And when their counsels and their words they wove in one, the speech Of Atreus' son was passing loud, small, fast, yet did not reach3

To much, being naturally born Laconical; nor would [th' other, old; His humour lie for anything, or was, like But when the prudent Ithacus did to his counsels rise, [earth his eyes; He stood a little still, and fix'd upon the His sceptre moving neither way, but held it formally, [wrathful quality, Like one that vainly doth affect. Of 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, though nought admired 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 raised 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 given hospitable due

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

And now the other Achive dukes I generally 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 followed

From lovely Sparta, or, arrived within the sea-borne fleet, [shame to meet." In fear of infamy for me, in broad field Nor so; for holy Tellus' womb inclosed those worthy men

In Sparta, their beloved soil. The voiceful heralds then

The firm agreement of the Gods through all the city ring;

Two lambs, and spirit-refreshing wine (the fruit of earth) they bring,

Within a goat-skin bottle closed; Idæus also brought

A massy glittering bowl, and cups, that all of gold were wrought;

Which bearing to the king, they cried : "Son of Laomedon

Rise, for the well-rode peers of Troy, and brass-arm'd Greeks, in one,

Send to thee to descend the field, that they firm vows may make ;

For Paris and the Spartan king must fight for Helen's sake,

With long-arm'd lances; and the man that proves victorious,

The woman and the wealth she brought, shall follow to his house;

The rest knit friendship, and firm leagues; we safe in Troy shall dwell,

In

Argos and Achaia they, that do in dames excel."

He said; and Priam's aged joints with chilled fear did shake,

Yet instantly he bade his men his chariot ready make.

Which soon they did, and he ascends: he takes the reins, and guide Antenor calls; who instantly mounts to his royal side,

And, through the Scean ports to field, the swift-foot horse they drive. And when at them of Troy and Greece the aged lords arrive,

From horse, on Troy's well-feeding soil, 'twixt both the hosts they go. When straight up-rose the king of men, up-rose Ulysses too;

The heralds in their richest coats repeat (as was the guise)

The true vows of the Gods term'd theirs, since made before their eyes. Then in a cup of gold they mix the wine that each side brings,

And next pour water on the hands of both

the kings of kings.

Which done, Atrides drew his knife, that evermore he put

Within the large sheath of his sword; with which away he cut

The wool from both fronts of the lambs, which (as a rite in use

Of execration to their heads, that brake the plighted truce) The heralds of both hosts did give the peers of both; and then, With hands and voice advanced to heaven, thus pray'd the king of men: "O Jove, that Ida dost protect, and hast the titles won [all-seeing Sun, Most glorious, most invincible; and thou All-hearing, all-recomforting; floods; earth; and powers beneath,

That all the perjuries of men chastise even after death;

Be witnesses, and see perform'd the hearty vows we make ;

[take, If Alexander shall the life of Menelaus He shall from henceforth Helena, with all

To

To

see my loved son try his life, and so must take my way

wind-exposed Ilion. Jove yet and heaven's high States

Know only, which of these must now pay tribute to the Fates."

Thus, putting in his coach the lambs, he mounts and reins his horse; Antenor to him; and to Troy, both take their speedy course.

Then Hector, Priam's martial son, stepp'd forth, and met the ground,

With wise Ulysses, where the blows of combat must resound;

Which done, into a helm they put two lots, to let them know

Which of the combatants should first his brass-piled javelin throw;

When all the people standing by, with hands held up to heaven,

Pray'd Jove the conquest might not be by force or fortune given,

But that the man, who was in right the author of most wrong,

Might feel his justice, and no more these tedious wars prolong,

But, sinking to the house of death, leave them (as long before)

Link'd fast in leagues of amity, that might dissolve no more.

Then Hector shook the helm that held the equal dooms of chance,

Look'd back, and drew; and Paris first had lot to hurl his lance.

The soldiers all sat down enrank'd, each by his arms and horse

That then lay down and cool'd their hoofs. And now th' allotted course

Bids fair-hair'd Helen's husband arm; who first makes fast his greaves With silver buckles to his legs; then on his breast receives

The curets that Lycaon wore (his brother) but made fit [and fasten'd it,

For his fair body; next his sword he took,

E

All damask'd, underneath his arm; his shield then, grave and great,

His shoulders wore; and on his head his glorious helm he set ;

Topp'd with a plume of horse's hair, that horribly did dance,

And seem'd to threaten as he moved; at last he takes his lance, Exceeding big, and full of weight, which he with ease could use.

In like sort, Sparta's warlike king himself with arms indues. Thus arm'd at either army both, they both stood bravely in, Possessing both hosts with amaze, they came so chin to chin,

And with such horrible aspects, each other did salute.

A fair large field was made for them; where wraths, for hugeness mute, And mutual, made them mutually at either shake their darts Before they threw. Then Paris first with his long javelin parts;

It smote Atrides' orby targe, but ran not through the brass,

For in it (arming well the shield) the head reflected was.

Then did the second combatant apply

him to his spear, Which ere he threw, he thus besought almighty Jupiter:

"O Jove! vouchsafe me now revenge, and that my enemy, [deservedly For doing wrong so undeserved, may pay The pains he forfeited; and let these hands inflict those pains,

By conquering, ay, by conquering dead, him on whom life complains; That any now, or any one of all the brood

of men

To live hereafter, may with fear from all offence abstain,

Much more from all such foul offence to

him that was his host,

And entertain'd him as the man whom he affected most."

This said, he shook and threw his lance; which strook through Paris' shield, And, with the strength he gave to it, it made the curets yield,

His coat of mail, his breast, and all, and drave his entrails in,

In that low region where the guts in three small parts begin;

Yet he, in bowing of his breast, prevented sable death.

This taint he follow'd with his sword, drawn from a silver sheath,

I

hoped my hand should have revenged the wrongs I still sustain,

On him that did them, and still dares their foul defence pursue;

And now my lance hath miss'd his end, my sword in shivers flew,

And he 'scapes all." With this, again he rush'd upon his guest,

And caught him by the horse-hair plume, that dangled on his crest,

With thought to drag him to the Greeks; which he had surely done,

And so, besides the victory, had wondrous glory won

(Because the needle-painted lace, with which his helm was tied

Beneath his chin, and so about his dainty throat implied,

Had strangled him); but that, in time, the Cyprian seed of Jove

Did break the string, with which was lined that which the needle wove, And was the tough thong of a steer; and so the victor's palm

Was, for so full a man-at-arms, only an empty helm.

That then he swung about his head, and

cast among his friends,

Who scrambled, and took 't up with shouts. Again then he intends

To force the life-blood of his foe, and ran

on him amain,

With shaken javelin; when the Queen,* that lovers loves, again

Attended, and now ravish'd him from that encounter quite,

With ease, and wondrous suddenly; for she, a Goddess, might.

She hid him in a cloud of gold, and never made him known,

Till in his chamber, fresh and sweet, she gently set him down,

And went for Helen; whom she found in Scæa's utmost height,

To which whole swarms of city dames had climb'd to see the sight.

* This place Virgil imitateth

To give her errand good success, she took on her the shape

Of beldame Græa, who was brought by Helen, in her rape,

From Lacedæmon, and had trust in all her secrets still,

Being old, and had (of all her maids) the

main bent of her will,

And spun for her her finest wool. Like

her, Love's Empress came, Pull'd Helen by the heavenly veil, and softly said: "Madame,

My lord calls for you, you must needs make all your kind haste home; He's in your chamber, stays, and longs; sits by your bed; pray come, 'Tis richly made, and sweet; but he more sweet, and looks so clear,

So fresh, and movingly attired, that, seeing, you would swear

He came not from the dusty fight, but from a courtly dance, Or would to dancing."

This she made a

charm for dalliance; Whose virtue Helen felt, and knew, by her so radiant eyes,

White neck, and most enticing breasts, the deified disguise.

At which amazed, she answer'd her: "Unhappy Deity! Why lovest thou still in these deceits to wrap my fantasy?

Or whither yet, of all the towns given to their lust beside, [my guide, In Phrygia, or Mæonia, comest thou to be If there (of divers-languaged men) thou hast, as here in Troy,

Some other friend to be my shame; since here thy latest joy

By Menelaus now subdued, by him shall I be borne

Home to his court, and end my life in

triumphs of his scorn?

And, to this end, would thy deceits my wanton life allure?

Hence, go thyself to Priam's son, and all the ways abjure

Of Gods, or godlike-minded dames, nor ever turn again

Thy earth-affecting feet to heaven, but for his sake sustain

Toils here; guard, grace him endlessly, till he requite thy grace

By giving thee my place with him; or take his servant's place,

If, all dishonourable ways, your favours

seek to serve

His never-pleased incontinence; I better will deserve,

The Goddess, angry that, past shame, her mere will was not done,

Replied: "Incense me not, you wretch, lest, once incensed, I leave

Thy cursed life to as strange a hate, as yet it may receive

A love from me; and lest I spread through both hosts such despite,

For those plagues they have felt for thee, that both abjure thee quite,

And setting thee in midst of both, turn all their wraths on thee,

And dart thee dead; that such a death may wreak thy wrong of me." This strook the fair dame with such fear, it took her speech away,

And, shadow'd in her snowy veil, she durst not but obey;

And yet, to shun the shame she fear'd, she vanish'd undescried

When she, that was of all her sex the most divinely graced,

Ascended to a higher room, though much against her will, [Venus still. Where lovely Alexander was, being led by The laughter-loving Dame discern'd her moved mind by her grace,

And, for her mirth sake, set a stool, full before Paris' face,

Where she would needs have Helen sit; who, though she durst not choose But sit, yet look'd away for all the Goddess' power could use,

And used her tongue too, and to chide whom Venus soothed so much, And chid, too, in this bitter kind: "And was thy cowardice such,

So conquer'd, to be seen alive? O would to God, thy life

Had perish'd by his worthy hand, to whom I first was wife!

Before this, thou wouldst glorify thy valour and thy lance,

And, past my first love's, boast them far. Go once more, and advance