Thou dreadful Ajax; that the appalled air
May pierce the head of the great combatant,
And hale him hither.

Ajax. Thou, trumpet, there's my purse.

Now crack thy lungs, and split thy brazen pipe:
Blow, villain, 'till thy 'fphered bias cheek
Out-fwell the cholic of puff'd Aquilon:

Come, ftretch thy cheft, and let thy eyes fpout blood
Thou blow'ft for Hector.

Uly. No trumpet answers.

Achil. 'Tis but early day.

Aga. Is not yon Diomed, with Calchas' daughter?

Uly. 'Tis he, I ken the manner of his gait;

He rifes on his toe; that spirit of his

In afpiration lifts him from the earth.

Enter Diomed, with Creffida.

Aga. Is this the lady Creffida?

Dio. Even fhe.

Aga. Moft dearly welcome to the Greeks, fweet lady. Neft. Our general doth falute you with a kifs. Uly. Yet is the kindness but particular; 'Twere better fhe were kifs'd in general. Neft. And very courtly counfel: I'll begin.

So much for Neftor.

Achil. I'll take that winter from your lips, fair lady: Achilles bids you welcome.

Men. I had good argument for kifling once. Patr. But that's no argument for kiffing now: For thus popp'd Paris in his hardiment;

h

And parted thus you and your argument.

Ulyff. O deadly gall, and theme of all our fcorns!

For which we lose our heads, to gild his horns.

f Sphered bias cheek]-ftanding out like the bias of a bowl.

上

Aquilon:]-the north wind.

in his bardiment ;]-courageously.

Patr.

Patr. The first was Menclaus' kiss;—this, mine: Patroclus kiffes you.

Men. O, this is trim !

Patr. Paris, and I, kifs evermore for him.

Men. I'll have my kifs, fir Lady, by your leave.

:

Cre. In kiffing, do you render, or receive?

Patr. Both take and give.

Cre. I'll make my match to live,

The kifs you take is better than you give;
Therefore no kifs.

Men. I'll give you boot, I'll give you three for one.
Cre. You're an odd man; give even, or give none.
Men. An odd man, lady? every man is odd.
Cre. No, Paris is not; for, you know, 'tis true,
That you are odd, and he is even with you.

Men. You fillip me o' the head.

Cre. No, I'll be fworn.

Ulyff. It were no match, your nail against his horn.→ May I, fweet lady, beg a kifs of you?

Cre. You may.

Ulyff. I do defire it.

Cre. Why, beg then.

Ulyff. Why then, for Venus' fake, give me a kiss.
Cre. When Helen is a maid again, and his.

I am your debtor, claim it when 'tis due.

Ulyff. Never's my day, and then a kifs of you. Dio. Lady, a word;-I'll bring you to your father. [Diomed leads out Creffida.

Neft. A woman of quick fenfe.

Uly. Fie, fie upon her!

There's language in her eye, her cheek, her lip,

Nay, her foot speaks; her wanton fpirits look out

At every joint and i motive of her body.

O, these encounterers, fo glib of tongue,

I'll make my match to live,]-I'll lay my life. i motive-moving part.

* encounterers,]-forward dames.

That

'That give a coafting welcome ere it comes,
And wide unclafp the tables of their thoughts
To every ticklish reader! fet them down
For fluttish fpoils of opportunity,

And daughters of the game.

All. The Trojans' trumpet!

Aga. Yonder comes the troop.

[Trumpet within.

Enter Hector, Æneas, Troilus, &c. with attendants.

Ene. Hail, all the state of Greece! What fhall be done to him

That victory commands? Or do you purpose,

A victor fhall be "known? will you, the knights
Shall to the edge of all extremity

Purfue each other; or fhall they be divided.
By any voice or order of the field?

Hector bade afk.

Aga. Which way would Hector have it?

Ene. He cares not, he'll obey conditions.

Acbil. 'Tis done like Hector; but fecurely done, A little proudly, and great deal misprizing

The knight oppos'd.

Ene. If not Achilles, fir,

Achil. If not Achilles, nothing.

Ene. Therefore Achilles: But, whate'er, know this;In the extremity of great and little,

Valour and pride ' excel themselves in Hector;

The one almost as infinite as all,

That give a coafting welcome ere it comes,]-That, like fhips, falute in paffing, by putting out their colours, before they can come to the fpeech of each other.

fluttish Spoils of opportunity,]-the eafy victims of every favourable opportunity. known?]-declared.

fecurely]-in the wantonnefs of fecurity.

excel themselves, &c.]-exceed their common degrees-he hath at once the greateft poffible valour, and the least imaginable pride.

The

The other blank as nothing. Weigh him well,
And that, which looks like pride, is courtesy.
This Ajax is half made of Hector's blood;
In love whereof, half Hector stays at home;
Half heart, half hand, half Hector comes to seek
This blended knight, half Trojan, and half Greek.
Achil. A maiden battle then?-0, 1 perceive you.

Re-enter Diomed.

Aga. Here is fir Diomed:-Go, gentle knight,
Stand by our Ajax: as you and lord Æneas
Confent upon the order of their fight,
So be it; either to the uttermost,

Or else a breath the combatants being kin,
Half stints their ftrife before their strokes begin.

Uly. They are oppos'd already.

Aga. What Trojan is that fame that looks fo heavy? Uly. The youngest son of Priam, a true knight; Not yet mature, yet matchlefs; firm of word; Speaking in deeds, and 'deedlefs in his tongue; Not foon provok'd, nor, being provok'd, foon calm'd: His heart and hand both open, and both free; For what he has, he gives, what thinks, he fhews; Yet gives he not 'till judgment guide his bounty, Nor dignifies an 'impair thought with breath: Manly as Hector, but more dangerous;

t

For Hector, in his blaze of wrath, subscribes

To tender objects; but he, in heat of action,
Is more vindicative than jealous love :

They call him Troilus; and on him erect
A fecond hope, as fairly built as Hector.
Thus fays Æneas; one that knows the youth

half made of Hector's blood;]-being the fon of his aunt Hefione. deedlefs in his tongue ;]-no boafter.

an impair]-an unbecoming, unfitting.

fubfcribes]-yields to compaffion.

vindicative]-revengeful.

Even to his inches, and, with private foul,
Did in great Ilion thus tranflate him to me.

[Alarum.

Aga. They are in action.

Heftor and Ajax fight.

Neft. Now, Ajax, hold thine own!

Troi, Hector, thou sleep'ft, awake thee!

Aga. His blows are well difpos'd:-there, Ajax !

Dio. You must no more.

Ene. Princes, enough, so please you.

[Trumpets ceafe.

Ajax. I am not warm yet, let us fight again.
Dio. As Hector pleases.

Helt. Why then, will I no more :——
Thou art, great lord, my father's fifter's son,
A cousin-german to great Priam's feed;
The obligation of our blood forbids
A gory emulation 'twixt us twain:

Were thy commixion Greek and Trojan fo,
That thou could'ft fay-This band is Grecian all,
And this is Trojan; the finews of this leg

All Greek, and this all Troy; my mother's blood
Runs on the dexter cheek, and this finifter

Rounds in my father's; by Jove * multipotent,

Thou fhould'ft not bear from me a Greekish member
Wherein my sword had not impreffure made

Of our rank feud: But the juft gods gainfay,
That any drop thou borrow'st from thy mother,
My facred aunt, fhould by my mortal sword
Be drain'd! Let me embrace thee, Ajax:
By him that thunders, thou haft lufty arms;
Hector would have them fall upon him thus:-
Coufin, all honour to thee!

"with private foul,]-in confidence, gave me this character of him. tranflated her will." MERRY WIVES OF WINDSOR, Vol. I. p. 180. multipotent,]-mighty.

VOL. III.

H

Ajax.