would thou didst itch from head to foot and I had
the scratching of thee; I would make thee the
loathsomest scab in Greece. When thou art forth in
the incursions, thou strikest as slow as another.
I say, the proclamation!
Thou grumblest and railest every hour on Achilles,
and thou art as full of envy at his greatness as
Cerberus is at Proserpine's beauty, ay, that thou
barkest at him.
Mistress Thersites!
Thou shouldest strike him.
Cobloaf!
He would pun thee into shivers with his fist, as a
sailor breaks a biscuit.
You whoreson cur!
Do, do.
Thou stool for a witch!
Ay, do, do; thou sodden-witted lord! thou hast no
more brain than I have in mine elbows; an assinego
may tutor thee: thou scurvy-valiant ass! thou art
here but to thrash Trojans; and thou art bought and
sold among those of any wit, like a barbarian slave.
If thou use to beat me, I will begin at thy heel, and
tell what thou art by inches, thou thing of no
bowels, thou!
You dog!
You scurvy lord!
You cur!
Mars his idiot! do, rudeness; do, camel; do, do.
Why, how now, Ajax! wherefore do you thus? How now,
Thersites! what's the matter, man?
You see him there, do you?
Ay; what's the matter?
Nay, look upon him.
So I do: what's the matter?
Nay, but regard him well.
'Well!' why, I do so.
But yet you look not well upon him; for whosoever you
take him to be, he is Ajax.
I know that, fool.
Ay, but that fool knows not himself.
Therefore I beat thee.
Lo, lo, lo, lo, what modicums of wit he utters! his
evasions have ears thus long. I have bobbed his
brain more than he has beat my bones: I will buy
nine sparrows for a penny, and his pia mater is not
worth the nineth part of a sparrow. This lord,
Achilles, Ajax, who wears his wit in his belly and
his guts in his head, I'll tell you what I say of
him.
What?
I say, this Ajax--
Nay, good Ajax.
Has not so much wit--
Nay, I must hold you.
As will stop the eye of Helen's needle, for whom he
comes to fight.
Peace, fool!
I would have peace and quietness, but the fool will
not: he there: that he: look you there.
O thou damned cur! I shall--
Will you set your wit to a fool's?
No, I warrant you;