Patr. I shall; and bring his answer presently.

[Exit.

Agam. In second voice we'll not be satisfied, We come to speak with him.— Ulysses, enter. [Exit ULYSSES. Ajax. What is he more than another? Agam. No more than what he thinks he is. Ajax. Is he so much? Do you not think, he thinks himself a better man than I am?

Agam. No question.

Ajax. Will you subscribe his thought, and say

he is?

Agam. No, noble Ajax; you are as strong, as valiant, as wise, no less noble, much more gentle, and altogether more tractable.

Ajax. Why should a man be proud? How doth pride grow? I know not what pride is.

Agam. Your mind's the clearer, Ajax, and your virtues the fairer. He that is proud, eats up himself: pride is his own glass, his own trumpet, his own chronicle; and whatever praises itself but in the deed, devours the deed in the praise.

Ajax. I do hate a proud man, as I hate the engendering of toads.

Nest. And yet he loves himself: Is it not strange? [Aside.

Re-enter ULYSSES.

He doth rely on none;

Ulyss. Achilles will not to the field to-morrow. Agam. What's his excuse. Ulyss But carries on the stream of his dispose, Without observance or respect of any, In will peculiar and in self-admission.

Agam. Why will he not, upon our fair request, Untent his person, and share the air with us? Ulyss. Things small as nothing, for request's sake only,

He makes important: Possess'd he is with great

ness s;

And speaks not.to himself, but with a pride
That quarrels at self-breath: imagin'd worth
Holds in his blood such swoln and hot discourse,
That, 'twixt his mental and his active parts,
Kingdom'd Achilles in commotion rages,
And batters down himself: What should I say ?
He is so plaguy proud, that the death tokens of it
Cry No recovery.

--

Agam.
Let Ajax go to him.-
Dear lord, go you and greet him in his tent:
'Tis said, he holds you well; and will be led,
At your request, a little from himself.

Ulyss. O Agamemnon, let it not be so!.
We'll consecrate the steps that Ajax makes
When they go from Achilles: Shall the proud lord,
That bastes his arrogance with his own seam ";
And never suffers matter of the world

Enter his thoughts, save such as do revolve
And ruminate himself, shall he be worshipp'd
Of that we hold an idol more than he?

No, this thrice worthy and right valiant lord
Must not so stale his palm, nobly acquir'd;.
Nor, by my will, assubjugate his merit,
As amply titled as Achilles is,

By going to Achilles :

That were to enlard 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.

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

Dio. And how his silence drinks up this applause!

[Aside.

[Aside.

6 Fat.

Ajax. If I go to him, with my arm'd fist I'll pash'

him

Over the face.

Agam.

Ọ, no, you shall not go. Ajax. An he be proud with me, I'll pheeze his pride:

Let me go to him.

Ulyss. Not for the worth that hangs upon our quarrel.

Nest.

Ajax. A paltry, insolent fellow,

How he describes

Ajax.

I will let his humours blood.

Agam. He'll be physician, that should be the

Ajax. He should not bear it so,

He should eat swords first: Shall pride carry it?

Nest. An 'twould, you'd carry half.

Ulyss.

[Aside.

He'd have ten shares.

[Aside.

Ajax. I'll knead him, I will make him supple: Nest. He's not yet thorough warm: force him with praises:

Pour in, pour in; his ambition is dry. [Aside. Ulyss. My lord, you feed too much on this dislike. [To AGAMEMNON. Nest. O noble general, do not do so.

Dio. You must prepare to fight without Achilles. Ulyss. Why, 'tis this naming of him does him harm.

7 Strike.

8 Comb.or curry.

9 Stuff.

Here is a man —

I will be silent.

Nest.

But 'tis before his face;

Wherefore should you so?

He is not emulous', as Achilles is.

Ulyss. Know the whole world, he is as valiant. Ajax. A vile dog, that shall palter' thus with us! I would, he were a Trojan!

Nest.

What a vice

Dio. Or covetous of praise?

Ulyss.

If he were proud ?

Ay, or surly borne ?

Dio. Or strange, or self-affected?

Ulyss. Thank the heavens, lord, thou art of sweet

composure;

Praise him that got thee, she that gave thee suck:
Fam'd be thy tutor, and thy parts of nature
Thrice-fam'd, 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 vigour,
Bull-bearing Milo his addition3 yield

To sinewy Ajax. I will not praise thy wisdom,
Which, like a bourn, a pale, a shore, confines
Thy spacious and dilated parts: Here's Nestor,
Instructed by the antiquary times,

He must, he is, he cannot but be wise ;-
But pardon, father Nestor, were your days
As green as Ajax', and your brain so temper'd,
You should not have the eminence of him,
But be as Ajax.

Ajax.

Shall I call you father?

Nest. Ay, my good son.

Dio.

Be rul'd by him, lord Ajax.

Ulyss. There is no tarrying here; the hart

Achilles

Keeps thicket. Please it our great general

1 Envious.

3 Titles.

2 Trifle.

• Boundary.

To call together all his state 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 east to

west,

And cull their flower, Ajax shall cope the best. Agam. Go we to council. Let Achilles sleep: Light boats sail swift, though greater hulks draw deep.

[Exeunt.

ACT THE THIRD.

SCENE 1,

Troy. A Room in Priam's Palace.

Enter PANDARUS and a Servant.

Pan. Friend! you! pray you, a word: Do not you follow the young lord Paris?

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

must needs praise him.

Serv. The lord be praised!

Pan. You know me, do you not?.

Serv. 'Faith, sir, superficially.

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

Serv. I hope, I shall know your honour better. Pan. I do desire it.

Serv. You are in the state of grace.

[Musick within.