Spake to Ulysses, as with thought Achilles was not worth
The high direction of his speech, that stood so sternly forth
Unmov'd with th' other orators, and spake, not to appease
Pelides' wrath, but to depart. His arguments were these:
"High-issu'd Laertiades, let us insist no more
On his persuasion. I perceive the world would end before
Our speeches end in this affair. We must with utmost haste
The peers are elsewhere plac'd,
Return his answer, though but bad.
And will not rise till we return. Great Thetis' son hath stor'd
Proud wrath within him, as his wealth, and will not be implor'd,
Rude that he is, nor his friends' love respects, do what they can,
Wherein past all, we honour'd him. O unremorseful man!
Another for his brother slain, another for his son,
Accepts of satisfaction; and he the deed hath done
Lives in belov'd society long after his amends,
To which his foe's high heart, for gifts, with patience condescends;
But thee a wild and cruel spirit the Gods for plague have giv❜n,
And for one girl, of whose fair sex we come to offer sev'n,
The most exempt for excellence, and many a better prise.
Then put a sweet mind in thy breast, respect thy own allies,
Though others make thee not remiss. A multitude we are,
Sprung of thy royal family, and our supremest care
Is to be most familiar, and hold most love with thee
Of all the Greeks, how great an host soever here there be."
He answer'd: "Noble Telamon, prince of our soldiers here,
Out of thy heart I know thou speak'st, and as thou hold'st me dear; But still as often as I think, how rudely I was us'd,
And, like a stranger, for all rites, fit for our good, refus'd,
My heart doth swell against the man, that durst be so profane
To violate his sacred place; not for my private bane,
But since wrack'd virtue's gen'ral laws he shameless did infringe;
For whose sake I will loose the reins, and give mine anger swinge,
597 Unremorseful.-See Bk. vIII. 208.
Without my wisdom's least impeach. He is a fool, and base,
That pities vice-plagu'd minds, when pain, not love of right, gives place. And therefore tell your king, my lords, my just wrath will not care 620
For all his cares, before my tents and navy chargéd are
By warlike Hector, making way through flocks of Grecian lives,
Enlighten'd by their naval fire; but when his rage arrives
About my tent, and sable bark, I doubt not but to shield
Them and myself, and make him fly the there strong-bounded field."
This said, each one but kiss'd the cup, and to the ships retir'd;
Ulysses first. Patroclus then the men and maids requir'd
To make grave Phoenix' bed with speed, and see he nothing lacks.
They straight obey'd, and thereon laid the subtile fruit of flax,
And warm sheep-fells for covering; and there the old man slept, 630
Attending till the golden Morn her usual station kept.
Achilles lay in th' inner room of his tent richly wrought,
And that fair lady by his side, that he from Lesbos brought,
Bright Diomeda, Phorbas' seed. Patroclus did embrace
The beauteous Iphis, giv'n to him, when his bold friend did race 635
The lofty Scyrus that was kept in Enyeius' hold.
Now at the tent of Atreus' son, each man with cups of gold
Receiv'd th' ambassadors return'd. All cluster'd near to know
What news they brought; which first the king would have Ulysses show:
"Say, most praiseworthy Ithacus, the Grecians' great renown,
Will he defend us? Or not yet will his proud stomach down?"
Ulysses made reply: "Not yet will he appeaséd be,
But grows more wrathful, prizing light thy offer'd gifts and thee,
And wills thee to consult with us, and take some other course
To save our army and our fleet, and says, ' with all his force,
The morn shall light him on his way to Phthia's wished soil,
For never shall high-seated Troy be sack'd with all our toil,
6-9 Subtile-Latin subtilis, fine. Ben Jonson uses the word in this sense (Catiline, 11. 3) when he speaks of" subtile lips." Shakespeare, (Coriolanus, v. 2.) "Like to a bowl upon a subtile ground,"
where it refers to the smoothness of the bowling ground.
208 THE NINTH BOOK OF HOMER'S ILIADS.
Jove holds his hand 'twixt us and it, the soldiers gather heart.'
Thus he replies, which Ajax here can equally impart,
And both these heralds. Phoenix stays, for so was his desire,
To go with him, if he thought good; if not, he might retire.”
All wonder'd he should be so stern; at last bold Diomed spake :
"Would God, Atrides, thy request were yet to undertake, And all thy gifts unoffer'd him! He's proud enough beside,
But this ambassage thou hast sent will make him burst with pride. 655
But let us suffer him to stay, or go, at his desire,
Fight when his stomach serves him best, or when Jove shall inspire.
Meanwhile, our watch being strongly held, let us a little rest
After our food; strength lives by both, and virtue is their guest.
Then when the rosy-finger'd Morn holds out her silver light,
Bring forth thy host, encourage all, and be thou first in fight."
The kings admir'd the fortitude, that so divinely mov'd
The skilful horseman Diomed, and his advice approv'd.
Then with their nightly sacrifice each took his sev'ral tent,
Where all receiv'd the sov'reign gifts soft Somnus did present.
659 Virtue is their guest-valour accompanies food and rest.
THE END OF THE NINTH BOOK.
TH' Atrides, watching, wake the other peers,
And (in the fort, consulting of their fears)
Two kings they send, most stout, and honour'd most,
For royal scouts, into the Trojan host;
Who meeting Dolon, Hector's bribed spy,
Take him, and learn how all the quarters lie.
He told them, in the Thracian regiment
Of rich king Rhesus, and his royal tent,
Striving for safety; but they end his strife,
And rid poor Dolon of a dang'rous life.
Then with digressive wiles they use their force
On Rhesus' life, and take his snowy horse.
ANOTHER ARGUMENT.
Kappa the night exploits applies:
Rhesus' and Dolon's tragedies.
HE other princes at their ships soft-finger'd sleep did bind,
But not the Gen'ral; Somnus' silks bound not his labour-
That turn'd, and return'd, many thoughts. And as quick lightnings fly,
From well-deck'd Juno's sovereign, out of the thicken'd sky,
"These are the lightnings before snow, &c. that Scaliger's Criticus so unworthily taxeth; citing the place falsely, as in the third book's annotations, &c."-CHAPMAN.
Preparing some exceeding rain, or hail, the fruit of cold,
Or down-like snow that suddenly makes all the fields look old,
Or opes the gulfy mouth of war with his ensulphur'd hand,
In dazzling flashes pour'd from clouds, on any punish'd land;
So from Atrides' troubled heart, through his dark sorrows, flew
Redoubled sighs; his entrails shook, as often as his view
Admir'd the multitude of fires, that gilt the Phrygian shade,
And heard the sounds of fifes, and shawms, and tumults soldiers made.
But when he saw his fleet and host kneel to his care and love,
He rent his hair up by the roots as sacrifice to Jove,
Burnt in his fi'ry sighs, still breath'd out of his royal heart,
And first thought good to Nestor's care his sorrows to impart,
To try if royal diligence, with his approv❜d advice,
Might fashion counsels to prevent their threaten'd miseries.
So up he rose,
attir'd himself, and to his strong feet tied
Rich shoes, and cast upon his back a ruddy lion's hide,
So ample it his ankles reach'd, then took his royal spear.
Like him was Menelaus pierc'd with an industrious fear,
Nor sat sweet slumber on his eyes, lest bitter fates should quite
The Greeks' high favours, that for him resolv'd such endless fight.
And first a freckled panther's hide hid his broad back athwart ;
His head his brazen helm did arm; his able hand his dart;
Then made he all his haste to raise his brother's head as rare,
That he who most excell'd in rule might help t' effect his care.
He found him, at his ship's crook'd stern, adorning him with arms;
Who joy'd to see his brother's spirits awak'd without alarms,
Well weighing th' importance of the time.
And first the younger spake : "Why, brother, are ye arming thus? Is it to undertake The sending of some vent'rous Greck, t' explore the foe's intent? Alas! I greatly fear, not one will give that work consent, Expos'd alone to all the fears that flow in gloomy night.
He that doth this must know death well, in which ends ev'ry fright."
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