When Jove's decree fhall throw proud Ilion down, And give to plunder the devoted town.'

Think not, Atrides answer'd, though thou fhine,. • Graceful in beauty, like the powers divine, Think not, thy wiles, in fpecious words convey'd, From its firin purpose shall my foul diffuade. 'Muft I alone bereft fit down with fhame, ' And thou infulting keep thy captive dame? 'If, as I ask, the large-foul'd Greeks confent Full recompence to give, I ftand content. If not a prize I shall myself decree,

From him, or him, or else perhaps from thee. • While the proud prince, defpoil'd, fhall rage in vain.. But break we here. The reft let time explain. 'Launch now a well-trim'd galley from the shore, With hands experienc'd at the bending oar: Inclofe the hecatomb; and then with care To the high deck convey the captive fair. • The facred bark let fage Ulyffes guide, 'Or Ajax, or Idomeneus, prefide:

'Or thou, O mighty man, the chief shalt be. And who more fit to soothe the god than thee?'

Shameless, and poor of foul,' the prince replies,

And on the monarch cafts his fcornful eyes,

• What Greek henceforth will march at thy command, • In fearch of danger on the doubtful strand?

Who in the face of day provoke the fight,

Or tempt the secret ambush of the night?
Not I, be fure. Henceforward I am free.

For ne'er was Priam's houfe a foe to me..

Far from their inroads, in my pastures feed
The lowing heifer, and the pamper'd steed,
• On Phthia's hills our fruits fecurely grow,
And ripen carelefs of the diftant foe,

Between whofe realms and our Theffalian fhore
Unnumber'd mountains rife, and billows roar.
For thine, and for thy baffled brother's fame,
Acrofs thofe feas, difdainful man, I came;
Yet, infolent by arbitrary fway,

• Thou talk'st of seizing on my rightful prey,
The prize whofe purchase toils and dangers coft,
And given by fuffrage of the Grecian hoft.
What town, when fack'd by our victorious bands,
But ftill brought wealth to, thofe rapacious hands?
To me, thus fcorn'd, contented doft thou yield
My fhare of blood in the tumultuous field;
But ftill the flower of all the fpoil is thine;
There claim'ft thou most. Nor e'er did I repine.
Whate'er was giv'n I took, and thought it beft,
With flaughter tir'd, and panting after rest.
To Phthia now, for I fhall fight no more,
My fhips their crooked prows shall turn from shore.
When I am fcorn'd, I think I well foresee
What spoils and pillage will be won by thee.

Hence! cry'd the monarch, hence! without delay: Think not, vain man! my voice fhall urge thy ftay. • Others thou leav'ft to the great cause inclin'd, A league of kings thou leav'st, and Jove behind. • Of all the chiefs doft thou oppose me most : Outrage and uproar are thy only boast.

• Difcor

Difcord and jars thy joy. But learn to know,
If thou art strong, 'tis Jove hath made thee fo.
• Go, at thy pleasure. None will stop thy way.
Go, bid thy bafe-born Myrmidons obey.
Thou, nor thy rage, fhall my refolves fubdue;
I fix my purpose, and my threats renew.
Since 'tis decreed I muft the maid reftore,
A fhip fhall waft her to th' offended power;
But fair Brifeïs, thy allotted prize,

Myfelf will feize, and feize before thy eyes: That thou and each audacious man may fee, How vain the rash attempt to cope with me.' Stung to the foul, tumultuous thoughts began This way and that to rend the godlike man. To force a paffage with his falchion drawn,' And hurl th' imperial boaster from his throne, He now refolves: and now refolves again To quell his fury, and his arm restrain. While thus by turns his rage and reason fway'd, And half unsheath'd he held the glittering blade; That moment, Juno, whofe impartial eye Watch'd o'er them both, fent Pallas from the sky: She flew, and caught his yellow hair behind, (To him alone the radiant goddess shin'd.) Sudden he turn'd, and started with furprize; Rage and revenge flash'd dreadful in his eyes. Then thus with bafty words: O! heavenly-born,, • Com'st thou to fee proud Agamemnon's fcorn? But thou fhalt fee (my fword fhall make it good) This glutted fand smoke with the tyrant's blood.'

• To

To footh thy foul, the blue-ey'd maid replies, (If thou obey my voice) I left the skies.

• Heaven's queen, who favours both, gave this command!› Supprefs thy wrath, and stay thy vengeful hand.

• Be all thy rage in tauntful words exprest ;

But guiltless let the thirsty falchion reft.

• Mark what I speak. An hour is on its way,

When gifts tenfold for this affront shall pay.

Supprefs thy wrath; and heaven and me obey.'

Then he: I yield; though with reluctant mind. Who yields to heaven fhall heaven propitious find.' The filver hilt close-grasping, at the word, Deep in the sheath he plung`d his mighty fword. The goddess, turning, darted from his fight, And reach'd Olympus in a moment's flight. But fierce Achilles, in a thundering tone, Throws out his wrath, and goes impetuous on ::

Valiant with wine, and furious from the bowl! Thou fierce-look'd talker with a coward foul! War's glorious peril ever flow to share : Aloof thou view'ft the field; for death is there. 'Tis greater far this peaceful camp to sway, And peel the Greeks, at will, who disobey : 'A tyrant lord o’er slaves to earth debas'd; ← For, had they fouls, this outrage were thy laft. • But, thou, my fix'd, my final purpose hear.

By this dread fceptre folemnly I swear:

By this (which, once from out the forest torn,
Nor leaf nor fhade fhall ever more adorn;

• Which never more its verdure must renew,.

Lopp'd from the vital frem, whence first it grew:

}

• But

But given by Jove the fons of men to awe, Now fways the nations, and confirms the law) A day fhall come, when for this hour's difdain The Greeks fhall with for me, and with in vain ; Nor thou, though griev'd, the wanted aid afford, • When heaps on heaps fhall fall by Hector's fword: Too late with anguifh fhall thy heart be torn, That the first Greek was made the public fcorn.' He faid. And, mounting with a furious bound, He dafh'd his ftudded fceptre on the ground; Then fat. Atrides, eager to reply,

On the fierce champion glanc'd a vengeful eye.

'Twas then, the madding monarchs to compofe, The Pylian prince, the fmooth-fpeech'd Neftor rofe. His tongue dropp'd honey. Full of days was he; Two ages paft, he liv'd the third to fee: And, his first race of fubjects long decay'd, O'er their fons fons a peaceful fceptre sway'd.

Alas for Greece! he cries, and what with joy • Shall Priam hear, and every fon of Troy! That you, the first in wisdom as in wars, Waste your great fouls in poor ignoble jars ! 'Go to! you both are young. Yet oft rever'd • Greater than you have the wife Neftor heard. Their equals never shall these eyes behold: 'Cæneus the just, Pirithous the bold, • Exadius, Dryas, born to high command, Shepherds of men, and rulers of the land, Thefeus unrival'd in his fire's abodes, And mighty Polypheme, a match for gods.

‹ They,