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 ftays at home;
Half heart, half hand, half Hector comes to feek
This blended knight, half Trojan, and half Greek.
Achil. A maiden battle then ?-O, 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 uttermoft,

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
Ulyff. The youngest fon 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;
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

t

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

fubfcribes-yields to compaffion.

3

an impair]-an unbecoming, unfitting.

t

N

vindicative]-revengeful.

W

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

[Alarum. Hector and Ajax fight.

Aga. They are in action.

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, fo 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 sister's son,
A coufin-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

X

Bounds in my father's; by Jove multipotent,

Thou should't not bear from me a Greekifh member
Wherein my sword had not impreffure made
Of our rank feud: But the just gods gainfay,
That any drop thou borrow'ft 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.

x multipotent,]-mighty.

VOL. III.

H

Ajax.

Ajax. I thank thee, Hector:

Thou art too gentle, and too free a man :
I came to kill thee, coufin, and bear hence
A great addition earned in thy death.

Heft. Not Neoptolemus' fire fo mirable
(On whofe bright crest Fame with her loud'ft O yes
Cries, This is be) could promise to himself

A thought of added honour torn from Hector.

Ene. There is expectance here from both the fides, What further you will do.

Helt. We'll answer it;

The iffue is embracement :-Ajax, farewell.
Ajax. If I might in entreaties find fuccefs,
(As feld I have the chance) I would defire
My famous coufin to our Grecian tents.

Dio. 'Tis Agamemnon's wifh; and great Achilles
Doth long to fee unarm'd the valiant Hector.
Het. Æneas, call my brother Troilus to me:
And fignify this loving interview

To the expecters of our Trojan part;

Defire them home.-Give me thy hand, my cousin;
I will go eat with thee, and fee your knights.

Ajax. Great Agamemnon comes to meet us here.
Hect. The worthieft of them tell me name by name;

But for Achilles, my own fearching eyes

Shall find him by his large and portly fize.

Aga. Worthy of arms! as welcome as to one

That would be rid of fuch an enemy;

But that's no welcome: Understand more clear,

What's paft, and what's to come, is ftrew'd with husks And formlefs ruin of oblivion;

But in this extant moment, faith and troth,

Y Neoptolemus'-Achilles, the wond'rous fire of Pyrrhus Neoptolemus. 2 the expecters]-the party that await us, our attendants.

Strain'd

Strain'd purely from all hollow bias-drawing,
Bids thee, with most divine integrity,

From heart of very heart, great Hector, welcome.
Het. I thank thee, moft imperious Agamemnon.
Aga. My well-fam'd lord of Troy, no less to you.

[To Troilus.

Men. Let me confirm my princely brother's greeting ;

You brace of warlike brothers, welcome hither.

Het. Whom muft we answer?

Ene. The noble Menelaus.

Helt. O, you, my lord? by Mars his gauntlet, thanks! Mock not, that I affect the untraded oath;

a

Your quondam wife fwears ftill by Venus' glove:

She's well, but bade me not commend her to you.
Men. Name her not now, fir; fhe's a deadly theme.
Het. O, pardon; I offend.

Neft. I have, thou gallant Trojan, feen thee oft,
Labouring for destiny, make cruel way

Through ranks of Greekish youth: and I have seen thee,
As hot as Perfeus, fpur thy Phrygian fteed,

b

Defpifing many forfeits and fubduements,

When thou haft hung thy advanced fword i'the air,
Not letting it decline on the declined

That I have faid to fome my ftanders-by,

Lo, Jupiter is yonder, dealing life!

And I have seen thee pause, and take thy breath,
When that a ring of Greeks have hemm'd thee in,
Like an Olympian wrestling: This have I feen;
But this thy countenance, ftill lock'd in fteel,
I never faw 'till now. I knew thy grandfire,
And once fought with him: he was a foldier good;
* untraded]-unfashionable.

forfeits and fubduements,]-things forfeited and fubdued.

H 2

But,

But, by great Mars, the captain of us all,
Never like thee: Let an old man embrace thee;
And, worthy warrior, welcome to our tents.
Ene. 'Tis the old Neftor.

HeƐt. Let me embrace thee, good old chronicle,
That haft fo long walk'd hand in hand with time :-
Moft reverend Neftor, I am glad to clasp thee.

Neft. I would, my arms could match thee in contention,

As they contend with thee in courtesy.

Het. I would, they could.

Neft. Ha! by this white beard, I'd fight with thee to

morrow.

Well, welcome, welcome! I have seen the time

Ulyff. I wonder now how yonder city stands, When we have here her bafe and pillar by us.

Hect. I know your favour, lord Ulyffes, well. Ah, fir, there's many a Greek and Trojan dead, Since firft I faw yourself and Diomed

In Ilion, on your Greekish embaffy.

Ulyff. Sir, I foretold you then what would enfue:
My prophecy is but half his journey yet;

For yonder walls, that pertly front your town,
Yon towers, whofe wanton tops do bufs the clouds,
Muft kifs their own feet.

Helt. I must not believe you:

There they stand yet; and modestly I think,

The fall of every Phrygian stone will coft

A drop of Grecian blood: The end crowns all;
And that old common arbitrator, time,

Will one day end it.

Ulyff. So to him we leave it.

Moft gentle, and moft valiant Hector, welcome:

After