by Homer
Than these, for She that brought thee forth not utterly left me
Without some portion of thy spirit to make me brother thee.
But since thou first brought'st in thy force to this our naval fight
I and my friends have ceaseless fought to do thy service right.
But all those friends thou seek'st are slain, excepting Helenus,
Who parted wounded in his hand, and so Deiphobus;
Jove yet averted death from them. And now lead thou as far
As thy great heart affects, all we will second any war
That thou endurest, and I hope my own strength is not lost;
Though least, I'll fight it to his best; nor further fights the most."
This calmed hot Hector's spleen; and both turned where they saw the face
Of war most fierce, and that was where their friends made good the place
About renowned Polydamas and god-like Polypset,
Palmus, Ascanius, Morus that Hippotion did beget,
And from Ascania's wealthy fields but even the day before
Arrived at Troy, that with their aid they kindly might restore
Some kindness they received from thence. And in fierce fight with these,, ¦
Phalces and tall Orthseus stood, and bold Cebriones.
And then the doubt that in advice Polydamas disclosed,
To fight or fly, Jove took away, and all to fight disposed.
And as the floods of troubled air to pitchy storms increase
That after thunder sweeps the fields, and ravish up the seas,
Encount'ring with abhorred roars, when the engrossed waves
Boil into foam, and endlessly one after other raves;
So ranked and guarded th' Ilians marched; some now, more now, and then
More upon more, in shining steel; now captains, then their men.
And Hector, like man-killing Mars, advanced before them all,
His huge round target before him, through thick'ned, like a wall,
With hides well couched with store of brass; and on his temples shined
His bright helm, on which danced his plume: and in this horrid kind,
All hid within his world-like shield, he every troop assayed
For entry; that in his despite stood firm and undismayed.
Which when he saw, and kept more off, Ajax came stalking then,
And thus provoked him : " O good man, why fright'st thou thus our men?
Come nearer. Not art's want in war makes us thus navy-bound,
But Jove's direct scourge; his armed hand makes our hands give you ground.
Yet thou hop'st, of thyself, our spoil. But we have likewise hands
To hold our own, as you to spoil, and ere thy countermands
Stand good against our ransacked fleet, your hugely-peopled town
Our hands shall take in, and her tow'rs from all their heights pull down.
And I must tell thee, time draws on, when, flying, thou shalt cry
To Jove and all the Gods to make thy fair-maned horses fly
More swift than falcons, that their hoofs may rouse the dust, and bear
Thy body, hid, to Ilion." This said, his bold words were
Confirmed as soon as spoke. Jove's bird, the high-flown eagle, took
The right hand of their host, whose wings high acclamations strook
From forth the glad breasts of the Greeks. Then Hector made reply :
“Vain-spoken man, and glorious, what hast thou said? Would I
As surely were the son of Jove, and of great Juno born,
Adorned like Pallas, and the God that lifts to earth the morn,
As this day shall bring harmful light to all your host, and thou,
If thou dar'st stand this lance, the earth before the ships shalt strow,
Thy bosom torn up, and the dogs, with all the fowl of Troy,
Be satiate with thy fat and flesh." This said, with shouting joy
His first troops followed, and the last their shouts with shouts repelled.
Greece answered all, nor could her spirits from all show rest concealed.
And to so infinite a height all acclamations strove,
They reached the splendours stuck about the unreached throne of Jove.
BOOK XIV.
ARGUMENT.
A trides, to behold the skirmish, brings
Old Nestor, and the other wounded kings.
Juno (receiving of the Cyprian dame
Her Ceston, whence her sweet enticements came)
Descends to Somnus, and gets him to bind
The pow'rs of Jove with sleep, to free her mind.
Neptune assists the Greeks, and of the foe
Slaughter inflicts a mighty overthrow.
Ajax so sore strikes Hector with a stone,
It makes him spit blood, and his sense sets gone.
ANOTHER ARGUMENT.
In S with sleep, and bed, heaven's Queen
Even Jove himself makes overseen.
NOT wine, nor feasts could lay their soft chains ou old Nestor's ear
To this high clamour, who required Machaon's thoughts to bear
His care in part, about the cause : " For, methink, still," said he,
“The cry increases. I must needs the watch-tow'r mount, to see
Which way the flood of war doth drive. Still drink thou wine, and eat,
Till fair-haired Hecamed hath given a little water heat
To cleanse the quitture from thy wound." This said the goodly shield
Of warlike Thrasymed, his son, who had his own in field,
He took, snatched up a mighty lance, and so stept forth to view
Cause of that clamour. Instantly th' unworthy cause he knew,
The Grecians wholly put in rout, the Trojans routing still,
Close at the Greeks' backs, their wall razed. The old man mourned this ill;
And, as when with unwieldy waves, the great sea forefeels winds
That both ways murmur, and no way her certain current finds,
But pants and swells confusedly, here goes, and there will stay,
Till on it air casts one firm wind, and then it rolls away;
So stood old Nestor in detfate, two thoughts at once on wing
In his discourse, if first to take direct course to the king,
Or to the multitude in fight. At last he did conclude
To visit Agamemnon first. Mean time both hosts imbrued
Their steel in one another's blood, nought wrought their healths but harms,
Swords, huge stones, double-headed darts, still thumping on their arms.
And now the Jove-kept kings, whose wounds were yet in cure, did meet
Old Nestor, Diomed, Ithacus, and Atreus' son, from fleet
Bent for the fight, which was far off, the ships being drawn to shore
On heaps at first, till all their sterns a wall was raised before;
Which, though not great, it yet sufficed to hide them, though their men
Were something straited; for whose scope in form of battle then,
They drew them through the spacious shore, one by another still,
Till all the bosom of the strand their sable bulks did fill,
Even till they took up all the space 'twixt both the promontories.
These kings, like Nestor, in desire to know for what those cries
Became so violent, came along, all leaning on their darts,
To see, though not of power to fight, sad and suspicious hearts
Distemp'ring them, and, meeting now Nestor, the king in fear
Cried out: " O Nestor our renown! Why shows thy presence here,
The harmful fight abandoned? Now Hector will make good
The threatening vow he made, I fear, that, till he had our blood,
And fired our fleet, he never more would turn to Ilion.
Nor is it long, I see, before his whole will will be done.
O Gods! I now see all the Greeks put on Achilles' i
re
Against my honour, no mean left to keep our fleet from fire."
He answered : "'Tis an evident truth, not Jove himself can now,
With all the thunder in his hands, prevent our overthrow.
The wall we thought invincible, and trusted more than Jove,
Is scaled, razed, entered, and our pow'rs driven up past breathing, prove
A most inevitable fight; both slaughters so commixed,
That for your life you cannot put your diligent'st thought betwixt
The Greeks and Trojans, and as close their throats cleave to the sky.
Consult we then, if that will serve. For fight advise not I;
It fits not wounded men to fight." Atrides answered him :
“If such a wall as cost the Greeks so many a tired limb
And such a dike be passed, and razed, that, as yourself said well,
We all esteemed invincible, and would past doubt repel
The world from both our fleet and us, it doth directly show
That here Jove vows pur shames and deaths. I evermore did know
His hand froip ours when he helped us, and now I see as clear
That, like the blessed Gods, he holds our hated enemies dear,
Supports their arms, and pinions ours. Conclude then, 'tis in vain
To strive with him. Our ships drawn up now let us launch again,
And keep at anchor till calm night, that then, perhaps, our foes
May calm their storms, and in that time our 'scape we may dispose.
' It is not any shame to fly from ill, although by night.
Known ill he better does that flies, than he it takes in fight.'"
Ulysses frowned on him, and said : " Accursed, why talk'st thou thus?
Would thou hadst led some barbarous host, and not commanded us
Whom Jove made soldiers from our youth, that age might scorn to fly
From any charge it undertakes, and every dazzled eye
The honoured hand of war might close. Thus wouldst thou leave this town.
For which our many miseries felt entitle it our own?
Peace, lest some other Greek give ear, and hear a sentence such
As no man's palate should profane, at least that knew how much
His own right weighed, and being a prince, and such a prince as bears
Rule of so many Greeks as thou. This counsel loathes mine ears:
Let others toil in fight and cries, and we so light of heels
Upon their very noise, and groans, to hoise away our keels.
Thus we should fit the wish of Troy, that, being something near
The victory we give it clear; and we were sure to bear
A slaughter to the utmost man, for no man will sustain
A stroke, the fleet gone, but at that look still, and wish him slain.
And therefore, prince of men, be sure, thy censure is unfit."
“O Ithacus," replied the king, " thy bitter terms have smit
My heart in sunder. At no hand, 'gainst any prince's will
Do I command this. Would to God that any man of skill
To give a better counsel would, or bold, or younger man!
My voice should gladly go with his." Then Diomed began :
“The man not far is, nor shall ask much labour to bring in,
That willingly would speak his thoughts, if spoken they might win
Fit ear, and suffer no impair, that I discover them,
Being youngest of you, since my sire heired a diadem
May make my speech to diadems decent enough, though he
Lies in his sepulchre at Thebes. I boast this pedigree :
Portheus three famous sons begot that in high Calydon
And Pleuron kept, with state of kings, their habitation;
Agrius, Melas, and the third the horseman Oeneus,
My father's father, that excelled in actions generous
The other two. But these kept home, my father being driven
With wand'ring and advent'rous spirits, for so the King of heaven
And th' other Gods set down their wills, and he to Argos came,
Where he began the world, and dwelt. There marrying a dame,
One of Adrastus' female race, he kept a royal house,
For he had great demesnes, good land, and, being industrious,
He planted many orchard-grounds about his house, and bred
Great store of sheep. Besides all this, he was well qualitied,
And past all Argives, for his spear. And these digressive things .
Are such as you may well endure, since (being derived from kings,
And kings not poor nor virtueless) you cannot hold me base,
Nor scorn my words, which oft, though true, in mean men meet disgrace.
However, they are these in short: Let us be seen at fight,
And yield to strong necessity, though wounded, that our sight
May set those men on that of late have to Achilles' spleen
Been too indulgent, and left blows; but be we only seen,
Not come within the reach of darts, lest wound on wound we lay; •
Which reverend Nestor's speech implied, and so far him obey."
This counsel gladly all observed, went on, Atrides led.
Nor Neptune this advantage lost, but closely followed,
And like an aged man appeared t' Atrides, whose right hand
He seized, and said: " Atrides, this doth passing fitly stand
With stern Achilles' wreakful spirit, that he can stand astern
His ship, and both in fight and death the Grecian bane discern,
Since not in his breast glows one spark of any human mind.
But be that his own bane. Let God by that loss make him find
How vile a thing he is. For know, the blest Gods have not given
Thee ever over, but perhaps the Trojans may from heaven
Receive that justice. Nay, 'tis sure, and thou shalt see their falls,
Your fleet soon freed, and for fights here they glad to take their walls."
This said, he made known who he was, and parted with a cry
As if ten thousand men had joined in battle then, so high
His throat flew through the host; and so this great Earth-shaking God
Cheered up the Greek hearts that they wish their pains no period.
Saturnia from Olympus' top saw her great brother there,
And her great husband's brother too, exciting everywhere
The glorious spirits of the Greeks; which as she joyed to see,
So, on the fountful Ida's top, Jove's sight did disagree
With her contentment, since she feared that his hand- would descend,
And check the Sea-god's practices. And this she did contend
How to prevent, which thus seemed best: To deck her curiously,
And visit the Idalian hill, that so the Lightener's eye
She might enamour with her looks, and his high temples steep,
Even to his wisdom, in the kind and golden juice of sleep.
So took she chamber which her son, the God of ferrary,
With firm doors made, being joined close, and with a privy key
That no God could command but Jove, where, entered, she made fast
The shining gates, and then upon her lovely body cast
Ambrosia, that first made it clear, and after laid on it
An odorous, rich, and sacred oil, that was so wondrous sweet
That ever, when it was but touched, it sweet'ned heaven and earth.
Her body being cleansed with this her tresses she let forth,
And combed, her comb dipped in the oil, then wrapped them up in curls;
And, thus her deathless head adorned, a heavenly veil she hurls
On her white shoulders, wrought by her that rules in housewiferies,
Who wove it full of antique works, of most divine device,
And this with goodly clasps of gold she fastened to
her breast.
Then with a girdle, whose rich sphere a hundred studs impressed,
She girt her small waist. In her ears, tenderly pierced, she wore
Pearls, great and orient. On her head, a wreath not worn before
Cast beams out like the sun. At last she to her feet did tie
Fair shoes. And thus entire attired she shined in open sky,
Called the fair Paphian Queen apart from th' other Gods, and said:
“Loved daughter! Should I ask a grace, should I, or be obeyed?
Or wouldst thou cross me, being incensed, since I cross thee and take
The Greeks' part, thy hand helping Troy?" She answered, " That shall make
No difference in a different cause. Ask, ancient Deity,
What most contents thee. My mind stands inclined as liberally
To grant it as thine own to ask, provided that it be
A favour fit and in my pow'r." She, given deceitfully,
Thus said : " Then give me those two pow'rs, With which both men and Gods
Thou vanquishest, Love and Desire. For now the periods
Of all the many-feeding earth, and the original
Of all the Gods, Oceanus, and Thetis whom we call
Our Mother, I am going to greet. They nursed me in their court,
And brought me up, receiving me in most respectful sort
From Phsea, when Jove under earth and the unfruitful seas
Cast Saturn. These I go to see, intending to appease
Jars grown betwixt them, having long abstained from speech and bed,
Which jars, could I so reconcile, that in their anger's stead
I could place love, and so renew their first society,
I should their best love be esteemed, and honoured endlessly."
She answered : " 'Tis not fit, nor just, thy will should be denied,
Whom Jove in his embraces holds." This spoken, she untied,
And from her odorous bosom took, her Ceston, in whose sphere
Were all enticements to delight, all loves, all longings were,
Kind conference, fair speech, whose power the wisest doth inflame.
This she resigning to her hands, thus urged her by her name :
“Receive this bridle, thus fair wrought, and put it 'twixt thy breasts,
Where all things to be done are done; and whatsoever rests
In thy desire return with it." The great-eyed Juno smiled,
And put it 'twixt her breasts. Love's Queen, thus cunningly beguiled,
To Jove's court flew. Saturnia, straight stooping from heaven's height,
Pieria and Emathia, those countries of delight,