784In ranke Achilles, must or now be cropt,

785Or shedding breed a Nursery of like euil

786To ouer-bulke vs all.

787Nest. Wel, and how?

788Ulys. This challenge that the gallant Hector sends,

789How euer it is spred in general name,

790Relates in purpose onely to Achilles.

791Nest. The purpose is perspicuous euen as substance,

792Whose grossenesse little charracters summe vp,

793And in the publication make no straine,

794But that Achilles, were his braine as barren

795As bankes of Lybia, though (Apollo knowes)

796'Tis dry enough, wil with great speede of iudgement,

797I, with celerity, finde Hectors purpose

798Pointing on him.

799Ulys. And wake him to the answer, thinke you?

800Nest. Yes, 'tis most meet; who may you else oppose

801That can from Hector bring his Honor off,

802If not Achilles; though't be a sportfull Combate,

803Yet in this triall, much opinion dwels.

804For heere the Troyans taste our deer'st repute

805With their fin'st Pallate: and trust to me Vlysses,

806Our imputation shall be oddely poiz'd

807In this wilde action. For the successe

808(Although particular) shall giue a scantling

809Of good or bad, vnto the Generall:

810And in such Indexes, although small prickes

811To their subsequent Volumes, there is seene

812The baby figure of the Gyant-masse

813Of things to come at large. It is suppos'd,

814He that meets Hector, issues from our choyse;

815And choise being mutuall acte of all our soules,

816Makes Merit her election, and doth boyle

817As 'twere, from forth vs all: a man distill'd

818Out of our Vertues; who miscarrying,

819What heart from hence receyues the conqu'ring part

820To steele a strong opinion to themselues,

821Which entertain'd, Limbes are in his instruments,

822In no lesse working, then are Swords and Bowes

823Directiue by the Limbes.

824Vlys. Giue pardon to my speech:

825Therefore 'tis meet, Achilles meet not Hector:

826Let vs (like Merchants) shew our fowlest Wares,

827And thinke perchance they'l sell: If not,

828The luster of the better yet to shew,

829Shall shew the better. Do not consent,

830That euer Hector and Achilles meete:

831For both our Honour, and our Shame in this,

832Are dogg'd with two strange Followers.

833Nest. I see them not with my old eies: what are they?

834Vlys. What glory our Achilles shares from Hector,

835(Were he not proud) we all should weare with him:

836But he already is too insolent,

837And we were better parch in Affricke Sunne,

838Then in the pride and salt scorne of his eyes

839Should he scape Hector faire. If he were foyld,

840Why then we did our maine opinion crush

841In taint of our best man. No, make a Lott'ry,

842And by deuice let blockish Aiax draw

843The sort to fight with Hector: Among our selues,

844Giue him allowance as the worthier man,

845For that will physicke the great Myrmidon

846Who broyles in lowd applause, and make him fall

847His Crest, that prouder then blew Iris bends.

848If the dull brainlesse Aiax come safe off,

849Wee'l dresse him vp in voyces: if he faile,

850Yet go we vnder our opinion still,

851That we haue better men. But hit or misse,

852Our proiects life this shape of sence assumes,

853Aiax imploy'd, pluckes downe Achilles Plumes.

854Nest. Now Vlysses, I begin to rellish thy aduice,

855And I wil giue a taste of it forthwith

856To Agamemnon, go we to him straight:

857Two Curres shal tame each other, Pride alone

858Must tarre the Mastiffes on, as 'twere their bone. Exeunt

860Aia. Thersites?

861Ther. Agamemnon, how if he had Biles (ful) all ouer

862generally.

863Aia. Thersites?

864Ther. And those Byles did runne, say so; did not the

865General run, were not that a botchy core?

866Aia. Dogge.

867Ther. Then there would come some matter from him:

868I see none now.

869Aia. Thou Bitch-Wolfes-Sonne, canst y^u not heare?

870Feele then. Strikes him.

871Ther. The plague of Greece vpon thee thou Mungrel

872beefe-witted Lord.

873Aia. Speake then you whinid'st leauen speake, I will

874beate thee into handsomnesse.

875Ther. I shal sooner rayle thee into wit and holinesse:

876but I thinke thy Horse wil sooner con an Oration, then y^u

877learn a prayer without booke: Thou canst strike, canst

878thou? A red Murren o'th thy Iades trickes.

879Aia. Toads stoole, learne me the Proclamation.

880Ther. Doest thou thinke I haue no sence thou strik'st (me thus?

881Aia. The Proclamation.

882Ther. Thou art proclaim'd a foole, I thinke.

883Aia. Do not Porpentine, do not; my fingers itch.

884Ther. I would thou didst itch from head to foot, and

885I had the scratching of thee, I would make thee the loth-

886som'st scab in Greece.

887Aia. I say the Proclamation.

888Ther. Thou grumblest & railest euery houre on A-

889chilles, and thou art as ful of enuy at his greatnes, as Cer-

890berus is at Proserpina's beauty. I, that thou barkst at him.

891Aia. Mistresse Thersites.

892Ther. Thou should'st strike him.

893Aia. Coblofe.

894Ther. He would pun thee into shiuers with his fist, as

895a Sailor breakes a bisket.

896Aia. You horson Curre. Ther. Do, do.

897Aia. Thou stoole for a Witch.

898Ther. I, do, do, thou sodden-witted Lord: thou hast

899no more braine then I haue in mine elbows: An Asinico

900may tutor thee. Thou scuruy valiant Asse, thou art heere

901but to thresh Troyans, and thou art bought and solde a-

902mong those of any wit, like a Barbarian slaue. If thou vse

903to beat me, I wil begin at thy heele, and tel what thou art

904by inches, thou thing of no bowels thou.

905Aia. You dogge.

906Ther. You scuruy Lord.

907Aia. You Curre.

908Ther. Mars his Ideot: do rudenes, do Camell, do, do.

910Achil. Why how now Aiax? wherefore do you this?

911How now Thersites? what's the matter man?

912Ther. You see him there, do you?

913Achil. I, what's the matter.

914Ther. Nay looke vpon him.

915Achil. So I do: what's the matter?