Imatges de pàgina
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To make the service greater than the god
And the will dotes, that is † inclinable
To what infectiously it felf affects,
Without fome image of th' affected merit.
Troi. I take to-day a wife, and my election
Is led on in the conduct of my will

;

My will enkindled by mine eyes and ears,
(Two trading pilots 'twixt the dangerous fhores
Of will and judgment.) How may I avoid
(Although my will distaste what is elected)
The wife I chufe? there can be no evafion
To blench from this, and to stand firm by honour.
We turn not back the filks upon the merchant
When we have spoil'd them; nor th' remainder viands
We do not throw in unrespective place,

Because we now are full. It was thought meet
Paris fhould do fome vengeance on the Greeks:
Your breath of full confent bellied his fails;
The seas and winds (old wranglers) took a truce,
And did him service: he touch'd the ports defir'd;
And for an old aunt whom the Greeks held captive,
He brought a Grecian queen whofe youth and freshness
Wrinkles Apollo's, and makes 'pale the morning.
Why keep we her? the Grecians keep our aunt:
Is the worth keeping? why, fhe is a pearl,
Whose price hath launch'd above a thousand ships,
And turn'd crown'd kings to merchants
If you'll avouch 'twas wisdom Paris went,
(As you must needs, for you all cry'd, go, go:)
If you'll confefs he brought home noble prize,
(As you must needs, for you all clap'd your hands
And cry'd, inestimable;) why d' you now
The iffue of your proper wisdoms rate,

† Old edition, not fo well, has it attributive

ftale

And

And do a deed that fortune never did,

Beggar that estimation which you priz'd
Richer than fea and land? O theft most base!
That we have stoln what we do fear to keep!
But thieves, unworthy of a thing so stoln,
Who in their country did them that disgrace,
We fear to warrant in our native place.

SCENE IV.

Enter Caffandra with her hair about her ears.

Caf. Cry, Trojans, cry!

Pri. What noise? what fhriek is this?

Troi. 'Tis our mad fister, I do know her voice.

Caf. Cry, Trojans!

Hect. It is Caffandra.

Caf. Cry, Trojans, cry; lend me ten thousand eyes, And I will fill them with prophetick tears.

Hect. Peace, fifter, peace.

Caf. Virgins and boys, mid-age and wrinkled old,
Soft infancy, that nothing can but cry,
Add to my clamour! let us pay betimes
A moiety of that mass of moan to come:
Cry, Trojans, cry, practise your eyes with tears.
Troy must not be, nor goodly Ilion stand:
Our fire-brand brother, Paris burns us all.
Cry, Trojans, cry! a Helen and a wo;
Cry, cry, Troy burns, or else let Helen go.

Hect. Now, youthful Troilus, do not the high strains
Of divination in our fifter work

Some touches of remorfe? Or is

blood your

So madly hot, that no discourse of reason

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[Exit.

Nor

Nor fear of bad fuccefs in a bad cause,

Can qualifie the same?

Troi. Why, brother Hector,

We may not think the justness of each act
Such and no other than event doth form it;
Nor once deject the courage of our minds,
Because Caffandra's mad; her brain-sick raptures
Cannot distaste the goodness of a quarrel,
Which hath our feveral honours all engag'd
To make it gracious. For my private part,
I am no more touch'd than all Priam's fons,
And Jove forbid there should be done amongst us
Such things as might offend the weakest spleen,
To fight for and maintain.

Par. Elfe might the world convince of levity
As well my undertakings, as your counsels:
But I atteft the gods, your full confent
Gave wings to my propenfion, and cut off
All fears attending on fo dire a project.
For what, alas, can these my fingle arms?
What propugnation is in one man's valour,
To stand the push and enmity of those
This quarrel would excite? yet I protest,
Were I alone to pass the difficulties,
And had as ample power, as I have will,
Paris fhould ne'er retract what he hath done,
Nor faint in the pursuit.

Pri. Paris, you speak

Like one befotted on your sweet delights;
You have the honey still, but these the gall,
So to be valiant is no praise at all.

Par. Sir, I propofe not meerly to my self,
The pleasures fuch a beauty brings with it:
VOL. VI.

F

But

But I would have the foil of her fair rape

Wip'd off in honourable keeping her.
What treason were it to the ransack'd queen,
Disgrace to your great worths, and fhame to me,
Now to deliver her poffeffion up,

On terms of base compulfion? can it be,
That so degenerate a strain as this

Should once set footing in your generous bofoms?
There's not the meanest spirit on our party,
Without a heart to dare, or fword to draw,
When Helen is defended: none so noble,

Whose life were ill bestow'd,
Where Helen is the fubject,
Well may we fight for her,

or death unfam❜d,

Then, I say, whom we know well

The world's large spaces cannot parallel.

Heit. Paris and Troilus, you have both faid well:
And on the cause and question now in hand,
Have gloss'd, but fuperficially; not much
Unlike young men, whom graver sages think
Unfit to hear moral philosophy.

The reasons you alledge, do more conduce
To the hot paffion of distemper'd blood,.
Than to make up a free determination

'Twixt right and wrong: for pleasure and revenge
Have ears more deaf than adders to the voice

Of any true decision. Nature craves

All dues be render'd to their owners; now.

What nearer debt in all humanity,

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Than wife is to the husband? if this law
Of nature be corrupted through affection,
And that great minds, of partial indulgence
To their benummed wills, refift the fame;
There is a law in each well-order'dination,

1 Ariftotle thought

To

To curb those raging appetites that are
Most disobedient and refractory.

If Helen then be wife to Sparta's king,
(As it is known fhe is) these moral laws`
Of nature, and of nations, speak aloud
To have her back return'd. Thus to perfift
In doing wrong, extenuates not wrong,

But makes it much more heavy. Hector's opinion
Is this in way of truth; yet ne'ertheless,

My spritely brethen, I propend to you

In resolution to keep Helen ftill;

For 'tis a cause that hath no mean dependance,

Upon our joint and several dignities.

Troi. Why there you touch'd the life of our designs: Were it not glory that we more affected,

Than the performance of our heaving spleens,

I would not wish a drop of Trojan blood

Spent more in her defence. But, worthy Hector,
She is a theam of honour and renown,
A fpur to valiant and magnanimous deeds,
Whose present courage may beat down our foes,
And fame, in time to come, canonize us.
For I prefume, brave Hector would not lofe
So rich advantage of a promis'd glory,
As fmiles upon the forehead of this action,
For the wide world's revenue.

Hect. I am yours,

You valiant off-spring of great Priamus,
I have a roifting challenge fent amongst
The dull and factious nobles of the Greeks,
Will strike amazement to their drowfie fpirits.
I was advertis'd, their great general flept,
This I prefume will wake him--

F 2

[Exeunt SCENE

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