by Homer
Whom these fights never showed mine eyes? They have been evermore
Sons of unhappy parents born that came within the length
Of this Minerva-guided lance, and durst close with the strength
That she inspires in me. If heaven be thy divine abode,
And thou a Deity thus informed, no more with any God
Will I change lances. The strong son of Dryus did not live
Long after such a conflict dared, who godlessly did drive
Nysseus' nurses through the hill made sacred to his name,
And called Nysseius; with a goad he punched each furious dame,
Aud made them every one cast down their green and leavy spears.
This th' homicide Lycurgus did; and those ungodly fears,
He put the froes in, seized their God. Even Bacchus he did drive
From his Nysseius, who was fain, with huge exclaims, to dive
Into the ocean. Thetis there in he? bright'bosom took
The flying Deity, who so feared Lycurgus' threats, he shook.
For which the freely-living Gods so highly were incensed,
That Saturn's great Son strook him blind, and with his life dispensed
But small time after; all because th' Immortals loved him not,
Nor loved him since he strived with them; and his end hath begot
Fear in my powers to fight with heaven. But, if the fruits of earth
Nourish thy body, and thy life Jbe of our human birth,
Come near, that thou mayst soon arrive on that life-bounding shore,
To which I see thee hoise such sail." " Why dost thou so explore,"
Said Glaucus," of what race I am, when like the race of leaves
The race of man is, that deserves no question; nor receives
My being any other breath? The wind in autumn strows
The earth with old leaves, then the spring the woods with new endows;
And so death scatters men on earth, so fife puts out again
Man's leavy issue. But my race, if, like the course of men,
Thou seek'st in more particular terms, 'tis this, to many known:
In midst of Argos, nurse of horse, there stands a walled town,
Ephyre, where the mansion-house of Sisyphus did stand,
Of Sisyphus-iEolides, most wise of all the land.
Glaucus was son to him, and he begat Bellerophon,
Whose body heaven indued with strength, and put a beauty on,
Exceeding lovely. Prsetus yet his cause of love did hate,
And banished him the town; he might; he ruled the Argive state.
The virtue of the one Jove placed beneath the other's power.
His exile grew, since he denied to be the paramour
Of fair Anteia, Prsetus' wife, who felt a raging fire
Of secret love to him; but he, whom wisdom did inspire
As well as prudence (one of them advising him to shun
The danger of a princess' love, the other not to run
Within the danger of the Gods, the act being simply ill),
Still entertaining thoughts divine, subdued the earthly still.
She, ruled by neither of his wits, preferred her lust to both,
And, false to Praetus, would seem true, with this abhorred untroth :
' Prsetus, or die thyself,' said she, ' or let Bellerophon die.
He urged dishonour to thy bed; which since I did deny,
He thought his violence should grant, and sought thy shame by force.'
The king, incensed with her report, resolved upon her course
'But doubted how it should be run; he shunned his death direct,
(Holding a way so near not safe) and plotted the effect
By sending him with letters sealed (that, opened, touch his life)
To Rheuns king of Lycia, and father to his wife.
He went; and happily he went, the Gods walked all his way;
And being arrived in Lycia, where Xanthus doth display
The silver ensigns of his waves, the king of that broad land
Received him with a wondrous free and honourable hand.
Nine days he feasted him, and killed an ox in every day,
In thankful sacrifice to heaven, for his fair guest; whose stay,
With rosy fingers, brought the world the tenth well-welcomed moro,
And then the king did move to see the letters he had borne
From his loved son-in-law; which seen, he wrought thus their contents:
Chiinsera, the invincible, he sent him to convince,
Sprung from no man, but mere divine; a lion's shape before,
Behind a dragon's, in the midst a goat's shagged form, she bore,
And flames of deadly fervency flew from her breath and eyes;
Yet her he slew; his confidence in sacred prodigies
Rendered him victor. Then he gave his second conquest way
Against the famous Solymi, when (he himself would say,
Reporting it) he entered on a passing vigorous fight.
His third huge labour he approved against a woman's spite,
That filled a field of Amazons; he overcame them all.
Then set they on him sly Deceit, when Force had such a fall;
An ambush of the strongest men, that spacious Lycia bred,
Was lodged for him; whom he lodged sure; they never raised a head.
His deeds thus showing him derived from some oelestial race,
The king detained, and made amends, with doing him the grace
Of his fair daughter's princely gift; and with her, for a dow'r,
Gave half his kingdom; and to this, the Lycians on did pour
More than was given to any king, a goodly planted field,
In some parts thick of groves and woods, the rest rich crops did yield.
This field the Lycians futurely (of future wand'rings there
And other errors of their prince, in the unhappy rear
Of his sad life) the Errant called. The princess brought him forth
Three children (whose ends grieved him more, the more they were of worth),
Isander, and Hippolochus, and fair Laodomy,
With whom, eveu Jupiter himself left heaven itself, to lie,
And had by her the man at arms, Sarpedon, called divine.
The Gods then left him, lest a man should in their glories shine,
And set against him; for his son, Isandrus, in a strife
Against the valiant Solymi, Mars reft of light and life;
Laodamia, being envied of all the Goddesses,
The goldert-bridle-handling Queen, the maiden Patroness,
Slew with an arrow; and for this he wandered evermore
Alone through this his Aleian field, and fed upon the core
Of his sad bosom, flying all the loathed consorts of men.
Yet had he one survived to him of those three childeren,
Hippolochus, the root of me; who sent me here with charge
That I should always bear me well, and my deserts enlarge
Beyond the vulgar, lest I shamed my race, that far excelled
All that Ephyra's famous towers, or ample Lycia, held.
This is my stock, and this am i." This cheered Tydides' heart,
Who pitched his spear down, leaned, and talked in this affectionate part:
“Certes, in thy great ancestor, and in mine own, thou art
A guest of mine, right ancient. King Oeneus twenty days
Detained, with feasts, Bellerophon, whom all the world did praise.
Betwixt whom mutual gifts were given. My grandsire gave to thine
A girdle of Phoenician work, impurpled wondrous fine.
Thine gave a two-necked jug of gold, which, though I use not here,
Yet still it is my gem at home. But, if our fathers were
Familiar, or each other knew, I know not, since my sire
Left me a child, at siege of Thebes, where the left his life's fire.
But let us prove our grandsires' sons, and be each other's guests.
To Lycia when I come, do thou receive thy friend with feasts;
Peloponnesus, with the like, shall thy wished presence greet.
Mean space, shun we each other here, though in the press we meet.
There are enow of Troy beside, and men enough renowned,
To right my powers, whomever heaven shall let my lance confound.
So are there of the Greeks for thee; kill who thou canst. And now
For sign of amity 'twixt us, and that all these may know
We glory in th' hospitious rites our grandsires did commend,
Change we our arms before them all." From horse then both descend,
Join hands, give faith, and take; and then did Jupiter elate
The miiid of Glaucus, who, to show his reverence to the state
Of virtue in his grandsire's heart, and gratulate beside
.The offer of so great a friend, exchanged, in that good pride,
Curets of gold for those of brass that did on Diomed shine,
One of a hundred oxen's price, the other but of nine.
By this had Hector reached the ports of Scsea, and the towers.
' About him flocked the wives of Troy, the children, paramours,
Inquiring how their husbands did, their fathers, brothers, loves.
He stood not then to answer them, but said: " It now behoves
Ye should all go t' implore the aid of heaven in a distress
Of great effect, and imminent." Then hasted he access
To Priam's goodly builded'court, which round about was run
With walking porches, galleries, to keep off rain and sun.
Within, of one side, on a rew, of sundry coloured stones,
Fifty fair lodgings were built out for Priam's fifty sons,
And for as fair sort of their wives; and, in the opposite view,
Twelve lodgings of like stone, like height, were likewise built arew,
Where, with their fair and virtuous wives, twelve princes, sons-indaw
To honourable Priam, lay. And here met Hecuba,
The loving mother, her great son, and with her needs must be
The fairest of her female race, the bright Laodice.
The queen gript hard her Hector's hand, and said : " O worthiest son,
Why leav'st thou field? Is't not because the cursed nation
Afflict our countrymen and friends? They are their moans that move
Thy mind to come and lift thy hands, in his high tower, to Jove.
But stay a little, that myself may fetch our sweetest wine
To offer first to Jupiter, then that these joints of thine
May be refreshed, for, woe is me, how thou art toiled and spent!
Thou for our city's general state, thou for our friends far sent,
Must now the press of fight endure, now solitude to call
Upon the name of Jupiter, thou only for us all.
But wine will something comfort thee; for to a man dismayed
With careful spirits, or too much with labour overlaid
Wine brings much rescue, strengthening much the body and the mind."
The great helm-mover thus received the auth'ress of his kind:
“My royal mother, bring no wine, lest rather it impair
Than help my strength, and make my mind forgetful of th' affair
Committed to it; and, to pour it out in sacrifice,
I fear with unwashed hands to serve the pure-lived Deities.
Nor is it lawful, thus imbrued with blood and dust, to prove
The will of heaven, or offer vows to cloud-compelling Jove.
I only come to use your pains (assembling other dames,
Matrons, and women honoured most, with high and virtuous names)
With wine and odours, and a robe most ample, most of price,
And which is dearest in your love, to offer sacrifice
In Pallas' temple; and to put the precious robe ye bear
On her Palladium; vowing all, twelve oxen-of-a-year,
Whose necks were never wrung with yoke, shall pay her grace their lives,
If she will pity our sieged town; pity ourselves, our wives;
Pity our children; and remove from sacred Ilion
The dreadful soldier Diomed. And, when yourselves are gone
About this work, myself will go to call into the field,
If he will hear me, Helen's love, whom would the earth would yield,
And headlong take into her" gulf, even quick before mine eyes
(For then my heart, I hope, would cast her load of miseries)
Borne for the plague he hath been born, and bred to the deface,
By great Olympius, of Troy, our sire, and all our race."
This said, grave Hecuba went home, and sent her maids about
To bid the matrons. She herself descended, and searched out,
Within a place that breathed perfumes, the richest robe she had;
Which lay with many rich ones more, most curiously made
By women of Sidonia, which Paris brought from thence,
Sailing the broad sea, when he made that voyage of offence
In which he brought home Helena. That robe transferred so far
(That was the undermost) she took; it glittered like a star;
And with it went she to the fane, with many ladies more,
Amongst whom fair-cheeked Theano unlocked the folded door;
Chaste Theano, Antenor's wife, and of Cisseiis' race,
Sister to Hecuba, both born to that great king of Thrace.
Her th' Ilions made Minerva's priest; and her they followed all
Up to the temple's highest tower, where on their knees they fall,
Lift up their hands, and fill the fane with ladies' piteous cries.
Then lovely Theano took the veil, and with it she implies
The great Palladium, praying thus : " Goddess of most renown
In all the heaven of Goddesses, great Guardian of our town,
Reverend Minerva, break the lance of Diomed, cease his grace,
Give him to fall in shameful flight, headlong, and on his face,
Before our ports of Ilion, that instantly we may
Twelve unyoked oxen-of-a-year in this thy temple slay
To thy sole honour; take their bloods, and banish our offence;
Accept Troy's zeal, her wives, and save our infants' innocence."
She prayed, but Pallas would not grant. Mean space was Hector come
Where Alexander's lodgings were, that many a goodly room
Had built in them by architects of Troy's most curious sort,
And were no lodgings, but a house; nor no house, but a court;
Or had all these contained in them; and all within a tower,
Next Hector's lodgings and the king's. The loved of heaven's chief Power,
Hector, here entered. In his hand a goodly lance he bore,
Ten cubits long; the brazen head went shining in before,
Helped with a burnished ring of gold. He found his brother then
Amongst the women, yet prepared to go amongst the men,
For iu their chamber he was set, trimming his arms, his shield,
His curets, and was trying how his crooked bow would yield
•To his straight arms. Amongst her maids was set the Argive Queen,
Commanding them in choicest works. When Hector's eye had seen
His brother thus accompanied, and that he could not bear
The very touching of his arms but where the women were,
And when the time so needed men, right cunningly he chid.
That he might do it bitterly, his cowardice he hid,
That simply made him so retired, beneath an anger, feigned,
In him by Hector, for the hate the citizens sustained
Against him, for the foil he took in their cause; and again
For all thei
r general foils in his. So Hector seems to plain
Of his wrath to them, to their hate, and not his cowardice;
As that were it that sheltered him in his effeminacies,
And kept him, in that dangerous time, from their fit aid in fight;
For which he chid thus: " Wretched man! So timeless is thy spite
That 'tis not honest; and their hate is just 'gainst which it bends.
War burns about the town for thee; for thee our slaughtered friends
Besiege Troy with their carcasses, on whose heaps our high walls
Are overlooked by enemies; the sad sounds of their falls
Without are echoed with the cries of wives and babes within;
And all for thee; and yet for them thy honour cannot win
Head of thine anger. Thou shouldst need no spirit to stir up thine,
But thine should set the rest on fire, and with a rage divine
Chastise impartially the best that impiously forbears.
Come forth, lest thy fair towers and Troy be burned about thine ears."
Paris acknowledged, as before, all just that Hector spake,
Allowing justice, though it were for his injustice' sake,
And where his brother put a wrath upon him by his art,
He takes it, for his honour's sake, as sprung out of his heart,
And rather would have anger seem his fault than cowardice;
And thus he answered : " Since, with right, you joined check with advice,
And I hear you, give equal ear : It is not any spleen
Against the town, as you conceive, that makes me so unseen,
But sorrow for it; which to ease, and by discourse digest
Within myself, I live so close; and yet, since men might wrest
My sad retreat, like you, my wife with her advice inclined
This my addression to the field, which was mine own free mind,
As well as th' instance of her words; for though the foil were mine,
Conquest brings forth her wreaths by turns. Stay then this haste of thine
But till I arm, and I am made a consort for thee straight; —
Or go, I'll overtake thy haste." Helen stood at receipt,
And took up all great Hector's powers t' attend her heavy words,
By which had Paris no reply. This vent her grief affords :
“Brother (if I may call you so, that had been better born
A dog, than such a horrid dame as all men curse and scorn;
A mischief-maker, a man-plague), O would to God, the day,
That first, gave light to me, had been a whirlwind in my way,