Whofe hand in vain, directed by her love, So fpake the mournful dame: her matrons hear, Sigh back her fighs, and answer tear with tear, 660 THE ARGUMENT. ACHILLES and the Myrmidons do honour to the body of Patroclus. After the funeral feaft, he retires to the fea-fhore, where, falling asleep, the ghost of his friend appears to him, and demands the rites of burial; the next morning the foldiers are fent with mules and waggons to fetch wood for the pyre. The funeral proceffion, and the offering their hair to the dead. Achilles facrifices feveral animals, and laftly twelve Trojan captives, at the pile; then fets fire to it. He pays libations to the winds, which (at the instance of Iris) rife, and raife the flames. When the pile has burned all night, they gather the bones, place them in an urn of gold, and raise the tomb. Achilles inftitutes the funeral games: the chariot-race, the fight of the cæftus, the wrestling, the foot-race, the Single combat, the difcus, the shooting with arrows, the darting the javelin: the various defcriptions of which, and the various fuccefs of the feveral antagonists, make the greatest part of the book In this book ends the thirtieth day. The night following, the ghoft of Patroclus appears to Achilles : the one and thirtieth day is employed in felling the timber for the pile; the two and thirtieth in burning it; and the three and thirtieth in the games. The fcene is generally on the sea-shore. THE TH ILIA I A D. BOOK XXIII. HUS, humbled in the duft, the penfive train Not yet, my brave companions of the war, The troops obey'd; and thrice in order led Melts their strong hearts, and bids their eyes to flow. Burft from his heart, and torrents from his eyes: 10 His |