knows he how to fight unless 'i th dark Wiâ—h shadows I confess his eloquence And tongue are mighty but Pelides sword And armour were not made things to be talk'd on But worn and us'd and when you shall determine My juster claim it will be fame enough For him to boast he strove with Ajax Telamon And lost the prize due onely to my merit Ly. Now Didimus how goes Ulysses pulse Run to his Tent and fetch him some strong waters Did. This storm shakes not a leafe it had been more Honour for Ajax Telamon to have hir'd A Truâ—peter than make this noise himself Ag. Silence The Duke proceeds Aja I am asham'd And blush that I can plead so vast a marit Why am I not less honourâ—ble a cheaper Portion of woâ—â—h weigh'd in the ballance with This Rival would so croud and fill my scale His vertues like a thin and trembling vapour Would lose themselves i' th ayr or stick a Comet Upon Heavens face from whence the matter spent It would fall down the sport and scorn of Children Allow me then less valiant pinch all The Laurels from my brow that else would grow there The honour of my birth and blood must lift me Above the Competition with Ulysses My Father was Duke Telamon a name Fatal to Troy companion to Alcides Whom in the expedition to Colchos Argo was proud to bear his father Aeacus Who for his exemplary justice here Was by Eternal Patent from the Gods Made Judge of souls him Iupiter begot On fâ—ir Egina from whose womb I write My self a third from Iove But let not this Entitle me to great Achilles arms Without my interest in his blood Our fathers Grew from one royal stem I am his Kinsman And I demand in this but just inheritance In what relation of blood can then Ulysses of a strange and forfeit race Equal in fraud to his Progenitor Condemn'd to labour at the restless stone Lay claim to Achilles Arms Cal. What asleep Thersander Ther. No no I observe every word Ulysses has Said very well he was ever a good Orator Cal. You are mistaken Sir 't is Ajax pleads Ulysses has not spoke one word Th. Wast Ajax I cry you mercy it was very handsome And to the purpose in my opinion Who ever said it Ag. I intreat your silence The. With all my heart Aja It is vvonder Princes That this Dulichyan King dare bring his face Before a Sun-beam and expose that brand Of infamie the name of Coward writ In Leprous Characters upon his brow To the worlds eye Ul. How Telamon Aja Ulysses 'T is I that said it and these Kings may all Remember when most wretchedly to save Those tender limbs of yours and that warp'd face When Greece rise up one man to punish Troy Thou cowardly didst counterfeit a madness Till Palamedes pull'd that vizor off Was Ajax Telamon at that sordid posture Nay was not I the first in field and eager To engage my person in these Wars of Troy Witness thou sacred Genius of our Countrey As a curl'd youth could fly to meet a Mistris And print his fervour on her amorous lip But for his valour since let Nestor speak That good old man made not his age excuse Nor his white hairs that like a Grove of snow Shew'd what a Winter dwelt â—pon his head But flung himself on War when in the heat Of Batâ—el over-charg'd with multitudes And his horse wounded he espi'd Ulysses To whom in this distress he call'd for succour When he unworthy of his name and honours Left the old man to struggle with his dangers To whom the Gods sent ayd But here 's the justice He that dishonourably forsook his friend Met with an enemy that made him call As loud for his relief I heard that clamour And with my sword cut out my passage to thee When thou wert quaking at the enemies feet And ready to exhale thy panting soul I interposed bestrid thy coward body And took thy many deaths upon my Target I Ajax brought thee off my least of honours And saved thy wretched life Dio. This Ajax did But being done the honour 's over paid When he that did the act is Commentator Aja If thou couldst call again that time â—â—â—sses The wounds upon thee and thy fears of death When thou didst skulk behinde my shield and tremble At every lightning of a sword thy soul Would have a less ambition to contest For great Pelides Arms. Me. Ajax will carry it Aga. It will Become our prudence to expect what may Be said in answer to this accusation I have heard an Orator with that subtile method Of art and language state his Clients cause And with such captivating arguments Prevail'd on every ear it was concluded All law must be in favour of that interest But when the adverse part was heard that which Appear'd so sacred in the first relation Vanish'd and 't was the wonder of all men By what strange magick they were so deceiv'd I speak not this in prejudice of him That pleads whom we all know a man made up Of every masculine vertue but to stay Where two of so much honor are concern'd Precipitate and partial votes of merit Aâ—ax Has more to say Aja I know not how with safety of mine own I should direct your judgements to consider That after all this story of my self I do not seek these arms nor court the glory To wear em for 't is justice to pronounce They seek me Ajax and should prompt you to Bâ—lieve I onely worthily can wear ' em What hath Ulysses done he should be nam'd With Telamon we have his Chronicle He surpriz'd Râ—esus in his Tent a great And goodly act nay had the heart to kill him He snatch'd a spy up Dolon and dispatcht him To the other world a most heroick service And had the confidence to filch from Troy The dead Palladium memorable actions Fought he with Hector did he stand immov'd As I when I receiv'd upon my cask A mighty Javelin that he darted at me When you pale with the wonder of my strength Forsook your prayers and gave me from the Gods Into my own protection and at last I was not overcome but in the face Of both the Armies sent this mighty Champion Staggering home to Troy Nes. 'T was a fierce battel And Aax lost no honour Aja Had I done But this alone it might be argument To prefer Ajax lelamon before Ulysses to that armour which I'â—n thinking How he 'l become or how he dare sustain 'em Their very weight will crack his chine that Burgonet Will bring his neck in danger of a cramp In pitty of his fears discharge his hope Of so much steel he has â—he art of running 'T will much reta d his motion Are you yet Considering as doubâ—ful to distinguish us Some God convey â—hose arms up â—n the wings Of a swift winâ—iâ—â—â— he enemies camp Guard 'em with â—ll the strength and soul of Troy Let every sword mount
of Honoria Resume their throne within my soul and strike Religious tremblings through every thought Lest I repine at Providence She is here Enter Honoria and Marshal Mar. This warrant must admit you Hon. There 's for your Office you may withdraw your self Mar. Your servant Exit Hon. Oh my Alworth Alw. This humility Transcends my hope and merit I am now No more a Prisoner since my better part Enlarg'd by this your charitable visit Hath freedom to behold my greatest happiness Your self Hon. I am so full of joy To see thee alive I cannot ask thee how Thou wert preserv'd Alw. Heaven was not willing 〈◊〉 Should die till I had given you better proof How much I would deserve your smile upon me Enter Colonel and Marshal Mar. Here you may undiscovered Sir observe ' em Col. You may be gone and wait at some fit distance Alw. My cure was hastned by your thoughts upon me And my desires had wings to reach your person For I was soon acquainted how you were Convey'd and next my thoughts to kiss your hands I brought my resolutions of revenge Upon that Traitors head that ravish'd ye So rudelie from my eies Hon. Prethee no more But let our hearts renew and seal a contract In spight of present storms and I am not VVithout some hopes to change thy sad condition For he to whose commands thou owest this misery Is pleas'd to say he loves me and I can Employ his kindeness to no better use Then thy Enlargement if this prove unfortunate It shall at least diminish thy affliction That I can bear a part and suffer with thee Alw. Better I sink by many deaths then you Engage your self to any unkinde Fate For me I have crept newly from my dust And can alone walk cheerfully to silence And the dark grave But do you believe Madam This man looks on you with a noble flame He 's now a great man Hon. His affection Has all the shews of honour and such high Civilities flow from him Alw. Pause a little And give me leave to tell you as these seeds Of VVar grow up I cannot think a person Though many may be honourable can Better Deserve Hon. VVhat Alw. To be made Lord of this Fair Empire Hon. Did this language come from Alworth That said he lov'd me Alw. Yes with noblest fervor My love commands it Madam and I can In my true service to Honoria Advise her to call home her noble beams Thar shine to the discredit of her light On me that woâ—ld upon a worthier object Draw up more admiration to her brightness And at the same time by their influence shew The beauties of her better choice Hon. This language I understand not yet can Alworth then Finde in his heart any consent to give up His interest in Honoria to another Alw. Yes when Honoria is concern'd to meet A greater happiness than Alworth I Can make my self an Exile which is but The justice of my love to her great merit I am a trifle Madam a thing meant Beneath your smile a very walking shadow And time will come when you have shew'd me all The bounties of your grace nay seal'd them mine By the most holy character of marriage Yet then I must forsake you when my nerves Shrink up when the weak flowings of my blood Cool in their channel and tame Nature leaves me A spoil to death Hon. VVhy do you talk of death So far off Alw. Though we do not hear him tread Yet every minute he approaches Madam And give me leave to tell you without flattering My self I am in danger first a Prisoner A spie they may pretend but this will vanish It is the title of your servant Madam Is both my hononr and my crime nor can I VVave my relation to your favours this Known to the man under whose power we stand His angrie breath may doom me to the scaffold And I must then resign nor will the act Be mine but a constraint and I then lose The glorie that may now be mine to engage Him in your smiles you in his love Hon. VVhen will this dream be over Alw. As for me It shall be enough at distance to look on you VVith thoughts as innocent as your own and if For the convenience of both our persons One Earth must not contain us do not think That I can wander where I shall forget To tell the stranger world your storie Madam And when I have made all mankinde where I come Bow to your name and taught 'em to repeat it In all their dangers and their frights to cure them I will seek out some aire that is infectious VVhere no birds dare inhabit or man build A cottage to repose his wearied head And there I prophesie by the vertuous charm Of your blest name to purge it and as soon As the great miracle is spread to invite The best of every Nation to live there And own you Tutelar Angel Hon. Fie no more Alworth now dreams indeed but he more vainlie Perswades me to forget my vows to him Is this a fear to die or something like it For I would give it fain some other name Alw. A fear to die that arrow strikes too deep If you but think so and wounds more than all The horror my desâ—ruction can appear in If I can entertain the thoughts of life Without you how much easier must it be To die for your concernment I ha' not liv'd After the rate to fear another world VVe come from nothing into life a time VVe measure with a short breath and that often Made tedious too with our own cares that fill it VVhich like so many Atomes in a Sun-beam Bâ—t crowd and justle one another All From the adored Purple to the Hair-cloth Must center in a shade and they that have Their vertues to wait on'm bravely mock The rugged storms that so much fright 'em here VVhen their souls lanch by death into a sea That 's ever calm Hon. This deserves my attention And you in this small lecture Alworth have Made me in love with death who for thy sake Can with my innocence about me take More satisfaction to bleed away My life than keep it with the smallest stain Upon my honour This I speak not to Court up your drooping thoughts to me if I Be faln or have lost my first esteem Alw. Oh pardon t'other syllable of this destroys me VVhat is there can but make me worthy of Your faith I am all ever thine The Colonel Enter Colonel Col. Expect a cloud to darken all your triumphs Exit Hon. His threats move me as little as his love Yet for thy sake I can be sad Alw. And I But onely mourn for you Enter Colonel with a Pistol and Travers He is return'd And with him the first poisoner of our peace VVhat horrour next Col. Your happiness is now VVithin your reach kill but that fellow and Possess her by my gift the act once done By my command secures
rather coward them by his retreat Than teach them honour by his own example Aja Can Iove hear this ha Ag. Look to Ajax Nes. Contain yourself Aja Let me fight him here Or you are all confederates in my infamy Nes. For my sake Aja I am patient Ul. Nor am I without wounds and crimson characters Which as her ornament my bosom carries Greater than Telamon can boast although He fought with Hector which was but his Fortune And might have been the lot of Agamâ—mnon Of Menelaus Diomed my self And others who had equally engag'd And onely chance preferr'd him to the combate But let me not be thought to take from Ajax His just reward of fortitude I grant He did repress the fury of the Trojans When they came arm'd in fires against our Navy But 't was nor single valour that repulst The numerous enemy Patroclus had The armour of Achilles on that day VVhich struck a terrour in the Phrygian courages And many Princes swords contributed Mine was not idle and I merit some Proportion of fame for that days victory But if it come with murmuring defer it And make it up in your accounts of honour Due for the great Palladium which I fetch'd Assisted by the valiant Diomedes Out of the heart of Troy spight of the Groves Of Spears that grew a bright defence about it And Swords whose every motion darted lightning To guard the fatal Image in this act I gave you Troy till this was ravish'd from 'em It was not in your fate to make a conquest Ajax and all the Army might have fought Against the Moon with as much hope of Victory Dio. This must be granted him a signal Service I can attest the danger of this action Ul. I blush I am compell'd to mention these But where my honour is traduc'd 't is just To make my fairest vindication The wealth of Greece should not have brib'd me to This Contestation but Achilles armour VVould strike ambitious thoughts into a Hermite Nor will my limbes much tremble to sustainâ— 'em I had the honour at his death to carry His body with all that weight of arms upon it And plac'd him in his Tent although I want Some bulk of Ajax I can walk and fight And tell him where he fails and mark him out A truer path to Glory than his strength Is able to persue with no more brains To guide him than his empty pannier carries Wisemen joyn policy with force the Lyon Thus with the Fox makes up the Souldiers emblem And now I look on Ajax Telamon I may compare him to some specious building His body holds vast rooms of entertainment And lower parts maintain the Offices Onely the Garret his exalted head Useless for wise receipt is fill'd with lumber A Mastiff dares attempt to combate Lyons And I 'll finde men among your Mercenaries Shall fly on Hydra's if you name that valour But he that we call valiant indeed Knows how and when to fight as well as bleed A great shout within Sol. Ulysses Ulysses Ag. Please you withdraw your persons for some minutes Aja Is 't come to this Ul. I obey Aja I scorn to court Such staggering opinions and repent That I once thought you fit to be my Judges Ex. Ther. For my part with pardon of the Generall My voyce shall be to please them both Ag. Impossible Ther. Divide the armour and compose the difference Or give Ulysses 'cause he has the better Head-piece Achilles Helmet and to Ajax Those parts that guard the body Dio. I am for Ulysses Ne. He shall have my vote Me. And mine Ag. Your judgements meet with Agamemâ—nons Intreat the Prince of Ithaca return Enter Ulysses Aga. Sir I congratulate your faâ—e you have With the concurrence of our votes deserv'd To be the second owner of these arms Which as the first reward of all your service I in their names present Nor are these Trophies More than an earnest and a glimpse of those Eternal Monuments shall Crown your VVisdom VVhere 's Ajax Telomon Off. Transported hence with fury Ulyss. You have honour'd your Ulysses and I now Must call these things my blessing and your bounty Aga. Bear them in Triumph to his Tent and say VVisdom not down-right Valour wins the day Better is wise Ulysses in the field Than the great Master of the seven-sold Shield Exeunt Didimus Lysippus Did. I think Lysippus we may now be friends For though you had a minde to quarrel when The victory was doubtful I am not The more exalted for my Masters triumph His wit is none of mine I honour Ajax In his own arms for I have seen him do Brave things Ly. Thy hand I love thee Didimus And I will love Ulysses for thy sake too Did. But how does thy Lord Ajax take the business Ly. He 's mad and rails at heaven and earth I dare not Come neer him Whos 's this Poiybrontes Enter Polybrontes Let us forget all differences and make Some sport with him Polybrontes I am proud to see your military face Did. My Magazine of Valour I do honour you From that exalted trust upon your Skonce To the cold iron Star upon your heel how is 't Ly. How is 't my Low and Mighty Polybrontes Pol. Tir'd out with killing of the Creature Wilde Beasts and Men will come inâ—â— my way Some I look dead others I take the pains To cut or quarter as they move my fury The hate of Iuno is entail'd upon Our generation I think Did. How Iuno I pray what kin are you to Hercules Pol. I am his son son to the Theban Hercules That did the mighty Labours we number twelve I have been told too I am very like him There were fifty of us in one night begotten Did. You are not Sir so big bon'd as Hercules altogether Pol. Hang bones and flesh and blood It is the soul that 's tall a Gyants spirit Ly. Not in that body A soul can hardly stand upright in 't Pol. 'T is the more dangerous being confin'd and must Break out like lightning Did. What 's that upon your hat Pol. My case of Tooth-picks Ly. How 't is a Lyons paw Pol. A Legacy my father left me part Of that Nemean Lyon that he kill'd VVhose skin he us'd to wear which since these Wars I turn'd into a Knapsack and it carries A charm against all venemous Bâ—asts come near it Did. Vermine he means VVhat kinde of belt is this Pol. This was a Serpent which at Aulis was Obseâ—â—d to climbe up to the Sparrows nest VVhere having swallowed nine Calchas presag'd VVe should be nine years at the siege of Troy And in the tenth be Conqueros this I kill'd VVith a Flint stone as it came hissing toward me It had ten row of iron teeth Did. VVhere are they Pol. All beaten out with that stone I threw at her Did. Nothing scapes you then But good Sir favour us to let us know How many men have fallen by your sword During our siege I knovv
death upon the point And leave usâ—o our single fate who soonest Should fetch 'em off Then you should tell your selves How much this Carpet Prince came short of Ajax I had rather fight than talk Now here him tattle Soul An Ajax an Ajax Ulys. If my prayers with your own renovvned Kings Could have prevail'd with Heaven there had been no Contention for these arms he might have liv'd To have enjoy'd them still and we Achilles But since by the unkindeness of our fate We are decreed to want him pardon me If at that word unmanly tears break forth Who can vvith greater merit claim the armour Than he whose piety to Greece and you Engag'd alone his valour to these Wars And made him yours Nor let it be a sin Ere I proceed to pray this justice from you That since my adversary hath been pleas'd To make a vertue my reproach and stain The name of Eloquence vvhich in me is not vvorth Your envy or his rage since he declares His incapacity for more than fighting You will not judge his dulness an advantage Or that which he calls eloquence in me A blemish to my cause vvho have employ'd All that the Gods made mine to serve my Countrey Dio. Thersander Are you not asham'd to sleep Ther. Ha no I sleep I have not scap'd a syllable by my honour I thought not Ajax half so good an Orator Dio. Ajax it was Ulysses that spoke last Ther. Ulysses I I meant Ulysses did I say Ajax Between you and I be it spoken Diomedes Ajax is a blockhead Dio. Yet he spoke to purpose Ther. I grant you that nay nay let him alone Aga. Silence Ulys. The luâ—â—re of our birth by Ajax boasted Which we derive not from our act or vertue We vainly call oâ—r own nature contributes A common gloss to all our blood the honours And swelling titles pinn'd upon our name Chance often â—amps upon a Fool or Coward But if provok'd by Ajax I must yield Him magnified by blood that title which He takes from Iove makes me his Grandchilde too Lacrtes was my father his Arcesius Whom Iupiter begot no difference here But that our Family contain'd no Uncle Banish'd for murther as in Telamons Besides my mother but remembred makes My derivation on both sides Divine Which lifts me above Ajax if I were No King of Ithaca but he hath pleaded A neerer priviledge by being Kinsman And calls these arms his just inheritance Your vvisdom could not chuse but smile to heâ—â— him 〈◊〉 his son is yet alive and Peleus Achilles father Teucer his next Cosin â— And Ajax to be heir is worth your wonder But you know how to vvave impertinence 〈…〉 I need to pray your justice that vve both May onely charge the ballance vvith our merits Dio. This is not ranting he is Master of A vvorthy temper Ag. Give him your permissions Ulys. Ajax hath read not vvithout mighty lungs His own bold Historie when I shall tell But my first act for Troy if it be less Than all that Ajax yet hath done or boasted And with his own consent too I quit all I have rais'd your expectations up to wonder And there I 'll fix it when I name Achilles Whose actions for your service scorning all Equality are owing to Ulysses And I may call them mine that made him yours By his sword fell the great Priamides Hoctor whose single arm carried the strength And fate of Ilium The death alone Of Hector is an act if well consider'd Doth easily exceed what hath been done In all your Grecian Commentaries I arm'd Achilles first to do these mighty things And for those may deserve Achilles armour Dio. VVe must acknowledge all the benefits Of great Achilles valour are a debt VVe owe to Ulysses who discovered him Under a Female habit 't was Ulysses That made him man again and our great Champion Me. All this is granted yet I think Ulysses Lost little blood in any of these services VVhat do you think Thersander Ther. I think as the General thinks he 's wise enough Ulys But give me leave to offer to your memory Another service and reduce your thoughts To Aulis when our Army ship'd and big VVith our desires for Troy for want of wind VVere lock'd in the Eubean Bay at Anchor VVhen the Oracle consulted gave no hope Of the least breath of Heaven or gentle gale To be expected till Diana's anger VVere first appeas'd by Iphigenias blood I melt with the remembrance and I could Accuse my faith but that the publique interest And all your honours arm'd me to perswade Nature against the stream of her own happiness There stands the tear drown'd father Agamemnon Ask his vex'd soul and let me beg his pardon How I did work upon his murmuring heart Divided 'twixt a Father and his Countrey To give his childe up to the bleeding altar VVhose drops too precious to enrich the earth The Goddess hid within a cloud drank up And snatcht her soul whose brighter substance made One of the fairest Stars that deck yon Canopie Had Ajax been employed to have wrought Atrides VVhen he vvas angry vvith the Gods to have given His onely pledge his loved Iphigenia Up to the Fatal knife our Grecian fleet Had by this time been rotten in the Bay And vve by a dishonourable return Been vvounded in our fames to after ages Ag. This truth is urg'd too home Ul. The Deity appeas'd with Virgin Sacrifice The winds put on fresh wings and we arriv'd Swiâ—◠〈◊〉 vvishes to affrighted Troy 〈◊〉 after their first battel they no more Drevv forth their Army vvhich engag'd us to Nine horrid VVinters expectation It vvould be tedious to relate hovv active My counsels vvere during this nine years siege VVhen Ajax onely good at knocks and vvrestling VVas of no use the bold designs I carried My care of our defences and approaches Encouraging the Souldier vvearied And vvorn avvay vvith empty expectations Hovv I did apt provisions arms and hearts To fight vvithal I shall not here inforce VVhen you vvhose just commands I still obey'd Are conscious of my pious undertakings Aja He 'l talk eternally Ul. These actions have deserv'd no brand of Covvard Hovv it may stain his forehead that accus'd me Judge you by the short follovving story Princes There vvas a time vvhen Agamemnon vvas Deluded by a dream and bid to leave The siege vvhich coming to the Souldiers ear VVhose fears vvere helpt by superstition Hovv did they run to 'th ships from every quarter VVhere vvas the torrent of great Ajax valour So talk'd of that did bear all things before it VVhy it vvas here that torrent carried him too I savv and blush'd at Ajax preparation To be aboard I will not call it running Hovv 〈◊〉 I careless of all danger throvv My self among the Mutineers and court The Fugitives to face about agen And build themselves a name and wealth in Troy Given over by the Gods to be their captive What acted Telamon but unworthy fears And