by Homer
Before the fight, and then preferred his ablesse and his mind
To all his ancestors in fight, now come so far behind;
Whom thus he answered : " Urge no flight; you cannot please me so;
Nor is it honest in my mind to fear a coming foe,
Or make a flight good, though with fight. My powers are yet entire,
And scorn the help-tire of a horse. I will not blow the fire
Of their hot valours with my flight, but cast upon the blaze
This body borne upon my knees. I entertain amaze 1
Minerva will not see that shame; and since they have begun,
They shall not both elect their ends, and he that 'scapes shall ran
Or stay and take the other's fate. And this I leave for thee; —
If amply-wise Athenia give both their lives to me,
Rein our horse to their chariot hard, and have a special heed
To seize upon Eneas' steeds, that we may change their breed,
And make a Grecian race of them that have been long of Troy.
For these are bred of those brave beasts which, for the lovely boy
That waits now on the cup of Jove, Jove, that far-seeing God,
Gave Tros the king in recompense; the best that ever trod
The sounding centre, underneath the morning and the sun.
Anchises stole the breed of them; for where their sires did run,
He closely put his mares to them, and never made it known
To him that heired them, who was then the king Laomedon.
Six horses had he of that race, of which himself kept four,
And gave the other two his son; and these are they that scour
The field so bravely towards us, expert in charge and flight.
If these we have the power to take, our prise is exquisite,
And our renown will far exceed." While these were talking thus,
The fired horse brought th' assailants near, and thus spake Pandarus:
“Most suffering-minded Tydeus' son, that hast of war the art,
My shaft, that struck thee, slew thee not, I now will prove a dart."
This said, he shook, and then he threw a lance aloft and large,
That in Tydides' curets stuck, quite driving through his targe;
Then brayed he out so wild a voice that all the field might hear:
“Now have I reached thy root of life, and by thy death shall bear .
Our praise's chief prize from the field." Tydides, undismayed,
Replied : " Thou err'st, I am not touched; but more charge will be laid
To both your lives before you part; at least the life of one
Shall satiate the throat of Mars." This said, his lance was gone;
Minerva led it to his face, which at his eye ran in,
And as he stooped, struck through his jaws, his tongue's root, and his chin.
Down from the chariot he fell, his gay arms shined and rung,
The swift horse trembled, and his soul for ever charmed his tongue.
iEneas with his shield, and lance, leapt swiftly to his friend,
Afraid the Greeks would force his trunk, and that he did defend,
Bold as a lion of his strength; he hid him with his shield,
Shook round his lance, and horribly did threaten all the field
With death, if any durst make in. Tydides raised a stone
With his one hand, of wondrous weight, and poured it mainly on
The hip of Anchisiades, wherein the joint doth move
The thigh ('tis called the huckle-bone) which all in sherds it drove
Brake both the nerves, and with the edge cut all the flesh away.
It staggered him upon his knees, and made the hero stay
His struck-blind temples on his hand, his elbow on the earth;
And there this prince of men had died, if She that gave him birth,
(Kissed by Anchises on the green where his fair oxen fed)
Jove's loving daughter, instantly had not about him spread
Her soft embraces, and conveyed within her heavenly veil
(Used as a rampire against all darts that did so hot assail)
Her dear-loved issue from the field. Then Sthenelus in haste,
Remembering what his friend advised, from forth the press made fast
His own horse to their chariot, and presently laid hand
Upon the lovely-coated horse ^Eneas did command;
Which bringing to the wondering Greeks, he did their guard commend
To his beloved Deipylus, who was his inward friend,
And, of his equals, one to whom he had most honour shown,
That he might see them safe at fleet; then stept he to his own,
With which he cheerfully made in to Tydeus' mighty race.
He, mad with his great enemy's rape, was hot in desperate chase
Of her that made it, with his lance, armed less with steel than spite,
Well knowing her no Deity that had to do in fight,
Minerva his great patroness, nor She that raceth towns,
Bellona, but a Goddess weak, and foe to men's renowns.
Her, through a world of fight pursued, at last he overtook,
And, thrusting up his ruthless lance, her heavenly veil he strook
(That even the Graces wrought themselves, at her divine command)
Quite through, and hurt the tender back of her delicious hand.
The rude point piercing through her palm, forth flowed th' immortal blood;
Blood such as flows in blessed Gods, that eat no human food,
Nor drink of our' inflaming wine, and therefore bloodless are,
And called Immortals; out she cried, and could no longer bear
Her loved son, whom she cast from her, and in a sable cloud
Phoebus, receiving, hid him close from all the Grecian crowd.,
Lest some of them should find his death. Away flew Venus then,
And after her cried Diomed : " Away, thou spoil of men,
Though sprung from all-preserving Jove, these hot encounters leave.
Is't not enough that silly dames thy sorceries should deceive,
Unless thou thrust into the war, and rob a soldier's right?
I think a few of these assaults will make thee fear the fight,
Wherever thou shalt hear it named." She, signing, went her way
Extremely grieved, and with her griefs her, beauties did decay,
And black her ivory body grew. Then from a dewy mist
Brake swift-foot Iris to her aid from all the darts that hissed
At her quick rapture, and to Mars they took their plaintive course,
And found him on the fight's left hand, by him his speedy horse,
And huge lance, lying in a fog. The Queen of all things fair
Her loved brother on her knees besought, with instant prayer,
His golden-riband-bound-maned horse to lend her up to heaven,
For she was much grieved with a wound a mortal man had given,
Tydides, that 'gainst Jove himself durst now advance his arm.
He granted, and his chariot (perplexed with her late harm)
She mounted, and her waggoness was She that paints the air.
The horse she reined, and with a scourge importuned their repair,
That of themselves out-flew the wind and quickly they ascend
Olympus, high seat of the Gods. Th' horse knew their journey's end,
Stood still, and from their chariot the windy-footed dame
Dissolved and "gave them heavenly food; and to Dione came
Her wounded daughter, bent her knees. She kindly bade her stand,
With sweet embraces helped her up, stroked her with her soft hand,
Called kindly by her name, and asked : " What God hath been so rude,
Sweet daughter, to chastise thee thus, as if thoii wert pursued
Even to the act of some light sin, and deprehended so?
For otherwise, each close escape is in the great let go."
She answered : " Haughty Tydeus' son hath been so insolent,
Since he whom most my heart esteems of all my loved descent,
I rescued from his bloody hand. Now battle is not given
To any Trojans by the Greeks, but by the Greeks to heaven."
She answered : " Daughter, think not much, though much it grieve thee; use
The patience, whereof many Gods examples may produce,
In many bitter ills received, as well that men sustain
By their inflictions as by men repaid to them again.
Mars suffered much more than thyself by Ephialtes' power,
And Otus', Aloeus' sons, who in a brazen tower,
And in inextricable chains, cast that war-greedy God,
Where twice six months and one he lived, and there the period
Of his sad life perhaps had closed, if his kind stepdame's eye,
Fair Erebsea, had not seen, who told it Mercury,
And he by stealth enfranchised him; though he could scarce enjoy
The benefit of franchisement, the chains did so destroy
His vital forces with their weight. So Juno suffered more
When, with a three-fork'd arrow's head, Amphitryo's son did gore
Her right breast, past all hope of cure. Pluto sustained no less
By that self man, and by a shaft of equal bitterness
Shot through his shoulder at hell gates, and there, amongst the dead,
Were he not deathless, he had died; but up to heaven he fled,
Extremely tortured, for recure, which instantly he won
At Pseon's hand, with sovereign balm; and this did Jove's great son,
Unblest, great high-deed-daring man, that cared not doing ill,
That with his bow durst wound the Gods! But, by Minerva's will,
Thy wound the foolish Diomed was so profane to give,
Not knowing he that fights with Heaven hath never long to live,
And for this deed, he never shall have child about his knee
To call him father, coming home. Besides, hear this from me,
Strength-trusting man, though thou be strong, and art in strength a tower,
Take heed a stronger meet thee not, and that a woman's power
Contains not that superior strength, and lest that woman be
Adrastus' daughter, and thy wife, the wise ^Egiale,
When, from this hour not far, she wakes, even sighing with desire
To kindle our revenge on thee, with her enamouring fire,
In choosing her some fresh-young friend, and so drown all thy fame,
Won here in war, in her court-piece, and in an opener shame."
This said, with both her hands she cleansed the tender back and palm
Of all the sacred blood they lost; and, never using balm,
The pain ceased, and the wound was cured of this kind Queen of love.
Juno and Pallas, seeing this, assayed to anger Jove,
And quit his late-made mirth with them about the loving Dame,
With some sharp jest, in like sort, built upon her present shame.
Grey-eyed Athenia began, and asked the Thunderer,
If, nothing moving him to wrath, she boldly might prefer,
What she conceived, to his conceit; and, staying no reply,
She bade him view the Cyprian fruit he loved so tenderly,
Whom she though hurt, and by this means, intending to suborn
Some other lady of the Greeks (whom lovely veils adorn)
To gratify some other friend of her much-loved Troy,
As she embraced and stirred her blood to the Venerean joy,
The golden clasp those Grecian dames upon their girdles wear
Took hold of her delicious hand, and hurt it, she had fear.
The Thunderer smiled, and called to him love's golden Arbitress,
And told her those rough works of war were not for her access.
She should be making marriages, embracings, kisses, charms,
Stern Mars and Pallas had the charge of those affairs in arms.
While these thus talked, Tydides' rago still thirsted to achieve
His prize upon Anchises' son, though well he did perceive
The Sun himself protected him; but his desires (enflamed
With that great Trojan prince's blood, and arms so highly famed)
Not that great God did reverence. Thrice rushed he rudely on,
And thrice, betwixt his darts and death, the Sun's bright target shone;
But when upon the fourth assault, much like a spirit, he flew,
The far-off working Deity exceeding wrathful grew,
And asked him : " What! Not yield to Gods? Thy equals learn to know.
The race of Gods is- far above men creeping here below."
This drave him to some small retreat; he would not tempt more near
The wrath of him that struck so far, whose power had now set clear
.(Eneas from the stormy field within the holy place
Of Pergamus, where, to the hope of his so sovereign grace,
A goodly temple was advanced, in whose large inmost part
He left him, and to his supply inclined his mother's heart,
Latona, and the dart-pleased Queen, who cured and made him strong.
The silver-bowed fair God then threw in the tumultuous throng
An image, that in stature, look, and arms, he did create
Like Venus' son; for which the Greeks and Trojans made debate,
Laid loud strokes on their ox-hide shields and bucklers easily borne;
Which error Phoebus pleased to urge on Mars himself in scorn :
“Mars, Mars," said he, " thou plague of men, smeared with the dust and blood
Of humans, and their ruined walls, yet thinks thy Godhead good
To fright this fury from the field, who next will fight with Jove?
First, in a bold approach, he hurt the moist palm of thy love
And next as if he did affect to have a Deity's power,
He held out his assault on me." This said, the lofty tower
Of Pergamus he made his seat; and Mars did now excite
The Trojan forces, in the form of him that led to fight
The Thracian troops, swift Acamas. " O Priam's sons," said he,
“How long the slaughter of your men can ye sustain to see?
Even till they brave you at your gates? Ye suffer beaten down
.(Eneas, great Anchises' son, whose prowess we renown
As much as Hector's; fetch him off from this contentious prease."
With this, the strength and spirits of all his courage did increase;
And yet Sarpedon seconds him, with this particular taunt
Of noble Hector : " Hector, where is thy unthankful vaunt?
And that huge strength on which it built, that tliou, and thy allies,
With all thy brothers (without aid of us or our supplies,
And troubling not a citizen) the city safe would hold?
In all which friends' and brothers' helps I see not, nor am told
Of any one of their exploits, but (all held in dismay
Of Diomed, like a sort of dogs that at a lion bay,
And entertain no spirit to pinch) we, your assistants here,
Fight for the town as you helped us, and I, an aiding peer,
No citizen, even out of care that doth become a man
For men and children's liberties, add all the aid I can;
Not out of my particular cause; far hence my profit grows,
For far hence Asian Lycia lies, where gulfy Xanthus flows,
And where my loved wife, infant son, and treasure nothing scant,
I left behind me, which I see those men would have that want,
And therefore they that have would keep. Yet I, as I would lose
Their sure fruition, cheer my troops, and with their hves propose
Mine own life, both to general fight and to particular cope
With this great soldier; though, I say, I entertain no hope
To have such gettings as the Greeks, nor fear to lose like Troy.
Yet thou, even Hector, deedless stand'st and car'st not to employ
Thy town-born friends, to bid them stand, to fight and save their wives,
Lest as a fowler casts his nets upon the silly lives
Of birds of all sorts, so the foe your walls and houses hales,
One with another, on all heads; or such as 'scape their falls,
Be made the prey and prise of them (as willing overthrown)
That hope not for you with their force; and so this brave-built town
Will prove a chaos. That deserves in thee so hot a care
As should consume thy days and nights, to hearten and prepare
Th' assistant princes; pray their minds to bear their far-brought toils;
To give them worth with worthy fight; in victories and foils
Still to be equal; and thyself, exampling them in all,
Need no reproofs nor spurs. All this in thy free choice should fall."
This stung great Hector's heart; and yet, as every generous mind
Should silent .bear a just reproof, and show what- good they find
In worthy counsels, by their ends put into present deeds,
Not stomach nor be vainly shamed, so Hector's spirit proceeds,
And from his chariot, wholly armed, he jumped upon the sand,
On foot so toiling through the host, a dart in either hand,
And all hands turned against the Greeks. The Greeks despised their worst,
And, thick'ning their instructed powers, expected all they durst.
Then with the feet of horse and foot the dust in clouds did rise;
And as in sacred floors of barns upon corn-winnowers flies
The chaff, driven with an opposite wind, when yellow Ceres dites,
Which all the diters' feet, legs, arms, their heads and shoulders whites,
So looked the Grecians gray with dust, that struck the solid heaven,
Raised from returning chariots, and troops together driven.
Each side stood to their labours firm. Fierce Mars flew through the air,
And gathered darkness from the fight, and, with his best affair,
Obeyed the pleasure of the Sun, that wears the golden sword,
Who bade him raise the spirits of Troy when Pallas ceased t' afford
Her helping office to the Greeks; and then his own hands wrought,
Which, from his fane's rich chancel, cured, the true iEneas brought,