The Iliads of Homer. Homer

out.

       He found him standing guarded well with well-arm'd men of Thrace;

       With whom he quickly join'd, and said: "Man of Apollo's race,

       Haste, for the king of men commands, to see a wound impress'd

       In Menelaus, great in arms, by one instructed best

       In th' art of archery, of Troy, or of the Lycian bands,

       That them with much renown adorns, us with dishonour brands."

       Machaon much was mov'd with this, who with the herald flew

       From troop to troop alongst the host; and soon they came in view

       Of hurt Atrides, circled round with all the Grecian kings;

       Who all gave way, and straight he draws the shaft, which forth he

       brings

       Without the forks; the girdle then, plate, curets, off he plucks,

       And views the wound; when first from it the clotter'd blood he

       sucks,

       Then med'cines, wondrously compos'd, the skilful leech applied,

       Which loving Chiron taught his sire, he from his sire had tried.

       While these were thus employ'd to ease the Atrean martialist,

       The Trojans arm'd, and charg'd the Greeks; the Greeks arm and

       resist.

       Then not asleep, nor maz'd with fear, nor shifting off the blows,

       You could behold the king of men, but in full speed he goes

       To set a glorious fight on foot; and he examples this,

       With toiling, like the worst, on foot; who therefore did dismiss

       His brass-arm'd chariot, and his steeds, with Ptolemëus' son,

       Son of Piraides, their guide, the good Eurymedon;

       "Yet," said the king, "attend with them, lest weariness should

       seize

       My limbs, surcharg'd with ord'ring troops so thick and vast as

       these."

       Eurymedon then rein'd his horse, that trotted neighing by;

       The king a footman, and so scours the squadrons orderly.

       Those of his swiftly-mounted Greeks, that in their arms were fit,

       Those he put on with cheerful words, and bad them not remit

       The least spark of their forward spirits, because the Trojans durst

       Take these abhorr'd advantages, but let them do their worst;

       For they might be assur'd that Jove would patronise no lies,

       And that who, with the breach of truce, would hurt their enemies,

       With vultures should be torn themselves; that they should raze

       their town,

       Their wives, and children at their breast, led vassals to their

       own.

       But such as he beheld hang of from that increasing fight,

       Such would he bitterly rebuke, and with disgrace excite:

       "Base Argives, blush ye not to stand as made for butts to darts?

       Why are ye thus discomfited, like hinds that have no hearts,

       Who, wearied with a long-run field, are instantly emboss'd,

       Stand still, and in their beastly breasts is all their courage

       lost?

       And so stand you strook with amaze, nor dare to strike a stroke.

       Would ye the foe should nearer yet your dastard spleens provoke,

       Ev'n where on Neptune's foamy shore our navies lie in sight,

       To see if Jove will hold your hands, and teach ye how to fight?"

       Thus he, commanding, rang'd the host, and, passing many a band,

       He came to the Cretensian troops, where all did arméd stand

       About the martial Idomen; who bravely stood before

       In vanguard of his troops, and match'd for strength a savage boar;

       Meriones, his charioteer, the rearguard bringing on.

       Which seen to Atreus' son, to him it was a sight alone,

       And Idomen's confirméd mind with these kind words he seeks:

       "O Idomen! I ever lov'd thy self past all the Greeks,

       In war, or any work of peace, at table, ev'rywhere;

       For when the best of Greece besides mix ever, at our cheer,

       My good old ardent wine with small, and our inferior mates

       Drink ev'n that mix'd wine measur'd too, thou drink'st, without

       those rates,

       Our old wine neat, and evermore thy bowl stands full like mine,

       To drink still when and what thou wilt. Then rouse that heart of

       thine,

       And, whatsoever heretofore thou hast assum'd to be,

       This day be greater." To the king in this sort answer'd he:

       "Atrides, what I ever seem'd, the same at ev'ry part

       This day shall show me at the full, and I will fit thy heart.

       But thou shouldst rather cheer the rest, and tell them they in

       right

       Of all good war must offer blows, and should begin the fight,

       (Since Troy first brake the holy truce) and not endure these

       braves.

       To take wrong first, and then be dar'd to the revenge it craves;

       Assuring them that Troy in fate must have the worst at last,

       Since first, and 'gainst a truce, they hurt, where they should have

       embrac'd."

       This comfort and advice did fit Atrides' heart indeed

       Who still through new-rais'd swarms of men held his laborious

       speed,

       And came where both th' Ajaces stood; whom like the last he found

       Arm'd, casqu'd, and ready for the fight. Behind them, hid the

       ground

       A cloud of foot, that seem'd to smoke. And as a goatherd spies,

       On some hill's top, out of the sea a rainy vapour rise,

       Driv'n by the breath of Zephyrus which, though far off he rest,

       Comes on as black as pitch, and brings a tempest in his breast,

       Whereat he frighted, drives his herds apace into a den;

       So dark'ning earth with darts and shields show'd these with all

       their men.

       This sight with like joy fir'd the king, who thus let forth the

       flame

       In crying out to both the dukes: "O you of equal name,

       I must not cheer, nay, I disclaim all my command of you,

       Yourselves command with such free minds, and make your soldiers

       show

       As you nor I led, but themselves. O would our father Jove,

       Minerva, and the God of Light, would all our bodies move

       With such brave spirits as breathe in you, then Priam's lofty town

       Should soon be taken by our hands, for ever overthrown!"

       Then held he on to other troops, and Nestor next beheld,