And, in the publication, make no strain,
But that Achilles, were his brain as barren
As banks of Libya,-though, Apollo knows,
'Tis dry enough,—will with great speed of judgment,
Ay, with celerity, find Hector's purpose
Pointing on him.

Uly. And wake him to the answer, think you ?
Neft. Yes, 'tis moft meet; Whom may you elfe oppofe,

That can from Hector bring those honours off,
If not Achilles? Though't be a sportful combat,
Yet in this trial much opinion dwells;

For here the Trojans tafte our dear'st repute
With their fin'ft palate: And truft to me, Ulyffes,
'Our imputation fhall be oddly pois'd

In this wild action: for the fuccefs,
Although particular, fhall give a scantling
Of good or bad unto the general;

t

And in fuch indexes, although small pricks
To their fubfequent volumes, there is feen
The baby figure of the giant mass

Of things to come at large. It is fuppos'd,
He, that meets Hector, iffues from our choice:
And choice, being mutual act of all our fouls,
Makes merit her election; and doth " boil,
As 'twere from forth us all, a man distill'd
Out of our virtues; Who mifcarrying,

What heart receives from hence a conquering part,

And, in the publication, make no ftrain, &c.]-And doubtlefs, when the circumstances of this challenge come to be proclaimed, Achilles, dull as he is, will inftantly difcover the drift of it.

9 Our imputation]-Our reputation will be ftrangely fifted.

S

a fcantling]-a fpecimen of our national character.

indexes]-The index was formerly placed immediately after the title-page.

* fmall pricks]-fmall points in refpect of, compared with the volumes. boil,]-extract, feparate as by fire.

To

W

* To steel a strong opinion to themselves?
Which entertain'd, * limbs are in his inftruments,
In no lefs working, than are fwords and bows
Directive by the limbs.

Uly. Give pardon to my speech ;

Therefore 'tis meet, Achilles meet not Hector.
Let us, like merchants, fhew our fouleft wares,
And think, perchance, they'll fell; if not,
The luftre of the better fhall exceed,

By fhewing the worst first. Do not confent,
That ever Hector and Achilles meet;

For both our honour and our fhame, in this,
Are dogg'd with two strange followers.

Neft. I fee them not with my old eyes; What are they?
Uly. What glory our Achilles fhares from Hector,
Were he not proud, we all fhould share with him:
But he already is too infolent;

And we were better parch in Africk fun,

Than in the pride and falt fcorn of his eyes,
Should he 'scape Hector fair: If he were foil'd,
Why, then we did our main opinion crush
y In taint of our best man. No, make a lottery;
And, by device, let blockish Ajax draw

The fort to fight with Hector: Among ourselves,
Give him allowance as the better man,

For that will phyfick the great Myrmidon,

Who broils in loud applaufe; and make him fall
His creft, that prouder than blue Iris bends.

b

"To feel a strong opinion to themselves ?]-To confirm his favourable opinion of his own prowess.

* limbs are in his inftruments,]—his valour, and the weapons that it wields, are reciprocally efficacious.

y In taint]-To the prejudice.

a the great Myrmidon,]-Achilles.

The fort]-The lot.

that prouder than blue Iris bends.]-higher than the rainbow's arch.

If the dull brainless Ajax come safe off,
We'll drefs him up in voices: If he fail,
Yet go we under our opinion ftill,

That we have better men. But, hit or mifs,
'Our project's life this fhape of fenfe affumes,—

Ajax, employ'd, plucks down Achilles' plumes.
Neft. Ulyffes,

Now I begin to relish thy advice;

And I will give a taste of it forthwith.
To Agamemnon: go we to him straight.
Two curs fhall tame each other; Pride alone

'Muft tarre the maftiffs on, as 'twere their bone.

e

Ther. Agamemnon-how if he had boils? full, all

a botchy core?

the general run then? were not that Ajax. Dog,

Ther. Then there would come fome matter from him; I fee none now.

* Our project's life]-Our fuccefs abfolutely depends on the selection Ajax for this encounter.

Muft tarre the maftiff's on, &c.]-Urge them to engage, ferve as

the bone of contention.

e boils ?]-biles,

f

a botchy core ?]-a fore head.

D

Ajax.

Ajax. Thou bitch-wolf's fon, can't thou not hear? Feel then. [Strikes him. Ther. The plague of Greece upon thee, thou mungrel beef-witted lord!

Ajax. Speak then, thou vinied'ft leaven, fpeak: I will beat thee into handfomeness.

Ther. I fhall fooner rail thee into wit and holiness: but, I think, thy horfe will fooner con an oration, than thou learn a prayer without book. Thou canst ftrike, canft thou? a red murrain o' thy jade's tricks!

Ajax. Toads-ftool, learn me the proclamation.

Ther. Doft thou think, I have no fenfe, thou strik'st

me thus ?

Ajax. The proclamation,

Ther. Thou art proclaim'd a fool, I think.

k

Ajax. Do not, porcupine, do not; my fingers itch. Ther. I would, thou didst itch from head to foot, and I had the fcratching of thee; I would make thee the loathfomeft fcab in Greece. When thou art forth in the incurfions, thou ftrikeft as flow as another.

Ajax. I fay, the proclamation,➖➖➖➖

Ther. Thou grumblest and railest every hour on Achilles; and thou art as full of envy at his greatnefs, as Cerberus is at Proferpina's beauty, ay that thou bark'st at him.

Ajax. Miftrefs Therfites!

Ther. Thou fhouldft ftrike him..

beef-witted]-half-witted.

"I am a great cater of beef, and, I

"believe, that does harm to my wit."

TWELFTH NIGHT, Vol. II. p. 480. Sir And.

hvinied' leaven]-piece of mouldy dough-unfalted; whinnid'ft

baven-moft crooked faggot-ftick.

i a red murrain]—" The red plague rid you."

* porcupine,]-porpentine.

TEMPEST, Vol. I. p. 20. Cal.

1 the loathamet feab in Greece.]-alluding to the Elephantiafis, or

Lepra Græcorum.

Ajax. Cobloaf!

Ther. He would " pun thee into fhivers with his fift, as

a failor breaks a bisket.

Ajax. You whorefon cur!

Ther. Do, do.

Ajax. Thou ftool for a witch!

[Beating him.

Ther. Ay, do, do; thou fodden-witted lord! thou haft no more brain than I have in my elbows; an affinego may tutor thee: Thou fcurvy valiant afs! thou art here put to thrash Trojans; and thou art bought and fold among thofe of any wit, like a Barbarian flave. If thou ufe to beat me, I will begin at thy heel, and tell what thou art by inches, thou thing of no bowels, thou! Ajax. You dog!

do.

Ther. You fcurvy lord!

Ajax. You cur!

[Beating him.

Ther. Mars his ideot! do, rudeness; do, camel; do,

Enter Achilles, and Patroclus.

Achil. Why, how now, Ajax? wherefore do you thus? How now, Therfites? what's the matter, man?

Ther. You fee him there, do you?

Achil. Ay; What's the matter?
Ther. Nay, look upon him.

Achil. So I do; What's the matter?
Ther. Nay, but regard him well,

Achil. Well, why I do fo.

Ther. But yet you look not well upon him: for, who foever you take him to be, he is Ajax.

Achil. I know that, fool.

Cobleaf!]-Crufty and uneven.

pun thee into fbivers]-pound thee into atoms, fmall fragments, or an affinego a little afs.

pieces.

P

? of no bowels,]-without feeling.