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Not unappeas'd he enters Pluto's gate,
Who leaves a brother to revenge his fate;

Heart-piercing anguish ftruck the Grecian hoft,
But touch'd the breast of bold Peneleus moft;
At the proud boafter he directs his course;
The boafter flies, and fhuns fuperior force.
But young Ilioneus receiv'd the spear;
Ilioneus, his father's only care.

570

(Phorbas the rich, of all the Trojan train

575

Whom Hermes lov'd, and taught the arts of gain):

Full in his eye the weapon chanc'd to fall,

And from the fibres scoop'd the rooted ball,

Drove through the neck, and hurl'd him to the plain : He lifts his miferable arms in vain!

Swift his broad faulchion fierce Peneleus fpread,
And from the spouting fhoulders struck his head;
To earth at once the head and helmet fly;
The lance, yet ftriking through the bleeding eye,
The victor feiz'd; and as aloft he shook
The gory vifage, thus infulting spoke :
Trojans your great Ilioneus behold!
Hafte, to his father let the tale be told:
Let his high roofs refound with frantic woe,
Such, as the houfe of Promachus must know;
Let doleful tidings greet his mother's ear,
Such, as to Promachus' sad spouse we bear;
When we victorious fhall to Greece return,
And the pale matron in our triumphs mourn.
Dreadful he spoke, then tofs'd the head on high;
The Trojans hear, they tremble, and they fly:

580

585

590

Aghaft

Aghaft they gaze around the fleet and wall,
And dread the ruin that impends on all.
Daughters of Jove! that on Olympus fhine,
Ye all-beholding, all-recording Nine!

600

O fay, when Neptune made proud Ilion yield,
What chief, what hero, firft embrued the field?
Of all the Grecians what immortal name,
And whose bleft trophies will ye raise to fame?
Thou firft, great Ajax; on th' enfanguin'd plain
Laid Hyrtius, leader of the Myfian train.
Phalces and Mermer, Neftor's fon o'erthrew,
Bold Merion, Morys, and Hippotion flew.
Strong Periphates and Prothoön bled,
By Teucer's arrows mingled with the dead.
Pierc'd in the flank by Menelaüs' steel,
His people's paftor, Hyperenor, fell;
Eternal darkness wrapt the warriour round,

610

615

And the fierce foul came rushing through the wound.
But ftretch'd in heaps before Oïleus' fon,
Fall mighty numbers, mighty numbers run;

Ajax the less, of all the Grecian race
Skill'd in pursuit, and swifteft in the chace

THE

4

THE

FIFTEENTH BOOK

OF THE

ILI A D.

ARGUMENT.

The fifth Battle, at the fhips; and the Acts of Ajax. JUPITER awaking, fees the Trojans repulfed from the trenches, Hector in a swoon, and Neptune at the head of the Greeks. He is highly incensed at the artifice of Juno, who appeafes him by her fubmiffions: fhe is then fent to Iris and Apollo. Juno, repairing to the affembly of the Gods, attempts, with extraordinary addrefs, to incenfe them against Jupiter; in particular touches Mars with a violent refentment: he is ready to take arms, but is prevented by Minerva. Iris and Apollo obey the orders of Jupiter; Iris commands Neptune to leave the battle, to which, after much reluctanee and paffion, he confents. Apollo reinfpires Hector with vigour, brings him back to the battle, marches before him with his Ægis, and turns the fortune of the fight. He breaks down great part of the Grecian wall: the Trojans rush in, and attempt to fire the first line of the fleet, but are, as yet, repelled by the greater Ajax with a prodigious laughter.

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