Or are her heroes doom'd to die with fhame,
And this the period of our wars and fame ?
Eurypylus replies: No more, my friend,
Greece is no more! this day her glories end.
Ev'n to the fhips victorious Troy pursues,
Her force encreasing as her toil renews.
Those chiefs, that us'd her utmoft rage to meet,
Lie pierc'd with wounds, and bleeding in the fleet.
But thou, Patroclus! act a friendly part,
Lead to my ships, and draw this deadly dart;
With lukewarm water wash the gore away,
With healing balms the raging smart allay,
Such as fage Chiron, fire of Pharmacy,
Once taught Achilles, and Achilles thee.
Of two fam'd furgeons, Podalirius ftands
This hour furrounded by the Trojan bands;
And great Machaon, wounded in his tent,
Now wants that fuccour which fo oft he lent.
To him the chief: What then remains to do?
Th' event of things the Gods alone can view.
Charg'd by Achilles' great command I fly,
And bear with hafte the Pylian king's reply;
But thy diftrefs this inftant claims relief.
He said, and in his arms upheld the chief.
The flaves their master's flow approach survey'd,
And hides of oxen on the floor display'd :
There stretch'd at length the wounded hero lay, 980 Patroclus cut the forky fteel away.
Then in his hands a bitter root he bruis'd;
The wound he wash'd, the ftyptic juice infus'd.
The closing flesh that inftant ceas'd to glow,
The wound to torture, and the blood to flow.
The Battle at the Grecian Wall.
THE Greeks being retired into their entrenchments, Hector attempts to force them; but it proving impoffible to pafs the ditch, Polydamas advises to quit their chariots, and manage the attack on foot. The Trojans follow his counfel, and, having divided their army into five bodies of foot, begin the affault. But upon the fignal of an eagle with a ferpent in his talons, which appear'd on the left hand of the Trojans, Polydamas endeavours to withdraw them again. This Hector opposes, and continues the attack; in which, after many actions, Sarpedon makes the first breach in the wall: Hector alfo cafting a stone of a vast fize, forces open one of the gates, and enters at the head of his troops, who victoriously purfue the Grecians even to their fhips.
HILE thus the hero's pious cares attend
The cure and fafety of his wounded friend,
Trojans and Greeks with clashing fhields engage,
And mutual deaths are dealt with mutual rage.
Nor long the trench or lofty walls oppose;
With Gods averse th' ill-fated works arose;
Their powers neglected, and no victim flain,
The walls were rais'd, the trenches funk in vain.
Without the Gods, how fhort a period stands
The proudest monument of mortal hands!
This stood, while Hector and Achilles rag'd,
While facred Troy the warring hosts engag'd;
But when her fons were flain, her city burn'd,
And what furviv'd of Greece to Greece return'd;
Then Neptune and Apollo fhook the shore,
Then Ida's fummits pour'd their watery store;
Rhefus and Rhodius then unite their rills,
Carefus roaring down the ftony hills,
Efopus, Granicus, with mingled force,
And Xanthus foaming from his fruitful fource;
And gulphy Simoïs, rolling to the main
Helmets, and shields, and god-like heroes flain:
|