my head, 'tis pride: But why, why? let him show us a cause. A word, my lord. [Takes AGAMEMNON aside. Nest. What moves Ajax thus to bay at him? Ulyss. Achilles hath inveigled his fool from him. Ulyss. He. Nest. Then will Ajax lack matter, if he have lost his argument. Ulyss. No you see, he is his argument, that has his argument; Achilles. Nest. All the better; their fraction is more our wish, than their faction: But it was a strong composure, a fool could disunite. Ulyss. The amity, that wisdom knits not, folly may easily untie. Here comes Patroclus. Re-enter PATROCLUS. Nest. No Achilles with him. Ulyss. The elephant hath joints, but none for courtesy: his legs are legs for necessity, not for flexure. Patr. Achilles bids me say he is much sorry, Agam. Hear you, Patroclus;- Much attribute he hath; and much the reason Do, in our eyes, begin to lose their gloss; We come to speak with him: And you shall not sin, you do say-we think him over-proud, If And under-honest; in self-assumption greater, Than in the note of judgement; and worthier' than himself Here tend the savage strangeness he puts on; We'll none of him; but let him, like an engine Bring action hither, this cannot go to war: Before a sleeping giant:-Tell him so. Patr. I shall; and bring his answer presently. [Exit. Agam. In second voice we'll not be satisfied, We come to speak with him.-Ulysses, enter. Ajax. What is he more than another? [Exit ULYSSES. Agam. No more than what he thinks he is. Ajax. Is he so much? Do you not think, he thinks himself a better man than I am? Agam. No question. Ajax. Will you subscribe his thought, and say-he 18? Agam. No, noble Ajax; you are as strong, as valiant, as wise, no less noble, much more gentle, and altogether more tractable. Ajax. Why should a man be proud? How doth pride grow? I know not what pride is. Agam. Your mind's the clearer, Ajax, and your virtues the fairer. He that is proud, eats up himself: pride is his own glass, his own trumpet, his own chronicle; and whatever praises itself but in the deed, devours the deed in the praise. Ajax. Ido hate a proud man, as I hate the engendering of toads. Nest. And yet he loves himself: Is it not strange? Re-enter ULYSSES. [Aside. Ulyss. Achilles will not to the field to-morrow. Ulyss. He doth rely on none; But carries on the stream of his dispose, In will peculiar and in self-admission. Agam. Why will he not, upon our fair request, Untent his person, and share the air with us? Ulyss. Things small as nothing, for request's sake only, He makes important: Possess'd he is with greatness; And speaks not to himself, but with a pride That quarrels at self-breath: imagin'd worth Holds in his blood such swoln and hot discourse, That, 'twixt his mental and his active parts, Kingdom'd Achilles in commotion rages, And batters down himself: What should I say? He is so plaguy proud, that the death tokens of it Cry-No recovery. Agam. Let Ajax go to him. Dear lord, go you and greet him in his tent: Ulyss. O Agamemnon, let it not be so! Enter his thoughts,-save such as do revolve By going to Achilles: That were to enlard his fat-already pride; This lord go to him! Jupiter forbid; And say in thunder—Achilles, go to him. Nest. O, this is well; he rubs the vein of him. [Aside. Dio. And how his silence drinks up this applause! [Aside Ajax. If I go to him, with my arm'd fist I'll pash him Over the face. Agam. O, no, you shall not go. Ajax. An he be proud with me, I'll pheeze his pride: Let me go to him. Ulyss. Not for the worth that hangs upon our quarrel. Ajax. A paltry, insolent fellow, Chides blackness. Ajax. How he describes [Aside The raven [Aside I will let his humours blood. Agam. He'll be physician, that should be the patient. Were o'my mind, [Aside Ajax. An all men Wit would be out of fashion. [Aside [Aside Ajax. He should not bear it so, He should eat swords first: Shall pride carry it? Ulyss. He'd have ten shares. [Aside. praises: Pour in, pour in; his ambition is dry. [Aside. Ulyss. My lord, you feed too much on this dislike. [TO AGAMEMNON Nest. O noble general, do not do so. Dio. You must prepare to fight without Achilles. Ulyss. Why, 'tis this naming of him does him harm, Here is a man-But 'tis before his face; I will be silent. Nest. Wherefore should you so? He is not emulous, as Achilles is. Ulyss. Know the whole world, he is as valiant. Ajax. A whoreson dog, that shall palter thus with us I would, he were a Trojan! Nest. Were it in Ajax now What a vice |