Ulyf. A ftrange fellow here

Writes me, that Man, how dearly ever parted, a
How much in Having, or without, or in,
Cannot make boaft to have that which he hath,
Nor feels not what he owes, but by reflection;
As when his virtues fhining upon others
Heat them, and they retort that heat again
To the firft giver.

Atbil. This is not ftrange, Ulyffes,

The beauty that is born here in the face
The bearer knows not, "but it commends it felf
To others eyes: nor doth the eye it felf
(That most pure spirit of fenfe) behold it felf
Not going from itfelf, but eyes oppos'd
Salute each other with each others form.

For fpeculation turns not to it felf,

'Till it hath travell'd, and is marry'd there
Where it may fee it felf; this is not strange.
Ulf. I do not strain at the position,
It is familiar; but the author's drift;
Who in his circumftance exprefly proves
That no man is the lord of any thing,
(Tho' in and of him there is much confifting)
'Till he communicate his parts to others:
Nor doth he of himfelf know them for ought,
'Till he behold them form'd in th' applaufe

Where they're extended; which like an arch reverb❜rates
The voice again, or like a gate of steel
Fronting the fun, receives and renders back
His figure and his heat. I was much rapt
In this I read, and apprehended here
Immediately the unknown Ajax: heavens!
What a man's there? a very horfe, that has

He knows not what in nature what things they are
Most abject in regard, and dear in ufe!

What things again moft dear in the esteem,

(a) That is, how valuable foever his parts are. 6 but commends 7 wrapt in this, and Nature! what Things there are

And

And poor in worth! now fhall we see to-morrow,
An act that very chance doth throw upon him,
Ajax renown'd! O heav'ns, what fome men do,
While fome men leave to do!

How some men fleep in skittish fortune's hall,
While others play the idiots in her eyes:
How one man eats into another's pride,
While pride is feafting in his wantonnefs!
To fee thefe Grecian Lords! why, ev'n already
They clap the lubber Ajax on the shoulder,
As if his foot were on brave Hector's breast,
And great Troy fhrinking.

Achil. This I do believe:

They pafs'd by me, as mifers do by beggars,
Neither gave to me good word, nor good look :
What, are my deeds forgot?

Uly. Time hath, my Lord, a wallet at his back,
Wherein he puts alms for oblivion,

A great-fiz'd monster of ingratitude.

Those scraps are good deeds paft, which are devour'd
As faft as they are made, forgot as foon

As done: perfeverance keeps honour bright:
To have done, is to hang quite out of fashion,
Like rufty Mail in monumental mockery.
For honour travels in a ftreight fo narrow,
Where one but goes abreaft; keep then the path:
For Emulation hath a thousand fons,

That one by one purfue; if you give way
Or turn afide from the direct forth-right,
Like to an entred tide they all rush by,
And leave you hindermoft; and there you lye,
Like to a gallant horfe fall'n in first rank,
For pavement to the abject "rear, o'er-run
And trampled on: then what they do in prefent,
Tho' lefs than yours in paft, muft o'er-top yours.
For time is like a fashionable host,

That

9 creep. old edit, Warb, emend. 1 near ... old edit, Warb.

emend.

That flightly shakes his parting gueft by th' hand;
But with his arms out-ftretch'd, as he would fly,
Grafp'd "the in-comer; welcome ever smiles,
And Farewel goes out fighing. Let not virtue
Seek remuneration for the thing it was.
For beauty, wit, high birth, defert in fervice,
Love, friendship, charity, are fubjects all
To envious and calumniating time.

One touch of nature makes the whole world kin ;
That all with one confent praise new-born gaudes,
Tho' they are made and moulded of things past,
"And give to duft that is a little gilt
More laud than they will give to gold o'er-dufted.
The prefent eye praises the prefent object.
Then marvel not, thou great and compleat man,
That all the Greeks begin to worship Ajax ;
Since things in motion fooner catch the eye,
Than what not stirs. The cry went once for thee,
And ftill it might, and yet it may again,
If thou would'st not entomb thy felf alive,
And cafe thy reputation in thy tent;

Whofe glorious deeds but in these fields of late
Made emulous miffions 'mongst the Gods themselves,
And drave great Mars to faction.

Acbil. Of my privacy

I have strong reasons.

Ulyf. 'Gainst your privacy

The reasons are more potent and heroical.

'Tis known, Achilles, that you are in love

With one of Priam's daughters.

Achil. "'Ha! fay you known!`

Uly. Is that a wonder?

The providence that's in a watchful ftate,
Knows almost ev'ry grain of Pluto's gold;
Finds bottom in th' uncomprehenfive deep;

VOL. VI.

2 in the comer;

3 O! let not

E

4 And go to duft, that is a little gilt

More laud than gilt o'erdufted.... old edit. Thirl. emend.

; Ha! known!

Keeps

Keeps pace with thought; and almoft like the Gods
Does ev'n our thoughts unveil in their dumb cradles.
There is a mystery (with which relation
Durft never meddle) in the foul of state;
Which hath an operation more divine,
Than breath or pen can give expreffure to.
All the commerce that you have had with Troy
As perfectly is ours, as yours, my Lord.
And better would it fit Achilles much,
To throw down Hector, than Polyxena.

But it must grieve young Pyrrhus now at home,
When fame shall in his ifland found her trump,
And all the Greekifh girls fhall tripping fing,
'Great Hector's fifter did Achilles win,

But our great Ajax bravely beat down Hector.
Farewel, my Lord- I, as your lover, speak;
The fool Дlides o'er the ice that you should break. [Exit.

Pat. To this effect, Achilles, have I mov'd you;
A woman, impudent and mannish grown,
Is not more loath'd than an effeminate man
In time of act. I ftand condemn'd for this;
They think my little ftomach to the war,
And your great love to me, reftrain you thus.
Oh, roufe your felf! and the weak wanton Cupid
Shall from your neck unloofe his am'rous fold,
And like a dew-drop from the lion's mane,
Be fhook to air.

Achil. Shall Ajax fight with Hector!

Pat. Ay, and perhaps receive much honour by him.
Achil. I fee my reputation is at ftake,

My fame is fhrewdly gor❜d.

Pat. O then beware:

Those wounds heal ill that men do give themselves : Omiffion to do what is neceffary

Seals a commiffion to a blank of danger;

6 place... old edit. Warb. emend.

And

And danger, like an ague, fubtly taints
Even then when we fit idly in the fun.

Achil. Go call Therfites hither, fweet Patroclus:
I'll fend the fool to Ajax, and defire him
T'invite the Trojan Lords, after the combat,
To fee us here: I have a woman's longing,
An appetite that I am fick withal,

To fee great Hector in the weeds of peace,
To talk with him, and to behold his vifage,
Ev'n to my full of view.-A labour fav'd!

SCENE

IX.

Enter Therfites.

Ther. A wonder!

Achil. What?

Ther. Ajax goes up and down the field, asking for himself.

Achil. How fo?

Ther. He must fight fingly 'to-morrow with Hector, and is fo prophetically proud of an heroical cudgelling, that he raves in faying nothing.

Achil. How can that be?

Ther. Why, he stalks up and down like a peacock, a ftride and a ftand; ruminates like an hoftefs that hath no arithmetick but her brain, to fet down her reckoning; bites his lip with a politick regard, as who fhould fay, there were wit in his head, if 'twou'd out; and fo there is, but it lyes as coldly in him as fire in a flint, which will not fhew without knocking. The man's undone for ever: for if Hector break not his neck i'th' combat, he'll break't himfelf in vain-glory. He knows not me: I faid, good morrow, Ajax, and he replied, thanks, Agamemnon. What think you of this man, that takes me for the General? he's grown a very land-fish, language-lefs, a monster. A plague of opinion! a man may wear it on both fides, like a leather jerkin.