Mr Child observes:[570] "The play does not require particular notice. Its lively absurdity could not have failed to be entertaining to an easy audience, and is not tiresome now. _Thersites_ indulges plentifully in one of the privileges of the old _Vice_--that of talking incoherent nonsense. There is a vigour in some parts quite unusual in these things, and many of the lines in Skelton's metre have some of his power, together with all his coarseness. The passage, pp. 84-86, may remind the reader of that remarkable poem, 'Elynour Rummyng.'" THERSITES. _Thersites cometh in, first having a club upon his neck_.[571] Have in a ruffler forth of the Greek land, Called Thersites, if ye will me know: Aback, give me room, in my way do ye not stand; For if ye do, I will soon lay you low. In Homer of my acts ye have read, I trow: Neither Agamemnon nor Ulysses I spared to check: They could not bring me to be at their beck. Of late from the Siege of Troy I returned, Where all my harness except this club I lost. In an old house there it was quite burned, While I was preparing victuals for the host. I must needs get me new, whatsoever it cost; I will go seek adventures, for I can not be idle; I will hamper some of the knaves in a bridle. It grieveth me to hear how the knaves do brag; But by supreme Jupiter, when I am harnessed well, I shall make the dasters[572] to renne[573] into a bag, To hide them fro me as fro the devil of hell, I doubt not but hereafter of me ye shall hear tell: How I have made the knaves for to play couch-quail. But now to the shop of Mulciber to go I will not fail. [_Mulciber must have a shop made in the place, and Thersites cometh before it saying aloud_: Mulciber, whom the poets doth call the god of fire, Smith unto Jupiter, king over all: Come forth of thy office, I thee desire, And grant me my petition, I ask a thing but small. I will none of thy lightning, that thou art wont to make For the gods supernal, for ire when they do shake; With which they thrust the giants down to hell That were at a convention heaven to buy and sell. But I would have some help of Lemnos and Ithalia,[574] That of their steel by thy craft _condatur mihi galea_. MULCIBER. What, fellow Thersites, do ye speak Latin now? Nay then, farewell, I make God a vow, I do not you understand, no Latin is in my pallet. [_And then he must do, as he would go away_. THERSITES. I say, abide, good Mulciber, I pray thee make me a sallet.[575] MULCIBER. Why, Thersites, hast thou any wit in thy head? Wouldst thou have a sallet now? all the herbs are dead! Beside that it is not meet for a smith To gather herbs and sallets to meddle with. Go get thee to my lover Venus, She hath sallets enough for all us: I eat none such sallets, for now I wax old, And for my stomach they are very cold. THERSITES. Now I pray to Jupiter, that thou die a cuckold! I mean a sallet, with which men do fight. MULCIBER.