untary; Ajax was here the voluntary, and you as under an impress.

Ther. E'en so; a great deal of your wit, too, lies in your sinews, or else there be liars. Hector shall have a great catch if he knock out either of your brains; 'a were as good crack a fusty nut with no kernel.

Achil. What, with me too, Thersites ? Ther. There's Ulysses and old Nestor,whose wit was mouldy ere your grandsires had nails on their toes, yoke you like draught oxen, and make you plough up the

war.

Achil. What, what?

Ther. Yes, good sooth. To, Achilles! to, Ajax ! to!

Ajax. I shall cut out your tongue.

Ther. 'Tis no matter; I shall speak as much as thou, afterwards.

Patr. No more words, Thersites; peace! Ther. I will hold my peace when Achilles brach bids me, shall I?

Achil. There's for you, Patroclus.

Ther. I will see you hanged, like clotpoles. ere I come any more to your tents; I will keep where there is wit stirring, and leave the faction of fools. [Exit.

Patr. A good riddance. Achil. Marry, this, sir, is proclaim'd through all our host:

That Hector, by the fifth hour of the sun, Will, with a trumpet, 'twixt our tents and Troy,

To-morrow morning call some knight to arms, That hath a stomach; and such a one that dare [well. Maintain-I know not what; 'tis trash. FareAjax. Farewell. Who shall answer him? Achil. I know not, it is put to lottery; otherwise,

He knew his man.

Ajax. O, meaning you :-I'll go learn more

of it.

[Exeunt

SCENE II.-Troy. A Room in Priam's

Palace.

Enter PRIAM, HECTOR, TROILUS, Paris, and HBL

ENUS.

Pri. After so many hours, lives, speeches spent, [Greeks: Thus once again says Nestor from the Deliver Helen, and all damage else

As honor, loss of time, travail, expense, Wounds, friends, and what else dear that is consumed

In hot digestion of this cormorant war,— Shall be struck off:-Hector, what say you to't?

Hect. Though no man lesser fears the Greeks than I, [Priam, As far as toucheth my particular, yet, dread There is no lady of more softer bowels, More spongy to suck in the sense of fear,

More ready to cry out-Who knows what [surety, follows? Than Hector is. The wound of peace is Surety secure; but modest doubt is `call'd The beacon of the wise, the tent that searches To the bottom of the worst. Let Helen go: Since the first sword was drawn about this question,

Every tithe soul, 'mongst many thousand dismes,

Hath been as dear as Helen; I mean, of ours
If we have lost so many tenths of ours,
To guard a thing not ours; nor worth to us,
Had it our name, the value of one ten;
What merit's in that reason which denies
The yielding of her up?

Tro.

Fie, fie, my brother Weigh you the worth and honor of a king So great as our dread father, in a scale Of common ounces? will you with counters

sum

The past-proportion of his infinite?
And buckle-in a waist most fathomless
With spans and inches so diminutive

As fears and reasons? fie, for godly shame!
Hel. No marvel, though you bite so sharp

at reasons,

You are so empty of them.
Bear the great sway of his

[father Should not our affairs with rea [him so?

none, that tells

Tro. You are for dreams and slumbers,

brother priest,

You fur your gloves with reason.

your reasons:

Here are

You know an enemy intends you harm;
You know a sword employ'd is perilous,
And reason flies the object of all harm ;
Who marvels then, when Helenus beholds
A Grecian and his sword, if he do set
The very wings of reason to his heels;
And fly like chidden Mercury from Jove,
Or like a star dis-orb'd?—Nay, if we talk of
[honor
Let's shut our gates, and sleep: manhood and
Should have hare-hearts, would they but fat
their thoughts

reason,

[spect With this cramm'd reason; reason and re Make livers pale, and lustihood deject. Hect. Brother, she is not worth what she doth cost

The holding.

Tro. What's aught but as 'tis valued ? Hect. But value dwells not in particular will;

It holds his estimate and dignity

As well wherein 'tis precious of itself
As in the prizer; 'tis mad idolatry

To make the service greater than the god,
And the will dotes that is inclinable
To what infectiously itself affects,

Without some image of the affected merit.
Tro. I take to-day a wife, and my elec-

tion

Is led on in the conduct of my will;
My will enkindled by mine eyes and ears.

Two traded pilots 'twixt the dangerous shores

Of will and judgment: how may I avoid, Although my will distaste what it elected, The wife I chose? there can be no evasion To blench from this, and to stand firm by

honor:

[chant We turn not back the silks upon the mer When we have spoil'd them: nor the remainder viands

meet,

the

We do not throw in unrespective sieve, Because we now are full. It was thought [Greeks: Paris should do some vengeance on Your breath of full consent bellied the sails; The seas and winds (old wranglers) took a truce, [sired; And did him service: he touch'd the ports deAnd, for an old aunt, whom the Greeks held [and freshness He brought a Grecian queen, whose youth Wrinkles Apollo's, and makes stale the morn

captive,

ing.

Why keep we her? the Grecians keep our

aunt:

Is she worth keeping? why, she is a pearl, Whose price hath launched above a thousand ships,

And turn'd crown'd kings to merchants. If you'll avouch 'twas wisdom Paris went, (As you must needs, for you all cried-Go, go,)

If you'll confess he brought home noble prize