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?

916Ther. Nay but regard him well.

917Achil. Well, why I do so.

918Ther. But yet you looke not well vpon him: for who

919some euer you take him to be, he is Aiax.

920Achil. I know that foole.

921Ther. I, but that foole knowes not himselfe.

922Aiax. Therefore I beate thee.

923Ther. Lo, lo, lo, lo, what modicums of wit he vtters: his

924euasions haue eares thus long. I haue bobb'd his Braine

925more then he has beate my bones: I will buy nine Spar-

926rowes for a peny, and his Piamater is not worth the ninth

927part of a Sparrow. This Lord (Achilles) Aiax who wears

928his wit in his belly, and his guttes in his head, Ile tell you

929what I say of him.

930Achil. What?

931Ther. I say this Aiax---

932Achil. Nay good Aiax.

933Ther. Has not so much wit.

934Achil: Nay, I must hold you.

935Ther. As will stop the eye of Helens Needle, for whom

936he comes to fight.

937Achil. Peace foole.

938Ther. I would haue peace and quietnes, but the foole

939will not: he there, that he, looke you there.

940Aiax. O thou damn'd Curre, I shall---

941Achil. Will you set your wit to a Fooles.

942Ther. No I warrant you, for a fooles will shame it.

943Pat. Good words Thersites.

944Achil. What's the quarrell?

945Aiax. I bad thee vile Owle, goe learne me the tenure

946of the Proclamation, and he rayles vpon me.

947Ther. I serue thee not.

948Aiax. Well, go too, go too.

949Ther. I serue heere voluntary.

950Achil. Your last seruice was sufferance, 'twas not vo-

951luntary, no man is beaten voluntary: Aiax was heere the

952voluntary, and you as vnder an Impresse.

953Ther. E'neso, a great deale of your wit too lies in your

954sinnewes, or else there be Liars. Hector shall haue a great

955catch, if he knocke out either of your braines, he were as

956good cracke a fustie nut with no kernell.

957Achil. What with me to Thersites?

958Ther. There's Vlysses, and old Nestor, whose Wit was

959mouldy ere their Grandsires had nails on their toes, yoke

960you like draft-Oxen, and make you plough vp the warre.

961Achil. What? what?

962Ther. Yes good sooth, to Achilles, to Aiax, to---

963Aiax. I shall cut out your tongue.

964Ther. 'Tis no matter, I shall speake as much as thou

965afterwards.

966Pat. No more words Thersites.

967Ther. I will hold my peace when Achilles Brooch bids

968me, shall I?

969Achil. There's for you Patroclus.

970Ther. I will see you hang'd like Clotpoles ere I come

971any more to your Tents; I will keepe where there is wit

972stirring, and leaue the faction of fooles. Exit.

973Pat. A good riddance.

974Achil. Marry this Sir is proclaim'd through al our host,

975That Hector by the fift houre of the Sunne,

976Will with a Trumpet, 'twixt our Tents and Troy

977To morrow morning call some Knight to Armes,

978That hath a stomacke, and such a one that dare

979Maintaine I know not what: 'tis trash. Farewell.

980Aiax. Farewell? who shall answer him?

981Achil. I know not, 'tis put to Lottry: otherwise

982He knew his man.

983Aiax. O meaning you, I wil go learne more of it. Exit.