SCENE III. The Grecian Camp. Enter AGAMEMNON; ULYSSES, DIOMEDES, NESTOR, AJAX, MENELAUS, and CALCHAS. Cal. Now, princes, for the service I have done you, The advantage of the time prompts me aloud To call for recompense. Appear it to your mind, That, through the sight I bear in things, to Jove I have abandon'd Troy, left my possession, Incurr'd a traitor's name; expos'd myself, From certain and possess'd conveniences, To doubtful fortunes; séquest'ring me from all That time, acquaintance, custom, and condition, Made tame and most familiar to my nature; And here, to do you service, am become As new into the world, strange, unacquainted: I do beseech you, as in way of taste, To give me now a little benefit, Out of those many register'd in promise, Agam. What would'st thou of us, Trojan? make, demand. Cal. You have a Trojan prisoner, call'd Antenor, Yesterday took; Troy holds hin very dear. Oft have you, (often have you thanks therefore,) Desir'd my Cressid in right great exchange, Whom Troy hath still denied: But this Antenor, I know, is such a wrest' in their affairs, That their negotiations all must slack, Wanting his manage; and they will almost Give us a prince of blood, a son of Priam, such a wrest] Wrest is an instrument for tuning the harp by drawing up the strings. In change of him: let him be sent, great princes, 6 Agam. Withal, bring word-if Hector will to-morrow Dio. This shall I undertake; and 'tis a burden Which I am proud to bear. [Exeunt DIOMEDES and CALCHAS. Enter ACHILLES and PATROCLUS, before their Tent. Ulyss. Achilles stands i'the entrance of his tent :— Please it our general to pass strangely by him, As if he were forgot; and, princes all, Lay negligent and loose regard upon him : I will come last: "Tis like, he'll question me, Why such unplausive eyes are bent, why turn'd on him : If so, I have derision med'cinable, To use between your strangeness and his pride, 6 In most accepted pain.] i. e. Her presence, says Calchas, shall strike off, or recompense the service I have done, even in those labours which were most accepted. JOHNSON. Achil. What, comes the general to speak with me? You know my mind, I'll fight no more 'gainst Troy. Agam. What says Achilles? would he aught with us? Nest. Would you, my lord, aught with the general? Nest. Nothing, my lord. Agam. Achil. The better. No. [Exeunt AGAMEMNON and NEStor. Good day, good day. Men. How do you? how do you? [Exit MENELAUS. What, does the cuckold scorn me? Good morrow, Ajax. Ajax. Ha? Achil. Good morrow. Ajax. Ay, and good next day too. [Exit AJAX. Achil. What mean these fellows? Know they not Achilles? Patr. They pass by strangely: they were us'd to bend, To send their smiles before them to Achilles ; To holy altars. Achil. What, am I poor of late? "Tis certain, greatness, once fallen out with fortune, Hath any honour; but honour for those honours Which when they fall, as being slippery standers, VOL. VI. The love that lean'd on them as slippery too, Save these men's looks; who do, methinks, find out I'll interrupt his reading. How now, Ulysses? Ulyss. Here is Ulysses; Now, great Thetis' son? Achil. What are you reading? Ulyss. A strange fellow here Writes me, That man-how dearly ever parted,7 How much in having, or without, or in,Cannot make boast to have that which he hath, Nor feels not what he owes, but by reflection; As when his virtues shining upon others Heat them, and they retort that heat again To the first giver. Achil. This is not strange, Ulysses. The beauty that is borne here in the face Salutes each other with each other's form. Till it hath travell'd, and is married there 7 7 how dearly ever parted,] However excellently endowed, with however dear or precious parts enriched or adorned. 8 in his circumstance,] In the detail or circumduction of his argument. That no man is the lord of any thing, (Though in and of him there be much consisting,) Till he communicate his parts to others: Nor doth he of himself know them for aught The voice again; or like a gate of steel The unknown Ajax." Heavens, what a man is there! a very horse; That has he knows not what. Nature, what things there are, Most abject in regard, and dear in use! What things again most dear in the esteem, How some men creep in skittish fortune's hall, Achil. I do believe it: for they pass'd by me, A great-sized monster of ingratitudes : 9 — The unknown Ajax,] Ajax, who has abilities, which were never brought into view or use. JOHNSON. |