by Homer
At last, the first seemed best to him, and back he went to call
Anchises' son to friend, who stood in troop the last of all,
Where still he served; which made him still incense against the king,
That, being amongst his best their peer, he graced not anything
His wronged deserts. Deiphobus spake to him, standing near:
"iEneas, prince of Trojans, if any touch appear
Of glory in thee, thou must now assist thy sister's lord,
And one that to thy tend'rest youth did careful guard afford,
Alcathous, whom Creta's king hath chiefly slain to thee,
His right most challenging thy hand. Come, therefore, follow mc."
This much excited his good mind, and set his heart on fire
Against the Cretan, who child-like dissolved not in his ire,
But stood him firm. As when in hills a strength-relying boar,
Alone, and hearing hunters come, whom tumult flies before,
Up-thrusts his bristles, whets his tusks, sets fire on his red eyes,
And in his brave prepared repulse both dogs and men despise;
So stood the famous-for-his-lance, nor shunned the coming charge
That resolute iEneas brought. Yet, since the odds were large,
He called with good right to his aid war-skilled Ascalaphus,
Aphareus, Meriones, the strong Deipyrus,
And Nestor's honourable son : " Come near, my friends," said he,
“And add your aids to me alone. Fear taints me worthily,
Though firm I stand, and show it not. iEneas great in fight,
And one that bears youth in his flow'r, that bears the greatest might,
Comes on with aim direct at me. Had I his youthful limb
To bear my mind, he should yield fame, or I would yield it him."
This said, all held, in many souls, one ready helpful mind,
Clapped shields and shoulders, and stood close. iEneas, not inclined
With more presumption than the king, called aid as well as he,
Divine Agenor, Helen's love, who followed instantly,
And all their forces following them; as after hell-wethers
The whole flocks follow to their drink, which sight the shepherd cheers.
Nor was iEneas' joy less moved to see such troops attend
His honoured person; and all these fought close about his friend;
But two of them, past all the rest, had strong desire to shed
The blood of either; Idomen, and Cytherea's seed.
iEneas first bestowed his lance, which th' other seeing shunned,
And that, thrown from an idle hand, stuck trembling in the ground.
But Idomen's, discharged at him, had no such vain success,
Which CEnomaus' entrails found, in which it did impress
His sharp pile to his fall; his palms tore his returning earth.
Idomeneus straight stepped in, and plucked his javelin forth,
But could not spoil his goodly arms, they pressed him so with darts.
And now the long toil of the fight had spent his vigorous" parts,
And made them less apt to avoid the foe that should advance,
Or, when himself advanced again, to run and fetch his lance,
And therefore in stiff fights of stand he spent the cruel day.
When, coming softly from the slain, Deiphobus gave way
To his bright javelin at the king, whom he could never brook;
But then he lost his envy too. His lance yet deadly took
Ascalaphus, the son of Mars; quite through his shoulder flew
The violent head, and down he fell. Nor yet by all means knew
Wide-throated Mars his son was fall'n, but in Olympus' top
Sat conopied with golden clouds; Jove's counsel had shut up
Both him and all the other Gods from that time's equal task,
Which now, about Ascalaphus, strife set. His shining casque
Deiphobus had forced from him, but instantly leaped in
Mars-swift Meriones, and struck, with his long javelin,
The rigth arm of Deiphobus, which made his hand let fall
The sharp-topped helmet; the pressed earth resounding therewithal.
When, vulture-like, Meriones rushed in again and drew
From out the low parts of his arm his javelin, and then flew
Back to his friends. Deiphobus, faint with the blood's excess
Fall'n from his wound, was carefully conveyed out of the press
By his kind brother by both sides, Polites, till they gat
His horse and chariot that were still set fit for his retreat,
And bore him now to Ilion. The rest fought fiercely on,
And set a mighty fight on foot. When next, Anchises' son
Aphareus Caletorides, that ran upon him, strook
Just in the throat with his keen lance; and straight his head forsook
His upright carriage, and his shield, his helm, and all, with him
Fell to the earth, where ruinous death made prize of every limb.
Antilochus, discovering well that Thoon's heart took check,
Let fly, and cut the hollow vein, that runs up to his neck
Along his back part, quite in twain; down in the dust he fell,
Upwards, and, with extended hands, bade all the world farewell.
Antilochus rushed nimbly in, and looking round, made prize
Of his fair arms; in which affair his round set enemies
Let fly their lances, thundering on his advanced targe,
But could not get his flesh. The God that shakes the earth took charge
Of Nestor's son and kept him safe, who never was away,
But still amongst the thickest foes his busy lance did play,
Observing ever when he might, far off, or near, offend,
And watching Asius' son, in prease he spied him, and did send,
Close coming on, a dart at him, that smote in midst his shield,
In which the sharp head of the lance the blue-haired God made yield,
Not pleased to yield his pupil's life, in whose shield half the dart
Stuck like a truncheon burned with fire, on earth lay th' other part.
He, seeing no better end of all, retired in fear of worse,
But him Meriones pursued; and his lance found full course
To th' other's life. It wounded him betwixt the privy parts
And navel, where to wretched men that war's most violent smarts
Must undergo, wounds chiefly vex. His dart Meriones
Pursued, and Adamas so strived with it, and his mis-ease,
As doth a bullock puff and storm, whom in disdained bands
The upland herdsmen strive to cast; so, fall'n beneath the hands
Of his stern foe, Asiades did struggle, pant, and rave.
But no long time; for when the lance was plucked out, up he gave
His tortured soul. Then Troy's turn came; when with a Thracian sword
The temples of Deipyrus did Helenus afford
So huge a blow, it struck all light out of his cloudy eyes,
And cleft his helmet; which a Greek, there fighting, made his prize,
It fell so full beneath his feet. Atrides grieved to see
That sight, and, threat'ning, shook a lance at Helenus, and he
A bow half drew at him; at once out flew both shaft and lance.
The shaft Atrides' curets struck, and far away did glance.
Atrides' dart of Helenus the thrust out how-hand struck,
And, through the hand, stuck in the how. Agenor's hand did pluck
From forth the nailed prisoner the javelin quickly out;
And fairly, with a little wool, enwrapping round about
The wounded hand, within a scarf he bore it, which his squire
Had ready for him. Yet the wound would needs he should retire.
Pisander, to revenge his hurt, rig
ht on the king ran he.
A bloody fate suggested him to let him run on thee,
O MenelaUs, that he might, by thee, in dangerous war
Be done to death. Both coming on, Atrides' lance did err.
Pisander struck Atrides' shield, that brake at point the dart
Not running through; yet he rejoiced as playing a victor's part.
Atrides, drawing his fair sword, upon Pisander flew;
Pisander, from beneath his shield, his goodly weapon drew,
Two-edged, with right sharp steel, and long, the handle olive-tree,
Well polished; and to blows they go.. Upon the top struck he
Atrides' horse-haired-feathered helm; Atrides on his brow,
Above th' extreme part of his nose, laid such a heavy blow
That all the bones crashed' under it, and out his eyes did drop
Before his feet in bloody dust; he after, and shrunk up
His dying body, which the foot of his triumphing foe
Opened, and stood upon his breast, and off his arms did go,
This insultation used the while : " At length forsake our fleet
Thus ye false Trojans, to whom war never enough is sweet.
Nor want ye more impieties, with which ye have abused
Me, ye bold dogs, that your chief friends so honourably used.
Nor fear you hospitable Jove that lets such thunders go.
But build upon't, he will unbuild your towers that clamber so,
For ravishing my goods, and' wife, in flower of all her years,
And without cause; nay, when that fair and liberal hand of hers
Had used you so most lovingly. And now again ye would
Cast fire into our fleet, and kill our princes if ye could.
Go to, one day you will be curbed, though never so ye thirst
Rude war, by war. O father Jove, they say thou art the first
In wisdom of all Gods and men, yet all this comes from thee,
And still thou gratifiest these men, how lewd soe'er they be,
Though never they be cloyed with sins, nor can be satiate,
As good men should, with this vile war. Satiety of state,
Satiety of sleep and love, satiety of ease,
Of music, dancing, can find place; yet harsh war still must please
Past all these pleasures, even past these. They will be cloyed with these
Before their war joys. Never war gives Troy satieties."
This said, the bloody arms were off, and to his soldiers thrown,
He mixing in first fight again. And then Harpalion,
Kind king Pylsemen's son, gave charge, who to those wars of Troy
His loved father followed, nor ever did enjoy
His country's sight again. He struck the targe of Atreus' son
Full in the midst, his javelin's steel yet had no power to run
The target through; nor had himself the heart to fetch his lance,
But took him to his strength, and cast on every side a glance,
Lest any his dear sides should dart. But Merion, as he fled,
Sent after him a brazen lance that ran his eager head
Through his right hip, and all along the bladder's region
Beneath the bone; it settled him, and set his spirit gone
Amongst the hands of his best friends; and like a worm he lay
Stretched on the earth, with his black blood imbrued and flowed away.
His corse the Paphlagonians did sadly wait upon,
Reposed in his rich chariot, to sacred Ilion;
The king his father following, dissolved in kindly tears,
And no wreak sought for his slain son. But, at his slaughterers
Incensed Paris spent a lance, since he had been a guest
To many Paphlagonians, and through the press it pressed.
There was a certain augur's son, that did for wealth excel,
And yet was honest; he was born and did at Corinth dwell;
Who, though he knew his harmful fate, would needs his ship ascend.
His father, Polyidus, oft would tell him that his end
Would either seize him at his house, upon a sharp disease,
Or else among the Grecian ships by Trojans slain. Both these
Together he desired to shun; but the disease, at last,
And ling'ring death in it, he left, and war's quick stroke embraced.
The lance betwixt his ear and cheek ran in, and drave the mind
Of both those bitter fortunes out. Night struck his whole pow'rs blind.
Thus fought they, like the spirit of fire; nor Jove-loved Hector knew
How in the fleet's left wing the Greeks his down-put soldiers slew
Almost to victory; the God that shakes the earth so well
Helped with his own strength, and the Greeks so fiercely did impel.
Yet Hector made the first place good, where both the ports and wall
(The thick rank of the Greek shields broke) he ent'red, and did skall,
Where on the gray sea's shore were drawn, the wall being there but slight,
Protesilaus' ships, and those of Ajax, where the fight
Of men and horse were sharpest set. There the Boeotian band,
Long-robed Iaons, Locrians, and, brave men of their hands,
The Phthian and Epeian troops did spritefully assail
The god-like Hector rushing in, and yet could not prevail
To his repulse, though choicest men of Athens there made head;
Amongst whom was Menestheus' chief, whom Phidias followed,
Stichius and Bias, huge in strength. Th' Epeian troops were led
By Meges and Phylides' cares, Amphion, Dracius.
Before the Phthians Medon marched, and Meneptolemus;
And these, with the Boeotian pow'rs, bore" up the fleet's defence.
O'ileus by his brother's side stood close, and would not thence
For any moment of that time. But, as through fallow fields
Black oxen draw a well-joined plough, and either evenly yields
His thrifty labour, all heads couched so close to earth they plough
The fallow with their horns, till out the sweat begins to flow,
The stretched yokes crack, and yet at last the furrow forth is driven;
So toughly stood these to their task, and made their work as even.
But Ajax Telamonius had many helpful men
That, when sweat ran about his knees, and labour flowed, would then
Help bear his mighty sevenfold shield; when swift Oilades
The Locrians left, and would not make those murth'rous fights of prease,
Because they wore no bright steel casques, nor bristled plumes for show,
Bound shields, nor darts of solid ash, but with the trusty bow,
And jacks well quilted with soft wool, they came to Troy, and were,
In their fit place, as confident as those that fought so near,
And reached their foes so thick with shafts that these were they that brake
The Trojan orders first; and then, the brave armed men did make
Good work with their close fights before. Behind whom, having shot,
The Locrians hid still; and their foes all thought of .fight forgot
With shows of those far-striking shafts, their eyes were troubled so.
And then, assuredly, from the ships and tents th' insulting foe
Had miserably fled to Troy, had not Polydamas
Thus spake to Hector: " Hector still impossible 'tis to pass
Good counsel upon you. But say some God prefers thy deeds,
In counsels wouldst thou pass us too? In all things none exceeds.
To some God gives the power of war, to some the sleight to dance,
To some the art of instruments, some doth for voice advance;
And that far-seeing God grants some the wisdom of the mind,
Which no man can keep to himself, that, though but few can find
,
Doth profit many, that preserves the public weal and state,
And that, who hath, he best can prize. But, for me, I'll relate
Only my censure what's our best. The very crown of war
Doth burn about thee; yet our men, when they have reached thus far,
Suppose their valours crowned, and cease. A few still stir their feet,
And so a few with many fight, spersed thinly through the fleet.
Retire then, leave speech to the rout, and all thy princes call,
That, here, in counsels of most weight, we may resolve of all,
If having likelihood to b'lieve that God will conquest give,
We shall charge through; or with this grace, make our retreat, and live.
For, I must needs affirm, I fear the debt of yesterday,
Since war is such a God of change, the Grecians now will pay.
And since th' insatiate man of war remains at fleet, if there
We tempt his safety, no hour more his hot soul can forbear."
This sound stuff Hector liked, approved, jumped from his chariot,
And said : " Polydamas, make good this place, and suffer not
One prince to pass it; I myself will there go, where you see
Those friends in skirmish, and return, when they have heard from me
Command that your advice obeys, with utmost speed." This said,
With day-bright arms, white plume, white scar'f, his goodly limbs arrayed,
He parted from them, like a hill, removing, all of snow,
And to the Trojan peers and chiefs he flew, to let them know
The counsel of Polydamas. All turned, and did rejoice,
To haste to Panthus' gentle son, being called by Hector's voice;
Who, through the forefights making way, looked for Deiphobus,
King Helenus, Asiades, Hyrtasian Asius,
Of whom, some were not to be found unhurt, or undeceased,
Some only hurt, and gone from field. As further he addressed,
He found within the fight's left wing the fair-haired Helen's love
By all means moving men to blows; which could by no means move
Hector's forbearance, his friends' miss so put his pow'rs in storm;
But thus in wonted terms he chid : " You with the finest form,
Impostor, woman's man! where are, in your care marked, all these,
Deiphobus, King Helenus, Asius Hyrtacides,
Othryoneus, Acamas? Now haughty Ilion
Shakes to his lowest groundwork. Now just ruin falls upon
Thy head past rescue." He replied : " Hector, why chid'st thou now
When I am guiltless? Other times there are for ease, I know,