THE

EIGHTH BOOK

OF THE

I LI

LIA D.

ARGUMENT.

The fecond Battle, and the distress of the Greeks.

JUPITER affembles a council of the Deities, and threatens them with the pains of Tartarus if they affift either fide: Minerva only obtains of him that the may direct the Greeks by her counfels. The armies join battle: Jupiter on Mount Ida weighs in his balances the fates of both, and affrights the Greeks with his thunders and lightnings. Neftor alone continues in the field, in great danger; Diomed relieves him; whofe exploits, and those of Hector, are excellently defcribed. Juno endeavours to animate Neptune to the affiftance of the Greeks, but in vain. The acts of Teucer, who is at length wounded by Hector, and carried off. Juno and Minerva prepare to aid the Grecians; but are restrained by Iris, fent from Jupiter. The night puts an end to the battle. Hector continues in the field (the Greeks being driven to their fortification before the fhips) and gives orders to keep the watch all night in the camp, to prevent the enemy from reimbarking and efcaping by flight. They kindle fires through all the field, and pass the night under arms.

The time of seven and twenty days is employed from the opening of the poem to the end of this book. The fcene here (except of the celestial machines) lies in the field toward the fea-fhore.

A

THE

ILIA
A D.

BOOK

VIII.

URORA now, fair daughter of the dawn,
Sprinkled with rofy light the dewy lawn;
When Jove conven'd the senate of the skies,
Where high Olympus' cloudy tops arise.
The Sire of Gods his awful filence broke,
The heavens attentive trembled as he spoke :
Celestial states, immortal Gods! give ear,
Hear our decree, and reverence what ye hear;
The fix'd decree, which not all Heaven can move;
Thou Fate! fulfil it; and, ye Powers, approve!
What God but enters yon forbidden field,
Who yields affiftance, or but wills to yield;
Back to the skies with fhame he shall be driven,

Gash'd with difhonest wounds, the scorn of heaven :
Or far, oh far from fteep Olympus thrown,
Low in the dark Tartarean gulf shall groan,
With burning chains fix'd to the brazen floors,
And lock'd by hell's inexorable doors;
As deep beneath th' infernal centre hurl'd,
As from that centre to th' ethereal world.
Let him who tempts me, dread those dire abodes ;
And know, th' Almighty is the God of Gods.

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5.

League

League all your forces then, ye Powers above,
Join all, and try th' omnipotence of Jove:

Let down our golden everlasting chain,

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Whofe ftrong embrace holds heaven, and earth, and

main :

Strive all, of mortal and immortal birth,

To drag, by this, the Thunderer down to earth:
Ye ftrive in vain! If I but ftretch this hand,

I heave the Gods, the ocean, and the land;
I fix the chain to great Olympus' height,
And the vast world hangs trembling in my fight!
For fuch I reign, unbounded and above;
And fuch are men and Gods, compar'd to Jove..

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Th' Almighty fpoke, nor durft the Powers reply, 35: A reverend horrour filenc'd all the sky;

Trembling they stood before their Sovereign's look ;
At length his best-beloy'd, the Power of Wisdom, spoke .
Oh firft and greatest! God, by Gods ador'd!

We own thy might, our Father and our Lord!
But ah! permit to pity human state:

If not to help, at least lament their fate.

From fields forbidden we fubmifs refrain,

With arms unaiding mourn our Argives flain;

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Yet grant my counsels ftill their breasts may move, 45: Or all must perish in the wrath of Jove.

The cloud-compelling God her fuit approv'd,
And fmil'd fuperiour on his beft-belov'd.

Then call'd his courfers, and his chariot took ;.
The ftedfaft firmament beneath them shook:
Rapt by th' æthereal steeds the chariot roll'd ;.
Brafs were their hoofs, their curling manes of gold.

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Of heaven's undroffy gold the God's array
Refulgent, flash'd intolerable day.

High on the throne he fhines: his courfers fly.
Between th' extended earth and starry sky.
But when to Ida's topmost height he came,
(Fair nurse of fountains, and of favage game)
Where, o'er her pointed fummits proudly rais'd,
His fane breath'd odours, and his altars blaz’d:
There, from his radiant car the facred Sire
Of Gods and men releas'd the steeds of fire:
Blue ambient mifts th' immortal steeds embrac'd;
High on the cloudy point his feat he plac'd;
Thence his broad eye the subject world furveys,
The town, and tents, and navigable seas.

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Now had the Grecians fnatch'd a short repast, And buckled on their fhining arms with hafte. Troy rouz'd as foon; for on this dreadful day The fate of fathers, wives, and infants, lay. The gates unfolding pour forth all their train; Squadrons on fquadrons cloud the dusky plain : Men, steeds, and chariots, shake the trembling ground; The tumult thickens, and the skies refound. And now with fhouts the fhocking armies clos'd, 75 To lances lances, fhields to fhields oppos'd, Host against hoft with fhadowy legions drew,, The founding darts in iron tempests flew, Victors and vanquifh'd join promifcuous cries, Triumphant shouts and dying groans arise; With streaming blood the flippery fields are dy'd, And flaughter'd heroes fwell the dreadful tide, - VOL. I.

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