 | The destruction of Troy |  |
SCENE Changes into the Grecians CAMP.
Enter Agamemnon, and Guards as from his Tent, at one Door, and Ajax, and Menelaus at another Door.
Aga.
Good Morrow to my Brother Menelaus.—
A Joyful day to the renowned Ajax.—
'Tis early, but so fair a Morne I never saw.
Men.
Happy may be the issue of this day.
The Preists of Mars in offering found last Night,
The wish'd for tokens, and propitious signes
Of an acceptable, and pleasing Sacrifice.
Ajax.
It thunderd on a sudden, and before the Preist
Had light the Sacred fuel on the Altar,
Lightning descended, and to all our wonders,
It broak into a flame, kindling it self
With holy Fire from Heav'n.
Men.
An Eagle then was seen to roost hard by,
And at the Light, flew round about the Camp,
Over our heads, and to our wonder pitch'd
Upon Ulysses Tent, but after it was seen no more.
Aga.
Blest News! These are all fair and happy Omens.
Ajax.
What sayes our Royal Gen'rall Agamemnon?
Do you yet hold your Resolution
To storm the Walls this Morning?
Aga.
What els—Where is Ulysses? Summon all
The Grecian Princes early to my Tent,
Intreat Achilles Company this Morning.
We were ingrateful to the Gods; shou'd we
Let go this happy day, without the doing
Of some admir'd, and memorable Act—
What shouts are these?
Enter to them a Captain.
Cap.
A happy hour to Greece—Ulysses, Sir,
And Diomedes—(Joy has seiz'd my breath!)
Have Conquer'd Troy, have ended the long War,
Have won the Statue of the fam'd Palladium,
The Goddess that ha's been so long our Enemy.
Aga.
Ha! If thou mock'st us; Villain thou shalt die.
Cap.
O, Sir, 'tis true—Do you not hear the Joy?
No sooner this was nois'd, but the whole Army
Proclaim'd their shouts of gratitude to Heav'n,
Flocking about Ulysses, kneeling to him,
Call him their Guardian, Patron, and Apollo,
Then falling into Extasies, lie prostrate,
Kissing the Ground whereon he treads, and bath
His feet with tears of Joy.
Aga.
Let's all go forth and meet 'em.
Enter to them Ulysses, and Diomedes follow'd with many Soldiers Shouting.
Cap.
See where they come, the men of all the World,
Most worthy to be prais'd.
Aga.
Welcome Ulysses; welcome Diomedes,
Near as the Joy that flowes about my heart.—
What have ye done, that with this mighty deed,
You have anticipated Valour's self,
Out fled the swiftest, and most daring wishes
Of all that valour, or Ambition fir'd.
How shall Posterity reward this Act,
But much less, how shall Agamemnon do it?
Vlyss.
No more, it is already done—
We'ave tam'd this wond'rous, awful Deity,
That fell with such a dread from Heav'n to Troy.
Dio.
Straight let's pursue our Fortune; run and strike 'em,
Whilst the cold damp's upon 'em, whilst their Souls
Are guiddy, and their Senses gone astray
After their Goddess that we took away.
Enter to them Achilles, and Patroclus.
Ach.
What meanes this early, and unusual Concourse
Of mad men, and the Rabble in the Army?
Is it for Joy that you assault to day?
Or is it done to magnifie the deed
That wise Ulysses has perform'd this Night
In stealing the Palludium?
Aga.
What deed can more deserve so just a Joy?
Rather admire the Gods at so great News
Meet not our Shouts in consort from the Skies,
And strive with Thunder to excell our Voices.
Ach.
By Heav'n, they're Cowards voices all;
That only have the Faces but of men,
Carry their Hearts in their wide gaping Mouths,
And ne're durst fight, but when they first ask Counsel
Of Augurs, and have div'd into the intralls
Of Beasts; uncertain Instruments of War,
Never in tune when they shou'd do some Service;
So, till they're heightn'd, and scru'd up into
A pitch of valour by some flattering Divination,
They are worse than Women, and infect a Camp.
Ulyss.
Yes, such is Agamemnon here, and all the rest,
But lofty vain Achilles, whose great Valour
Has been beholden to himself and us,
Too lib'rall Benefactors in Applause,
Increasing so the Torrent of his pride
That wou'd o're-whelm us all—Who but this Man
Amongst you, Princes can, without Injustice,
Stain thus the greatest Action of our Lives?—
Say Diomedes, have we thus deserv'd?
Wou'dst thou embrace a deed dishonourable?
Dio.
No—Nor wou'd Achilles out of passion say so;
A deed, that had I not been sharer of
The glory in't my self, I shou'd
Have envi'd you Ulysses.
Ach.
An Act of Glory! O deliver me ye Gods!
By the high Throne of Jupiter, I swear,
I wou'd not own it without a guilty Blush;
A Thief, a Conjurer wou'd have done as much,
To rise, as if from Hell, in Devils shapes,
And scare a Crew of heartless, naked Preists,
Then steal and drag a Property away,
A deed too far beneath the Soul of Diomed—
Come, separate thy self from his lew'd Tongue—
I've seen thee in the face of open day,
Rush fore most on against a wood of Pikes
(Like a feirce Horse) arm'd with thy shining Corslet,
And with thy breast, stemm'd the first furious Ranks,
That held their steely points in vain against thee,
Till thou hadst made their Shivers fly like Moats
About the Sun.
Ulyss.
Heark, Wise, and Valiant Princes—
Behold the Spite, the Envy of this Man,
This Tyrant God above you all that wou'd be,
That's blind to all mens Honours, but his own,
Wou'd grasp the world of Action to himself—
Sink Greece, live Troy, and Countries turn to ruin—
It must be so, if he have not a hand in't;
All things depend upon his mighty Arm—
How long shall we be thus misled by him!
This railing Boaster, and blow up the bladders
Of so much vain, and empty Pride, through which
He swims and bears up so above us all.
Ach.
Lift me ye Gods, upon the wings of Fury!
Ner'e let me lean my head on lazy Patience—
Patroclus, Can I indure all this?
Was I born Thetis mighty Son for this?
When all the Powers of heav'n concern'dly sat
In an illustrious Senat at my Birth,
To make my name Immortal, and decreed,
That the least Grain of me shou'd quite weigh down
This poor and petty Prince of Ithyca—
I boast, thou Talker!—
[Comes up to him.]
Hast thou so soon forgot the noted time,
When like a Dragon in thy Aid I fought,
And kept thee safe under my fiery wings,
When Hector (in the sight of all thy Friends,
To whom thou crid'st aloud in vain for help;)
Hector (whose name thy trembling Tongue so oft has prais'd)
Had struck thee down, and with another Blow,
Was meeting with thy frighted Soul, that hung
Upon thy Lips—I interpos'd, and cover'd
Thy trembling Carkass with my weighty Sheild,
And on it bore the Shock of all his Thunder
That else had ramm'd thee fast into the Earth,—
And thou for this, with fawning, after gavest me
For my Reward, an eloquent Oration.—
I do this Tongue-Man here too great an Honour
Thus to dispute—But you that worship him;
I know ye all are envious that my Name's
Too great amongst you in the War; are glad
Ye'ave spoil'd the promis'd Flower had deck'd my Garland,
And robb'd me of the Glory of this Action.—
You knew that I wou'd do it, when I said it,
And rather than it shou'd be done by me,
Ye'ave done it basely, by the Gods you have!
For which I swear for ever to forsake you.—
May I be stripp'd of all my Immortality,
And thrown with base Prometheus, to have
A Vultur ever tearing of my Liver,
E're I unsheath my Sword in your Defence,
Though I were sure 'twould save you all from Ruin;
Though, like a Plague, I cou'd sweep Troy at once,
And, at one stroak, compleat your dear Revenge.
Exeunt Achilles, and Patroclus.
Ulyss.
There let him go—Prepare for the Assault—
We'ave Ajax here, and Diomedes too;
Either of them we hold as good as he.
It will be worse than Vulturs to his Breast
To see that we have conquer'd Troy without him.
Aga.
A Trumpet sounds—Some news approaches.
Enter Captain.
Cap.
A Herauld Sir, with Troilus is come
From Troy.
Aga.
Admit him safe with all the Honours due
To th'Person of King Priam's Son.
Enter Troilus, and Herauld.
Aga.
What wou'd our brave, and gen'rous Enemy?
Troi.
Permit my Trumpet may be blown aloud,
To reach the Ears of all your Grecian Captains.
Aga.
Blow then, that the shrill sound may reach
Both Poles, and tell the Gods your Message.
Herauld Sounds.
What now? speak your intentions.
Troi.
Then as a Herauld from the King of Troy;
First, I demand a truce, for three whole days,
Joyntly to be observ'd betwixt both Armies,
Then I'me commanded to declare that Prince,
Or Captain, whatsoe're he be, is both
A Villain, and a Coward, that hath stoln
The great Palladium, honour'd so by us;
And to let you see, our Hearts are not so sunk
With the disaster, but we dare revenge it,
I challenge any three of all your Princes,
Were they more great, and valiant than Achilles,
To fight with Hector, Paris, and my self,
To Morrow in the face of both the Armies—
What say you? Dare you answer us the Challenge?
Aga.
We do, and never doubt, but that to Morrow,
Early'as the Sun displays his beams about
The place, to find three Champions there, as well
Provided as your selves.
Troi.
I have my wish.
Aga.
Till then farewell—Let all the Guards conduct
The gallant Prince safe to the Gates of Troy.
We'l in, preparing all for an Election,
And with glad hopes expect to Morrow's light,
When we will sit like Gods, and judge the Fight.
Troi.
At the same time
Our men shall let their winged voices fly,
And tell the Gods what we have done below,
And for each wound that on your Side is giv'n,
We'll shout aloud, and send the News to Heav'n.
Exeunt severally.
Enter Agamemnon, and Guards as from his Tent, at one Door, and Ajax, and Menelaus at another Door.
Aga.
Good Morrow to my Brother Menelaus.—
23
'Tis early, but so fair a Morne I never saw.
Men.
Happy may be the issue of this day.
The Preists of Mars in offering found last Night,
The wish'd for tokens, and propitious signes
Of an acceptable, and pleasing Sacrifice.
Ajax.
It thunderd on a sudden, and before the Preist
Had light the Sacred fuel on the Altar,
Lightning descended, and to all our wonders,
It broak into a flame, kindling it self
With holy Fire from Heav'n.
Men.
An Eagle then was seen to roost hard by,
And at the Light, flew round about the Camp,
Over our heads, and to our wonder pitch'd
Upon Ulysses Tent, but after it was seen no more.
Aga.
Blest News! These are all fair and happy Omens.
Ajax.
What sayes our Royal Gen'rall Agamemnon?
Do you yet hold your Resolution
To storm the Walls this Morning?
Aga.
What els—Where is Ulysses? Summon all
The Grecian Princes early to my Tent,
Intreat Achilles Company this Morning.
We were ingrateful to the Gods; shou'd we
Let go this happy day, without the doing
Of some admir'd, and memorable Act—
What shouts are these?
Enter to them a Captain.
Cap.
A happy hour to Greece—Ulysses, Sir,
And Diomedes—(Joy has seiz'd my breath!)
Have Conquer'd Troy, have ended the long War,
Have won the Statue of the fam'd Palladium,
The Goddess that ha's been so long our Enemy.
Aga.
Ha! If thou mock'st us; Villain thou shalt die.
Cap.
O, Sir, 'tis true—Do you not hear the Joy?
No sooner this was nois'd, but the whole Army
Proclaim'd their shouts of gratitude to Heav'n,
Flocking about Ulysses, kneeling to him,
Call him their Guardian, Patron, and Apollo,
24
Kissing the Ground whereon he treads, and bath
His feet with tears of Joy.
Aga.
Let's all go forth and meet 'em.
Enter to them Ulysses, and Diomedes follow'd with many Soldiers Shouting.
Cap.
See where they come, the men of all the World,
Most worthy to be prais'd.
Aga.
Welcome Ulysses; welcome Diomedes,
Near as the Joy that flowes about my heart.—
What have ye done, that with this mighty deed,
You have anticipated Valour's self,
Out fled the swiftest, and most daring wishes
Of all that valour, or Ambition fir'd.
How shall Posterity reward this Act,
But much less, how shall Agamemnon do it?
Vlyss.
No more, it is already done—
We'ave tam'd this wond'rous, awful Deity,
That fell with such a dread from Heav'n to Troy.
Dio.
Straight let's pursue our Fortune; run and strike 'em,
Whilst the cold damp's upon 'em, whilst their Souls
Are guiddy, and their Senses gone astray
After their Goddess that we took away.
Enter to them Achilles, and Patroclus.
Ach.
What meanes this early, and unusual Concourse
Of mad men, and the Rabble in the Army?
Is it for Joy that you assault to day?
Or is it done to magnifie the deed
That wise Ulysses has perform'd this Night
In stealing the Palludium?
Aga.
What deed can more deserve so just a Joy?
Rather admire the Gods at so great News
Meet not our Shouts in consort from the Skies,
And strive with Thunder to excell our Voices.
Ach.
By Heav'n, they're Cowards voices all;
That only have the Faces but of men,
25
And ne're durst fight, but when they first ask Counsel
Of Augurs, and have div'd into the intralls
Of Beasts; uncertain Instruments of War,
Never in tune when they shou'd do some Service;
So, till they're heightn'd, and scru'd up into
A pitch of valour by some flattering Divination,
They are worse than Women, and infect a Camp.
Ulyss.
Yes, such is Agamemnon here, and all the rest,
But lofty vain Achilles, whose great Valour
Has been beholden to himself and us,
Too lib'rall Benefactors in Applause,
Increasing so the Torrent of his pride
That wou'd o're-whelm us all—Who but this Man
Amongst you, Princes can, without Injustice,
Stain thus the greatest Action of our Lives?—
Say Diomedes, have we thus deserv'd?
Wou'dst thou embrace a deed dishonourable?
Dio.
No—Nor wou'd Achilles out of passion say so;
A deed, that had I not been sharer of
The glory in't my self, I shou'd
Have envi'd you Ulysses.
Ach.
An Act of Glory! O deliver me ye Gods!
By the high Throne of Jupiter, I swear,
I wou'd not own it without a guilty Blush;
A Thief, a Conjurer wou'd have done as much,
To rise, as if from Hell, in Devils shapes,
And scare a Crew of heartless, naked Preists,
Then steal and drag a Property away,
A deed too far beneath the Soul of Diomed—
Come, separate thy self from his lew'd Tongue—
I've seen thee in the face of open day,
Rush fore most on against a wood of Pikes
(Like a feirce Horse) arm'd with thy shining Corslet,
And with thy breast, stemm'd the first furious Ranks,
That held their steely points in vain against thee,
Till thou hadst made their Shivers fly like Moats
About the Sun.
Ulyss.
Heark, Wise, and Valiant Princes—
Behold the Spite, the Envy of this Man,
26
That's blind to all mens Honours, but his own,
Wou'd grasp the world of Action to himself—
Sink Greece, live Troy, and Countries turn to ruin—
It must be so, if he have not a hand in't;
All things depend upon his mighty Arm—
How long shall we be thus misled by him!
This railing Boaster, and blow up the bladders
Of so much vain, and empty Pride, through which
He swims and bears up so above us all.
Ach.
Lift me ye Gods, upon the wings of Fury!
Ner'e let me lean my head on lazy Patience—
Patroclus, Can I indure all this?
Was I born Thetis mighty Son for this?
When all the Powers of heav'n concern'dly sat
In an illustrious Senat at my Birth,
To make my name Immortal, and decreed,
That the least Grain of me shou'd quite weigh down
This poor and petty Prince of Ithyca—
I boast, thou Talker!—
[Comes up to him.]
Hast thou so soon forgot the noted time,
When like a Dragon in thy Aid I fought,
And kept thee safe under my fiery wings,
When Hector (in the sight of all thy Friends,
To whom thou crid'st aloud in vain for help;)
Hector (whose name thy trembling Tongue so oft has prais'd)
Had struck thee down, and with another Blow,
Was meeting with thy frighted Soul, that hung
Upon thy Lips—I interpos'd, and cover'd
Thy trembling Carkass with my weighty Sheild,
And on it bore the Shock of all his Thunder
That else had ramm'd thee fast into the Earth,—
And thou for this, with fawning, after gavest me
For my Reward, an eloquent Oration.—
I do this Tongue-Man here too great an Honour
Thus to dispute—But you that worship him;
I know ye all are envious that my Name's
Too great amongst you in the War; are glad
Ye'ave spoil'd the promis'd Flower had deck'd my Garland,
And robb'd me of the Glory of this Action.—
27
And rather than it shou'd be done by me,
Ye'ave done it basely, by the Gods you have!
For which I swear for ever to forsake you.—
May I be stripp'd of all my Immortality,
And thrown with base Prometheus, to have
A Vultur ever tearing of my Liver,
E're I unsheath my Sword in your Defence,
Though I were sure 'twould save you all from Ruin;
Though, like a Plague, I cou'd sweep Troy at once,
And, at one stroak, compleat your dear Revenge.
Exeunt Achilles, and Patroclus.
Ulyss.
There let him go—Prepare for the Assault—
We'ave Ajax here, and Diomedes too;
Either of them we hold as good as he.
It will be worse than Vulturs to his Breast
To see that we have conquer'd Troy without him.
Aga.
A Trumpet sounds—Some news approaches.
Enter Captain.
Cap.
A Herauld Sir, with Troilus is come
From Troy.
Aga.
Admit him safe with all the Honours due
To th'Person of King Priam's Son.
Enter Troilus, and Herauld.
Aga.
What wou'd our brave, and gen'rous Enemy?
Troi.
Permit my Trumpet may be blown aloud,
To reach the Ears of all your Grecian Captains.
Aga.
Blow then, that the shrill sound may reach
Both Poles, and tell the Gods your Message.
Herauld Sounds.
What now? speak your intentions.
Troi.
Then as a Herauld from the King of Troy;
28
Joyntly to be observ'd betwixt both Armies,
Then I'me commanded to declare that Prince,
Or Captain, whatsoe're he be, is both
A Villain, and a Coward, that hath stoln
The great Palladium, honour'd so by us;
And to let you see, our Hearts are not so sunk
With the disaster, but we dare revenge it,
I challenge any three of all your Princes,
Were they more great, and valiant than Achilles,
To fight with Hector, Paris, and my self,
To Morrow in the face of both the Armies—
What say you? Dare you answer us the Challenge?
Aga.
We do, and never doubt, but that to Morrow,
Early'as the Sun displays his beams about
The place, to find three Champions there, as well
Provided as your selves.
Troi.
I have my wish.
Aga.
Till then farewell—Let all the Guards conduct
The gallant Prince safe to the Gates of Troy.
We'l in, preparing all for an Election,
And with glad hopes expect to Morrow's light,
When we will sit like Gods, and judge the Fight.
Troi.
At the same time
Our men shall let their winged voices fly,
And tell the Gods what we have done below,
And for each wound that on your Side is giv'n,
We'll shout aloud, and send the News to Heav'n.
Exeunt severally.
| The destruction of Troy | |