Now here, now there, the carcafes they tore : A field deep-furrow'd, next, the God defign'd, 625 630 The mafter meets them with his goblet crown'd; Then back the turning plough-fhares cleave the foil: Behind, the rifing earth in ridges roll'd; 635 And fable look'd, though form'd of molten gold, With bended fickles ftand the reaper-train : Here, ftretch'd in ranks, the level'd swarths are found, Sheaves heap'd on fheaves here thicken up the ground. With fweeping ftroke the mowers ftrow the lands; The gatherers follow, and collect in bands; And laft the children, in whofe arms are borne (Too fhort to gripe them) the brown fheaves of corn. The ruftic monarch of the field defcries, 645 With filent glee, the heaps around him rife. A ready banquet on the turf is laid, Next, ripe in yellow gold, a vineyard shines, 650 A deeper A deeper dye the dangling clusters show, 655 Where march a train with baskets on their heads (Fair maids, and blooming youths) that smiling bear The purple product of th' autumnal year. 660 To these a youth awakes the warbling strings, Here, herds of oxen march, erect and bold, 665 670 He roar'd in vain the dogs, the men, withstood; They tore his flesh, and drank the fable blood. The dogs (oft chear'd in vain) defert the prey, 675. Dread the grim terrours, and at distance bay. 680 A figur'd dance fucceeds: fuch once was seen In lofty Gnoffus; for the Cretan queen, Form'd Form'd by Dædalean art: a comely band Of youths and maidens, bounding hand in hand. That, glittering gay, from filver belts depend. 685 690 With well-taught feet: now shape, in oblique ways, Now forth at once, too fwift for fight, they spring, So whirls a wheel, in giddy circle toft, And rapid as it runs, the fingle fpokes are loft. 695 Thus the broad shield complete the artist crown'd And beat the buckler's verge, and bound the whole. This done, whate'er a warriour's ufe requires, Swift from Olympus' fnowy fummit flies, 700 705 710 ARGUMENT. The Reconciliation of Achilles and Agamemnon. THETIS brings to her fon the armour made by Vulcan. She preferves the body of his friend from corruption, and commands him to affemble the army, to declare his refentment at an end. Agamemnon and Achilles are folemnly reconciled: the fpeeches, prefents, and ceremonies, on that occafion. Achilles is with great difficulty perfuaded to refrain from the battle till the troops have refreshed themselves, by the advice of Ulyffes. The prefents are conveyed to the tent of Achilles; where Brifeïs laments over the body of Patroclus. The hero obftinately refufes all repaft, and gives himself up to lamentations for his friend. Minerva defcends to strengthen him, by the order of Jupiter. He arms for the fight: his appearance defcribed. He addreffes himself to his horfes, and reproaches them with the death of Patroclus. One of them is miraculoufiy endued with voice, and inspired to prophefy his fate; but the hero, not aftonished by that prodigy, rushes with fury to the combat. The thirtieth day. The fcene is on the fea-fhore. |