ear-wax: And the goodly transformation of Jupiter there, his brother, the bull, - the primitive statue, and oblique memorial of cuckolds; a thrifty shoeing-horn in a chain, hanging at his brother's leg, — to what form, but that he is, should wit larded with malice, and malice forced with wit, turn him to? To an ass, were nothing: he is both ass and ox: to an ox were nothing; he is both ox and ass. To be a dog, a mule, a cat, a fitchew", a toad, a lizard, an owl, a puttock, or a herring without a roe, I would not care: but to be Menelaus, - I would conspire against destiny. Ask me not what I would be, if I were not Thersites; for I care not to be the louse of a lazar, so I were not Menelaus. Hey-day! spirits and fires !3

Enter HECTOR, TROILUS, AJAX, AGAMEMNON, ULYS-
SES, NESTOR, MENELAUS, and DIOMED, with lights.
Agam. We go wrong, we go wrong.
Ajax.

No, yonder 'tis; There, where we see the lights."

Hect.
Ajax. No, not a whit.
Ulyss.

Here comes himself to guide you.

I trouble you.

Enter ACHILLES. Achil. Welcome, brave Hector; welcome, princes all. Agam. So now, fair prince of Troy, I bid good night. Ajax commands the guard to tend on you. Hect. Thanks, and good night, to the Greeks' ge

neral. Men. Good night, my lord. Hect.

Good night, sweet Menelaus. t

2

S

a fitchew,] i. e. a polecat.

spirits and fires . ] This Thersites speaks upon the first sight of the distant lights.

“sweet lord Menelaus.” Malone.

Ther. Sweet draught: Sweet, quoth ’a! sweet sink, sweet sewer.

Achil. Good night,
And welcome, both to those that go, or tarry.
Agam. Good night.

[Exeunt AGAMEMNON and MENELAUS. Achil. Old Nestor tarries; and you too, Diomed, Keep Hector company an hour or two.

Dio. I cannot, lord; I have important business, The tide whereof is now. Good night, great Hector. Hect. Give me your

hand. Ulyss.

Follow his torch, he goes To Calchas' tent; I'll keep you company.

[Aside to TROILUS. Tro. Sweet sir, you honour me. Hect.

And so good night. [Exit DIOMED; ULYSSES and TROILUS

following Achil. Come, come, enter my tent.

[Exeunt Achil. HECTOR, AJAX, and NEST. Ther. That same Diomed's a false-hearted

rogue, a most unjust knave; I will no more trust him when he leers, than I will a serpent when he hisses : he will spend his mouth, and promise, like. Brabler the hound"; but when he performs, astronomers foretell it ; it is prodigious', there will come some change; the sun borrows of the moon, when Diomed keeps his word. I will rather leave to see Hector, than not to dog him : they say, he keeps a Trojan drab, and uses the traitor Calchas' tent: I'll after. Nothing but lechery ! all incontinent varlets !

[Exit.

he will spend his mouth, and promise, like Brabler the hound;] If a hound gives his mouth, and is not upon the scent of the game, he is by sportsinen called a babler or brabler.

- prodigious,] i. e. portentous, ominous.

5

Dio. What are you up here, ho ? speak.
Cal. [within.] Who calls ?

Dio. Diomed. — Calchas, I think. - Where's your daughter ?

Cal. [within.] She comes to you.

Enter Troilus and Ulysses, at a distance; after them

THERSITES.

Ulyss. Stand where the torch may not discover us.

Enter CRESSIDA.

with you.

Tro. Cressid, come forth to him !
Dio.

How now, my charge ?
Cres. Now, my sweet guardian ! - Hark! a word

[Whispers. Tro. Yea, so familiar ! Ulyss. She will sing any man at first sight.

Ther. And any man may sing her, if he can take her cliff6; she's noted.

Dio. Will you remember?
Cres.

Remember? yes.
Dio.

Nay, but do then; And let your mind be coupled with your words.

Tro. What should she remember?
Ulyss. List!
Cres. Sweet honey Greek, tempt me no more to folly.
Ther. Roguery

!

6 — her cliff,] That is, her key. Clef, French.

Dio. Nay, then,
Cres.

I'll tell

you

what: Dio. Pho! pho! come, tell a pin: You are for

Sworn.

Cres. In faith, I cannot: What would you have me

do? Ther. A juggling trick, to be — secretly open. Dio. What did you swear you would bestow on me?

Cres. I prythee, do not hold me to mine oath ;
Bid me do any thing but that, sweet Greek.

Dio. Good night.
Tro.

Hold, patience!
Ulyss.

How now, Trojan ? Cres.

Diomed, Dio. No, no, good night: I'll be your fool no more. Tro. Thy better must. Cres.

Hark! one word in your ear.
Tro. O plague and madness !
Ulyss. You are mov’d, prince; let us depart, I pray

you,
Lest your displeasure should enlarge itself
To wrathful terms; this place is dangerous;
The time right deadly; I beseech you, go.

Tro. Behold, I pray you !
Ulyss.

Now, good my lord, go off: You flow to great destruction ; come, my lord.

Tro. I pr’ythee, stay.
Ulyss.

You have not patience; come.
Tro. I pray you, stay; by hell, and all hell's tor-

ments,
I will not speak a word.
Dio.

And so, good night.
Cres. Nay, but you part in anger.
Tro.

Doth that grieve thee?
O wither'd truth!
Ulyss.

Why, how now, lord ?
Tro.

By Jove, I will be patient.

Cres.

Guardian ! - why, Greek!
Dio. Pho, pho! adieu; you palter. ?
Cres. In faith, I do not; come hither once again.

Ulyss. You shake, my lord, at something; will you go?
You will break out.
Tro.

She strokes his cheek!
Ulyss.

Come, come.
Tro. Nay, stay; by Jove, I will not speak a word:
There is between my will and all offences
A guard of patience : - stay a little while.

Ther. How the devil luxury, with his fat rump, and potatoe finger, tickles these together! Fry, lechery, fry! Dio. But will

you

then ?
Cres. In faith, I will, la; never trust me else.
Dio. Give me some token for the surety of it.
Cres I'll fetch you one.

[Erit.
Ulyss. You have sworn patience.
Tro.

Fear me not, my lord; I will not be myself, nor have cognition Of what I feel; I am all patience.

Re-enter CRESSIDA.
Ther. Now the pledge; now, now, now!
Cres. Here, Diomed, keep this sleeve.
Tro. O beauty! where's thy faith?
Ulyss.

My lord,
Tro. I will be patient; outwardly I will.

Cres. You look upon that sleeve; Behold it well. He loved me -O false wench! — Give't me again.

Dio. Whose was't ?

5

7 palter.) i. e. shuffle, behave with duplicity.

keep this sleeve.] The custom of wearing a lady's sleeve for a favour, is of ancient date, but the sleeve given in the present in. stance was the sleeve of Troilus. It may be supposed to be an ornamented cuff, such, perhaps, as was worn by some of our young nobility at a tilt, in Shakspeare's age.