O held the Trojans sleepless guard; the Greeks to flight
The feeble consort of cold fear, strangely infus'd from
Grief, not to be endur'd, did wound all Greeks of greatest worth. And as two lateral-sited winds, the west wind and the north, Meet at the Thracian sea's black breast, join in a sudden blore, Tumble together the dark waves, and pour upon the shore A mighty deal of froth and weed, with which men manure ground; So Jove and Troy did drive the Greeks, and all their minds confound.
With which men manure ground.-This piece of agricultural information is an addition of Chapman's.
But Agamemnon most of all was tortur'd at his heart,
Who to the voiceful heralds went, and bade them cite, apart, Each Grecian leader sev'rally, not openly proclaim.
In which he labour'd with the first; and all together came. They sadly sate. The king arose, and pour'd out tears as fast As from a lofty rock a spring doth his black waters cast, And, deeply sighing, thus bespake the Achives: "O my friends, Princes, and leaders of the Greeks, heav'n's adverse King extends His wrath, with too much detriment, to my so just design, Since he hath often promis'd me, and bound it with the sign Of his bent forehead, that this Troy our vengeful hands should race, And safe return; yet, now engag'd, he plagues us with disgrace, When all our trust to him hath drawn so much blood from our friends. My glory, nor my brother's wreak, were the proposéd ends, For which he drew you to these toils, but your whole countries' shame, Which had been huge to bear the rape of so divine a dame, Made in despite of our revenge. And yet not that had mov'd Our pow'rs to these designs, if Jove had not our drifts approv'd; Which since we see he did for blood, 'tis desp'rate fight in us To strive with him; then let us fly; 'tis flight he urgeth thus.” Long time still silence held them all; at last did Diomed rise: “Atrides, I am first must cross thy indiscreet advice, As may become me, being a king, in this our martial court. Be not displeas'd then; for thyself didst broadly misreport fortitude, and call'd me faint and weak,
In open field my Yet I was silent, knowing the time, loth any rites to break That appertain'd thy public rule, yet all the Greeks knew well, Of ev'ry age, thou didst me wrong. As thou then didst refell My valour first of all the host, as of a man dismay'd;
So now, with fit occasion giv'n, I first blame thee afraid.
30 Diomed takes fit time to answer his wrong done by Agamemnon in the fourth book."— CHAPMAN.
Inconstant Saturn's son hath giv'n inconstant spirits to thee, And, with a sceptre over all, an eminent degree;
But with a sceptre's sov'reign grace, the chief pow'r, fortitude, (To bridle thee) he thought not best thy breast should be endu’d. Unhappy king, think'st thou the Greeks are such a silly sort, And so excessive impotent, as thy weak words import? If thy mind move thee to be gone, the way is open, go; Mycenian ships enow ride near, that brought thee to this woe; The rest of Greece will stay, nor stir till Troy be overcome With full eversion; or if not, but (doters of their home) Will put on wings to fly with thee. Myself and Sthenelus Will fight till (trusting favouring Jove) we bring home Troy with us." This all applauded, and admir'd the spirit of Diomed; When Nestor, rising from the rest, his speech thus seconded: "Tydides, thou art, questionless, our strongest Greek in war, And gravest in thy counsels too, of all that equal are
In place with thee, and stand on strength; nor is there any one Can blame, or contradict thy speech; and yet thou hast not gone So far, but we must further go. Thou'rt young, and well mightst be My youngest son, though still I yield thy words had high degree Of wisdom in them to our king, since well they did become Their right in question, and refute inglorious going home. But I (well-known thy senior far) will speak, and handle all Yet to propose, which none shall check; no, not our general. A hater of society, unjust, and wild, is he
That loves intestine war, being stuff'd with manless cruelty. And therefore in persuading peace, and home-flight, we the less May blame our genʼral, as one loth to wrap in more distress
58 Yield-acknowledge. Had-thus the first folio; the second reads "hath,” and Dr. Taylor "have."
62 Propose so the first folio; the second reads "purpose," which Dr. Taylor has adopted, and explained in a note as meaning “propose 64 Manless-opposite to manful, cowardly, inhuman
His loved soldiers. But because they bravely are resolv’d To cast lives after toils, before they part in shame involv'd, Provide we for our honour'd stay; obey black night, and fall Now to our suppers; then appoint our guards without the wall, And in the bottom of the dike; which guards I wish may stand Of our brave youth. And, Atreus' son, since thou art in command Before our other kings, be first in thy command's effect.
It well becomes thee; since 'tis both what all thy peers expect, And in the royal right of things is no impair to thee. Nor shall it stand with less than right, that they invited be To supper by thee; all thy tents are amply stor'd with wine, Brought daily in Greek ships from Thrace; and to this grace of
All necessaries thou hast fit, and store of men to wait;
And, many meeting there, thou may'st hear ev'ry man's conceit, And take the best. It much concerns all Greeks to use advice Of gravest nature, since so near our ships our enemies Have lighted such a sort of fires, with which what man is joy'd? Look, how all bear themselves this night; so live, or be destroy'd."
All heard, and follow'd his advice. There was appointed then Sev'n captains of the watch, who forth did march with all their men. The first was famous Thrasymed, adviceful Nestor's son; Ascalaphus; and Ialmen; and mighty Merion;
Alphareus; and Deipyrus; and lovely Lycomed,
Old Creon's joy. These sev'n bold lords an hundred soldiers led, 90 In ev'ry sever'd company, and ev'ry man his pike,
Some placed on the rampire's top, and some amidst the dike.
All fires made, and their suppers took. Atrides to his tent
Invited all the peers of Greece, and food sufficient
Appos'd before them, and the peers appos'd their hands to it.
Hunger and thirst being quickly quench'd, to counsel still they sit. And first spake Nestor, who they thought of late advis'd so well, A father grave, and rightly wise, who thus his tale did tell :
"Most high Atrides, since in thee I have intent to end, From thee will I begin my speech, to whom Jove doth commend The empire of so many men, and puts into thy hand
A sceptre, and establish'd laws, that thou mayst well command, And counsel all men under thee. It therefore doth behove Thyself to speak most, since of all thy speeches most will move; And yet to hear, as well as speak; and then perform as well A free just counsel; in thee still must stick what others tell. For me, what in my judgment stands the most convenient I will advise, and am assur'd advice more competent Shall not be giv'n; the gen'ral proof, that hath before been made Of what I speak, confirms me still, and now may well persuade, Because I could not then, yet ought, when thou, most royal king, Ev'n from the tent, Achilles' love didst violently bring, Against my counsel, urging thee by all means to relent; But you, obeying your high mind, would venture the event, Dishonouring our ablest Greek, a man th' Immortals grace. Again yet let's deliberate, to make him now embrace Affection to our gen'ral good, and bring his force to field; Both which kind words and pleasing gifts must make his virtues yield." "O father," answered the king, "my wrongs thou tell'st me right. Mine own offence mine own tongue grants. One man must stand in
For our whole army; him I wrong'd; him Jove loves from his heart, He shows it in thus honouring him; who, living thus apart, Proves us but number, for his want makes all our weakness seen. Yet after my confess'd offence, soothing my hum'rous spleen, I'll sweeten his affects again with presents infinite, Which, to approve my firm intent, I'll openly recite: Sev'n sacred tripods free from fire; ten talents of fine gold
Twenty bright cauldrons; twelve young horse, well-shap'd, and wellcontroll❜d,
193 Proves us bui number-numerous only, not powerful or valiant.
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