From The Iliads of Homer prince of poets (as typeset by Early English Books Online)
Neuer before in any languag truely translated. With a co[m]ment vppon some of his chiefe places; donne according to the Greeke by Geo: Chapman.
Homer., Chapman, George, 1559?-1634., Hole, William, d. 1624, engraver.
THE XIIII. BOOKE OF HOMERS ILIADS.
THE ARGVMENT.
- ATrides, to behold the skirmish, brings
- Old Nestor, and the other wounded kings.
- Iuno (receiuing of the Cyprian Dame
- Her Ceston, whence her sweet enticements came)
- Descends to Somnus, and gets him to bind
- The powres of Ioue with sleepe, to free her mind.
- Neptune assists the Greeks, and of the foe,
- Slaughter inflicts a mightie ouer throw.
- Aiax, so sore, strikes Hector with a stone,
- It makes him spit blood, and his sense sets gone.
Another Argument.
- In Ξ with sleepe, and bed, heauens Queene,
- Euen Ioue himselfe, makes ouerseene.
- NOt wine, nor feasts, could lay their soft chaines on old Nestors eare*
- To this high Clamor; who requir’d, Machaons thoughts to beare
- His care in part, about the cause; for me thinke still (said he)
- The crie increases. I must needs, the watch towre mount to see
- Which way the flood of warre doth driue. Still drinke thou wine, and eate
- Till faire-hair’d Hecamed hath giuen, a little water heate,
- To cleanse the quitture from thy wound. This said, the goodly shield
- Of war-like Thrasimed, his sonne, (who had his owne in field)
- He tooke; snatcht vp a mightie lance; and so stept forth to view
- Cause of that Clamor. Instantly, th’vnworthy cause he knew,
- The Grecians wholly put in rout; the Troians rowting still,
- Close at the Greeks backs, their wall rac’t: the old man mournd this ill;
- And as when, with vnwieldie waues, the great Sea forefeeles winds,*
- That both waies murmure, and no way, her certaine current finds,
- But pants and swels confusedly; here goes, and there will stay,
- Till on it, aire casts one firme winde, and then it rolles away:
- So stood old Nestor in debate, two thoughts at once on wing
- In his discourse; if first to take, direct course to the King,
- Or to the multitude in fight. At last, he did conclude
- To visite Agamemnon first: meane time both hosts imbrewd
- Their steele in one anothers blood, nought wrought their healths but harmes:
- Swords, huge stones, double-headed darts, still thumping on their armes.
- And now the Ioue-kept Kings, whose wounds, were yet in cure, did meet
- Old Nestor, Diomed, Ithacus, and Atreus sonne, from fleet,
- Bent for the fight, which was farre off, the ships being drawne to shore*
- On heapes at first, till all theire stems, a wall was raisd before;
- Which (though not great) it yet suffisd, to hide them, though their men
- Were something streighted; for whose scope, in forme of battel then,
- They drew them through the spacious shore, one by another still;
- Till all the bosome of the Strand, their sable bulks did fill:
- Euen till they tooke vp all the space, twixt both the Promontories.
- These kings (like Nestor) in desire, to know for what those cries
- Became so violent; came along (all leaning on their darts)
- To see, though not of powre to fight; sad, and suspicious hearts*
- Distempring them, and (meeting now, Nestor) the king in feare
- Cried out, O Nestor our renowne? why shewes thy presence here?
- The harmefull fight abandoned? now Hector will make good,
- The threatning vow he made, (I feare) that till he had our blood,
- And fir’d our fleet, he neuer more, would turne to Ilion.
- Nor is it long, I see, before, his whole will, will be done.
- O Gods, I now see all the Greeks, put on Achilles ire,
- Against my honour; no meane left, to keepe our fleet from fire.
- He answerd; Tis an euident truth, not Ioue himselfe can now,*
- (With all the thunder in his hands) preuent our ouerthrow.
- The wall we thought inuincible, and trusted more then Ioue;
- Is scal’d, rac’t, enterd, and our powres, (driuen vp) past breathing, proue
- A most ineuitable fight: both slaughters so commixt,
- That for your life, you cannot put, your diligent’st thought betwixt
- The Greeks and Troians; and as close, their throates cleaue to the skie.
- Consult we then (if that will serue;) for fight, aduise not I;
- It fits not wounded men to fight. Atrides answerd him,
- If such a wall, as cost the Greeks, so many a tired lim,
- And such a dike be past, and rac’t, that (as your selfe said well)*
- We all esteemd inuincible, and would, past doubt repell
- The world, from both our fleete and vs: it doth directly show,
- That here Ioue vowes our shames, and deaths. I euermore did know
- His hand from ours, when he helpt vs: and now I see as cleare
- That (like the blessed Gods) he holds, our hated enemies deare;
- Supports their armes, and pinnions ours. Conclude then, tis in vaine
- To striue with him. Our ships drawne vp, now let vs lanch againe,
- And keepe at anchor, till calme Night; that then (perhaps) our foes
- May calme their stormes, and in that time, our scape we may dispose:
-
It is not any shame to flie, from ill, although by night:
-
Knowne ill, he better does that flies, then he it takes in fight.
- Vlysses frown’d on him, and said; Accurst, why talk’st thou thus?*
- Would thou hadst led some babarous host, and not commanded vs
- Whom Ioue made souldiers from our youth, that age might scorne to flie
- From any charge it vndertakes; and euery dazeled eye
- The honord hand of warre might close. Thus wouldst thou leaue this towne
- For which our many miseries felt, entitle it our owne?
- Peace, lest some other Greeke giue eare, and heare a sentence such
- As no mans pallate should prophane; at least, that knew how much
- His owne right weigh’d, and being a Prince, and such a Prince as beares
- Rule of so many Greeks as thou. This counsell lothes mine eares;
- Let others toyle in fight and cries, and we so light of heeles
- Vpon their verie noise, aud grones, to hoise away our keeeles.
- Thus we should fit the wish of Troy, that being something neare
- The victorie, we giue it cleare: and we were sure to beare
- A slaughter to the vtmost man: for no man will sustaine
- A stroke, the fleete gone; but at that, looke still, and wish him slaine:
- And therefore (Prince ofa men) be sure, thy censure is vnfit.
- O Ithacus (replied the King) thy bitter termes haue smit
- My heart in sunder. At no hand, gainst any Princes will
- Do I command this; would to God, that any man of skill,*
- To giue a better counsell would; or old, or younger man:
- My voice should gladly go with his. Then Diomed began.
- The man not farre is, nor shall aske, much labour to bring in,*
- That willingly would speake his thoughts, if spoken, they might win
- Fit eare; and suffer no empaire, that I discouer them,
- Being yongest of you: since, my Sire, that heir’d a Diadem,
- May make my speech to Diadems, decent enough, though he
- Lies in his sepulcher at Thebes. I bost this pedigree, b*
- Portheus, three famous sonnes begot, that in high Calidon,
- And Pleuron kept, with state of kings, their habitation.
- Agrius, Melas, and the third, the horseman Oeneus,
- My fathers father, that exceld, in actions generous,
- The other two: but these kept home, my father being driuen
- With wandring, and aduentrous spirits; for so the king of heauen,
- And th’other Gods, set downe their willes: and he to Argos came,
- Where he begun the world, and dwelt; there marying a dame,
- One of Adrastus femall race. He kept a royall house,
- For he had great demeanes, good land, and (being industrious)
- He planted many orchard grounds, about his house; and bred
- Great store of sheepe. Besides all this, he was well qualited,
- And past all Argiues for his speare: and these digressiue things
- Are such as you may well endure; since (being deriu’d from kings,
- And kings not poore, nor vertulesse) you cannot hold me base,
- Nor scorne my words: which oft (though true) in meane men, meet disgrace.
- How euer; they are these in short. Let vs be seene at fight,
- And yeeld to strong Necessitie, though wounded; that our sight
- May set those men on, that of late, haue to Achilles spleene
- Bene too indulgent, and left blowes: but be we onely seene
- Not come within the reach of darts; lest wound, on wound we lay:
- (Which reuerend Nestors speech implide) and so farre him obay.
- This counsell gladly all obseru’d; went on, Atrdes led;
- Nor Neptune this aduantage lost, but closely followed;
- And like an aged man appear’d, t’ Atrides; whose right hand*
- He seisd, and said; Atrides, this, doth passing fitly stand
- With sterne Achilles wreakfull spirit; that he can stand a sterne
- His ship; and both in fight and death, the Grecian bane discerne:
- Since, not in his breast glowes one sparke, of any humane mind;
- But, be that his owne bane; let God, by that losse make him find*
- How vile a thing he is: for know, the blest Gods haue not giuen
- Thee euer ouer; but perhaps, the Troians may from heauen
- Receiue that iustice. Nay tis sure, and thou shalt see their fals:
- Your fleete soone freed; and for fights here, they glad to take their wals.
- This said, he made knowne who he was, and parted with a crie,
- As if ten thousand men had ioynd, in battaile then; so hie
- His throate flew through the host: and so, this great earth-shaking God
- Chear’d vp the Greeke hearts, that they wisht, their paines no period.
- Saturnia from Olympus top, saw her great brother there,
- And her great husbands brother too, exciting euery where
- The glorious spirits of the Greeks; which, as she ioy’d to see:
- So (on the fountfull Idas top) Ioues sight did disagree
- With her contentment; since she fear’d, that his hand would descend,
- And checke the sea-Gods practises. And this she did contend
- How to preuent; which thus seem’d best: To decke her curiously,*
- And visite the Idalian hill, that so the Lightners eye
- She might enamour with her lookes, and his high temples steepe
- (Euen to his wisedome) in the kind, and golden iuyce of sleepe.
- So tooke she chamber, which her sonne, the God of ferrary,
- With firme doores made, being ioyned close, and with a priuie key,
- That no God could command but Ioue; where (enterd) she made fast
- The shining gates; and then vpon, her louely bodie cast
- Ambrosia, that first made it cleare; and after, laid on it
- An odorous, rich, and sacred oyle, that was so wondrous sweet,*
- That, euer, when it was but toucht, it sweetn’d heauen and earth.
- Her body being cleansd with this, her Tresses she let forth,
- And comb’d, (her combe dipt in the oyle) then wrapt them vp in cutles:
- And thus (het deathlesse head adornd) a heauenly veile she hurles
- On her white shoulders; wrought by her, that rules in housewiferies,
- Who woue it full of antique workes, of most diuine deuice.
- And this, with goodly clasps of gold, she fastn’d to her breast:
- Then with a girdle (whose rich sphere, a hunderd studs imprest)
- She girt her small wast. In her eares (tenderly pierc’t) she wore
- Pearles, great, and orient: on her head, a wreath not worne before
- Cast beames out like the Sunne. At last, she to her feete did tie
- Faire shoes; and thus entire attir’d, she shin’d in open skie:
- Cald the faire Paphian Queene apart, from th’other Gods, and said;
- Lou’d daughter? should I aske a grace, should I, or be obeyd?*
- Or wouldst thou crosse me? being incenst, since I crosse thee, and take
- The Greeks part, thy hand helping Troy? She answerd, That shall make*
- No difference in a different cause: aske (ancient Deitie)
- What most contents thee; my mind stands, inclin’d as liberally,
- To grant it, as thine owne to aske; prouided that it be
- A fauour fit, and in my powre. She (giuen deceiptfully)
- Thus said; Then giue me those two powres, with which both men and Gods
- Thou vanquishest, Loue, and Desire, For now, the periods
- Of all the many-feeding earth, and the originall
- Of all the gods, Oceanus; and Thetis, whom we call
- Our mother, I am going to greet: they nurst me in their court,
- And brought me vp; receiuing me, in most respectfull sort
- From Phaea; when Ioue vnder earth, and the vnfruitfull seas
- Cast Saturne. These I go to see, intending to appease
- Iarres growne betwixt them, hauing long, abstaind from speech and bed;
- Which iarres, could I so reconcile, that, in their angers stead
- I could place loue; and so renew, their first societie;
- I should their best lou’d be esteem’d, and honord endlesly.
- She answerd, Tis not fit, nor iust, thy will should be denied,*
- Whom Ioue, in his embraces holds. This spoken, she vntied,
- And from her odorous bosome tooke, her Ceston; in whose sphere
- Were all enticements to delight, all Loues; all Longings were,
- Kind conference; Faire speech, whose powre, the wisest doth enflame:
- This, she resigning to her hands, thus vrg’d her by her name.
- Receiue this bridle, thus faire wrought; and put it twixt thy brests:
- Where all things, to be done, are done; and whatsoeuer rests
- In thy desire, returne with it. The great-eyd Iuno smild,
- And put it twixt her brests. Loues Queene, thus cunningly beguild,
- To Ioues court flew. Saturnia, (straight stooping from heauens height)
- Pieria, and Emathia, (those countries of delight)
- Soone reacht, and to the snowy mounts, where Thracian souldiers dwell,
- (Approaching) past their tops vntoucht. From Athos then she fell,
- Past all the brode sea; and arriu’d, in Lemnos, at the towres,
- Of god-like Thoas; where she met, the Prince of all mens powres,
- Deaths brother, Sleepe; whose hand she tooke, and said; Thou king of men,*
- Prince of the Gods too: if before, thou heardst my suites: againe
- Giue helpefull eare, and through all times, Ile offer thanks to thee.
- Lay slumber on Ioues fierie eyes: that I may comfort me
- With his embraces. For which grace, Ile grace thee with a throne
- Incorruptible, all of gold, and elegantly done
- By Mulciber: to which, he forg’d, a footestoole for the ease
- Of thy soft feete; when wine, and feasts, thy golden humours please.
- Sweet Sleepe replyed; Saturnia, there liues not any god*
- (Besides Ioue) but I would becalme: I, if it were the flood
- That fathers all the Deities, the great Oceanus.
- But Ioue we dare not come more neare, then he commandeth vs.
- Now you command me, as you did, when Ioues great minded sonne,
- Alcides (hauing sackt the towne, of stubborne Ilion)
- Tooke saile from thence; when by your charge; I pour’d about Ioues mind
- A pleasing slumber; calming him, till thou drau’st vp the wind,
- In all his cruelties, to sea; that set his sonne ashore,
- In Cous, farre from all his friends; which (waking) vext so sore
- The supreme godhead, that he cast, the gods about the skie,
- And me (aboue them all) he fought: whom he had vtterly
- Hurld from the sparkling firmament; if all-gods-taming Night,
- (Whom, flying, I besought for aid) had sufferd his despight,
- And not preseru’d me: but his wrath, with my offence dispenc’t,
- For feare t’offend her; and so ceast, though neuer so incenst:
- And now another such escape, you wish I should prepare.
- She answerd; What hath thy deepe rest, to do with his deepe care,*
- As though Ioues loue to Ilion, in all degrees were such,
- As twas to Hercules, his sonne? and so would storme as much
- For their displeasure, as for his? away, I will remoue
- Thy feare, with giuing thee the dame, that thou didst euer loue;
- One of the faire young Graces borne, diuine Pasithae.
- This started Somnus into ioy; who answerd, Sweare to me,
- By those inuiolable springs, that feed the Stygian lake:
- With one hand touch the nourishing earth; and in the other, take
- The marble sea; that all the gods, of the infernall state,
- Which circle Saturne, may to vs, be witnesses; and rate
- What thou hast vow’d: that with all truth, thou wilt bestow on me,
- The dame (I grant) I euer lou’d, diuine Pasithae.
- She swore, as he enioyn’d in all, and strengthend all his ioyes,*
- By naming all th’infernall gods, surnam’d the Titanois.
- The oath thus taken, both tooke way, and made their quicke repaire
- To Ida, from the towne, and Ile, all hid in liquid aire.
- At Lecton first, they left the sea; and there, the land they trod,
- The fountfull nurse of sauages, with all her woods did nod,
- Beneath their feete: there Somnus staid, lest Ioues bright eye should see;
- And yet (that he might see to Ioue) he climb’d the goodliest tree*
- That all th’Idalian mountaine bred, and crownd her progenie:
- A firre it was, that shot past aire, and kist the burning skie.
- There sate he hid in his darke armes, and in the shape, withall,
- Of that continuall prating bird, whom all the Deities call
- Chalcis; but men Cymmindis name. Saturnia tript apace
- Vp to the top of Gargarus, and shewd her heauenly face
- To Iupiter; who saw, and lou’d; and with as hote a fire,
- (Being curious in her tempting view) as when with first desire
- (The pleasure of it being stolne) they mixt, in loue and bed.
- And (gazing on her still) he said: Saturnia, what hath bred
- This haste in thee, from our high court? and whither tends thy gate?*
- That voide of horse and chariot, fit for thy soueraigne state,
- Thou lackiest here? Her studied fraude, replyed; My iourney now*
- Leaues state, and labours to do good. And where, in right I owe
- All kindnesse to the Sire of gods; and our good mother Queene,
- That nurst, and kept me curiously, in court, (since both haue bene
- Long time at discord) my desire, is to attone their hearts;
- And therefore go I now to see, those earths extremest parts;
- For whose farre-seate, I spar’d my horse, the skaking of this hill,
- And left them at the foote of it: for they must taste their fill
- Of trauaile with me; that must draw, my coach, through earth and seas;
- Whose farre-intended reach, respect, and care not to displease
- Thy graces: made me not attempt, without thy gracious leaue.
- The cloud-compelling god, her guile, in this sort did receiue;
- Iuno, thou shalt haue after leaue, but ere so farre thou stray,*
- Conuert we our kind thoughts to loue; that now, doth euery way
- Circle, with victorie, my powers: nor yet with any dame;
- (Woman, or goddesse) did his fires, my bosome so enflame
- As now, with thee: not when it lou’d, the parts so generous
- Ixions wife had, that brought foorth, the wise Pyrithous;
- Nor when the louely dame, Acrisius daughter stird
- My amorous powres, that Perseus bore, to all men else preferd;
- Nor when the dame that Phenix got, surprisd me with her sight;
- Who, the diuine-soul’d Rhadamanth, and Minos brought to light;
- Nor Semele, that bore to me, the ioy of mortall men,
- The sprightly Bacchus; Nor the dame, that Thebes renowned then,
- Alcmena, that bore Hercules; Latona, so renownd;
- Queene Ceres, with the golden haire; nor thy faire eyes did wound,
- My entrailes to such depth as now, with thirst of amorous ease.
- The cunning dame seem’d much incenst, and said, what words are these,*
- Vnsufferable Saturns sonne? What? here? in Idas height?
- Desir’st thou this? how fits it vs? or what if in the sight
- Of any god, thy will were pleasd? that he, the rest might bring
- To witnesse thy incontinence; t’were a dishonourd thing.
- I would not shew my face in heauen, and rise from such a bed.
- But if loue be so deare to thee, thou hast a chamber sted,
- Which Vulcan purposely contriu’d, with all fit secrecie:
- There sleepe at pleasure. He replyed; I feare not if the eye*
- Of either god, or man obserue; so thicke a cloude of gold
- Ile cast about vs, that the Sunne, (who furthest can behold)
- Shall neuer find vs. This resolu’d, into his kind embrace,
- He tooke his wife: beneath them both, faire Tellus strewd the place*
- With fresh-sprung herbes, so soft, and thicke, that vp aloft it bore
- Their heauenly bodies: with his leaues, did deawy Latus store
- Th’Elysian mountaine; Saffron flowres, and Hyacinths helpt make
- The sacred bed; and there they slept: when sodainly there brake,
- A golden vapour out of aire, whence shining dewes did fall;
- In which they wrapt them close, and slept, till Ioue was tam’d withall.
- Meane space flew Somnus to the ships, found Neptune out, and said,*
- Now, chearfully assist the Greeks, and giue them glorious head;
- At least, a little, while Ioue sleepes; of whom through euery limme,
- I pour’d darke sleepe; Saturnias loue, hath so illuded him.
- This newes made Neptune more secure, in giuing Grecians heart;
- And through the first fights, thus he stird, the men of most desert.
- Yet, Grecians: shall we put our ships, and conquest in the hands,*
- Of Priams Hector, by our sloth? he thinks so, and commands,
- With pride according; all because, Achilles keepes away.
- Alas, as we were nought but him? we little need to stay,
- On his assistance, if we would, our owne strengths call to field,
- And mutually maintaine repulse. Come on then, all men yeeld
- To what I order; we that beare, best armes in all our host;
- Whose heads sustaine the brightest helms; whose hands are bristl’d most
- With longest lances, let vs on: But stay, Ile leade you all;
- Nor thinke I, but great Hectors spirits, will suffer some apall,
- Though they be neuer so inspir’d: the ablest of vs then,
- That on our shoulders worst shields beare, exchange with worser men
- That fight with better. This proposd, all heard it, and obeyd:
- The kings (euen those that sufferd wounds, Vlysses, Diomed,
- And Agamemnon) heplt t’instruct, the complete army thus;
- To good, gaue good armes; worse, to worse; yet none were mutinous.
- Thus (arm’d with order) forth they flew, the great Earth-shaker led;*
- A long sword in his sinowy hand, which when he brandished,
- It lighten’d still: there was no law, for him, and it; poore men
- Must quake before them. These thus man’d, illustrous Hector then
- His hoast brought vp. The blew-hair’d god, and he, stretcht through the prease
- A greiuous fight: when to the ships, and tents of Greece, the seas
- Brake loose, and rag’d. But when they ioynd, the dreadfull Clamor rose
- To such a height; as not the sea, when vp, the North-spirit blowes
- Her raging billowes; bellowes so, against the beaten shore:
- Nor such a rustling keeps a fire, driuen with violent blore,
- Through woods that grow against a hill: nor so the feruent strokes
- Of almost-bursting winds resound, against a groue of Okes;
- As did the clamor of these hoasts, when both the battels closd.
- Of all which, noble Hector first, at Aiax breast disposd*
- His iauelin, since so right on him, the great-soul’d souldier bore;
- Nor mist it, but the bawdricks both, that his brode bosome wore,
- To hang his shield and sword, it strooke; both which, his flesh preseru’d:
- Hector (disdaining that his lance, had thus, as good as sweru’d)
- Trode to his strength; but going off, great Aiax with a stone,*
- (One, of the many props for ships, that there lay trampl’d on)
- Strooke his brode breast, aboue his shield, iust vnderneath his throte;
- And shooke him peecemeale. When the stone, sprung backe againe & smote
- (cEarth, like a whirlewind gathering dust, with whirring fiercely round,
- For feruour of his vnspent strength, in setling on the ground:
- And, as when Ioues bolt, by the rootes, rends from the earth an Oke;*
- His sulphure casting with the blow, a strong, vnsauoury smoke;
- And on the falne plant none dare looke, but with amazed eyes,
- (Ioues thunder being no laughing game) so bowd strong Hectors thyes;*
- And so, with tost-vp heeles he fell: away, his lance he flung,
- His round shield followd; then his helme, and out his armour rung.
- The Greeks then showted, and ran in, and hop’t to hale him off;
- And therefore powr’d on darts, in stormes, to keepe his aide aloofe;
- But none could hurt the peoples guide; nor stirre him from his ground:
- Sarpedon, prince of Lycia; and Glaucus, so renownd,*
- Diuine Agenor, Venus sonne, and wise Polydamas
- Rusht to his rescue, and the rest: no one, neglectiue was
- Of Hectors safetie; all their shields, they coucht about him close;
- Raisd him from earth, and (giuing him, in their kind armesrepose)
- From off the labour, caried him, to his rich chariot,
- And bore him mourning towards Troy: but when the flood they got
- Of gulphy Xanthus, that was got, by deathlesse Iupiter;
- There tooke they him from chariot, and all be sprinkled there
- His temples with the streame; he breath’d, lookt vp, assaid to rise,
- And on his knees staid, spitting blood: againe then, closd his eyes,
- And backe againe his body fell; the maine blow had not done
- Yet with his spirit. When the Greeks, saw worthy Hector gone;
- Then thought they of their worke; then charg’d, with much more chere the foe
- And then (farre first) Oileades, began the ouerthrow;
- He darted Satnius, Enops sonne, whom famous Nais bore,
- (As she was keeping Enops flocks) on Satnius riuers shore:
- And strooke him in his bellies rimme; who vpwards fell, and raisd
- A mightie skirmish with his fall: and then Panthaedes seisd
- Prothenor Areilicides, with his reuend’gfull speare,
- On his right shoulder; strooke it through, and laid him breathlesse there.
- For which he insolently bragd, and cryed out; Not a dart*
- From great-soul’d Panthus sonne, I thinke, shall euer vainlier part;
- But some Greeke bosome it shall take, and make him giue his ghost.
- This bragge the Grecians stomackt much, but Telamonius most,
- Who stood most neare Prothenors fall: and out he sent a lance,
- Which Panthus sonne (declining) scap’t, yeet tooke it to sad chance,
- Archelochus, Antenors sonne, whom heauen did destinate
- To that sterne end, twixt necke, and head, the iauelin wrought his fate,
- And ran in at the vpper ioint, of all the backe long bone,
- Cut both the nerues, and such a lode, of strength, laid Aiax on,
- As, that small part, he seisd, outwaid, all th’vnder lims; and strooke
- His heeles vp so, that head, and face, the earths possessions tooke,
- When all the low parts sprung in aire; and thus did Aiax quit
- Panthaedes Braue; Now, Panthus sonne, let thy prophetique wit,*
- Consider, and disclose a truth, if this man do not wey
- Euen with Prothaenor? I conceiue, no one of you will say,
- That either he was base himselfe, or sprung of any base;
- Antenors brother, or his sonne, he should be, by his face;
- One of his race, past question, his likenesse shewes he is.
- This spake he, knowing it well enough. The Troians storm’d at this,
- And then slue Acamas (to saue, his brother yet ingag’d)
- Boeotius, dragging him to spoile; and thus the Greeks enrag’d.
- O Greeks? euen borne to beare our darts, yet euer breathing threats;
- Not alwayes vnder teares, and toyles, ye see our fortune sweats;
- But sometimes you drop vnder death? see now, your quicke among
- Our dead, intranc’t with my weake lance; to proue I haue, ere long
- Reueng’d my brother: tis the wish, of euery honest man,
- His brother slaine in Mars his field, may rest wreakt in his Phane.
- This stird fresh enuie in the Greeks, but vrg’d Peneleus most,
- Who hurld his lance at Acamas; he scap’t: nor yet it lost
- The force he gaue it, for it found, the flocke-rich Phorbas sonne,
- Ilioneus, whose deare Sire, (past all in Ilion)
- Was lou’d of Hermes, and enricht; and to him onely bore
- His mother, this now slaughterd man. The dart did vndergore
- His eye-lid, by his eyes deare rootes; and out the apple fell,
- The eye pierc’t through: nor could the nerue, that staies the necke, repell
- His strong-wing’d lance; but necke and all, gaue way, and downe he dropt.
- Peneleus then vnsheath’d his sword, and from the shoulders chopt
- His lucklesse head; which downe he threw; the helme still sticking on:
- And still the lance, fixt in his eye; which, not to see, alone,
- Contented him; but vp againe, he snatcht, and shewd it all;
- With this sterne Braue; Ilians, relate, braue Ilioneus fall,
- To his kind parents; that their roofes, their teares may ouerrunne;
- For so the house of Promachus, and Alegenors sonne,
- Must with his wiues eyes, ouerflow: she neuer seeing more
- Her deare Lord, though we tell his death; when to our natiue shore,
- We bring from ruin’d Troy our fleete, and men so long forgone.
- This said, and seene, pale Feare possest, all those of Ilion:
- And eu’ry man cast round his eye, to see, where Death was not,
- That he might flie him. Let not then, his grac’t hand be forgot,
- (O Muses you that dwell in heauen) that first embrude the field,
- With Troian spoile; when Neptune thus, had made their irons yeeld.
- First Aiax Telamonius, the Mysian Captaine slew
- Great Hyrtius Gyrtiades. Antilochus o’rethew
- Phalces and Mermer, to their spoyle. Meriones gaue end,
- To Moris and Hippotion. Teucer, to Fate did send,
- Prothoon and Periphetes. Atrides Iauelin chac’t
- Duke Hyperenor; wounding him, d in that part that is plac’t
- Betwixt the short ribs and the bones, that to the triple gut
- Haue pertinence. The Iauelins head, did out his entrailes cut,
- His forc’t soule breaking through the wound: nights black hand closde his eies.
- Then Aiax, great Oileus sonne, had diuers victories:*
- For when Saturnius sufferd flight; of all the Grecian race,
- Not one with swiftnesse of his feete, could so enrich a chace.
The end of the fourteenth Booke of Homers Iliads.
The mark ▪ (in place of what is now a comma) appeared after “Nestor” on line 2 of the first argument, and at the ends of lines 220, 237, 308, and 401 of the poem.