I

That baftes his arrogance with his own feam,
And never fuffers matters of the world
Enter his thoughts (fave fuch as do revolve
And ruminate himself) fhall he be worshipp'd
Of that, we hold an idol more than he?
No, this thrice-worthy and right valiant lord
Muft not fo ftale his palm, nobly acquir'd;
Nor, by my will, affubjugate his merit,
As amply titled, as Achilles is,

By going to Achilles :

That were to inlard his fat-already pride,

And add more coals to Cancer, when he burns
With entertaining great Hyperion.

This lord go to him! Jupiter forbid;

And say in thunder-Achilles, go to him!

Neft. O, this is well; he rubs the vein of him.

[Afide.

[Afide.

Dio. And how his filence drinks up this applaufe!

Ajax. If I go to him-with my armed fift

I'll pash him o'er the face.

Aga. O no, you shall not go.

2

Ajax. An he be proud with me, I'll 2 pheese his pride:

Let me go to him.

2

Ulyf. 3 Not for the worth that hangs upon our quarrel.
Ajax. A paltry infolent fellow

Neft. How he describes himself!
Ajax. Can he not be fociable?
Ulyf. The raven chides blackness.
Ajax. I'll let his humours blood.

Aga. He will be the physician that should be the patient.

with his own feam,] Seam is greafe. STEEVENS. pheefe his pride:] To pheefe is to comb or curry. JOHNS,

3 Not for the worth] Not for the value of all for which we are fighting. JOHNSON,

Ajax. An all men were o' my mind-
Ülyf. Wit would be out of fashion.

Ajax. He fhould not bear it fo, he should eat fwords firft:

Shall pride carry it?

Neft. An 'twould, you'd carry half.
Ulyf. He would have ten fhares.

+ Ajax. I will knead him, I will make him fuppleNeft. He's not yet thorough warm: 5 force him with praises :

Pour in, pour in; his ambition is dry.

Ulyf. My lord, you feed too much on this diflike. Neft. Our noble general, do not do fo.

Dio. You must prepare to fight without Achilles. Ulyf. Why, 'tis this naming of him doth him harm. Here is a man-But 'tis before his face

I will be filent.

Neft. Wherefore fhould you fo?

He is not emulous, as Achilles is.

Ulyf. Know the whole world, he is as valiant. Ajax. A whorefon dog! that shall palter thus with us

-

'Would he were a Trojan!

Neft. What a vice were it in Ajax now

Ulyf. If he were proud?

Dio. Or covetous of praife?

Ulyf. Ay, or furly borne ?

Dio. Or ftrange, or felf-affected?

✦ Ajax. I will knead him, I will make him fupple, he's not yet thorough warm.

Neft. Force him with praifes, &c.] The latter part of Ajax's fpeech is certainly got out of place, and ought to be affigned to Neftor, as I have ventured to tranfpofe it. Ajax is feeding on his vanity, and boafting what he will do to Achilles; he'll path him o'er the face, he'll make him eat fwords, he'll knead him, he'll fupple him, &c. Neftor and Ulyffes flily labour to keep him up in this vein; and to this end Neftor craftily hints, that Ajax is not warm yet, but mufl be crammed with more flattery. THEOBALD.

-force him-] i. e. stuff him. Farcir, Fr. STEEV.

Ubyf.

Ulyf. Thank the heavens, lord, thou art of sweet compofure;

Praise him that got thee, fhe that gave thee fuck:
Fam'd be thy tutor; and thy parts of nature
Thrice fam'd, beyond, beyond all erudition:
But he that disciplin'd thy arms to fight,
Let Mars divide eternity in twain,
And give him half: and for thy vigor,
Bull-bearing Milo his addition yields

To finewy Ajax. I will not praise thy wisdom,
Which, like a bourn, a pale, a fhore, confines
Thy fpacious and dilated parts :-Here's Neftor,
Inftructed by the antiquary times;

He muft, he is, he cannot but be wise :-
But pardon, father Neftor, were your days
As green as Ajax, and your brain fo temper'd,
You fhould not have the eminence of him,
But be as Ajax.

Ajax. Shall I call you father?

6 Neft. Ay, my good fon.

Dio. Be rul'd by him, lord Ajax.

Ulyf. There is no tarrying here; the hart Achilles Keeps thicket. Please it our great general

To call together all his ftate of war;

Fresh kings are come to Troy: to-morrow

We must with all our main of power stand fast:
And here's a lord,- Come knights from Eaft to West,
And cull their flower, Ajax fhall cope the best.
Aga. Go we to council, let Achilles fleep:
Light boats fail fwift, though greater hulks draw deep.
[Exeunt.

Neft. Ay, my good fon.] In the folio and in the modern editions Ajax defires to give the title of father to Ulyffes; in the quarto, more naturally, to Neftor. JOHNSON.

ACT

ACT III. SCENE I.

The PALACE.

Enter Pandarus and a Servant. [Mufick within.

PANDARUS.

RIEND! you! Pray you, a word. Do not you follow the young lord Paris?

FR

Serv. Ay, Sir, when he goes before me.

Pan. You do depend upon him, I mean?
Serv. Sir, I do depend upon the Lord.

Pan. You do depend upon a noble gentleman: I muft needs praise him.

Serv. The Lord be praised!

Pan. You know me, do you not?

Serv. Faith, Sir, fuperficially.

Pan. Friend, know me better; I am the lord Pandarus.

Serv. I hope I fhall know your honour better.
Pan. I do defire it.

Serv. You are in the ftate of grace?

Pan. Grace! not fo, friend: honour and lordship are my titles. What mufick is this?

Serv. I do but partly know, Sir; it is musick in

parts.

Pan. You know the muficians?

Serv. Wholly, Sir.

Pan. Who play they to?

Serv. To the hearers, Sir.

Pan. At whofe pleasure, friend?

Pan. At mine, Sir, and theirs that love mufick.

Pan. Command, I mean, friend.

Serv. Who fhall I command, Sir?

Pan.

Pan. Friend, we understand not one another; I am too courtly, and thou art too cunning. At whose request do these men play?

Serv. That's to't, indeed, Sir. Marry, Sir, at the request of Paris my lord, who is there in perfon; with him the mortal Venus, the heart-blood of beauty, I love's invifible foul.

Pan. Who, my coufin Creffida?

Serv. No, Sir, Helen. Could you not find out that by her attributes?

Pan. It fhould feem, fellow, that thou haft not seen the lady Creffida. I come to fpeak with Paris from the prince Troilus: I will make a complimental affault upon him, for my business feeths.

Serv. Sodden business! there's a stew'd phrase indeed!

Enter Paris and Helen, attended.

Pan. Fair be to you, my lord, and to all this fair company! fair defires in all fair measure fairly guide them! especially to you, fair queen! fair thoughts be your fair pillow!

Helen. Dear lord, you are full of fair words.

Pan. You speak your fair pleasure, fweet queen.Fair prince, here is good broken mufick.

Par. You have broken it, coufin; and, by my life, you shall make it whole again: you fhall piece it out with a piece of your performance.-Nell, he is full of harmony.

Pan. Truly, lady, no.

Helen. O, Sir

Pan. Rude, in footh; in good footh, very rude. Par. Well faid, my lord! well, you say so 2 in fits.

love's vifible foul.] So HANMER. The other editions have invisible, which perhaps may be right, and may mean the foul of love invifible every where elfe. JOHNSON.

2

in fits.] i. e. now and then, by fits. STEEVENS.

Pan.