Ther. A wonder![1801]
Achil. What?
Ther. Ajax goes up and down the field, asking for himself.
Achil. How so? 245
Ther. He must fight singly to-morrow with Hector,
and is so prophetically proud of an heroical cudgelling
that he raves in saying nothing.
Achil. How can that be?
Ther. Why, a' stalks up and down like a peacock,—a[1802] 250
stride and a stand: ruminates like an hostess that hath no
arithmetic but her brain to set down her reckoning: bites his
lip with a politic regard, as who should say 'There were wit
in this head, an 'twould out:' and so there is; but it lies as[1803]
coldly in him as fire in a flint, which will not show without 255
knocking. The man's undone for ever; for if Hector break
not his neck i' the combat, he'll break't himself in vainglory.[1804]
He knows not me: I said 'Good morrow, Ajax;'
and he replies 'Thanks, Agamemnon.' What think you of[1805]
this man, that takes me for the general? He's grown a very 260
land-fish, languageless, a monster. A plague of opinion! a
man may wear it on both sides, like a leather jerkin.
Achil. Thou must be my ambassador to him, Thersites.[1806]
Ther. Who, I? why, he'll answer nobody; he professes
not answering: speaking is for beggars; he wears his tongue 265
in's arms. I will put on his presence: let Patroclus make
demands to me, you shall see the pageant of Ajax.[1807]
Achil. To him, Patroclus: tell him I humbly desire
the valiant Ajax to invite the most valorous Hector to[1808]
come unarmed to my tent, and to procure safe-conduct for 270
his person of the magnanimous and most illustrious six-or-seven-times-honoured[1809]
captain-general of the Grecian army,[1810]
Agamemnon, et cetera. Do this.[1811]