The Iliads of Homer. Homer

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       Of all thy army." Thus, he threw his sceptre 'gainst the ground,

       With golden studs stuck, and took seat. Atrides' breast was drown'd

       In rising choler. Up to both sweet-spoken Nestor stood,

       The cunning Pylian orator, whose tongue pour'd forth a flood

       Of more-than-honey-sweet discourse; two ages were increas'd

       Of divers-languag'd men, all born in his time and deceas'd,

       In sacred Pylos, where he reign'd amongst the third-ag'd men

       He, well-seen in the world, advis'd, and thus express'd it then:

       "O Gods! Our Greek earth will be drown'd in just tears; rapeful

       Troy,

       Her king, and all his sons, will make as just a mock, and joy,

       Of these disjunctions; if of you, that all our host excel

       In counsel and in skill of fight, they hear this. Come, repel

       These young men's passions. Y' are not both, put both your years in

       one,

       So old as I. I liv'd long since, and was companion

       With men superior to you both, who yet would ever hear

       My counsels with respect. My eyes yet never witness were,

       Nor ever will be, of such men as then delighted them;

       Pirithous, Exadius, and god-like Polypheme,

       Cæneus, and Dryas prince of men, Ægean Theseüs,

       A man like heav'n's immortals form'd; all, all most vigorous,

       Of all men that ev'n those days: bred; most vig'rous men, and

       fought

       With beasts most vig'rous, mountain beasts, (for men in strength

       were nought

       Match'd with their forces) fought with them, and bravely fought

       them down

       Yet ev'n with these men I convers'd, being call'd to the renown

       Of their societies, by their suits, from Pylos far, to fight

       In th' Apian kingdom; and I fought, to a degree of might

       That help'd ev'n their mights, against such as no man now would

       dare

       To meet in conflict; yet ev'n these my counsels still would hear,

       And with obedience crown my words. Give you such palm to them;

       'Tis better than to wreath your wraths. Atrides, give not stream

       To all thy pow'r, nor force his prise, but yield her still his own,

       As all men else do. Nor do thou encounter with thy crown,

       Great son of Peleus, since no king that ever Jove allow'd

       Grace of a sceptre equals him. Suppose thy nerves endow'd

       With strength superior, and thy birth a very goddess gave,

       Yet he of force is mightier, since what his own nerves have

       Is amplified with just command of many other. King of men,

       Command thou then thyself; and I with my pray'rs will obtain

       Grace of Achilles to subdue his fury; whose parts are

       Worth our entreaty, being chief check to all our ill in war."

       "All this, good father," said the king, "is comely and good right;

       But this man breaks all such bounds; he affects, past all men,

       height;

       All would in his pow'r hold, all make his subjects, give to all

       His hot will for their temp'rate law; all which he never shall

       Persuade at my hands. If the gods have giv'n him the great style

       Of ablest soldier, made they that his licence to revile

       Men with vile language?" Thetis' son prevented him, and said:

       "Fearful and vile I might be thought, if the exactions laid

       By all means on me I should bear. Others command to this,

       Thou shalt not me; or if thou dost, far my free spirit is

       From serving thy command. Beside, this I affirm (afford

       Impression of it in thy soul): will not use my sword

       On thee or any for a wench, unjustly though thou tak'st

       The thing thou gav'st; but all things else, that in my ship thou

       mak'st

       Greedy survey of, do not touch without my leave; or do—

       Add that act's wrong to this, that these may see that outrage

       too—

       And then comes my part; then be sure, thy blood upon my lance

       Shall flow in vengeance." These high terms these two at variance

       Us'd to each other; left their seats; and after them arose

       The whole court. To his tents and ships, with friends and soldiers,

       goes

       Angry Achilles. Atreus' son the swift ship launch'd, and put

       Within it twenty chosen row'rs, within it likewise shut

       The hecatomb t' appease the God; then caus'd to come aboard

       Fair-cheek'd Chryseis; for the chief, he in whom Pallas pour'd

       Her store of counsels, Ithacus, aboard went last; and then

       The moist ways of the sea they sail'd. And now the king of men

       Bade all the host to sacrifice. They sacrific'd, and cast

       The offal of all to the deeps; the angry God they grac'd

       With perfect hecatombs; some bulls, some goats, along the shore

       Of the unfruitful sea, inflam'd. To heav'n the thick fumes bore

       Enwrapped savours. Thus, though all the politic king made shew

       Respects to heav'n, yet he himself all that СКАЧАТЬ