Agam. Even this. Ene. May one, that is a herald, and a prince, Do a fair message to his kingly ears? Agam. With surety stronger than Achilles' arm 'Fore all the Greekish heads, which with one voice Call Agamemnon head and general. Ene. Fair leave, and large security. How may A stranger to those most imperial looks 8 Know them from eyes of other mortals? Agam. Ene. Ay; I ask, that I might waken reverence, How? Which is that god in office, guiding men? Agam. This Trojan scorns us; or the men of Troy Are ceremonious courtiers. Ene. Courtiers as free, as debonair, unarm'd, As bending angels; that's their fame in peace: But when they would seem soldiers, they have galls, Good arms, strong joints, true swords, and Jove's accord 8 A stranger to those most imperial looks-] And yet this was the seventh year of the war. Shakspeare, who so wonderfully preserves character, usually confounds the customs of all nations, and probably supposed that the ancients (like the heroes of chivalry) fought with beavers to their helmets. So, in the fourth Act of this play Nestor says to Hector: "But this thy countenance, still lock'd in steel, "I never saw till now." Shakspeare might have adopted this error from the wooden cuts to ancient books, or from the illuminators of manuscripts, who never seem to have entertained the least idea of habits, manners, or customs more ancient than their own. There are books in the British Museum of the age of King Henry VI.; and in these the heroes of ancient Greece are represented in the very dresses worn at the time when the books received their decorations. Nothing so full of heart." But That breath fame blows+; that praise, sole pure, transcends. Agam. Sir, you of Troy, call you yourself Æneas? Ene. Ay, Greek, that is my name. Agam. What's your affair, I pray you? Ene. Sir, pardon; 'tis for Agamemnon's ears. Agam. He hears nought privately, that comes from Troy. Ene. Nor I from Troy come not to whisper him: I bring a trumpet to awake his ear; To set his sense on the attentive bent, And then to speak. Agam. Speak frankly as the wind; It is not Agamemnon's sleeping hour: That thou shalt know, Trojan, he is awake, He tells thee so himself. Ene. Trumpet, blow loud, Send thy brass voice through all these lazy tents; [Trumpet sounds. We have, great Agamemnon, here in Troy 9 1 they have galls, &c.] This is not very intelligible, but perhaps the speaker meant to say, that, when they have the accord of Jove on their side, nothing is so courageous as the Trojans. + "follows"-MALONE, and so in Steevens' last edition, but, I suspect, erroneously. C. 11 long-continued truce-] Of this long truce there has been no notice taken; in this very Act it is said, that Ajax coped Hector yesterday in the battle. Here we have another proof of Shakspeare's falling into inconsistencies, by sometimes adhering to, and sometimes deserting, his original. Is rusty grown; he bade me take a trumpet, Than ever Greek did compass in his arms; Agam. This shall be told our lovers, lord Æneas; If none of them have soul in such a kind, We left them all at home: But we are soldiers; I'll hide my silver beard in a gold beaver, And in my vantbrace3 put this wither'd brawn ; more than in confession,] Confession for profession. 3 And in my vantbrace-] An armour for the arm, avantbras. And meeting him, will tell him, that my lady Agam. Fair lord Æneas, let me touch your hand; To our pavilion shall I lead you, sir. Achilles shall have word of this intent; So shall each lord of Greece, from tent to tent: And find the welcome of a noble foe. Ulyss. Nestor, [Exeunt all but ULYSSES and NESTOR. Nest. What says Ulysses? Ulyss. I have a young conception in my brain, Be you my time to bring it to some shape. Nest. What is't? Ulyss. This 'tis : 4 Blunt wedges rive hard knots: The seeded pride In rank Achilles, must or now be cropp'd, Or, shedding, breed a nursery of like evil, To overbulk us all. Nest. Well, and how? Ulyss. This challenge that the gallant Hector sends, However it is spread in general name, Relates in purpose only to Achilles. Nest. The purpose is perspicuous even as substance, Whose grossness little characters sum up: And, in the publication, make no strain, 5 4 Be you my time, &c.] i. e. be you to my present purpose what time is in respect of all other schemes, viz. a ripener and bringer of them to maturity. 5 And, in the publication, make no strain,] i. e. make no difficully, no doubt. 'Tis dry enough, will, with great speed of judgment, Ay, with celerity, find Hector's purpose Pointing on him. Ulyss. And wake him to the answer, think you? It is most meet; Whom may you else oppose, For here the Trojans taste our dear'st repute In this wild action: for the success, Although particular, shall give a scantling And in such indexes, although small pricks 7 Of things to come at large. It is suppos'd, What heart receives from hence a conquering part, Ulyss. Give pardon to my speech; Therefore 'tis meet, Achilles meet not Hector. Yes, 6 scantling] That is, a measure, proportion. The carpenter cuts his wood to a certain scantling. 7 — small pricks -] Small points compared with the volumes, or perhaps indexes, which were, in Shakspeare's time, often prefixed to books. |