Have gloz'd, but superficially ;9 not much The reasons, you allege, do more conduce "Twixt right and wrong; For pleasure, and revenge All dues be render'd to their owners; Now If Helen then be wife to Sparta's king,- In resolution to keep Helen still; For 'tis a cause that hath no mean dependence Tro. Why, there you touch'd the life of our design Than the performance of our heaving spleens," I would not wish a drop of Trojan blood [9] To gloze, in this instance, means to insinuate ; but, in Shakespeare, to comment. STEEVENS. [1] Let it be remembered, as often as Shakespeare's anachronisms occur, that errors in computing time were very frequent in those ancient romances which seem to have formed the greater part of his library. I may add, that even classic authors are not exempt from such mistakes. In the fifth Book of Statius's Thebaid, Amphiaraus talks of the fates of Nestor and Priam, neither of whom died till long after him. STEEVENS. M. MASON. [2] Through partial indulgence. JOHNSON. [4] What the law does in every nation between individuals, justice ought to do between nations. JOHNSON. [5] Though considering truth and justice in this question, this is my opíuïau: yet, as a question of honour, I think on it as you. JOHNSON. JOHNSON. Spent more in her defence. But, worthy Hector, A spur to valiant and magnanimous deeds; Hect. I am yours, You valiant offspring of great Priamus :--- SCENE III. [Exeunt. The Grecian Camp. Before ACHILLES' Tent. Enter THER SITES. Ther. How now, Thersites ? what, lost in the labyrinth of thy fury? Shall the elephant Ajax carry it thus ? he beats me, and I rail at him: O worthy satisfaction! 'would it were otherwise; that I could beat him, whilst he railed at me: 'Sfoot, I'll learn to conjure and raise devils, but I'll see some issue of my spiteful execrations. Then there's Achilles, a rare engineer. If Troy be not taken till these two undermine it, the walls will stand till they fall of themselves. O thou great thunder-darter of Olympus, forget that thou art Jove the king of gods; and, Mercury, lose all the serpentine craft of thy Caduceus; if ye take not that little, little, less than little wit from them that they have! which short-armed ignorance itself knows is so abundant scarce, it will not in circumvention deliver a fly from a spider, without drawing their massy irons, and cutting the web. After this the vengeance on the whole camp! or, rather, the bone-ache! for that, methinks, is the curse dependent on those that war for a placket. I have said my prayers; and devil, envy, say Amen.--What, ho! my lord Achilles ! [7] Emulation is now never used in an ill sense; but Shakespeare meant to employ it so. MALONE. Emulation---Envy, factious contention. JOHNSON. [8] That is, without drawing their swords to cut the web. They use no means but those of violence. JOHNSON. Enter PATROCLUS. Patr. Who's there? Thersites? Good Thersites, come in and rail. Ther. If I could have remembered a gilt counterfeit, thou wouldest not have slipped out of my contemplation : but it is no matter; Thyself upon thyself! The common curse of mankind, folly and ignorance, be thine in great revenue! heaven bless thee from a tutor, and discipline come not near thee! Let thy blood be thy direction till thy death! then if she, that lays thee out, says-thou art a fair corse, I'll be sworn and sworn upon't, she never shrouded any but lazars. Amen. Where's Achilles ? Patr. What, art thou devout? wast thou in prayer? Ther. Ay; The heavens hear me ! Enter ACHILLES. Achil. Who's there? Patr. Thersites, my lord. Achil. Where, where ?-Art thou come? Why, my cheese, my digestion, why hast thou not served thyself in to my table so many meals? Come; what's Agamemnon? Ther. Thy commander, Achilles ;-Then tell me, Patroclus, what's Achilles ? Patr. Thy lord, Thersites; Then tell me, I pray thee, what's thyself? Ther. Thy knower, Patroclus; Then tell me, Patroclus, what art thou? Patr. Thou mayest tell that knowest. Achil. O, tell, tell. question.' Agamemnon lord; I am Patroclus' my Ther. I'll decline the whole commands Achilles; Achilles is knower; and Patroclus' is a fool. Patr. You rascal! Ther. Peace, fool; I have not done. Achil. He is a privileged man.- -Proceed, Thersites. Ther. Agamemnon is a fool; Achilles is a fool; Thersites is a fool; and, as aforesaid, Patroclus is a fool. Achil. Derive this; come. Ther. Agamemnon is a fool to offer to command Achilles; Achilles is a fool to be commanded of Agamemnon; Thersites is a fool to serve such a fool; and Patroclus is a fool positive.? Patr. Why am I a fool? [1] Deduce the question from the first case to the last. JOHNSON. The poet is still thinking of his grammar. MALONE. Ther. Make that demand of the prover.-It suffices me, thou art. Look you, who comes here? 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 te death upon. Now the dry serpigo on the subject!3 and war, and lechery, confound all! Aga. 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. Ulyss. We saw him at the opening of his tent;' He is not sick. [Exit. [Exit. Ajax. 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 AGAM. aside. Nest. What moves Ajax thus to bay at him? Ulyss. Achilles hath inveigled his fool from him, Nest. Then will Ajax lack matter, if he have lost his argument. 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. [5] The serpigo is a kind of tetter. See Measure for Measure, [4] Rebuked, rated. WARBURTON. STEEVENS. Patr. Achilles bids me say—he is much sorry, Aga. Hear you, Patroclus ; We are too well acquainted with these answers: Much attribute he hath; and much the reason We come to speak with him: And you shall not sin, And under-honest; in self-assumption greater, Than in the note of judgment; and worthier inan himself Before a sleeping giant :-Tell him so. Patr. I shall; and bring his answer presently. Aga. In second voice we'll not be satisfied, [Exit. We come to speak with him.--Ulysses, enter. [Exe. ULYS. Ajax. What is he more than another? Aga. 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? Aga. No question. Breath, in the present instance, stands for breathing, exercise. STEEVENS. |