by Homer
And his true mind, that practice failed, sweet contemplation fed.
With him alone, and opposite, all silent sat his friend,
Attentive, and beholding him, who now his song did end.
Th' ambassadors did forwards press, renowned Ulysses led,
And stood in view. Their sudden sight his admiration bred,
Who with his harp and all arose; so did Menetius' son
When he beheld them. Their receipt Achilles thus begun :
“Health to my lords! Right welcome men assure yourselves you be,
Though some necessity I know doth make you visit me
Incensed with just cause 'gainst the Greeks." This said, a several seat
With purple cushions he set forth, and did their ease intreat,
And said : " Now, friend, our greatest bowl, with wine unmixed and neat,
Appose these lords, and of the depth let every man make proof,
These are my best-esteemed friends, and underneath my roof."
Patroelus did his dear friend's will; and he that did desire
To eheer the lords, come faint from fight, set on a blazing fire
A great brass pot, and into it a chine of mutton put,
And fat goat's flesh. Automedon held, while he pieces cut,
To roast and boil, right cunningly; then of a well-fed swine
A huge fat shoulder he cuts out, and spits it wondrous fine.
His good friend made a goodly fire; of which the foree once past,
He laid the spit low, near the coals, to make it brown at last,
Then sprinkled it with saered salt, and took it from the racks.
This roasted, and on dresser set, his friend Patroclus takes
Bread in fair baskets; which set on, Achilles brought the meat,
And to divinest Ithacus took his opposed seat
Upon the bench. Then did he will his friend to sacrifice,
Who cast sweet ineense in the fire to all the Deities.
Thus fell they to their ready food. Hunger and thirst allayed,
Ajax to Phcenix made a sign, as if too long they stayed
Before they told their legacy. Ulysses saw him wink,
And filling the great bowl with wine did to Achilles drink :
“Health to Achilles! But our plights stand not in need of meat,
Who late supped at Atrides' tent, though for thy love we eat
Of many things, whereof a part would make a complete feast.
Nor can we joy in these kind rites, that have our hearts oppressed,
O prince, with fear of utter spoil. 'Tis made a question now
If we can save our fleet or not, unless thyself endow
Thy powers with wonted fortitude. Now Troy and her consorts,
Bold of thy want, have pitched their tents close to our fleet and forts,
And made a firmament of fires; and now no more they say
Will they be prisoned in their walls, but force their violent way
Even to our ships; and Jove himself hath with his lightnings showed
Their bold adventures happy signs; and Hector grows so proud
Of his huge strength, borne out by Jove, that fearfully he raves,
Presuming neither men nor Gods can interrupt his braves,
Wild rage invades him, and he prays that soon the sacred Morn
Would light his fury, boasting then our streamers shall be torn,
And all our naval ornaments fall by his conquering stroke,
Our ships shall burn, and we ourselves lie stifled in the smoke.
And I am seriously afraid Heaven will perform his threats,
And that 'tis fatal to us all, far from our native seats,
To perish in victorious Troy. But rise, though it be late,
Deliver the afflicted Greeks from Troy's tumultuous hate.
It will hereafter be thy grief, when no strength can suffice
To remedy th' affected threats of our calamities.
Consider these affairs in time, while thou mayst use thy power,
And have the grace to turn from Greece fate's unrecovered hour.
O friend, thou know'st thy royal sire forewarned what should be done,
That day he sent thee from his court to honour Atreus' son:
' My son,' said he, ' the victory let Jove and Pallas use
At their high pleasures, but do thou, no honoured means refuse
That may advance her. In fit bounds contain thy mighty mind,
Nor let the knowledge of thy strength be factiously inclined,
Contriving mischiefs. Be to fame and general good professed.
The more will all sorts honour thee. Benignity is best.'
Thus charged thy sire, which thou forgett'st. Yet now those thoughts appease
That torture thy great spirit with wrath, which if thou wilt surcease,
The king will merit it with gifts; and, if thou wilt give ear,
I'll tell how much he offers thee, yet thou sitt'st angry here,:
Seven tripods that no fire must touch; twice ten pans fit for flame;
Ten talents of fine gold; twelve horse that ever overcame,
And brought huge prizes from the field with swiftness of their feet,
That man should bear no poor account, nor want gold's quick'ning sweet,
That had but what he won with them; seven worthiest Lesbian dames,
Renowned for skill in housewifery, and bear the sovereign fames
For beauty from their general sex, which, at thy overthrow
Of well-built Lesbos, he did choose; and these he will bestow,
And with these her he took from thee, whom, by his state, since then,
He swears he touched not, as fair dames use to be touched by men.
All these are ready for thee now. And, if at length we take,
By help of Gods, this wealthy town, thy ships shall burthen make
Of gold and brass at thy desires, wheu we the spoil divide;
And twenty beauteous Trojan dames thou shall select beside,
Next Helen, the most beautiful; and, when returned we be
To Argos, be his son-in-law, for he will honour thee
Like his Orestes, his sole son, maintained in height of bliss.
Three daughters beautify his court, the fair Chrysothemis,
Laodice, and Iphianesse; of all the fairest take
To Peleus' thy grave father's court, and never jointure make,
He will the jointure make himself, so great, as never sire
Gave to his daughter's nuptials. Seven cities left entire;
Cardamyle, and Enope, and Hira full of flowers,
Anthaea for sweet meadows praised, and Phera decked with towers,
The bright Epea, Pedasus that doth God Bacchus please;
All, on the sandy Pylos' soil, are seated near the seas.
Th' inhabitants in droves and flocks exceeding wealthy be,
Who, like a God, with worthy gifts will gladly honour thee,
And tribute of especial rate to thy high sceptre pay.
All this he freely will perform thy anger to allay.
But if thy hate to him be more than his gifts may repress,
Yet pity all the other Greeks, in such extreme distress,
Who with religion honour thee; and to their desperate ill,
Thou shalt triumphant glory bring, and Hector thou mayst kill,
When pride makes him encounter thee, filled with a baneful sprite,
Who vaunts our whole fleet brought not one equal to him in fight."
Swift-foot Aeacides, replied : " Divine Laertes' son,
'Tis requisite I should be short, and show what place hath won
Thy serious speech, affirming nought but what you shall approve
Established in my settled heart, that in the rest I move
No murmur nor exception; for like hell mouth I loath
Who holds not in his words and thoughts one indistinguished troth.
What fi
ts the freeness of my mind my speech shall make displayed.
Nor Atreus' son, nor all the Greeks, shall win me to their aid,
Their suit is wretchedly enforced to free their own despairs,
And my life never shall be hired with thankless desperate prayers;
For never had I benefit, that ever foiled the foe.
Even share hath he that keeps his tent and he to field doth go,
With equal honour cowards die, and men most valiant,
The much performer, and the man that can of nothing vaunt.
No overplus I ever found, when with my mind's most strife
To do them good, to dangerous fight I have exposed my life.
But even as to unfeathered birds the careful dam brings meat,
Which when she hath bestowed, herself hath nothing left to eat;
So, when my broken sleeps have drawn the nights t' extremest length,
And ended many bloody days with still-employed strength,
To guard their weakness, and preserve their wives' contents infract,
I have been robbed before their eyes. Twelve cities I have sacked
Assailed by sea, eleven by land, while this siege held at Troy;
And of all these, what was most dear, and most might crown the joy
Of Agamemnon, he enjoyed, who here behind remained;
Which when he took, a few he gave and many things retained,
Other to optimates and kings he gave, who hold them fast,
Yet mine he forceth; only I sit with my loss disgraced.
But so he gain a lovely dame, to be his bed's delight,
It is enough; for what cause else do Greeks and Trojans fight?
Why brought he hither such an host? Was it not for a dame?
For fair-haired Helen? And doth love alone the hearts inflame
Of the Atrides to their wives of all the men that move?
Every discreet and honest mind cares for his private love
As much as they; as I myself loved Briseis as my life,
Although my captive, and had will to take her for my wife.
Whom since he forced, preventing me, in vain he shall prolong
Hopes to appease me that know well the deepness of my wrong.
But, good Ulysses, with thyself, and all you other kings,
Let him take stomach to repel Troy's fiery threatenings.
Much hath he done without my help; built him a goodly fort,
Cut a dike by it, pitched with pales, broad and of deep import,
And cannot all these helps repress this kill-man Hector's fright?
When I was armed among the Greeks, he would not offer fight
Without the shadow of his walls, but to the Scsean ports,
Or to the holy beech of Jove, come backed with his consorts;
Where once he stood my charge alone, and hardly made retreat,
And to make new proof of our powers, the doubt is not so great.
To-morrow then, with sacrifice performed t' imperial Jove
And all the Gods, I'll launch my fleet, and all my men remove;
Which (if thou wilt use so thy sight, or think'st it worth respect)
In forehead of the morn, thine eyes shall see, with sails erect
Amidst the fishy Hellespont, helped with laborious oars.
And, if the Sea-god send free sail, the fruitful Phthian shores
Within three days we shall attain, where I have store of prize,
Left when with prejudice I came to these indignities.
There have I gold as well as here, and store of ruddy brass,
Dames slender, elegantly girt, and steel as bright as glass.
These will I take as I retire, as shares I firmly save,
Though Agamemnon be so base to take the gifts he gave.
Tell him all this, and openly, I on your honours charge,
That others may take shame to hear his lusts command so large,
And, if there yet remain a man he hopeth to deceive
(Being dyed in endless impudence) that man may learn to leave
His trust and empire. But alas, though, like a wolf he be,
Shameless and rude, he durst not take my prize, and look on me.
I never will partake his works, nor counsels, as before,
He once deceived and injured me, and he shall never more
Tie my affections with his words. Enough is the increase
Of one success in his deceits, which let him joy in peace,
And bear it to a wretched end. Wise Jove hath reft his brain
To bring him plagues, and these his gifts I, as my foes, disdain.
Even in the numbness of calm death I will revengful be,
Though ten or twenty times so much he would bestow on me,
All he hath here, or anywhere, or Orchomen contains,
To which men bring their health for strength, or all the store remains
In circuit of Egyptian Thebes, where much hid treasure lies,
Whose walls contain an hundred ports, of so admired a size
Two hundred soldiers may a-front with horse and chariots pass.
Nor, would he amplify all this like sand, or dust, or grass,
Should he reclaim me, till this wreak paid me for all the pains
That with his contumely burned like poison in my veins.
Nor shall his daughter be my wife, although she might contend
With golden Venus for her form, or if she did transcend
Blue-eyed Minerva for her works; let him a Greek select
Fit for her, and a greater king. For if the Gods protect
My safety to my father's court, he shall choose me a wife.
Many fair Achive princesses of unimpeached life
In Helle and in Phthia live, whose sires do cities hold,
Of whom I can have whom I will. And, more an hundred-fold
My true mind in my country likes to take a lawful wife
Than in another nation, and there delight my life
With those goods that my father got, much rather than die here.
Not all the wealth of well-built Troy, possessed when peace was the.re,
All that Apollo's marble fane in stony Pythos holds,
I value equal with the life that my free brfeast enfolds.
Sheep, oxen, tripods, crest-decked horse, though lost, may come again,
But when the white guard of our teeth no longer can contain
Our human soul, away it flies, and, once gone, never more
To her frail mansion any man can her lost powers restore.
And therefore since my mother-queen, famed for her silver feet,
Told me two fates about my death in my direction meet;
The one, that, if I here remain t' assist our victory,
My safe return shall never live, my fame shall never die;
If my return obtain success, much of my fame decays,
But death shall linger his approach, and I live many days.
This being revealed, 'twere foolish pride t' abridge my life for praise.
Then with myself I will advise others to hoise their sail,
For, 'gainst the height of Ilion, you never shall prevail,
Jove with his hand protecteth it, and makes the soldiers bold,
This tell the kings in every part, for so grave legates should,
That they may better counsels use, to save their fleet and friends
By their own valours; since this course, drowned in my anger, ends.
Phoenix may in my tent repose, and in the morn steer course
For Phthia, if he think it good; if not, I'll use no force."
All wond'red at his stern reply : and Phoenix, full of fears
His words would be more weak than just, supplied their wants with tears.
“If thy return incline thee thus, Peleus' renowned joy,
A.nd thou wilt let our ships be burned with harmful fire of Troy,
Since thou art angry, O my son, how shall I
after be
Alone in these extremes of death, relinquished by thee?
I, whom thy royal father sent as orderer of thy force,
When, to Atrides from his court he left thee for this course,
Yet young, and when in skill of arms thou didst not so abound,
Nor hadst the hahit of discourse that makes men so renowned.
In all which I was set by him t' instruct thee as my son,
That thou mightst speak, when speech was fit, and do, when deeds were done,
Not sit as dumb, for want of words, idle for skill to move.
I would not then be left by thee, dear son, begot in love,
No, not if God would promise me to raze the prints of time
Carved in my bosom and my brows, and grace me with the prime
Of manly youth, as when at first I left sweet Helle's shore
Decked with fair dames, and fled the grudge my angry father bore;
Who was the fair Amyntor called, surnamed Ormenides,
And for a fair-haired harlot's sake, that his affects could please,
Contemned my mother, his true Wife, who ceaseless urged me
To use his harlot Clytia, and still would clasp my knee
To do her will, that so my sire might turn his love to hate
Of that lewd dame, converting it to comfort her estate.
At last I was content to prove to do my mother good,
And reconcile my father's love; who straight suspicious stood,
Pursuing me with many a curse, and to the Furies prayed
No dame might love, nor bring me seed. The Deities obeyed
That govern hell, infernal Jove, and stern Persephone.
Then durst I in no longer date with my stern father be.
Yet did my friends and near allies inclose me with desires
Not to depart; killed sheep, boars, beeves; roast them at solemn fires;
And from my father's tuns we drunk exceeding store of wine.
Nine nights they guarded me by turns, their fires did ceaseless shine,
One in the porch of his strong hall, and in the portal one,
Before my chamber; but when day beneath the tenth night shone,
I brake my chamber's thick-framed doors, and through the hall's guard passed.
Unseen of any man or maid. Through Greece then, rich and vast,
I fled to Phthia, nurse of sheep, and came to Peleus' court,
Who entertained me heartily, and in as gracious sort
As any sire his only son, born when his strength is spent,
And blessed with great possessions to leave to his descent.
He made me rich, and to my charge did much command commend.