Enter AGAMEMNON, ULYSSES, NESTOR, DIOMEDES, and AJAX. Achil. Patroclus, I'll speak with nobody :-Come in with me, Thersites. [Exit. Ther. Here is such patchery, such juggling, and such knavery! all the argument is, a cuckold, and a whore: A good quarrel, to draw emulous factions, and bleed to death upon. Now the dry serpigo on the subject! and war, and lechery, confound all! [Exit. Agam. Where is Achilles? Patr. Within his tent; but ill-dispos'd, my lord. Let him be told so; lest, perchance, he think Patr. I shall say so to him. [Exit. Ulyss. We saw him at the opening of his tent; He is not sick. Ajar. Yes, lion-sick, sick of proud heart: you may call it melancholy, if you will favour the man; but, by my head, 'tis pride: But why, why? let him show us a cause.-A word, my lord. [Takes AGAMEMNON aside. Nest. What moves Ajax thus to bay at him? Ulyss. Achilles hath inveigled his fool from him. Nest. Who? Thersites ? Ulyss. He. Nest. Then will Ajax lack matter, if he have lost his argument, * He shent our messengers:] i. e. rebuked, rated. Ulyss. No; you see, he is his argument, that has his argument; Achilles. Nest. All the better; their fraction is more our wish, than their faction: But it was a strong composure, a fool could disunite. Ulyss. The amity, that wisdom knits not, folly may easily untie. Here comes Patroclus. Re-enter PATROCLUS. Nest. No Achilles with him. Ulyss. The elephant hath joints, but none for courtesy: his legs are legs for necessity, not for flexure. Patr. Achilles bids me say—he is much sorry, If any thing more than your sport and pleasure Did move your greatness, and this noble state,3 To call upon him; he hopes, it is no other, But, for your health and your digestion sake, An after-dinner's breath.* Agam. Much attribute he hath; and much the reason 3-noble state,] i. e. the stately train of attending nobles whom you bring with you. 4 breath,] Breath, in the present instance, stands for breathing, i. e. exercise. Than in the note of judgment; and worthier than himself 5 Here tend the savage strangeness he puts on; 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. [Erit ULYSSES. Ajax. What is he more than another? Agam. No more than what he thinks he is. Ajar. Is he so much? Do you not think, he thinks himself a better man than I am? Agam. No question. Ajax. Will he is? you subscribe his thought, and say 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. S tend the savage strangeness-] i. e. shyness, distant behaviour. To tend is to attend upon. 6 — underwrite] To subscribe, in Shakspeare, is to obey. 7 in an observing kind-] i. e. in a mode religiously attentive. sallowance give-] Allowance is approbation. 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. Ulyss. Achilles will not to the field to-morrow. Agam. What's his excuse? Ulyss. He doth rely on none; 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 greatness; And batters down himself: What should I say? Agam. 9 the death-tokens of it-] Alluding to the decisive spots appearing on those infected by the plague. 12 Ulyss. O Agamemnon, let it not be so! That bastes his arrogance with his own seam ;' By going to Achilles : That were to enlard his fat-already pride;2 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. [Aside. Dio. And how his silence drinks up this applause! Aside. Ajax. If I go to him, with my arm'd fist I'll pash him 3 Over the face. Agam. 3 O, no, you shall not go. Ajar. An he be proud with me, I'll pheeze his pride:4 Let me go to him. lard. with his own seam ;] Swine-seam, in the North, is hog's 2 That were to enlard, &c.] This is only the well-known proverb-Grease a fat sow, &c. in a more stately dress. I'll pash him-] i. c. strike him with violence. pheeze his pride:] To pheeze is to comb or curry. |