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But pardon, father Neftor; were your days, As green as Ajax, and your brain fo temper'd, You should not have the eminence of him, But be as Ajax.

ax. Shall I call you father? Ulf. Ay, my good fon.

Dio. Be rul'd by him, lord Ajax. [Achilles Ulf. There is no tarrying here; the hart Keeps thicket: pleafe it our great general To call together all his ftate of war; [friends, Fresh kings are come to Troy: to-morrow, We must with all our main of pow'r stand fast, And here's a lord; come knights from east to weft,

And cull their flow'r, Ajax fhall cope the best. Aga. Go we to council. Let Achilles fleep: Light beats fail fwift, tho' greater hulks draw deep. [Exeunt.

An expecting Lover.

No, Pandarus: I ftalk about her door, Like a range foul upon the Stygian banks Staying for waftage. O, be thou my Charon, And give me fwift trarfportance to thofe fields, Where I may wallow in the lily beds Propos'd for the deferver! O gentle Pandarus, From Cupid's fhoulders pluck his painted wings, And fly with me to Creffid'!

1 am giddy; expectation whirls me round.
The imaginary relifh is fo fweet

That it enchants my fenfe; what will it be,
When that the wat'ry palate taftes indeed
Love's thrice reputed nectar? Death, I fear me,
Swooning deftruction; or fome joy too fine,
Too fubtle potent, and too fharp in sweetness,
For the capacity of my ruder powers;
I tear it much; and 1 do fear befides
That I fhall loofe diftinction in my joys;
As doth a battle, when they charge on heaps
The enemy flying.

My heart beats thicker than a fev'rous pulfe ;
And all my powers do their beftowing lofe,
Like vallalage at unawares encounting
The eye of majesty.

Conftancy in Love protested.

to come

Troilus. True fwains in Love fhall in the world [rhymes, Approve their truths by Troilus; when their Full of proteft, of oath, and big compare, Want fimiles: truth tried with iterationAs true as fteel, as plantage to the moon, As fun to day, as turtle to her mate, As iren to adamant, as earth to the centreYet, after all corapariions of truth, As truth's authentic author to be cited, As true as Trelas, thali crown up the verse, And fanctify the numbers.

If I

Prophet may you be!

be falfe, or twelve a hair from truth, WAL

en time is o. and hath forgot itself, When water drops have won the ftones of Troy, And bind oblivion fwallow'd cities up, And my fates characterle's are grated Todawn thing; yet let memory,

From falte to fale, among falle maids in love,

[falfe

Upbraid my falsehood! when they have faid-as
As air, as water, wind, or fandy earth,
As fox to lamb, as wolf to heifer's calf,
Pard to the hind, or step-dame to her fon-
Yea, let them fay, to ftick the heart of falsehood
As falfe as Creffid'.

Pride cures Pride.
Pride hath no other glafs
To fhew itfelf, but pride: for fupple knees
Feed arrogance, and are the proud man's fees.

Greatness contemptible when it declines.

'Tis certain, greatncis, once fallen out with fortune,

[is,
Muft fall out with men too: what the declin'd
He fhall as foon read in the eyes of others,
As feel in his own fall: for men, like butterflies,
Shew not their mealy wings but to the fummer:
And not a man, for being fimply man, [nours
Hath any honour; but honour for thofe ho-
That are without him, as place, riches, and fa-
Prizes of accident as oft as merit;
[vour,
Which, when they fall, as being flippery
ftanders,

The love that lean'd on them is flippery too,
Do one pluck down another, and together
Die in the fall.

Honour continued As neceffary to preserve its
Luftre

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Time hath, my lord, a wallet at his back,
Wherein he puts alms for oblivion,
A great fiz'd monster of ingratitudes: [vour'á
Thofe fcraps are good deeds past; which are de-
As fast as they are made, forgot as foon
As done: perfeverance, dear my lord,
Keeps honour bright: to have done, is to hang
Quite out of fashion, like a rusty mail,
In monumental mockery. Take the inftant way,
For honour travels in a straight so narrow,
Where one but goes abreaft: keep then the path;
For emulation hath a thousand fons,

That one by one purfue; if you give way,
Or hedge alde from the direct forthright,
Like to an enter'd tide they all rush by,
And leave you hindmoft-

Or, like a gallant horfe fall'n in first rank,
Lie there for pavement to the abje& rear,
O'er-run and trampled on: then what they do
in prefent,

Tho' lels than yours in past, must o'ertop yours,
For time is like a fashionable hoft, [hand:
That flightly fhakes his parting gueft by the
And with his arms outstretch'd, as he would fly,
Grafps in the comer: welcome ever fmiles.[feek
And farewel goes out fighing. O, let not virtue
Remuneration for the thing it was; for beauty,
High birth, vigor of bone, defert in fervice, [wit,
Love, friendship, charity, are funjects all
To envious and calumniating time.
One touch of nature makes the whole worldkin-

That all with one confent praife new-born gawds
Tho' they are made and moulded th ngs of paft
And give to duft, that is a little gilt,
More laud than guilt o'er dufted.
The prefent eye prailes the prefent object.

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Injurious time now, with a robber's hafte,
Crams his rich thievery up, he knows not how :
As many farewels as be ftars in heaven,
With diftinct breath and confign'd kiffes to them,
He fumbles up into a loose adieu;
And fcants us with a fingle famifh'd kiss,
Diftafted with the falt of broken tears.

Troilus's Character of the Grecian Youths.
The Grecian youths are full of quality,
They're loving, well compos'd, with gifts of
nature flowing.

And fwelling o'er with arts and exercise ;
How novelty may move, and parts with perfon,
Alas! a kind of godly jealousy
(Which, I beseech you, call a virtuous fin)
Makes me afeard.

A Trumpeter.

Now crack thy lungs, and fplit thy brazen
Blow, villain, till thy fphered bias cheek [pipe:
Outfwell the cholic of puft Aquilon: [blood;
Come, ftretch thy cheft, and let thy eyes pour
Thou blow'ft for Hector.

Diomedes's Manner of Walking.
'Tis he, I ken the manner of his gait ;
He rifes on the toe: that fpirit of his
In afpiration lifts him from the earth.

Defcription of Creffida.

There's language in her eye, her cheek, her lip.
Nay, her foot speaks; her wanton spirit looks out
At every joint and motive of her body.
O thefe encounterers, fo glib of tongue,
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 spoils of opportunity,
And daughters of the game.

The Chara&er of Troilus.

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 provoké, for
calm'd:

His heart and hand both open, and both fre
For what he has, he gives; what thinks, he he,
Yet gives he not till judgment guide his bounty,
Nor dignifies an impure thought with breath:
Manly as Hector, but more dangerous;
For Hector, in his blaze of wrath, fubfcribes
To tender objects; but he, in heat of action,
Is more vindicative than jealous love.
Hector in Battle.

I have, thou gallant Trojan, feen thee oft,
Labouring for deftiny, make cruel way
Thro' ranks of Greekish youths: and I have fet
thee,

As hot as Perfeus, fpur thy Phrygian fteed,
Defpifing many forfeits and fubduements,
When thou haft hung thy advanced fword i'
Not letting it decline on the declin'd;
That I have faid to fome my ftanders-by,
"Lo, Jupiter is yonder, dealing life!""
And I have seen the paufe, and take thy breath
When that a ring of Greeks have hemm'd tas
Like an Olympian wrestling.
[r.

Achilles furveying Hector.

Tell me, you heavens, in which part of his Shall I deftroy him? whether there, there, then, That I may give the local wound a name; And make diftinct the very breach, whereout Hector's great spirit flew. Answer me, heaves

Honour more dear than Life.

Mine honour keeps the weather of my fate;
Life every man bolds dear; but the brave ma
Holds honour far more precious dear than lift.
Pity to be discarded in War.
For the love of all the gods
Let's leave the hermit Pity with our mother;
And when we have our armours buckled on,

The venom'd vengeance ride upon our fwords'
Raf Vows.

The gods are deaf to hot and peevish vows;
They are polluted offerings more abhorr'd
Than fpotted livers in the facrifice.

PATHETIC

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PATHETIC PIECES.

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I fee thee here, and scarce believe mine eyes.
Dor. Is it foftrange to find me where my wrongs,
And your inhuman tyranny, have fent me?
Think not you dream; or, if you did, my injuries
Shall call fo loud, that lethargy fhould wake;
And death fhould give you back to answer me.
A thousand nights have brush'd their balmywings
ver thefe eyes; but ever, when they clos'd,
Your tyrant image forc'd them ope again,
And dried the dews they brought.
The long expected hour is come at length,
By manly vengeance to redeem my fame:
And, that once clear'd, eterni fleep is welcome.
Sab. I have not yet forgot I am a king,
Whofe royal office is redrefs of wrongs:
If I have wrong'd thee, charge me face to face;
I have not yet forgot I am a foldier. [me;
Dor. 'Tis the firft juftice thou haft ever done
Then, tho' I loath this woman's war of tongue,
Yet thall my caufe of vengeance first be clear:
And, honour, be thou judge.

Seb. Honour befriend us both.
Beware! I warn thee yet to tell thy griefs
In terms becoming majesty to hear:
I warn thee thus, because I know thy temper
Is infolent and haughty to fuperiors:
How often haft thou brav'd my peaceful court,
Fill'd it with noify brawls, and windy boasts;
And with paft fervice, naufeously repeated,
Reproach'd even me, thy prince!

Der. And wellImight, when you forgot reward, The part of Heaven in kings: for punishment Is hangman's work, and drudgery for devils. I muft and will reproach thee with my service, Tyrant (it irks me fo to call my prince) But just refentment and hard ufage coin'd Th' unwilling word; and grating as it is, Take it, for 'tis thy due.

Seb, How, tyrant!

Der. Tyrant!

[back;

See. Traitor that name thou canst not echo
That robe of infamy, that circumcifion
Ill hid beneath that robe, proclaim thee traitor :
And, if a name

More foul than traitor be, 'tis renegade. [rant,
Dor. If I'm a traitor, think and blush, thou ty-
Whofe injuries betray'd me into treason,.
Eac'd my loyalty, unhing'd my faith,

And hurried me from hopes of heaven to hell.
When I thall rife to plead before the faints,
All these, and all my yet unfinish'd crimes,
I charge on thee to make thy damning fure,

Seb. Thy old prefumptuous arrogance again, That bred my firft diflike, and then my loathing. Once more be warn'd, and know me for thy king.

Dor. Too well I know thee, but for king no This is not Lisbon, nor the circle this, [more: Where, like a ftatue, thou haft stood befieg'd By fycophants and fools, the growth of courts; Where thy gull'd eyes in all the gaudy round Met nothing but a lie in every face; And the grofs flattery of a gaping crowd, Envious who firft fhould catch and first applaud The stuff or royal nonfenfe: when I spoke, My honeft homely words were carp'd and cenFor want of courtly style: related actions, [fur'd Though modeftly reported, pafs'd for boasts: Secure of merit, if I afk'd reward, Thy hungry minions thought their rights inAnd the bread fnatch'd from pimps and paraHenriquez anfwered, with a ready lie, fites. To fave his king's, the boon was begg'd before.

[vaded

Seb. What fay't thou of Henriquez? Now,

by Heaven,

Thou mov'ft me more by barely naming him, Than all thy foul unmanner'd fcurril taunts.

Dor. And therefore 'twas to gall thee, that I

nam'd him,

That thing, that nothing but a cringe and fmile;
That woman, but more daub'd; or, if a man,
Corrupted to a woman; thy man-miftrefs.
Seb. All falfe as hell, or thou.
Dor. Yes; full as false

As that I ferv'd thee fifteen hard campaigns,
And pitch'd thy ftandard in those foreign fields:
By me thy greatnefs grew, thy years grew with it.
But thy ingratitude outgrew them both.

[firft,

Seb. I fee to what thou tend'ft; but tell me If thofe great acts were done alone for me; If love produc'd not fome, and pride the reft?

Dor. Why, love does all that's noble here below. But all th' advantage of that love was thine: For, coming fraughted back, in either hand With palm and olive, victory and peace, I was indeed prepar'd to afk my own (For Violante's vows were mine before); Thy malice had prevention, ere I fpoke; And afk'd me Violante for Henriquez.

Seb. I meant thee a reward of greater worth. Dor. Where juftice wanted, could reward be

hop'd?

Could the robb'd paffenger expect a bounty From those rapacious hands who ftripp'd him fift. Seb. He had my promite, ere I knew thy love. Der. My fervices deferv'd thou fholdt revoke it.

Seb.

Seb. Thy infolence hath cancell'd all thy fer-
To violate my laws, even in my court, [vice;
Sacred to peace, and fate from all affronts
Even to my face, and done in my defpite,
Under the wing of awful majefty,'
To ftrike the man I lov'd!

Dor. Ev'n in the face of heaven, a place more
facred,

Would I have ftruck the man, who, prompt by
pow'r,

Would feize my right, and rob me of my love:
But, for a blow provok'd by thy injuftice,
The hafty product of a juft defpair,
When he refus'd to meet me in the field, [own!
That thou shouldft make a coward's caufe thy
Seb. He durft: nay, more, defir'd and begg'd
with tears

To meet thy challenge fairly; 'twas thy fault.
To make it public: but my duty then
To interpofe, on pain of my difpleasure,
Betwixt your fwords.

Dor. On pain of infamy
He fhould have difobey'd

[me:

Seb. The indignity thou didst was meant to
Thy gloomy eyes were caft on me with scorn,
As who fhould fay, the blow was there intended;
But that thou didst not dare to lift thy hands
Against anointed power: fo was I forc'd
To do a fovereign juftice to myself,
And fpurn thee from my prefence.

Dor. Thou haft dar'd

To tell me what I durft not tell myself:
I durft not think that I was fpurn'd, and live;
And live to hear it boafted to my face;
All my long avarice of honour left,
Heap'd up in youth, and hoarded up for age;
Has Honour's fountain then fuck'd back the
ftream?

He has; and hooting boys may dryfhod pafs,
And gather pebbles from the naked ford.
Give me my love, my honour; give them back:
Give me revenge while I have breath to ask it.
Seb. Now by this honour'd order which Iwear,
More gladly would I give than thou dar'st ask it:
Nor fhall the facred character of king

Be urg'd to fhield me from thy bold appeal.
If I have injur'd thee, that makes as equal:
The wrong, if done, debas'd me down to thee.
But thou hast charg'd me with ingratitude;
Haft thou not charg'd me? Speak.

Dor. Thou know'it I have:
If thou disown'ft that imputation, draw,
And prove my charge a lie.

Seb. No; to difprove that lie I must not draw:
Be confcious to thy worth, and tell thy foul
What thou haft done this day in my defence:
To fight thee after this, what were it elfe
Than owning that ingratitude thou urg'st?
That ifthmus ftands between two rushing feas;
Which mounting view each other from afar,
And five in vain to meet.

Dor. I'll cut that ifhmus:

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Now draw; I fhould be loth to think thou da
Beware of fuch another vile excufe.
Seb. O, patience, Heaven!
Dor. Beware of patience too;
That's a fufpicious word: it had been proper,
Before thy foot had fpurn'd me; now 'tis bale :
Yet, to difarm thee of thy laft defence,
I have thy oath for my fecurity:
The only boon I begg'd was this fair combat:
Fight, or be perjur'd now; that's all thy choice.
Seb. Now can I thank thee as thou would't
be thank'd:

[Drawing
Never was vow of honour better paid,
If my true sword but hold, than this fhall be.
The fprightly bridegroom on his wedding-night
More gladly enters not the lifts of love.
Why 'tis enjoyment to be fummon'd thus.
Go; bear my meffage to Henriquez' ghoft,
And fay his mafter and his friend reveng'd him.

Dor. His ghoft! then is my hated rival dead?
Seb. The question is befide our prefent par-
Thou feeft me ready; we delay too long. [poit

Dor. A minute is not much in either's life, When there's but one betwixt us; throw it in And give it him of us who is to fall.

Seb. He's dead: make haste, and thou mayt

yet o'ertake him.

Dor. When I was hafty, thou delay' me longer,
I pr'ythee let me hedge one moment more
Into thy promife: for thy life preferv'd,
Be kind and tell me how that rival died,
Whose death, next thine, I wish'd.

Seb. If it would please thee, thou should never

know,

But thou, like jealousy, inquir'st a truth,
Which found, will torture thee? he died in fighti
Fought next my perfon, as in concert fought;
Kept pace for pace, and blow for every blow;
Save when he heav'd his fhield in my defence,
And on his naked fide receiv'd my wound:
Then, when he could no more, he fell at once,
But roll'd his falling body cross their way,
And made a bulwark of it for his prince.

Dor. I never can forgive him fuch a death!
Seb. I prophesied thy proud foul could not

bear it.

Now judge thyfelf who beft deferv'd my love.
I knew you both; and (durft I fay) as Heaven
Foreknew among the fhining angel hoft
Who should stand firm, who fall.

Dor. Had he been tempted fo, fo had he fall'n
And fo, had I been favour'd, had I stood.

Seb. What had been, is unknown; what is, ap
Confefs he justly was preferr'd to thee. [pears:

Dor. Had I been born with his indulgent stars,
My fortune had been his, and his been mine.
O, worse than hell! what glory have I loft,
And what has he acquir'd by fuch a death!
I should have fallen by Sebaftian's fide,
My corpfe had been the bulwark of my king+
His glorious end was a patch'd work of fate,
Ill forted with a foft effeminate life:

Thou know'it I meant not to preferve thy life, Ill fuited better with my life than his

But to retrieve it, for my own revenge
I r'd thee way of honourable malice:

So to have died: mine had been of a piece,
Spent in your fervice, dying at your feet.

Sch

Seb. The more effeminate and foft his life, The more his fame, to ftruggle to the field, And meet his glorious fate: confefs, proud fpirit, (For I will have it from thy very mouth) That better he deferv'd my love than thou. Dor. O, whither wouldst thou drive me? I muft grant,

Yes, I must grant, but with a fwelling foul,
Henriquez had your love with more defert:
For you he fought and died: I fought against you:
Through all the mazes of the bloody field
Hunted your facred life; which that 1 mifs'd
Was the propitious error of my fate,
Not of my foul; my foul's a regicide.

Seb. Thou might'ft have given it a more gentle

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Dor. Can I fpeak?

Alas, I cannot answer to Alonzo:

lo, Dorax cannot answer to Alonzo: lonzo was too kind a name for me.

[arms,

hen, when I fought and conquer'd with your 1 that bleft age I was the man you nam'd: ill rage and pride debas'd me into Dorax; nd left, like Lucifer, my name above. Seb. Yet twice this day I ow'd my life to Dorax. Dor-Ifav'd you but to kill you: there's my grief. Seb. Nay if thou canst be griev'd, thou canst repent:

hou could it not be a villain, tho' thou wouldft: hou own'st too much in owning thou haft err'd: nd too little, who provok'd thy crime. Dor. O, ftop this headlong torrent of your goodcomes too faft upon a feeble foul, [nefs; alf drown'd in tears before; fpare my confufion, or pity fpare, and fay not, firft you err'd. or yet I have not dar'd, through guilt and fhame, o throw myfelf beneath your royal feet. 'ow fpurn this rebel, this proud renegade; Tis just you should, nor will I more complain. Seb. Indeed thou shouldft not ask forgivenefs first,

at thou prevent'ft me ftill in all that's noble. es, I will raise thee up with better news; hy Violante's heart was ever thine; ompell'd to wed, because the was my ward, er foul was abfent when the gave her hand: fer could my threats, or his purfuing courtship, ffect the confummation of his love: > ftill indulging tears, the pines for thee, widow and a maid.

Dor. Have I been curfing Heaven, while Heaven blefs'd me!

fhall run mad with exftafy of joy : What, in one moment to be reconcil'd To Heaven, and to my king, and to my love: lut pity is my friend, and ftops me short, er my unhappy rival. Poor Henriquez! Seb. Art thou fo generous too, to pity him? Nay, then I was unjust to love him better. Here let me ever hold thee in my arms; And all our quarrels be but fuch as thefe, Who fhail love beft, and clofeft fhall embrace : Be what Henriquez was-be my Alonzo.

Dor. What, my Alonzo, faid you? my Alonzo Let my tears thank you, for I cannot speak; And if I could, [mine. Words were not made to vent fuch thoughts as Seb. Thou canst not speak, and I can ne'er bo filent.

Some ftrange reverse of fate muft fure attend
This vaft profufion, this extravagance
Of Heaven to blefs me thus. "Tis gold fo pure,
It cannot bear the stamp without allay.
Be kind, ye pow'rs, and take but half away,
With eafe the gifts of fortune I refign;
But let my love and friend be ever mine.

§. 28. Antony and Ventidius. DRYDEN. Ant. THEY tell me 'tis my birth-day; and I'll keep it

With double pomp of fadness. 'Tis what the day deferves which gave me breath. Why was I rais'd the meteor of the world, Hung in the fkies, and blazing as I travell'd, Till all my fires were spent, and then caft downwards

To be trod out by Cæfar?

Vent. [Afide.] On my foul 'Tis mournful, wond'rous mournful! Ant. Count thy gains;

Now, Antony, wouldft thou be born for this Glutton of fortune, thy devouring youth Haft ftarv'd thy wanting age.

Vent. [Afide] How forrow shakes him! So now the tempeft tears him up by th' roots, And on the ground extends the noble ruin.

Ant. [Having thrown himself down.] Lie there, thou fhadow of an emperor; The place thou preffeft on thy mother earth Is all thy empire now: now it contains thee; Some few days hence, and then it will be too large When thou'rt contracted in thy narrow urn, Shrunk to a few cold afhes: then Octavia, (For Cleopatra will not live to fee it) Octavia then will have thee all her own, And bear thee in her widow'd hand to Cafar. Cæfar will weep, the crocodile will weep, To fee his rival of the univerfe

Lie ftill and peaceful there. I'll think no more

on 't.

Give me fome mufic; look that it be fad;
I'll footbe my melancholy, till I fwell
And burft mayfelf with fighing

'Tis fomewhat to my humour. Stay, I fancy
I'm now turn'd wild, a commoner of nature
Of all forfaken, and forfaking all;
Live in a fhady forest's fylvan fcene;
Stitch'd at my length beneath fome blasted oak,
I lean my head upon the moffy bark,
And look juft of a piece as I grew from it :
My uncomb'd locks, matted like milletoe,
Hang o'er my hoary face; a murm'ring brook
Runs at my foot-

Vent. Methinks, I fancy
Myfelf there too.

Ant. The herd come jumping by me, And fearlets quench their thirst while I look on, Aud

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