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The Grecian camp. Before Achilles' tent.
[Enter AGAMEMNON, ULYSSES, DIOMEDES, NESTOR, AJAX, MENELAUS, and CALCHAS]
CALCHAS
, ,
2 ,
, ,
Now prin/ces for the | service | I have | done
you,
2 ,
, ,
, ,
The advant|age of | the time | prompts me |
aloud,
,
, , x
2 ,
To call | for rec|ompense:| appear it | to your
mind,
,
, ,
, ,
That through | the sight | I bear | in things |
to love,
, 2 ,
, ,
,
I have a|bandoned | Troy, left my pos/session,
,
, , ,
,
Incurred | a trait|or's name,| exposed | myself,
,
, ,
, ,
From cert|ain and | possessed | conven|iences,
,
, , ,
2 2 ,
To doubt|ful for|tunes, se|questering | from
me^all
,
, , 3 3 ,
That time,| acquaint|ance, cust|om and
condi|tion,
<- , ,
, ,
, ,
Made || tame, and | most fa|miliar | to my |
nature:
, ,
, ,
,
And here | to do | you serv|ice am | become,
, , 2
, ,
,
As new | into the | world, strange,
unac/quainted.
,
, , ,
,
I do | beseech | you, as | in way | of taste,
, ,
, , ,
To give | me now | a lit|tle ben|efit:
, 2 ,
, ,
,
Out of those^|many | regi|stered in | promise,
,
T T . T ,
,
Which^you | say, live to come | in my | behalf.
AGAMEMNON
What wouldst thou of us Troyan? Make demand?
CALCHAS
, 2
, ,
, ,
You have a | Troyan | prisoner,| called An/tenor,
, 2 T
T T
, ,
Yesterday*| took: Troy holds | him ve|ry dear.
, , ,
, ,
Oft^have | you (of|ten have | you, thanks |
therefore)
, ,
, ,
,
Desired | my Cres|sid in / right great |
exchange.
, ,
, , , 2
Whom Troy | hath still | denied:| but this |
Antenor,
,
, , ,
,
I know | is such | a wrest | in their | affairs;
,
, , ,
,
That their | nego|tia|tions all | must slack,
,
, ,
, ,
Wanting | his ma|nage: and | they will | almost,
, 2
, ,
, ,
Give us a | prince of | blood, a | son of |
Priam,
,
, , 2 ,
,
In change | of him.| Let him be | sent
great^|princes,
, 2 ,
, ,
,
And he shall | buy my | daughter:| and her |
presence,
,
T T T ,
2 ,
Shall quite | strike off all | service | I have
done,
, ,
,
In most | accep|ted pain.
AGAMEMNON
, , 2
,
Let Di|omedes | bear him, (tri with prev)
x ,
, ,
,
And bring us | Cressid | hither:| Calchas | shall
have
,
, ,
, ,
What he | requests | of us.| Good Di|omed
,
, , ,
,
Furnish | you fair|ly for | this in|terchange;
, T
T . T ,
, 2->
Withal | bring word, if Hec|tor will | tomor||row
,
x , T
T . T ->
Be ans|wered in his | challenge.| Ajax is
rea||dy.
DIOMEDES
, 2 ,
, ,
, ->
This | shall I und|ertake,| and 'tis | a bur||den
, ,
, __ oo
Which | I am | proud to | bear.|
[Exeunt DIOMEDES and CALCHAS. Enter ACHILLES and PATROCLUS, before their
tent]
ULYSSES
,
, 2 , ,
,
Achil|les stands | in the en|trance of | his
tent;
x
, 2 , ,
,
Please it our | general | to pass | strangely |
by him,
,
, , ,
,
As if | he were | forgot:| and prin|ces all,
, ,
, ,
x
Lay neg/ligent | and loose | regard | upon him;
,
, , ,
,
I will | come^last,| 'Tis like | he'll ques|tion
me,
, ,
, , ,
Why such | unplau|sive eyes | are bent?| Why
turned on him? ????
, ,
, , 2 ,
If so,| I have | deri|sion medi|cinable,
, ,
, , ,
To use | between | your strange|ness and / his
pride,
, ,
, ,
,
Which his / own will | shall have | desire | to
drink;
,
, ,
, ,
It may | do good,| pride hath | no oth|er glass
,
, , ,
,
To show | itself,| but pride:| for sup|ple knees,
, ,
, 2 T T
T
Feed ar/rogance,| and are the | proud man's fees.
AGAMEMNON
, , ,
, ,
We'll ex|ecute | your pur|pose, and | put^on
, ,
, ,
,
A form | of strange|ness as | we pass | along,
,
, ,
, ,
So do | each^lord,| and eith|er greet | him not,
, ,
2 , ,
,
Or else | disdain|fully*, which | shall shake |
him more,
, ,
, ,
,
Than if / not looked | on. I | will lead | the
way.
ACHILLES
__ ,
, 2 ,
,
What | comes the | general | to speak with me?
,
, , ,
,
You know | my mind,| I'll fight | no more
|'gainst^Troy.
AGAMEMNON
, ,
, , ,
What says | Achil|les, would | he aught | with
us?
NESTOR
,
, ,
, ,
Would you | my lord | aught with | the gen|eral?
ACHILLES
No.
NESTOR
Nothing my lord.
AGAMEMNON
The better.
[Exeunt AGAMEMNON and NESTOR]
ACHILLES
Good day, good day.
MENELAUS
How do you? How do you?
[Exit]
ACHILLES
What, does the cuckold scorn me?
AJAX
How now Patroclus?
ACHILLES
Good morrow Ajax?
AJAX
Ha.
ACHILLES
Good morrow.
AJAX
Aye, and good next day too.
[Exit]
ACHILLES
What mean these fellows? Know they not Achilles?
PATROCLUS
, , ,
, ,
They pass | by strange/ly: they | were used | to
bend
, ,
, , 2 ,
To send | their smiles | before | them to
A|chilles:
,
, , ,
, ,
, ->
To come | as hum|bly as | they used | to creep ||
to ho|ly al|tars.
ACHILLES
, 2
, ,
What | am I poor | of late?
, , ,
2 , ,
2->
'Tis cert|ain, great|ness once | fallen^out |
with for||tune,
,
, , , 2 ,
Must fall | out* with / men too:| what the
de|clined is,
, ,
, 2 ,
,
He shall | as soon | read in the | eyes of |
others,
, ,
, , ,
,
As feel in his own fall: for men
like^butterflies, ????
, ,
, , 2
,
Show* not | their mea|ly wings,| but to the |
summer:
, ,
, , ,
And not | a man | for be|ing sim|ply man,
, ,
, , 2
, 2->
Hath^a|ny hon|or; but | honor for |
those^ho||nors
, x
, , ,
->
That are | without him;| as place,| riches,| and
fa||vor,
, 2
, , ,
x
Pri|zes of ac|cident,| as oft | as merit:
, ,
x , 2 ,
Which^when | they fall,| as being | slippery |
standers;
, ,
, ,
,
The love | that leaned | on them | as slip|pery
too,
, T
T . T , ,
->
Doth^one | pluck down anoth|er, and | togeth|er
, 2
, , ,
,
Die | in the fall.| But 'tis | not so | with me;
,
, , ,
,
Fortune | and I | are friends,| I do | enjoy
,
, ,
, ,
At amp|le point,| all that | I did | possess,
T T
T ,
2 ,
,
Save these men's | looks: who*| do* methinks |
find^out
, ,
, , ,
->
Something | not worth | in me | such rich |
behol||ding,
, 2
, x
, 2 ,
As | they have of|ten given.| Here is Ul|ysses,
, 2 ,
, ,
, ->
I'll inter|rupt his | reading:| how now |
Ulys||ses?
ULYSSES
,
, ,
Now | great^The|tis' son.
ACHILLES
, 2 ,
What are you | reading?
ULYSSES
,
, ,
A strange | fellow | here \\
,
, ,
x ,
Writes me,| that man,| how dear|ly ever | parted,
, ,
, ,
,
How much | in hav|ing, or | without,| or in,
, T T
. T ,
,
Cannot | make boast to have | that which^|he
hath;
, ,
2 , ,
,
Nor feels | not what he | owes, but | by
re|flection:
,
, , 2 ,
,
As when | his vir|tues shi|ning upon | others,
,
, ,
, ,
Heat them,| and they | retort | that heat | again
2 ,
,
To the first | giver.
ACHILLES
2 , , ,
This is not | strange U|lysses:
, ,
, , ,
The beaut|y that | is borne | here^in | the face,
,
, ,
, ,
The bear|er knows | not, but | commends | itself,
, , ,
, ,
To oth|ers' eyes;| nor doth | the eye | itself,
,
T Tx . T
, ,
That most | pure spirit of sense,| behold |
itself,
x
2 , ,
, ,
Not going | from itself;| but eye | to eye |
opposed
, ,
, ,
,
Salutes | each oth|er with | each^oth|er's form.
, ,
, , ,
For spec|ula|tion turns | not to | itself,
,
, , ,
,
Till it | hath trav|elled, and | is mar|ried
there
,
, ,
, , ,
->
Where it | may see | itself:| this is / not
strange || at all.
ULYSSES
, ,
, 2 ,
I do | not strain | at the po|sition,
, ,
, 2 ,
,
It is | famil|iar; but | at the auth|or's drift,
,
, ,
, ,
Who in | his cir|cumstance,| express|ly proves
, ,
, , ,
That no | man is | the lord | of an|ything,
, 2
, ,
, ,
(Though in and | of him | there be | much
con|sisting,)
, 2
, ,
, ,
Till he com|muni|cate his | parts to | others:
,
, , ,
,
Nor doth | he of | himself | know* them | for
aught,
,
, , ,
2 ,
Till he | behold | them for|med in | the
applause;
,
2 , ,
2 , ,
3 3->
Where they are | extend|ed: who | like^an arch |
rever||berate
, ,
, ,
,
The voice | again;| or like | a gate | of steel,
,
, , ,
,
Fronting | the sun,| receives | and rend|ers back
,
, , , ,
, ->
His fig|ure, and | his heat.| I was / much rapt
|| in this,
, ,
, , 2 , ->
And ap|prehend|ed here | imme||diately:
, T T T oo
The un|known Ajax;|
x
, ,
, ,
Heavens what | a man | is there?| A ve|ry horse,
, ,
, ,
, ,
That has | he knows | not what. Nature, what
things there are ????
T T T
2 , , ,
Most abject | in regard,| and dear | in use.
, ,
, ,
,
What things | again | most dear / in the |
esteem,
, ,
, 2 ,
,
And poor | in worth:| Now shall we | see
to|morrow,
, ,
, , x
An act | that ve|ry chance | doth^throw | upon
him?
T T . T
x ,
,
Ajax renowned?| O* heavens,| what some | men^do,
, ,
,
While some | men leave | to do! \\
, ,
, , ,
How some | men* creep | in skit|tish for|tune's
hall,
,
, , 2
, ,
Whiles^oth|ers play | the i|diots in | her eyes:
, T T
T 2 ,
,
How one | man eats in|to anoth|er's pride,
,
, ,
, ,
While pride | is fas|ting in | his want|onness
, ,
, T Tx . T
2->
To see | these Gre|cian lords;| why, even
alrea||dy,
,
, , , 2
,
They clap | the lub|ber A|jax on the | shoulder,
,
, , ,
,
As if | his foot | were on / brave Hec|tor's
breast,
, ,
,
And great | Troy shrin/king.
ACHILLES
, x
I do | believe it:
2
, ,
, ,
, ->
For they passed | by me,| as mis|ers do | by
beg||gars,
,
, 2 ,
T T T
Neith|er gave | to me good | word, nor look:
,
, ,
What are | my deeds | forgot? \\
ULYSSES
T T
. T ,
, ,
Time hath (my lord)| a wal|let at | his back,
,
, ,
, ,
Wherein | he puts | alms for | obliv|ion:
, , ,
, ,
A great-|sized mon/ster of | ingrat|itudes:
,
, ___ __
Those scraps | are good | deeds | past,
<- ,
, ,
, ,
Which are || devoured | as fast | as they | are
made,
<- , ,
, , ,
,
Forgot || as soon | as done:| perseve|rance,
dear | my lord,
,
, , ,
,
Keeps^hon|or bright,| to have / done, is | to
hang
, ,
, ,
,
Quite^out | of fash|ion, like | a rus|ty mail,
, ,
, 2 ,
,
In mon|umen|tal mock|ery: take | the instant way,
????
, ,
2 , , ,
For hon|or trav|els in a / strait so | narrow,
, ,
, ,
,
Where one | but goes | abreast,| keep^then | the
path:
, , ,
, ,
For em|ula|tion hath | a thous|and sons,
,
, , .
T T T
That one | by one | pursue;| if you give way,
, ,
, 2 T T
T
Or hedge | aside | from the di|rect forthright;
, 2
, ,
T T T
Like to an | entered | tide, they | all rush by,
, , __
And leave | you hind|most: \\
, ,
, Tx . T
T
Or like | a gal|lant horse | fallen in first
rank,
,
, , 2 T T
T
Lie there*| for pave|ment to the | abject, near
, ,
, ,
,
Ore^run | and tramp|led on: then what they do in
present, ????
, ,
, , ,
Though less | than yours | in past,| must
ore|top^yours:
, ,
, , ,
For time | is like | a fash|iona|ble host,
, ,
, ,
2 ,
That slight|ly shakes | his part|ing guest | by
the hand;
,
, , ,
,
And with | his arms | outstretched,| as he |
would fly,
,
, ,
, ,
Grasps in | the co|mer: wel|come ev|er smiles,
, T
T T , ,
, ,
And fare|wells goes out | sighing:| O let | not
vir|tue seek
, ,
, , ,
, ,
Remu|nera|tion for | the thing | it was:| for
beaut|y, wit, (sept with prev?)
T T
T 2 , ,
2 ,
High birth, vig|or of bone,| desert in | service,
T T
T , 2 ,
,
Love, friendship,| charity,| are sub|jects^all
, 2 ,
, , ,
To en|vious and | calum|nia|ting time:
T T .
T ,
. T T T
One touch of na|ture makes | the whole world kin:
, ,
, , ,
That all | with one | consent | praise^new-|born*
gawds, ??
,
, ,
, ,
Though they | are made | and mol|ded of / things
past,
,
, , ,
,
And give | to dust,| that is | a lit|tle gilt,
T T
T T T T o
More laud than | gilt oredus|ted.
, ,
, 2 ,
,
The pres|ent eye | praises the | present |
object*:
, ,
, , ,
Then marv|el not | thou great | and com/plete
man,
, ,
, ,
,
That all | the Greeks | begin | to worsh|ip Ajax;
????
,
, 2 ,
, ,
Since things | in mo|tion begin | to catch | the
eye,
, T
T . T ,
,
Than what | not stirs: the cry | went out | on
thee,
, ,
, ,
,
And still | it might,| and yet | it may | again,
, ,
, ,
,
If thou | wouldst not | entomb | thyself | alive,
, ,
, ,
,
And case | thy re|puta|tion in | thy tent;
, 2 ,
, , ,
Whose glo|rious deeds,| but in | these fields |
of late,
, 2
, , ,
,
Made^em|ulous mis|sions 'mongst | the gods |
themselves,
, T T
. T
And drave | great Mars to fac|tion.
ACHILLES
, ,
2 ->
Of this | my pri||vacy*,
2
, , 2
I have / strong reas|ons.
ULYSSES
,
, ,
But 'gainst | your pri|vacy
, 2 ,
, 2 , ,
The reas|ons are more | potent | and hero|ical:
, ,
, ,
,
'Tis known | Achil|les, that | you are | in love
, ,
,
With one | of Pri|am's daught|ers.
ACHILLES
, ,
Ha?| Known?
ULYSSES
3 3 ,
Is that a | wonder?
, ,
, ,
,
The prov|idence | that's in | a watch|ful state,
,
, ,
, ,
Knows^al|most eve|ry grain | of Plu|to's gold;
, ,
2 T T . T
,
Finds bot/tom in the | uncomprehen|sive deeps;
,
, ,
, ,
Keeps^place | with thought,| and al|most like |
the gods,
T T T ,
, ,
Does thoughts un|veil in | their dumb | cradles:
, 2 ,
, , ,
There is a | myste|ry (with | whom re|lation
,
, ,
, ,
Durst^nev|er med|dle) in | the soul | of state;
, ,
, ,
,
Which hath | an o|pera|tion more | divine,
,
, , ,
,
Than breath | or pen | can give | expres|sure to:
,
, ,
, ,
All the | commerce | that you | have had | with
Troy,
,
, ,
, ,
As per|fectly | is ours,| as yours,| my lord;
,
, ,
, ,
And bet|ter would | it fit | Achil|les much,
. T T
T ,
, ,
To throw down Hec|tor than | Polyx|ena.
, 2 T
T T ,
,
But it must^|grieve young Pyr|rhus now | at home,
, ,
, ,
,
When fame | shall in | our is|lands sound | her
trump;
, ,
, , ,
And all | the Greek|ish girls | shall trip|ping
sing,
,
, ,
, ,
Great^Hec|tor's sis|ter did | Achil|les win;
2 ,
T T T ,
,
But our great | Ajax brave|ly beat | down^him.
, ,
, , ,
Farewell | my lord:| I as | your lov|er speak;
. T
T T ,
, ,
The fool slides ore | the ice | that you | should
break.
[Exit]
PATROCLUS
, 2 ,
, ,
,
To this ef|fect A|chilles | have I | moved you;
, ,
, ,
,
A wom|an im|pudent | and man|nish grown,
. T T
T , 2
, ,
Is not more loathed,| than an ef|femi|nate man,
,
, , ,
, 2
In time | of ac|tion: I | stand con|demned for
this;
,
, , ,
,
They think | my lit|tle stom|ach to | the war.
,
, , ,
,
And your / great love | to me,| restrains | you
thus:
, ,
, , ,
,
Sweet, rouse yourself; and the weak wanton Cupid
????
, ,
, , 2
,
Shall* from | your neck | unloose | his am|orous
fold,
, ,
, ,
,
And like | a dew|drop from | the li|on's mane,
, ,
,
Be shook | to air|y air. (tri with next)
ACHILLES
, ,
, ->
Shall A|jax^fight | with Hec||tor?
PATROCLUS
, 2
, ,
, , ->
Aye,| and perhaps | receive | much^hon|or by ||
him.
ACHILLES
,
, , , ,
I see | my re|puta|tion is | at stake,
,
, ,
My fame | is shrewd|ly gored.
PATROCLUS
, ,
O then | beware:
,
, , ,
,
Those^wounds | heal^ill,| that men | do give |
themselves:
,
, , ,
x
Omis|sion to / do what | is nec|essary,
, 2 ,
, ,
,
Seals a com|mission | to a | blank of | danger,
,
, , ,
,
And dang|er like | an ag|ue sub|tly taints
, ,
, , 2 ,
Even | then when | we sit | idly | in the sun.
ACHILLES
,
, x
, ,
Go* call | Thersi|tes hither | sweet Pa|troclus,
, ,
, , 2 ,
I'll send | the fool | to A|jax, and de|sire him
2 ,
, , ,
2 ,
To invite | the Troy|an lords | after the |
combat*
, ,
, , 2
,
To see | us here | unarmed:| I have a | woman's
longing, ????
,
, , , ,
An ap|petite | that I | am sick | withal,
, ,
, ,
,
To see | great Hec/tor in | his weeds | of peace;
, ,
, 2 ,
,
To talk | with him,| and to be|hold his | visage,
, 2
, ,
, ,
Even | to my full | of view.| A lab|or saved.
[Enter THERSITES]
THERSITES
A wonder.
ACHILLES
What?
THERSITES
Ajax goes up and down the field, asking for himself.
ACHILLES
How so?
THERSITES
He must fight singly tomorrow with Hector, and is so prophetically proud of
a heroical cudgelling, that he raves in saying nothing.
ACHILLES
How can that be?
THERSITES
Why he stalks up and down like a peacock, a stride and a stand: ruminates
like a hostess, that hath no arithmetic but her brain to set down her
reckoning: bites his lip with a politic regard, as who should say, there
were wit in this head, and 'twould out; and so there is: but it lies as
coldly in him, as fire in a flint, which will not show without knocking. The
man's undone forever; for if Hector break not his neck in the combat, he'll
break it himself in vain-glory. He knows not me: I said, good morrow Ajax;
and he replies, thanks Agamemnon. What think you of this man, that takes me
for the general? He's grown a very land-fish, language-less, a monster: a
plague of opinion, a man may wear it on both sides like a leather jerkin.
ACHILLES
Thou must be my ambassador to him Thersites.
THERSITES
Who, I: why, he'll answer nobody: he professes not answering; speaking is
for beggars: he wears his tongue in his arms: I will put on his presence;
let Patroclus make demands to me, you shall see the pageant of Ajax.
ACHILLES
To him Patroclus; tell him, I humbly desire the valiant Ajax, to invite the
most valorous Hector, to come unarmed to my tent, and to procure safe
conduct for his person, of the magnanimous and most illustrious,
six-or-seven-times-honored captain, general of the Grecian army Agamemnon,
et cetera. Do this.
PATROCLUS
Jove bless great Ajax.
THERSITES
Hum.
PATROCLUS
I come from the worthy Achilles.
THERSITES
Ha?
PATROCLUS
Who most humbly desires you to invite Hector to his tent.
THERSITES
Hum.
PATROCLUS
And to procure safe-conduct from Agamemnon.
THERSITES
Agamemnon?
PATROCLUS
Aye my lord.
THERSITES
Ha?
PATROCLUS
What say you to it?
THERSITES
God be with you with all my heart.
PATROCLUS
Your answer sir.
THERSITES
If tomorrow be a fair day, by eleven o'clock it will go one way or other;
howsoever, he shall pay for me ere he has me.
PATROCLUS
Your answer sir.
THERSITES
Fare you well with all my heart.
ACHILLES
Why, but he is not in this tune, is he?
THERSITES
No, but he's out of tune thus: what music will be in him when Hector has
knocked out his brains, I know not: but I am sure none, unless the fiddler
Apollo get his sinews to make catlings on.
ACHILLES
Come, thou shalt bear a letter to him straight.
THERSITES
Let me bear another to his horse; for that's the more capable creature.
ACHILLES
, ,
, ,
,
My mind | is troub|led like | a fount|ain
stirred,
,
, ,
, x
And I | myself | see* not | the bot|tom of it.
[Exeunt ACHILLES and PATROCLUS]
THERSITES
Would the fountain of your mind were clear again, that I might water an ass
at it: I had rather be a tick in a sheep, than such a valiant ignorance.
[Exit]