The Iliads of Homer. Homer

The Greeks and Trojans to endure, for so admir'd a dame,

       So many mis'ries, and so long? In her sweet count'nance shine

       Looks like the Goddesses. And yet (though never so divine)

       Before we boast, unjustly still, of her enforcéd prise,

       And justly suffer for her sake, with all our progenies,

       Labour and ruin, let her go; the profit of our land

       Must pass the beauty." Thus, tough these could bear so fit a hand

       On their affections, yet, when all their gravest powers were us'd,

       They could not choose but welcome her, and rather they accus'd

       The Gods than beauty; for thus spake the most-fam'd king of Troy:

       "Come, lovéd daughter, sit by me and take the worthy joy

       Of thy first husband's sight, old friends, and princes near allied,

       And name me some of these brave Greeks, so manly beautified.

       Come, do not think I lay the wars, endur'd by us, on thee,

       The Gods have sent them, and the tears in which they swum to me.

       Sit then, and name this goodly Greek, so tall, and broadly spread,

       Who than the rest, that stand by him, is higher by the head;

       The bravest man I ever saw, and most majestical,

       His only presence makes me think him king amongst them all."

       The fairest of her sex replied: Most rev'rend father-in-law,

       Most lov'd, most fear'd, would some ill death had seiz'd me, when I

       saw

       The first mean why I wrong'd you thus: that I had never lost

       The sight of these my ancient friends, of him that lov'd me most,

       Of my sole daughter, brothers both, with all those kindly mates,

       Of one soil, one age, born with me, though under diff'rent fates!

       But these boons envious stars deny; the memory of these

       In sorrow pines those beauties now, that then did too much please;

       Nor satisfy they your demand, to which I thus reply:

       That's Agamemnon, Atreus' son, the great in empery;

       A king, whom double royalty doth crown, being great and good,

       And one that was my brother-in-law, when I contain'd my blood,

       And was more worthy; if at all I might be said to be,

       My being being lost so soon in all that honour'd me."

       The good old king admir'd, and said: "O Atreus' blesséd son,

       Born unto joyful destinies, that hast the empire won

       Of such a world of Grecian youths, as I discover here!

       I once march'd into Phrygia, that many vines doth bear,

       Where many Phrygians I beheld, well-skill'd in use of horse,

       That of the two men, like two Gods, were the commanded force,

       Otrëus, and great Mygdonus, who on Sangarius' sands

       Set down their tents with whom myself, for my assistant bands,

       Was number'd as a man in chief; the cause of war was then

       Th' Amazon dames, that in their facts affected to be men.

       In all there was a mighty pow'r, which yet did never rise

       To equal these Achaian youths, fat have the sable eyes."

       Then (seeing Ulysses next) he said: "Lov'd daughter, what is he

       That, lower than great Atreus' son; seems by the head to me,

       Yet, in his shoulders and big breast, presents a broader show?

       His armour lies upon the earth; he up and down doth go,

       To see his soldiers keep their ranks, and ready have their arms,

       If, in this truce, they should be tried by any false alarms.

       Much like a well-grown bell-wether, or feltred ram, he shows,

       That walks before a wealthy flock of fair white-fleeced ewes."

       High Jove and Leda's fairest seed to Priam thus replies:

       "This is the old Laertes' son, Ulysses, call'd the wise;

       Who, though unfruitful Ithaca was made his nursing seat,

       Yet knows he ev'ry sort of sleight, and is in counsels great."

       The wise Antenor answer'd her: "'Tis true, renownéd dame;

       For, some times past, wise Ithacus to Troy a legate came,

       With Menelaus, for your cause; to whom I gave receipt

       As guests, and welcom'd to my house, with all the love I might.

       I learn'd the wisdom of their souls, and humours of their blood;

       For when the Trojan council met, and these together stood,

       By height of his broad shoulders had Atrides eminence,

       Yet, set, Ulysses did exceed, and bred more reverence.

       And when their counsels and their words they wove in one, the

       speech

       Of Atreus' son was passing loud, small, fast, yet did not reach

       To much, being naturally born Laconical; nor would

       His humour lie for anything, or was, like th' other, old;

       But when the prudent Ithacus did to his counsels rise,

       He stood a little still, and fix'd upon the earth his eyes,

       His sceptre moving neither way, but held it formally,

       Like one that vainly doth affect. Of wrathful quality,

       And frantic (rashly judging him) you would have said he was,

       But when, out of his ample breast he gave his great voice pass,

       And words that flew about our ears, like drifts of winter's snow,

       None thenceforth might contend with him, tho' nought admir'd for

       show."

       The third man, aged Priam mark'd, was Ajax Telamon,

       Of whom he ask'd: "What lord is that, so large of limb and bone,

       So rais'd in height, that to his breast I see there reacheth none?"

       To him the Goddess of her sex, the large-veil'd Helen, said:

       "That Lord is Ajax Telamon, a bulwark in their aid.

       On th' other side stands Idomen, in Crete of most command,

       And round about his royal sides his Cretan captains stand;

       Oft hath the warlike Spartan king giv'n hospitable due

       To him within our Lacene court, and all his retinue.

       And now the other Achive dukes I gen'rally discern;

       All which I know, and all their names could make thee quickly

       learn.

       Two princes of the people yet, I nowhere can behold,

       Castor, the skilful knight on horse and Pollux, uncontroll'd

       For all stand-fights, and force of hand; both at a burthen bred;

       My natural brothers; either here they have not followéd

       From lovely Sparta, or, arriv'd within the sea-born fleet,

       In fear of infamy for me, in broad field shame to meet."

       Nor so; for holy Tellus' womb inclos'd those worthy men

       In Sparta,