There the great Ruler of the azure round
Stopp'd his fwift chariot, and his steeds unbound,
Fed with ambrofial herbage from his hand,
And link'd their fetlocks with a golden band,
Infrangible, immortal: there they stay,
The Father of the floods purfues his way;
Where, like a tempeft darkening heaven around,
Or fiery deluge that devours the ground,
Th' impatient Trojans, in a gloomy throng,
Embattled roll'd as Hector rush'd along:
To the loud tumult and the barbarous cry,
The heavens re-echo, and the shores reply;
They vow destruction to the Grecian name,
And in their hopes, the fleets already flame.
But Neptune, rifing from the feas profound, The God whofe earthquakes rock the folid ground, Now wears a mortal form; like Calchas fecn, Such his loud voice, and fuch his manly mein; 70 His shouts inceffant every Greek inspire,
But most th' Ajaces, adding fire to fire.
'Tis yours, O warriours, all our hopes to raife; Oh, recollect your ancient worth and praise: 'Tis yours to fave us, if you cease to fear; Flight, more than fhameful, is destructive here. On other works though Troy with fury fall, And pour her armies o'er our batter'd wall; There, Greece has ftrength: but this, this part o'er
Her ftrength were vain; I dread for you alone.
Here Hector rages like the force of fire,
Vaunts of his Gods, and calls high Jove his fire.
If yet fome heavenly Power your breast excite,
Breathe in your hearts, and ftring your arms to fight,
Greece yet may live, her threaten'd fleet remain; 85
And Hector's force, and Jove's own aid, be vain :
Then with his fceptre, that the deep controuls,
He touch'd the chiefs, and steel'd their manly fouls:
Strength, not their own, the touch divine imparts,
Prompts their light limbs, and fwells their daring hearts.
Then, as a falcon from the rocky height,
Her quarry feen, impetuous at the fight
Forth-fpringing inftant, darts herself from high,
Shoots on the wing, and skims along the sky:
Such, and fo fwift, the power of Ocean flew ;
The wide horizon fhut him from their view.
Th' infpiring God, Oïleus' active fon
Perceiv'd the first, and thus to Telamon:
Some God, my friend, fome God in human form Favouring defcends, and wills to ftand the ftorm. 100 Not Calchas this, the venerable feer;
Short as he turn'd, I faw the Power appear:
I mark'd his parting, and the steps he trod;
His own bright evidence reveals a God;
Ev'n now fome energy divine I fhare,
And feem to walk on wings, and tread in air!
With equal ardour (Telamon returns)
My foul is kindled, and my bosom burns:
New rifing fpirits all my force alarm,
Lift each impatient limb, and brace my arm.
This ready arm, unthinking, shakes the dart ;
The blood pours back, and fortifies my heart;
Singly, methinks, yon towering chief I meet,
And stretch the dreadful Hector at my feet.
Full of the God that urg'd their burning breaft, 115
The heroes thus their mutual warmth exprefs'd.
Neptune mean-while the routed Greeks infpir'd,
Who, breathlefs, pale, with length of labours tir'd,
Pant in the fhips; while Troy to conquest calls,
And fwarms victorious o'er their yielding walls: 120
Trembling before th' impending storm they lie,
While tears of rage stand burning in their eye.
Greece funk they thought, and this their fatal hour;
But breathe new courage as they feel the power.
Teucer and Leitus first his words excite ;
Then ftern Peneleus rifes to the fight;
Thoas, Deïpyrus, in arms renown'd,
And Merion next, th' impulfive fury found;
Laft Neftor's fon the fame bold ardour takes,
While thus the God the martial fire awakes:
Oh lafting infamy, oh dire difgrace
To chiefs of vigorous youth and manly race!
I trusted in the Gods, and you, to fee
Brave Greece victorious, and her navy free:
Ah no-the glorious combat you disclaim,
And one black day clouds all her former fame.
Heavens! what a prodigy these eyes furvey,
Unseen, unthought, till this amazing day!
Fly we at length from Troy's oft-conquer'd bands?
And falls our fleet by fuch inglorious hands?
A rout undisciplin'd, a ftraggling train,
Not born to glories of the dufty plain;
B 4
Like frighted fawns, from hill to hill pursued,
A prey to every favage of the wood:
Shall thefe, fo late who trembled at your name, 145
Invade your camps, involve your fhips in flame?
A change fo fhameful, fay, what caufe has wrought?
The foldier's baseness, or the general's fault?
Fools! will ye perifh for your leader's vice;
The purchase infamy, and life the price?
"Tis not your caufe, Achilles' injur'd fame :
Another's is the crime, but yours the shame.
Grant that our chief offend through rage or luft,
Muft you be cowards if your king's unjust ?
Prevent this evil, and your country fave:
Small thought retrieves the spirits of the brave.
Think, and fubdue! on daftards dead to fame
I waste no anger, for they feel no shame :
But
you, the pride, the flower of all our host,
My heart weeps blood to fee your glory loft!
Nor deem this day, this battle, all you lofe;
A day more black, a fate more vile, enfues.
Let each reflect, who prizes fame or breath,
On endless infamy, on inftant death,
For lo! the fated time, th' appointed fhore;
Hark! the gates burft, the brazen barriers roar!
Impetuous Hector thunders at the wall;
The hour, the fpot, to conquer, or to fall.
Thefe words the Grecians' fainting hearts inspire,
And liftening armies catch the god-like fire.
Fix'd at his poft was each bold Ajax found,
With well-rang'd fquadrons ftrongly circled round:
So close their order, fo difpos'd their fight,
As Pallas' felf might view with fix'd delight;
Or had the God of War inclin'd his eyes,
The God of War had own'd a juft furprize.
A chofen phalanx, firm, refolv'd as Fate,
Defcending Hector and his battle wait.
An iron scene gleams dreadful o'er the fields,
Armour in armour lock'd, and fhields in shields, 180
Spears lean on fpears, on targets targets throng,
Helms ftuck to helms, and man drove man along.
The floating plumes unnumber'd wave above,
As when an earthquake ftirs the nodding grove;
And, level'd at the skies with pointing rays,
Their brandish'd lances at each motion blaze.
Thus breathing death, in terrible array,
The clofe-compacted legions urg'd their way:
Fierce they drove on, impatient to deftroy;
Troy charg'd the firft, and Hector firft of Troy. 190
As from fome mountain's craggy forehead torn,
A rock's round fragment flies, with fury borne
(Which from the stubborn stone a torrent rends)
Precipitate the ponderous mass descends :
From steep to steep the rolling ruin bounds;
At every fhock the crackling wood resounds;
Still gathering force, it smokes; and, urg'd amain,
Whirls, leaps, and thunders down, impetuous to the
plain :
There ftops-So Hector. Their whole force he prov❜d,
Refistless when he rag'd, and when he stopt, unmov'd.
On him the war is bent, the darts are shed,
And all their falchions wave around his head :
Repuls'd he ftands, nor from his stand retires;
But with repeated fhouts his army fires.
|