for necessity, not for flexure.

13111233Patro. Achilles bids me say he is much sorry,

13121234If any thing more then your sport and pleasure

13131235Did mooue your greatnesse, and this noble state,

13141236To call vpon him. He hopes it is no other

13151237But for your health, and your disgestion sake,

13161238An after dinners breath.

13171239Agam. Heere you Patroclus:

13181240We are too well acquainted with these answers,

13191241But his euasion winged thus swift with scorne,

13201242Cannot out-flie our apprehensions,

13211243Much attribute he hath, and much the reason

13221244Why we ascribe it to him. Yet all his vertues,

13231245Not vertuously on his owne part beheld,

13241246Doe in our eyes begin to lose their glosse,

13251247Yea like faire fruite in an vnholsome dish,

13261248Are like to rott vntasted. Go and tell him,

13271249We come to speake with him, and you shall not sinne,

13281250If you do say, we thinke him ouer-proud

13291251And vnder-honest: in selfe assumption greater

13301252Then in the note of iudgement. And worthier then himselfe

13311253Heere tend the sauage strangenesse he puts on

13321254Disguise, the holy strength of their commaund,

13331255And vnder-write in an obseruing kinde,

13341256His humorous predominance: yea watch

13351257His course, and time, his ebbs and flowes, and if

13361258The passage, and whole streame of his commencement,

13371259Rode on his tide. Goe tell him this, and adde,

13381260That if he ouer-hold his price so much,

13391261Weele none of him. But let him like an engine,

13401262Not portable, lye vnder this report.

13411263Bring action hither, this cannot go to warre,

13421264A stirring dwarfe we doe allowance giue,

13431265Before a sleeping gyant. Tell him so.

13441266Patr. I shall, and bring his answer presently.

13451267Agam. In second voyce weele not be satisfied,

13461268We come to speake with him: Vlisses entertaine.

13481269Aiax. What is he more then another.

13491270Agam, No more then what he thinkes he is.

13501271Aiax. Is he so much: doe you not thinke he thinkes him-

13511272selfe a better man then I am?

13521273Agam. No question.

13531274Aiax. Will you subscribe his thought, and say he is.

13541275Agam. No noble Aiax, you are as strong, as valiant, as

13551276wise, no lesse noble, much more gentle, and altogether

13561277more tractable.

13571278Aia. Why should a man be proud? how doth pride grow?

13581279I know not what pride is.

13591280Agam. Your minde is the cleerer, and your vertues the

13601281fairer, hee that is proud eates vp him-selfe: Pride is his

13611282owne glasse, his owne trumpet, his owne chronicle, and

13621283what euer praises it selfe but in the deed, deuoures the

13631284deed in the praise.

13651286Aiax. I do hate a proud man, as I do hate the ingendring

13661287of Toades.

13671288Nest. And yet he loues himselfe, ist not strange?

13681289Vlis. Achilles will not to the field to morrow.

13691290Agam. Whats his excuse?

13701291Vlis. He doth relye on none.

13711292But carries on the streame of his dispose,

13721293Without obseruance, or respect of any,

13731294In will peculiar, and in selfe admission.

E2 Agam.

13741295Agam. Why will he not vpon our faire request,

13751296Vntent his person, and share th'ayre with vs.

13761297Vlis. Things small as nothing, for requests sake onely,

13771298He makes important, possest he is with greatnesse,

13781299And speakes not to himselfe but with a pride,

13791300That quarrels at selfe breath. Imagind worth,

13801301Holds in his bloud such swolne and hott discourse,

13811302That twixt his mentall and his actiue parts,

13821303Kingdomd Achilles in commotion rages,

13831304And batters downe himselfe. What should I say,

13841305He is so plaguie proud, that the death tokens of it,

13851306Crie no recouerie. Agam. Let Aiax go to him,

13871307Deare Lord, go you, and greete him in his tent,

13881308'Tis said he holds you well, and will be lead,

13891309At your request a little from himselfe.

13901310Ulis. O Agamemnon let it not be so,

13911311Weele consecrate the steps that Aiax makes,

13921312When they go from Achilles: shall the proud Lord

13931313That basts his arrogance with his owne seame,

13941314And neuer suffers matter of the world

13951315Enter his thoughts, saue such as doth reuolue,

13961316And ruminate him-selfe: shall he be worshipt,

13971317Of that we hold an idoll more then hee,

13981318No: this thrice worthy and right valiant Lord,

13991319Shall not so staule his palme nobly acquird,

14001320Nor by my will assubiugate his merit,

14011321As amply liked as Achilles is, by going to Achilles,

14021322That were to enlard his fat already pride,

14031323And adde more coles to Cancer when he burnes,

14041324With entertaining great Hiperion,

14051325This Lord go to him. Iupiter forbid,

14061326And say in thunder Achilles go to him.

14071327Nest. O this is well, he rubs the vaine of him.

14081328Diom. And how his silence drinkes vp his applause,

14091329Aia. If I go to him: with my armed fist ile push him ore the(face.

14111330Agam O no, you shall not goe,

14121331Aia. And he be proud with me, Ile phese his pride,

14131332Let me goe to him.

14141333Vliss. Not for the worth that hangs vpon our quarrell.

14151334Aiax. A paltry insolent fellow.

14161335Nest. How he describes him selfe.

14171336Aiax. Can he not be sociable.

14181337Uliss. The Rauen chides blacknesse.

14191338Aiax. Ile tell his humorous bloud.

14201339Agam. Hee wil be the phisition, that should bee the paci-

14211340ent. Aiax. And all men were of my minde.

14231341Vliss. Wit would bee out of fashion.

14241342Aiax: A should not beare it so, a should eate swords first?

14251343shall pride carry it?

14261344Nest. And two'od yow'd carry halfe.

14271345Aiax. A would haue ten shares. I will kneade him, Ile

14281346make him supple, he's not yet through warme?

14301347Nest. Force him with praiers poure in, poure, his ambition

14311348is drie.

14321349Vliss. My Lord you feed to much on this dislike.

14331350Nest. Our noble generall do not do so?

14341351Diom. You must prepare to fight without Achilles.

14351352Vliss: Why tis this naming of him do's him harme,

14361353Here is a man but tis before his face, I wil be silent.

14381354Nest. Wherefore should you so?

14391355He is not emulous as Achilles is.

14401356Vliss. Know the whole world hee is as valiant-------------

14411357Aiax. A hoarson dog that shall palter with vs thus, would

14421358he were a Troyan?

14431359Nest. What a vice were it in Aiax now:

14441360Vliss: If hee were proude.

14451361Diom. Or couetous of praise.

14461362Vliss. I or surly borne.

14471363Diom. Or strange or selfe affected.

14481364Vliss: Thank the heauens Lord, thou art of sweet composure

14491365Praise him that gat thee, shee that gaue thee suck:

14501366Fam'd be thy tutor, and thy parts of nature,

14511367Thrice fam'd beyond all thy erudition:

14521368But hee that disciplind thine armes to fight,

14531369Let Mars diuide eternity in twaine,

14541370And giue him halfe, and for thy vigour:

E3 Bull-

14551371Bull-bearing Milo his addition yeeld,

14561372To sinowy Aiax, I will not praise thy wisdome,

14571373Which like a boord: a pale, a shore confines

14581374This spacious and dilated parts, here's Nestor,

14591375Instructed by the antiquary times:

14601376He must, he is, he cannot but be wise,

14611377But pardon father Nestor were your daies

14621378As greene as Aiax, and your braine so temper'd,

14631379You should not haue the emynence of him,

14641380But be as Aiax. Aiax. Shall I call you father?

14661381Nest. I my good Sonne.

14671382Diom. Be ruld by him Lord Aiax.

14681383Vliss. There is no tarrying here the Hart Achilles,

14691384Keepes thicket, please it our great generall,

14701385To call together all his state of warre,

14711386Fresh Kings are come to Troy. To morrow

14721387We must with all our maine of power stand fast,

14731388And here's a Lord come Knights from East to West

14741389And call their flower, Aiax shall cope the best.

14751390Aga. Go we to counsell, let Achilles sleepe,

14761391Light boates saile swift, though greater hulkes draw deepe. (Exeunt.