Sustain the common good of Greece, in ever putting on and flying The memory of fortitude, The brave Greeks have withstood their Where Hector, raging like a flame, doth And boasts himself the best God's son. And fire so, more than human spirits, that❘ In your deeds, and, with such thoughts Strengthen your bodies, and force check to with his fork'd sceptre's point, spirits, and made up every joint With power responsive; when, hawk-like, swift, and set sharp to fly, That fiercely stooping from a rock, inaccessible and high, Cuts through a field, and sets a fowl (not Hard, and gets ground still; Neptune so The masking Deity, and said: "Ajax, Our powers to fight, and save our fleet. Of th' augur Calchas. By his pace, in Without all question, 'twas a God; the And in my tender breast I feel a greater spirit blown, " To execute affairs of fight; I find my my thoughts, my hands Bare on bright fire, to use his speed; my That to encounter Hector's self, I long While these thus talk'd, as overjoy'd (Which God had stirr'd up in their spirits) The Greeks that were behind at fleet, re- And joints, being even dissolved with toil; Sweat tears from under their sad lids; But With ease stirr'd up the able troops, and [chus, youths of Greece," said he, Our fleet's whole safety; and, if you neglect the harmful field, Now shines the day when Greece to Troy must all her honours yield. O grief! so great a miracle, and horrible to sight, As now I see, I never thought could have profaned the light. The Trojans brave us at our ships, that have been heretofore Like faint and fearful deer in woods, dis tracted evermore With every sound, and yet scape not, but prove the torn-up fare Of lynces, wolves, and leopards, as never born to war. Nor durst these Trojans at first siege, in any least degree, Expect your strength; or stand one shock of Grecian chivalry. Yet now, far from their walls, they dare fight at our fleet maintain, All by our General's cowardice, that doth infect his men Who, still at odds with him, for that will needs themselves neglect, And suffer slaughter in their ships. Suppose there was defect (Beyond all question) in our king, to wrong Eacides, And he, for his particular wreak, from all assistance cease. And you, though slothful too, maintain with him a fight of spleen. Out, out, I hate ye from my heart; ye rotten-minded men. In this ye add an ill that's worse than all your sloth's dislikes. [hension strikes, But as I know to all your hearts my repreSo thither let just shame strike too; for while you stand still here A mighty fight swarms at your fleet, great Hector rageth there, Hath burst the long bar and the gates." Thus Neptune roused these men. And round about th' Ajaces did their phalanxes maintain Their station firm; whom Mars himself, had he amongst them gone, Could not disparage; nor Jove's Maid that sets men fiercer on : For now the best were chosen out, and they received th' advance Of Hector and his men so full, that lance All bent their firm breasts to the point, And as a round piece of a rock, which with a winter's flood Is from his top torn; when a shower, pour'd from a bursten cloud, Hath broke the natural bond it held within the rough steep rock; And, jumping, it flies down the woods, resounding every shock, And on, uncheck'd, it headlong leaps, till in a plain it stay, And then, though never so impell'd, it stirs not any way. So Hector, hereto throated threats, to go to sea in blood, And reach the Grecian ships and tents, without being once withstood. But when he fell into the strengths the Grecians did maintain, And that they fought upon the square, he stood as fetter'd then; And so the adverse sons of Greece laid on with swords and darts, Whose both ends hurt, that they repell'd his worst; and he converts His threats, by all means, to retreats; yet made as he retired, Only t' encourage those behind; and thus those men inspired : "Trojans! Dardanians! Lycians! All warlike friends, stand close; The Greeks can never bear me long, though tower-like they oppose. This lance, be sure, will be their spoil; if even the best of Gods, High thundering Juno's husband, stirs my spirit with true abodes." With this all strengths and minds he moved; but young Deiphobus, Old Priam's son, amongst them all was chiefly virtuous. He bore before him his round shield, tripp'd lightly through the prease, At all parts cover'd with his shield; and him Meriones Charged with a glittering dart, that took his bull-hide orby shield, Yet pierced it not, but in the top itself did piecemeal yield. Deiphobus thrust forth his targe, and fear'd the broken ends Of strong Meriones his lance, who now turn'd to his friends; The great heroe scorning much by such a chance to part With lance and conquest, forth he went to fetch another dart, Left at his tent. The rest fought on, the clamour heighten'd there Was most unmeasured. Teucer first did flesh the massacre, And slew a goodly man at arms, the soldier Imbrius, [at Pedasus The son of Mentor, rich in horse; he dwelt Before the sons of Greece sieged Troy; from whence he married Medesicaste, one that sprung of Priam's bastard-bed ; But when the Greek ships, double-oar'd, arrived at Ilion, To Ilion he return'd, and proved beyond comparison Amongst the Trojans; he was lodged with Priam, who held dear His natural sons no more than him; yet him, beneath the ear, The son of Telamon attain'd, and drew his lance. He fell, As when an ash on some hill's top (itself topp'd wondrous well) The steel hews down, and he presents his young leaves to the soil; So fell he, and his fair arms groan'd, which Teucer long'd to spoil, And in he ran; and Hector in, who sent a shining lance At Teucer, who, beholding it, slipp'd by, and gave it chance On Actor's son, Amphimachus, whose breast it strook; and in [intent to win Flew Hector, at his sounding fall, with full The tempting helmet from his head; but Ajax with a dart Reach'd Hector at his rushing in, yet touch'd not any part About his body; it was hid quite through with horrid brass; The boss yet of his targe took, whose firm stuff stay'd the pass, And he turn'd safe from both the trunks; both which the Grecians bore From off the field. Amphimachus Menestheus did restore, And Stichius, to th' Achaian strength. And as from sharply-bitten hounds, a brace of lions force A new-slain goat, and through the woods bear in their jaws the corse Aloft, lift up into the air; so, up into the skies, Bore both th' Ajaces Imbrius, and made his arms their prise. Yet, not content, Oiliades, enraged to see there dead His much-beloved Amphimachus, he hew'd off Imbrius' head; Which, swinging round, bowl-like he toss'd amongst the Trojan prease, And full at Hector's feet it fell. Amphimachus' decease, Being nephew to the God of waves, much vex'd the Deity's mind, And to the ships and tents he march'd, yet more to make inclined The Grecians to the Trojan bane. In hasting to which end, Idomeneus met with him, returning from a friend, Whose ham late hurt, his men brought off; and having given command To his physicians for his cure, much fired to put his hand To Troy's repulse, he left his tent. Him (like Andremon's son, Prince Thoas, that in Pleuron ruled, and lofty Calydon, Th' Etolian powers, and like a God was of his subjects loved) Neptune encounter'd, and but thus his forward spirit moved : "Idomeneus, prince of Crete! O whither now are fled Those threats in thee, with which the rest the Trojans menaced ?" "O Thoas," he replied, "no one of all our host stands now [know. In any question of reproof, as I am let to And why is my intelligence false? We all know how to fight, [knowledge right. And, (fear disanimating none) all do our Nor can our harms accuse our sloth, not one from work we miss. The great God only works our ill, whose pleasure now it is That, far from home, in hostile fields, and with inglorious fate, Some Greeks should perish. O Thoas, that of late But do thou, Hast proved a soldier, and wast wont, where thou hast sloth beheld, To chide it, and exhort to pains, now hate to be repell'd, " And set on all men.' He replied, "I would to heaven, that he, Whoever this day doth abstain from battle willingly, May never turn his face from Troy, but here become the prey And scorn of dogs. Come then, take arms, and let our kind assay Join both our forces. Though but two, yet, being both combined, The work of many single hands we may perform. We find, [little mind, That virtue co-augmented thrives in men of But we have singly match'd the great." This said, the God again, With all his conflicts, visited the venturous fight of men. The king turn'd to his tent; rich arms put on his breast, and took Two darts in hand, and forth he flew. His haste on made him look Much like a fiery meteor, with which Jove's sulphury hand Opes heaven, and hurls about the air bright flashes, showing aland He answer'd: Only for a dart, he that retreat did make, (Were any left him at his tent) for, that he had, he brake On proud Deiphobus his shield. "Is one dart all?" said he, "Take one and twenty, if thou like, for in my tent they be ; They stand there shining by the walls. took them as my prise I From those false Trojans I have slain. And this is not the guise Of one that loves his tent, or fights afar off with his foe; But since I love fight, therefore doth my martial star bestow, Besides those darts, helms, targets boss'd, and corslets bright as day.' "So I," said Merion, "at my tent, and sable bark, may say, I many Trojan spoils retain, but now not near they be, To serve me for my present use; and therefore ask I thee. Not that I lack a fortitude to store me with my own; [men renown, For ever in the foremost fights, that render I fight, when any fight doth stir. And this perhaps may well Be hid to others, but thou know'st, and I to thee appeal.' "I know," replied the king, "how much thou weigh'st in every worth, What need'st thou therefore utter this? If we should now choose forth The worthiest men for ambushes, in all our fleet and host, Since there the fearful and the firm will, as they are, appear, The fearful altering still his hue, and rests not anywhere, Nor is his spirit capable of th' ambush constancy, But riseth, changeth still his place, and croucheth curiously On his bent haunches; half his height scarce seen above the ground, For fear to be seen, yet must see; his heart, with many a bound, Offering to leap out of his breast, and, ever fearing death, The coldness of it makes him gnash, and half shakes out his teeth; Where men of valour neither fear, nor ever change their looks, From lodging th' ambush till it rise; but, since there must be strokes, Wish to be quickly in their midst) thy strength and hand in these Who should reprove? For if, far off, or fighting in the prease, Thou shouldst be wounded, I am sure the dart that gave the wound Should not be drawn out of thy back, or make thy neck the ground; But meet thy belly, or thy breast, in thrusting further yet When thou art furthest, till the first, and before him, thou get. But on; like children let not us stand bragging thus, but do; Lest some hear, and past measure chide, that we stand still and woo. Go, choose a better dart, and make Mars yield a better chance." This said, Mars-swift Meriones, with haste, a brazen lance Took from his tent, and overtook, most careful of the wars, [harmful Mars, Idomeneus. And such two, in field, as And Terror, his beloved son, that without terror fights, And is of such strength that in war the frighter he affrights, When, out of Thrace, they both take arms against th' Ephyran bands, Or 'gainst the great-soul'd Phlegians, nor favour their own hands, But give the grace to others still. In such sort to the fight, March'd these two managers of men, in armours full of light. And first spake Merion: "On which part, son of Deucalion, (For ambushes are services that try men's Serves thy mind to invade the fight? Is't virtues most, best to set upon The Trojans in our battle's aid, the right or left-hand wing, For all parts I suppose employ'd?" To this the Cretan king Thus answer'd: "In our navy's midst are others that assist ; The two Ajaces; Teucer too, with shafts the expertest Of all the Grecians, and, though small, is great in fights of stand; And these (though huge he be of strength) will serve to fill the hand Of Hector's self, that Priamist, that studier for blows. It shall be call'd a deed of height for him (even suffering throes For knocks still) to outlabour them, and, bettering their tough hands, Enflame our fleet. If Jove himself cast not his firebrands Amongst our navy, that affair no man can bring to field. Lyield Great Ajax Telamonius to none alive will That yields to death, and whose life takes Ceres' nutritions, That can be cut with any iron, or pash'd with mighty stones; Not to acides himself he yields for Though clear he must give place for pace By his high valour, let our aid see all That charge the left wing, and to that let This order'd, swift Meriones went, and Till both arrived where one enjoin'd. And his attendant, in bright arms so Both cheering the sinister troops all at the king address'd, And so the skirmish at their sterns on both parts were increased, That, as from hollow bustling winds en- So came together both the foes, both lusted to assay, And work with quick steel either's death. Set up her bristles in the field with lances Which thick fell foul on either's face. The splendour of the steel, In new-scour'd curets, radiant casques, and burnish'd shields, did seel Th' assailer's eyes up. He sustain'd a huge spirit, that was glad To see that labour, or in soul that stood Thus these two disagreeing Gods, old still try Their want without him) would bestow, yet still the victory On Hector, and the Trojan power; yet for Eacides, And honour of his mother-queen, great Goddess of the seas, He would not let proud Ilion see the Grecians quite destroy'd, And therefore from the hoary deep he suffer'd so employ'd Great Neptune in the Grecian aid; who grieved for them, and storm'd Extremely at his brother Jove. Yet both one Goddess form'd, And one soil bred, but Jupiter precedence took in birth, And had more knowledge;* for which cause, the other came not forth Of his wet kingdom, but with care of not being seen t' excite The Grecian host, and like a man appear'd, and made the fight. So these Gods made men's valours great, but equall'd them with war As harmful as their hearts were good; and stretch'd those chains as far On both sides as their limbs could bear, in which they were involved Past breach, or loosing, that their knees might therefore be dissolved. The empire of Jove exceeded Neptune's (saith Plut. upon this place) because he was more ancient, and excellent in knowledge and wisdom; and upon this verse, viz. dàλa Zevs πрóτероs, &c. sets down this his most worthy to be noted opinion: viz. I think also that the blessedness of eternal life, which God enjoys is notions presently apprehended; for otherwise, this: that by any past time he forgets not the knowledge and understanding of things taken away, immortality should not be life, but time, &c. (Plut. de Iside et Osiride.) |
