NESTOR

With endue Observance of thy godly seat, Great Agamemnon, Nestor shall apply Thy latest words. In the reproof of Chance, Lies the true proof of men: The Sea being smooth, How many shallow bauble Boats dare sail Upon her patient breast, making their way With those of Nobler bulk? But let the Ruffian Boreas once enrage The gentle Thetis, and anon behold The strong ribbed Bark through liquid Mountains cut, Bounding between the two moist Elements Like Perseus Horse. Where's then the saucy Boat, Whose weak vntimber'd sides but even now Co-riual'd Greatness? Either to harbour fled, Or made a Toste for Neptune. Even so, Does valours show, and valours worth divide In storms of Fortune. For, in her ray and brightness, The Herd hath more annoyance by the Brieze Then by the Tiger: But, when the splitting wind Makes flexible the knees of knotted Oaks, And Flies fled under shade, why then The thing of Courage, As roused with rage, with rage does sympathise, And with and accent tuned in selfsame key, Retires to chiding Fortune. Most wisely hath Ulysses here discovered The Fever, whereof all our power is sick. And in the imitation of these twain, Who (as Ulysses says) Opinion crowns With and Imperial voice, many are infect: Ajax is grown self-willed, and bears his head In such a rein, in full as proud a place As broad Achilles, and keeps his Tent Like him; Makes factious Feasts, rails on our state of War Bold as and Oracle, and sets Thersites A slave, whose Gall coins slanders Like a Mint, To match us in comparisons with dirt, To weaken and discredit our exposure, How rank soever rounded in with danger. Let this be granted, and Achilles horse Makes many Thetis sons. Tell him of Nestor, one that was a man When Hector's Grandsire sucked: he is old now, But if there be not in our Grecian mould, One Noble man, that hath one spark of fire To answer for his Love; tell him from me, I'll hide my Silver beard in a Gold Beaver, And in my Vantbrace put this withered brawn, And meeting him, will tell him, that my Lady Was fairer then his Grandame, and as chaste As may be in the world: his youth in flood, I'll pawn this truth with my three drops of blood. What says Ulysses? What is't? Well, and how? The purpose is perspicuous even as substance, Whose grossness little characters sum up, And in the publication make no strain, But that Achilles, were his brain as barren As banks of Libya, though ( Apollo knows) It's dry enough, will with great speed of judgement, I, with celerity, find Hector's purpose Pointing on him. Yes, it's most meet; who may you else oppose That can from Hector bring his Honour off, If not Achilles ; thought be a sportful Combat, Yet in this trial, much opinion dwells. For here the Trojans taste our dearest repute With their finest Palate: and trust to me Ulysses, Our imputation shall be oddely poised In this wild Actium. For the success (Although particular) shall give a scantling Of good or bade, unto the General: And in such Indexes, although small pricks To their subsequent Volumes, there is seen The baby figure of the Gyant-masse Of things to come at large. It is supposed, He that meets Hector, issues from our choice; And choice being mutual act of all our souls, Makes Merit her election, and does boil As 'twere, from forth us all: a man distilled Out of our Virtues; who miscarrying, What heart from hence receives the conquering partly To steel a strong opinion to themselves, Which entertained, Limbs are in his instruments, In no less working, then are Swords and Bows Directive by the Limbs. I see them not with my old eyes: what are they? Now Ulysses, I begin to relish thy advice, And I will give a taste of it forthwith To Agamemnon, go we to him straight: Two Curs shall tame each other, Pride alone Must tar the Mastiffs on, as 'twere their bone. Yet e oves himself: Is't not strange? Oh this is well, he rubs the vein of him. How he describes himself. And 'twould, you'd carry half. Force him with praises, pour in, pour in: his am bition is dry. Our noble General, do not do so. Wherefore should you so? He is not emulous, as Achilles is. What a vice were it in Ajax now— Our General does salute you with a kiss. And very courtly counsel: I'll begin. So much for Nestor. A woman of quick sense. Now Ajax hold thine own. I have (thou gallant Trojan) seen thee oft Labouring for destiny, make cruel way Through ranks of Greekish youth: and I have seen thee As hight as Perseus, spur thy Phrygian Steed, And seen thee scorning forfeits and subduments, When thou hast hung thy advanced sword in the air, Not letting it decline, on the declined: That I have said unto my standers by, Lo Jupiter is yonder, dealing life. And I have seen thee pause, and take thy breath, When that a ring of Greeks have hemmed thee in, Like and Olympian wrestling. This have I seen, But this thy countenance (still locked in steel) I never saw till now. I knew thy Grandsire, And once fought with him; he was a Soldier good, But by great Mars, the Captain of us all, Never Like thee. Let and oldman embrace thee, And (worthy Warrior) welcome to our Tents. Would? by this white beard I'd fight with thee to morrow. Well, welcome, welcome: I have seen the time. Coe bear Patroclus body to Achilles, And bid the snail-paced Ajax arm for shame; There is a thousand Hector's in the field: Now here he fights on Galathe his Horse, And there lacks work: anon he's there a foot, And there they fly or die, Like scaled skulls, Before the belching Whale; then is he yonder, And there the straying Greeks, ripe for his edge, Fallen down before him, Like the mowers swath; Here, there, and every where, he leaves and takes; Dexterity so obeying appetite, That what he will, he does, and does so much, That proof is called impossibility. So, so, we draw together. Peace Drums. What moves Ajax thus to bay at him? Who, Thersites ? Then will Ajax lack matter, if he have lost his Argument. All the better, their fraction is more our wish then their faction; but it was a strong counsel that a Fool could disunite. No Achilles with him? Would you my Lord ought with the General? Nothing my Lord. I would my arms could match thee in contention As they contend with thee in courtesy.