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. Yet he loves himself: Is 't not strange? Re-enter ULYSSES. ULYSS. Achilles will not to the field to-morrow. ULYSS. IHe doth rely on none; But carries on the stream of his dispose, 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? [Aside. ULYSS. Things small as nothing, for request's sake only, He makes important: Possess'd he is with greatness; 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, AGAM. Let Ajax go to him.— Dear lord, go you and greet him in his tent: 'T is said, he holds you well; and will be led, ULYSS. O Agamemnon, let it not be so! By going to Achilles; That were to enlard his fat-already pride; And add more coals to Cancer, when he burns 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 Over the face. AGAM. O, no, you shall not go. AJAX. An a be proud with me, I'll pheeze his pride: Let me go to him. ULYSS. Not for the worth that hangs upon our quarrel, AJAX. A paltry, insolent fellow! NEST. How he describes himself! [Aside. [Aside. AJAX. I'll let his humours blood. AGAM. He will be the physician, that should be the patient. [Aside. AJAX. An all men were o' my mind! ULYSS. Wit would be out of fashion. [Aside. AJAX. A should not bear it so, a should eat swords first: Shall pride carry it? NEST. An 't would, you 'd carry half. [Aside. ULYSS. He would have ten shares. AJAX. I will knead him, I 'll make him supple. [A side. NEst. He's not yet through warm: force him with praises : Pour in, pour in; his ambition is dry. ULYSS. My lord, you feed too much on this dislike. NEST. Our noble general, do not do so. [Aside. [To AGAMEMNON. DIO. You must prepare to fight without Achilles. ULYSS. Why, 't is this naming of him does him harm. Here is a man-But 't is before his face; I will be silent. NEST. Wherefore should you so? He is not emulous, as Achilles is. ULYSS. Know the whole world, he is as valiant. AJAX. A whoreson dog, that shall palter thus with us! Would he were a Trojan! NEST. What a vice were it in Ajax now ULYSS. If he were proud DIO. ULYSS. Ay, or surly borne DIO. Or covetous of praise— Or strange, or self-affected! ULYSS. Thank the heavens, lord, thou art of sweet com posure; Praise him that got thee, she that gave thee suck: Fam'd be thy tutor, and thy parts of nature To sinewy Ajax. I will not praise thy wisdom, He must, he is, he cannot but be wise; But pardon, father Nestor, were your days 1 ULYSS. 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 general 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. Light boats may sail swift, though greater bulks draw deep. [Exeunt. the ACT III. SCENE I-Troy. A Room in Priam's Palace. Enter PANDARUS and a Servant. PAN. Friend! you! pray you, a word: Do not you follow young lord Paris? SERV. Ay, sir, when he goes before me. PAN. You depend upon him, I mean. SERV. Sir, I do depend upon the lord. PAN. You 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. PÅN. 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. [Music within. PAN. Grace! not so, friend; honour and lordship are my titles: What music is this? SERV. I do but partly know, sir; it is music in parts. SERV. Wholly, sir. PAN. Who play they to? SERV. To the hearers, sir.. PAN. At whose pleasure, friend? SERV. At mine, sir, and theirs that love music. PAN. Command, I mean, friend. SERV. Who shall I command, sir? 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 's there in person; with him, the mortal Venus, the heart-blood of beauty, love's invisible soul,— PAN. Who, my cousin Cressida ? SERV. No, sir, Helen; could you not find out that by her attributes? PAN. It should seem, fellow, that thou hast not seen the lady Cressida. I come to speak with Paris from the prince Troilus: I will make a complimental assault upon him, for my business seeths. SERV. Sodden business! there's a stewed phrase, indeed! Enter PARIS and HELEN, attended. PAN. Fair be to you, my lord, and to all this fair company! fair desires, 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, sweet queen. Fair prince, here is good broken music. PAR. You have broke it, cousin: and, by my life, you shall make it whole again; you shall 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 sooth; in good sooth, very rude. PAR. Well said, my lord! well, you say so in fits. PAN. I have business to my lord, dear queen:-My lord, will you vouchsafe me a word? |