Give us a prince of blood, a son of Priam, In change of him: let him be sent, great princes, Agam. Let Diomedes bear him, And bring us Cressid hither; Calchas shall have Withal, bring word-if Hector will to-morrow Dio. This shall I undertake; and 'tis a burden [Exeunt DIOMEDES und CALCHAS. Enter ACHILLES and PATROCLUS, before their Tent. Lay negligent and loose regard upon him: Why such unplausive eyes are bent, why turn'd on him : To use between your strangeness and his pride, To show itself, but pride; for supple knees Than if not look'd on. I will lead the way. Achil. What, comes the general to speak with me? You know my mind, I'll fight no more 'gainst Troy. Agam. What says Achilles? would he aught with us? Nest. Would you, my lord, aught with the general ? Achil. No. Nest. Nothing, my lord. Agam. The better. [Exeunt AGAMEMNON and NEStor. Achil. Good day, good day. Men. How do you? how do you? [Exit MENELaus. Achil. What, does the cuckold scorn me? Ajax. How now, Patroclus! Achil. Good morrow, Ajax. Ajax. Ha? Achil. Good morrow. Ajax. Ay, and good next day too. [Exit AJAX. " Achil. What mean these fellows? Know they not Achilles? Patr. They pass by strangely: they were us'd to bend, To send their smiles before them to Achilles; To come as humbly, as they us'd to creep To holy altars. Achil. What, am I poor of late? 'Tis certain, greatness, once fallen out with fortune, And not a man, for being simply man, Hath any honour; but honour for those honours Which when they fall, as being slippery standers, Save these men's looks; who do, methinks, find out How now, Ulysses? Ulyss. Now, great Thetis' son? Achil. What are you reading? Ulyss. A strange fellow here Writes me, That man-how dearly ever parted, Achil. This is not strange, Ulysses. For speculation turns not to itself, Till it hath travell'd, and is married there Where it may see itself: this is not strange at all. It is familiar; but at the author's drift: (Though in and of him there be much consisting,) Till he behold them form'd in the applause, Where they are extended; which, like an arch reverberates The voice again; or like a gate of steel Fronting the sun, receives and renders back His figure and his heat. I was much rapt in this; The unknown Ajax. Heavens, what a man is there! a very horse; That has he knows not what. Nature, what things there are, Most abject in regard, and dear in use! What things again most dear in the esteem, How some men creep in skittish fortune's hall, They clap the lubber Ajax on the shoulder; Achil. I do believe it: for they pass'd by me, A great-sized monster of ingratitudes : Those scraps are good deeds past: which are devour'd As done: Perséverance, dear my lord, In monumental mockery. Take the instant way; That one by one pursue: If you give way, Or, like a gallant horse fallen in first rank, O'er-run and trampled on: Then what they do in pre sent, Though less than yours in past, must o'ertop yours: That slightly shakes his parting guest by the hand; And farewell goes out sighing. O, let not virtue seek |