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Ah, how the poor world is pestered with such waterflies, diminutives of Nature.

Patr. Out, gall!

Ther. Finch-egg!

Achil. My fweet Patroclus, I am thwarted quite
From my great purpose in to-morrow's battle>
Here is a letter from Queen Hecuba,

A token from her daughter, my fair love,
Both taxing me, and gaging me to keep
An oath that have fworn. I will not break it ;
Fall Greek, fail fame, honour, or go, or stay
My major vow lies here; this I'll obey.
Come, come, Therfites, help to trim my tent,
This night in banqueting muft all be spent.
Away, Patroclus

[Exeunt.

Ther. With too much blood, and too little brain, these two may run mad: but ifwith too much brain, and too little blood, they do, I'll be a curer of madmen. Here's Agamemnon, an honeft fellow enough, and one that loves quails, (44) but he hath not so much brain as ear-wax :

and

(44) And one that loves quails,] This I take to be an obfcure paffage, not very commonly understood, and therefore may deferve a note of explanation. Therfites is every where fcurrilous, and scan. dalous in his obfervations upon the Greeks. He abufes Menelaus for a ftupid cuckold; and with the fame freedom, I apprehend, here he is charging Agamemnon with being a wencker; in faying, he is a lover of quails. But what confonance, may it not be afk'd, is there betwixt quails, and a mistress? Rabelais, in the prologue to his 4th book, fpeaks of cailles coiphées mignonnement chantans; which Motteux, I find, has tranflated, coated quails, and laced mutton, waggishly fing ing.-(Of laced mutton I have already spoken in my 3d note on the Two Gentlemen of Verona :) and Cotgrave, in his French Dictionary, feems to have had his eye on this paffage, when he explains caillès coiffées, women, Here's a little authority for my fufpicion of Shakefpeare's meaning: and I'll throw in a teftimony or two from a contemporary poet with him, by whom quail is metaphorically used for a girl of the game. Ford, in his Love's Sacrifice, brings in a debauchee thus muttering against a fuperannuated mistress. By this light, I "have toil'd more with this carrion ben, than with ten quails fcarce "" grown into their first feathers."

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So we find Mrs. Urfula, in B. Johnson's Bartholomew Fair, complaining that he had no young women for the entertainment of her

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cufto

and the goodly transformation of Jupiter there his brother, the bull, (the primitive ftatue, and oblique me. morial of cuckolds ;) (45) a thrifty fhooing horn in a chain, hanging at his brother's leg; to what form, but that he is, fhould wit larded with malice, and malice forced with wit, turn him to ? to an afs were nothing, he is both afs and ox; to an ox were nothing, he is both ox and afs; to be a dog, a mule, a cat, à fitchew, a toad, a lizard, an owl, a puttock, or a herring without a roe, I would not care: but to be Menelaus, [ would confpire against Destiny. Afk me not what I would be, if I were not Therfites; for I care not to be the loufe of a lazar, fo I were not Menelaus Hey-day, fpirits and fires!

customers. "Here will be Zekiel Edgworth, and three or four gal“lants with him at night, and I ha' neither plover nor quails for "them: perfwade this, between you two, to become a bird o' the game, while I work the velvet woman within, as you call her."

46

(45) And the goodly transformation of Jupiter there bis brother, the bull, the primitive ftatue and oblique memorial of cuckolds.] I under. fend this paffage thus. First, he alludes to Jupiter having tranf form'd himself into a bull to gain the love of Europa; and then he calls Menelaus a bull, as being a cuckold; and then characterizes the bull, as the primitive ftatue and oblique memorial of cuckolds; i, e. a cuckold is faid to have horns; a bull has horns; fo, ftands for a cuckold obliquely; that is, typically, emblematically: as our Poet in Hamlet fays, the play is call'd the Moufetrap: Marry, how? tropically Mr. Warburton differs from me in the conftruction of this place; he thinks, Menelaus is call'd the bull, and that he is likewife call'd the primitive flatue, &c. Then he objects, that primitive and blique are contradictory epithets, and cannot be applied to the fame thing: he therefore conjectures, the Poet wrote,

-the primitive ftatue, and obelifque memorial of cuckolds; i. e." he is reprefented, fays my friend, as one that would remain "" an eternal monument of cuckoldom never to be effaced: and how "could this be better reprefented than by calling him an obelifque "memorial? For of all human monumental edifices the belifque is "the most durable. The Egyptians, 'tis well known, used it to record their arts and hiftories upon."I could not in juftice fifle fo ingenious a conjecture, tho' I have not difturb'd the text; and fubmit the paffage, in prefent, to the determination of the publick judgment.

Enter

Enter Hector, Troilus, Ajax, Agamemnon, Ulyffes, Neftor, and Diomede, with lights.

Aga. We go wrong, we go wrong.

Ajax No, yonder 'tis ; there, where we fee the light. Hect. I trouble you.

Ajax. No, not a whit.

Enter Achilles.

Uly. Here comes himself to guide you.

Achil. Welcome, brave Hector; welcome, Princes all, Aga. So, now, fair Prince of Troy, I bid good-night. Ajax commands the guard to tend on you.

Hect. Thanks, and good-night, to the Greeks' general. Men. Good-night, my Lord.

Het. Good night, fweet Lord Menelaus.

Ther. Sweet draught,-fweet, quoth a-sweet fink, fweet fewer.

Achil. Good-night, and welcome, both at once, to those That go or tarry.

Aga. Good-night.

Achil. Old Neftor tarries, and you too, Diomede, Keep Hector comappy an hour or two.

Die I cannot, Lord, I have important bufinefs, The tide whereof is now; good-night, great Hector. Hect. Give me your hand.

Uly. Follow his torch, he goes to Calchas' tent:

I'll keep you company,

Troi. Sweet Sir, you honour me.

Hect. And fo, good-night.

[To Troilus.

Achil Come, come, enter my tent. [Exeunt. Ther. That fame Diomede's a falfe-hearted rogue, a most unjust knave: I will no more truft him when he leers, than I will a ferpent when he hiffes: he will fpend his mouth and promife, like Brabler the hound; but when he performs, aftronomers foretel it, that it is prodigious, there will come fome change: the fun borrows of the moon, when Diomede keeps his word. I will rather leave to fee Hector, than not to dog him; they say, he keeps a Trojan drab, and uses the traitor

T 4

Calchas

Calchas his tent. I'll after-Nothing but letchery; all incontinent varlets.

Dio.

[Exeunt.

SCENE changes to Calchas's Tent.

Enter Diomede.

HAT are you up here, ho? fpeak.
Cal. Who calls?·

WCal.

Dio Diomede; Calchas, I think; where's your daughter?
Cal. She comes to you.

Enter Troilus and Ulyffes, after them Therfites.
Uly. Stand where the torch may not discover us.
Enter Creffid.

Troi. Crefid come forth to him ?

Dio. How now, my charge?

Cre. Now, my fweet guardian; hark,a word with you.

Troi. Yea, fo familiar?

[Whispers.

Uly. She will fing to any man at first fight.

Ther. And any man may fing to her, if he can take her cliff. She's noted.

Dio. Will you remember?

Cre. Remember? yes.

Dio. Nay, but do then; and let your mind be coupled with your words.

Troi. What should fhe remember?

Uly. Lift.

Cre. Sweet honey Greek, tempt me no more to folly. Ther. Roguery

Dio. Nay, then

Cre. I'll tell you what.

Dio. Pho! pho! come, tell a pin, you are a forfworn-
Cre. In faith, I can't: what would you have me do?
Ther. A juggling trick, to be fecretly open.

Dio. What did you fwear you would bestow on me?
Cre. I pr'ythee, do not hold me to mine oath ;

Bid me do any thing but that, fweet Greek.

Dio. Good-night.

Troi. Hold, patience→→→
Uly. How now, Trojan?

Cre. Diomede

Dio. No, no, good-night: I'll be your fool no more, Troi. Thy better muft.

Cre. Hark, one word in your ear.

Troi. O plague and madness!

[you,

Uly. You are mov'd, Prince; let us depart, I pray

Left your difpleafure fhould enlarge itself

To wrathful terms: this place is dangerous;

The time right deadly: I beseech you, go.
Troi. Behold, I pray you-

Ulyf. Good my Lord, go off:

You fly to great diftraction: come, my Lord.

Troi. I pr'ythee, stay.

Ulys. You have not patience; come.

Troi. I pray you stay; by hell, and by hell's torments

I will not speak a word.

Dio. And fo good-night.

Cre. Nay, but you part in anger?

Troi. Doth that grieve thee? O wither'd truth!.

Ulyf. Why, how now, Lord?

Troi. By Jove, I will be patient.

Cre. Guardian--why, Greek

Dio. Pho, pho, adieu! you palter.

Cre. In faith, I do not: come hither once again. Uly. You fhake, my Lord, at fomething; will you

You will break out.

Troi. She ftrokes his cheek.

Ulyf. Come, come.

[go

Troi. Nay, ftay; by Jove, I will not speak a word. There is between my will and all offences

A guard of patience: ftay a little while.

Ther. How the devil luxury with his fat rump and potatoe finger tickles these together! fry, letchery, fry Dio. But will you then?

Cre. In faith, I will, la; never trust me elfe.
Dio. Give me fome token for the furety of it.
Gre. F'll fetch you one.

T5

[Exit.

Ulyf

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