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Heat. Now, youthful Troilus, do not thefe high

ftrains

Of Divination in our fifter work

Some touches of remorfe? or is your blood
So madly hot, that no difcourfe of reafon,
Nor fear of bad fuccefs in a bad cause,
Can qualify the fame ?

Troi Why, brother Hector,

We may not think the juftness of each act
Such and no other than event doth form it;
Nor once deject the courage of our minds,
Becaufe Caffandra's mad; her brain-fick raptures
Cannot diftafte the goodness of a quarrel,
Which hath our feveral honours all engag'd
To make it gracious. For my private part,
I am no more touch'd than all Priam's fons ;
And, Jove forbid there fhould be done amongst us
Such things, as might offend the weakeft fpleen
To fight for and maintain.

Par. Elfe might the world convince of levity
As well my undertakings, as your counfels :
But I atteft the Gods, your full confent
Gave wings to my propenfion, and cut off
All fears attending on fo dire a project.
For what, alas, can thefe my fingle arms?
What propugnation is in one man's valour,
To ftand the push and enmity of those
This quarrel would excite? yet I proteft,
Were I alone to pafs the difficulties,
And had as ample Power, as I have Will,
Paris fhould ne'er retract what he hath done,
Nor faint in the pursuit.

Pri. Paris, you speak

Like one befotted on your fweet delights;
You have the honey ftill, but these the gall;
So, to be valiant, is no praife at all.

Par. Sir, I propofe not merely to myself
The pleasures fuch a Beauty brings with it:

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But

But I would have the foil of her fair rape
Wip'd off, in honourable keeping her.
What treafon were it to the ranfack'd Queen,
Difgrace to your great worths, and fhame to me,
Now to deliver her poffeffion up,

On terms of base compulfion? can it be,
That fo degenerate a ftrain, as this,

Should once fet footing in your generous bofoms ?
There's not the meaneft spirit on our party,

Without a heart to dare, or fword to draw,
When Helen is defended: none fo noble,
Whofe life were ill beftow'd, or death unfam'd,
When Helen is the fubject. Then, I say,
Well may we fight for her, whom, we know well,
The world's large spaces cannot parallel.

He&t. Paris and Troilus, you have both faid well :
But on the cause and queftion now in hand
Have gloz'd but fuperficially; not much
Unlike young men, whom Ariftotle thought
Unfit to hear moral philosophy.

The reasons, you alledge, do more conduce
To the hot paffion of diftemper'd blood,

Than to make up a free determination

'Twixt right and wrong: for pleasure and revenge
Have ears more deaf than adders, to the voice
Of any true decifion. Nature craves,

All dues be render'd to their owners; now
What nearer debt in all humanity,
Than wife is to the hufband? If this law
Of nature be corrupted through affection,
And that great minds of partial indulgence
To their benummed wills, refift the fame;
There is a law in each well-order'd nation,
To curb those raging appetites that are
Moft difobedient and refractory.
If Helen then be wife to Sparta's King,
(As, it is known, fhe is) thefe moral laws
Of Nature, and of Nation, speak aloud

To

.

To have her back return'd. Thus to perfift
In doing wrong, extenuates not wrong,

But makes it much more heavy. Hector's opinion
Is this in way of truth; yet ne'ertheless,
My fprightly brethren, I propend to you
In refolution to keep Helen ftill;

For 'tis a cause that hath no mean dependance
Upon our joint and feveral dignities.

Troi. Why, there you touch'd the life of our design :

Were it not glory that we more affected

Than the performance of our heaving spleens,
I would not with a drop of Trojan blood
Spent more in her defence.

But, worthy Hector,
She is a theme of honour and renown;

A fpur to valiant and magnanimous deeds;
Whose present courage may beat down our foes,
And Fame, in time to come, canonize us.
For, I prefume, brave Hector would not lofe
So rich advantage of a promis'd glory,

As fmiles upon the forehead of this action,.
For the wide world's revenue.

Het. I am yours,

You valiant off-fpring of great Priamus.
I have a roifting challenge fent amongst
The dull and factious nobles of the Greeks,
Will ftrike amazement to their drowsy spirits.
I was advertis'd, their great General flept,
Whilft emulation in the army crept:
This, I prefume, will wake him.

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[Exeunt.

Before Achilles's Tent, in the Grecian Camp.
Enter Therfites folus.

H

OW now, Therfites? what, loft in the labyrinth of thy fury? fhall the elephant Ajax carry it thus? he beats me, and I rail at him: O worthy fatis

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faction;

faction; 'would, it were otherwife; that I could beat him, whilft he rail'd at me: 'sfoot, I'll learn to conjure and raife devils, but I'll fee fome iffue of my fpiteful execrations. Then there's Achilles, a rare engineer. If Troy be not taken 'till these undermine it, the walls will ftand 'till they fall of themselves. O thou great thunder-darter of Olympus, forget that thou art Jove the King of Gods; and, Mercury, lofe all the ferpentine craft of thy Caduceus, if thou take not that little, little, lefs than little wit from them that they have; which fhort-arm'd ignorance itself knows is fo abundant fcarce, it will not in circumvention deliver a fly from a spider, without drawing the maffy irons and cutting the web. After this, the vengeance on the whole camp; or rather the boneach, for that, methinks, is the curfe dependant on those that war for a placket. 1 have faid my prayers, and devil Envy fay Amen. What ho! my lord

Achilles !

Enter Patroclus.

Pat. Who's there? Therfites? Good Therfiles, come in and rail.

Ther. If I could have remember'd a gilt counter, thou could't not have flipt out of my contemplation; but it is no matter, thyfelf upon thyfelf! The common curse of mankind, folly and ignorance, be thine in great revenue: heaven bless thee from a tutor, and difcipline come not near thee! Let thy blood be thy direction 'till thy death, then if fhe, that lays thee out, fays thou art a fair coarfe, I'll be fworn and fworn upon't, fhe never fhrouded any but Lazars Amen. Where's Achilles ?

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Pat. What, art thou devout? waft thou in prayer? Ther. Ay, the heav'ns hear me !

Enter Achilles.

Achil. Who's there?

Pat.

Pat. Therfites, my lord. ¡

Achil. Where, where ? art thou come, why, my cheese, my digeftion-why haft thou not ferved thyfelf up to my table, fo many meals? come, what's Agamemnon?

Ther. Thy commander, Achilles; then tell me, Patroclus, what's Achilles?

Pat. Thy lord, Therfites: then tell me, I pray thee, what's thyfelf?

Ther. Thy knower, Patroclus: then tell me, Patroclus, what art thou?

Pat. Thou may'ft tell, that know'ft.

Achil. O tell, tell,

Ther. I'll decline the whole queftion. Agamemnon commands Achilles, Achilles is my lord, I am Patroclus's knower, and Patroclus is a fool.

Pat. You rafcal

Ther. Peace fool, I have not done.
Achil. He is a privileg'd man.

Proceed, Therfiles.

Ther. Agamemnon is a fool, Achilles is a fool, Therfites is a fool, and, as aforefaid, 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, Therfites is a fool to ferve fuch a fool, and Patroclus is a fool pofitive.

Pat. Why am I a fool?

Ther. Make that demand to thy creator ;- -it fuffices me, thou art.

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Enter Agamemnon, Ulyffes, Neftor, Diomedes, Ajax,

and Calchas.

Look you, who comes here?

Achil. Patroclus, I'll fpeak with no body: come in

with me, Therfites.

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[Exit.

Ther.

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